SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY
Thank you again for the continued support of this story. I have had a few questions in regards to Cat\Kara and Kara\Alex relationships. I personal belief and how I chose to write those relationships is as mentor\mentee (is that a word lol) and incredible sister bond. I do love reading all takes on those relationships but for me this is how I see it and will write about them. That is what's so amazing about Fan Fiction is that we can all do our own takes on the story!
Second I just want to confess that I am no scientist so I have tried to research a little as to the possible avenues for a cure. At the end of the day JUST GO WITH IT ;)
Now on with the story!
Kara had remained at Alex's bedside waiting for Eliza to arrive. She could only hope that Eliza and her alien scientific background could help find something that would help. Kara could hear that Alex's breathing had started to become more wet and laboured. Dr. Hamilton had come into check on Alex and noted the laboured breathing. She decided that she was going to try one more super antibiotic in hopes fighting the infection or at the very least buy some more time till Dr. Danvers could hopefully offer something.
"Kara, sweetheart!" Kara jumped in surprise as Eliza entered the Alex's room. Normally Kara was not someone that you could sneak up on but she had been lost in thought as sat holding Alex's hand.
"Eliza! I'm so glad you are here." Kara stood up and wrapped Eliza in an hug.
"I am too." Eliza said pulling out from the hug and moving beside Alex's bed. "Oh Alex honey." Eliza picked up Alex's hand and then placed a kiss on her forehead.
"She had a seizure why you were in flight."
"I know Hank had Dr. Hamilton email me after her results came in so I could get a head start." Eliza explained.
"Do you think you can help her?"
"You know I'm going to do everything I can." Eliza replied wrapping Kara in another hug sensing that Kara was on the verge of emotional collapse. "Kara listen to me. We will do everything in our power to help Alex get through this. I need you to be strong for Alex, OK?"
"OK" Kara sniffed.
"OK." Eliza smiled and then turned back to Alex. "Now as for you Alexandra." Alex hated it when anyone called her Alexandra. "You are going to keep fighting this." Eliza stated matter of factly. Then reached down and hugged Alex and whispered in her ear, "Please hold on Alex. We need you. We love you." Eliza placed a kiss on Alex's cheek.
"OK Kara I need you to come with me just for a little bit."
"What? No I have to stay with Alex. I promised her she would not be alone." Kara pleaded.
"Kara honey I need to get some blood samples from you to see if I can pull any sort of antibodies from your blood that may help Alex." Eliza explained. "I have spoken with the very nice nurse outside at the nursing station and she said she would sit with Alex while you are gone."
Kara did not want to leave Alex but she knew that if there was any chance her blood could help save Alex then it had to be done. "OK"
As Kara and Eliza exited Alex's room Kara thanked Beth who smiled and nodded as she went to go sit with Alex.
Kara and Eliza made there way to the training room so that Eliza could collect the blood samples while the Kryptonite emitters were on.
"I'm sorry Kara that we have to do this under the emitters." Eliza said as they walked into the room and Eliza pointed to the chair that had been brought in along with all the equipment Eliza would need to draw the samples.
"It's ok, it's for Alex." Kara replied just as Hank came into the room.
"Dr. Hamilton said I would find you ladies down here."
"J'onn, I mean Hank...well actually which do you prefer? Eliza asked.
"Hank is fine, Dr. Danvers." Hanks smiled.
"Please, Eliza." Hank nodded with a smile.
"Do you need any help?" Hank asked.
"Actually if you could turn on the emitters that would be helpful." Eliza then looked at Kara. "You ready?"
"Yes" Kara replied and took a deep breath and Hank slowly started to turn up the emitter level. In order for Eliza to pierce Kara's skin the emitters must be quite high. Unfortunately it would also causes nausea and a all round sick feeling for Kara.
"OK I will be a quick as I can." Eliza gave Kara a shoulder squeeze and then tied the band around Kara's arm and swabbed the inner elbow and then tried to enter the vein. "Still not high enough." Hank turned up the emitters to 40% and Kara let out a sigh of uncomfortness. "I'm sorry sweety." Eliza tried again to enter the vein, this time the needle slide in smoothly. "Got it! Hold the emitters there." Eliza quickly drew 6 vials of blood. She was not sure if she would need them all but better to have to many than have to put Kara through this again. Once all the vials were filled Eliza quickly pulled the needle out and places a cotton ball over the area. "OK, Hank you can turn the emitters off now." Eliza then turned her attention back to Kara. "How you feeling Kara?"
