It's not just the (now-eternal) emptiness on the other side of the bed. (Leaving aside what might or might not have been happening there. His presence, sometimes snoring a bit, was sufficient.)
It's not just always waking up in the middle of the night when the body refuses to believe that he still hasn't come to bed. (Because he always preferred to work late.)
It's the conversations that can never again happen. It's the times I would stop (in some mid-kitchen afternoon) and say "There is NO ONE ELSE I could ever have this conversation with!" [because of the issues being discussed, or the vocabulary being used, or some other aspect of context).
it's all the things that will never happen again without him, and without which (frankly) life increasingly seems pale, ridiculous, and unnecessary.
Fictober 20: Supercorp “Trust me, this will work.”
(991 words)
Kara sat next to Lena as they were checking over the results of Streaky’s test.
“Everything looks good, don’t you think?” Kara stroked the cat who sat purring in her lap.
Lena nodded. “I will want to see if Alex knows of a veterinarian we can trust. Animal anatomy is no more my specialty than it is Alex’s, but I see no obvious red flags.” She leaned back in her chair and smiled. “I have to admit it is a relief. I’ve gotten a little attached to the fella.”
Streaky seemed to know he was the center of attention. He arched his back so Kara could scratch at the base of his tail as he blinked slowly and meowed silently at Lena.
“Look!” Kara smiled excitedly. “He’s flirting with you.”
“Is that what he is doing?” Lena was amused and charmed.
Kara nodded happily. “You need to blink slowly back.”
Lena arched an eyebrow. “You are just trying to get me to do something silly.”
“No, seriously.” Kara looked earnest, “Slow blinking is a cat’s way of telling you he trusts you. If you do it back, he will know you trust him.”
“He knows.” Lena gestured at the cat. “I haven’t accidentally kicked him in days. He hasn’t accidentally tripped me either. I think we are doing just fine.”
“Trust me, this will work.” Kara continued, her voice as earnest as her appearance. “It makes you part of his pride.”
Lena looked skeptical, but studied the cat. Sure enough, he did the slow blink again. Feeling foolish, but not wishing to disappoint Kara, Lena slowly blinked back.
As soon as she did, Streaky leapt the short distance from Kara’s lap to Lena’s.
Kara clapped her hands with excitement. “See? He accepts you.”
“Kara, this is hardly the first time Streaky has sat in my lap.” Lena protested gently even as she started to scratch behind the cat’s ears.
“But not very often when I am around.” Kara looked very proud of herself.
Lena laughed and looked down at Streaky. “You win that point.” Then she directed her next comment at the animal in her lap. “Do you really miss super powers, Streaky? I wish I could figure out if you do. And if so, how to give them back safely.” She looked up at Kara. “Brainy let slip we may find a way to protect you from Kryptonite permanently. Well, that someone does. There’s no guarantee it will be during my lifetime.”
Kara’s smile faltered during the last statement. Her reassuring words got caught in her throat. In the back of her mind she knew Lena’s time was more limited than her own. Even on Argo, Kryptonians were longer lived than most earthlings. It was hard enough fighting people trying to reduce their already short time. But she consoled herself that there might be a way she could extend the lives of those she loved, make them as long-lived as Kryptonians. But Lena….
“Hey,” Lena put Streaky on the counter and leaned over to place her hand on Kara’s. “Where did you go?”
Kara managed a smile, and closed her thumb over Lena’s hand. “Just don’t go dying any time soon, okay?” She tried to joke.
Lena felt her heart jump into her throat. After clearing it, she squeezed Kara’s hand gently. “I have no intention. I just meant there are several generations between this time and the one Brainy came from.”
“Good.” Kara looked into Lena’s eyes.
And Lena thought maybe there were other words she had wanted to say. But before she could follow up, Brainy burst into the room.
“I think I’ve got it.” He grinned and carried a device in his hand. “I constructed an emitter that can elicit a single pulse of energy. If we direct it through the synthetic isomer, it should work.” He held up the device.
Lena smiled and dropped Kara’s hand to reach for it. When he pulled it away, she laughed. “Oh I see, you get to use my toys but I don’t get to use yours?”
He appeared embarrassed, and shuffled his feet. “It isn’t quite finished,” he admitted. He lifted it and fiddled with the control. “The pulse is not consistent.”
“Don’t aim that….” Kara started to exclaim, but it was too late.
The device released the pulse. Kara managed to pull Lena out of the way, but it struck Streaky.
Brainy’s eyes widened as the cat fell over. “What have I done?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
Lena broke from where Kara had pulled her and rushed to the cat. When she reached Streaky, she placed a hand near his nose and the other on his side. “He’s breathing.”
Kara released the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She put a hand on Brainy’s shoulder. “It was an accident. But maybe keep that inside a containment field until it is reliable?”
Brainy nodded and hurried to the nearest field generator. Once it was activated, he practically dropped his creation inside the field, as if it were suddenly red hot.
“Are you okay?” Lena asked when she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye.
“Undamaged, but embarrassed.” Brainy replied quietly. “How is Streaky?”
As if in answer, the cat suddenly sat up. After a silent meow, he launched himself toward Kara’s comforting arms.
The force spun her around, she was caught so off guard. It was time for her eyes to widen. She held him as she floated a few feet above the floor. “Lena, call him.”
Lena felt her mouth go dry. “Streaky? Come here?” Remembering what Kara had said about the eye blink, she opened and closed her eyes slowly.
Streaky leapt from Kara’s arms, flew around Lena’s head before landing in her arms.
“I guess that answers that question.” Lena pet the once again super cat. “The isomer works even as it changes shape.”
