Greetings,
Well yeah you saw right! This is the last chapter of my story "Quake", while i did takea little long to finish, i tried to do justice to it and i hope i did justice to it's readers.
It has come to my attention, though i do admit i'm not entirely clued up on earthquakes, that some of my facts in the story might be false. Here is what my thought trend was.
In my theory, tectonic plates were deisned to buffer the brunt of an earthquake. Look at it if you will as two books and marbles inbetween them. The books represent the plates, the marbles are what help buffer the quake. Now place them on your hand and move your hand roughly forward and backward. While the book above stays almost still the book at the bottom is moving about, as such in a quake.
In "Quake" my theory was that the plates buffered most of the quake, so take the effect 10.2. Now i deducted before that the plates buffered up to 8. 10.2 - 8 2.2. So in fact what the birds and everyone else felt in the story was 2.2 and not 10.2.
As for the collapsing of the buildings, it is explained more in the chapter. If you still disagree please feel free to pm me.
Ok, i'd like to thank a few people for their help in the past chapters, although everyone helped in one way or another the main culprits are: Sam, Yank, Night (yeah i know, shooting the condition down sucked) Shadowpup and Kad. BUT! a big special thanks and hug to Jag, thanks buddy!
sniff sorry getting emotional here.
OK you may wake up now, and enjoy the chapter!
Waking Moments
The gun shot had alerted both Barbara and Justin. Looking at Dinah and hesitating a moment, Barbara switched to Oracle mode and slipped out into the corridor to investigate, followed shortly by Justin.
A crowd had gathered outside a waiting room. Wheeling through the crowd, Barbara came upon the glass windows that enclosed the room. In a second Barbara took in the gruesome scene. Cris stood staring at the bloody wall, her face pale. A man was kneeling on the floor also staring at the bloody wall. Barbara asked in a soft tone, "What happened?"
A chubby man next to her, mopped his forehead with a napkin and said, "He blew his brains out," then moved away.
Barbara's jaw dropped as she turned to look at her friend who stood looking at the bloodied wall with distant eyes. Barbara knew what Cris was seeing, and it wasn't a man who blew his head apart in a waiting room. Adding already to the exhaustion she was begiing to feel, Barbara's heart went out to her. The nurse tried to urge Cris out, but she stood like a statue, her eyes drawing in the blood and brain matter. Barbara signaled the nurse, mouthing, "I'll try." The nurse nodded and left Cris.
"It was her, all over again," Cris mumbled, as Barbara approached her.
"I know," Barbara replied.
Cris kept her eyes on Damien's still form. Barbara tugged at her arm slightly, "C'mon."
Cris looked at her and then nodded.
The pain woke her up. Helena stifled a moan as she tried to move. Apart from the stinging pain on her back, she felt like she had aged sixty years. Every muscle protested at the slightest movement. Note to self, next time you fight an oversized Croc-man, tease him with a chunk of meat doctored with tranquilizers, she thought opening her eyes, and, never wear a thong if you know you're gonna take a waterslide through the sewers.
A shadow fell over her. She tried to focus her eyes on the figure who stood over her, but she was just too damn tired. The figure bent down and a pair of arms slid underneath her. She felt her body lift from the ground, wincing, she mustered enough energy to swing a fist at the figure.
"Whoa! Easy," a baritone voice said calmly, ducking from the blow, "I'm not here to hurt you."
Helena dropped her arm and slipped back into unconsciousness.
Barbara sighed as she leaned her head backwards and against the wall, she closed her eyes. Never would she have though that she'd feel so tired in just one day. Then again, she had been through so much in just one day. Dinah in a coma, with possible brain damage, even though Dr. Thompkin's assured Dinah had only 20 chance of damage, it was still a scary thought. Seeing her friend, Cris, stinging from an old wound she had tried hard over the years to heal. Then, when Cla… Superman arrived at the hospital with Helena in his arms, her blood staining his shield, Barbara began to feel the numbness of fear.
Now she waited outside of a surgery room, waiting for news on Helena's condition. She felt someone sit next to her and sigh.
"How is he?" Barbara asked, keeping her eyes closed.
"The doctor said he'll be fine, it was just a mild shock," Cris replied, her voice soft but haggard, "Helena?"
"Still waiting."
