Heartache
Kara watched through the window as a doctor that strongly resembled Alex examined her oldest daughter. The doctor was speaking, and Elaine was laughing, a sound which Kara couldn't get enough of. It reminded her of the day Elaine was born.
2001
Pain. Kara's mind was foggy with pain, as she lay in the uncomfortable hospital bed, underneath the paper-thin sheets, which provided absolutely no heat. It felt like her eyelids were made of lead, Kara couldn't open them no matter how hard she tried. Her muscles were made of steel, they wouldn't budge, and the only sound she could hear was the rhythmic beeping of a machine. A hand squeezed hers with a bone-crushing grip, and her throat was so dry that it burned. Kara attempted to swallow to calm the fire in her throat, but there was a tube down her throat that stopped her from doing so. She coughed weakly, gagging around the plastic. The hand released hers, and someone yelled. Though everything sounded like she was underwater, she could tell it was Alex. Someone pulled down on her chin to open her mouth, and the tube was removed. Kara tried to take a breath, but her body wasn't cooperating. The rhythmic beeping turned to a blaring alarm, and suddenly, Kara felt the pillow being yanked from underneath her head, someone pulled down her hospital gown, and a cold plastic mouthpiece was placed on her face. The ocean inside her head grew louder and louder until she couldn't hear the people shouting around her. Two large stickers were placed, one just below her collarbone on her left side, the other below her right breast.
It felt like she had been stomped on by a sumo wrestler. She gasped for breath when she sat up, screaming in agony. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes darted around the room. Two strong arms wrapped around her tightly, applying pressure to all of her wounds at once. Kara bit back a groan, wincing as her sister held her. Alex pulled away slowly, remembering that Kara was injured.
"Ms. Danvers," A male voice called, causing Kara to cover her face with her hands, which she had learned to do from Mike's abuse. "I'm Detective Hank Henshaw, FBI." He flashed his badge, which Kara knew was to put ease, but it didn't help much.
"Come in. Kara, Hank's my boss. He's on our side." Alex explained gently, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. Slowly, Kara removed her hands from her face. She was a sickly pale color, and there were huge bags underneath her eyes.
"Call me Hank. I'm going to need to ask you some questions, okay?" He asked, taking a step towards the broken woman.
"Alex." Kara whimpered, her eyebrows scrunched together in fear.
"Can you send Maggie in instead, Hank? Kara knows her." Alex sighed, glancing protectively at her baby sister. The tall, dark-skinned man nodded, a knowing smile on his lips.
"I'm sorry, I'm such a baby. I should've sucked it up." Kara muttered as soon as the detective left, pulling the rough blanket up to her chin.
"Kara Danvers, you never have to apologize to me about things like this," Alex stated. Kara nodded slowly. "Okay, now are you hungry? Thirsty? Cold, hot, what do you need?" Alex asked.
"I kinda want my fuzzy blue blanket from home, but other than that, I'm just really thirsty." Kara shrugged.
"I knew you would say that, which is why, while you were still asleep, I ran to your place and got all of this." Alex lifted up a bag full of various items from Kara's apartment. The blue blanket, Kara's spare glasses, because her other ones were a bit bloody, a laptop, a stack of DVD's, a pillow, and some framed pictures.
"Alex, unless that bag also contains a glass of water, I don't need most of it. Seriously, it hurts." Kara insisted, raising her eyebrows slightly at her overprotective sister.
"Yes. Right." Alex nodded, rushing to grab some water. As soon as the glass was in Kara's hands, she drained it.
"Thanks. So, how long am I here?" Kara asked.
"You're really going to act like nothing happened?" Alex asked, a single eyebrow raised.
"Well, my boyfriend tried to kill me and succeeded in killing my baby, so yes," Kara replied simply.
"Kara, the baby's fine. She's a girl, by the way, and she's in the NICU." Alex laughed.
"Elaine's okay?" Kara asked, a hand flying up to cover her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
"Elaine's just fine," Alex confirmed, spreading the blanket over Kara's body. A deep sigh escaped Kara's lips as she relaxed.
"Danvers?" Another voice called from the doorway, a head peeking into the room. Alex's face softened as her girlfriend entered the room slowly.
"Sawyer." The brunette smiled, standing to pull Maggie into a hug, which she desperately needed. Kara picked at a stray thread on her blanket, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact.
"Do you want me to stay?" Alex murmured, moving to study Kara's anxious face.
"Are you going to kill anyone?" Kara forced a laugh, glancing up at Alex through her eyelashes as she fought the lump in her throat.
"Probably not." Alex joked, a sade smile on her lips.
"Sit down. I need you anyways." Kara sighed, reaching out to take her older sister's hand.