I'm sorry for taking so long for this update! I had a bit of writer's block and then work (which I usually write during) got pretty busy. But, here it is! I hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think. I'll try to update more regularly again after this. Regardless, I promise to get chapters out as soon as possible!
As soon as Rhea walked in the door, Kara stepped out from where she was standing. She rushed forward, slamming Rhea into the now closed door behind her. Rhea's eyes flashed with anger when she realized she had been duped as she struggled to free herself from Kara's hold.
"What have you done to Alex Danvers?" Kara growled.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rhea answered calmly, now holding still and making eye contact with Kara.
"You're an awfully good liar Rhea, but I wouldn't try anything with Supergirl here if I were you," Lena chimed in.
"Ha, please. You ate my lies up. You were so desperate for motherly affection that you'd believe anything I said."
Lena stepped back at that, she knew that Rhea was right. But, Supergirl didn't back down.
"I'll ask you nicely once more, what have you done to Alex Danvers?"
"Who? That lovely redhead? She's got some spunk you know. It took me a bit of digging to figure out what she meant to you. But, my son was never good at keeping his mouth shut. Especially when I went to visit him at that awful alien bar where he had had just a few too many drinks. You know...he called you by your earth name. That's all it took...Kara Danvers."
Rhea paused, looking to Lena to gauge her reaction. Realizing what Rhea had been trying to do, Lena laughed.
"I already know her true identity, nice try."
"We're taking you into custody," Kara spat, turning Rhea around and cuffing her hands behind her.
Together, Lena and Kara walked Rhea out of L-Corp. There, the DEO back-up team was waiting. They loaded Rhea into a vehicle used for transporting prisoners and slammed the door shut behind her. Kara informed the driver that they'd meet him back at the DEO. With that, they headed back to Alex.
By now, Eliza had arrived at the DEO. Maggie had done her best to explain the events leading up to Alex's illness while the doctor filled in any gaps pertaining to medical information. Eliza listened carefully to all of Alex's symptoms and began flipping through her notes on alien health and biological warfare.
"You said the DEO has record of many Daxamite illnesses?" Eliza asked.
"Yes, I am currently cross analyzing Alex's sample with this database."
"Does this database include illnesses they biogenetically engineered in order to use in war against the Kryptonians?"
"No ma'am. I believe it only includes naturally occurring illnesses."
"Chances are, this isn't some ordinary illness. The Daxamites were not known for their simplicity and from what I know, Rhea is a highly intelligent individual."
"What do you suggest?"
"To be honest, we really need Rhea or Mon-El to give us some information. Does anyone know where Mon-El is?"
"Probably at the bar, he's spent most of his time there since him and Kara broke up. He was here to help with Alex's kidnapping. But, I think that was more out of force than anything else," Maggie explained.
"For now, I think it would be good to monitor Alex's brain activity and continue analyzing her blood work. With Alex responding to Maggie earlier, I think we can expect to see a reasonable amount of brain activity that may give us more information on if Alex is in any sort of pain or anything. Hopefully Kara and Lena will be back with Rhea soon," Eliza stated.
"Pain?" Maggie asked weakly.
"She can't tell us how she's feeling, we don't know if she's hurting. We'll be able to monitor it if the EEG points to that at all," Eliza explained softly, looking to the doctor with an expression telling him to hurry up.
The doctor nodded and left to get the EEG equipment. Eliza walked over to her daughter and gently brushed the hair away from her forehead while grabbing her hand. Alex's fingers twitched at the touch of her mother.
It didn't take long for the doctor to be back and the equipment set up. Maggie watched as Eliza and the doctor expertly attached electrodes to Alex's head and hooked them up to a computer like device. The screen lit up and squiggly lines appeared across it. They meant little to Maggie, but Eliza and the doctor watched them carefully waiting for any indication of what's going on in Alex's head...
My mom's here...if my mom is here, it must be bad. They must not know what's wrong still. Kara wouldn't have called mom unless it was necessary, neither of us like worrying her. Why can't I open my eyes...why can't I move. It's like something is trying to control the motor functions of my brain. That could mean a lot of things...brain damage, medically induced coma maybe? But, I feel like I'm awake, I feel focused. Granted, there's chunks of time missing. Do I fall asleep? That's the only logical explanation. But, sometimes it feels like something else is taking charge...maybe that's where the periods of darkness come from? It's usually after I focus hard enough to move my eyes or fingers. Is something trying to prevent me from communicating with my loved ones? It's possible really...if there was some sort of parasite in the water. It could have breathed in its eggs...they could have gestated within me...that could be what made me sick...I need to tell my mom or Maggie or anyone! If it can prevent me from moving, can it make me move unwillingly?...I don't think I want to find out. Wait, I hear something. Someone else is coming into my room…
"Rhea is in custody now, she's being placed in a holding cell as we speak. I'll go find J'onn and interrogate her as soon as she's settled in," Kara said as she walked into the room. Seeing the wires connected to her sister's head, she panicked. "What….what happened?"
