A/N: Thanks for the reviews and feedback everyone, I hope you continue to enjoy this journey as much as I am. Keep the comments coming and I'll do my best to keep the story coming!
Like before, I own nothing that has to do with Supergirl, the CW owns it all now…I just love writing about her!
Dr. Hamilton came into Kara's room where Alex was sitting quietly with Cat Grant as they waited for the surgery to be finished. "Alex," Dr. Hamilton began, "we got the fragment out, it was lodged in her lungs and was very small, almost the size of a sliver. It was high grade kryptonite, like the stuff used in the handcuffs so it didn't take a big piece to do much damage."
Alex stood up to face the Doctor, "Damage? Is she permanently hurt or will she recover and regain her powers?"
"It's hard to say at this point," Dr. Hamilton continued, "my best guess is that she will fully recover and will regain all of her powers; however, it will take quite a bit of time, lots of rest and lots of sun to make it happen. Her oxygen levels are already up and normal, her blood pressure is good, her pulse is strong. We'll have to see how the pain level is when she wakes up but I suspect it will be high for a few days. I put a drainage tube into her chest as there was some fluid built up on her lungs, likely as a result of the effects of the kryptonite. It won't be in long, but I just want to make sure that her lungs are ok."
Just then a sleeping Kara was wheeled into the room and re-connected to the various machines. Soon the steady beep, beep, beep of her heart rate was heard; the oxygen mask was still on her face; there was a long tube sticking out of her left side where stuff was draining out into a small collection bag; her face was pale, but she looked better than she did before the surgery.
"Let me know when she wakes up, Alex." Dr. Hamilton said as she moved to make room for Alex and Cat to approach Kara's side. "I'll want to check on her pain level and make sure everything is going well. She's such a fighter and so strong; she's going to be just fine."
Cat smiled as she looked at the doctor, "Thank you Dr. Hamilton, we'll make sure you're called when she regains consciousness."
Alex and Cat sat in silence on opposite sides of Kara's bed, waiting for her to regain consciousness and open her eyes. Nearly 2 hours passed before their wish was granted.
"Alex?" Kara moaned weakly from under the oxygen mask.
"I'm right here, sis." Alex stood up so that she could look in Kara's eyes when they opened. "Cat's here too."
Kara moved her head from side to side as she tried to wake up and open her eyes. She winced in pain as she became more and more awake. "Owww!" She cried out at the pain in her side.
Alex had pressed the call buzzer to let the doctor know that Kara was awake. Dr. Hamilton was entering the room she heard Kara cry out in pain.
"Kara," Dr. Hamilton leaned over her patient, "on a scale of 1 -10 how bad is the pain in your side?"
"Nine," Kara answered her, "my head hurts too."
Immediately Dr. Hamilton was injecting pain medication into Kara's IV drip; Kara drifted back into unconsciousness almost immediately. "I'm not surprised at the pain level, I think it may be this high while the tube is still in her. You two should go and get some rest, she'll be out for a least a few hours." Dr. Hamilton's voice almost sounded like that was an order for the two women beside her patient as she examined the monitors and the contents of the collection bag. "Agent, don't make me order you to bed rest." She smiled at Alex. Turning to Cat, "While I can't technically order you to rest, I'm going to strongly suggest it."
Cat chuckled a bit at the show of power by the doctor; obviously she didn't know that Cat was the most powerful person in National City. Almost as if she could read Cat's mind the doctor challenged her idea, "This isn't National City so you're power level here is quite a bit lower than it is there. You might want to take that into consideration before you challenge mine and lose." Dr. Hamilton grinned at Cat.
"Point taken," Cat replied, although she was tempted to see how much of a power struggle she could get away with, however, she didn't want to lose in front of Alex, "I'm off to get some rest, see my son and make sure my media empire is still intact. I'm sure someone will inform me when she wakes up?"
Alex chuckled as she watched these two powerful women spar with each other, "I'll call you as soon as she's awake, Cat. I'll get a chopper to take you back to your empire." Alex winked at her and smiled.
SGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSG
Seeing that the chest tube was no longer removing any fluid from Kara's lung, Dr. Hamilton decided to take it out before she awoke. As she stitched the hole closed she found herself quietly talking to her patient. "You've been through quite a bit young lady. You're one strong person in so many ways. You have lots of people who love you and a city that needs you; keep fighting and get better; the world needs you, Supergirl."
As if on cue Kara stirred and opened her eyes. "Hi Doc. How am I doing?"
