Barbara decided that rather than have a repeat of the previous day's tantrum, she'd at least consent to using the chair to get to and from the bathroom and that she'd ask for help at least in that matter.
"Maybe we ought to get you a bell or something." Helena sauntered in to check on Barbara.
"Funny." Barbara slowly began to reach toward the covers. Helena took a step toward her as a mere reaction, but caught herself.
"So, I was just getting ready to go out and help Jesse a little. Thought I'd see if there was anything I could get you or if you wanted to chat or anything." Helena was becoming fidgety. As a last result, she put her hands in her pockets.
"Ummm….I…" Barbara was trying to focus on grasping the blanket and uncovering herself.
"Oh Hell. I'm sorry Barb. I don't have all night. You know I'd love to be the motivational one here, but that's not exactly my strong point." Helena shed her coat and went to Barbara's aide.
"Helena…"
"Save your energy. You'll need it. I'm not doing everything for you if you get my drift." She pulled the covers off Barbara's legs and stood back to assess the situation. "Well, what'll it be? Do I have to carry you all the way or are you over the chair thing?"
Barbara almost appreciated Helena's frankness. "I'm over it. But…I can't really…"
"You'll be able to push yourself soon enough Barbara. Don't stress out. On three. K?"
"Yah." She lifted her arm for Helena to take.
"One, two, three…" Helena easily moved Barbara from the bed to her wheelchair. "Man Barbara. You've got to eat something. You're already losing weight…."
"Helena. Please."
"Sorry. Here, put your arms up here to steady yourself, I got your feet…"
"Good thing…"
"Shut up, I'm trying to be nice here." Helena began pushing Barbara toward the bathroom. It was strange. In seven years since the shooting, since Barbara had taken her in, she'd never really had to physically help her. She'd never been asked. "Umm…Barbara, I know you've lost a lot Do I…I mean what should I…"
Barbara pushed her arms off the armrests and allowed her hands to grasp the wheel rims enough to stop the chair. She continued looking forward. "Leslie hooked me up with…I…can't… here's the deal," Barbara turned toward Helena. "Unfortunately, I've lost a lot of the control I had before, but life is cruel enough to allow me to retain feeling enough to be in pain and to know when I have to use the bathroom o.k.? Now Alfred can help me or you can…"
"No….I'm sorry, I want to learn. I'm just not used to seeing you like this. It's weird."
"Well, that makes two of us. Are you sure? It's not really that bad."
"I'm sure Barbara." Helena bent down and looked Barbara in the eyes. "I'm sure. Thanks for letting me."
"Yah. Like I have a choice."
Though almost overcome with a myriad of uncomfortable and unfamiliar feelings, Helena felt good as she waited outside the bathroom door for Barbara to call on her again. Barbara was always the one helping her. If she were physically hurt or confused or even sad, it was Barbara that was strong; always waiting with the poker face, the face that said, "I can handle anything that comes my way. Anything! Take my dreams, my livelihood, my identity, my legs, I can handle it. I…"
"Helena?"
"Sorry, yah, I'm here." Helena smiled and went into help Barbara. Once out of the bathroom, Helena made her way toward the bed. "Ummm..do you want to go out…"
"I want to sleep Helena."
"Don't you want to …?"
"Helena…"
"Fine." The atmosphere returned to what was now 'normal'. After moving Barbara back into bed, Helena sighed. "Do you need anything else?"
"No. Thank you." She turned her head and closed her eyes, signaling for Helena to leave.
…
"She's fine. What has Reese found out? Anything?"
"No. I'll be home soon to give you a little break." Dinah signed out and went about aiding Jesse with information at the various hospitals around town.
"Alfred? I'm going to run home and pack some things. I'll be back in a little while."
"Be careful Miss Helena. It's growing worse out there by the minute and there looks to be a storm coming."
"I will Alfred. Thanks." With a kind smile toward the butler, Helena was gone.
