Alex was walking back and forth in her cell – ok, not a cell, just her hospital room, but a jail cell is what it felt like to her. The only reason she was walking was because she was tired of lying down, tired of being poked and prodded by endless testing.

The fact that her mother was one of those people doing the poking wasn't helping matters. She knew her mom was trying to figure out what had happened and that she meant well, but the endless questions about everything from how the headaches felt to what kinds of food she had been eating was getting old fast.

And then there was Kara.

Kara was ready to fly to anywhere on earth to get her anything she could possibly want at any given moment. She wasn't sure if it was out of guilt or just her need to be doing something that she thought might help.

Oddly, the only thing that remotely made her feel somewhat better was talking with Cass earlier. She had called to check on her and Cass must have sensed she didn't want to talk about it so Cass ended up talking about her day. Alex just sat there and listened, occasionally commenting and it felt good to just be there listening to someone else's life.

She had thanked Cass before getting off the phone and Cass had simply replied, "you're welcome."

Maybe they could still be friends after all of this, Alex thought. She couldn't imagine being in a relationship with Cass or anyone else right now the way things were. Hell, she didn't even know if she would ever be allowed to leave the DEO.

She felt like a captive because she really couldn't go anywhere. Yes, she could leave the room, but leave it and do what? How many people or things would she run into if she tried to take a walk out there.

There didn't need to be lock on the door or bars on this cell, she was trapped on her own because of her blindness. She sat down on the edge of the bed feeling a touch of darkness enter her mind. It was hard not to feel like this and she wasn't sure she wanted to make the effort to try and feel better about her situation.

There was a knock on the door frame, at the same time as a "hey Danvers."

She looked up and in the direction of the door, but couldn't say anything before Maggie spoke again, "why do you have bandages over your eyes? I thought your mom said your eyes weren't injured."

Great, Alex thought, why did her family members insist on sharing things with Maggie.

Her eyes were covered, not just with cotton padding, but with gauze bandages wrapped around her head to keep them in place.

"The idea is to keep any light from getting through," Alex said.

"Oh," Maggie said, and Alex heard her coming closer due to the hard flooring. "How long do you have to keep it like that?"

"Don't know, maybe forever," Alex said, tilting her head down as if she was looking at the floor. "As long as it hurts to have light on them. My mom, the doctors, they don't really know anything about what is going on with it. They just keep running test after test – but they don't know."

"I'm sorry," Maggie said. "I shouldn't have opened up the curtains and blinds at your place."

"It's not your fault," Alex said quickly. "Whether it was you, or Kara, or my mom or if I had done it myself or even gone outside the same thing would have happened."

She heard Maggie moving again, getting closer and then she felt the mattress shift as Maggie took a seat on the bed beside her. Alex laughed despite the situation.

"What?"

"I bet your feet are dangling right now," Alex smiled.

Maggie nudged her with an elbow, even though she too was smiling. "Hey, your feet aren't touching either."

"Yeah, but I didn't have to hop to get on top of the bed."

"Neither did I."

"Ok, sure you didn't," Alex said.

"Why is this bed so high anyway?"

"It's for the doctors. It allows them to stand and do any examination they need to do without bending over."

"So, you've had a lot of examinations."

Alex nodded but didn't elaborate.

Maggie noticed Alex kept her head down, and hadn't really looked over at her since she had been sitting there. She wondered if that was because Alex couldn't see her anyways or if it was because of Maggie's presence there.

"I used to get up in the morning – early morning before the sun rose and go surfing," Alex said. "I would paddle out as far as I dared to go to catch the best waves as the sun would come up and it was beautiful, just indescribable what it felt like to be out there. Out there, it's just you and your board and it's you and it's nature and I'm never going to get to experience that ever again."

Maggie could feel the dark mood descending upon Alex once more.

"You don't have to be able to see to experience life." Even as she said it, it rang hollow in her ears.

"I know," Alex responded.

They sat there in a few moments of silence, Maggie not knowing what to say, but knowing she wanted to see Alex smile again.

"So, your sister is Supergirl," Maggie said. "That was unexpected, but does sort of make sense, I mean now that I know the glasses really aren't much of a disguise."

"What do you mean it makes sense?"

"Well, you two work together, but I always had the sense you two were close, and then the other night when she came in to check on you and change your bandages I even thought maybe you two were …"

"We were what?"

"It sounds stupid now, but I wondered if maybe you and her were dating."

"Gross."

"I know that now, but I didn't then," Maggie said. "Speaking of which, have you spoken with Cassie?"

It wasn't a topic that Maggie really wanted to discuss, but she knew Alex had been concerned about what to tell the other woman, and if she was being honest, she too was curious.

"Yes," Alex said. "She knows. I didn't give her details obviously but she knows I'm blind. I thought maybe that would be the end of it, you know, but we've talked since and she says she wants to come over when I'm discharged from here."

"Why did you think that would be the end of it?"

"Because I'm blind," she said as if that was the only explanation needed.

