SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE DARK KNIGHT

Gothem's Other Knight

We all know that Batman is the black knight and the Dent was known as the white knight. Both of them were called heros at least once in the film. But we are forgetting someone else, someone who stopped a bullet meant for someone else.

Disclaimer- I own nothing, even if I wish I did

The pillow is cold and soft against my cheeks and the back of my head as I lie on my back staring up at the starch white ceiling of Gothem Hospital. I have been here for two very long days but already it seems like months, months of nurses bustling around me, changing the bandages around my middle, changing the sheets on my bed and bringing me food. Basically, there is nothing going on and no one has visited me, because, of course, everyone other then Stevens believes that I am dead.

If I close my eyes I picture myself in bed with Barbara by my side and the kids climbing over me, laughing as they try to fit in the already full bed. But every time I picture myself back home I feel guilty, guilty because my wife is mourning for me like I am dead. Part of me feels that at least she is safe with the children but the other part of me wants to go to her, pull her into my arms and tell her that it was all a mistake. I'm not dead; I'm still here, still breathing.

But I can't tell Barbara that I am alive, I have to stay here in this lifeless hospital and fill in the hours of day with pointless daydreams. Looking out the window I can see a bird taking flight and soaring into a beautiful cloudless sky. I turn away from the window. Every time I see the blue sky I want to be out on the streets, where there would be a least something interesting to look at. I glance at the clock on the little white table beside my bed. It's only 10:30. That means I had better prepare myself for another really long day.

I hear the door click open and a nurse bustles into the room carrying a tray with dry cereal, a couple pieces of toast and a small glass of juice. I wish I
could smell the aroma of the eggs and fresh pancakes that Barbara loves to make for me before I head out of the house to begin a long day at the police department. I'm really not hungry for a little dry cereal and some toast, All I want to do is go back home to my family.

"Thank you," I said in bored tone pulling myself up into a sitting position. I take a few quick bites of the dry slightly buttered toast.

"When can I go home?" I ask the nurse who is just about to leave the room. The nurse comes over to me when I speak to her and leans forward so that she is only a few feet from my face.

"Mr. Lunberry," the nurse said, a huge smile on her face, making me hate the way she has been treating me as if I am a child for the last few days. I also make a point to talk to Stevens about the dumb fake name he gave me.

The nurse is still talking and grinning at me like I'm some kid off the streets or something. "You are healing very well considering you took a direct bullet to you back. I have taken you off all pain medications but the doctors still want to keep you here for another day to make sure you are really alright."

Not until tomorrow. I groan, thinking of another long day staring at blank walls. I hear the door open and close as the nurse leaves me. I'm alone again, not that I really like the company of my nurse but it's better then having no one at all to talk to. I tap my fingers on the bedside which happens to be white, like everything else in this horrible place, and count the seconds off in my head. I reach about 300 when the door opens again. "What is it?" I say in a
very bored voice.

"Jim!" Stevens says as he enters the room, "I have to talk to you. Suddenly I am no longer bored, at last I have some real company.

I turn my head and smile at Stevens, happy that I will finally have someone to talk to. I hear the floor boards creak slightly as my friend walks across the
floor to my bed. He pulls a chair over to the side of the bed and sits down.

"Jim," Stevens says lowering his voice, "Jim I know you work with Batman."

I protest but part of me is thinking, how? How could he find out? Stevens shakes his head. "It's no good, Jim. I know that you have been friends with him for some time now. Why else would that spotlight have a bat on it? But don't worry I'm not going to tell anyone about your friendship with the Dark Knight. I just wanted to tell you that Batman has turned himself in."

My heart skips a beat. Turned himself in? "Wha, What?" I say, staring at my friend in what could either be amazement or shock.

"Batman is Harvey Dent." Stevens tells me.

I stare at him even more, my head spinning. Batman can't be Harvey Dent! I'veseen Harvey Dent standing NEXT to the Batman so there is no way they can be the same person. So then what was Harvey doing? I had to find out! "I'm getting out of here," I say, "This second."

"Jim," I hear Stevens push his chair away as he stands up, surpised as I throw off the sheets and climb out of the bed, "You can't just get up and leave!"

"Yes I can!" I say calmly, "My duty is to Gothem, and Gothem needs Harvey Dent!"

Stevens stands in front of the doorway. "But you have to take care of yourself too, Gordon. What if Gothem needs you too?"

I lower my voice. "Stevens," I say, "Dent is Gothem's white knight and one of the few hopes the city has left. He is not batman, I have seen batman and Harvey Dent standing side by side. They are two separate people, and I have to find out why Harvey is doing this."

"Jim you are a hero too even if you don't think you are." Stevens says stepping forward and placing a hand on my shoulder, "And Gothem needs you to rest, to recover so that you can be there for them."

"I don't need to rest," I say to my friend stepping backward so that he is no longer touching me. "If I am a hero like you say let me act like one."

"Are you sure?" I hear the uncertainty in my friend's voice. He is worried for me, worried that I am going back onto the streets of Gothem to fight against the Joker and to go back on the side of Batman.

"I'm sure," I say, "It is something I must do."

Stevens hands me my clothes which were on a table near the doorway and I give him a grateful look as he leaves the room. I have to find the Batman and
I have to find Harvey. After all they are Gothem's Knights.