"What happened?" Hestia asked as Oswald led her down the hall to the surgical unit. Her hands worked her hair up into a tight bun as she slipped off her suit jacket. She pushed the anger she held for Oswald down, as Falcone had instructed her to. He hobbled next to her, and he seemed to be having difficulty in keeping up with her. The birdlike man glanced sideways at her as she removed her earrings and her necklace. She paused to look at the pendant dangling gently upon a thin silver chain. It was a simple sapphire looped into an onyx skull, but she held it between her fingers as if it was the most sought after treasure in the world.
"Victor is fine." Oswald stated as they entered into the surgical unit.
Hestia shot him a look, her voice short and irritated. "That isn't what I asked. Victor is more than capable of handling himself. Now, what happened to this patient?" She closed her hand over the jewelry delicately, but with a sharpness to show Oswald that her thoughts were her own, no matter how often she worried about Victor. As far as she was concerned, Oswald was losing any semblance of the friendship they had once had. They entered into the surgical unit, and she placed the jewelry away carefully into a small safe in one of the walls before she turned to prep for the surgery.
Pale eyes looked her over as she scrubbed up for surgery. She was meticulous with each finger, every fingernail, and her palms. She scrubbed and scrubbed, as if she were cleaning away grime he couldn't see himself. She worked up to her elbows before rinsing. "She was shot when they showed up to help me and take Fish away. In the gut, I think. May I join you?" Oswald had always been curious about the work that Hestia did in her surgical units, but as he didn't have medical training, he never thought he would be allowed in to observe.
She gestured towards a nurse. "Get him prepped. He can observe." She didn't have time to argue with Oswald, and he was good enough at following directions. She stepped into the room and got straight to work. Oswald stood awkwardly in the corner, his eyes watching Hestia closely as she worked. She was a completely different person in the surgical room. She was sharp and focused, her voice stern as she gave the nurses directions. Her movements were precise and delicate. The way she moved in the operating room was in a similar fashion that Victor worked his way through his own work.
He wasn't sure how much time passed before she called the time of death. Oswald followed her out as she stripped off her gloves and gown. Next came the mask, and finally the white sterile fabric covering her hair. A nurse approached her, his eyes lowered to the floor. "Do we send he-"
"Yes. Immediately." Hestia cut him off as she worked on cleaning her hands again. "Get the room sterilized."
Oswald hobbled forward. "You aren't going to call it in?"
"I don't call in Vic's people." She shrugged. "Besides, it seems Detectives Gordon and Bullock are very busy these days." She took the file regarding the patient and headed off towards the records room. She placed each piece through the shredder, and soon after another one of her workers came in and collected the shreds from the bin. "You could always take a picture, Oswald. It'll last you longer." Hestia mused aloud as she flipped through her message cards.
The man across from her sputtered a bit before laughing nervously. "I didn't mean to stare."
She raised an eyebrow at him before escorting him from the records room. She locked it up and armed the separate security for it. "You should go back to Maroni before he gets suspicious of you, Os." A small smile crossed her face as she turned the corner. "You're back early." A hand reached out to squeeze one of Zsasz's leather gloved hands. "Unfortunately your associate didn't make it."
"What a shame." He murmured before wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her close. "Fish escaped. I got my hands on Butch though."
She caught the slight disappointment in his voice. "You'll track her down, Victor. There's only so many places for rats to hide in this city." They approached the main entrance of her home, and he unlocked the door. "Made yourself a copy, then?"
Zsasz shook his head before handing over the keys. "New locks, since Maroni's goons will be around again."
"If I didn't know any better, Victor, I might think you like me." She gave him a playful wink of her eye.
He placed his hands on her jaw, his dark stare focusing into the very core of her being. "Hestia Zaqar, I will say this once, and only once." One of his thumbs brushed her cheek. "I love you, entirely."
She was stricken entirely speechless as she stared back into the void, her heart pounding as her breath hitched. She knew he loved her without him saying so, but hearing him say it left her in an almost dreamlike trance. After a moment of simply staring at him, she rested her hands over his own. "I love you too, Victor Zsasz."