Chapter 1 - Adieu
Barbara wakes up startled. He eyes widely dart around the room and slowly everything comes back familiar. "It was just a bad dream," she thought to herself. She rubs the bridge of her nose sighing. She maneuvers herself to the edge of her bed and then lifts herself into her wheel chair. As she exits her room she hears laughter from the kitchen. Curious, she moves down the passageway towards the kitchen. Slowly the voices become clearer and she can hear Dinah, Helena and Cris chuckle. Then Alfred's voice interrupts them saying, "Miss Cris, I have never and will never make dinosaur shaped flap jacks." The two girls and Cris break out laughing again. "And you shouldn't Alfred, Helena would only drown those artistic pieces in maple syrup and eat them up quicker than you can flip one," Barbara said smiling as she entered the kitchen. "Well hey sleepy head!" Dinah said. Barbara chuckles as she moved up to the table. "I can't believe we woke up before you this time," Helena said taking a sip of her coffee, "We were debating just now who should wake you up, Alfred offered, but it looks like you beat him to it!" Barbara just smiled as she poured herself some coffee, she then looked at Cris and asked, "So what are the arrangements for today?" "Well, I'm gonna be at the school until the last period, then I just need a lift to my place, after that Matthew will pick me up and we'll go to the airport," Cris replied, "Oh and I've left my apartment keys with Alfred and my car keys are with either one of these two," she said pointing to Helena and Dinah. Dinah sighed saying, "I think it's so cool you're going to Turkey with Matthew." Helena groaned, "You said that a dozen times last night!" Cris starts laughing again.
***
Barbara sighs as the last period files out of her class. She takes her glasses off and rubs the bridge of her nose. She chuckles as she remembers a joke one of the smart Asses cracked. "What's the joke?" Cris asks walking into her classroom. Barbara shakes her head, "Nothing just something one of the kids said. Are you ready?" Cris smiles an almost school girl smile, "I don't think so. I keep thinking I forgot something." Barbara laughs, "C'mon let's go!"
As they walk towards Barbara's hummer Cris says, "Helena shouldn't have any problems with my car, except she shouldn't pop the clutch that much, I keep wincing when she does." "Helena and Dinah have been dying to drive that thing ever since you told them you had one. Helena's most probably gone shopping in it today," Barbara replied. "Yeah, and I'm fetching Gabby, tonight with it, I can't wait," Dinah said as she caught up to them. Barbara laughs as she catches the look of worry on Cris' face, "Oh don't worry! Dinah's a better driver than you sometimes, your car's safe with us!" "Somehow I'm still not convinced," Cris replies and gets elbowed in the ribs by Dinah. Cris and Dinah grin as they climb in the Hummer. "So what time is your flight landing in Istanbul?" Dinah asked. "Um. well it's an 18 hour flight, so we'll probably be there 10 - 11 am," Cris replies putting her seatbelt on. "I think it's so cool you're going to Turkey with Matthew," Dinah said. "Umm Dinah? That must have been the thirteenth time you've said that," Barbara says and then starts the car. Cris bursts out laughing.
***
Cris and Matthew are walking along in a hall where all the departures wait for their flight. Cris is holding onto Matthew's arm and laughing at one of his jokes. He smiles as he stops and turns to her. "Have I ever told you I love the sound of your laugh?" he said holding both her hands. Cris draws closer, their noses almost touching, "A dozen times," and then they kiss. A man approaches them and says, "Excuse me." Matthew and Cris turn and look at him, "Can I help you," Matthew asks. The hat he is wearing obscures the man's face but they see him smirk. Slowly he pulls out a gun and points it at them and then pulls the trigger.
***
Something jarred her awake. Her eyes shot open and she sat up instantly. She blinked a few times as the sleep slowly wore off and her eyes focused on the computer in front of her. Barbara listened carefully at something that got clearer and clearer. She then realized her cell phone was ringing. Rubbing her face with her right hand she moves over to the glass table where her cell phone wiggled about due to the built in vibrator. Clearing her throat she picked it up and pressed the green button. "Hello?" As she listened to the voice on the other side, the sleepiness suddenly faded into worry, "Okay hold on I'll be there as soon as I can!" She grabs her car keys and moves over to the bottom of the stairs and yells, "Dinah! C'mon we have to go to the hospital!" She waited a few seconds and then Dinah appeared and descended the stairs, "What's going on?" Dinah asked. Barbara wheeled over to the elevator, "There's been a shooting, and we have to get over to New Gotham General."
