Chapter 9
Helena walked up the stairs to the third floor of Riverside Hospital. Dinah was stable enough hat she could be moved from ICU to a private room. Helena walked down the hallway, looking for the room number Alfred had given her. Two doors ahead, she saw a door open and Dr. Peterson emerge. He began walking in the opposite direction.
"Dr. Peterson," Helena called as she hurried to catch up with him.
Dr. Peterson stopped and turned toward Helena, "Hi. Helena, right?"
"Yes that's right. How's Dinah?"
"She's awake and stable. She's breathing on her own, but she has some fluid in her lungs, which has us a little concerned. We've given her some medication, though, which should clear that up. She's going to be fine, Helena. Why don't you go in and see for yourself."
Helena thanked the doctor and walked into Dinah's room. Dinah was sitting up in bed. She had changed into some pajamas Alfred had brought from the Clocktower. There were fewer machines in the room, which was a welcome sight.
When Helena walked in, everybody turned. Barbara was in her usual position by the bed and Alfred was in the corner, standing guard. Helena looked at Dinah, who gave a weak smile.
"Hey kid, slept long enough don't you think?" Helena joked as she sat down on the side of the bed.
"Yeah, I guess I'm not faster than a speeding bullet," Dinah laughed, then winced from the pain. Her voice sounded raspy.
Helena cast down her eyes. "Yeah, well we had already established you weren't Superman. You didn't have to try and prove it." Helena smiled, but then her face turned serious. "How are you?"
"I'll be fine," Dinah replied. "Those men in the alley," she asked, changing the subject, "did they get away?"
"Yeah, yeah they did."
"I'm sorry," Dinah replied, sighing, which sent her into a fit of coughing.
"Hey don't worry about it," Helena said touching Dinah's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. Besides, the only thing you need to worry about is getting better. Let me worry about the bad guys for now."
Dinah nodded and leaned back against the pillows. Her eyes grew heavy, but she forced them open again.
Helena noticed Dinah's struggle to stay awake. "You need your rest. Why don't you get some sleep." She turned to Barbara, "That goes for you too."
"Wha.?" Barbara started to protest, but Helena cut her off.
"No, don't argue with me. You've been here all night. You need sleep. Have Alfred take you home and get some rest. I'll stay here with Dinah."
Barbara opened her mouth to protest and then shut it. She knew it was pointless to argue with Helena. She's definitely learned form the best.me, she thought.
Barbara sighed. "Okay, okay." She wheeled over to Dinah. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, okay?" Dinah nodded. Barbara turned back to Helena. "Can I talk too you out in the hall a minute."
Helena nodded and turned to Dinah. "You better be asleep by the time I get back." She followed Barbara out into the hall.
Once they were out in the hall and the door closed, Barbara turned to Helena. "I talked to Reese."
"You what?!?" Helena was enraged. Did Reese tell Barbara about what he'd found? If he did, she'd kill him even if she was in love with him."
"Keep your voice down!" Barbara whispered sharply as she looked into Dinah's room. Dinah was already asleep. She turned back to Helena, concern in her features. "He was really worried about you. He said you were upset and took off."
"I just wanted to be alone, that's all."
"He also told me about the note left at the scene." Helena looked away and stared into Dinah's room through the window. "Why didn't you tell me?'
"I didn't want to worry you. I figured you had enough to deal with right now."
"If the Joker is back, don't you think I need to know?"
Helena looked in at Dinah. "It's starting all over again, isn't it?" she whispered.
"What is?"
"The pain, the suffering. He's back to finish what he started."
"We don't know if it's really him," Barbara said though somehow she knew it wasn't true, "but even if it is him, it won't be like before. I promise." Barbara reached out and held Helena's hand.
Helena turned to face Barbara, her eyes flashing to their cat- like phase. "No, it won't," she said through clenched teeth. "That bastard destroyed my family once before. I'll be damned if I let him do it again."
