Helena tried to grab on the edge of the table as she felt her knees buckle.
As she started falling she jarred the table causing some of the test tubes
to roll off. Alfred grabbed her in time to prevent her from hitting the
floor. He felt warm in his hands when he touched her. Alfred then noticed
the big thorn embedded in her back just below the shoulder blade.
"Miss Helena what happened?" He eased her gently into a sitting position on the floor. "Miss Helena?" He avoided turning her on her back so as not to hurt her. He took a scalpel off the supplies table and cut the coat carefully. She groaned when he touched her shoulder.
"This doesn't look good." He said. "How did Poison hurt you?"
"A plant was shooting a thorns at me while I was running to the exit..." Helena swallowed. "I felt it but, it didn't hurt...then"
Alfred examined the wound under her shoulder. He hadn't seen the blood before since it blended in with the black color of her blouse and long coat. "My God! Why didn't you tell me?".
"It wasn't hurting and... Barbara needed help." She whispered. "Is it bad?"
"This wound is serious Miss Helena. Help me get you to the table." Alfred passed his arm around her back and helped her to stand up. Helena could barely support her own weight. He took her to the supplies table and leaned her over it. He began to clean the wound. "Miss Helena this is a bad injury. I cannot understand how you managed to bring Miss Barbara here and stay on your feet for almost an hour."
"Me either." Helena felt her mind blurring.
"You must take better care of yourself." He cut her blouse with the scalpel.
"My blouse..." she growled.
"You have almost forty-five more and in the same color."
"But they are all different."
Alfred noticed she had lost a lot of blood. Her clothes were soaked so he went to the refrigerator and took out a bag containing Helena's blood. Barbara maintained a mini blood bank for emergencies such as this. It was almost impossible to get compatible blood from another person for her.
"Miss Helena, you should have told me before." He said showing his concern for her. He prepared the I.V.. With a needle he connected it to her arm. "Being a hero doesn't mean killing yourself if you can avoid it."
"I didn't feel the pain. I just thought it."
"Miss Helena, I know all the theories about adrenaline. But be aware of yourself, it's a priority in this busines if you want a longer life."
"I promise make a mental note of that."
"This is going to sting." He put on gloves and took forceps to remove the thorn. He gave her a towel to bite on. Rolling it up she clamped down on it hard and groaned when Alfred tugged it free.
"Damn! That hurt!" Helena hissed.
He wiped the wound clean of blood so that he could examine it more closely. "This is deep. I will have to numb the area before I can surture it close."
"Give me a shoot of tequila and I'll be fine." Helena laughed.
"Why are all super-heroes so inflexible at times?" Alfred went to the cabinet to look for the anesthesia.
"Maybe I should buy medical insurance."
"I am sure they would reject you immediately."
"Bad joke."
"Okay" he said raising a needle. "Relax. I will have you stitched up in no time."
Helena closed her eyes. There was just two people that she trusted: one who couldn't help her right now and the other one was him.
* * *
Barbara spent the next three days in bed resting. Alfred had given both a severe lecture on taking better care of themselves. Barbara chafed at the idea of so much time in bed but knew it was necessary. She was bored out of her mind. You can read only so many books before going stir crazy. What she craved the most was her computer.
Barbara was very proud of Helena. Not only had she saved herself but also Barbara's life. Helena has grown up. Now she was sure that the kid could patrol the streets alone. She was brave, smart and agile. Barbara smiled to herself as thought of the irony that the daughter of one of the best thieves in the city would turn out be an excellent crime fighter. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Bruce. She was sure that he would feel proud to know that he had a daughter and that she was very good at what she did.Maybe someday she will be as good as him. Hopefully she would have the opportunity to tell him that.
The door opened and she saw Helena walking in. She had a her left arm in a sling with a briefcase in her right hand.
"Here is your laptop." The kid smiled raising it.
"Thanks..." Barbara said.
Helena went to the other side of the bed and sat down crossing her legs. Barbara took the laptop. "Are you going to work?" she asked.
"Yes, I have alot of work to do. The classes begin soon and..."
"Why you didn't tell me?" Helena rubbed her nose.
"Tell you what?" Barbara asked raising an eyebrow.
"About that machine that helped you to walk."
"Oh, that is just my new invention." Barbara opened turned on off the computer.
"How does it work?"
"It's a subneural response system that interfaces directly with my spine and legs."
"I understand nothing you just said." Helena scratched her head. "That is technobabbling!"
