Chapter Two
Helena and Barbara were gathered in the emergency room at St. Vincent's Hospital. Helena was pacing restlessly in front of Barbara (who was sitting in her wheelchair against the wall, as stoic as a samurai).
"How can you be so calm?" Helena ejaculated to Barbara.
"I'm not," Barbara replied quietly. "I'm as angry and outraged as you are."
"You sure don't look it."
"There's nothing to be gained from … emotional outbursts."
Thank you, Mr. Spock, Helena thought bitterly.
Barbara wheeled out from her place along the wall and stopped Helena mid-pace, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Dinah is depending upon us," she said. "If we're to have a prayer of bringing whoever did this to her to justice, we need to keep a cool head and our wits about us."
"I understand."
"Barbara Gordon?" said a voice -- male -- to Barbara's right.
Barbara turned towards the voice as the man -- a stocky balding figure in a white lab coat who carried a clipboard and wore a stethoscope around his neck -- called Barbara's name once again.
"I'm Barbara Gordon," she said as she wheeled over to the man.
"I'm Dr. Ross," said the man as he introduced himself to Barbara.
"How's Dinah?" Barbara asked.
"She's … in a coma," Dr. Ross replied. "She took five shots to the abdominal region … mainly to the liver and intestinal areas. She's sustained massive internal injuries. " Dr. Ross paused. "Her … meta healing factor … is probably the only thing keeping her alive right now. Those injuries would've killed anyone else."
"Will she make it?" asked Helena.
"This is Helena. Dinah's … sister," said Barbara as she made the introductions.
"We don't know," said Dr. Ross gravely. "Right now, it's up to her." Dr. Ross paused. "Both of you can see her if you like. One at a time … and only for a few minutes. She really needs her rest."
"Thank you, Doctor," said Barbara.
Helena took a seat next to the unconscious Dinah's bed in the ICU. Dinah's left wrist was hooked up to an IV. A heart monitor beeped nearby.
"Hi," said Helena. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice choked with emotion. She then took Dinah's hand in her own, held it against her cheek, and said, her voice barely above a whisper, "God as my witness, I'm gonna kill the bastard who did this to you."
