AUTHOR'S NOTE: Glad to hear that you guys are enjoying it, even if it's a sad story.
Chapter 4
Sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed, the red haired woman stares intently at the bruised face of the young, unconscious man. Folding her hands together, Barbara Gordan offers up another pray to join the ones she has already said.
"Wake up, Dick," she whispers into the empty room, as tears silently slide down her cheeks.
Hearing the sound of feet behind her, Barb turns at the waist to look over toward the door. She watches as an elderly man enters the room and joins her by the bed. Though the man's hair is a combination of gray and white, his back couldn't be straighter if he tried.
"Anything, miss?" asks the man, with a faint British accent.
"Nothing, Alfred," she replies, shaking her head.
Sighing, the older man closes his eyes for a moment. Opening his eyes once more, he stares down at the young man lying on the bed. Though he calls the boy "master", their relationship would be more like father and son.
"He's been like this for over a week," she continues, raising a hand to brush the tears from her cheeks. "Why won't he wake up?"
Shaking his head and shrugging, Alfred says nothing in reply.
"I haven't seen Bruce in a while," Barb comments, glancing up at the older man. "Can't he be bothered to show up?"
Hearing the anger in the woman's voice, Alfred hesitates to reply. Taking Dick's hand into his own, he gives a squeeze before releasing the hand.
"Master Bruce shows up during the night," replies Alfred.
"You mean, he shows up, don't you?" she questions, knowing that the older man understands her meaning.
"Yes," replies the older man.
Hearing the sound of footsteps in the hallway, both Barbara and Alfred look to the door and watch as a couple enters the room. Appearing to be only in their mid 30's, the blonde couple first look at Dick on the bed before turning their attention to Alfred and Barbara
"Excuse me?" says the woman. "Is this the room for the young man who was in the motorcycle accident?"
"Yes," replies Alfred, nodding his head. "Can I help you?"
"Well, I…I mean, uh," replies the woman, looking at the man by her side.
Stepping forward, the man shakes hands with both Barbara and Alfred.
"My name is Jon and this," pointing to the woman beside him, "is my wife Mary-Ann. We were in the car."
Realizing whom the couple is, Alfred nods his head.
"We're so sorry for what has happened," says Mary-Sue, wringing her hands. "We didn't have time to stop. He was just suddenly there."
"We decided to come by and let you know that he and you all are in our prayers," says Jon.
"Thank you for coming," replies Alfred, trying to keep a calm and polite face.
Finding that there is nothing else to be said, Jon drapes his arms around his wife and leads her from the room. For a moment, neither Barbara nor Alfred say anything.
Glancing once more at the boy, grown man, that he helped to raise, Alfred shifts his attention back to Barbara. "Why don't you get yourself something to eat? I will sit with Master Dick."
Nodding her head, Barbara stands up out of the chair and walks out of the hospital room.