With Me By Your Side

Chapter 13

Red lights flickered, blinking in time with the pounding hearts of the Legend's gathered around the still body in the med-bay. Gideon had Sara heavily sedated while she ran any and all tests, searching for some way to save her Captain. Sara had been through hell, more than once and come back stronger every time. That's what her team kept telling themselves, she'd come back, she'd be alright. But as the blood pooled at their feet, staining the ends of their trousers, that small glimmer of hope was fading by the second and all they could do was wait, and pray.

"Anything yet Gideon?" Amaya broke the heavy silence, causing an involuntary jump from Zari and grunt from Mick.

"I'm doing everything I can Miss Jewel. I've placed Captain Lance in a medically induced coma until I can reverse the damage sustained on the mission." Gideon answered swiftly, her program running endless diagnostics and scenarios and coming up short every time until finally a breakthrough presented in the worst possible way. "My systems have detected a deadly poison in Captain Lance's blood system."

"But you can fix her, right Gideon?" Ray asked the question that was on the tip of everyone's tongue.

"I'm afraid that I'm not equipped with the software needed to treat Captain Lance."

"Not equipped? What do you mean you're not equipped for this? Rip programmed you to help us, now help her goddammit!" Mick snapped, kicking the nearby metal wall violently.

"Mr. Rory, I assure you that I'm doing everything I can. But I'm afraid that as a training ship without significant upgrades I am unable to do anything more than make Captain Lance comfortable."

"No, this isn't the end for Sara! The Time Bureau, they've got to have what you need to fix her. We just need to hail them!" Zari spoke up, the other Legend's nodding weakly in agreement. "Mick, you're with me." She nodded sharply, deciding that keeping the extremely emotional man busy would be the best course of action.

"This has to work..." Amaya muttered against Nate's chest; a small area of his shirt soaked.

"I hope that Miss Tomaz is right, for Captain Lance's sake...she needs to be right and fast." Gideon's words fell on deaf ears as Sara flatlined once again, and all her team could do is watch as Gideon tried to save her.

***

As painful as discussing her love-life – or rather her failure of a love-life – with her siblings had been, Ava was truly glad to get everything out in the open. Well, as out in the open as things were going to get. With Daniel and Annie swore to secrecy, Ava wasn't about to disclose her agreement with her parents any time soon, instead, she'd put on a brave face and talk about how she and Sara simply wanted different things, which in a way is the truth. Ava wanted Sara and Sara didn't. End of story. Roll credits. But there was still something that didn't quite sit right with Ava. What had suddenly caused the change between them? How could they go from wandering hands and stolen kisses to tearful goodbyes in the hallway and radio silence? The kiss. The passion that radiated from them, the way Sara held her close like she never wanted to let go...the look on Sara's face when she muttered those final words. The image wouldn't leave Ava, it plagued every spare moment. She knew that she needed to forget about Sara Lance, that the blonde would never be anything more than the egotistical captain of the Waverider, and Ava needed to live with that...somehow.

"Okay, don't kill me." Daniel's invasion was a welcomed distraction, not that Ava would ever admit that she needed one.

"That's a great way to start." She snapped slightly, turning her attention back to her computer screen and the training reports she was supposed to hand in the day previous. "What do you want Daniel?"