"I'm fine I just want to get back to Alex." Kara replied as she quickly tried to stand up only almost fall flat on her face had it not been for Hank catching her.
"Woo Kara just take a minute to let your body recover from the Kryptonite." Hank said guiding Kara back into the chair.
"Kara honey you are not going to do Alex any good if you are past out on the floor." Eliza said as she reached over and subtle checked pulse via her wrist.
"Just a little dizzy." Kara said as she rubbed her forehead trying to shake the fogginess of the Kryptonite.
"Just take some deep breaths and it will help the nausea pass." Eliza instructed rubbing Kara's arm comforting her. Kara followed her instructions and took a few deep breaths. "Good girl." Eliza smiled. "Better?"
Colour started to return to Kara's cheeks, "Better." Kara replied.
"I'm going to get these to the lab and starting on a solution. Hank could you make sure Kara gets back to Alex's room alright?"
"Of course I was actually on my way to check in on her when Dr. Hamilton said you ladies were in here." Hank extended a hand to Kara to help her up from the chair.
Kara smiled and slowly stood up herself. "Thank but I'm good now."
"Ok then let's go check in on that sister of yours."
Hank and Kara walked into Alex's room to find Nurse Beth standing beside the bed wiping Alex's forehead with a facecloth. Alex's fever was clearly back in full force as her entire body had a sheen of perspiration over it. Her hair was slicked to her forehead and she was tossing and turning moan slightly as if caught in some sort of nightmare.
"Alex!" Kara gasp as she raced to her sister's side.
"Her fever has spiked again unfortunately." Beth said solemnly.
"Nurse is there anything that we can do?" Hank asked as he stood at the foot of the bed.
"We just have to try and keep her cool and try to get the fever back under control. Dr. Hamilton has order an ice bath to help." Beth turned to Kara. "If you can stay with her and keep bathing her with this I will get the team ready to move her to an ice bath." Beth handed Kara the cold compress.
"Yes of course." Kara replied as she took up bathing Alex's face and neck with the compress.
Beth looked up to Hank and said. "Director could I speak with you outside for a moment?"
"Yes of course." Hank turned to Kara. "Kara I will be back." and with that he followed Beth outside the room.
Once they were clear of the room Hank asked, "What is it, Nurse?"
"Sir, Agent Danvers does not have much time left. If we can't get the fever under control soon and keep it down her organs are going to start to shut down. If Dr. Danvers has a hail mary we need to do it soon."
Hank sighed and nodded in acknowledgement of the situation.
"Come on Alex you need to keep fighting this. Eliza is working on a cure right now you just have to give her some more time." Kara pleaded as she sat on the side of Alex's bed. She was bathing Alex's face and neck with one hand and had her other hand on the opposite side of Alex trying to pin Alex between her and her arm. Alex had started to thrash in the bed and she hoped to help comfort her by her presents.
"Kara." Alex wheezed out.
"Alex hey I'm here."
"So hot…"
"I know Alex we are trying to get your fever under control. Eliza is here and working on a cure."
"Mo..m.."
"Yeah she is here. She is working on trying to find a cure." Tears now sliding down Kara's face. She had never seen Alex this fragile before. "Alex I need you to fight, I can't lose you, you are my strength." Kara pleaded.
"You don't ….. Need...anyone..you are….so strong.."Alex forced out using all the strength she could muster.
"I'm strong because of you Alex." Kara sobbed. "I need my sister."
"I …. Love...you Ka..ra" Alex breathed out as she could no longer fight back the heaviness in her eyelids.
"Alex, please." Kara collapsed onto her sister's chest sobbing uncontrollably pulling her unconscious sister into a hug.
"Oh my God it worked!" Eliza yelled as she looked up from the microscope just as Hank walked into the lab.
"Eliza?"
"Hank I think I have a solution!" Eliza exclaimed. "I need to speak with Dr. Hamilton."
