The Prologue
"It's nice to have you back in town, even it's just for a while." Bryan Brian carefully filled the lunchroom kettle and plugged it in. It was one of the nice new electric ones, but then, a lot of the stuff in the clinic was new. They'd received several large donations soon after they'd decided to start up. Most of the staff had no idea where they'd come from, but Bryan was fairly certain that Jean Paul's unofficial sponsor had something to do with it. Not that he'd pry, when the Batman was involved he wouldn't dare.
"The Batman called on me. He's…" Jean Paul frowned and quickly scanned the room to make sure no one was listening. "He's going to be out of town for a few days," he added in a quieter voice. "Justice League business. He's asked all his allies to keep an eye on things. And I thought that I may as well catch up on some things while I'm here."
"Catching up on old friends?"
A smile. "Catching up on any friends. I don't exactly have a busload of them."
"Are you okay for accommodation?"
"Yes thanks. I'm staying in my old apartment; I sometimes do when I'm in Gotham. I mean, it survived the earthquake, it's still there and it's still mine, so I figured I might as well get some use out of it."
"And fair enough, I suppose." He fumbled through the cupboards. "Hmm, doesn't look like we've got much in the way of biscuits. Would you like some cake? Mary brought some in yesterday, she's doing a cooking course and she can't eat all the results herself."
"Lucky for you guys. I'll have some. It looks nice."
He looked up as the door opened and a woman stuck her head in. "Hey Bryan, do you know where the iodine got to? I'm trying to… Oh, hi JP. When did you sneak in?"
He smiled shyly. "Just trying to surprise you, Cathy."
She grinned back. "Consider me shocked. Hey, can we get you to help out tonight or are you out on the town?"
"I might be able to help tomorrow, but I wanted to get a bit of sleep and then… I'll be pretty busy, unfortunately."
"Ah well. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow then. Bryan?"
"Last I saw, it was in back room."
"Oh great. Just where I wanted to go."
"Cathy, please. If you want to talk…"
She held up her hands. "I'm fine, okay? I'm just fine, it's your decision, I'll be going now." She closed the door just a little too hard as she left.
Jean Paul blinked and shot an enquiring look at his friend.
He sighed "It's nothing much. A couple of gang members came in a few hours ago and I've got then recovering in the back room. Cathy didn't want me to take them, apparently there's some kind of feud on the streets between them and a rival gang. I couldn't just push them out, though. They were obviously hurt and I honestly think they would have rather let themselves bleed to death rather than go to the larger hospital and be reported to the police."
"Are they wanted by the police?"
"I've no idea. Perhaps. Probably. It's my job to heal, others can deal with that."
"Very pragmatic."
"I've learned that in spades while working here. Not that I'd give it up for the world." He smiled wistfully. "I actually feel like I'm doing some good here. It's really rather refreshing."
"I'm glad you're happy, I really am. Look, do you want me to stay around tonight? Just in case of trouble?"
"I'm sure there'll be no need. The boys have actually been remarkably polite for members of the feared Manics, and I haven't seen any sign of trouble."
"If you're sure…"
"I'm sure. You look like you need to get some sleep before you set off on your nightly adventures, in any case."
"Azrael does not need sleep."
"That may well be so, but Jean Paul looks quite out of it. One lump or two?"
"One will be fine." He reached forward to take the cup, and for a minute or two they sat in comfortable silence while they drank.
Finally, Bryan set down his mug. "So… How have things been between you and the angel?"
"I'm really not sure whether he can be classed as an angel, you know."
A small smile. "Perhaps, but it does sound better than asking how things are between you and your homicidal multiple personality."
He started to laugh halfway through a sip and nearly choked. Bryan thumped him on the back, looking amused. "Hey, hey. That's no way for the mighty Azrael to be felled. Choking on a cup of coffee?"
"I'd never live it down, " he managed to splutter, and took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Uggh. And to think I once admired your sense of humour!"
He smirked, and then looked more serious. "Things are going… okay, I guess. Much as normal, I suppose. I still don't exactly have total control when Azrael takes over, but I haven't lost control, or gone nuts or anything. I'm just my normal screwed up self."
"As much as we can ask for, I suppose. And you're physically okay?"
He shrugged. "I've taken a few cuts and bruises, a couple of broken ribs. It's not serious though. I'm an Azrael, it'll take a lot to kill me."
"It may not be a good idea to be so glib. Your father managed to die simply from a few armour piercing bullets, remember."
"Six of them, to the chest, and even then he managed to walk halfway across town before he died. I'm tough, Bryan. And I'm not stupid. I do know my limits."
"I know, I know. And I worry all the same."
"That's why you're such a good friend."
"Of course."
Jean Paul looked at him seriously. "I'm not just being glib about that, you know. You are a good friend, my best friend. I… I'm not always around, I know, but you don't know how much it means, knowing that you'll always be there if I need you. It's comforting. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't there."
Bryan smiled at him as he looked back. "Thankyou," he said. "It's been a pleasure."