Alfred readied some tea and braved his way toward Barbara's room. "Ms. Barbara?" As he pushed the door open, he noticed she was sleeping, either that or in her normal pretending to sleep so people would leave her alone mode. He sighed and took the beverages back to the kitchen.
As it turned out, Barbara, tired from the trip to the bathroom and back, was soundly sleeping; a welcomed situation that had, in the past couple of days, rarely presented itself without being accompanied by bad dreams and a good deal of pain.
The sun had long since left the room replaced by clouds and a cold breeze. Though deep asleep, Barbara made a subconscious note of the breeze that brushed over her body chilling her legs though they didn't notice. As a full breeze reached past her unfeeling regions, reaching her face, her eyes opened. She looked to see the window open wide, rain pouring in. "Alfred wouldn't have left the window open", she thought to herself.
"You're right Lady, if your thinking the old man ain't around to close the window."
Her room was so dark; she couldn't see who was speaking. She didn't need to see to be alarmed. Lying quietly, she tried to focus.
"We've been trying for days to get in here. Ain't one of us hasn't been wonderin' what's up here behind this clocktower. Why's the elevator only go to the 13th floor? What with everything all crazy, we decided to sneak up and we hit the jackpot I'd say."
The man attached to the voice moved into the brief spot of light created by a break in the clouds. Barbara didn't recognize him.
"I have to admit; however, we didn't plan on there being a rich hot chick in here." He moved toward the bed. "You just gonna sit there? Or are you going to welcome me into your home." He moved closer.
"What do you want? Who are you?" Thinking it best to play the sleeping ruse instead of letting her secret out of the bag, Barbara just slowly clasped her hands on her stomach and looked seriously at the intruder.
"I just want to have a little fun, do a little looting, you know? It's the in thing in New Gotham right now. Open market on goods everywhere."
"Yah. That's what I've heard. You know it won't last. You'll be stopped."
"Yah by who? You gonna stop me?" He folded his arms and stared annoyed.
"Not hardly." She looked to the bed stand for options. Nothing. Just a bunch of medicine and her glasses.
The man followed her eyes to the same spot. "What? You sick or something? You need some of that medicine? Let me help you with that." He sauntered over to the bed stand and looked at one of the containers.
Figuring Alfred was out of commission and Helena wasn't around, Barbara decided on a role she'd never liked to play; helpless. "It's ummm…nerve stimulant. I'm paralyzed. So, how about that fun you were talking about?"
"Whatever lady." He threw the container to the ground and advanced toward Barbara.
Seeing him come closer, Barbara began struggling to move. As he leaned down, she was able to raise her right hand enough to jab him in the eye.
He threw himself back in surprise. "You crazy…my eye."
She used the covers and pulled herself to the opposite side of the bed. She had no choice, so she just allowed herself to fall off the edge. Once on the ground, the man came toward her.
The only thing that could explain her newfound strength was adrenaline. Still, she was scared; more scared than she'd ever been.
"That wasn't nice!" He lifted his leg, pulled it back and kicked Barbara square in the stomach.
Though she couldn't feel the pain an able-bodied person would have, she felt all the air leave her body. Still, she made every effort to pull herself out of his way.
"Where you going gimp? And I was all ready to take pity on you."
"No one pities me! Ughhh…" Out of energy, her face fell to the floor and she had no choice. "Helena!" she yelled out of desperation.
"There's no one here Honey." He reared back and kicked her again; this time she felt it. She felt her back hit the wall. "Oh. I'm sorry. Does that hurt? Here."
Just when she thought she'd had the worst of it, she felt him grab her hair and pull her head back.
"Here. Let's stimulate some nerves." As he shoved the pills into her mouth, she began to choke. "How's that? You want some more Lady? You want some…Ughhhh… what the…" This time it was air being shoved out of his stomach.
