Forgotten

Chapter 7: The End of the Dream

Rhea Gand appeared as inscrutable as ever, standing in her formal nurse outfit, with that flawless high bun, no matter how late it was in the dark hallway. Kara couldn't remember having ever seen the woman in any other clothing. What her personal life looked like was anyone's guess, but Kara doubted it was a happy one.

"Nurse Danvers, I am deeply disappointed in you, although not surprised." The older woman's flat voice reflected her soulless brown eyes, fixed on them. "I anticipated this from the beginning. You don't have what it takes to be a nurse worthy of this establishment," she continued, approaching them a few more steps.

"You know what? I don't feel like I belong here either," Alex claimed with a mirthless laugh. "What you do to these patients is wrong. I was willing to give you and the doctors the benefit of the doubt, thinking maybe you knew something I didn't, but I'm done keeping my mouth shut and obeying you. I see you for what you are now. Sadistic monsters!"

"What a shame. The director and I had such high hopes for you, Nurse Danvers. We even turned a blind eye on your homosexuality in favor of enabling your potentials, whereas our own patients would undergo special treatment for that very tendency. Perhaps we should have known better and addressed that problem much sooner."

Kara could no longer stand the humiliating words coming out of the heartless woman's mouth, attacking Alex Danvers, whose shoulders were visibly shaking in her effort to keep her rage in check. The brave, compassionate nurse who always stood for what was right and protected her at all costs. A sister Kara would give her life for.

"You have no right talking to her like that!" Kara spoke up firmly. She wasn't afraid of Rhea Gand anymore. "And you don't get to decide who people choose to love. You don't even know what love is!"

"Ah, Miss Zorel seems to have found her voice again. Miss Luthor will be pleased to know her treatment is working." The smile on the older woman's face was fake.

"You're not real. None of this is. I saw you die," Kara claimed, thinking that perhaps confronting the lies would change something. That maybe she would wake up sooner. "You're just an illusion to keep us prisoners in this world."

The Head Nurse shook her head in disappointment. "Tsk, tsk. I see Miss Zorel hasn't been taking her medicines either. Another inexcusable negligence on your part, Nurse Danvers."

Kara was about to retort when her eyes caught sight of four muscular orderlies closing in on them from behind the Head Nurse, lurking in the shadows. A moment of silence hung, giving space to the ongoing music, and Kara thought she could hear Lena Luthor's pitch laughter again.

"This ends here, tonight," Nurse Gand stated, and for once, Kara couldn't agree more with her.

"Run!" Alex yelled, shoving her and Mike back towards the lobby.

Kara broke into a run, but kept looking over her shoulder. Alex remained behind, trying to stall one of the orderlies by wrestling him. Two orderlies were quickly gaining on Mike who was slower than Kara. She then saw the one on her tail holding up a familiar syringe.

As she grew closer to the reception desk, Kara realized she was getting too far ahead than others. Her way to the front doors was clear and she had the best chance to escape, but she could never bring herself to leave Mike or Alex behind.

Kara skidded to an abrupt halt. The orderly chasing her wasn't fast enough to change speed and Kara easily dodged his aiming syringe, taking advantage of her smaller form. She started running in the opposite direction and towards the orderlies who were now on Mike, pulling and pushing him down. The man following her with the sedative huffed in irritation and tried to stab her again. This time Kara caught his arm with both hands and smartly used his momentum to direct the syringe to instead jab his colleague who was about to sedate Mike. The stabbed orderly cried out, cursing, and flailing backward to rid himself of the needle in his back that was already numbing his body. The syringe previously in his possession slipped away, rolling into the darkness.