"You tell me," Dr. Hamilton smiled at Kara, "you're the one with all the tubes and wires attached to your body. Do you have any pain?"
"Some," Kara answered, "but it's not as bad as it was. Where are Alex and Ms. Grant?"
"I ordered them both to go and get some rest. What's the level of your pain." Dr. Hamilton said very matter-of-factly.
"About a five." Kara raised an eyebrow, "You 'ordered' Ms. Grant to do something? How did that go?"
"I think she was considering whether or not she would win if she tried to challenge my authority here, but she wisely deduced that I'd win and went home. Alex, on the other hand, she didn't put up any fight; she knows who's really the boss around here." Dr. Hamilton smiled and winked at Kara as she gave her small dose of pain medication.
"And here I mistakenly thought I was the boss," Director Henshaw said as he entered the room, "seems I might have a power struggle on my hands."
Dr. Hamilton turned to Hank, straightened up and said, "We both know that I'm the only person who can boss you around, as the chief medical officer in this place. Don't make me prove it to you in front of your staff." Hamilton gave a playful grin at Hank before winking at Kara.
"Hey," Kara chimed in, "I just do what I'm told around here. Keep me out of it."
"Since when do you do as you're told?" Alex was entering the room after waking from her nap.
Everyone in the room let out a small laugh; it was nice to finally feel like things were looking up.
"How're you doing Kara?" Alex asked as she walked over to her sisters' bedside.
"It still hurts a little but not that bad," Kara answered. "I'm actually kind of hungry."
Hank laughed, "Yep, she's getting back to her old self - food on the brain."
"Doc," Alex asked, "do you think she's ready for some solid food? I know Cat Grant had promised her potstickers and Chinese food when she recovered."
Kara's face lit up at the mention of her favourite foods, but it was quickly downturned again when her doctor said that it might be a bit soon for that much food and offered her some Jell-o instead.
After checking the incision and seeming to be happy with Kara's numbers, Dr. Hamilton removed the oxygen mask, "I think you're able to manage breathing on your own now. Let me know if you're feeling out of breath or struggling to get air, please?"
Alex smiled at Kara, "Don't worry doc, I'll let you know."
Kara rolled her eyes and smiled, "Thanks Alex."
"You're most welcome, pouty face!" Alex replied. To which everyone in the room let out a little laughter.
"Glad to see you're doing so well, Supergirl," Hank smiled at her, "I have a secret government organization to run, I'll stop back in later. The two of you behave." He said pointing his finger back and forth between Alex and Kara.
Once Dr. Hamilton and Hank had left the room, Alex pulled a chair up beside Kara's bed. "So," she began, "what's the deal with you and Cat Grant?"
"What do you mean, Alex?" Kara seemed confused by the question.
"I've been watching her since you guys were rescued," Alex continued, "I suggested to her that she loves you and that I think you love her too. She didn't say yes, but she also didn't deny it. So what gives?"
Kara smiled at Alex, "Do you think we're romantically involved with each other, or that we want to be?"
Alex nodded and smiled at Kara, who continued to answer Alex's question, "I'm not gay Alex, and neither is Ms. Grant. I do love her though in a mother-daughter kind of way. We have this really neat bond of friendship and trust."
"I see," Alex replied, "so why do you think she didn't deny it when I suggested that she had romantic feelings for you?"
"Ms. Grant," Kara answered her, "is a very private person. She wouldn't share her feelings about me or anyone else for that matter that openly. I know everyone sees her as this tough, uncaring, cold individual; but I've seen the softer side of her, the strong, loving side. I'm sure when she thinks I'm recovered enough we'll be talking about this; she'll want to make sure I know how she feels so there won't be any confusion about our relationship."
"Oh dear," Alex paused, "I hope I haven't made things difficult for the two of you."
"No, you haven't," Cat's voice was clear in the doorway, "but thanks for bringing it to the surface." Cat entered the room with a rather large purse on her shoulder, larger than she normally carried.
"Ms. Grant," Kara smiled at her boss, "do I smell my favourite food in that luggage you have hanging over your shoulder?"
Cat smiled as she stepped into the room and closed the door, "Yes, but I've been told you're on Jell-o, so it seems Alex and I will just have to eat it all."
"Oh, now that's just mean," Kara smiled at Cat, "I just told Alex you weren't really that mean and now you go and make me look like a liar to my sister?"
"Nice try Danvers," Cat replied, "but I do think that you could manage a potsticker or two, if you eat them slowly and promise not to rat me out to that doctor of yours who's on a power trip around here."
"I can so do that!" Kara grinned from ear to ear.