"That's good news as I was just coming to tell you that Alex's fever has spiked again and the medical team is quite worried that time is running out." Hank explained. "Come let's go find Dr. Hamilton."
Hank and Eliza made their way quickly to the med bay where they arrived just as Alex was being lowered into the ice bath. "Director, Dr. Danvers." Dr. Hamilton approached the two as they entered the room.
"Dr. Hamilton I think I may have a way to treat Alex." Eliza stated.
Kara who was off to the side watching as Alex was being tended to in the ice bath had not even noticed Eliza or Hank until she heard Eliza say Alex's name. "Eliza, you can help Alex?"
"I think so but there is no time to run many tests to see what complications it may bring. But given how quickly Alex is turning for the worst I don't think we have an option other than this." Eliza explained as she moved next to the tub that contained Alex covered up to mid chest in water and ice.
"I agree Dr. Danvers, Alex does not have much time." Dr. Hamilton concurred. "So what do you propose?"
"We separate the white blood cells from a pint of Kara's blood and then transfuse Alex with it." Kara, Hank and Dr. Hamilton stood looking at Eliza surprised that she would even suggest such a course of action. "Look I know that you think I have come off the rails but I separated some of Kara's white blood cells from the samples I took and then mixed them with the sample from Alex, and it worked it destroyed the bacteria." Eliza explained.
"But Doctor you know as well as I do that giving Alex Kara's blood or any part of it will most likely kill her. We have no idea if Kryptonian blood and human blood are compatible, it most likely is not." Dr. Hamilton countered.
"I'm hoping that Kryptonian blood is much like humans where the compatibility issue would be with the red blood cells not the white." Eliza tried to explain. "Structurally the white blood cells seem very similar if not indestinable to human ones."
"It could kill her." Dr. Hamilton simply stated.
"She's going to die if we don't try it." Eliza countered. "And she is my daughter."
"I think we should try it." Kara spoke up. "Alex would want us to try everything possible to save her."
"Director it's your call." Dr. Hamilton looked to Hank.
"No Doctor it's Dr. Danvers and I think she has made the call." Hank replied.
"Ok, what do you need from me?" Dr Hamilton asked Eliza.
"I need you to keep Alex stable. Kara sweety I'm going to have to ask you allow me to draw some more blood. I'm going to need a couple pints this time though." Eliza explained.
"Of course anything for Alex."
"I will need about an hour to get the blood and then separate it." Eliza reached down into the tub and took Alex's face in her hands. "Alex just a little long." She placed a kiss on Alex's forehead. "Ok Kara lets get you to the training room so I can get the blood. Hank would you be able to assist please?"
"Yes of course."
"I will have Alex ready for the transfusion in an hour."
"Kara you should really take sometime in the solar bed." Hank said as he helped guide Kara to the chair beside Alex's bed. "Between the blood donation and the Kryptonite you can barely stand up."
"I don't need to stand up I just need to wait here with Alex will Eliza gets the transfusion ready." Kara replied the tiredness in her voice evident. "Please don't fight with me on this one Hank." she pleaded as she picked up Alex's hand. Alex breathing had become noticeably laboured since Kara last saw her in the ice bath. Alex now had an oxygen mask on her face to ensure that her O2 levels stayed in the reasonable range. The fever was still raging however Dr. hamilton was able to get it back to under 104 but for how long was anyone's guess.
"OK, Kara." Hank conceded he was not going to force Kara to be away from her sister when the situation had become so dire. "But once Alex is on the mend you are on the solar bed."
"Promise." Kara smiled. "And Hank thank you for all that you have done for Alex and me."
"You don't need to thank me, Kara."
"Yea I do. You are always there when we need someone to lean on. Jeremiah would be proud of how you have watched over us." Kara reached for Hank's hand and squeezed and smiled.
Hank smiled, "You're welcome" and headed to the door just as Eliza and Dr. Hamilton came rushing in the door.
"It's ready." Eliza exclaimed.
Dr. Hamilton had the IV bag in hand that contained the white blood cells from Kara. She immediately began to hook it up to the IV pump and making the connection to Alex's already established IV port.
