ODE

Chapter 4

Lena desperately tries not to think about Kara. She clears her head as much as she can and steps inside of the cold large building where her mother lives. Corrie wordlessly hands her the badge when she arrives and fills in her name for her. Lena nods her thanks and makes her way through the hallway. She enters her mother's room with her hand in her coat's pocket, her fingers tracing the prototype she brought with her.

"Hey mom." Lena says softly as she approaches her, again sitting the chair in the middle of the room.

The woman briefly meets her eyes, looking up at her curiously.

"Music?" Lena suggests, motioning towards the stack of records.

Alodie's smile in reply takes away a bit of Lena's stress.

"Any preferences? Gilbert O'Sullivan, The Corrs, Sinéad O'Connor, Thin Lizzy...?" Lena raises her eyebrows and lets out a surprised chuckle. Alodie doesn't reply, she keeps staring at her with an unreadable expression. Lena settles on The Corrs, for nostalgia's sake and gently lowers the record player's tonearm.

"It's you again." Alodie suddenly says.

Lena quickly turns her head to look at her. Alodie's staring right at her.

"Yes, it's me. It's Lena." Lena smiles and moves closer to her. Alodie smiles, but doesn't say anything in return.

"There's something I'd like to try. It- it might help you remember." Lena explains softly, reaching for the prototype in her pocket. She holds it out in the palm of her hand and opens it to reveal the special contact lenses.

"It shouldn't hurt, but please tell me if it does." Lena whispers and reaches forward to place the lenses on her mother's eyes. She takes a deep breath and then activates them. They turn grey and Alodie's expression changes to one of complete wonder. Lena grabs her hand and holds it tightly and waits.

Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Adam with Alodie's lunch.

"Oh! Hey, Lena. Good to see you again." Adam smiles at her before placing the teacup and sandwich on the table. He turns around and frowns. "What- what are you doing?" He stares at Alodie's now grey eyes in fear.

"Shhh, Adam, it's okay. They're virtual reality contact lenses, they might help her remember." Lena explains, trying to ease his worries. Adam stares at Alodie's eyes in awe.

"That's- that's incredible." Adam whispers in awe.

"They're only prototypes. But this is a great opportunity to see if I'm on the right path." Lena adds with a soft smile.

"Are you a scientist?"

Lena realises that she might be revealing too much.

"Something like that." She mumbles, staring at Alodie's hand when it twitches a little bit.

"What's she seeing right now?"

"A memory, at least I think it is." Lena observes her mother closely.

"End simulation." Lena says when she notices another violent twitch of the woman's hand.

She quickly removes the lenses and puts them back in the Obsidian box she 'borrowed'. Alodie stares at her with an awed expression.

"Lena." Alodie says quietly, staring right into her eyes.

Lena smiles the brightest smile in weeks.

"Yes, it's me. Mom, it's me." She can't stop the tears that escape her eyes.

Alodie's hand comes up and gently touches Lena's cheek. Suddenly, her expression grows tired and her eyes flutter shut. Lena feels her hand slip away and watches as her mother falls asleep in her chair.