"How's your appetite been lately?" Dr Hamilton asked as she continued to examine Kara.
"Home cooked meal every night" Kara replied.
"Sounds like Eliza is taken good care you."
"She is."
"Are you getting enough sleep?"
"Seven hours a night"
"Any nightmares?"
"Not really. Just flashes of the attack now and then." Kara replied. "So what's the diagnosis?" Kara asked as Hamilton finished examining her.
"I can't find anything physically wrong with you. However the symptoms you described would suggest you suffered an anxiety attack."
"Me? Anxiety attack as in a panic attack?" Kara asked in disbelief.
Dr Hamilton nodded "It's common for people who have been through a traumatic experience."
"Why now." Kara asked trying to make sense of it all. "I mean I've faced a lot worse."
"Have you?" Hamilton asked "This was an attack on your home, your family. You and your sister are lucky to be alive."
"It's not my first near death experience."
"True but you've always had Alex to help you through it but this time you almost lost her. Have you tried talking about what happened?"
Kara shook her head "It's properly just a one off." Kara added as she stood.
Hamilton sighed "This isn't going to go away Kara."
Kara paused "Can this stay between us? I don't want Alex or Eliza to worry."
"Of course but blocking them out will only make this harder for you Kara."
"Thanks Doc but I'll be fine." Kara said before leaving.
00
Alex was recovering nicely and although her injuries had restricted her they would not diminish her determination in finding J'onn or her father. She had spent the last four weeks attending deep breathing exercises, taken regular short walks and attending strength building sessions at the DEO.
"Would you like to take a break?" Agent Baptist asked.
"I'm fine" Alex replied as she continued with the exercise. She lay on her back and gently lowered both knees to one side as instructed. She closed her eyes tight and held her breath as she pulled her knees back up. Her heart pounded in her chest as sweat ran down her neck and brow.
"Remember to breathe Alex; it will help with any discomfort." Agent Baptist said. Alex nodded and exhaled as she lowered both knees to the other side. Her lungs burnt but she pushed on and only stopped when she felt her knee touch the mat she lay on. "That's great Alex." Baptist said impressed with Alex's progress. "Can you bring your knees back up?"
Alex nodded, inhaled and began to raise her knees back up. A pain shot across her torso causing her to cry out and raise her hands to her chest.
"Are you ok?" Baptist asked as she supported Alex's knees. Alex swallowed and waited for the pain to pass. "I think we will end the session here." Baptist continued.
"No; I just need a minute." Alex replied.
"You've already had an extra twenty minutes. That pain your feeling is your body's way of telling you to stop." Baptist said as she offered Alex her hand.
"I got it." Alex said as she eased her-self slowly to her feet and leaned against the edge of the examination table. "So, same time tomorrow?" Alex asked; she had been trying for extra sessions with the physiotherapist but agent Baptist had refused to increase or change her plan.
Agent Baptist smiled and shook her head. "Nice try Alex." She said as she began to make notes in her file.
"Oh come on; one more session won't hurt. Besides you said I was recovering well."
"You are which means my plan is working for you and therefore no reason to change it. Besides I already have my suspicions that you're exercising outside of these sessions."
"I don't know what you mean." Alex lied
Agent Baptist stared at her and raised one eyebrow. "So that wasn't you I saw jogging the other night?"
"I wouldn't call it jogging; more like power walking." Alex had tried to jog but only managed five metres before having to stop.
"No more jogging. The only exercises I want you to do outside of these sessions are your breathing ones, understood."
"Loud and clear." Alex replied as she stood. "See you on Friday."
00
"Winn" Alex called as he appeared in the corridor. He froze and slowly turned to face her. "Have you managed to unlock Charlie's laptop yet?" she asked.
"Alex hey; I...err...not yet. I've been kind of busy and it's proven to be a little trickier." Winn replied.
Alex narrowed her eyes "What aren't you telling me."
"Nothing; I mean everything obviously." Winn felt the panic set in as his mind raced. "I mean why...why wouldn't I tell you everything; you're my superior, right."
