Next of Kin - SuperCorp

Chapter 34 - Feeling Riz

Stepping through the door into the children's ward at the hospital, Supergirl squared her shoulders and pushed a smile onto her face. She'd been making visits here twice a week since the first time the nurses had caught up with her outside of Lena's room and asked her to visit the children. It was hardly her first time visiting children in the hospital. Instilling hope was as much a part of being Supergirl as was stopping crime and protecting National City from rogue aliens. Still, she knew the smile on her face was plastered to her lips and hadn't found its way to her eyes yet. Some of the kids she'd met here had grown up in the hospital, having spent more time in this facility than in their own homes. They knew all of the nurses and doctors in the pediatric area by name and didn't even react to needles anymore.

Though her mood felt heavy when her boots first fell upon the floor, as her gaze met that of child after child, eyes lighting up and optimism spreading on the trail of her name, her spirits quickly lifted. Her lackluster smile broadened into sincerity at the many calls of her name, and a certain lightness came back to her step. Children clambered all around her, each anxious for the hero's attention. Apparently, their enthusiasm was infectious, and soon Supergirl was laughing even as she lifted a child into her arms. Child after child, she made tiny circuits through the air around a section of the room with a small passenger in her arms. Arms held out to their sides, the child would fly around the room truly weightless and unburdened for a just a few moments, no longer surrounded by things that should never touch a child's life.

At one point, Supergirl touched down to hear a familiar voice say, "Supergirl!"

Smiling, she placed the child she was holding down and lifted the girl bouncing with glee. "Emily! You're looking great."

"I'm feeling great," Emily replied, wrapping her arms around the hero's neck before leaning back again. "Look, no IVs."

"I see that," Supergirl said, examining the arms that were held out in front of her. "Ready to go on your maiden voyage?"

"I'd love that!" Emily replied enthusiastically. "Wait, this doesn't count as my flight, does it? You promised me a real flight."

Laughing, Super girl said, "In-hospital flights never count, promise. Here we go."

Lifting off slowly, Supergirl leveled her body, leaning back until Emily lay face down on top of her. Eyes sparkling and wide open, Emily's breathing ticked up slightly as did her heart rate. None were a matter of concern though. The hero kept an ear on them to make certain of that. The girl stretched her arms out to the side, toes perched in place for balance even as the hero's hands on her sides steadied her.

Smiling at the happy passenger, Supergirl's gaze flicked for only a moment to the Supergirl motif bandana covering Emily's head before the hero's head leaned back so her vision could take in her flight path as she said, "Ermmm, ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Please note the fasten seat felt light has not has not been turned off. You are not yet free to move about the cabin. Current weather: light winds, a few scattered clouds, temperature about eighty-seven degrees. We're ascending over National City and will be cruising at 30,000 feet. If you look over your right shoulder, you'll see the CatCo Worldwide Media building down below, run by media icon, Cat Grant." Supergirl continued forward for a few seconds, then turned left as she neared the wall. "If you look out the window to your right, you'll see the L-Corp building below us, run by one of National City's resident heroes, Lena Luthor." Kara continued forward until she neared the other wall and then banked for her turn. "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be experiencing some turbulence. It shouldn't last more than ten or fifteen seconds. Again, please remain in your seats." Looking up at Emily, Supergirl smiled as she made noises, puffing up her cheeks and wiggling back and forth slightly with mock turbulence. As the girl's smile only grew, Supergirl leaned her head back again to watch their progress across the room. As they grew closer to the wall again, she calmed and began to turn. "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll now begin our descent. On behalf of the entire crew, we hope you've enjoyed your flight. Have a wonderful stay here, or wherever your final destination is, and thank you for flying Air Supergirl." Slowly she turned, so they were head up, wrapping her arms around Emily, and lowered first herself and then the child to the ground. "You didn't leave anything in the cabin, did you?"