"That doesn't mean you aren't allowed to be in a relationship if that is what you want," Maggie said. "This Cassie wouldn't be much of a human being if she wanted to bolt just because you're now blind."

"I wouldn't blame her if she did though," Alex replied. "This literally changes the dynamics of every relationship I have. I can't watch over and protect Kara like I'm supposed to. I can't be J'onn's second in command because I can't be a DEO agent anymore. Now I'm some medical problem that my mom feels like she has to solve."

Maggie put her hand on Alex's hand, surprised that she hadn't flinched this time. "Yes, it changes things, but all those people in your life, they aren't going anywhere. They love and support you. And if anyone can be blind and still be a badass, it's you Danvers."

Alex pulled her hand away.

"Ugh," Alex said. "My hair needs washed in the worst way."

Maggie hadn't really noticed but now that she was looking at her hair she could Alex's hair was a little greasy looking.

"When did you last …"

"Before all of this."

"Before, wow, I mean it doesn't look bad. Before, really?"

"Can't exactly shower with my arm in a sling and bandages in multiple places."

"So, you haven't showered either?"

"No," Alex said. "When I was unconscious before when they first brought me in from the field, I'm sure they bathed me as best they could, but since then I've … well I've done what I could. But my hair, I couldn't even try to use the sink at my place because I can't raise my one arm up. It seems silly to worry about washing my hair when clearly I have other issues, but at least if I could wash my hair I might feel normal, if that makes any sense."

"No, I get it," Maggie said. "I could help with the hair washing if you want."

This time Alex did look over at her. "Thanks, but with these bandages on my eyes and around my head I think it's going to be awhile before I get that luxury of having my hair washed."

She felt movement of the bed and heard Maggie's shoes land on the floor as she got up. "If I can find a safe way to get your hair washed, how about it?"

"Sure," Alex said, figuring this was not possible so agreeing to it wasn't that big of a deal. After all, there was no way her mother was going to allow these bandages to come off her eyes. That was one argument she had already lost.

…

Maggie walked beside Alex as they made their way back to the DEO shower and locker room areas. It had taken forever or so it seemed to get this handled, but Alex was going to get her hair washed, although Maggie wasn't sure Alex was all that thankful for how it worked out.

They had waited until most of the DEO personnel was gone or off site and it was just down to support staff. Alex didn't want to be seen by them so it was one of the things she insisted on. Maggie didn't entirely blame her – after all she was wearing only a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

All of her wounds had been covered with additional waterproof coverings.

Her mother had helped her with all of this after Maggie had gone to her with Alex's request.

The second part involved Winn going through the electrical systems and turning off any lights in the locker room and shower room. The only way the doctors would sign off on this plan of Alex removing the bandages that covered her eyes was if there were no lights on.

The other caveat was that she couldn't do this alone – not that she could physically do a good job of it anyway, not with her shoulder.

That is where Maggie came in. She too was dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

Alex didn't want Maggie there but as Maggie pointed out, it was either her or Alex's mom or Kara. Alex reluctantly agreed.

So here they were walking down a hall headed toward the showers.

"You didn't think I would pull it off, did you?" Maggie said, with a little smile on her face.

"I had my doubts."

"I won't hold it against you," Maggie said.

They got into the darkened locker room and Maggie directed her to a bench. The hallway lights had been dimmed but still, stepping into the dark room was striking. Although she could make out shapes in the darkness, including Alex, Maggie still paused to let her eyes adjust a little more to the darkness. She put down a bag next to Alex on the bench – it held the clothes they would change back into after the shower and the towels.

"I'm going to turn on the water while you take off your bandages," Maggie said.

She went into one of the shower stalls and turned on the water, feeling it out for temperature. When she returned to the locker room Alex was still pulling off the bandage. It had been wrapped around her head pretty thick.
"Need any assistance?"

"No," Alex said.

Once the bandages were off, Alex pulled off the cotton pads that were over each eye. It was too dark for Maggie to make out what her eyes looked like although she knew from what Eliza said that there was nothing different about her eyes.

"Ready?"

Alex nodded. She stood up and slowly made her way toward the sound of the water. She reached her hand out when she figured she was close to the entryway. Once there, she took a step up into the shower, all with Maggie on her heels.

Alex immediately dipped her head under the spray. When she laughed as she turned around under it, Maggie was smiling.

"Ok, Danvers, time for some shampoo," Maggie said, as she reached for the bottle and squeezed some onto her hand.

"Should I lean over or kneel so you can actually reach my head?"

"Ha, ha," Maggie said, even though she suddenly had an inappropriate thought about Danvers kneeling in front of her.

Alex did lean over a bit and Maggie worked the shampoo into hair and finally let her go for the rinse.

Alex put her head back under the water, not enjoying it as much as she had her initial rinsing and that was because she was now hyper aware of the fact that she was in a shower stall with Maggie. She hadn't really thought this through.

When Maggie was rubbing the shampoo into her hair she began to feel tingly in places she shouldn't be feeling tingly. They were just friends, she kept telling herself, just friends.