"It's what?" Barbara laughed.
"You're talking to me as if I was some computer geek."
"Okay, in other words I think, therefore my legs moves. But it still need works. It is still in its experimental stage."
"An experiment that hurts you..."
"I need fix it problem since there is a high probablity that it could cause more damage my spine."
"Putting it in the trash is better if there is the possibility of it hurting you more." Helena rested her head in the pillow next to Barbara and turned on the TV.
"All the advances in our world are from people that believed they could make their dreams a reality. My dream is to walk again some day. I could help a lot of people like me if I suceed."
Helena looked her "Just be careful the next time before you try to use that thing."
"Okay. Promise you. How is your shoulder?" Barbara turned her head to see her.
Helena rested her chin on her chest "Pretty good, Alfred is an excellent doctor."
"You scared him." Barbara glared at her.
"So did you, " Helena smirked.
"You both scared me" Alfred said walking in with a tray of medicine. "I think that you both need lessons on "How be a hero and keep me alive."
"You already gave us that lecture." Barbara said.
Alfred looked at her. "The computer please."
"Alfred..." Barbara protested.
"You know that you should be resting." He extended his hand.
"Yes but..."
"Don't look at me, she asked me to bring that thing." Helena said changing the channel on TV.
Barbara gave him the computer and flopped back against the pillows in disgust.
"Well done." He smiled and walked out "Keep an eye on her Miss Helena."
"You heard him" Helena said to Barbara.
"Yes I heard him. Now we can talk about you." Barbara smiled.
"About me?" Helena changed the channel. "This is a great movie."
"I can't see the movie lying on my back. So lets talk about you."
"I just remembered something. You promised me talk to me about Jason."
"No, I didn't promise you anything."
"Yes you told me that we will discuss him later."
"But first we going to talk about your cheating by using the comset in school." Barbara glared to her "Remember I haven't punished you for that yet."
"Punish me?" Helena asked looking her "Why? That was a long time ago! I forgot all about that."
"We have time. You can choose your punishment but I get final approval." Barbara crossed her arms.
"Barbara you can't punish a person on Christmas. It's bad luck." Helena pointed.
"Bad luck? Who says that?"
"Tradition says that."
"Tradition? I never heard about that tradition?" Barbara laughed.
"As I never heard about Jason. Where is he now?" Helena smirked.
"I don't know and it's none of your business."
"Miss Helena what happened?" He eased her gently into a sitting position on the floor. "Miss Helena?" He avoided turning her on her back so as not to hurt her. He took a scalpel off the supplies table and cut the coat carefully. She groaned when he touched her shoulder.
"This doesn't look good." He said. "How did Poison hurt you?"
"A plant was shooting a thorns at me while I was running to the exit..." Helena swallowed. "I felt it but, it didn't hurt...then"
Alfred examined the wound under her shoulder. He hadn't seen the blood before since it blended in with the black color of her blouse and long coat. "My God! Why didn't you tell me?".
"It wasn't hurting and... Barbara needed help." She whispered. "Is it bad?"
"This wound is serious Miss Helena. Help me get you to the table." Alfred passed his arm around her back and helped her to stand up. Helena could barely support her own weight. He took her to the supplies table and leaned her over it. He began to clean the wound. "Miss Helena this is a bad injury. I cannot understand how you managed to bring Miss Barbara here and stay on your feet for almost an hour."
"Me either." Helena felt her mind blurring.
"You must take better care of yourself." He cut her blouse with the scalpel.
"My blouse..." she growled.
"You have almost forty-five more and in the same color."
"But they are all different."
Alfred noticed she had lost a lot of blood. Her clothes were soaked so he went to the refrigerator and took out a bag containing Helena's blood. Barbara maintained a mini blood bank for emergencies such as this. It was almost impossible to get compatible blood from another person for her.
"Miss Helena, you should have told me before." He said showing his concern for her. He prepared the I.V.. With a needle he connected it to her arm. "Being a hero doesn't mean killing yourself if you can avoid it."
"I didn't feel the pain. I just thought it."
"Miss Helena, I know all the theories about adrenaline. But be aware of yourself, it's a priority in this busines if you want a longer life."
"I promise make a mental note of that."
"This is going to sting." He put on gloves and took forceps to remove the thorn. He gave her a towel to bite on. Rolling it up she clamped down on it hard and groaned when Alfred tugged it free.
"Damn! That hurt!" Helena hissed.
