"How are you feeling?" Alex asked Kara when she noticed her sister had woken up.
"I haven't been in this much pain since I fought Rensh." Kara complained as Alex pushed something through an IV. "What's that?"
"Some more painkillers."
"Don't like them." Kara complained. "Can't concentrate."
"Right now you don't need to concentrate and without powers you need them." Alex said before sitting next to Kara's bed.
"What's happening out there?" Kara asked.
"We're winning. But it isn't over." Alex replied. "We owe a lot to the Kryptonians that your mother brought over. Without them we would have lost many more."
"How many lost their lives?" Kara asked.
"We won't have an accurate count for awhile. But we know dozens were captured and taken."
"We have to get them back." Kara said trying to sit up only for sharp pain to shoot through her side.
"Easy." Alex said. "We are doing everything we can. Right now you need to rest and get your powers back. Mongul did you a lot of damage."
"What was that ring?" Kara asked. "It kind of looked familiar."
"I don't know for sure, but I think we both saw something similar before you disappeared."
"Where?"
"John Diggle. Except what he had glowed green, not yellow. Although he did mention there were other colours. Including the yellow one, which feeds off fear. From what I remember it can be countered by a blue ring that is fed by hope. I think that is why you could counter it."
"Maybe." Kara said, sounding doubtful. "But that ring, it was evil."
"What happened out there?"
"I was overcome by fear. I saw everyone I love die." Kara said recalling the memory, as she did so tears rolled down her face.
"None of that happened." Alex reminded her.
"You shouldn't have used Alex like that."
"I didn't. I wanted to, but I realised it was unfair so we used J'onn."
"So Alex doesn't know what happened?"
"I don't know. Knowing the kids they'll have found away to access the news." Alex replied. "As soon as it is safe I promise you I will take you over there. But before we get to that point, I need to make sure you are okay, which means I am going to be running lots of tests."
"Sounds fun. Don't you have more important things to do, like running the DEO?" Kara asked wincing as the her rib started throbbing.
"Well we are short of Kryptonian specialists at the moment which means you are stuck with me." Alex said pushing more drugs through the IV.
"What's wrong?" Kara asked sensing Alex was hiding something.
"When I was treating your wounds I saw the scars. When this is over we need to talk. But for now get some rest." She said as Kara passed out.
-00-
"Here you go." Eliza said entering the room Alura and Alex were talking in holding a tray of food.
"Thank you." Alura said just as Kara and MJ entered the room looking bored.
"What are you doing?" MJ asked.
"Talking about what mom did on Krypton." Alex said.
"She did do anything bad?" MJ immediately asked.
"Of course."Alura said.
"What?" MJ asked.
"She never went to bed on time. I would often come back from work late to find her reading in her room, long after her bedtime."
"That's kind of lame. Even more than I was expecting." MJ said.
"It is different from behaviour on Earth?" Alura asked.
"Yeah."
-00-
"Where are you going?" Alex asked as she saw Ruby limp down the corridor.
"Back out there." Ruby said. "Thanks to my freaky genes I am all healed."
"You're limping." Alex pointed out.
"I am almost all healed." Ruby said. "My team is back out there already, they need me."
"You won't do them any good if they have to carry you. Heal fully, then you can go out. If you are bored you can switch out with Robbins in the control room. He needs a break."
"What about you?" Ruby asked.
"I'll rest when we are done." Alex replied.
-00-
"Weren't you ordered to stay put?" Lena asked when she entered the lamp room and saw Kara trying to sit up.
"I'm okay." Kara said.
"And I thought Lex was delusional." Lena commented. "Kara, don't take this the wrong way, but you look awful and I am pretty sure if Alex sees you like this she will freak out."
"I'm not waiting for my powers to come back to see her."
"No one is asking you to." Lena assured her. "But right now if you leave you will draw attention to yourself and in your current state you clearly can't defend yourself. Just try to relax."
"Fine." Kara said.
"Are you in a good place emotionally to see Alex?"
"What do you mean?" Kara asked.
"During the fight with Mongul, for a moment there I thought you were going to kill him. Which was completely understandable, but for you, uncharacteristic."
"I saw everyone I cared about die." Kara said. "I don't know how long I went through that nightmare, but it felt like hours. When I snapped out of it there was so much darkness and anger in me. If Alex hadn't got through to me I think I would I have killed him."
"Which would have been understandable and justified." Lena reiterated.
"But not who I want to be."
"It may not have been you." Lena said. "You were holding the ring. Maybe that drove your anger." She suggested as the door opened.
"Hey." Barry said entering the room holding ice cream. "I thought you might want the sugar."
"You're the best." Kara said taking the cone from her friend before having two bites then throwing up.
"I'll get Alex." Barry said before disappearing and returning three seconds later with a very disorientated DEO director.
"What's going on?" Alex asked stumbling towards her sister.
"I threw up." Kara said, clutching her ribs, which were feeling even more painful.
"That's probably because of the pain killers."
"So no powers and no ice cream?" Kara asked miserably.
"It should just be for a couple of days." Alex said as she read some data off a tablet. "How is the pain?"
"I can live with it." Kara said.
"Your crinkle says different." Alex said giving Kara more drugs. "They'll kick in soon. Until then don't move." She instructed. "I'll be back soon." She then looked at Barry and said. "Call if she needs me."
"Of course." Barry smiled as Lena and Alex left the infirmary.
"As soon as you are better I will bring you more ice cream." Barry offered.
"I'll hold you to that." Kara replied. "And Barry, thank you."
"It's just ice cream."
"I don't mean that." Kara said.
"Then what are you thanking me for?"
"Saving me. Again. I know you don't want to be the Flash."
"You helped remind me of why I became the Flash in the first place."
"Does that mean you are staying?"
"No. I've done my time. I have given too much of myself to the Flash. But if you do need help in the future I will always be there for you."