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I have been reworking it, its not quite right but I thought I'd run it up the flagpole as it were.
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Disclaimer - I don't own the Teen Titans!
Chapter 12
After x-rays and a careful examination, Jody was no longer restrained on the back board and the hard Philadelphia collar on her neck had finally been removed by Dick and Kori. It was then that Jody realized she was no more comfortable now than she had been with the board and collar; in fact, she probably felt worse. Being held in place by of the board and collar had prevented her from considering much beyond that she had been in an accident, that her mother was injured, and that she was waiting just for something to else happen.
Fear began to envelope her and the 12-year-old realized how much her leg hurt, how much her head hurt and even how much the IV hep-lock in her forearm hurt. What was worse was that Jody's dad, out of town at the time of the accident, had yet to arrive in the ER. As friendly as Kori and the ER staff were, Jody felt very much alone, even without full knowledge of the extent of her mother's injuries or the fact that her mother was actually currently in surgery.
It was then Jody remembered that there was still blood on her leg and glass in her hair. And it was the glass in her hair that she started to really get upset about. Auto glass is different fregular, everyday glass that one might encounter. When broken it is not nearly as dangerous, breaking apart into pebble-sized pieces with an aqua green caste from the tinting rather then tiny, see through daggers. But it is something that no one wants in their hair.
Kori had been at a bit of a loss as to what was taking Dr. Grayson so long. Kori and Jody remained alone in the treatment room and with Jody medically cleared and no longer restrained, Kori was about to commence the unpleasant job of cleaning the young girl up. Kori attempted to engage the 12-year-old in topics like school and sports and boy bands but Jody was too wound up to hold much of a conversation, at least on those subjects. Although the leg wound needed to be readied for treatment, Jody kept remarking about her hair and both the actual and perceived glass and the actually and perceived cuts to her scalp so Kori decided to concentrate on it first. Kori retrieved a basin and a comb and began removing glass and smoothing out the young girl's thick red hair while she waited for Dick to return.
Kori found herself looking at the girl's long red hair, hair not so different than her own. Kori was being tugged by a memory she had long since forgotten. It involved a young girl, finding that her own long red hair was covered in glass and dirt and debris. It was Kori's memory of the day her childhood ended, the day that terrorists attacked many parts of Tamaran's capital city, the day that all the unrest and mayhem had started. It was last day she would be happy while in Tamaran.
Kori got lost for more than a moment until she heard a concerned girl's voice, "Kori, is everything okay?"
Realizing that she had zoned out and had probably scared her poor patient a bit, Kori smiled and looked up. Quickly returning from her memory, Kori apologized, "I am so sorry Jody, now, lets figure out something we can discuss. You like science, but do not wish to discuss school. You like sports and music. What else do you like?"
Jody paused. "I like fairy tales" she said quietly.
Kori replied, "As do I," and added, considering that Jody was really trying to be grown up but was nothing more than child, "and you are never too grown up for a fairy tale. Let's make up a story together. Where shall we begin?"
"With a beautiful princess!"
"With a beautiful red-haired princess!" Kori added.
Jody nodded in agreement, "Yes, a red-haired princess!"
"And what should the princess be doing?" Kori asked, continuing to carefully go through the girl's thick hair with the comb.
"She should be sitting in her favorite spot in a beautiful garden. In a garden, by a fountain."
"Oh, that would be a pretty spot! And what is she doing there?"
"Um, she should be, she should be writing in her secret diary."
"She has a secret diary? What should she be writing about?"
Jody paused, and blushed for a second and said softly, "about a boy."
"Oh, a boy," Kori said in a soft tone as well.
"Yes, she should be writing about a boy."
"Does the princess like the boy?"
"Yes she does," Jody said, then added thoughtfully, "but she is not sure if the boy likes her."
"Oh. Why is that she is not sure if the boy likes her?"
"he hasn't told her."
"Oh. He hasn't told her but they have the princess has spoken to the boy, no?"
Jody responded, "well yes, but... but they talk about other stuff and the princess can't tell if he likes her or not."
