Chapter 40: Blue Snot and Getting Shot

.... That morning, back to the throuples perspectives....Maggie wakes up early that morning. She feels a bit better than the day before but still sluggish and irritable. She finds a cushy lump under her cheek, she peers open her eyelids and gets a face full of warm morning kisses."Hello love, how ya feelin'?" Long fingers find a way into her scalp and it makes the little one want to fall asleep all over again. Last night had been rough and the only thing she can remember is warm arms and soft skin against her cheek. Almost the same feeling as right now."Where mama?" The tot gets out, scurrying higher up onto Sam so she can hide in the crevice of her neck."Mama is making breakfast for everyone." Sam pats her little girl's bottom, "Time for a change."Maggie clings onto Sam's tank top."I'll hold you once we have a change." Sam feels the bit of dried sweat on the girl's clammy skin."How about we have a bath instead hm?"The thought makes Maggie smile, "Lee?"It kind of shocks Sam that Maggie asked for Lena to join her in the bath. Sam would have loved it but she isn't sure Lena is in the head space for such a thing, not yet.Sam floats them to the bathroom and sets the girl on the toilet seat. "I'm not sure if Lena would want to right now." Maggie frowns, "I think that once both of you feel better, you will have more fun when you have a bath together."Maggie nods her head, even though she doesn't completely agree."But you get to have a bath with Mommy, we haven't had one in a long time." Sam tries to cheer her girl up. It has been a while since she got to have a one-on-one bath with her little girl and she isn't happy that it had to come down to her being sick for it to happen but Sam is glad she can be with her in this capacity now.Maggie perks up at that. "Ok, mommy time." It makes Sam laugh and want to push those dimples every time her girl smiles."Alright bunny, the water is warm enough, let's take off your clothes."Sam pulls off her nighttime protection and tosses it into the trash can. The rest of the clothes in the sink bowl.Sam warms up the water about three times before they both easily make it into the bedroom to get dressed. It was more of a relaxing bath than a fun one. Maggie was more sluggish than Sam expected and she was right in saying that the bath would not have been fine if Lena was added to it. Sam was happy with the time she spent with Maggie and was gonna heat vision it up for a fourth time but saw her girl's pruney fingers. Sam was disappointed but she made a promise to herself that she will make more time for moments like these so she won't get so affection starved.Sam sets the tiny detective on the living room couch next to Lena, the latter playing with a fidget while watching Blues Clues on the television, louder than necessary.The tot whines after being set down on the couch, "Mommyyyy." Maggie is rather clingy today and the detective can't quite put her finger on why. She feels a bit better than the day prior but she still feels ill and this weird residual sloth feeling isn't a pleasant experience. It's annoying to cough while having a pounding headache and it's annoying because she can't help being little throughout it all.She hates the idea of being out of control and all of this makes her want to just run and hide and sit under the bed sheets till it's safe to come out. And even then she still wants to curl into a ball. It is so odd for her to have such a stable and toxic-free family. She loves it, loves it so much that it's almost worth the childhood she had if going through all that shit was the only way she would make it here. She doesn't believe in soulmates - but having this family, it almost makes her reconsider the myth."Bun, I'm gonna start on breakfast, go on and watch the TV. Fluffy is right there for you." Sam points to the stuffed elephant.Maggie looks over to the stuffed animal and picks it up to hug. She placates her Mommy and looks at the TV. As soon as Maggie does not hear the footsteps of her mommy anymore, she takes her attention away from the TV and watches her mommy talk to the other adult in the kitchen. She can't really hear what they are talking about but none of them looks too happy."Gia." Lena calls out from beside her."Ye?" Maggie turns around to pay attention to Lena, attachment to Mommy forgotten.Lena says, rubbing her tired eyes, "Hi."Probably should have a nap. "When did ya wake up?" it's barely nine, napping should be for later."Long time ago."It makes sense to Maggie, they went to bed early last night, and spent most of the day napping yesterday. But since Lena woke up earlier than usual, she was bound to be tired. "Nap time?""Kara said no nap." Lena pouts at that, obviously tired.Maggie frowns again, not understanding why Lena can't nap, "If you're tired, then sleep."It's simple to Maggie, it would be easy just to curl up and nap, especially when they are sick, just gotta get comfy first.Kara must have heard from the kitchen. Alex is out and she has been trying to put