Chapter 8
Barbara had been sitting at Dinah's bedside for what seemed like hours. Alfred had come in after Helena left, but he had not moved from the corner of the room. Good old Alfred, he was always there, watching over them. He would probably never now how much Barbara appreciated him. He was always there for her, for all of them.
Barbara leaned over and pushed a stray lock of hair from Dinah's face. She looked so pale. She really didn't know how the girl had made it this far. She had, had a hard life, living with a foster family who constantly reminded her that she was a freak. She had come to New Gotham looking for Helena and Barbara. She had come looking for a family and look what it had gotten her.
Barbara held Dinah's hand and looked down, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Dinah," she whispered, "I know you can hear me. I know you are in there somewhere. I am so sorry." Tears were streaming down her face now. "This is all my fault. Maybe your mother was right. She tried o shield you from this life. She tried to spare you from the pain and suffering. I should have listened to her. None of us comes out of this without scars. She was right. You didn't deserve this life. You didn't deserve to end up like this. I am so sorry," she whispered.
Barbara leaned down and kissed Dinah's forehead. Dinah's head jerked!
"Dinah?"
Dinah's eyes fluttered slightly.
"That's it Dinah, open your eyes!"
Dinah's eyes flew open. She looked around taking in her surroundings and then her eyes fell on Barbara.
"Hey, welcome back to the land of the living. You gave us quite a scare."
:Where am I?: Dinah thought. Everything was so jumbled and her head felt like it was going to explode. She tried to speak, but couldn't. :Oh God, what's wrong with me?: She started to panic.
Barbara saw the panicked look in Dinah's eyes. "Hey, it's okay. You're in a hospital. You can't talk because the doctor's had to put a tube in your throat to help to breathe. Do you understand?"
Dinah squeezed Barbara's hand. "Good girl. Now, do you remember what happened?"
Dinah looked at Barbara with a vacant stare. "You were shot. Helena carried you here."
Dinah searched the room, looking for Helena. "No, Helena's not here. She went back to the crime scene, but I'm sure she'll be back soon. She'll be happy to hear you're awake."
The door opened and Doctor Peterson came in. "Hey, hey. Our patient is finally awake. Welcome back Dinah. We were all really worried about you." Dr. Peterson smiled as he moved to check the machine printouts. "Looks like your doing good. Why don't we see what we can do about that tube in your mouth, eh?"
A nurse pecked on the door and came in. "I'm sorry Miss Gordon, but there is a Detective Reese on the phone for you. He says it is urgent."
"Thank you. I'll be right there." Barbara turned back to Dinah. "I'm going to step outside for a second, but I'll be right back. Alfred will be here with you though."
Alfred came and stood by Dinah's bedside and patted her hand. Barbara wheeled herself out into the hallway to take Reese's call. What could he have for her that he needed to tell her now? And where was Helena?
* * *
Helena left Reese standing alone on top of the building. She knew he was worried about her and wanted to be there for her, but right now she just needed to be on her own. Helena headed down to the street and began walking. She didn't feel like traveling above the city, she had too much on her mind.
"After all these years could he really be back," she thought. "Could the Joker really be back? No, it just wasn't possible. He was locked up, never to be seen again. If he was really out, wouldn't Barbara have known?"
Barbara. Helena knew she should tell her mentor what she had found, but she couldn't bring herself to face her. What would she say? "Hey Barbara, the man that took away the use of your legs and ruined your life is back in town to continue his terror." Yeah, that would go over well. No, she couldn't tell Barbara, not yet anyway. She had enough to worry about with Dinah. Dinah. Helena wondered how the kid was doing. She had looked so fragile, lying there in that bed. It enraged Helena to think that, that nut had tried to kill her.
"If she dies, I swear I'll kill that maniac. I don't care what Barbara says about not killing. If she dies, he dies."
Helena made her way back to her apartment above the Dark Horse Bar. She waved at the bartender on duty and headed upstairs. She closed the door, leaned back against it, and lightly banged her head on the wall.
"This can't be happening. Not again."
She looked down at her clothes. They were still splattered in blood. They were ruined, no amount of scrubbing would get them clean. Helena stiffened a yawn. It had been how many hours since she had last slept? She wasn't for sure.
Helena made her way to the bathroom. She showered off and put on a pair of black pants and a red tank top. She had been gone for a couple of hours and she needed to get back to the hospital.