Once she was done with the rinse, the process started all over again with the conditioner and again Alex felt like she could get lost in those feelings.

Maggie tried not to think about the fact she was standing in a small space with Alex who at this moment was soaking wet. The t-shirt and shorts that Alex was wearing were clinging to her at this point and Maggie was overly conscious of this fact. And all Maggie could do is stand back and watch Alex as she continued to let the water cascade over her.

Alex turned around in the spray again and accidentally ran into Maggie, who had been standing close by.

"Sorry," Alex said.

"No problem," Maggie said, even though she hadn't realized she had gotten that close to Alex that they would naturally collide if either of them moved much.

So many inappropriate thoughts, Maggie thought.

Alex was torn between wanting the shower to end – because she was hyperaware of Maggie's presence – and not wanting it to end because it felt good to finally get a shower.

This felt like a luxury even though it was only a simple shower and one she was doing while wearing clothes and with another woman there with her.

But she knew she couldn't stay in there forever.

"I think I'm good," she said finally.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Maggie had to reach around Alex to turn the water off and she placed her left hand on Alex's back as she did so and maybe it lingered there a moment more than strictly necessary.

"I'll go get the towels," Maggie said and she exited to grab the towels and brought them back in. "Um … how should I …"

"Just hand me one," Alex said. "I think I can manage drying my own hair with one arm."

Maggie did so and then she wrapped the other one around her own body which had gotten plenty wet. Alex had leaned over a bit and was using the towel to dry her hair as best as she could. At least her hair was short, Maggie thought, it would be more difficult long.

When Alex finished with her hair, she too tried to wrap the towel around her, but this was one task that she wasn't handling well with one arm so Maggie took control of the situation and wrapped it around her.

They exited and went back to the bench, this time Alex getting there without directions from Maggie.

"You know you navigate pretty well," Maggie said.

"It's not hard when you learn to count your steps from point A to point B. As part of the training here, you have to do a session on blind combat where you are blindfolded and have to defend yourself. It includes being able to be aware of your surroundings," Alex said. "Of course, I never thought I would have to put it to use on a permanent basis."

Maggie pulled her own clothes out of the bag and also Alex's.

"Your clothes are right there on the bench," she said.

Alex felt for them and Maggie was suddenly struck by something that hadn't occurred to her.

"Are you going to be able to get those on, with your arm I mean, not because you can't see," Maggie said, feeling like an idiot for pointing that last part out.

"Yes, detective, I can dress myself," Alex said. "It just takes longer than it used to."

Maggie was going to apologize and say she didn't mean to question Alex's ability, but there was a lightness in Alex's voice, even when she said detective, that made her think that Alex hadn't interpreted her asking in a negative way.

Turning from Alex, Maggie began to take her own wet clothes off and did another pat dry with the towel before beginning to get dressed again.

Alex heard the sound of the wet clothes Maggie was taking off hit the floor and again she became aware of the fact that she was there alone with Maggie. She tried not to think about the fact that Maggie was nearly naked or was naked for all she knew, but that was one thought that now seemed stuck in her mind. Trying to distance herself from that thought, she began her own slow process to get dressed.

By the time Maggie was ready to sit down and put her socks on, she realized that she had dressed a lot quicker than what Alex was capable of. She knew this because she had turned back around and could just make out Alex's silhouette and she was definitely not wearing her shorts any longer.

Maggie stood there for a moment and then quickly sat down to put her socks on and force herself not to look over at Alex until she was completely clothed once more.

As it turned out that was longer than Maggie had the wherewithal for and she glanced over at Alex again, this time as she was putting her sweat pants on.

"Should I go get your mom to have her put the bandages back on before we go out there" Maggie asked. "I didn't really think about that before."

Really, she was just looking for an excuse to get away from Alex while she was dressing.

"No," Alex said. "I think you can do a good enough job of putting them back on – at least well enough to get me back to the medbay."

"Ok," Maggie said. "So how was the shower?"

"It was really good," Alex said. "Thank you for doing this."

"I'm glad I could do something to help," Maggie said. "I feel like I haven't really done anything."

There was a moment of silence and Maggie kept her eyes on the floor in front of her, refusing to look at Alex.

"You didn't have to do anything," Alex said finally. "But I'm glad you did."

It took a while before Alex was dressed and Maggie was able to get the bandages wrapped back around Alex's head when Alex asked her for some help in doing it. Alex told her it didn't need to be perfect and it was a good thing that was the case because doing this in the dark was not easy.

After it was done, they walked out of the locker room and they made it back to the medbay – again Maggie marveled at how well Alex was able to move without seeing. She clearly knew the set up of the DEO well as Maggie almost took a wrong turn and Alex had to correct her.

When they got back to the room, Eliza and Kara were there waiting as Maggie expected they would be. Eliza took time to redo the bandages, putting fresh ones on. There was one dim light on in the room, enough for Eliza to handle it, but she warned Alex to keep her eyes shut.

"Thank you," Kara whispered to Maggie.