Chapter 13

Robin was in danger. Riley could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Two weeks ago, she began to suspect he was The Robin. He slipped up. Since then, they barely made any contact. Robin kept calling her, and she gave excuses. She didn't know how to face him. To clear her head, she went out. Everything was hitting her. Recently, Silver devastated south Gotham. Nearly one hundred police were killed in an attempt to arrest him, but they couldn't lay a finger on him. The Robin was spotted talking to him once, so conspiracy theories shot themselves like fireworks.

Riley was worried. She was anxious because she received a note that said "Do you mind if I stop by one day? I adore your apartment! –Silver." When she would go out, she would always hire a taxi to avoid alleyways and any possible threats. She stopped going to the cliff; that would make it too easy for her to be approached.

She slid to the right side of her taxi. The driver asked where she wanted to go, but Riley said anywhere. The cabbie's voice was familiar. Maybe she took his taxi before? About fifteen minutes later, they crossed a bridge leading to a highway. The driver's speed was, to say the least, fast.

"Where are you taking me?" Riley looked out the window. Burnt out lampposts were a blur as they passed them.

"Would hell be a good answer?" The cabbie looked in the rear view mirror. Riley realized why his voice was so familiar. It was Silver. Silver was driving her cab at eighty miles an hour. Riley tried to open the door, but Silver had locked it. The locks had disappeared into the door, as well. Lying on her back, Riley kicked at the window with her boot and it shattered. When she tried to climb out, Silver muttered something about fun and swerved the taxi. A large piece of glass stabbed her arm.

In a frantic attempt, Riley leapt out of the broken window and hit the asphalt. She received major road rash and she felt increasing pain in her ribcage. Most likely, she broke one, or more. She tried to roll to lessen the impact, but it turned into tumbling. Once she was still, she coughed up blood. She looked to the taxi, but Silver hadn't stopped to get her. Riley came to the conclusion he only wanted to scare her.

Riley tried to stand, but his ankle cracked beneath her. Crying out in pain, she moved her arm to check it, but she felt it dislocated. Using her left arm, she pulled out her cell phone. It hadn't survived. In a moment she would relocate her shoulder and her ankle, but she took a few moments of silence to breathe deeply. She thrust her arm and ankle back into place, at the same time screaming and crying from pain.

Now she needed to suck it up. She needed to stay strong and get to the hospital. She stood feeling dizzy and fatigued. Onward she went, heading back to Gotham city on a limp. It was late, so she knew not many cars would be traveling out of the city on this road. Nevertheless, she would hope for the best.

Whether it was her optimism or pure luck, eventually a car came. She stepped in front, shrieking for it to stop. The car skid to a stop. A man and woman got out of the car to help her. They set her in the back beside a boy playing a portable video game. Riley bled on the leather interior. The woman instructed the boy to sit in the front while she helped Riley hold her wounds. All Riley could comprehend was lights and murmurs. Reaching the hospital, she couldn't see anymore, only hear the doctors talking to her and telling her she'd be fine. She tried to speak, but only incoherent noises came out.

After a while, her senses began to return. Brad and Amy, who were her emergency contacts, stood by her bedside. Obviously, they couldn't tell she was conscious because they were talking to the doctor. Riley could understand bits of their conversation.

The doctor, who was a woman, was telling them, "…numerous fractures to the ribs…a punctured lung, glass shards… concussion and cerebral edema, which means her brain has swelled… and some whiplash. I don't know if…"

All the time, Amy and Brad were listening. Amy was crying. Riley tried to hold her hand, but when she tried to move she gasped. She couldn't breathe and her heart monitor began beeping like crazy. The doctor shouted for something, and Riley began to seize up. They stuck something in her and lapsed into a shallow sleep. She could barely make out what they were saying.

It felt like forever until Riley could grasp reality. She opened her eyes and saw Brad on her right and Amy on her left. Amy was holding her hand and crying. Riley couldn't understand why she was crying. She felt sore, and she sighed in relief. In the moments of her slight awareness before, she thought she was going to die. Brad was talking to Amy.

"Do you know his number?" Brad asked Amy quietly.

"No. Do you?"

"No. You're the researcher; you should know everything about this guy!"

"I know, but that was months ago. It's not like I have time to memorize Ri's boyfriend's numbers. I've only met the guy a few times." Amy took more tissues and blew her nose. "What if she doesn't wake up, Brad?"

"Please. If there's one thing I know about Riley, it's that she doesn't give up." Brad must've wanted to believe that, but Riley could see the concern in his eyes.

"And what if she does wake up? She'd probably feel like, I don't know, what's the worst pain you can think of? And what if she can't walk?"

"At least the swelling's gone down." Brad left. Riley wondered where he was going. Amy started bawling again. Riley wanted to comfort her.

She took in a deep breathe, "Why are you crying? I'm the one with the injuries." Riley was hoarse. Amy looked at her.

"Brad! Brad, Brad! She's awake!" Amy called to him. Brad rushed over with a cup of coffee. Riley moved her feet.

"I think I'll be able to walk, too." Riley added.

"The doctor said you might not wake up." Amy told her. Brad was squeezing her other hand.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Silver. He was driving my cab. So I jumped out of the window. He must have been going at least eight miles per hour." Riley tried to sit up. "I need a drink. Will someone call Robin? I want to see him."

"We don't have his number."

"I have one in my wallet; it's on the back of the picture of us." Brad took her wallet from a table and called Robin. Amy was talking to Riley in a soothing tone. Riley got really sleepy from this and she passed out.