together the machine to help Lena's lungs get better.Kara finally finishes when Lena was just about to give in to sleep.She walks over and sets the machine on the table and then plugs it into the wall. "She can't lay down yet, we gotta get the medicine in her to help her lungs." Kara focuses back on Lena, "I know you're tired, it won't be long, little star."Lena huffs but doesn't say a word.Kara sets Lena up and Maggie goes back to watching Sam cook in the kitchen. Soon Mommy brings over a plate of scrambled eggs, lightly toasted bread with strawberry jam on it and some grapes. The tot gets a sippy cup filled with Gatorade and a napkin, both knowing full well that the napkin will get replaced with her shirt.Maggie slowly eats and Lena looks now and then at her, wanting to steal some fruit off of her plate but she has to wait for the machine to finish.Maggie looks at her directly in the eyes and takes a big bite of her fruit and sips at her juice with a smile on her face."Maggie, we do not tease. Just because you're sick doesn't mean I can't put you in the corner." Sam gently scolds.It makes the little pouts, mouth still full of food. She just barely catches Lena sticking her tongue out at her."Mommyyyy," The tiny detective whined pointing a finger at the other girl who now has her tongue back in her mouth, the picture of innocence. It makes the Big roll her eyes internally and Kara snorts in amusement while putting away the supplies and putting a plate in front of her girl.They tots finish up their food when Maggie finally notices something, rather, someone, missing."Mommy, where Mama go?" Before Sam can answer Maggie sneezes. Maggie just barely covers her nose and her sleeve is covered in blue goo."Oh god, there is snot everywhere, bunny." Sam tries to leave the whine out of her voice but Maggie can tell."Sorry." Maggie tries to clean it herself but she is sluggish. Tired from practically nothing but still tired nonetheless."No no, it's ok, the blue just stains, have you seen the toilet baby?" It makes Maggie giggle. She was very confused as to why the toilet was blue, but she gets it now.Sam busy's herself cleaning her little one's face, steering away from the question. Kara looks over to Sam with sad but hopeful eyes. They both hope that Alex brings them good news on Lucy's condition......DEO Alex's POV.....Alex is looking down at Lucy. She wishes that this was all a dream and the shorter girl would wake up.Sitting in this awfully bright white room, looking at Lucy's pale skin, eyes closed - It makes her want to cry. She should have done more, and asked Lucy to stay. She should have driven the girl home herself to make sure she was ok. Alex thought she was, she knows Lucy is capable of handling herself. But if it were Maggie, Sam, even Lena and Kara, would she have left them to do it all on their own? Would she have really left them to go home to the possibility of this?Getting shot by your own partner?It's fucked up, this whole situation is fucked up. Lucy passed out before anyone could get the details of what happened. All she knows is that Lucy was shot with her own gun, and James was nowhere to be seen.Alex wants to scream, she wants to gather this frail body and shield it from the world. She wants to protect Lucy, but what exactly is the point when we are already in this predicament?Lying in a hospital bed, barely patched up.This is so fucked up.The director sees J'onn motioning for her to come out of the room. The redhead sucks up her tears and places a soft kiss on the major's head."Did you find him?" Alex says curtly, cutting to the chase.J'onn puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Not yet, but we have a lead. We have texts from him and his sister that she sent to the NCPD once the news broke of a domestic dispute in the area. She figured that it had to do with her brother."Alex brushes a tuft of her from her face. She had gotten the call from J'onn earlier while Maggie and Sam were having their bath. She had to leave quickly. She gave the information to Kara to relay to Sam before she took off to the apartment, but decided that seeing her friend instead of the crime scene was the better move."We will find him Alex, trust it, we will."All Alex can do is nod and swiftly take her seat back in the hospital chair. J'onn closes the blinds and shuts the door softly so as to not interrupt the tense silence left in his wake.Alex scoots the chair closer to the bed so her knees are flush against the cold metal rails. The director rests her forehead on the girl's arm, holding the hand in hers. It's warmer than before, and that makes Alex smile. She's touched enough dead bodies to know the feeling of that cold emptiness, and Alex is happy she can feel the slight warmth radiating off of the girl.A croaked voice sounds above her, "You getting soft on me Danvers?"It makes Alex laugh. A sad laugh so strained that the smile can't cover up the pain on her face. Tears soak into the hospital blanket and Lucy's pillow is soon filled with oceans of emotion too.