SuperCorp One-Shots

one-shot

SuperCorp One-Shot by intouandbeyond

It's unfair, really. Kara never got it.

Well, to be fair, there were a lot of things that didn't make sense to Kara: The electoral college. Why products marketed for women are more expensive than its counterpart for men, even though it's the same product, just in a different color. Why condoms were given out for free in some places, but never sanitary napkins or tampons. Why corn is barely considered a vegetable (or so she's told). Or why pizza is not considered a complete meal, even if she gets one that includes all the toppings: meats, peppers, olives, pineapples, etc. Or why it was so hard to convince some people to wear masks in public, believe in vaccines, or even the fact that the pandemic is real.

So many things didn't make sense.

What takes the cake, though, is how people continue to judge Lena for having a last name she never chose in the first place. One could say that Kara is just partial to the subject, but who can blame her? Especially when she sees (well, hears) firsthand what it does to Lena and how desensitized she is by it all.

It was just after dinner time, but they were both already dressed for bed. Kara was actually in bed already, but Lena was still at her desk with her phone propped up against what Kara guesses is her mountain of books. Kara just wanted to check-in since today was Lena's first online patient encounter of the school year. She was in an assigned group and, apparently, it didn't go so well.

"But I'm a Luthor, remember?" Lena jokes, but Kara doesn't find it funny. Not this time. Not when Lena uses it to excuse the way someone brushed off her suggestion earlier today during the group discussion after the encounter, and then that same person went ahead and suggested the exact same idea minutes later, only phrased differently.

"No, Lena. That's not fair. It shouldn't have to be a valid reason. You are so much more than just a Luthor." If Kara were to passionately defend one thing in her life it would be how Lena was the best Luthor of them all, that the Luthor name doesn't even deserve to exist in Lena's presence.

"I know that darling, and I'm grateful you do too." Lena gives her a small smile. Kara can't help but return it in kind, until she remembers one tiny detail.

"Wait- wasn't Sam or Jess with you in your group? Didn't you say you all had the same proctor?"

"No, I mean- yeah we had the same proctor, but we were in different batches. Their patient encounter was right after mine."
"Oh man, that sucks."

"Yeah, it would've been nice to have them with me in there."
Jess and Sam were two among the few friends Lena made during med school. Lena mentioned that they met during the first day of their first year. She didn't know anybody else in her class, and everyone else already seemed to have cliques they were a part of. Then she spotted two girls sleeping on their chairs with a free space in between them and another group, so she decided to claim the spot. Lena shared how hard it was for her to openly make friends given her family's history but, luckily, Jess and Sam were the kindest, most caring and, at the same time, goofiest girls she had ever met. When given the chance to pick their own groups the three of them were always on the same team. During the pandemic, they also made sure that Lena was well-fed by sending her food and supplies when they knew she didn't have time to go buy them herself. They would also have online study sessions to keep themselves motivated and connected despite the circumstances. She's so glad that Lena has people, aside from Kara of course, who also cared for her, not just because she was smart or rich, unlike Lena's previous so-called 'friends'.

"I swear, if the rest of your class only got to know how much of a big softie you are, they wouldn't use your last name against you ever again."

"Maybe, or... they could say that my being a softie could be a front for whatever scheme I have going on behind closed doors."
"Lena, no-" Kara had so much to say about that, but Lena waves her off before she could even get three words in.