Stop the World (Supergirl)

Chapter 2

The door creaked as Lena opened it. The room was dark and quiet, so Lena presumed the sisters were still asleep. Lena placed the tray she was carrying on top of the chest of draws, and tip-toed across to close the curtains.

"Lena?"

"I - oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Lena said. If she'd been asked, she wasn't entirely sure she could articulate why she had come back to the hotel. Her house was warm, she had plenty to do, and Mary could have taken care of their guests. Yet Lena had walked back down to town in the dark and the cold, just to check on the Danvers sisters.

"It's all right," Kara said, propping herself up and flicking on the bedside lamp. "What's the time?"

"Just past six o'clock in the evening. It's still Tuesday, you haven't slept for a whole day or anything," Lena replied, giving what she hoped was an encouraging smile. It had taken almost an hour from the time the Lena had brought the Danvers sisters into the hotel to getting them both tucked up in bed. Mary had found them nightgowns and something warm from the large collection of lost and found items they had at the hotel.

Kara nodded and looked around the room. The furniture and decor of the room was somewhat dated but in good condition, and the room felt cosy and warm, with extra blankets on the beds and the ashes of a small fire glowing in the hearth. Kara rubbed her eyes and sat up properly. Her hair was a mess, but there was colour in her cheeks, and something about the slightly-too-big knitted red cardigan she was wearing over her nightgown made Lena smile.

"Alex?" Kara said, looking at her sister in the next bed. "Hey, Alex?"

"Mmm..." Alex groaned. Lena and Mary and washed the lacerations on Alex's hands and knees with alcohol and bandaged them as best they could. She'd been shivering, her breath had been raspy and irregular, and she had fighting to remain conscious throughout. Alex's condition had frightened Lena, but Kara pleaded for them not to call for the doctor. Lena had compromised that if Alex's condition didn't improve overnight, she'd call the doctor in the morning, as she had no intention of calling the mortician.

Kara grinned in relief at hearing her sister's voice. "I think it's dinner time?" she as much to Lena as to Alex, looking at the tray on the draws.

"And fresh hot water bottles," Lena said, handing them out. "The other ones have probably gone cold. Plus, I thought you'd be hungry. I asked Mary to make you something nice and simple. It's beef bone broth with a couple of vegetables and some bread and butter. And tea, of course. Hot and strong. I didn't want you to go all night without anything to eat."

Kara grinned. "I am famished."

"Don't get up," Lena said, bringing the tray over to Kara. She flicked out the legs from under the tray so it sat over Kara's lap without resting on her legs. "Sorry there's only one tray, but I wasn't sure how much Alex would want."

"Alex, you have to eat something," Kara said, pouring a cup of tea, and taking the lid off the big bowl of soup.

Alex mumbled in reply.

"I'll leave you to it," Lena said, making for the door.

"Stay," Kara said and smiled. "Please."

Kara's smile made Lena feel warmer than a hot bath or a warm fire after a walk in the wind, and she smiled back.

"Tell me about this place. Where are we?" Kara said, generously buttering a slice of bread. There were no food rations in Ireland, and Lena wondered when Kara had last had access to so much butter.

"Luthorsport," Lena replied.

"In Ireland? Guessing by your accent," Kara said.

"Yes," Lena said. "How did you end up here?"