Well, things are strange again on FF... story views haven't worked in a couple months, and there's been no response from FF support about the issue. Even the FF Twitter feed is MIA. So I have no idea if anyone is reading this story, but I can hope!
Chapter 26 – Comatose
It hadn't taken Superman long to locate Bruce Wayne. Less than three minutes, to be exact.
It hadn't taken Selina long to reach Metropolis, not compared to all her previous trips. Flying down the highway at 100 miles per hour tends to shave off several minutes from one's commute.
And it hadn't taken her long to figure out where to park once she arrived: right next to a half dozen squad cars and an ambulance lit up like Christmas trees, just two doors down from the Kents' brownstone house.
Superman's statement to the police was simple and succinct. At exactly 9:35 pm, he noticed an unconscious man lying in an alley. No other individuals were seen nearby or fleeing the scene. Upon nearing the man, he instantly recognized him as Bruce Wayne and contacted the authorities.
The first sight Selina's bleary eyes could make out was that of her husband's immobilized body being lifted into the back of an ambulance.
Spotting her, Superman broke from speaking with a detective and rushed to Selina's side, Lois a few steps behind. She couldn't tell whose arms were whose as they both embraced her, muttering a litany of sympathy and comforting words.
"Is… he alive?" she managed to squeak out.
Superman stole a look over her head at Lois. "Barely. They're rushing him to the hospital."
"Do they know what happened?"
"No idea. I'm not a trained officer, but it didn't look like there were any signs of a struggle," offered Superman.
"And didn't you mention that he… smelled strange?" Lois recalled.
"Yes," Superman nodded. "I'm not sure what to compare it to. Kind of like chloroform, with some other chemicals mixed in… an acidic floral scent, maybe?"
Though she hadn't smelled it herself, Selina's head began to spin. Her friends recognized the warning signs and lowered her to the curb.
"I can drive you to the hospital," Lois proposed.
"You shouldn't be out this late," Superman eyed her round belly with concern. "You need to rest. I'll take Selina, you go back inside."
Knowing better than to argue with the Man of Steel, Lois hugged Selina once more, trying to infuse hope and courage.
"Here," Superman effortlessly placed Selina in his arms. "This will be much faster than a car, anyway."
Fluorescent lights had always bothered Selina. Their harsh glare never failed to trigger a headache, and their tint made the air feel ten degrees colder than reality. She sat shivering, wrapped in a threadbare hospital sheet, watching polyester scrub pants hustle in and out of the ER doors. Blue pair… purple… blue again… those are too short on him… those are too tight… that purple doesn't match the other purple…
Imagining herself as a hospital fashion show critic helped keep Selina sane. Thankfully, Clark knew the value of supportive silence and didn't interrupt her runway assessment.
That is, until his super hearing detected her stomach growling around 4 a.m.
"Want me to get you something to eat?" he suggested.
Selina groaned. "I don't know..."
"Tell you what. I'll bring back a few things, and you can decide then."
Lacking the energy to object, Selina shrugged and let him go. Thank goodness he'd "arrived" shortly after Superman dropped her off. If she'd been here alone all this time, she might have turned to petrified wood in that chair.
Naturally, as Murphy's Law would have it, a doctor materialized just ten seconds after Clark stepped away.
"Mrs. Wayne?" he approached her with even, confident steps. Yet Selina could see in his eyes that he bore unfortunate news.
"Yes?"
He sat down next to her. Another ominous sign.
"First of all, your husband is alive," he emphasized. "He got to us just in time. Any longer, and we might have lost him."
Selina struggled to form basic syllables. "B-but… wh-at… why…"
Inferring her question, the doctor continued. "We ran every test we could, and as far as we can tell, he's been exposed to a potent neurotoxin. One we've never seen before."
A neurotoxin? Just floating around in the middle of some random Metropolis alley? What in the world…
"W-will he be all right?" she asked hoarsely. It seemed like such a weak, childlike question.
The doctor drew a deep breath. "I'm afraid he's in a coma, Mrs. Wayne."
At that moment, Clark reappeared, balancing several snacks and beverages in his arms. He'd heard the last words spoken, of course. Swallowing hard, he slowly lowered himself into his old seat.
"Selina, I… I can't tell you how sorry I am."
She couldn't distinguish which one of them actually said those words to her. The fatigue, the buzzing lights, her roiling hunger… it was all too much to decipher anymore. Let the world crumble around her; she'd just slide down deeper into that smooth, commercial upholstery and soon vanish into nothing. That would be fine with everyone, right?
"Selina, you really need to eat something," Clark insisted, seeing her grow paler by the second. "Here, I've got peanut butter crackers, a chocolate chip cookie, raisins…"
"Can I see him?" she asked weakly.
The doctor exchanged a look with Clark. "You may, but I agree with your friend – you should probably eat before going in there."
"Fine," she grumbled, snatching a bag at random. Halfway through chewing, she recognized it was a fruit granola bar. Several sips of water later, the two men gingerly walked her down the hall.
She almost didn't recognize Bruce, pale and immobile, entangled in a million sensor wires. The scene blurred before her, as if someone had smudged an already hazy photograph. No matter how many times she blinked, it just wouldn't come into focus. The only thing grounding her in reality was the weight of Clark's hand on her shoulder.
Good thing it was there to stabilize Selina when the room began to warp, along with her stomach. And good thing a trash bin sat nearby, ready to catch the fruit granola bar she'd eaten only minutes before.
The quick consensus (which Selina was in no position to contradict) was that Clark would return her home, and arrange another visit after she'd gotten some sleep.
During the 4.5 seconds that it took to fall asleep, Selina felt an odd suspicion that sleep alone would not restore her.