"Oh. Big man. You gonna go brag to your buddies that you beat the ass of a paralyzed woman?" Helena gathered the man from the pile he lay in on the floor and kicked him again. This time, he wasn't getting up any time soon. Then she ran over to Barbara.
"Helena? I can't…"
"Shhhh. I'm so sorry I left you. Here." Helena was careful as she carried Barbara out to the couch. She could almost feel her body writhing in pain. "Where's Alfred?"
"I don't…he went to the…I don't…"
"It's fine Barbara, don't try to talk."
"Ughh…Helena…" Barbara grabbed her stomach with both arms.
"What is it?" Helena didn't know what to do. In seven years, Barbara had always been the one taking care of her in one way or another.
"Get … Leslie…" Barbara passed out from pain and exhaustion.
"Damn it!" Helena looked around the room for anything, an idea, suggestion, anything at all. She truly didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave her. They definitely couldn't go outside. Her options seemed empty. Just then, like always, Alfred came to her rescue.
Startled as he entered the room, Alfred dropped his bag and hurried to Barbara's side. "What Happened?
Miss Helena?" He took Barbara's arm and checked her pulse.
"Someone got in. He had her in her room. He was kicking her and shoving pills in her mouth….and…"
"It's alright. I'm going for Leslie. Try and wake her." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vile of smelling salt. Then got up to leave.
Helena grabbed his arm. She was afraid. The last time she'd felt this was with her mother's murder. "Hurry back Alfred."
"I will Miss Helena."
She placed the open vile under Barbara's nose. "Come on Oracle. We need you. I need you. I can't do this alone. Oracle? ORACLE? Damn it Barbara!" She gave her cheek two quick slaps.
"Don't call me that." Barbara opened her eyes.
Smiling, Helena moved back. "What? Barbara? It's your name."
"Oracle. Don't call me Oracle." She looked away from Helena.
"Hey guys!" Dinah's typically innocent and chipper voice preceded her as she flowed into the living room. Upon seeing Barbara and Helena on the couch, she moved toward them a little faster. "What happened?"
"Someone broke in and Alfred was out and I was…"
"Is she alright?"
"Hello? I am right here and can hear you two. I'm fine…urghhh…" She grabbed her stomach again. "Well except for that."
"He was kicking her and shoving pills into her mouth I shouldn't have…"
"Helena stop. You stopped him. That's what matters. Of course, I'd have preferred it if you were just a little earlier. It's at least official, feeling is returning to my back. I'm so glad."
"You're funny Barbara." Helena hated when Barbara made jokes about herself.
"Where is the guy?" Dinah reminded Helena of the unfinished business in the bedroom.
"Oh. I almost forgot. He's still in the bedroom. We'd better secure him before he wakes up." Helena got up.
"Jesse is on his way. Let him take care of it Helena. We've got some talking to do here." Dinah was more matter of fact than usual. This whole situation was making her do some quick growing up.
Helena placed a small pillow under Barbara's head and sat on the floor beside her. She too had assumed a new role. The role of a true team player, maybe even a family member. As she looked up at Dinah's serious face then over to Barbara, she felt deep love and responsibility for these people. "Let's have it kiddo."
"Barbara. You need to pull it together. I can't, for the life of me, even pretend to know what it feels like to be in your situation. The pain, physically and emotionally, you must feel I can't even imagine. There are some things though, the helplessness, the fear, the defeat….those things, I get. I think we all get those things. It's not just you. When my foster dad would come home, I knew it was just a matter of time before he would be blasting through my door to do whatever came to mind. Mostly he'd just yell, but there were times, more times than I care to think about, that he'd just start swinging. It never lasted more than a couple of minutes, but for a child, a skinny little scared girl, a couple of minutes was an eternity. All I could do was lay there and take it. I couldn't move, for fear he'd think I was resisting." She didn't even tear up as she spoke to Helena and Barbara, but surprisingly, Helena did. "Sure, I know what you're about to say, 'at least you could run or get up and crawl into bed when it was finished.' True, but that didn't make it better and it didn't fix the problem. Barbara, you're the strongest, smartest, most amazing person I've ever met. You've changed my life and I'm sure Helena feels the same. You need to pull it together. Put all you have left into getting better. Help us. You are our only hope."
