Nighttime Talks
2019
Lena woke in her hospital bed again with a sigh. She had no idea what was going on or where she was. Who were those kids who visited her earlier? And was that blonde Kara? Why would Alex be in Deleware, and why was Kara with her? Nothing made sense. A doctor in a white coat entered the room, scribbling on her clipboard.
"Where's Alex?" Lena asked. Her voice was raspy and low.
"She had to go home." The doctor replied.
"Oh. Okay. Is Kara here?" Lena asked.
"You remember?" Amelia almost dropped her pen.
"I remember meeting her. She's cute." Lena shrugged, a slight smile on her lips.
"Oh, no. No, no, no!" Amelia threw her pen and papers aside. "Someone page my brother and book an emergency OR!"
"And why are we operating?"
"You have a bone fragment in your brain. It's pressing against your hippocampus, so it's affecting your memory. If you're remembering, the pressure is being released, which means the fragment is shifting, which is very bad."
"So, if the fucked-up-o-meter is from one to ten, this is a ten."Lena sighed.
"More like a seven on the say-goodbye-scale," Amelia muttered.
"Damn, that bad. Let's go." Lena slowly leaned back, afraid of making any sudden movements.
"Let's go."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Hey, Sam," Alex answered her phone, immediately regretting holding it so close to her ear.
"Kara was rescued, and you didn't even call? What the hell, Danvers? Where is Lena, why isn't she answering her cell, and is Kara okay?" Sam shouted.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your roll. Kara's just fine." Alex sighed.
"And Lena?"
"In the hospital. Well, they both are, but Kara just had a c-section, and Lena was unconscious last time we saw her. We don't know what's wrong."
"What? Lena's hurt now, too? I can't keep up!"
"Well, neither can we." Alex snapped, slamming her fist on the counter.
"I'm sorry." Sam murmured, leaning against her kitchen counter as she watched Ruby read.
"So, basically, Kara was found half-dead and brought to the hospital. She was pregnant, and leaving the baby alone would've killed both of them. Kara had a c-section, and by the time she was out of surgery, Lena was there. Lena had met some doctors, and while she was on her way back up to Kara's room, she passed out. Lena hit her head and lost her memory of everything since she was sixteen. Kara is fine, but we have no idea what's up with Lena. Also, Kara's secret mystery kid from like eighteen years ago just showed up." Alex explained.
"So Kara has two secret kids, and Lena may be dying," Sam asked.
"Well, when you put it like that it sounds worse." Alex rested her forehead in the palm of her hand.
"What hospital?" Sam shook her head, silent denial clouding her mind.
"Kara's hospital."
"Twisting the knife a bit there, Danvers."
"Don't remind me." Alex glanced over at the girls, Lexa assisting her sisters with their bedtime chores, and Maggie attempting to calm the chaos. "Visiting hours are over, so we'll see you in the morning?"
"In the morning. Tell Maggs hi."
"Will do." Alex hung up the phone and pocketed it, finding the two girls Lexa was in charge of had already finished getting ready.
"Lexa, you'll sleep in the guest room tonight if you'd like to go wind down for the night. I'll handle the monkeys from here." Alex scooped Kayla into her arms and placed the toddler on her hip.
"Where are we sleeping, Auntie Lex?" Lori asked, tugging on Alex's shirt.
"You will sleep in Lyla's bed, and Kayla will sleep in the trundle bed," Alex replied.
"What's a trundle bed?" Kayla asked, excited.
"It's the little rolly bed underneath Lyla's big one." Alex smiled, taking the middle child's hand and leading them to the room.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After about a half-hour, all three of the younger kids were sound asleep, and the adults were ready to collapse. Alex knocked on Lexa's door with a yawn, finding the girl curled up in her covers and writing.
"Hey, kiddo. Whatcha doing?" Alex called.
"Just a journal entry. I felt like today deserved one." Lexa shut the notebook and set it on the bedside table, out of the way.
"It really did. Try to get some sleep soon, okay?" Alex asked.
"Got it. Night, Aunt Alex." Lexa smiled gently.
"Night, kiddo."
"And Aunt Alex?" Lexa waited for her aunt to turn around. "Thank you."
"Don't ever think you have to thank me, okay? I love you kids. Just get some sleep, for me?"
"I will. I love you more."
"Doubtful. Bye, kid." Alex winked and retreated back to her room to fall asleep in Maggie's arms.