His Little Girl

Chapter Five

Clark didn't sleep at all that night, just sat in front of the incubator. Kara woke up around ten the next morning and attempted to talk. She ended up gagging around the tube in her throat and Clark quickly pressed the call button for a nurse. He cleaned his hands and opened pthe doors to the incubator. "Shhh, Kara. Just breathe baby. You're going to be fine. Just breathe." A nurse came in and flipped open the top of the incubator. "Don't try and talk yet Kara. You won't be able to for a while. The tube's there so you can breathe." Kara poked at the one in her stomach and the nurse took her hand away. "Nope. Don't touch. That's because you can't eat with the tube, so we'll feed you through that tube." Kara nodded, tears running down her face. "I'll get the doctor and ask him when the tube can come out okay?" Kara nodded again and sniffed. Clark put his hands back in the box and Kara grabbed his fingers and pulled them closer to her face. "Dick and Bruce might come by later. Do you want Diana to come and say hi?" Kara nodded for the third time and Clark could see that she was trying to be good, not talk and not move but he saw how much she just wanted to be out of there. The doctor from the day before came in and closed the door. "Good morning Kara. I'm Nicole. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you can come out of the incubator for a bath and the bad news is that your fever hasn't gone down yet. Are you hot?" Kara nodded and the doctor opened the lid to the incubator. "Well, the bath should bring your fever down." She wrapped bandages around the IVs and Adjusted the mask. Kara whimpered. "I know the wraps don't feel very nice but you don't want to get them wet." Nicole carefully lifted Kara out and used one hand to pull the IV stand with her. Kara was set in a large basin filled with water. Clark took off her hospital gown and helped dab water on her forehead with a sponge. Clark could see her relax in the cool water, and was internally grateful to the doctor for alleviating Kara's suffering. After letting Kara soak for twenty minutes, Nicole lifted her back out and laid her on the back part of the cart the basin was on. Towel material was folded to make more comfortable and the doctor grabbed a small towel and dried Kara off. "Did you bring her pajamas?" Clark nodded and pulled out Kara's polka dot pjs and her blanket. The nurse took them and folded them over her arm. "I have to sanitize them before she can wear them. I'll be right back." She walked out and Clark stood over Kara. She smiled at him and he kissed her forehead. "Hey naked girl." Kara giggled and held her arms up. " I can't pick you up. I'm sorry." Her face fell and her arms went limp at her sides. "I'll see if Diana can come over later, kay?" "Mmm." "That's my girl." The doctor came back in and handed the blanket to Clark. He laid it out in the incubator and watched as Nicole tugged a Pull-up over Kara's legs. She slipped the pj pants on next and put Kara's arm with out an IV in the button up shirt. She picked up Kara and was about to put her back in the incubator when Kara started to wail and reached for Clark. The doctor showed Clark how to hold her without damaging the IVs and said she would be back in ten minutes. Clark held close as she cried, whispering into her hair that she was okay, they'd be out of here soon. Her heart monitor started to beep more rapidly and Clark snuggled her as close as possible to calm her down. She eventually dropped off and it hugged Clark that she cried herself to sleep. He kissed her forehead before handing her over to the nurse, who put her back into the incubator.

Clark called Diana who immediately agreed to see Kara. She arrived before dinner time with a small leather bag slung over her shoulder. Clark met her in the front lobby of the hospital and led her upstairs. "Kara's asleep." He explained. "She should wake up in the next hour. You're not sick are you?" "No." Diana asked, puzzled. "Amazons rarely get sick." Clark opened the door marked Kent, Kara and handed Diana the bottle of sanitizer. "We can't risk Kara getting anything else." Diana nodded and cleaned her hands and looked around the room. "In there." Clark gestured to the incubator and Diana covered her mouth. "Great Hera!" Kara was curled up with her blanket heaped around her. Multiple tubes jutted out of her stomach, mouth and arm. "Why?" Diana managed. "The tube in her mouth and the mask help her breath. The one in her stomach is for nutrients and the one in her arm is a saline drip." Diana moved closer and Clark opened the doors for her arms. Diana's hands carefully cupped Kara's head and arm. As she lightly stroked Kara's cheek, the toddler's eyes opened slowly and she smiled at Diana. "Hello Kara." Kara waved with her good arm. "She can't talk yet." Clark remarked from behind her and pressed the call button. Diana took her hands out as a nurse flipped open the lid on the incubator and lifted Kara out. She carefully settled Kara in Diana's arms and told them twenty minutes before Kara had to go back in. Kara cuddled up to Diana and her tiny hand grasped three of Diana's fingers. "I'm gonna grab some dinner. Will you be okay for ten minutes?" Diana nodded, keeping her eyes on the little girl in her arms. Clark kissed Kara's forehead and left. Diana rocked Kara back and forth, with her eyes trained on Kara's bright blues. Kara played with strands of Diana's dark hair, and reached toward her own. She frowned when she realized she could play with her own hair. "When Clark's comes back, I can fix it." She promised Kara. A soft knock at the door and a young, redhead nurse came in pushing a small cart. "Evenin." She said through a pleasant Irish accent. "Hello." The nurse unhooked the IV line in Kara's stomach and pushed the end of a large syringe in the port. The liquid in the needle was thick and whitish in color. "What is that?" Diana wrinkled her nose. "Nutrients." The nurse replied cheerfully. Kara scrunched up her face as the cold liquid entered her stomach. Diana half smiled and held Kara still. The nurse hung a new bag on the IV stand and connected it to the drip in Kara's arm. "All done." She announced. "Thank you." The nurse smiled and left. Diana sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted Kara so her head was on Diana's shoulder. Diana closed her eyes and Kara sighed, content. Diana felt at peace as well, since being exiled from Themiscryia, she had not had any real contact with anyone and having Kara cuddle up to her was ...pleasing. The raven haired beauty's eyes flew open as the door opened and Clark came in. "Sorry I took so long. There was a line." He set a plastic bag on the small table and smiled at the two. "She asleep?" "I don't think so." Diana replied and gently pried Kara away from her. "Nope." Clark beside her and Kara reached her arms out. Clark took his daughter from his friend and sat her on his lap. He handed a box from the bag to Diana and got one himself. Diana opened it to see a salad, a square of lasagna and garlic toast. She said her thanks and dug in. Kara watched them eat with a wistful expression and reached for Clark's bread. "No Kara." She pouted and Clark kissed the top of her head. "When you can leave we'll got out for dinner and you can get whatever you want." He promised. Kara smiled again and rested her head on Clark's stomach. Dr. Nicole came in and squatted down in front of Kara. "Hey big girl. Do you thinks it's time to get back to bed?" Kara shook her head. "Well, if you don't, you can't get your tube out." Kara's eyes widened and she reached for the doctor. Nicole chuckled as she picked Kara up and out her back in the incubator. She tucked the gold blanket around the girl and closed the lid. "I spoke with the other doctor and we're going to try Kara breathing on her own. The blockage in her lungs should be gone, making it easier for her." Clark nodded. Diana finished eating, washed her hands and pulled a comb out of her back. She cleaned it in the sink and dried it before opening to hatches on the incubator and gently took Kara's hair out of the messy ponytail and started to comb the knots out of her fine hair. When it was smooth and knot free, Diana braided the blonde hair in a coil around her head. She touched Kara's cheek before closing the door and standing up. "Call me when she's better and I wi take her for a day." "Thank you for coming. Kara's always so excited to see you." Clark smiled and opened the door for Diana.