The next time Kara woke J'onn and Alex were at her side looking down at her with concerned expressions.
"Hey." Alex said gently.
"'Le?" Kara mumbled through a dry mouth.
"How are you feeling?" J'onn asked.
"Sick….Want...want to...be better."
"I know. Just hang in there." Alex said, her eyes watery.
"With the Kryptonite levels this high it is hard to work out what symptoms are caused by the Kryptonite and what is caused by whatever threw your powers off." J'onn said.
"If we don't do something the Kryptonite levels could become deadly." Alex explained fighting back tears as she stroked Kara's cheek. "We have to do something to stop the symptoms getting worse without using Kryptonite. We can only think of one way to do that."
"What?" Kara asked weakly as she lay drained from the Kryptonite.
"To put you in your pod and use it to put you to sleep."
"No." Kara immediately said, trying to sit up. "I can't, please no."
"Kara it is the only way." J'onn said, surprised with the fear in Kara's eyes.
"No, I don't want to." Kara pleaded as she started reliving her final moments on Krypton.
"Kara, you'll be okay." Alex assured her. "It is only until we figure out what's happening."
"No, I'll stay awake. Increase the Kryptonite." Kara continued as she forced herself from her bed, collapsing to her knees as she did so.
"If we do that you could die. The pod is safer." Alex said lunging forward trying to catch Kara.
"No. Please." Kara begged, the tears flowing freely.
"It won't be for long." Alex said as she held onto her sobbing sister. "I'll be right here when we bring you out."
"I don't want to be alone." Kara cried, clinging to Alex. "I don't want to lose everyone. Not again."
"Kara, we're not going anywhere. I promise we'll be here when you wake up. I'll stay with you until you are asleep then I will be right here when you wake up."
Before Kara could respond Dr Hamilton sedated her. For a moment Alex held Kara in her arms before she allowed J'onn to lift her up and carry her to the pod.
When Kara was finally secured and the pod activated J'onn held his breath as Hamilton monitor various screens. Finally she turned to him and said.
"She appears to be stable. I should warn you this may not be enough, especially in the long term."
"I know." J'onn said sadly.
"For now though is the best option." Hamilton said giving him a supportive smile. "My team will continually monitor her. If anything changes I'll let you know."
"Thank you doctor." J'onn said before turning and seeing Alex still on the floor, looking completed defeated as silent tears ran down her face.
"We will fix this." J'onn said, trying to comfort Alex. "But there is nothing we can do right now. We need to approach this fresh so go home and get some sleep. Come back tomorrow and we'll start again."
-00-
"Alex?" Winn asked when he saw her enter the bar. "Where's Kara? Is she okay?"
"No." Alex said reaching the bar and ordering a whiskey.
"Is she still alive?" Winn asked panicking.
"For now." Alex said downing the whiskey and requesting another.
"Have you figured out what's wrong?" Winn asked unwittingly making Alex feel worse.
"No. Still no clue." Alex said finishing her glass and waving the barman down.
"I get that you are upset, but should you be drinking this much?" Winn asked.
"I am going to visit Lord and I think being a little drunk when I do that is going to be better for everyone."
"Lord? Why? You can't go alone." Winn said.
"Yes I can." Alex said downing another drink.
"Does Henshaw know?" Winn asked.
"About Max's possible involvement? Yes." Alex said, carefully answering the question.
"And he is okay with you going after him drunk?" Winn pressed.
"No where near drunk." Alex said downing another drink.
"I really think it would be better if you went home and slept this off." Winn said.
"I don't. I need answers and Kara needs to be fixed." Alex said placing some notes on the counter and standing.
"I could go with you." Winn offered.
"Not a good idea. You are not an Agent. Unlike me you are not trained or qualified."
"Shouldn't you take someone?"
"Not on this mission." Alex said walking off.
-00-
"We may have a problem." General Lane said over his video link with Max.
"Such as?" Max asked.
"It looks like your recent project has had unintended consequences." Lane explained.
"How so? All of the subjects are still here and none of them are showing any adverse changes."
"It is not the test subjects we have a problem with." Lane said. "It turns out Supergirl inadvertently intercepted one of the shipments."
"Has she told anyone what we were transporting?"
"No. I doubt she has any idea what she stumbled across."
"Then what's the problem?" Max asked confused.
"She has subsequently lost control of her powers."
"Lost control how?" Max asked.
"I don't know the details, but they have had to lock her in a Kryptonite room and sedate her."
"Interesting." Max said. "It looks like my compound half works."
"May I remind you, we paid you a considerable sum of money to create a compound to give humans superpowers akin to Superman and Supergirl? All you have done is strengthen Supergirl's powers in an uncontrollable way." Lane said clearly frustrated.
"Which shows the theory is partially correct. I just need to tweak the binding." Max said. "What I need is to see Supergirl and figure out exactly what happened."
"And how exactly do you intend to do that? It is not as if you are trusted, despite your assurances that you would be."
"I assured you I would be distrusted less, not that I would be trusted." Max corrected him. "And if Supergirl is as bad as you say Alex will come to me."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Alex will do anything for her sister. If she believes there is any chance I can help she'll approach me. Plus she'll assume I am behind it."
"How will you convince her otherwise?"
"I have already found the perfect fall guy."
"Who?"
"You of course. I mean you did torture poor Supergirl. Who knows what long term damage you did? Obviously it wasn't your fault, you weren't in control. However what happened, happened."
"You really think you can blame this on Kryptonite?" Lane asked.
"I don't see why not." Max said.
"If you are right and Danvers comes to you, do you plan on curing her?" Lane asked.
"I don't know what is wrong with her, but if I can help it could help secure my place in the DEO. At the very least I can offer to help and get access to their research and more data on Supergirl."
"Sir." One of Max's security men interrupted.
"What is it?"
"Agent Danvers is attempting to gain entry."
"Show her to my study." Max instructed before looking at Lane. "As I said everything is going as planned."
-TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.