Kara woke slowly, the first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in her suit, but a hospital gown.
There was a dull ache in her shoulder and side. She also faintly felt an IV in her hand. And her left shoulder had a bulge of a bandage wrapped around it.
The anesthetic that had been released from each of the points was still present as she felt herself drifting off again and she didn't have the energy to stay awake.
***
The next time she awoke she didn't feel anything different besides the fact that her neck had a strange tingling sensation.
Oliver had been sitting by the bed waiting for her to wake up, and when she did he instantly grabbed her hand.
As soon as their hands intertwined Kara turned her head to look at him as he looked down at her, a worried expression present on his face.
"Hey," Kara says drowsily, slightly smiling.
"Hi," Oliver says lightly, "how are you feeling?"
"As well as I can be."
"Kara I'm so sorry. I regret every moment off that. I wish I could've taken your place somehow," Oliver says, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Oliver I don't blame you. You were just doing whatever you could to protect me," Kara says while cupping his cheek with her hand.
"I could've done more though Kara. I could have made it so I didn't have to betray you to get to Lillian," He says while putting his hand over hers.
"Oliver you were doing everything in your power with what you had. And remember it could have been worse without you there," Kara says.
"I'm still sorry about it and if you don't want..." He was cut off by her pulling herself closer to him, kissing him, shutting him up as he kissed her back.
After a few moments they broke their kiss and stared into each other's eyes before Oliver helps Kara lay back down, after noticing her wince slightly and put her hand on her stomach.
"Get some rest and we will talk later. Okay?" Oliver says.
"Okay," Kara replies.
Oliver smiles as he smooths her hair back, watching as she falls asleep. Their hands still intertwined. He was not letting her out of his sight until CADMUS was fully gone.
Alex walks into the room and sees Oliver holding Kara's hand as she sleeps peacefully.
"Hey, how are you holding up?" Alex asks him while putting a hand on his shoulder.
Oliver jumps and Kara slightly stirs, as Oliver rubs the back of her hand. "Fine I mean I'm glad we don't have to be there anymore."
"Me too." Alex says. "And if you're wondering if you want to you can bring her back to her apartment in a couple of hours."
"Well thank you, but can I ask why are you clearing her so early?" Oliver asks while turning to look at Alex.
"I can see you care about her and she doesn't usually like to be cooped up at the DEO."
Oliver nods and Alex heads out of the room going back to what she was doing before.
***
A few hours later Oliver carries Kara into her apartment, laying her on her bed as he goes to the couch.
The time read 12:37 a.m. And Oliver tried to fall asleep. At around 2:30 a.m. Oliver wakes up to hear Kara whimpering.
He walks into her bedroom and up to the bed, gently trying to get her to wake up. After a minute or two she finally opens her eyes, staring at him before she screams in pain.
"Kara! Kara what's wrong?" Oliver asks as Kara continues to scream. Kara doesn't reply as the pain grows.
Oliver runs to get his phone hoping that Alex will answer. After a couple of rings Alex picks up.
"Alex?" Oliver asks.
"What Oliver it's 3 in the morning?" Alex says while rubbing her eyes.
Oliver tried to comfort Kara as he talks on the phone, "Alex it's Kara. She... She just started screaming as if she was in pain."
"What? I'm coming over I will be there in about 10 minutes. Just do whatever you can to ease the pain," Alex says as she hangs up and grabs her jacket, bursting out of her apartment.
Oliver puts his phone down as he tries to help Kara. She stops screaming abruptly and starts whimpering, breathing heavily.
"Hey it's okay, I'm here, just hold on," Oliver says to her.
Kara starts to feel her consciousness slip away from her and she faintly hears Oliver telling her to hold on, that Alex would be there soon.
Alex then runs into Kara's apartment startling Oliver as she runs up to check Kara's pulse.
Alex calls for a medical evac and tells Oliver to pick Kara up.
As soon as Kara was in Oliver's arms she fell limp, not from exhaustion or pain, her body just gave up and she became paralyzed.
Oliver noticed this and grabs her tighter, trying to support her as best he could.
"They should be here any minute," Alex tells him while checking her watch.
Kara could hear and see things, but she couldn't move or feel anything. It was as if someone had removed her ability to register anything other than sight and sound.
She felt and heard a metallic click as her ability to hear suddenly cut out. Leaving her with only the ability to see.
Pretty soon the agents enter her apartment and put her on a stretcher, stabilizing her.
Oliver helps them push it out of the apartment.
***
When they got to the DEO all eyes were on them. Alex had made sure a room was already set up for Kara as they wheeled her in.
"Ready, set, lift," One of the paramedics say as they lift her limp body onto the table.
As soon as she got set down Alex sent everybody out of the room besides Oliver.
Alex set up monitors around Kara that would track her breathing, heartbeat, brain levels, everything as she began to examine Kara to see what was happening.
Alex didn't find anything unusual physically, but as she checked Kara's neck she saw a little bump that she guessed was the cause of all this.
Alex called a few nurses in to set up a surgical room as they were going to have to cut into Kara's neck to get whatever it was out.
The nurses left and Alex turned back to Kara as she lay on the table, completely still.
"Hang on for me Kara," Alex says as she puts her hand on her hair and walks out.
Kara couldn't hear Alex and just guessed what she said.
Pretty soon Oliver walked up to the table and sits down on the edge, not saying anything as he rubs her arm.
Kara desperately wanted to pass out, just let all the pain go away, but whatever was in her neck made it impossible.
Oliver sat with her until Alex came in again.
***
Kara had been moved again and was now in a surgical room with doctors all around her.
Oliver was sitting off to the side, as Alex made sure all the instruments she needed were in place.
Alex sent everybody out of the room besides Oliver, as she didn't want them to distract her and she didn't think she could even get Oliver to leave. She then inserted the scalpel.
Instantly Kara felt the scalpel as it cut a line down her neck, a small whimper escaped her, but that was all she could get out as she couldn't scream. She just had to sit and wait for whatever was in her neck to be taken out.
After about half an hour Alex finally says, "Got it," as she pulls out a small silver disk out of Kara's neck, wires coming out from the bottom.
Kara screams as all the pain comes back to her and Oliver bursts to her side, grabbing her hand as tears start to stream down her face.
Alex sticks a needle into Kara's vein, and Kara starts to relax as Oliver sits by her stroking her hair, "it's okay Kara go to sleep, we're not going anywhere," Oliver says as he sees her eyelids drooping.
After a couple minutes Kara passes out as both Alex and Oliver sigh in relief.
"What was that?" Oliver asks.
"I don't know, but whatever it was CADMUS had to be behind it," Alex says as she looks at Kara's vitals.
"We should probably get it to Winn," Oliver says, nodding at the small disk on the table.
"I agree," Alex says as she puts it in a plastic bag, "Watch her."
Alex then leaves the room to give the device to Winn as Oliver nods. What was that thing? Oliver thinks to himself. He would figure it out later for now he was just going to be there for Kara.
Hey look I actually updated. And you couldn't have possibly thought that I was gonna let those two be happy right off the bat did you? I could've added so much more to this chapter, but I'm happy with what I have and if you have any ideas for later chapters just let me know. Word count: 1555