Chapter Eleven

"I want to see her." Lee said, moving away from Lucy and heading towards the sick bay door. She made no move to stop him, so he walked in, going straight to Kara's private room, stepping into a scene of utter chaos. Nurses and techs moved around the room in a frenzy of activity, each doing the job that they had been assigned to do. Doctor Cottle was in the centre, standing over Kara's bed. He was an island of calm amid the rushed frenzy of the rest of the room.

Lee made his way through the chaos, stopping a few steps away from Kara's bed. She looked awful… worse than ever. He'd never seen someone so pale before. Her eyes were open and despite her immense pain, she managed to smile at him. He took her hand, mindful of the equipment attached to her. He glanced at Cottle, reading the doctor's expression easily. This was really the end. She felt cold, and he knew that it had nothing to do with the ambient temperature of the ship. He unfolded another blanket, throwing it over her carefully.

She blinked, each breath torture as it sent shivers of pain through her body. She was so very cold, in a way no extra blankets could help. Her very soul was cold. Tears raced down her cheeks, the only sign she could give Lee that she was still fighting, still clinging to life with both hands.

"Oh… Kara." He whispered. "Oh, my love." He ran a tender hand over her hair, smoothing the strands back from her face.

She smiled a little, sadly, bravely. "Never thought I'd go like this, Lee. I wanted to burn out, not fade away." Her voice caught and she sobbed. "Oh, gods… Lee. I'm not ready. I don't want to go." A fresh wave of tears escaped her eyes as she said the words.

He lent over and gently kissed her, silencing her. He looked into her eyes and spoke words right from his heart. "I love you Kara, more that life. More than I love myself. You're part of me and always will be." One of his tears dripped on to her face, mixing with hers. Together, they slid down her face. He wiped them away with his thumb, the warm liquid quickly growing cold in the room.

She raised a hand to his face, tracing his lips with a feather light finger. "I love you too Lee. I…" She coughed, a harsh barking sound as she tried to catch her breath. Cottle stepped forward, placing an oxygen mask on her face. The medical staff had stepped back to a respectful distance, giving the couple time to say their goodbyes.

"Breathe, Kara. Just breathe." Lee told her. "Just keep breathing."

She did, eyes sliding closed despite her best efforts to keep them open. She felt light, insubstantial, like she would blow away in a strong wind. The pain was coming in waves, sometimes so bad she wanted to give in, sometimes not there at all. Lee squeezed her hand, desperately trying to give her some of his strength. He was her life line, he connection to the world. Without him, she would have already gone.

Each breath was growing shallower than the last. It wouldn't be long now. He didn't turn when the door behind him swung open, concentrating on Kara's face. She took another, tenuous breath, fingers tightening slightly around Lee's hand. It was the best she could do. She forced her eyes open, looking at Lee's face so very far above her.

"Sorry, Lee…" She breathed. "So very sorry…" as her eyes slid closed.