***
Barbara's gut feeling churned even more as they walked through the doors. Helena had been waiting for them and joined them as they moved into casualty. Helena checked in at the nurse's station and they were told to wait in the passageway. Dinah sat next to Barbara and Helena paced up and down the passageway. Then the casualty door opened and Matthew walked out. He had blood all over his shirt and some on his neck and chin. He looked bewildered and scared. He didn't even look up when Barbara asked what had happened. As he relayed what had happened, the images flashed through Barbara's mind.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The bullet sped towards Cris and hit her in the chest. She blinked as she stumbled backwards and then fell. Matthew rushed towards her and lifted her up. Her eyes rolled towards him as she tried to say something but blood just kept pouring out of her mouth. Matthew looked up as the shooter slowly walked away and onlookers and people running about screaming replaced his presence. He couldn't hear their screams as he looked down at Cris. He could only hear her struggling to breathe as she slowly drowned in her own blood. He panicked, as he didn't know what to do. He lifted her up and carried her and started calling out for help. Her forehead rested against his cheek and she coughed blood over his chin and neck.
The images slowly faded as Barbara refocused on Matthew's voice. ". some medics finally helped me into their ambulance and drove us here." His voice was dry and strained. "The doctors are with her now," he said and then fell silent.
They waited for almost an hour. Barbara kept thinking back to when they were just kids. Then their times at university flashed through her mind.
Helena paced up and down slowly. Barbara knew Helena was worried. The young woman hadn't known Cris all that well, but since Cris' arrival they had fought side by side. Their trust become stronger when they fought for Barbara when she fell ill with a virus. Cris was also a good friend to both Helena and Dinah. Even though she was just 1 year younger than Barbara, Cris always acted the younger woman, Cris always had that childish streak in her, something Alfred could never understand.
Barbara almost didn't notice the doctor approach them. Only when Helena stopped pacing did Barbara look up. The doctor looked haggard and tired. He looked sympathetically in the eyes of all four of them and cleared his throat, "We did everything we could, but she lost too much blood. She didn't make it."
Barbara wakes up startled. He eyes widely dart around the room and slowly everything comes back familiar. "It was just a bad dream," she thought to herself. She rubs the bridge of her nose sighing. She maneuvers herself to the edge of her bed and then lifts herself into her wheel chair. As she exits her room she hears laughter from the kitchen. Curious, she moves down the passageway towards the kitchen. Slowly the voices become clearer and she can hear Dinah, Helena and Cris chuckle. Then Alfred's voice interrupts them saying, "Miss Cris, I have never and will never make dinosaur shaped flap jacks." The two girls and Cris break out laughing again. "And you shouldn't Alfred, Helena would only drown those artistic pieces in maple syrup and eat them up quicker than you can flip one," Barbara said smiling as she entered the kitchen. "Well hey sleepy head!" Dinah said. Barbara chuckles as she moved up to the table. "I can't believe we woke up before you this time," Helena said taking a sip of her coffee, "We were debating just now who should wake you up, Alfred offered, but it looks like you beat him to it!" Barbara just smiled as she poured herself some coffee, she then looked at Cris and asked, "So what are the arrangements for today?" "Well, I'm gonna be at the school until the last period, then I just need a lift to my place, after that Matthew will pick me up and we'll go to the airport," Cris replied, "Oh and I've left my apartment keys with Alfred and my car keys are with either one of these two," she said pointing to Helena and Dinah. Dinah sighed saying, "I think it's so cool you're going to Turkey with Matthew." Helena groaned, "You said that a dozen times last night!" Cris starts laughing again.
***
Barbara sighs as the last period files out of her class. She takes her glasses off and rubs the bridge of her nose. She chuckles as she remembers a joke one of the smart Asses cracked. "What's the joke?" Cris asks walking into her classroom. Barbara shakes her head, "Nothing just something one of the kids said. Are you ready?" Cris smiles an almost school girl smile, "I don't think so. I keep thinking I forgot something." Barbara laughs, "C'mon let's go!"
