Hey Guys :D We are near the end of the fanfic! :O I know! Have no fear, there are plenty of questions that will be answered in due course, I have loads of ideas for the next few chapters, thanks for baring with me :) Presenting to you...


Chapter 12

To keep busy I split my time between the bar and mom, she taught me First Aid and when I could I would do a few shifts at Kamal's bar, Raul was happier, knowing I wasn't sat in the house moping made him a lot more confident in me when he left me alone to help his dad. Mom and I began putting our skills to good use and offered our First Aid to those who couldn't afford to go to hospital or ring for the doctor, with mom's experience and her connections in getting decent medical supplies and long distance walkie talkies (how she got them I don't know and truthfully, I don't want to know), we made a small fortune splitting the proceeds down the middle. As our popularity grew I began taking on the minor cases as mom took on the more complex cases. One afternoon we were working in one of the poorer districts, mom had gone on ahead and I had just finished dressing a man's leg and was walking back to go and catch up with her when I noticed someone dragging themselves down the street, they looked disheveled like they had been in a fight and lost. I observed them for a few minutes until the man slumped down the wall.

"Are you okay?" I asked, approaching them.

"I've been better." The man said grimacing hard as he clutched his side.

Instantly I recognised his voice, carefully wiping the dirt off his face, I gasped. It was Saul.

"What happened!" I cried.

"Here, lean on me."

I helped him to his feet slowly.

"Long story short, I am not the man I once was." He sighed, hissing in pain as he put his arm around my shoulders.

"Someone beat you up? Who?" I asked.

"Beat up are strong words, I gave as much as I got."

"Somehow, I don't believe you," I frowned.

"Where do you live? I'll take you."

"Round the corner and up the stairs." He said.

Eventually we got up the stairs to his apartment, if there had been a lift, we would have been inside half an hour earlier. He unlocked the door and he diverted me towards his living room. The apartment was a reasonable size, white walls, oak flooring, very modern looking. I noticed there were no family photos, just pictures of himself and others in what seemed to be military attire, however I recognised the motif.

"Did you work with a man named Bane?" I asked, helping him to his brown couch.

"In my younger days," He said, sitting back and sighing with relief, exhausted.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, we have...history." I said, pausing slightly.

"Not good history I take it." He replied.

"Not really, I mean it could have been better, but I suppose I wouldn't be the person I am now if everything hadn't have happened the way they did. Though there are some mornings, I wish things were like the first week we moved here from Gotham…" I sighed, opening my bag and taking out the things I needed.

"How long did you live in Gotham for?" He asked, propping himself up on a cushion.

"Since I was 4, technically I shouldn't have been there, I got separated from my mom about that age and lived with my step dad, well, I wouldn't necessarily call him that, he…died recently and mom, Bane and I moved back here."

"So you're not American?" He asked.

"Nope, not really, I may have lived there for most my life, but I was born and raised here in Morocco," I said, standing back up.

"Where's the kitchen and do you have a bowl?"

"Out the french doors, on the left, bowl is under the sink." He replied.

I grabbed the bowl from the kitchen after following his instructions, filled it with warm water and grabbed him a glass of water to drink.

"Take sips, if you try to gulp it all down and you choke, it's gonna hurt more." I said, setting up.

"Wise advice," He said, sipping the water gingerly.

"Do you have any professional medical training?"

"Not officially, but Bane and mom have taught me the basics, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

I cleaned up his facial wounds and cuts on his knuckles quickly, luckily they weren't too bad but I was more concerned about his ribs as he was still clutching on to them. I gasped in horror when I saw the extent of his injuries, his chest was black and blue, if he didn't have internal bleeding, shattered ribs and a possible punctured lung I'd say Someone was looking out for him.

"I'd say you need a hospital, but I know you won't go." I said, running the back of my hand across my forehead.

"What do I do? Arabia think! Okay, don't panic, pain relief is the first thing, he won't want you messing with his chest if he is still in pain. But I've run out….shit!"

"In the cupboard in the bathroom is a blue vial, use that." He said wincing, it was clear breathing alone was extremely painful.

Dashing to the bathroom, I found the bottle he was talking about, it looked like Bane's elixir of mish mash analgesia, I ran back grabbing a syringe.

"The look on your face tells me the vial looks familiar." Saul said.

"Bane uses the same drug." I replied.

"He made it and shared the recipe with me, my version isn't as potent as his but it works all the same, 10mls should do the job." He nodded.

I drew up the drug with the biggest needle I could find and looked back at him, feeling nervous, this wasn't going to be a cakewalk.

"Just jam it into my leg, I can take it." He said, bracing himself.

We managed to expose a part of his thigh, I could tell he was getting impatient but wanting to stay calm.

"Okay, on the count of three," I said.

He nodded, gripping the couch.

"Three!" I exclaimed stabbing the needle in and pushing the plunger down.

Saul growled through clenched teeth, cursing under his breath as he gripped the couch, I could tell the drug was different, it burned more than usual.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." I pleaded.

Saul just cursed more, I removed the syringe and after a few seconds he relaxed and sighed.

"Sorry for the profanities" He said, sitting up.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I said, beginning to bandage his chest up.

