Next of Kin - SuperCorp

Next of Kin Part 6 - ...Before You Find Your Princess

Kara, Alex, and Maggie spent nearly two hours pressed into a corner while doctors and nurses worked on Lena. On more than one occasion, someone tried to move them from the room, but Kara would not be moved. Occasionally, she was able to make eye contact with Lena, and each time she did so her heart would race. Standing in a corner, Maggie on one side and Alex on the other while both women held her hand, Kara stood and watched feeling like it was taking all of her Kryptonian strength to stay put. Kara had spent a week waiting for Lena to wake up and now that Lena had, these moments kept from her friend's side were agonizing.

Finally, a doctor, a man Kara had seen from time to time, approached Kara and said, "Miss Danvers, Miss Luthor is incredibly weak and quite confused. She isn't able to speak right now. That's from the tube that's been down her throat. That's normal, and her speech will return. She's texting responses with her phone. We've done a neurological check on her, and she knows her name and the president, though she was confused as to the exact date which is to be expected. There is one thing you should know."

As the doctor paused, looking away, Kara felt her heart skip a beat. He'd given her the good news first, but something was wrong. The other shoe was about to drop.

"Just tell me," Kara said. "Tell me so I can help her."

He nodded. "She can't move her legs."

Kara's mouth ran dry, and she felt herself sway, her hands tightening around Alex and Maggie's to keep her in place.

The doctor was still speaking. "One of the bullets hit her spine, but we don't know if the spinal cord was damaged. It could just be swelling. If there was damage, we don't know if there will be recovery, if it's a complete or incomplete injury, or any number of variables. She's just woken up, and it's much too early to tell anything. Now that she's awake, you'll want to bring in a neurologist and have her reviewed. We have excellent ones on staff, but I assume you'll bring in your own team." The doctor waited for Kara's response, but when it didn't come he said, "Miss Danvers?"

"We'll do that," Alex said as Kara was still stunned. "My sister just needs a little bit of time to process all of this. Can we see Lena now?"

"Of course," the doctor replied.

"Does she know...?" Alex didn't know how to ask the question.

"She does. She's understandably upset but..." Looking at Kara again the doctor said, "Miss Danvers, your girlfriend is incredibly strong."

Kara nodded. "I need to be strong for her too." Kara walked past the doctor, Alex and Maggie following behind, and slid carefully onto the edge of Lena's bed. "You're awake."

Lena stared at Kara for several moments before nodding once.

Kara gasped, both of her hands covering her mouth. She had to wipe away tears, though for the first time in a week they were tears of happiness, before reaching out and gently touching Lena's face as Kara once again said, "You're awake. I knew you'd wake up. I wasn't about to leave you alone. I slept here."

A fine line growing between her eyebrows, Lena pulled up her cellphone and typed out a message to no one, just held up the phone to Kara that read: "What day is it?"

"Thursday," Kara replied.

Lena looked instantly relieved.

Realizing the misunderstanding, Kara put a hand on Lena's and shook her head. "Lena, it's a week from Thursday. You've been unconscious for a week."

The machines to the side began to beep faster as Lena's heart rate and respiration increased. She shook her head, looking around and then rubbing at her face with one hand. She typed into her phone again: "Where are my lawyers?"