As they walk towards Barbara's hummer Cris says, "Helena shouldn't have any problems with my car, except she shouldn't pop the clutch that much, I keep wincing when she does." "Helena and Dinah have been dying to drive that thing ever since you told them you had one. Helena's most probably gone shopping in it today," Barbara replied. "Yeah, and I'm fetching Gabby, tonight with it, I can't wait," Dinah said as she caught up to them. Barbara laughs as she catches the look of worry on Cris' face, "Oh don't worry! Dinah's a better driver than you sometimes, your car's safe with us!" "Somehow I'm still not convinced," Cris replies and gets elbowed in the ribs by Dinah. Cris and Dinah grin as they climb in the Hummer. "So what time is your flight landing in Istanbul?" Dinah asked. "Um. well it's an 18 hour flight, so we'll probably be there 10 - 11 am," Cris replies putting her seatbelt on. "I think it's so cool you're going to Turkey with Matthew," Dinah said. "Umm Dinah? That must have been the thirteenth time you've said that," Barbara says and then starts the car. Cris bursts out laughing.
***
Cris and Matthew are walking along in a hall where all the departures wait for their flight. Cris is holding onto Matthew's arm and laughing at one of his jokes. He smiles as he stops and turns to her. "Have I ever told you I love the sound of your laugh?" he said holding both her hands. Cris draws closer, their noses almost touching, "A dozen times," and then they kiss. A man approaches them and says, "Excuse me." Matthew and Cris turn and look at him, "Can I help you," Matthew asks. The hat he is wearing obscures the man's face but they see him smirk. Slowly he pulls out a gun and points it at them and then pulls the trigger.
***
Something jarred her awake. Her eyes shot open and she sat up instantly. She blinked a few times as the sleep slowly wore off and her eyes focused on the computer in front of her. Barbara listened carefully at something that got clearer and clearer. She then realized her cell phone was ringing. Rubbing her face with her right hand she moves over to the glass table where her cell phone wiggled about due to the built in vibrator. Clearing her throat she picked it up and pressed the green button. "Hello?" As she listened to the voice on the other side, the sleepiness suddenly faded into worry, "Okay hold on I'll be there as soon as I can!" She grabs her car keys and moves over to the bottom of the stairs and yells, "Dinah! C'mon we have to go to the hospital!" She waited a few seconds and then Dinah appeared and descended the stairs, "What's going on?" Dinah asked. Barbara wheeled over to the elevator, "There's been a shooting, and we have to get over to New Gotham General."
***
Barbara's gut feeling churned even more as they walked through the doors. Helena had been waiting for them and joined them as they moved into casualty. Helena checked in at the nurse's station and they were told to wait in the passageway. Dinah sat next to Barbara and Helena paced up and down the passageway. Then the casualty door opened and Matthew walked out. He had blood all over his shirt and some on his neck and chin. He looked bewildered and scared. He didn't even look up when Barbara asked what had happened. As he relayed what had happened, the images flashed through Barbara's mind.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The bullet sped towards Cris and hit her in the chest. She blinked as she stumbled backwards and then fell. Matthew rushed towards her and lifted her up. Her eyes rolled towards him as she tried to say something but blood just kept pouring out of her mouth. Matthew looked up as the shooter slowly walked away and onlookers and people running about screaming replaced his presence. He couldn't hear their screams as he looked down at Cris. He could only hear her struggling to breathe as she slowly drowned in her own blood. He panicked, as he didn't know what to do. He lifted her up and carried her and started calling out for help. Her forehead rested against his cheek and she coughed blood over his chin and neck.
The images slowly faded as Barbara refocused on Matthew's voice. ". some medics finally helped me into their ambulance and drove us here." His voice was dry and strained. "The doctors are with her now," he said and then fell silent.
They waited for almost an hour. Barbara kept thinking back to when they were just kids. Then their times at university flashed through her mind.
Helena paced up and down slowly. Barbara knew Helena was worried. The young woman hadn't known Cris all that well, but since Cris' arrival they had fought side by side. Their trust become stronger when they fought for Barbara when she fell ill with a virus. Cris was also a good friend to both Helena and Dinah. Even though she was just 1 year younger than Barbara, Cris always acted the younger woman, Cris always had that childish streak in her, something Alfred could never understand.
Barbara almost didn't notice the doctor approach them. Only when Helena stopped pacing did Barbara look up. The doctor looked haggard and tired. He looked sympathetically in the eyes of all four of them and cleared his throat, "We did everything we could, but she lost too much blood. She didn't make it."