The Super Blues (Pt. 4) -- REWRITE
Kara nearly broke the sound barrier as she flew to Alex’s location on the bridge. Alex was crouched down pulling her jacket over the blond girl who was shivering curled up in a ball up against the bridge railing. The girl was a far cry from the lively niece Alex had seen grow up before her very eyes.
“Sweetheart, we’ve been so worried. You’re not in any trouble, we just want to help Lori.” Lori didn’t respond, she just continued to shiver with her face tucked into her knees.
-----
Where am I? was the first thought that came to Lori as she started feeling the world around her once again. It was as if she was waking from a trance. Her body felt foreign. The shivering teen could hear her aunt’s familiar voice but was still feeling rather disoriented.
The teen’s shivering got worse the more aware the teen got. As the blood started rushing back to her, Lori remembered the events of the day -- but the walk was all a blur.
Did she really ditch school? Oh no - it was real! I missed class! Oh roa - jeju and mom are going to be so mad. Every thought of failure and disappointment swarmed Lori’s mind. She felt like she was suffocating and desperately tried to catch her breath. She tried to claw at her neck and chest, shrugging her aunt’s warm jacket off in the process.
“Lori, hey, just breath kiddo.” Alex tried to get the young teen to calm herself to no avail.
Kara’s heart was broken at seeing her little girl shivering with Alex crouched down trying to calm the teen. The super landed as gently as she could so as not to startle the pair. Lori was so overwhelmed that she didn’t hear the soft thud of boots hitting the ground. Alex looked up and gave Kara a nod and moved to make room for Kara.
“Lor,” Kara gently says as she crouches down to where her daughter is on the ground, “Lori, hey, its ok. You’re ok.” But, Lori doesn't seem to hear her. Kara is no stranger to panic attacks. She’s experienced several of her own and had to talk Lena through attacks in the past.
“Breath Lori, just listen to my voice and breath.” Kara says as calmly as she possibly can. Kara continues her message, and solely Lori starts to calm herself.
When Lori is finally out of the fog of panic, she’s reminded why she is here and why her Jeju is here. Her Jeju should be out saving other people, people who really need help, but instead Lori had to let her own problems take front and center. She should be stronger than this - she’s a Davers-Luthor after all. The shame and guilt hung over the teen - she couldn’t even look her Jeju in the eye.
“Lori, hey kiddo, is it ok if I pick you up?” Kara wanted nothing more than to wrap her daughter in her cape and rush her home to Lena to be checked out, but she also knew Lori was in a fragile state. The teen nodded her ascent, and they were off toward home.
“I’ve got you, Lor.” Kara lifted Lori gently off the ground and immediately Lori clung to her Jeju, still shaking from the cold.
“Just take deep breaths. Let's get you home.” Kara warped her cape around the freezing teen before lifting off. By the time the pair landed on the balcony, Lori was in a restless, shivering sleep in her Jeju’s arms.
“Oh, thank roa,” Lena swung the balcony doors open letting the cold night air and Kara come straight through.
“What– is she– what happened? Is she hurt?” a million questions and scenarios of what could have happened were running through the CEO’s mind. Kara carefully set their daughter on the couch but was stuck when she realized Lori still had her cape in a death grip.
“She’s freezing cold, Lee. Can you grab a few blankets to get her warmed up?” Kara asked in a calm voice, trying to bring Lena down from her anxiety. Kara gently releases her cape from Lori’s grip and starts piling on warm blankets.
When they get Lori setted, Lena askes once again for details of what happened out there. But before Kara could answer, the young blond turned over and started to stir.
“Jeju? Mom?” Lori said in a tired groggy voice.
“Lori, hey baby.” Lena said gently brushing blond hair from Lori’s sweaty forehead.
“What–?” Lori felt out of place, not in her body but also not out of her body. She didn’t even know what questions to ask. Kara and Lena looked at each other with worry. They didn’t have a handbook for this situation. They didn’t quite know what this situation was.
“It's ok, Lor. You’re safe.” Kara sat next to her daughter and pulled the blanket Lori had previously pushed off back up the teen’s arm.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Lena asked in full doctor mode. Sure, she wanted to know what happened and why Lori ran off, but Lori’s health was a more pressing matter at the moment. The young blonde was silent for a long moment, taking stock of her body and her surroundings.
“I-- I’m-- I--” Lori stuttered. She didn’t know how she felt. Numb, alien, dreaming, wrong -- these were all Lori’s feelings but they weren’t the right answer. Lori had already put her moms through hell, she needed to give the right answer. So, Lori settled for the next best thing - deflect. “I’m sorry.” Lori said flatly.
“Lori, we’re not mad. We just want to help. Please let us help you.” Kara begged, brushing a stray blond hair from Lori’s face.
Oh, no. I gave the wrong answer. I’m so stupid. How to fix this? How to fix this? All my fault. So weak. Lori’s mind was spiraling once again. She felt her chest tightening again. The blanket was all of the sudden boa constrictor, getting tighter and tighter.
Kara could hear the uptick in Lori’s heartbeat and quickly stepped in to calm her daughter.
“Its ok, Lor. Just breath. In and out.” Lori closed her eyes and listened to her Jeju’s calming voice. The teen started to come down and exhaustion was once again taking over. Lena and Kara decided not to press Lori any further. This discussion could wait for another day. Right now, Lori needed rest.
----
After Kara carried their oldest to bed, she returned to her own bedroom to find Lena still at work on her tablet. “What are you doing babe? You should get some rest. We have to be up in a few hours anyway.”
“I just need to understand what happened out there.” Lena looked up at her wife. “What was she doing out there?”
“I don’t know. Alex found her halfway across the bridge.” Kara took a deep breath, remembering the sight of the small blonde curled up against the bridge railing. “She didn’t say much. She just seemed tired and cold… and scared.” Kara ran her hands through her hair, completely at a loss for what to do next when there were so many unanswered questions.
“The surveillance videos aren’t very helpful either. She just walks and walks. I don’t get it.” Lena rubbed at her tired eyes.
“I think we need to get some rest. We won’t get anywhere until we talk to Lori.” Kara leaned over and kissed her wife on the head as she slid the tablet out of Lena’s hands.
“I see what you did there…” Lena says sleepily.
“Wait…” Kara perked up and walked to the bedroom door. Lori should be sound asleep, why in the world would she be getting up already. But when Kara peered out the bedroom door, she couldn't help but feel a little more relief and love for her family.
“Not tonight, little one.” Kara guided a sleepy El from almost entering Lori’s room back to her own room and tucked her youngest in bed. El didn’t fight it. She just wanted to see her big sister. Before Kara could leave though, El caught her wrist and looked up at her Jeju with a frown.
“L-Lori?” El asked in a sleepy voice.
“She’s home safe, Ellie. But she needs her rest, just like you.” Kara kissed the young teen on the forehead and said goodnight.
TO BE CONTINUED...