He wiped the wound clean of blood so that he could examine it more closely. "This is deep. I will have to numb the area before I can surture it close."
"Give me a shoot of tequila and I'll be fine." Helena laughed.
"Why are all super-heroes so inflexible at times?" Alfred went to the cabinet to look for the anesthesia.
"Maybe I should buy medical insurance."
"I am sure they would reject you immediately."
"Bad joke."
"Okay" he said raising a needle. "Relax. I will have you stitched up in no time."
Helena closed her eyes. There was just two people that she trusted: one who couldn't help her right now and the other one was him.
* * *
Barbara spent the next three days in bed resting. Alfred had given both a severe lecture on taking better care of themselves. Barbara chafed at the idea of so much time in bed but knew it was necessary. She was bored out of her mind. You can read only so many books before going stir crazy. What she craved the most was her computer.
Barbara was very proud of Helena. Not only had she saved herself but also Barbara's life. Helena has grown up. Now she was sure that the kid could patrol the streets alone. She was brave, smart and agile. Barbara smiled to herself as thought of the irony that the daughter of one of the best thieves in the city would turn out be an excellent crime fighter. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Bruce. She was sure that he would feel proud to know that he had a daughter and that she was very good at what she did.Maybe someday she will be as good as him. Hopefully she would have the opportunity to tell him that.
The door opened and she saw Helena walking in. She had a her left arm in a sling with a briefcase in her right hand.
"Here is your laptop." The kid smiled raising it.
"Thanks..." Barbara said.
Helena went to the other side of the bed and sat down crossing her legs. Barbara took the laptop. "Are you going to work?" she asked.
"Yes, I have alot of work to do. The classes begin soon and..."
"Why you didn't tell me?" Helena rubbed her nose.
"Tell you what?" Barbara asked raising an eyebrow.
"About that machine that helped you to walk."
"Oh, that is just my new invention." Barbara opened turned on off the computer.
"How does it work?"
"It's a subneural response system that interfaces directly with my spine and legs."
"I understand nothing you just said." Helena scratched her head. "That is technobabbling!"
"It's what?" Barbara laughed.
"You're talking to me as if I was some computer geek."
"Okay, in other words I think, therefore my legs moves. But it still need works. It is still in its experimental stage."
"An experiment that hurts you..."
"I need fix it problem since there is a high probablity that it could cause more damage my spine."
"Putting it in the trash is better if there is the possibility of it hurting you more." Helena rested her head in the pillow next to Barbara and turned on the TV.
"All the advances in our world are from people that believed they could make their dreams a reality. My dream is to walk again some day. I could help a lot of people like me if I suceed."
Helena looked her "Just be careful the next time before you try to use that thing."
"Okay. Promise you. How is your shoulder?" Barbara turned her head to see her.
Helena rested her chin on her chest "Pretty good, Alfred is an excellent doctor."
"You scared him." Barbara glared at her.
"So did you, " Helena smirked.
"You both scared me" Alfred said walking in with a tray of medicine. "I think that you both need lessons on "How be a hero and keep me alive."
"You already gave us that lecture." Barbara said.
Alfred looked at her. "The computer please."
"Alfred..." Barbara protested.
"You know that you should be resting." He extended his hand.
"Yes but..."
"Don't look at me, she asked me to bring that thing." Helena said changing the channel on TV.
Barbara gave him the computer and flopped back against the pillows in disgust.
"Well done." He smiled and walked out "Keep an eye on her Miss Helena."
"You heard him" Helena said to Barbara.
"Yes I heard him. Now we can talk about you." Barbara smiled.
"About me?" Helena changed the channel. "This is a great movie."
"I can't see the movie lying on my back. So lets talk about you."
"I just remembered something. You promised me talk to me about Jason."
"No, I didn't promise you anything."
"Yes you told me that we will discuss him later."
"But first we going to talk about your cheating by using the comset in school." Barbara glared to her "Remember I haven't punished you for that yet."
"Punish me?" Helena asked looking her "Why? That was a long time ago! I forgot all about that."
"We have time. You can choose your punishment but I get final approval." Barbara crossed her arms.
"Barbara you can't punish a person on Christmas. It's bad luck." Helena pointed.
"Bad luck? Who says that?"
"Tradition says that."
"Tradition? I never heard about that tradition?" Barbara laughed.
"As I never heard about Jason. Where is he now?" Helena smirked.
"I don't know and it's none of your business."