Next of Kin - Part 23 Tick-Tock

It had been two days since Kara and Lena had literally kissed and made up. Kara had been stopping in for lunch every day. Then the door would stay open, and the two women would keep their distance, Lena's body language stiff and Kara acting her meek self. Dinner time included a closed door and closer quarters. Kalia seemed content to make herself scarce during Kara's visits, and both Kara and Lena knew the night nurse was encouraging them toward a relationship. At this point, she seemed to be of the 'don't ask don't tell' mindset.

Lena was progressing with therapy. She was doing exercises in her wheelchair, the extent of which were her moving and lifting her legs with assistance while seated. She could sit without the straps, but she still used them when she became tired. She did therapy twice a day, sitting up as much as she could and working. Her usual ten to fourteen hour work days had dwindled down to far fewer and were leaving her exhausted instead of tired. The amount of healing she was doing was tapping her out quickly.

Kara stepped into the hospital room, closing and locking the door behind her. She smiled down at Lena who was sitting in a wheelchair and typing on her laptop on a tray. "Well, hello there pretty lady."

Lena looked at the time on her laptop. "Dinner time already? I swear it was only 3:00 o'clock twenty minutes ago. I have so much work piled up. I don't think I'll ever dig out of this hole."

"Well, you can grab your shovel and start digging again in the morning because I brought food!" Kara said with a broad smile as she held up a bag from Noonan's.

"Ah." Lena nodded. "Well, my broth and jello aren't here yet. Could you ask Kalia to get my dinner please?"

"No, I brought food for both of us," Kara replied, setting the bag on the floor

"Noonan's has jello?"

"Uh...actually no, but they have soup." Kara said, pulling containers out of the bag. One was a soup container with a lid. "It's noodle soup with dumplings."

Head tilted forward, Lena stared for several seconds before saying, "Do they know you brought actual food to me?"

Giggling, Kara nodded. "It was Kalia's idea. Apparently, you're doing really well. You're upright most of the time, and...uh...things are working the way they're supposed to work down there. You know, down there, right?"

Lena rolled her eyes.

"Right, you know. So Kalia called me and said, 'Hey Goldilocks, our patient can eat something besides broth. How about you bring her some soup with a little something in it. Don't get her anything too rich.' So I said since I was Goldilocks, she must be a grumpy bear. I asked which bear she was. She said she was the one who didn't want the soup too hot or too cold for her patient, so I better get it just right. Then she hung up on me." Kara was smiling. "You know when Snapper calls me a nickname like that it pisses me off, but I like it when Kalia does it."

"Oh, be sure to tell her that. I'm sure she'll be quite pleased," Lena said with a hint of a smile. "Also, hugs. I have it on good authority she's awfully fond of physical affection."

"Awesome!" Kara said, pulling out several food containers for herself. "So, how about we put you into bed to eat. You know you're going to fall asleep after you eat."

"I might stay awake for a little bit."

"Ten minutes tops," Kara said with a grin as she pulled back the blankets then moved the table from in front of Lena. She lifted Lena effortlessly and put the woman onto one side of the bed.

"You'll sit with me?"

"Always," Kara said.

She set their food on the long tray that went over the bed and then climbed onto the bed next to Lena. Together they sat and ate, both talking about their work for the day. It was incredibly comfortable, familial. It was a reminder of all of the lunches they'd shared for so many months. It was a promise of so much more to come.

"How was your soup?" Kara asked as she finished off her third meal.

"Incredible and incredibly filling. My stomach must be the size of a golf ball after all these weeks. I can't even eat this last dumpling. I feel awful about that but..." Suddenly the dumpling was gone from her container. She looked over at Kara who sat with an innocent look on her face. "Really Kara? You ate three of your own meals."

"What? Waste not want not."

"Oh, so you're not wanting for anything?"

"Well, not food for at least another twenty minutes," She replied leaning in and kissing the other woman. The kiss was brief but left them both smiling. "You want to get ready for bed?"

"Not really, but I should. I hate to admit it, but I'm already getting a bit sleepy."

Kara pushed the table away, getting up and gathering all of their food containers into the Noonans' bag. When she turned, Lena was already sitting on the side of the bed.

"Hey there! Careful."

"I'm fine. Don't fuss," Lena said as Kara came around to the side of the bed with her wheelchair.

"You could fall."

"I'm fully capable of sitting up, Kara. I do it daily without you around."

"Yeah, but—"

"Kara, you need to leave me be. I have nurses. I have doctors. I have plenty of caregivers. I'm a fully capable adult. Please trust me to know my limits. Something as simple as sitting on the side of the bed is well within them."

Sitting next to Lena, Kara spoke to the woman but looked at her own hands. "To be fair, you've always pushed your own limits. You've always acted like you have something to prove. You don't. You're spectacular. Being you, being Lena, is enough. Do you understand that?"

Laying her head on Kara's shoulder, Lena replied, "It never was for anyone before you."

Kara tilted her head left, pressing it against Lena's and rubbing her cheek against silky hair. "Well, then I'm just going to have to keep loving you until you're enough for yourself. That's what really matters."

Lena sighed, and they sat like that for about a minute before the smaller woman said, "I really do need to use the restroom and get ready for bed, or I'll fall asleep out here with unbrushed teeth and have to get up in the middle of the night to use the facilities."

"Well, we wouldn't want you to have to use the in the middle of the night," Kara said with a touch of mockery, though she was smiling good-naturedly. "Let me help you into the wheelchair.

"I can do it myself."

"I know, and I'm sure you do it all the time when I'm not here. Let me feel useful...please?"

"Fine," Lena finally agreed. "This is a favor to you."

"Agreed, and I owe you," Kara replied as she lifted Lena into the wheelchair. "Can I—?"

Lena wheeled herself around, moving toward the bathroom. "I've got this."

"Can I at least get the door?" Kara asked moving ahead, hand on the door handle, resting there but not opening until Lena nodded. "Thanks for making me feel useful. Do you need help with...anything?"

"I'll be fine."

"Well if you need...anything I'll be..." Kara stood awkwardly on the outside of the door while Lena maneuvered herself in front of the sink.

"I'll be fine. You're not here during the days when I use the facilities. I need to be able to do these things for myself. Close the door please," Lena said, waving the back of her hand at the blonde.