"Just a minute!" Michael says softly, shuffling his way to the door with Sofia in his arms. It's been a week since Alex left, and Sofia's condition had worsened dramatically in that time. He opens the door to find Rosa, who gives him a sympathetic look as she hands over a small bag of food from the Crashdown. She takes Sofia a moment later, the little girl giving her a faint smile as Michael sets the food in the kitchen.
"She hasn't been eating... she sleeps most of the time." he says with a yawn, his tone heavy as he takes a seat on the couch next to Sofia. Rosa scratched Sofia's back gently, looking over to Michael. "Have you? Slept, I mean." she asks. Sofia coughed harshly, a pained wince coming after as Michael passed her inhaler over.
"I dozed off a few times... can't sleep when she's like this." he says, somewhere between speaking and mumbling. "Let me stay with her..." Rosa offers. "You should get some sleep. Take a shower, maybe... I'll take care of her." she says, her tone empathetic and genuine.
Michael gives a small, grateful smile. He appreciates the sentiment. "I know... I know you would; I just can't leave her." he says sadly. Rosa gave an understanding nod.
"You talked to Alex?" she questioned, gently playing with Sofia's hair. Michael shook his head. "Only a few times... he called to check in on us last night, but they've been busy, and the signal isn't great. We text a lot when he can." Rosa nodded. "Same with Liz and Kyle. She said they're making some progress, though." she said. "Kyle said they found the flower and should be sending Alex home soon with a cure. They just need a little more time to gather everything."
"Daddy's coming home?" Sofia asked, looking up at them. The attention she paid to them was fleeting, but she spoke when she had the energy and heard something of interest.
Michael smiles softly. "Soon... he'll be home soon." he says, his tone hopeful.
~
The plan was set and simple. Liz had developed a protective case to preserve the flower until it was needed. It was clear and partially constructed from the alien glass Michael had provided them with before they left. He'd insisted they take a small set of supplies that may be needed, and he'd been right. Kyle had reluctantly thanked him via text, noting that Michael shouldn't allow the instance of his help to go to his head. It was one of the only times Michael had smiled in weeks- a smirk, really- and a small one at that, but it was something.
Alex was gearing up to retrieve the flowers from a desert patch they were found to be growing in. Afterward, Kyle, Liz, and Eduardo would stay behind to continue research for future projects. He'd reviewed the plan mentally a hundred times, doing so again when he had a moment. It was simple, but for Alex, Michael and Sofia, it was beyond crucial. He double-checks the supplies he kept in his bag before zipping it up.
"You ready?" Kyle asked, after another careful review of the plan with Alex. He nodded. "I'll pick the flowers, seal them in the case, and once we have the antidote, we'll store it in a cold environment until it's used." he repeated, doing so again in his mind as he pulled his backpack on, doing a quick mental review over the checklist of items he stored in it as well.
Liz gives him a soft smile and a hug, and Kyle does the same right after. Alex gives Eduardo a look, silently asking where his hug was. Eduardo smiles in return, giving him a small hug and a handshake before sending him on his way.
"Of course..." Eduardo says sincerely, earning a smile from Alex as he steps out the door and towards the field. He makes his way into the desert and out of sight as Kyle and Liz resume their research. Eduardo checks in on Alex via GPS every few minutes- a safety precaution in case something went wrong. Michael had insisted on it when they reviewed the plan together.
~
Rosa had stayed with Michael the rest of the afternoon, leaving just after the sunset when Sofia was ready to go to bed. She'd read Sofia a bedtime story, with Michael reading a second one after she left. The others had carried out the same routine on their visits, which seemed to cheer the girl up as much as possible. Max had brought her a different stuffed animal every time he'd been over. Michael was beginning to question where he was getting them all. Kyle had acquired many as well, promising to bring them back when he came home.
Michael carried Sofia to her room after the stories, gently tucking her in with a small kiss on the head. "I love you, Sof." he says softly, forcing a smile despite the ever-present worry in his mind. Sofia squeezed his hand gently before letting go.
"I love you, Dad..." she whispers, rolling over as her eyes drift shut. Michael lingers in the doorway, watching over her for a moment before he exits, leaving the door open just a crack so he could check in later.
Liz calls as he makes his way into the kitchen, and they talk briefly while he eats a small dinner. She updates him on the work, and he updates her and Kyle on Sofia's condition. They'd continued with weekly virtual check-ups since the research team left, with Kyle keeping notes on her condition as it progressed.
They noted any progress on the cure. Not much had been made, though Libya had a much stronger abundance of the flower than what was found in Roswell. Still, they'd have to grow and harvest it to keep the amount needed once they could go home.
~
Alex took a breath as he approached the small flower patch they'd located. He picked several, stashing them carefully in the case Liz had given him, and carefully checking its lock before he set out to leave. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he walked away, heading towards the lab. As he does, he feels a sharp pinch in his neck before everything fades to black.
Hours pass as Liz, Kyle and Eduardo await Alex's return until finally, Kyle says, "Something's wrong." Eduardo and Liz agreed, with none of them being able to suspend their disbelief any longer.
It'd been a simple plan- retrieve the flower, bring it back to the lab so Liz could work on the antidote, and bring it home to Sofia before her condition could worsen... so how did it go so incredibly wrong?