Kori then said, "Do they have fun talking?"
"Yes"
"Has the princess told the boy she likes him?"
"No! She is too shy!"
"Is the boy shy too?" Kori asked, repositioning Jody's head to go through another section of her hair.
"Not usually." Jody thought for a moment, "He has many friends, but does not say much to the princess anymore."
"He used to talk to the princess?"
"Yeah.., before"
"Before?" Kori realizing that perhaps Jody was reflected on a life experience, she tweaked the story adding, "before he knew she was a princess or before he knew she liked him?"
Jody blushed. "Both" she said meekly.
"Well," Kori said, "I have a secret."
"What?"
"The boy likes her."
"Really?"
"Yes! That is how boys sometimes act."
"Oh." Jody paused. "Good."
Kori smiled at Jody. "I think I'm finished with your hair. Can we continue our story while I clean up your other cuts? I will try really hard not to hurt you."
"Okay"
Kori retrieved a sterile basin, Betadyne and gauze and set up a bed side table at Jody's left side.
Kori began the story again, "So the boy and the princess like each other, what happens next in our story?"
"They kiss!"
"They kiss? Oh, they can't kiss yet."
"They can't?"
"Not yet. Don't you think something else should happen first?"
"I know, I know! The boy can save the princess from a dragon."
"Okay, the boy can save the princess from a dragon - so is the boy a prince?"
Jody knitted her brow. "Well, he is, but she doesn't know it yet."
"I see."
"Actually, okay, I know," Jody said enthusiastically, "the dragon comes and a knight comes and saves the princess."
"But what about the boy, I mean prince?"
"Kori, the knight is the prince!"
"He is Jody?"
"Yes and he saves here and then they kiss."
Kori smiled. "Do they live happily ever after?"
"Yes!"
Just them the door opened and Dick came back in the room. Trying to hide his anger and frustration over his argument with Dr. Xavier Red, he gave his patient a smile.
"I'm sorry Jody that took so long, I am going to fix your leg now if your ready."
Jody looked worried and Kori gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
Trying to put the girl at ease, Dick said, "Hope you guys found something to do while I was gone."
"We were just talking," Kori offered smiling at Jody, "you know, girl stuff."
It was then when Jody's father arrived. After introductions, Dick and Kori ducked out of the room to give the girl and her dad some privacy.
Kori went to grab some additional supplies needed to suture such a large wound.
"Kori, are you ready?" Dick asked, turning toward her.
"Yes," Kori said, then looked up at him noticing his unusually dark demeanor, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine. The plastic surgeon wouldn't come in."
"Really?" Kori not hiding her surprise at the unprofessionalism of whoever this person was.
"I'll tell you about it later." He studied her carefully, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine, its just been emotional...." Kori started. What was she going to say? 'I was picking glass out of Jody's hair when I thought about picking glass out of my own hair after my home was bombed when I was a little girl'.
Kori did not complete her thought when Dick said reassuringly, "I know, it is so hard treating kids. If I wanted to work with kids sick and hurt kids, I would have worked at a children's hospital."
It was a reasonable assumption Dick had made, but he was wrong. Kori sighed slightly, she couldn't expect him to read her mind, could she. She mustered the strength and pushed memories of her own aborted childhood from her mind.
Her face betrayed her mental struggle and Dick continued to watch her. He looked at her in a way that was full of concern and she felt like she could tell him everything. But now wasn't the time.
Kori found her voice. "I am ready to assist whenever you are ready."
Dick held her gaze, knowing that she needed someone to talk. Bur it wasn't the time or the place. He smiled, gave a slight nod and said, "Let's go then" and they returned to Jody's room to finally take care of her leg.
It was then that Dick Grayson realized just how much he wanted to reassure and to comfort Kori Anders, and not just in that moment. He realized that he wanted to, no, that he needed to protect her, to save her and to never let her go.
TtTtTtTtTt
a/n: minor point - you have up to 12 hours to close a wound, so there's no malpractice per se... Also, Dick isn't being callous about kids, a lot of people see a huge difference between treating kids and adults