Helena returned to Clock Tower almost at 4 am. It was really cold outside,
she rubbed her hands and put them inside her pockets. The door opened and
she walked in. She went to the kitchen and began to prepare her dinner. She
was grateful that the coffe was still warm in the coffe machine.
"Why did you turn off the mic? I was worried about you." she heard Barbara's voice behind her.
"I'm not a child, I not need a nanny." Helena said turning to see her.
"Helena, you weren't at a party, you were patrolling, you shouldn't turn the mic off just because you want to do it!"
"What is the problem if I turn this damn thing off?"
"Your life is in danger every time you go outside." Barbara explained.
"You wanted it, right? So, this wasn't my idea, was your idea that I went out to patrol." She spatted to her.
"We are a team and you could be in danger. How I could do my part if I don't know what is happening?"
"I know how to take care of my own self."
"No Helena, this work is dangerous and more. If you feel over confident, you could fail!"
"That is a risk of 'our work'... failure. So until I do fail, back off!" Helena took a quart of milk out of the fridge and opened it. "I know what to do! What is your problem? If I leave this thing on you can listen to everything, and maybe you will be lucky enough to hear someone shoot me."
"Lucky? Helena, what's going on?" Barbara asked worried.
"Why are you mad? You can't do anything if someone shot me, you are here. I'm in the streets, far from you."
"I'm here taking care of your back. I don't want to see you get hurt by a criminal."
"Imagine that, imagine that some one shoots me." She swallowed a bit of milk from the box "What are you going to do?"
"Help you, of course."
"How? Are you going to run to help me? Are you going to help me to kick ass? Please! Don't joke with me!" she exclaimed.
Barbara felt tears in her eyes; her protegee had been so cruel.
"Shit" Helena mumbled realizing her mistake and closed her eyes.
"You are right." Barbara said in loud coice "I can't walk, I can't be a normal person. I can't be as I once was. I didn't choose to be in this chair! I was trying to do the right thing. That took the life out me, and I fight everyday to continue on like this!"
Helena opened her mouth trying to said something but Barbara didn't let her.
"I'm here always. To listen, to help, to not be useless!" the red head shouted "I fight every day against myself, against my pain and I don't use you to vent my anger out on. I don't close the door to my friends and the most important thing: I don't joke about their limitations and the things that I know will hurt them."
"Barbara."
"Good night." She wheeled to her room trying to avoid crying in front of Helena.
"Barbara I'm sorry." Helena followed her, but the red head didn't stop.
She ran and stood up in front of her putting her hands over the armchair. "Barbara I'm sorry." Helena felt the cold glaze of her mentor and saw her eyes full with tears.
"Get out!" Barbara exclaimed.
"Barbara please." the kid felt her heart sunk.
"I said get out" Barbara clenched her teeth "You have just told me what you think of me, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry that you just could only see this damn chair and not me. Good night."
"I'm sorry" Helena mumbled.
"I said good night" Barara, using the strength of her wrist, removed Helena's hand off of the arm or the wheelchair. She almost pushed the brunette and went to her room. Helena felt really bad, she followed her with her eyes.
"I'm sorry! Barbara I'm really sorry." Helena mumbled; but her mentor closed the door "I'm stupid!" Helena screamed, "Do you hear to me? Barbara!" The kid felt tears falling over her cheeks. She knelt down covering her head with her hands crying. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
* * *
Next morning Helena was sat at the kitchen table waiting for Barbara to wheel out her room. Alfred knew something was wrong when Barbara wheeled into the kitchen and said a cold 'morning' to the kid. They didn't speak all that time. Helena felt her heart sink. Barbara finished her breakfast and took her books. Helena followed her in silence.
Barbara drove to the school in silence. She felt frustrated to know that Helena thought that she was useless too, as did many people around her. She hated that the people would see her in a different way. She could do all the things that the others could do, and frequently much better...except walk. Sometimes it was hard moving her chair on the sidewalks. The people looked her as hindrance in the way and didn't let her pass or pushed her chair. It was hard, very hard be an hero free to go to any place and then later be chained to a chair.
Helena felt really ashamed. She was trying to find the right words to say to Barbara, but she couldn't find them. "Im sorry." she said in low voice. Barbara kept her eyes on the road. Helena raised her head and saw her. "I didn't want to say that."
"But you said it, that's enough." Barbara said with cold voice. "Now I know what you think of me, what you always have thought of me."
"I don't think."
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" the red head interrupted.
"I want apologize."
"I don't want listen your apologizes. They don't change the way that you look at me. You are almost eighteen, do anyhing you want. It's your life, If you think that you could manage your life alone. Do it, I was just in the way, but don't worry, I'm out now."
"Barbara." Helena tried to fix her mistake.
"Enough!." Barbara shouted.
The kid lowered her head, she had hurt Barbara so much. Her mentor... she didn't deserve it. She didn't know what to do. Barbara seemed be strong, but inside she was fragile, she had just one vulnerable point that could break her in thousand of pieces and she had hit her there.
They arrived at school. Barbara took her bag and books. "I have a long meeting, If you want, you can leave as soon as your classes finished. I'll be here until late tonight. I told Alfred to prepare your dinner." She groaned. Helena nodded with sadness, she was pushed away by the only person that really cares about her. And it was all her fault.
