By Rao's Light
A/N: Thank you for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! Enjoy the penultimate chapter!
Chapter 21
Hours later Alex's gynecologist came out of the med bay.
"How is she?" Sam asked whispering not wanting to wake a sleeping Ruby who had fallen asleep on her lap.
"She's a little more stable now but she's not out of danger yet and I'm afraid the baby isn't either. The poison keeps attacking Alex's vital systems and her body is fighting it but it's putting a strain on Alex's body and on the baby. We're trying to keep them both stable but it might come down to a choice between the both of them," the doctor replied softly trying not to wake Ruby and to soften the blow for Sam.
"What?" Sam asked her face as white as a ghost.
"It's not that bad yet but if we can't stabilize her in the next few hours it's going to come to that. I wanted to let you know. I need to get back in there. I'll be back out in an hour or so."
Sam nodded unable to say anything at all.
The doctor gave her a pitying look before turning and going back into the med bay.
Sam was frozen. She knew she had to go and tell Lena and Kara of the situation but she was frozen in horror. It couldn't be so bad that they would have to make a choice between Alex and the baby. That wasn't a choice. It was a nightmare!
"I'll go and tell them," J'onn spoke up quietly looking horrified himself. "I'm sorry I overheard," he said pointing at his head.
Sam nodded and whispered: "Thanks."
J'onn sighed and went to Kara and Lena. He knocked and entered when he heard Lena say 'come in'.
"How are you feeling?" J'onn asked looking Kara over knowing once he told her the news there was no way she was staying under those lamps.
"Better," Kara said smiling slightly and she looked better already. The bruise on her face had faded and she looked slightly less inclined to keel over. "Is there news?"
J'onn nodded and sighed.
"It's not good is it?" Kara asked suddenly terrified grabbing Lena's hand.
"The doctor said that they're trying to stabilize Alex but that they're having a hard time. Fighting off the poison is putting a strain on both Alex and the baby and if the doctors aren't able to stabilize the situation within the next few hours it may become a choice between the both of them," J'onn said his voice shaking as he said it.
"A choice between the both of them?" Kara repeated with wide eyes. "The both of them as in Alex or the baby?"
J'onn nodded.
"No. No way! This can't be happening," Kara said jumping out from under the lamps and bursting into tears.
Lena who was crying herself stopped Kara when she sat up from under the lamps and hugged her tightly .
"I'm sorry," J'onn said not knowing how to deal with the situation and hoping it never came to the worst.
"I want to go sit with Sam and Ruby," Kara said after calming down somewhat. She was still crying silent tears but she knew Sam was alone with Ruby and probably hurting as well.
"Let's go," Lena said nodding and kissing Kara's forehead.
"Sam," Kara spoke up softly as they neared a crying Sam and a still sleeping Ruby.
"Let me take her," Lena suggested softly taking Ruby in her arms and sitting on the chair next to Sam. Ruby muttered something but didn't wake.
As soon as Ruby was off Sam's lap Kara took Sam into her arms. Sam started crying heavily.
"How are we supposed to make a choice?" Sam asked heartbroken.
"I don't know," Kara whispered. "I guess we just hope we won't have to."
Sam nodded. Kara guided Sam back to the chairs and sat down next to her holding her hand.
An hour later the doctors came out of the med bay and one of the doctors turned towards Kara, Sam, Lena and a sleeping Ruby.
"Miss Danvers is as stable as we could help her to be," the doctor announced. "Her vitals need to be monitored constantly but it's not looking good. If we want the best chance for Alex we would need to terminate the pregnancy. If we want the best chance for the baby we would need to deliver it but there's a high risk that would be too strenuous for agent Danvers' body."
"And if you do nothing?" Kara asked the tears streaming down her cheeks again.
"If we do nothing they both remain at risk," the doctor replied. "You can visit her with two people at a time for now. We'll come back to check on the situation within the hour."
The doctor had barely turned his back before Sam and Kara had jumped up and ran into Alex's room. Both of them sat down quietly on either side of her bed. Sam took Alex's hand in hers and kissed it.
"I can't lose her," she said quietly looking at the still form in the bed.
"What do you mean?" Kara asked frowning unsure if Sam meant what Kara thought she meant.
"I just… Can't lose her so if it comes to a choice…" Sam said quietly trailing off unable to even say the words.
"Hey," Alex said sounding breathless and squeezing Sam's hand.
"Alex?" Both Sam and Kara spoke up looking at the brunette excitedly.
"Did we win?"
"We did," Kara said choking up.
"Then why so sad? Are you not okay?" Alex asked trying to open her eyes but not succeeding.
"We're fine," Sam whispered.
"Am I not fine?" Alex asked realizing it wasn't normal she couldn't open her eyes. "Is the baby?" Alex asked a little panicked.
"You… The baby…" Sam stumbled her tears choking her up.
"You and the baby aren't out of the woods yet," Kara spoke up quietly knowing she should answer her sister before Alex panicked.
"Are we going to be okay?" Alex asked hesitantly.
"You have to be," Sam replied squeezing Alex's hand.
"But are we?" Alex asked feeling her energy leave her again and knowing she was going to black out soon. "Take care of the baby," Alex ordered weakly before blacking out.
"Alex?" Kara asked.
"Alex?" Sam asked as well kissing Alex's hand again. "She's asleep again," Sam whispered stroking Alex's hair.
"Sam?" Kara spoke up after a while.
"Yes?" Sam asked.
"If they ask us to make a choice what are we going to say?" Kara asked staring at Alex numbly.
