Homecoming (Complete)

Chapter Forty-Two

"Where's Alex?" Diana grimaced as she pulled herself into a sitting position on the infirmary bed.

"Princess," Epione, the chief healer, moved quickly to the bed. "Io! Go tell the Queen that the Princess is awake," she barked at the Amazon standing by the door. "You need to lay back down, Diana," she said, gently putting a hand on Diana's shoulder to prevent her from getting off the bed. "You're still healing. You need more rest."

"Listen to Epione," Hippolyta strode into the room with Babs and Philippus right behind her.

"Where is Alex?" Diana demanded again, pushing Epione's hand off her shoulder.

"She refused to come out of the cage," Babs said, "and she won't let anyone near her. Beth and Dinah are talking to her. They're trying to convince her it's over and that you're okay."

"Take me to her," Diana grunted as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"You need rest, daughter," Hippolyta stepped forward to block Diana's path, crossing her arms across her chest.

"What I need," Diana grimaced as she struggled to stand, "is to go to Alex. I can feel her mind teetering on the edge of insanity." She took a shaky breath and tried to stand again. "Please. You have to take me to her. Damianos knew he had lost the second he realized he couldn't control me. He purposely used Alex to beat me as close to death as he could with his remaining strength because he knew it would destroy her." She looked at her mother. "Dammit to Hades, Mother! Help me. We need her mind intact to defeat Hercules. Themyscira needs her." She swallowed hard. Tears were on her cheeks when she whispered "please, mother. I need her. Please." Hippolyta narrowed her eyes and stared at Diana.

"Io," Hippolyta called to the Amazon standing just behind Philippus and Babs, "you've been hovering around the infirmary ever since Diana was brought in," Io blushed, "so make yourself useful—help her up and take her to Alex."

"Thank you," Diana smiled in relief at her mother. "Please hurry, Io. Alex is slipping further away. She needs to see that I'm alive. She doesn't trust that my voice in her head isn't another trick."

"Yes, Princess," Io wrapped an arm around Diana's waist and bent to pick her up.

"Io!" Diana exclaimed in surprise.

"We'll get there faster if I carry you, Princess," Io blushed furiously again, "but I can put you down if you like."

"It's okay," Diana smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "you just startled me. Please. Get me there as fast as you can."

"Of course," Io strode from the infirmary at a pace that had Babs jogging to keep up. Philippus and Hippolyta followed at a slower pace.

"What happened, Babs?" Diana asked as Io carried her out of the building and in the direction of the cage where Alex/Damianos had been kept. "How did I get to the infirmary? How long have I been out? The last thing I remember is the look on Alex's face as Damianos realized his stolen time was up."

"We're not sure, exactly," Babs huffed as she jogged along beside Io. "Damn. I need to work on my cardio," she muttered. "When we got to the cage at the agreed upon time you were lying outside and Alex had blocked the door so no one could get in to her. She tore strips from her shirt to splint your left arm, and to bandage up the worst of your wounds, and left you as comfortably as she could a little ways away. Queen Hippolyta had you carried to the infirmary, and Philippus and I came along to make sure you were okay. Beth and Dinah stayed to try to talk Alex out of the cage." Babs stopped talking for a moment to catch her breath. "I don't know how successful they've been, but if you're in a hurry to get to her I'm thinking not very."