***
"It's nice to have you back in town, even it's just for a while." Bryan Brian carefully filled the lunchroom kettle and plugged it in. It was one of the nice new electric ones, but then, a lot of the stuff in the clinic was new. They'd received several large donations soon after they'd decided to start up. Most of the staff had no idea where they'd come from, but Bryan was fairly certain that Jean Paul's unofficial sponsor had something to do with it. Not that he'd pry, when the Batman was involved he wouldn't dare.
"The Batman called on me. He's…" Jean Paul frowned and quickly scanned the room to make sure no one was listening. "He's going to be out of town for a few days," he added in a quieter voice. "Justice League business. He's asked all his allies to keep an eye on things. And I thought that I may as well catch up on some things while I'm here."
"Catching up on old friends?"
A smile. "Catching up on any friends. I don't exactly have a busload of them."
"Are you okay for accommodation?"
"Yes thanks. I'm staying in my old apartment; I sometimes do when I'm in Gotham. I mean, it survived the earthquake, it's still there and it's still mine, so I figured I might as well get some use out of it."
"And fair enough, I suppose." He fumbled through the cupboards. "Hmm, doesn't look like we've got much in the way of biscuits. Would you like some cake? Mary brought some in yesterday, she's doing a cooking course and she can't eat all the results herself."
"Lucky for you guys. I'll have some. It looks nice."
He looked up as the door opened and a woman stuck her head in. "Hey Bryan, do you know where the iodine got to? I'm trying to… Oh, hi JP. When did you sneak in?"
He smiled shyly. "Just trying to surprise you, Cathy."
She grinned back. "Consider me shocked. Hey, can we get you to help out tonight or are you out on the town?"
"I might be able to help tomorrow, but I wanted to get a bit of sleep and then… I'll be pretty busy, unfortunately."
"Ah well. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow then. Bryan?"
"Last I saw, it was in back room."
"Oh great. Just where I wanted to go."
"Cathy, please. If you want to talk…"
She held up her hands. "I'm fine, okay? I'm just fine, it's your decision, I'll be going now." She closed the door just a little too hard as she left.
Jean Paul blinked and shot an enquiring look at his friend.
He sighed "It's nothing much. A couple of gang members came in a few hours ago and I've got then recovering in the back room. Cathy didn't want me to take them, apparently there's some kind of feud on the streets between them and a rival gang. I couldn't just push them out, though. They were obviously hurt and I honestly think they would have rather let themselves bleed to death rather than go to the larger hospital and be reported to the police."
"Are they wanted by the police?"
"I've no idea. Perhaps. Probably. It's my job to heal, others can deal with that."
"Very pragmatic."
"I've learned that in spades while working here. Not that I'd give it up for the world." He smiled wistfully. "I actually feel like I'm doing some good here. It's really rather refreshing."
"I'm glad you're happy, I really am. Look, do you want me to stay around tonight? Just in case of trouble?"
"I'm sure there'll be no need. The boys have actually been remarkably polite for members of the feared Manics, and I haven't seen any sign of trouble."
"If you're sure…"
"I'm sure. You look like you need to get some sleep before you set off on your nightly adventures, in any case."
"Azrael does not need sleep."
"That may well be so, but Jean Paul looks quite out of it. One lump or two?"
"One will be fine." He reached forward to take the cup, and for a minute or two they sat in comfortable silence while they drank.
Finally, Bryan set down his mug. "So… How have things been between you and the angel?"
"I'm really not sure whether he can be classed as an angel, you know."
A small smile. "Perhaps, but it does sound better than asking how things are between you and your homicidal multiple personality."
He started to laugh halfway through a sip and nearly choked. Bryan thumped him on the back, looking amused. "Hey, hey. That's no way for the mighty Azrael to be felled. Choking on a cup of coffee?"
"I'd never live it down, " he managed to splutter, and took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Uggh. And to think I once admired your sense of humour!"
He smirked, and then looked more serious. "Things are going… okay, I guess. Much as normal, I suppose. I still don't exactly have total control when Azrael takes over, but I haven't lost control, or gone nuts or anything. I'm just my normal screwed up self."
"As much as we can ask for, I suppose. And you're physically okay?"
He shrugged. "I've taken a few cuts and bruises, a couple of broken ribs. It's not serious though. I'm an Azrael, it'll take a lot to kill me."
"It may not be a good idea to be so glib. Your father managed to die simply from a few armour piercing bullets, remember."
"Six of them, to the chest, and even then he managed to walk halfway across town before he died. I'm tough, Bryan. And I'm not stupid. I do know my limits."
"I know, I know. And I worry all the same."
"That's why you're such a good friend."
"Of course."
Jean Paul looked at him seriously. "I'm not just being glib about that, you know. You are a good friend, my best friend. I… I'm not always around, I know, but you don't know how much it means, knowing that you'll always be there if I need you. It's comforting. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't there."
Bryan smiled at him as he looked back. "Thankyou," he said. "It's been a pleasure."
***