Chapter Four
Helena slept in a bunk at the Clocktower while Barbara -- in her wheelchair -- maintained a silent vigil at her right elbow. Huntress's earlier failure to respond to her comm had prompted Barbara to go out into the field and investigate.
Helena moaned, stirred, opened her eyes, and sat up in bed. She winced as a jolt of pain suddenly went up from her stomach.
"Take it easy," said Barbara as she put a hand on Helena's shoulder and gently eased her back down onto the bed. "Just lie still."
"Where am I?" Helena asked.
"The Clocktower."
"How did I get here?"
"When you didn't answer your comm, I got worried," said Barbara. "I went out looking for you."
"How did you bring me back here … you being in the chair and all?"
"I carried you … part of the way."
"Using the transponder?"
"Yes … Look, never mind me," said Barbara. "I'm more worried about you." She paused. "What happened back there?"
"Four of Chavez's goons jumped me," said Helena. "Held me down … beat me." She paused. "Look, I know I should've been able to take em on…"
"It's all right," said Barbara quietly. "Don't worry about it." She paused. "I've been there."
"You have?"
Barbara nodded. "You're talking to someone who once went fifteen rounds with Bane."
"Bane … Six feet, seven inches … Four hundred pounds … THAT Bane?!"
Barbara nodded and smiled. "Threw me … or rather Batgirl … against a brick wall during a raid."
"Ouch!"
Barbara smiled and let out a light laugh. " 'Ouch' is right." She paused. "Got three cracked ribs and a lecture from Batman about 'restraining my impulses' for my trouble."
Helena couldn't help but laugh at that last statement. After the laughter had died down, Barbara said, "Getting back to Chavez … Did you get free? Did you counter-attack? I noticed Chavez lying on the ground nearby bleeding."
"Here's where it gets weird," said Helena. "I was saved by Casper the Friendly Ghost."
" 'Casper the Friendl-'…" Barbara shook her head in bewilderment. "Explain."
"Some invisible … creature … just beat the snot outta Chavez."
" 'Invisible creature' … you're serious?"
"Yeah, I'm serious. Saw it with my own two eyes."
Barbara shook her head in bemusement. "It's late," she said. "You need your rest." She paused. "We can talk more in the morning." She paused again. "I ran a scan on you earlier," she said. "I didn't see any broken bones."
"That's good."
Barbara wheeled herself over to the door. "Good night," she said as she opened the door.
"Good night."
Barbara left the room and closed the door, leaving Helena alone in bed with her thoughts. What WAS that thing that saved me … and who was the mysterious woman who spoke to me?
Hello, Helena, said a voice -- Dinah's -- in Helena's ear.
Helena sat bolt upright in bed. "Who's there?" she asked.
It's me … Dinah.
"That's impossible," said Helena. "The Dinah I know is in a coma at St. Vincent's Hospital."
I'm still trying to figure this out myself.
"Where are you?"
I'm sitting right next to you.
Helena glanced around the room. She was as alone as before. "This is NOT happening."
The fight was real.
"Fight? What fight?"
The fight with Chavez.
The thing that cleaned his clock, Helena thought. "That was YOU?"
Yes.
Helena shook her head in confusion. "Back up a minute," she said. "How did all … THIS … happen?" She paused. "I guess what I'm asking is how … WHY … did you do this?"
I dunno, said Dinah. Boredom?
"Boredom…"
Nothing to do but lie in bed all day, said Dinah. Plus, my roommate has the WORST taste in TV. She sighed. If it isn't Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, or Ricki Lake, it's reruns of "Law & Order", "JAG", and "Walker, Texas Ranger" … it goes without saying that I was bored outta my skull.
"You still haven't answered my question … How'd you get here?"
I'm not sure exactly how it happened. I guess one day I just … well, I suppose you could say I "willed" myself out of my room. The next thing I knew, I was flying over the street. Later on, I got the idea to start following you around.
"How were you able to fight … and how did you know about Chavez?"
At first, I wasn't able to fight, said Dinah. I was just punching, kicking … you know, doing what comes naturally.
"THAT didn't work."
Then I remembered what the ghost in the subway told Patrick Swayze in "Ghost" … you know, "use your mind … not your hands." It was then that I got the idea to turn on the PK.
"And all Hell broke loose," said Helena. "Your foster parents actually let you watch that movie?"
No, said Dinah mournfully. I caught a little bit of it on cable one time when they weren't around.
A grin broke out across Helena's face. Kid's like me, she thought. A rebel.
To tell you the truth, said Dinah. I've never seen a complete movie.
Helena's eyebrow's shot upwards in disbelief. "You're kidding…"
No, I'm not.
"You've never seen 'Bambi?' "
No.
"What was wrong with it?"
They viewed it as being a "gateway to the occult".
Helena puzzled over that one. "How is that possible?"
They regarded the animals as being "demon-possessed".
"How were they … 'demon-possessed'?"
How else were they able to talk?
Helena slapped the heel of her palm against her forehead. Give me strength, Lord. "Getting back to Chavez," she said as she regained her composure. "How did you know about him?"
I've been following the case.
Duh. "I never did get anything out of him about the shooter," Helena said ruefully.
Maybe YOU didn't, said Dinah. But I did.
"Huh?"
The shooter's name is Jorge Avila, said Dinah. He hangs out at the Anchor Bar near the Chelsea Piers.
Helena's face broke out in a wide grin. "Dinah, I could kiss you!" she gushed. "How do you know all this?"
While you two were busy fighting, I ran a probe on Chavez, said Dinah. What's more, Chavez was the driver the night of the shooting.
"That figures … seeing as how it was it was HIS car."
There's something that bothers me.
"What?"
You said you were going to kill the man who shot me. It scares me when you say things like that.
A chill ran down Helena's spine. "You HEARD me?"
Yes.
All of the breath suddenly left Helena's body.
I really should go.
"Umm … yeah. Sure. Good night, Dinah."
Good night.
"Does this mean you'll be sticking around?"
I want to help, said Dinah.