Helena walked up the stairs to the third floor of Riverside Hospital. Dinah was stable enough hat she could be moved from ICU to a private room. Helena walked down the hallway, looking for the room number Alfred had given her. Two doors ahead, she saw a door open and Dr. Peterson emerge. He began walking in the opposite direction.
"Dr. Peterson," Helena called as she hurried to catch up with him.
Dr. Peterson stopped and turned toward Helena, "Hi. Helena, right?"
"Yes that's right. How's Dinah?"
"She's awake and stable. She's breathing on her own, but she has some fluid in her lungs, which has us a little concerned. We've given her some medication, though, which should clear that up. She's going to be fine, Helena. Why don't you go in and see for yourself."
Helena thanked the doctor and walked into Dinah's room. Dinah was sitting up in bed. She had changed into some pajamas Alfred had brought from the Clocktower. There were fewer machines in the room, which was a welcome sight.
When Helena walked in, everybody turned. Barbara was in her usual position by the bed and Alfred was in the corner, standing guard. Helena looked at Dinah, who gave a weak smile.
"Hey kid, slept long enough don't you think?" Helena joked as she sat down on the side of the bed.
"Yeah, I guess I'm not faster than a speeding bullet," Dinah laughed, then winced from the pain. Her voice sounded raspy.
Helena cast down her eyes. "Yeah, well we had already established you weren't Superman. You didn't have to try and prove it." Helena smiled, but then her face turned serious. "How are you?"
"I'll be fine," Dinah replied. "Those men in the alley," she asked, changing the subject, "did they get away?"
"Yeah, yeah they did."
"I'm sorry," Dinah replied, sighing, which sent her into a fit of coughing.
"Hey don't worry about it," Helena said touching Dinah's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. Besides, the only thing you need to worry about is getting better. Let me worry about the bad guys for now."
Dinah nodded and leaned back against the pillows. Her eyes grew heavy, but she forced them open again.
Helena noticed Dinah's struggle to stay awake. "You need your rest. Why don't you get some sleep." She turned to Barbara, "That goes for you too."
"Wha.?" Barbara started to protest, but Helena cut her off.
"No, don't argue with me. You've been here all night. You need sleep. Have Alfred take you home and get some rest. I'll stay here with Dinah."
Barbara opened her mouth to protest and then shut it. She knew it was pointless to argue with Helena. She's definitely learned form the best.me, she thought.
Barbara sighed. "Okay, okay." She wheeled over to Dinah. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, okay?" Dinah nodded. Barbara turned back to Helena. "Can I talk too you out in the hall a minute."
Helena nodded and turned to Dinah. "You better be asleep by the time I get back." She followed Barbara out into the hall.
Once they were out in the hall and the door closed, Barbara turned to Helena. "I talked to Reese."
"You what?!?" Helena was enraged. Did Reese tell Barbara about what he'd found? If he did, she'd kill him even if she was in love with him."
"Keep your voice down!" Barbara whispered sharply as she looked into Dinah's room. Dinah was already asleep. She turned back to Helena, concern in her features. "He was really worried about you. He said you were upset and took off."
"I just wanted to be alone, that's all."
"He also told me about the note left at the scene." Helena looked away and stared into Dinah's room through the window. "Why didn't you tell me?'
"I didn't want to worry you. I figured you had enough to deal with right now."
"If the Joker is back, don't you think I need to know?"
Helena looked in at Dinah. "It's starting all over again, isn't it?" she whispered.
"What is?"
"The pain, the suffering. He's back to finish what he started."
"We don't know if it's really him," Barbara said though somehow she knew it wasn't true, "but even if it is him, it won't be like before. I promise." Barbara reached out and held Helena's hand.
Helena turned to face Barbara, her eyes flashing to their cat- like phase. "No, it won't," she said through clenched teeth. "That bastard destroyed my family once before. I'll be damned if I let him do it again."