"Barbara shouldn't have to stay there alone. She hates hospitals more than I do."
As Helena started to leave, she passed by the mirror over the sink and stopped. She looked into the mirror. She noticed the dark circles under her eyes and a light bruise on her forehead where she had fallen during the fight. She looked awful, but that wasn't what scared her. It was the look of terror in her expression. It was the same look of the scared teenager that had lost her mother so many years ago.
"This can't be happening. It just can't; I must be dreaming," Helena thought, but deep down inside she knew she wasn't. It was starting all over again, the man that had caused so much pain in her life was back. The man that had killed her mother, paralyzed Barbara, and caused her father to leave New Gotham forever was back and the terror was starting all over again.
Tears streamed down Helena's face. She was so angry. Angry at her father for not killing the Joker when he had the chance. Angry at herself for not protecting Dinah from his wrath. This man had caused her so much pain and up until now she had been able to hide that pain. She had pushed it away to the back of her mind, but knowing that he was back and that he had hurt Dinah brought that pain back.
Helena collapsed to the floor. She laid, huddled on the floor, crying. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore and then she passed out.
* * *
Helena woke to a ringing noise. At first, she didn't know where she was, but after a quick survey of her surroundings she realized she was on her bathroom floor. She had passed out from sheer exhaustion. Her body just couldn't keep up with the stress and the lack of sleep, so it did the only thing it could: shut down.
Helena wondered into the living room. The first rays of dawn were streaming in through the windows. It had been around three in the morning when she had left Reese and it was around six now, so Helena figured she had been out for a little over three hours. She actually felt a lot better having had some rest.
Standing in her living room, she heard the ringing noise again.
"What is that noise? The phone!" Helena realized as she searched around for the phone. She found it buried between the seat cushion of her couch. "Hello?"
"Ah, Miss Helena. You are a hard person to get a hold of. I've been trying to call you for the last two hours."
"I'm sorry Alfred, I've been asleep," she paused and then realization set in, "Oh God Alfred, what's wrong? Did something happen with Dinah? Tell me!"
"Calm down, Miss Helena. Everything is fine. Miss Barbara wanted me to inform you that Miss Dinah is awake."
Helena smiled, "I'll be right there." Helena hung up the phone and headed out the door."
Barbara had been sitting at Dinah's bedside for what seemed like hours. Alfred had come in after Helena left, but he had not moved from the corner of the room. Good old Alfred, he was always there, watching over them. He would probably never now how much Barbara appreciated him. He was always there for her, for all of them.
Barbara leaned over and pushed a stray lock of hair from Dinah's face. She looked so pale. She really didn't know how the girl had made it this far. She had, had a hard life, living with a foster family who constantly reminded her that she was a freak. She had come to New Gotham looking for Helena and Barbara. She had come looking for a family and look what it had gotten her.
Barbara held Dinah's hand and looked down, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Dinah," she whispered, "I know you can hear me. I know you are in there somewhere. I am so sorry." Tears were streaming down her face now. "This is all my fault. Maybe your mother was right. She tried o shield you from this life. She tried to spare you from the pain and suffering. I should have listened to her. None of us comes out of this without scars. She was right. You didn't deserve this life. You didn't deserve to end up like this. I am so sorry," she whispered.
Barbara leaned down and kissed Dinah's forehead. Dinah's head jerked!
"Dinah?"
Dinah's eyes fluttered slightly.
"That's it Dinah, open your eyes!"
Dinah's eyes flew open. She looked around taking in her surroundings and then her eyes fell on Barbara.
"Hey, welcome back to the land of the living. You gave us quite a scare."
:Where am I?: Dinah thought. Everything was so jumbled and her head felt like it was going to explode. She tried to speak, but couldn't. :Oh God, what's wrong with me?: She started to panic.
Barbara saw the panicked look in Dinah's eyes. "Hey, it's okay. You're in a hospital. You can't talk because the doctor's had to put a tube in your throat to help to breathe. Do you understand?"
Dinah squeezed Barbara's hand. "Good girl. Now, do you remember what happened?"
Dinah looked at Barbara with a vacant stare. "You were shot. Helena carried you here."
Dinah searched the room, looking for Helena. "No, Helena's not here. She went back to the crime scene, but I'm sure she'll be back soon. She'll be happy to hear you're awake."