* * *
"Why did you turn off the mic? I was worried about you." she heard Barbara's voice behind her.
"I'm not a child, I not need a nanny." Helena said turning to see her.
"Helena, you weren't at a party, you were patrolling, you shouldn't turn the mic off just because you want to do it!"
"What is the problem if I turn this damn thing off?"
"Your life is in danger every time you go outside." Barbara explained.
"You wanted it, right? So, this wasn't my idea, was your idea that I went out to patrol." She spatted to her.
"We are a team and you could be in danger. How I could do my part if I don't know what is happening?"
"I know how to take care of my own self."
"No Helena, this work is dangerous and more. If you feel over confident, you could fail!"
"That is a risk of 'our work'... failure. So until I do fail, back off!" Helena took a quart of milk out of the fridge and opened it. "I know what to do! What is your problem? If I leave this thing on you can listen to everything, and maybe you will be lucky enough to hear someone shoot me."
"Lucky? Helena, what's going on?" Barbara asked worried.
"Why are you mad? You can't do anything if someone shot me, you are here. I'm in the streets, far from you."
"I'm here taking care of your back. I don't want to see you get hurt by a criminal."
"Imagine that, imagine that some one shoots me." She swallowed a bit of milk from the box "What are you going to do?"
"Help you, of course."
"How? Are you going to run to help me? Are you going to help me to kick ass? Please! Don't joke with me!" she exclaimed.
Barbara felt tears in her eyes; her protegee had been so cruel.
"Shit" Helena mumbled realizing her mistake and closed her eyes.
"You are right." Barbara said in loud coice "I can't walk, I can't be a normal person. I can't be as I once was. I didn't choose to be in this chair! I was trying to do the right thing. That took the life out me, and I fight everyday to continue on like this!"
Helena opened her mouth trying to said something but Barbara didn't let her.
"I'm here always. To listen, to help, to not be useless!" the red head shouted "I fight every day against myself, against my pain and I don't use you to vent my anger out on. I don't close the door to my friends and the most important thing: I don't joke about their limitations and the things that I know will hurt them."
"Barbara."
"Good night." She wheeled to her room trying to avoid crying in front of Helena.
"Barbara I'm sorry." Helena followed her, but the red head didn't stop.
She ran and stood up in front of her putting her hands over the armchair. "Barbara I'm sorry." Helena felt the cold glaze of her mentor and saw her eyes full with tears.
"Get out!" Barbara exclaimed.
"Barbara please." the kid felt her heart sunk.
"I said get out" Barbara clenched her teeth "You have just told me what you think of me, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry that you just could only see this damn chair and not me. Good night."
"I'm sorry" Helena mumbled.
"I said good night" Barara, using the strength of her wrist, removed Helena's hand off of the arm or the wheelchair. She almost pushed the brunette and went to her room. Helena felt really bad, she followed her with her eyes.
"I'm sorry! Barbara I'm really sorry." Helena mumbled; but her mentor closed the door "I'm stupid!" Helena screamed, "Do you hear to me? Barbara!" The kid felt tears falling over her cheeks. She knelt down covering her head with her hands crying. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
* * *
Next morning Helena was sat at the kitchen table waiting for Barbara to wheel out her room. Alfred knew something was wrong when Barbara wheeled into the kitchen and said a cold 'morning' to the kid. They didn't speak all that time. Helena felt her heart sink. Barbara finished her breakfast and took her books. Helena followed her in silence.
Barbara drove to the school in silence. She felt frustrated to know that Helena thought that she was useless too, as did many people around her. She hated that the people would see her in a different way. She could do all the things that the others could do, and frequently much better...except walk. Sometimes it was hard moving her chair on the sidewalks. The people looked her as hindrance in the way and didn't let her pass or pushed her chair. It was hard, very hard be an hero free to go to any place and then later be chained to a chair.
Helena felt really ashamed. She was trying to find the right words to say to Barbara, but she couldn't find them. "Im sorry." she said in low voice. Barbara kept her eyes on the road. Helena raised her head and saw her. "I didn't want to say that."
"But you said it, that's enough." Barbara said with cold voice. "Now I know what you think of me, what you always have thought of me."
"I don't think."
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" the red head interrupted.
"I want apologize."
"I don't want listen your apologizes. They don't change the way that you look at me. You are almost eighteen, do anyhing you want. It's your life, If you think that you could manage your life alone. Do it, I was just in the way, but don't worry, I'm out now."
"Barbara." Helena tried to fix her mistake.
"Enough!." Barbara shouted.
The kid lowered her head, she had hurt Barbara so much. Her mentor... she didn't deserve it. She didn't know what to do. Barbara seemed be strong, but inside she was fragile, she had just one vulnerable point that could break her in thousand of pieces and she had hit her there.
They arrived at school. Barbara took her bag and books. "I have a long meeting, If you want, you can leave as soon as your classes finished. I'll be here until late tonight. I told Alfred to prepare your dinner." She groaned. Helena nodded with sadness, she was pushed away by the only person that really cares about her. And it was all her fault.
* * *