His Little Girl

Chapter Six

Clark decided Kara was getting better, and allowed himself to sleep for the first time in a while. He had a few hours of beauty rest when the rapid beeping of Kara's monitors woke him up. Kara was gasping from breath, sitting up and pressing the mask harder against her face. Before Clark could react, Nicole, a cart and a small army of nurses came crashing through the door and straight to the incubator. Nicole lifted Kara out and a nurse quickly took off the oxygen mask off. Nicole laid Kara on her side and tilted her head so she was looking up. Another nurse held her still and Nicole pulled the tube out of Kara, the toddler gagging the entire time. The heart monitor skipped to many beats for Clark's pleasure, but as the tube came out, her heart beat settled and paced. A nurse was compressing Kara's chest to get her to breathe normally while another held a hand pumped oxygen mask over he face and forced air into her tiny lungs. Nicole nodded to the nurse pressing on Kara's chest and she stopped. "The tube came loose and blocked her airways. She'll be fine." "How did it come loose?" Clark asked. "Kara must've been tugging on it while she slept. It happens quite often. Good news is she can breathe much easier. I think we could put the tube back in and take it out around lunchtime tomorrow." Kara sniffed back tears and looked at Clark. "One more day baby girl." Kara's lip trembled but she nodded. Nicole gave Kara a shot of something to help her sleep and slipped the tube back down her throat. This time, before putting her back in bed, she wrapped Kara's arms in a pink blanket, maneuvering around the saline drip. "Can I hold her for a bit?" Nicole nodded and Kara was in his arms. The nurses left and he stared at his daughter's prone figure. Kara weighed absolutely nothing, and Clark realized just how small she really was. One of the nurses had offhandedly compared Kara to a two year old, with her size and weight. He was suddenly very afraid of breaking her, and loosened the hold he had on her. Kara murmured in her sleep and her blue lips moved around the tubes. She looked uncomfortable at the loss of contact. Fearfully, Clark sat down on the bed and snuggled up with Kara again. Her hand poked through the blanket and Clark caught it, examining her blue-ish fingernails and thin veins. He neatly tucked the appendage back in the blanket. He was vaguely reminded of holding a baby. &well$ He thought. &she's still a baby&. Clark pressed a lingering kiss on Kara's forehead and put her back in the incubator. He made sure the blanket was tucked tightly around her and closed the lid.

Bruce called Clark early the next morning and said Dick was being released and wanted to see his friend. Clark replied and dressed and got ready for the day. Kara had woken up and when Clark passed the incubator, Kara cried out and wriggled around. "What baby girl?" Kara pouted and Clark saw beads of sweat on her forehead. He pressed the call button and cleaned his hands. He carefully unwrapped the blanket and Nicole lifted her out. "Your fever broke." She announced. "I think it's time for another bath." Clark undressed Kara to her pull-up and Nicole brought it the cart with a basin. Kara's IVs were wrapped and she was set in the water. Nicole handed Clark tear free soap and told him to be careful. She left the room and Clark gently cleaned Kara, cautious of the ports. When Kara was clean and the water was cold, he lifted her up and put her back down on the mat. He grabbed another pull up and tossed the old one in the garbage. Kara kicked her legs out and stretched. Clark blew a raspberry on her stomach and lightly tickled her sides. Kara giggled and kicked Clark. He grabbed her feet and tickled them too. Clark was about to put on her pjs when Kara pulled her legs up and frowned. "What?" He asked her and she shook her head. "Too hot?" He asked and she nodded. He put on the training diaper and set her back in the incubator. Nicole came back in, turned down the heat and took the cart away as Bruce, carrying Dick, came in. Dick had a paper mask over his mouth and was wearing pjs printed with superman symbols. "Uncle Clark! Where's Kara?" "In there?" Clark pointed to the incubator. Bruce stood over the glass box and Dick pressed his hands against the glass. Kara waved and smiled at her friend. "Why can't she talk?" "The tube in her mouth helps her breathe but she can't talk with it in." "Oh. Can she come out?" "No." Clark handed the bottle of hand sanitizer to the father and they sanitized their hands. Clark opened the door and Dick stuck his hands in and reached for his friend. Bruce and Clark talked for a good half hour before Dick had to say goodbye. He grasped Kara's hand and waved with his other. "Bye Kara. Bye uncle Clark."

After a quick lunch, Nicole came in with and nurse and a box. "Well miss Kara, are you ready to get your tubes out?" Kara nodded as held her arms out. Nicole lifted her out and gave her to the nurse. "Kay Kara. This feels icky but try not to move." Nicole held Kara's mouth open and pulled the tube out. Kara gagged and started crying. "Don't throw up Kara. Do not throw up." Kara sniffed and looked pleadingly at Clark. "Aaaannddd done!" Kara hiccuped and reached for Clark. "Not yet. We still have to take out the tube in your tummy." Clark took Kara's outstretched hand. Nicole took out the IV in the port in Kara's stomach and the nurse readied a pair of scissors and a needle. She quickly snipped off the port and held a small towel over he bleeding wound. Kara cried harder and Clark held her still. Nicole sewed up the wound and bandaged it. She gave Kara a shot of painkillers, put the oxygen mask back on and changed out the saline drip bags. "All right Kara. You're done." Kara reached for Clark again and he picked her up. He wiped tears off her face and kissed her forehead. "She should be cleared to leave soon. I'll come back in half an hour with her dinner." "Thank you." They left and Kara continued to cry, burying her face in Clark's shirt and hugging his middle. Clark shifted so Kara was laying in his arms and kissed her forehead. "You did it baby girl! You're all done!" Kara sniffed and tried to smile. "Done." She said, her voice hoarse and scratchy. "Yup. Done." Clark rocked her until she stopped crying and changed her pajamas. Nicole came back in with a bottle and a small food tray. It held applesauce and a spoon. "Dinner time." Clark sat Kara on the bed and took the tray as bottle. "She has to drink the entire bottle to make up for the nutrients and essentials she lost."Clark nodded and spooned the mushed fruit to Kara. She willing ate and finished the bowl quickly, and when Clark handed her the bottle, she stared at it, confused. Clark stuck the nipple in her mouth and Kara figured it out from there. Did krypton not have bottles? He scooped her up and laid her back in the incubator. Kara just managed to finish the bottle before she fell asleep, and Clark tucked her in before taking the bottle away. "Sleep well baby girl."