All three just sat in silence. No eye contact was made. Dinah just plopped down on the opposing couch and ran her fingers through her hair.
"When I first moved in with Barbara, it was a hard time for both of us. My mom had just been killed and Barbara…Barbara had just come home from being shot and finding out she'd never be able to walk again. I never really gave it much thought at that time. She was always working out. Trainers came and went and really I just watched in amazement. In my eyes, there was nothing she couldn't do. I always felt safe with her. Then one night, I couldn't sleep or something. It was one of those few times I'd call out and just want my mom. I got up and went to Barbara's room. The door was cracked open, so I just sneaked through intent on just lying at the foot of her bed or sitting in the big chair by her bed. Instead, as the door opened, I noticed Barbara's wheelchair empty and as I looked further, I saw she was on the floor beside her bed. I didn't know what to do. I had invaded her privacy. I was sure she'd be mad at me for not knocking, but I couldn't just leave her there, so I ran in and picked her up and put her on her bed. Fixing her legs in front of her, I turned to get her chair. I didn't look back I just apologized. She never said a word. The next day, she seemed fine. She didn't talk about the night before and she didn't act strange. I wasn't sure what had happened. Had I dreamt it all? Had I…"
"No, it wasn't a dream Helena. Looking back, it's a little funny. I spent my days learning how to fend off any villain that threatened me. I became stronger and stronger and threw myself into my 'therapy' so to speak, but I always had trouble getting into that bed. Rather than admit it and have Alfred bring a new bed or fix that one, I'd go through the same thing just about 3 or 4 times per week. Sometimes I'd make it fine, but other times, like that night, I'd fall. I didn't talk about it the next day because it was humiliating and didn't make any sense. I had a responsibility to you and to your mom. I had to get through it. Right now, I just feel different because when the Joker shot me, I had someone to blame. It made getting through it easier. Right now all I see is how this is all my own fault. I have no one to blame but me."
"Barbara. If it weren't for you, I'd still be hypnotized and God knows what would have happened. You brought down Harley. What about all the mistakes I've made in the past? You're the only hope we have."
"Jesse has tried everything he can to make a copy of your disc and I'm completely exhausted from fighting…not to mention you being attacked."
Barbara struggled and groaned as she sat up. Helena moved to help her, "No. I'm up. I'm up."
"You're killing me Barbara."
"Dinah. You're right. It's my responsibility. It's just really hard. Things won't be the same this time. Still, as I was having my stomach kicked through my back tonight, I determined, it's harder to sit around and NOT do anything to just get over myself and help."
"So I spilled my guts for no reason." Dinah smiled and sat down beside Barbara.
"No. It wasn't for nothing." Helena went to Dinah. "You've changed so much in such a short time. You two are my family. Thank you for sharing." Turning from Dinah Helena looked hopefully to Barbara. "So, you'll help us Barbara?"
"I will, but please tell me Alfred is getting Leslie. All pity, joking, begging and calmness aside, I'm in a lot of pain and I'm going to need a lot of help from you two. I won't be able to do this physically. You'll have to be my…body…."
"But…"
"Dinah, we'll deal with the physical side of Barbara after we fix this mess. We don't have time now."
"K. I'm going to get you some water. Are you hungry?" Her youthfulness kicking in, Dinah jumped up.
"I'm not really up for food, but water would be great. There are some pills in my room. I need a couple."
"Oh crap! I have a bit of a mess to clean up in there. I almost forgot."
Just then Jesse walked in. "Hey girls. All of you? What a treat!"
"Hey Reese. I need your help in the bedroom." Helena knew what came out of her mouth was going to elicit giggles. Sure enough, Dinah snorted and went to get Barbara some water.