"We…" Sam said hesitating. She wanted to say that they were going to save Alex. That they weren't going to have the baby if the cost was Alex's life but she couldn't. Alex had asked about the baby and had reminded Sam of how excited they had been when they had found out the gender of the baby. How much they had both been looking forward to meeting their little girl and now Sam had considered to end their little girl to keep Alex with her. Guilt hit Sam like a truck. "I don't know," Sam whispered. "I can't make this choice. I can't live without Alex but I can't end our little girl's life to save her either."
"I can't choose either," Kara murmured crying silently again. "But I know what choice she would make," Kara said swallowing. Sam nodded because she knew what choice Alex would make as well. She just didn't want to be the one to make that choice.
"Ladies," the doctor greeted as he entered the med bay again followed closely by doctor Rush. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave the room again. We need to do a couple of tests again."
Kara nodded. Sam kissed Alex's hand again and said to doctor Rush before exiting: "She woke up."
"She did?" Both doctors asked surprised.
Kara nodded and said: "Very briefly but she did wake up."
Both doctors looked at Alex surprised.
"Alright. Thank you for telling us," doctor Rush replied as both Sam and Kara left the room again.
"What the hell are they doing in there?" Sam asked two hours later. "They said they were just going to do some tests," Sam continued terrified that something had happened and they were going to come out and tell them they lost Alex and the baby.
"They're still doing tests," J'onn replied quietly having been reading the doctor's minds since they came out saying they might have to make a choice.
"What tests?" Kara asked feeling terrified as well.
"Something about her blood and the Kryptonian dna," J'onn replied not getting very clear thoughts from both doctors.
"Let's hope it's something positive," Lena murmured. Ruby who was sitting next to her nodded. She hadn't gotten the entire story out of her mother but she knew enough to realize it wasn't good.
Another hour later both doctors came out of the med bay again.
"How are they?" Sam asked.
"Better," doctor Rush replied happy that she had some good news. "Our second tests showed that the Kryptonian dna in Alex's dna has multiplied fighting off the poison in her system. They're not completely safe yet but for now they're out of immediate danger."
"Are you sure?" Kara asked too afraid to get her hopes up.
"We're sure," doctor Rush reassured her. "We'll come back to her in the morning to check again. She can have visitors but try and keep it to a minimum."
They all nodded and thanked the doctor.
"How about Ruby and I go and say hi to Alex before telling J'onn and Winn the good news so that you and Sam can sit by her for a while," Lena suggested.
"Thanks Lena," Sam said trying to get it into her mind that Alex and the baby were out of immediate danger for now.
"You're a lifesaver," Kara said kissing Lena softly on the lips.
"We'll talk about you getting back under those sun lamps later," Lena warned and Kara nodded.
"Go with them," Kara nudged Sam as Ruby and Lena went into the med bay.
"The doctors said only two," Sam replied hesitant.
"The one extra person won't matter for a half an hour. I'm going to go get us something to eat to take with us and then I'll join you," Kara replied and Sam nodded.
"Thanks," Sam breathed.
"That's what family is for," Kara replied seriously squeezing Sam's shoulder.
The following day Sam and Kara were sitting outside the med bay again waiting for the doctors to finish their tests. Lena and Ruby were on their way back to the DEO from Lena's apartment where they had spend the night. Sam and Kara had spent the night by Alex's bedside. Alex didn't wake again but she was looking better and seemed to have some color in her face again.
"How is she?" Kara asked impatiently when the doctor's came out of the med bay.
"It's miraculous. The poison hasn't been cleared out of her system fully but she's completely out of danger. She'll probably wake up soon and though she still has to remain here for monitoring I'm not really expecting any trouble," the doctor said.
"And the baby?" Sam asked.
"The baby's well. As far as I can see there will be no lasting damage to your baby girl," doctor Rush replied smiling.
"Thank God," Sam breathed out.
"Let's go sit by our girl," Kara suggested putting her arm around Sam's shoulder. Sam nodded and said with a slight smile: "Great idea."
Later that day Sam sat by Alex's bedside on her own. Kara had sat with her until Lena forced her to go back to the sunlamps around noon. Ruby had sat with her for a while before joining Winn at his computer to play some special computer game and so now Sam was alone with Alex who was still unconscious.
"Hey Sleeping Beauty don't you think it's time to wake up?" Sam asked. "If you get any more beautiful I won't be able to handle it," Sam continued grinning a little.
"Seriously Alex open those pretty eyes for me please. Tell me you're okay and complain about being in the med bay again. I promise I'll let you complain all you want. You can even order all the Chinese food you want. Just open your eyes and tell me you and our girl are going to be okay," Sam begged.
"We're going to be okay," Alex replied softly forcing her eyes to open. "And you have a deal," she continued looking right at Sam.
"Oh thank God," Sam whispered before kissing Alex softly, carefully.
"Hi," Alex smiled slightly.
"Hi," Sam replied. "You scared me."
"Sorry."
"Just don't do it again."
"I'll try not to," Alex said seriously taking Sam's hand in hers.
Sam nodded.
"Is our baby okay?" Alex asked.
"She should be," Sam replied. "Doctor Rush said everything looked okay when she checked last about an hour and a half ago."
"Good," Alex said. "Everyone else okay?"
Sam nodded and kissed Alex's cheek before replying: "Kara was forced to go lay under the lamps by Lena so she should be as good as new soon. I'm almost healed and you're on the right track as well," Sam replied.
"You kicked the aliens' asses?" Alex asked looking at the bruises on Sam's face with a small frown.
"I did."
"That's my girl," Alex replied caressing Sam's cheek softly. "I'm going to fall back asleep," she warned.
"You should," Sam encouraged. "We'll all be here when you wake up."
Alex nodded and fell asleep. Sam sat back in her chair with Alex's hand in hers. All felt right in the world again.
TBC