Conversations on a Balcony
114
"Alex," Cat said calmly as she gripped the phone tightly in her hand. "Liv's sick and I think she needs to come in." She eased the thermometer away from the baby's butt and swallowed. "Her temp is up and she's fussing a lot."
"What's the reading?" the director asked, just as calmly.
"One hundred point six." Cat leaned in and gently kissed the infant's head. "And she's sweating."
"Definitely a fever," Alex sighed. "Yeah, bring her in."
"I'm... I'm not used to... should I be worried?"
"Let's save the worry until we know what's wrong," Alex said gently. "It's probably just a cold."
"Ok," Cat agreed. "It's just... Kara's in a lot of meetings today and I've tried texting and leaving messages..." She took a breath. "We'll be there in thirty."
"Ok, I'll try to get in touch with her. See you soon, Cat and... I love you guys."
"Love you too, Director Scully," came the affectionate reply.
Alex chuckled and shook her head as she hung up. Then she headed for medical as she dialed Kara's number.
Xx
Cat smiled as Vasquez met her at the elevator. "Hi, Sue," the said warmly.
"Hello, hello," the agent replied as she took the baby carrier and cooed at Liv. "She's getting so big, isn't she?" She kissed the infant's forehead and then drew back in surprise. "Wow, she IS hot. Let's get her upstairs."
"She's been fussing a lot," Cat nodded. "I think she's uncomfortable and maybe in some pain." They stepped into the elevator. "Do you know if Alex had any luck in getting in touch with Kara?"
"I'm not sure, honestly," Sue replied with a shake of her head. "I know she was trying."
The elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal an unhappy looking Supergirl running toward them from the balcony to immediately pull her wife into her arms for a hug. "I got here as soon as I could. Is she ok?"
"Kara," Cat breathed in relief. "It's just a little fever but I wanted to err on the side of caution. Abby never got sick like this."
"Yeah," the hero replied, squeezing a little tighter. Then she released her wife and took the baby out of the carrier to hug her too. "Not feeling well, Cute Stuff?" She laid Liv against her chest and rocked her. "I can feel how hot she is. Let's get her to Alex."
The director was making sure she had everything she needed as her family came into the large med bay. Sue set the baby carrier on a table and then ducked back out again with wink.
"Hey, guys," Alex said. "Livvie's not feeling well, huh?" The director's baby bump was forcing her to forgo her tactical suit in favor of something a little more... stretchy... and she smiled as Kara caressed the gentle swell. Alex took Liv from her then and carried her to a padded examination table to gently lay her down. "Any symptoms other than the fever. Is she eating?"
"Nothing else I've noticed," Cat replied. "She's been eating fine. She's just been fussy, feverish and sweaty."
Alex listened to her niece's heart and lungs, stimulated her eyes with a light and then gently checked her ears. "Whoops... ok, here we go," she said quietly. "Looks like our little one has an ear infection. There's some fluid and nastiness inside there." She took a QTip from a box of them, dampened it with saline and very gently cleaned the area before taking another look. "Yeah," she confirmed. "It's pretty red and irritated in there. "Let's get her on some antibiotics and a little ibuprofen for the fever. She should be feeling much better in two to three days."
"Ok," Kara replied in relief. "Nothing to worry about."
Cat wrapped her arm around her wife's waist. "Nothing to worry about," she agreed. "Carter had ear infections on and off too when he was a baby. I half expected it."
Alex nodded. "They're fairly common... in human babies. I think we need to think about what this means though. I wonder if Liv doesn't have the powers, we kind of assumed she would have."
Cat mulled on that for a moment. "I think we need to wait and see. Abby was older before she exhibited any kind of abilities."
"Cat's right," Kara agreed. "We didn't know if Abigail would have powers when she was Olivia's age either."
"So... we wait and see," Alex nodded.
"How are YOU feeling?" the hero asked her sister.
"Pretty well," the director nodded. "Just a little more tired than usual."
"Eat more," Kara advised solemnly. "It'll help with your energy levels."
"Oh, Kelly has all that under control," Alex laughed. "She has me on a vitamin regimen and makes sure I eat something green with every meal. Honestly, I miss pizza so damn much."
"Pizza has vegetables on it!" the Kryptonian protested indignantly. "AND it has tomato sauce."
"Technically, tomatoes are fruit," Cat said and then laughed as Kara's eyes widened.
"What is this abominable lie?!" she demanded.
"They are," Alex agreed. "Even though nutritionists include them as vegetables."
"Everything I believed was untrue," Kara replied dramatically. Then she chuckled as she picked her child up again and cradled her adoringly as she looked at Cat. "We should get her home and started on the antibiotics."
Alex nodded and quickly wrote a prescription to give to her sister-in-law. "In addition to the antibiotic, give her one drop of infant Advil when you get home. It'll help with the pain and fever."
"Got it. Thanks, Alex," Cat replied as she kissed her daughter's forehead and then her playful wife's as she received The PoutTM.
"Keep me updated," the director added and then smiled as her family headed home. She ran her hand over her baby bump and then looked down at it. "Is this what Mom and I have to look forward to?" she asked softly. "Worry and fear?" She chuckled a little and shook her head. "Yeah... bring it on."