The door opened and Doctor Peterson came in. "Hey, hey. Our patient is finally awake. Welcome back Dinah. We were all really worried about you." Dr. Peterson smiled as he moved to check the machine printouts. "Looks like your doing good. Why don't we see what we can do about that tube in your mouth, eh?"
A nurse pecked on the door and came in. "I'm sorry Miss Gordon, but there is a Detective Reese on the phone for you. He says it is urgent."
"Thank you. I'll be right there." Barbara turned back to Dinah. "I'm going to step outside for a second, but I'll be right back. Alfred will be here with you though."
Alfred came and stood by Dinah's bedside and patted her hand. Barbara wheeled herself out into the hallway to take Reese's call. What could he have for her that he needed to tell her now? And where was Helena?
* * *
Helena left Reese standing alone on top of the building. She knew he was worried about her and wanted to be there for her, but right now she just needed to be on her own. Helena headed down to the street and began walking. She didn't feel like traveling above the city, she had too much on her mind.
"After all these years could he really be back," she thought. "Could the Joker really be back? No, it just wasn't possible. He was locked up, never to be seen again. If he was really out, wouldn't Barbara have known?"
Barbara. Helena knew she should tell her mentor what she had found, but she couldn't bring herself to face her. What would she say? "Hey Barbara, the man that took away the use of your legs and ruined your life is back in town to continue his terror." Yeah, that would go over well. No, she couldn't tell Barbara, not yet anyway. She had enough to worry about with Dinah. Dinah. Helena wondered how the kid was doing. She had looked so fragile, lying there in that bed. It enraged Helena to think that, that nut had tried to kill her.
"If she dies, I swear I'll kill that maniac. I don't care what Barbara says about not killing. If she dies, he dies."
Helena made her way back to her apartment above the Dark Horse Bar. She waved at the bartender on duty and headed upstairs. She closed the door, leaned back against it, and lightly banged her head on the wall.
"This can't be happening. Not again."
She looked down at her clothes. They were still splattered in blood. They were ruined, no amount of scrubbing would get them clean. Helena stiffened a yawn. It had been how many hours since she had last slept? She wasn't for sure.
Helena made her way to the bathroom. She showered off and put on a pair of black pants and a red tank top. She had been gone for a couple of hours and she needed to get back to the hospital.
"Barbara shouldn't have to stay there alone. She hates hospitals more than I do."
As Helena started to leave, she passed by the mirror over the sink and stopped. She looked into the mirror. She noticed the dark circles under her eyes and a light bruise on her forehead where she had fallen during the fight. She looked awful, but that wasn't what scared her. It was the look of terror in her expression. It was the same look of the scared teenager that had lost her mother so many years ago.
"This can't be happening. It just can't; I must be dreaming," Helena thought, but deep down inside she knew she wasn't. It was starting all over again, the man that had caused so much pain in her life was back. The man that had killed her mother, paralyzed Barbara, and caused her father to leave New Gotham forever was back and the terror was starting all over again.
Tears streamed down Helena's face. She was so angry. Angry at her father for not killing the Joker when he had the chance. Angry at herself for not protecting Dinah from his wrath. This man had caused her so much pain and up until now she had been able to hide that pain. She had pushed it away to the back of her mind, but knowing that he was back and that he had hurt Dinah brought that pain back.
Helena collapsed to the floor. She laid, huddled on the floor, crying. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore and then she passed out.
* * *
Helena woke to a ringing noise. At first, she didn't know where she was, but after a quick survey of her surroundings she realized she was on her bathroom floor. She had passed out from sheer exhaustion. Her body just couldn't keep up with the stress and the lack of sleep, so it did the only thing it could: shut down.
Helena wondered into the living room. The first rays of dawn were streaming in through the windows. It had been around three in the morning when she had left Reese and it was around six now, so Helena figured she had been out for a little over three hours. She actually felt a lot better having had some rest.
Standing in her living room, she heard the ringing noise again.
"What is that noise? The phone!" Helena realized as she searched around for the phone. She found it buried between the seat cushion of her couch. "Hello?"
"Ah, Miss Helena. You are a hard person to get a hold of. I've been trying to call you for the last two hours."
"I'm sorry Alfred, I've been asleep," she paused and then realization set in, "Oh God Alfred, what's wrong? Did something happen with Dinah? Tell me!"
"Calm down, Miss Helena. Everything is fine. Miss Barbara wanted me to inform you that Miss Dinah is awake."
Helena smiled, "I'll be right there." Helena hung up the phone and headed out the door."