A/N: Thanks for the comments. Kate: Maggie will be making an appearance later on.
"What's going on?" Kara asked when she entered the DEO and immediately noticed everyone was avoiding eye contact.
"In here." J'onn said leading her to a briefing room.
"What's happened? Where's Alex?" Kara asked starting to panic.
"Alex was leading a mission to find a former Fort Rozz prisoner."
"Why wasn't I involved? Wait scrap that, what do you mean was? Where is she?"
"We don't know. We think the helicopter she was on crashed."
"You think?" Kara asked eyes wide.
"The helicopter missed its check in and has not been picked up on any radar. The weather was pretty bad so a crash seems the most likely explanation." He said trying to look and sound calm.
"Where?" Kara demanded, her worry and anger not hidden in any way.
"Middle of the Pacific. A rescue team is already on route. I am heading out there now. I assume you are joining me?"
"Of course I'm joining you. But I don't understand, why didn't you call me in? Alex shouldn't be going on missions without me." Kara asked as they left the room.
"Alex is technically your superior, she doesn't need your permission to go on missions." J'onn reminded her. "Besides, you were having a night off."
"So? If Alex is in danger I should know."
"It was a routine mission." J'onn stated.
"So routine she is missing." Kara pointed out.
"We'll find her." J'onn said, suppressing his own worries. "Your sister is like you she's a fighter and a survivor."
-00-
"What are you doing?" Alex asked noticing Barker moving towards her as she built a shelter.
"I thought I could help." Barker said.
"I'm fine. You need to lie still."
"That's kind of boring. Besides I can't let you do all the work."
"How chivalrous." Alex said dryly.
"Not really. I just know you'll use my non action as an excuse to kick my ass more in training. So really it is just self-preservation." He explained while wheezing. Immediately hearing the poor breathing Alex helped him sit.
"Damn it. I told you not to move." Alex said looking at his ribs and noticing the strange shape. As the breathing got more raspy she added. "I think you punctured a lung."
"That's bad?" He asked struggling for breath.
"That's bad." Alex agreed. "I can release the pressure by inserting a chest tube."
"You have one?"
"I have a pen." Alex shrugged. "It's not perfect but it will help drain the air. But it will also put you at risk of infection."
"So I suff….oca...te ...or... get an ...in….fec….tion?" He wheezed.
"It's going to hurt."
"Ju..st….like….trai...ning." He gasped as Alex tried to sterilise her knife and pen.
-00-
"Anything?" Supergirl asked as she and J'onn entered the bridge of the lead S&R ship.
"No ma'am." The Captain said before pointing at a map. "This is the last confirmed position. Unfortunately due to the storm we lost comms and don't know exactly when they went down which makes the search area large. We have most of our resources in this quadrant," he said pointing to a spot on the map, "but they have not found any trace so far." He paused again and pointed to a different part of the map before continuing. "This sector has not been searched and is the furthest from any of our assets. Your help there would be appreciated."
"Of course." J'onn said before noticing the Captain had something else to add. "What is it?"
"Small consolation, but we apprehended the alien they were after. As far as we can tell he was not involved in their disappearance".
-00-
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked noticing Barker was finally waking.
"Crap." Barker said.
"That's what happens when you don't follow medical advice."
"Pot, kettle, black." He muttered.
"How's the breathing?" She asked.
"Better. Thanks."
"Chest?"
"Hurts like hell."
"I'm afraid I don't have anything stronger than Tylenol." Alex said.
"It's okay. Don't like the hard stuff anyway." He said before asking. "What happened?"
"You passed out during the procedure. But I managed to release the trapped air and seal the area." She explained as Barker tried to shift his body.
"You really need not to move." Alex warned.
"Sorry. I have cramp."
"Where?" Alex asked.
"Calf."
Moving over to him Alex gently massaged his calf causing him to comment.
"I must be dying. You are never this nice."
"You're not dying." Alex said.
"And I thought your sister was bad at lying." He commented. "Seriously, what are my chances? No sugar coating."
"If we're found in the next couple of days, good. But the longer we are here the more risk of infection."
"So not good then?" He asked.
"You'll make it. Kara will find us." She said without a trace of doubt in her voice. "Of more immediate concern is fresh water, which I still haven't found. As soon as there is light I'll resume the search. For now though get some rest." She said moving to one side and lying down on the sand.
After several minutes Barker asked. "You wonder why we survived?"
"We were sitting rear facing. It was the safest part of the cabin." Alex said.
"I didn't mean the mechanics of why we survived." Barker said.
"You getting philosophical on me?" Alex asked.
"Maybe. It's just when we were going down I thought that was it."
"For most of us it was." Alex said sadly.
"I thought about all the things I hadn't done." He continued. "All my life regrets. Regrets suck."
"Yeah they do." Alex agreed.
"We're kinda friends right?"
"Yeah."
"That's why I don't want you to have regrets. So seeing I'll probably die anyway, mind if I say something?"
"Something tells me nothing will stop you." Alex said.
"Ever since your girlfriend broke up with you-"
"How do you even know that?" Alex interrupted.
"Ignoring your crappy mood for the last couple of weeks? Your sister is worried about you."
"She's been talking about my personal life, to you?"
"No. Of course not. I doubt she knows who I am. But she has been talking to Winn and you and it is kind of hard not to hear. And she has been walking round with that crinkle. At first we thought it was because of Mon-El, but then we noticed it got deeper after she saw you."
"We?"
"Just everyone else at the DEO."
"Clearly you all need more work to do." Alex grumbled.
"My point was seeing Supergirl frown is not a good sight. Your sister wants to help, you should let her." He paused before adding. "At the very least it may make sparring with you less painful."
After several moments Alex said quietly. "She didn't break up with me."
Barker though was already asleep and didn't respond.
-TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.
