Chapter Two

Elle kept steady pressure on his neck. The few minutes felt like hours as they flew towards their destination.

"Do not give up on me. You have to keep your eyes open." She demanded as she noticed his eyes rolling back.

Batman can NOT die on me. I cannot be the medical professional who let Batman die.

She was so focused on talking to him, she didn't even realize that the car had stopped. The door lifted and she looked up, half prepared to fight.

"Miss Elle, thank you," said the British voice she had heard over the car speaker. The voice belonged to a slightly elderly man, dressed in a tailored white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks. "Shall we move him?"

Elle looked back down. Blood continued to stream steadily from under her fingers. "We need to hurry. I can fix it, I just need to do it quickly."

"Very well. If you crouch on next to him, I should be able to help you lift him. Is he conscious?"

"Yes, Alfred. I'm awake. I can get up on my own," Batman panted.

Elle was tossed to the side unceremoniously as he hauled himself up from the car. Elle hovered anxiously as he staggered out. Alfred was ready though and caught him when he fell and Elle moved quickly to help.

"I need him lying flat. Where are we taking him?"

"Right this way. I have already readied your supplies."

They led Batman to a stainless steel table. Alfred and Elle grunted with the effort of heaving his body onto the table while he moaned in pain. Once situated, Elle's brain immediately went into a business-only mode.

"I need you to go back to applying pressure while I start the transfusion. The bleeding has slowed significantly, but he has still lost too much blood."

She took off his gloves and tried rolling up his sleeves, which didn't budge.

"I need this off. I'm going to need access to his arms and his neck."

"Miss Elle..I-I'm afraid that may not be possible," Alfred said, looking at Bruce.

"No." Batman panted. "Absolutely not. Help if you can, but the cowl stays on."

Elle grabbed his face with both hands to try and make eye contact.

"Listen to me. It will be incredibly easy to fix this if you let me. I don't give two shits who you are under the mask, but I damn well know that the Batman dying on my watch and because of his own damn stubbornness would really suck."

He looked back at her and she saw his jaw tense.

"…Fine." He surrendered.

"Thank you." Elle looked back up at Alfred. "Can you help me take it off? We really need the IV in him now."

"Of course, Miss."

They quickly began to undress his upper body. Alfred grabbed for the cowl and lifted.

"Gently. I don't want to cause more tearing to his neck." Elle said softly. She moved her hands under his hand and cradled it while the infamous mask was removed.

Bruce Wayne hissed in pain as he felt searing into his neck. He clenched his eyes shut, trying not to react. He felt his head being gently laid down onto the table.

"We need to lift you now. I want you to sit up and lean on me while pulls the top off. Then we fix you." Elle assured him.

Holy shit. Batman is Bruce Wayne Elle thought. She was channeling every ounce of professionalism in her to keep her from reacting. She smoothed back his sweat-slicked black hair.

"When you're ready, give me your hand and we'll help you. Do NOT try to do it on your own."

He nodded and grabbed her hand. Elle looked back up at Alfred and nodded, letting him know he was ready. With a grunt from all three, they sat Bruce up. He groaned and rested his head against Elle's shoulder. They made quick work of his top. His arm was exposed to her and before the two men had time to question it, Bruce was hooked up to fluids and blood.

"There. This should help you start feeling a bit more energy. Now, I need to clean your wound and then stitch you. Should we find you some sedatives before we start?" She looked at Bruce who was giving her a flat stare. "Right. Batman. I'm sure you don't mind the pain. I'm also sure that I don't need to tell you this, but please keep still. I'm about to take a needle to your neck."

Before she even needed to ask, she was given antiseptic and clean gauze. She made quick work of cleaning and then Alfred was ready with the suture kit. She mumbled a thank you and got to work. She wasn't a surgeon, but her sutures were neat and clean.

"I'll need a bowl of clean warm water and more gauze." She said without looking up from her work.

Bruce watched her face as she worked over him. Her face was set and stern. Her blue eyes were hard as steel and full of determination and focus.

"You're a doctor." He stated.

"No. I'm an advanced practice registered nurse, and you are supposed to be being still." She said quietly.

Alfred came back right after she finished up. She grabbed the gauze and dipped it in the warm water. With soft touches, she began to wipe the blood from him.

"It's harder to get off once it dries and you make not feel like exfoliating tonight."

Her touch was soothing to him. Featherlight, almost.

"Thank you, Miss Elle. Your help is truly appreciated." Alfred stated.

"It's really no problem. It's the least I can do after you saved me. I meant what I said, too. My lips are sealed." She had finished wiping off the blood and was dabbing antiseptic onto the wound. "You were lucky. It was a bleeder but should heal up just fine. You should take it easy for a few days so it can start healing on its own."

Bruce narrowed his eyes as he noticed her voice started sounding more and more fatigued. "Were you hurt?" he asked bluntly.

Elle nodded her head. "You scared the one behind me. He accidentally got me with his knife." She said. She had finished her work and Bruce was now sporting a nice bandage wrapping around his entire neck.

"You're pale and your lips are turning blue." He informed her. "Alfred."

Alfred went around the table to inspect her. Now that she thought of it, she wasn't feeling too great. She was running on almost no sleep and had had a less than relaxing evening.

"A stab wound indeed, Master Bruce. I believe her care shall be next."

Elle stood up and started washing her hands in the bowl. "I'm ok. It's superficial, I think."

"She's going into shock, Alfred." Bruce said, standing from the table. The tubes and needles were still connected to him.

The bowl fell from her hands and she stumbled. Before she could grab anything, she fell and the world faded black. She felt arms wrap around her and the voice of Alfred scolding before everything else faded away.