Alex moved closer towards him; causing Winn to take a step back before his back hit the wall. "It's been almost two months since we found that laptop and you're telling me you, the guy who created a code to take down Indigo within hours can't unlock an old man's laptop."
"Technically I wrote that virus a few years ago." Winn corrected "But that's not important." Winn added as he sensed Alex growing impatient.
"What is on the laptop Winn?"
"They told me not to tell you."
"Who did?"
"I did" Lucy called from behind them.
"Why? What did you find? Does Kara know?" Alex asked looking between them.
"Kara doesn't know; we thought it would be best not to tell either of you." Lucy sighed "Winn was able to unlock the laptop and retrieve some data before it crashed."
"I managed to unlock the code but there was a hidden backup which wiped the hard drive." Winn added.
"What did you retrieve?" Alex asked
"It didn't contain the location of Cadmus." Lucy answered.
"That's not what I asked."
Lucy hesitated before answering "Details of their weapons, experiments, subjects..."
"You had no right keeping this from me." Alex interrupted.
"I'm sorry but I only did what I thought was best." Lucy replied. "I would have told you about the laptop if there was anything of use on it."
"If Cadmus had taken your father; would you want to know all the details which could help find him?" Alex asked
Lucy thought for a moment "Winn can you go get the files for Alex." Winn nodded and hurried down the corridor.
"I want to come back" Alex added
"You know you can't; you're still recovering."
"I'm not asking to go out on missions just let me work from my lab; you won't even know I'm there."
Lucy stared back at Alex; she knew Alex would continue to search for J'onn and Jeremiah on her own and felt it would be safer for her to be at the DEO. "Two hours a day, three days a week and it's not negotiable."
"Thank you." It wasn't ideal but it was better than nothing
"Hey" Reynolds said as he walked towards Lucy and Alex. "Just to let you know your mother's asking for you and would like me to remind you your session finished thirty five minutes ago."
Alex rolled her eyes before heading down the corridor. "Aren't you coming?" She asked when she realised Lucy was heading in the opposite direction.
"I've just authorised your return to work; something tells me I should avoid your mother for the next few days."Lucy answered.
Alex couldn't help but smile as she turned and headed for Winn's office. "It's nice to see you smiling." Reynolds said as he followed her.
"I smile all the time." Alex replied "Especially when I'm kicking your ass in training." Alex couldn't explain it but she felt a little more relaxed around Reynolds; she liked how he didn't treat or talk to her like a victim.
Reynolds laughed "I look forward to the rematch."
00
"I just think you're pushing yourself to hard." Eliza said as she and Alex entered Kara's apartment.
"I'm fine." Alex lied as her body ached from the day's strength building session. She made her way across the living room and placed Charlie's laptop on the coffee table along with some files.
"Alex, don't you think you should take a break from all this." Eliza said as she pointed towards the files.
"I'm hardly going to pull a muscle from reading." Alex replied as she began reading through the information Winn had retrieved.
Eliza took the file from Alex , placed it back on the table and sat down beside her. "I was talking to Dr Hamilton today and she said it's safe for you to fly. I was thinking we could go back to Midvale."
"I can't..." Alex began
"It would just be for a few weeks." Eliza interrupted as she took hold of her daughter's hands. "Sweetie you need to rest and give yourself a chance to heal."
"I am resting and I am healing."
"This is not resting Alex. I'm worried you're going to burn yourself out."
"I'm fine."
"Stop saying that."
"Then stop mothering me and let me do my job." Alex snapped
Suddenly the window opened and Kara flew into her apartment "What's going on?" Kara asked sensing the tension.
"Nothing sweetie; I was just about to start tea." Eliza said as she stood and headed for the kitchen. Kara narrowed her eyes and looked from Eliza back to Alex.
"I'm going to take a shower." Alex said as she pushed her-self from the sofa and made her way into the bathroom.
"I guess I'll just go change then." Kara said to her-self before heading to her bedroom.