Eliza quickly walked over to Kara and rubbed a calming hand down her back.
"Nothing happened sweetie, we're just trying to see how Alex's brain is functioning. Right now everything seems normal. Her pain levels are slightly elevated likely due to the chest congestion. But, other than that, things seem to be a-okay."
Kara raised her eyebrows at her mother's terminology, something seemed suspicious.
Eliza sighed, knowing she was never able to keep anything from her younger daughter.
"Her brain seems to be trying to communicate movement, but it's as if something is blocking the signals from her brain to her body. I'm not sure why, but it's possible that Alex could be partially paralyzed even after she wakes up."
"No...no. She can't be," Kara said breathily. Seeing Kara spiraling again, Lena instinctively reached out and grabbed Kara's hand. Kara grasped it tightly and leaned into her mother who was standing on her other side, burying her face in her shoulder.
Paralyzed? No way...I can't be paralyzed. I can move...I know I can. Something is just stopping me. I have to move...I have to move...sit up or open my eyes or anything...
Darkness.
"Kara, look," Lena said softly.
Kara turned to see Alex's eyes open and scanning the room slowly.
"Alex?" Kara said.
"Al...Al, you're awake!" Maggie exclaimed, gazing into her girlfriend's eyes. Something seemed off about them. They seemed distant, not fully hers. But, Maggie wrote it off as Alex still being sick and having just woken up. "How are you feeling babe?"
"Like I got hit by a truck…" Alex said absentmindedly.
Kara's brow furrowed, Alex didn't sound like herself.
"Are you alright, Alex?" Kara asked.
"Hmmm? Yeah sis, I'm fine," Alex answered, her eyes flicking to meet Kara's. "Just a little out of it I guess."
Eliza had walked over to the EEG machine, she hadn't yet said anything to her daughter. As she noted the current readings, her eyes grew wide.
"Girls, I need you to step back, leave the room even," she said as calmly as she could.
"What? Why? Mom...Alex is awake. We can't leave her yet."
Lena looked over at the screen Eliza was watching. She didn't have much of a medical background. But, her work with the nano-bots lead to some general knowledge and she had taken to reading medical textbooks as a child for a while. So, when she saw the EEG, she knew exactly why Eliza wanted them to leave.
"I think your mom is right Kara, the doctor is surely going to have to run some tests with Alex just waking up. And we should give Alex some time to re-adjust," Lena said, stepping even closer to Kara than she already was and placing her hand on her shoulder.
Kara jerked away and glared at Lena.
"They can do the tests with us here, can't they?" Maggie asked. "And shouldn't we ask Alex if she wants us to stay or leave?"
"Please, just trust me Kara. It's for the best," Eliza pleaded.
"Come on, let's go," Lena insisted, grabbing Kara's hand again.
No one had noticed Alex's demeanor changing. She sat up straighter and was smiling almost meniachley.
"You should have listened to your girlfriend," Alex sneered before lunging at Lena.
Not even Kara's super speed was fast enough to stop Alex from pulling Lena close to her. Then Alex was gagging, sounding like she was trying to cough up a hairball. But, her grip on Lena was still too strong for even Kara to pry her loose. Eliza, Maggie, and Kara watched in disgust as a strange slug like creature climbed out of Alex's mouth and up Lena's nose. As soon as the creature was gone, Alex collapsed back on the bed. Maggie tried to get her to open her eyes again, tried to get a response, to no avail. Lena fell forward when Alex's hold was released. Kara had caught her and slowly lowered her to the ground.
"Lena? Lena? Are you alright?" Kara asked feverently.
"I...I don't know…" Lena answered.
Then her body was shaking, she was seizing just like Alex had. Kara felt like the world was falling away from beneath her. She barely registered Maggie pulling her away or the team of medics coming to hoist Lena onto a bed and hook up all the machines to measure her vitals. All she could do was focus on the thumping of Lena's heart, at first erratic...then silent...then finally steady once more.