"Eliza?" Kara looked over to Eliza who was standing next to Dr. Hamilton on the other side of the bed.
"It will work Kara." Eliza replied understanding the unspoken question.
"OK, I'm ready." Dr. Hamilton stated.
"Go ahead and start it Dr. Hamilton." Eliza instructed and with that Dr. Hamilton pressed the button to start the flow through for the new cells into Alex.
"How long will it be before we know if it is going to work?" Kara asked.
"If she is going to have an adverse reaction to the cells we should know fairly quickly. But to know if it's killing the bacteria we will have to do hourly blood test to monitor the levels." Dr. Hamilton explained.
All three women watched as the fluid made it's way through the plastic tubing to the back of Alex's hand. "Now we wait." Eliza sighed as she grab Alex's free hand and then brushed a sweat matted of hair off her forehead.
After a couple minutes Dr. Hamilton noticed that Alex's heart rate was starting to climb and her breathing began to become quicker and shallow. She pulled out her stethoscope and started to listen to Alex's chest.
"What is it?" Kara started to panic.
"I'm not sure." Dr. Hamilton replied continuing her exam suddenly Alex's body became very rigid and started to convulse.
"Alex!" both Eliza and Kara exclaimed.
Dr. Hamilton hit the button on the wall behind the bed to trigger a code blue as all the alarms for the machines Alex was hooked up to started to go off. Within seconds the trauma team burst into the room bring further equipment with them. The team took up position around the bed forcing Kara and Eliza away from Alex so that they could work. It was just a blur of activity and commands being shouted. Alex's heart monitor start to making the loudest noise as Dr. Hamilton shouted out "V Fib, charge the paddles to 200." Kara and Eliza could do nothing but embrace each other as the watch the team frantically try to get Alex's heart beating in a normal rhythm. "Clear!" Alex's body jumped up from the bed as the electrical current passed through her body. There was a pause in activity as they waited to see what the monitor would do. "Still V Fib, continue bagging and charge 300." Dr. Hamilton barked. The high pitch whine of the defibrillator could be heard as it recharged itself. "Clear!" Alex's body again jumped from the bed and again a pause to see if that would work. "Damn it!, charge 350, keep bagging." Dr. Hamilton ordered for a third time. "Come on Danvers!" The defibrillator beeped as it hit the full charge mark. "Clear." Alex's body jumped again from the bed this time with a much harsher arch to the back.
"Come on Alex, please." Kara pleaded.
Suddenly the alarm stopped and the heart monitor began to show a nice normal rhythm. "Check for a pulse." Dr. Hamilton instructed.
"Pulse is strong and regular." One of the nurses replied as she checked Alex's carotid pulse.
"Doctor what was that?" Kara asked as the tears rolled down her face.
"I think it was a reaction to the cells, but it could have just been her body starting give in. Either way she seems stable for now. We will keep a close eye on her and start the blood samples in the next hour to see if there is any improvement." Dr. Hamilton explained.
"Thank you for your help Dr. Hamilton." Eliza said as she extended a hand to the doctor.
"Dr. Danvers you have one hell of a tough daughter!" Dr. Hamilton replied as she shook Eliza's hand. "I will be close by if you ladies need anything." she walked by Kara giving her a smile and squeeze on the shoulder.
"Thanks Doc." Kara smiled.
Eliza and Kara pulled over a chairs that had been pushed out of the way by the trauma team and took up position next to Alex. "OK sweetie I did my part now it's your turn." Eliza said as she took Alex's hand in hers and then looked over to Kara. "Honey you sure you shouldnt be under the solar lights? you still look pale."
"No I'm just tired but I'm not going anywhere till I know Alex is OK." Kara replied as she cupped her face in her hands trying to wipe away the tiredness.
"It could be awhile Kara."
"Nope this is where I want to be."
"Ok then, scooch over then." Eliza said as she extended her arm inviting Kara to lean against her shoulder.. "At least rest your eyes for a bit."
"OK maybe just for a bit." Kara replied as she rested her head on adoptive mothers shoulder. The past 48 hours had taken a toll on Kara and before she knew it she was fast asleep in the comfort of Eliza's embrace.
TBC