"Ah."
They fell silent, soaking the various sounds in the corridor. The hospital was still very much packed. With injured still vacating the corridors. But in the private wards it was a little more silent. Soft murmers mainly floated down the corridor.
"How are you?" Cris asked suddenly.
Barbara opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, "Tired."
Cris nodded, "I think we're in definite need of coffee, I'll be right back."
Barbara smiled, "That would be great," then closed her eyes again.
"Barbara?"
She felt someone shake her softly, "Barbara?"
She opened her eyes, lowering her head, "Dr Thompkins?"
The elderly woman smiled, her eyes sparkling with compassion, "Helena's going to be alright, she has sustained multiple injuries, mostly to her back. Given her healing ability, she'll be as good as new in 2 weeks, but I warn you, she's allowed minimal movement for the first week."
"Do you know what you're asking doctor?" Barbara asked, groaning inwardly.
"I know, the moon and the stars, but if she's to heal properly…"
Barbara smiled, "I know,"
Lee smiled, "You can see her now."
"Thank you."
Barbara wheeled slowly in, looking up she smiled, "Hey."
Helena looked glumly up, "Hey."
"I suppose Dr Thompkins gave you the news," Barbara said more to herself.
Helena snorted. She shuffled in the bed a little,
wincing at the pain.
"How is she?" she asked.
Barbara looked down at her hands, "Dr Thompkins examined her. It's a 50-50 chance."
"Doesn't help much," Helena mumbled.
"No it doesn't," Barbara agreed.
"Reese?" Helena asked, her voice hinting deep concern.
"He's ok, Cris checked in on him, he just had a mild shock," the red head replied looking up at Helena.
Helena nodded and then leaned back, closing her eyes.
Early morning rays crept through the blinds, falling softly on Barbara's face. It ignited her red hair casting a soft fiery hue on the bedspread. Dinah stirred and opened her eyes. Everything first seemed blurry and out of focus. Blinking a few times, she saw Barbara sleeping on the side of her bed. Smiling she pushed a lock of hair, that had fallen over Barbara's nose, away.
Barbara woke with a start, her emerald green eyes snapping open, staring right at Dinah.
"Dinah?" Barbara asked.
Dinah smiled, "Good morning."
"Dinah!" Barbara moved forward and pulled the youngster into a hug. Barbara clung to her hard, trying to fight back the tears of joy.
Outside the window a pigeon flaps it's wings and lands on the ledge, peering in curiously while cooing.
One week later…
"… Greenpeace leader Scott Wearaleaf was unavailable for comment. Back to local news, Fabian LeChic, the architect found to have used low grade cement in the reconstruction of Gotham City, was found dead in a Texas motel. Fabian, 32, had been on the run ever since the earthquake that measured 10.5 on the richter scale hit New Gotham city, midday on the 12th of August. After a through investigation it was found that the cement he had used to build his structures was of the lowest grade, thus causing the collapse of numerous buildings and bridges around the city…"
A overweight man in his forties appears on the television screen, "If Mr LeChic had not used this cement and opted for the cement that city construction officials had set as a standard, most of, if not all the buildings that had collapsed, would still be standing…"
The news presenter appears on the screen again, "… Texas PD was alerted late yesterday night to a stench permeating from a motel room. Reacting to the call, officers discovered LeChic's body in a bathtub filled with water, and his wrists slit. There was no suicide note…"
The screen went blank.
Helena sighed, "This sucks."
Dinah chimed with agreement, "Yeah, how long does it take to get DVDs?"
"If you hadn't kept calling me and changing your mind I'd have been here a lot sooner," Cris replied approaching them with a bag filled with DVDs.
"Yes!" Dinah squealed, "Ok, DVDs, check, popcorn?"
"Check," Barbara shouted from the kitchen and then wheeled out with a huge bowl of popcorn on her lap, "coke?"
"Check," replied Cris, then she glared at Helena, "no burping during Nightmare on Elm Street, or I'm gonna make you immobile for a little while longer."
Helena raises an eyebrow, "Try me."
Cris pulls a tounge at her and settles down.
From the kitchen Alfred looks on to the four and smiles.
The End
Theme Song:
Jewel - Hands
Especially:
If I could tell the world just
one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause
worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be
made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself
around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