Cat broke out the food she had smuggled in and they all ate quietly for a few moments before she finally broke the silence. "Alex, you were right, I do love Kara, but not in the way you seemed to think I do. Actually, Kara is correct in her assessment of our relationship; we have a mother-daughter type of relationship, for which I'm incredibly grateful. Not every woman to woman love relationship is romantic in nature; ours certainly isn't; but I do love her a great deal, as much as I could if she were really my daughter."
Kara smiled at Cat, "Thanks Ms. Grant, the feeling is mutual."
"However," Cat continued, "if she doesn't stop calling me Ms. Grant outside of the office I'm going to assert some motherly authority and 'ground' her."
The three of them laughed at the idea of Cat Grant trying to keep Supergirl on the ground; as if she really had any motherly authority over her.
"So," Cat shifted the conversation, "how're you feeling?"
Kara sighed, "Not too bad actually. The pain is much less than it was; I'm not having any trouble breathing. I'm kind of feeling like I'd like to get out of this place and sit outside in the sunshine somewhere, see if my powers won't come back a bit quicker with the real sunshine, and not the fake stuff in here."
"What does Dr. Hamilton think of this idea?" Cat asked Kara.
"Just what idea did you want my opinion on?" Dr. Hamilton asked as she strode through the door. "And do I smell Chinese food, and do I see some evidence on the face of my patient that she ate some of it against my direct orders?"
Cat, Kara and Alex all exchanged looks between them as they tried to determine how best to answer the doctor and not get into trouble. It was Cat, not surprisingly who took the opportunity to challenge the doc's authority, "Yes, you do smell Chinese food; and yes, you do see some evidence on Kara's face that she ate a potsticker, or two. It seems you're not as powerful in this place as you'd imagined yourself to be." Cat had a huge grin on her face as she looked at Dr. Hamilton.
Dr. Hamilton was having a tough time not smiling at the interchange between her and Cat. "Don't push your luck Cat; I don't think you really want to find out just how powerful I really am here." She had turned away to pretend to read the monitors hooked up to Kara, as a sign of power, ignoring Cat.
"Wow," Alex laughed, "Dinner and a show!"
Once again laughter filled the room. Cat winked at Kara as she continued the banter with the doctor. "And yet, I managed to get the food in here and feed it to 'your' patient doctor, right under your nose. Seems I'm more powerful here than you thought."
Alex's eyes went wide as she smiled at Kara…this was going to be an interesting battle of wills between two very strong women.
"Oh, I knew you'd bring the food in and I knew you'd feed it to Kara. Trust me, if we wanted to keep it from her, we would have succeeded." Dr. Hamilton gave a sly look back at Cat before smiling at Kara.
"Holy crap!" Kara laughed out loud, "I think that was a direct hit, Cat! I think she sank your battleship!"
Cat tilted her head back and laughed, "Ok, you win…this time. But trust me, it's 'game on' from here on out."
"Bring it on." Dr. Hamilton smiled at Cat. "Seriously though Kara, how is your pain level in your side, your arms and your headache?
"Actually I'm really beginning to feel much better and there's hardly any pain at all." Kara answered her doctor. "In fact, I was wondering if I can leave here and go home so I can get some real sunshine and maybe even speed up my healing and getting my powers back. What do you say, doc?"
"Your pain level is currently low because I recently gave you some pain medication. Let's assess how it is in a few hours and then go from there, ok? If you do leave, I don't want you to be alone until you're fully healed and all your powers are restored. Is there some way we can make that happen between these two people who seem very invested in your wellbeing?" Dr. Hamilton asked looking back and forth between Alex and Cat.
"I have a huge penthouse with two guest rooms," Cat jumped in, "they can both come and stay with me, that way she'll be able to lay out on my balcony in the sunshine and have not one but two babysitters 24/7!"
"Babysitters!" Kara chimed in, "I think I'm a little big for that, don't you?"
"The way you seem to find danger," Alex interrupted, "or at least danger finds you, I think babysitter is a perfect descriptor of what we'll be doing! I like the idea of Cat's place, thanks Cat."
Dr. Hamilton looked at Kara, "I'll come back in a couple of hours to see how the pain level is; if it's low enough that it can be managed at home then I'll release into their loving care. I would however, like you to have one more night here on the solar bed and then tomorrow you can go and stay with Cat and Alex until you're fully you again, fair enough?"
"Sounds like a plan to me, doc." Kara sighed with relief at the thought of getting out into the sunshine and being cared for by the two people she loved the most.