"At least you didn't swing for me."

"Never." He said intently.

"That's what Bane said once, look where that got me." I scowled.

Saul stopped dead and looked at me.

"Bane hit you?"

"I wouldn't say hit exactly, more, put his hands round my throat, eh, I'm okay now, what am I telling you for, it happened months ago." I shrugged.

Saul stayed quiet for the time I was bandaging him up, I assumed the meds were finally working.

"I'm gonna stay with you for the night, if you don't mind, your bruising is really bad and if you have internal bleeding, at least I'll be here if something were to go wrong." I said, cleaning up.

"Fair enough, I don't mind, makes a change having some decent company for once."

"You should get out more." I chuckled.

I radioed to mom, telling her what happened and to let Raul know where I was. She radioed back with a very concern sounding Raul.

"Arabia, are sure you are going to be alright?" He asked.

"I can come down or your mother can come down if you wish."

"No, it's okay Raul, trust me, I'll be fine." I said, reassuring them.

"I do trust you it's other people I don't trust." He answered.

"I know, but I promise you, I'll be fine, I'll come back in the morning."

Raul paused a while then sighed. "Okay, so long as you will be safe, the minute shit starts going down, radio me and I'll be there quicker than lightning."

"Will do, radioing off." I said.

"See you tomorrow, be safe...please." Raul said, he sounded like a worried mother, even my own mother won't coddle me so much.

"I can tell he cares deeply for you." Saul said, limping back into the room with a mug of tea and a big glass of what smelled like neat whiskey.

"He does, I haven't been myself in a long time and it's been draining for him, particularly when he would come back from work and find me in the same place and position he left me in. I've been selfish, I can see that now, I moved to his after everything with Bane and Talia, my half sister, and I haven't thanked him once, not that he asked for a thanks but still, this work I'm doing with my mom is bringing me out of myself, talking to you is bringing me out myself." I said, taking the tea from him and sipping it.

"I'm glad I have helped to enrich your life in some way." Saul smiled, sitting down slowly and taking an unhealthily big gulp of whiskey. The smell of whiskey reminded me of the smell of Bobby's office when he told me where mom was, I began to feel sick, I like Saul, he's kinda like a kind uncle who lost his family and lives alone, so you visit him because you feel sorry for him and it's relaxing being in his company.

"You're not on the whiskey diet are you?" I frowned.

Saul just chuckled and took another swig. "No, but I will admit I haven't eaten anything since last night."

I gave him a disappointed look and got up, taking the glass away from his hand.

"Right, I'm cooking, no more whiskey, I hate the smell, Bobby use to drink it like water, that and you had a massive dose of bootleg painkillers, if you kneel over and kill your liver, I'll slap you awake and tell you I told you so."

Saul just laughed and got up with me as I marched into the kitchen, taking the pan off the wall.

"Do you like omelettes?" I asked, turning the stove on.

"I'm going to be honest, I've never eaten one or made one, only thing I make is rice and pasta dishes these days." He said sheepishly.

I stopped and looked at him in disbelief. Seriously? This man was how old? I didn't want to know his age because it would be more embarrassing the older he was.

"Right, I'll show you how to make an omelette, then you will have another dish you will know how to make." I said, opening the fridge and taking out everything I needed.

"You don't have to do this you know." He said, sitting down at the breakfast bar.

"I do, I said I would look after you, consider this part of your treatment, you have to eat, you look like you had a fight with Bane and ran off before he could kill you." I replied, heating some oil in a pan whilst whisking, milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a jug.

Saul paused for such a long time I had to look up at him in case there was something wrong. Something was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it but I knew something was up.

"Am I going to have to find out for myself?" I asked, pouring the mixture into the hot pan and adding cheese, ham, chopped tomatoes, sweet peppers and mushrooms.

"It would be best, I don't want you pointing fingers or blaming anyone, just….seek the truth for yourself, that's all I ask." He said, thoughtfully.

I nodded as I added thyme and a pinch of coriander to the pan before flipping it over.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Fire away." He said.

"Why do you live alone and drink whiskey all day?" I asked, taking out two plates and setting one in front of him.

"I lost everything nearly two decades ago, my pride took my family away from me, then I let my fear turn me into a bitter hermit when I felt I could do nothing to get them back, I could have done more, I was in my prime, it wouldn't have taken long. If I'd have fought hard enough, long enough, fierce enough, maybe, just maybe I wouldn't be this washed up, old alcoholic you see today." He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

I took the pan off the heat as I watched him, I felt so sorry for him, it made me think about my dad, had he felt this way when he lost us? Perhaps Saul knew him and could tell me about him one day. I plated up the food and sat next to him, hugging him gently. Saul froze stiff so I instantly let go, feeling embarrassed.

"Sorry." I mumbled, blushing as I looked down at my plate.

"It's okay, it's been awhile since I was hugged by anyone," He smiled.

"Take no pity on me, Arabia, this is my punishment. And I will take this shame to my grave."

"No more sad talk," I said, nudging him.

"You'll make me cry then you'll feel worse which will make me cry more and feel bad for making you feel worse." I said.

Saul laughed and we spent the rest of the evening talking and getting to know each other.