Chapter 16
"So what do we do now?" Joxer asked, unable to take his eyes
off Gabrielle.
"Sit here and pray," Ollie responded.
It all came down to faith. Faith that right would win out over
wrong. Faith that things would turn out all right. Faith in
God.
Like before, Ollie had faith that God was good and just, and
that he would make the right decision, whatever it may be.
Though that didn't stop Ollie from having his druthers.
It was out of everyone's hands, save one pair.
It was in-
***
--God's hands, Xena thought. She had done what she could, and
could now only sit by helplessly as she watched the poison
travel further and further down toward Gabrielle's heart.
It was only a matter of minutes now.
***
Ollie knew the end was near now, for Gabrielle had ceased her
struggling, and even in this dreamscape felt cold to the touch.
"Come on Hal," Ollie thought, "where's that old 'Jordan Charm'
that used to drive the ladies wild?"
***
It was over. The poison had nearly entered her heart, and Xena
couldn't check the tears that flowed down her face. Yet, for
all the pain she was feeling, she was also happy for Gabrielle
in a way. Perhaps she could now achieve what she had wanted.
For Xena surely knew the point of all this.
***
It was with a flash of light and a slight sucking sound that
Hal Jordan, the Spectre, reappeared before them.
One had only to look at Hal's face to know the news.
"Good news. The governor's given you a pardon." And with that,
he bent down and touched Gabrielle, who then vanished in a
sparkle of light.
"What--? Where--?" Joxer stammered.
"She's been sent back to the mortal plane," the Spectre
explained. "Fully healed," he added.
"Now, getting back to why I came here in the first place. Time
for you to go back buddy boy," Hal said, indicating Ollie.
"Vacation's over. Time to get back to work." Hal's face split
into a huge grin.
But at that moment, Ollie had other things on his mind.
"What about the kid?" he said, jabbing a finger at Joxer.
Hal/Spectre frowned. That was a whole other matter.
"It took some persuading," Hal hurried on, seeing that look of
determination only Ollie Queen could get starting to spread
across his friend's face -- a determination that even the
Spectre didn't want to deal with. "But he decided that Joxer
too should be sent back." It wasn't like there was no precedent
for it, Hal thought to himself. A point he had raised on their
behalf.
At this latest event, Joxer was floored. He didn't know what
to say. He turned from Ollie to the Spectre, thanking each
profusely, and wringing Ollie by the hands till he thought they
were going to fall off. And he would have done the same to the
Spectre -- if he hadn't been 100 feet tall.
"All aboard!" Hal said, as with a gesture he formed two bright
doorways of light.
"Better get home to your girl," Ollie admonished Joxer. "She's
waiting for you."
But before Joxer got to the 'doorway', Ollie hailed him one
last time.
"Hey, listen kid," Ollie said. "When you get back, you take
that girl, hold her in your arms, and don't ever let go. Come
hell or high water. You hear me? You got something special
there, and you hold on to it."
"And if you're ever in my dimension, look me up. I know this
great greasy spoon down on 12th Street."
Joxer smiled and waved. And with that he stepped through the
doorway, leaving Ollie alone with the Spectre.
"Well, wish I could say it's been fun..." Ollie began as Hal
let out a laugh.
"Go on, you old rascal."
"It's been good seeing you Hal," Ollie said. "I'll see you
around." And with that, he threw himself through the portal.
"So what do we do now?" Joxer asked, unable to take his eyes
off Gabrielle.
"Sit here and pray," Ollie responded.
It all came down to faith. Faith that right would win out over
wrong. Faith that things would turn out all right. Faith in
God.
Like before, Ollie had faith that God was good and just, and
that he would make the right decision, whatever it may be.
Though that didn't stop Ollie from having his druthers.
It was out of everyone's hands, save one pair.
It was in-
***
--God's hands, Xena thought. She had done what she could, and
could now only sit by helplessly as she watched the poison
travel further and further down toward Gabrielle's heart.
It was only a matter of minutes now.
***
Ollie knew the end was near now, for Gabrielle had ceased her
struggling, and even in this dreamscape felt cold to the touch.
"Come on Hal," Ollie thought, "where's that old 'Jordan Charm'
that used to drive the ladies wild?"
***
It was over. The poison had nearly entered her heart, and Xena
couldn't check the tears that flowed down her face. Yet, for
all the pain she was feeling, she was also happy for Gabrielle
in a way. Perhaps she could now achieve what she had wanted.
For Xena surely knew the point of all this.
***
It was with a flash of light and a slight sucking sound that
Hal Jordan, the Spectre, reappeared before them.
One had only to look at Hal's face to know the news.
"Good news. The governor's given you a pardon." And with that,
he bent down and touched Gabrielle, who then vanished in a
sparkle of light.
"What--? Where--?" Joxer stammered.
"She's been sent back to the mortal plane," the Spectre
explained. "Fully healed," he added.
"Now, getting back to why I came here in the first place. Time
for you to go back buddy boy," Hal said, indicating Ollie.
"Vacation's over. Time to get back to work." Hal's face split
into a huge grin.
But at that moment, Ollie had other things on his mind.
"What about the kid?" he said, jabbing a finger at Joxer.
Hal/Spectre frowned. That was a whole other matter.
"It took some persuading," Hal hurried on, seeing that look of
determination only Ollie Queen could get starting to spread
across his friend's face -- a determination that even the
Spectre didn't want to deal with. "But he decided that Joxer
too should be sent back." It wasn't like there was no precedent
for it, Hal thought to himself. A point he had raised on their
behalf.
At this latest event, Joxer was floored. He didn't know what
to say. He turned from Ollie to the Spectre, thanking each
profusely, and wringing Ollie by the hands till he thought they
were going to fall off. And he would have done the same to the
Spectre -- if he hadn't been 100 feet tall.
"All aboard!" Hal said, as with a gesture he formed two bright
doorways of light.
"Better get home to your girl," Ollie admonished Joxer. "She's
waiting for you."
But before Joxer got to the 'doorway', Ollie hailed him one
last time.
"Hey, listen kid," Ollie said. "When you get back, you take
that girl, hold her in your arms, and don't ever let go. Come
hell or high water. You hear me? You got something special
there, and you hold on to it."
"And if you're ever in my dimension, look me up. I know this
great greasy spoon down on 12th Street."
Joxer smiled and waved. And with that he stepped through the
doorway, leaving Ollie alone with the Spectre.
"Well, wish I could say it's been fun..." Ollie began as Hal
let out a laugh.
"Go on, you old rascal."
"It's been good seeing you Hal," Ollie said. "I'll see you
around." And with that, he threw himself through the portal.