"Sir, you can't leave. Where are you going? Sir?"

His head was swimming. He could barely stand, but he felt trapped in confusion as he lay in the hospital bed. He felt as if it were robbing him of his mind. Barbara Gordon. Clock tower. Oracle. It was all jumbled, but ever-present. If he could just get out, maybe it would come back.

Wade passed a table of bandages and alcohol and grabbed an armful as he left the hospital. Tightly cradling his stomach, he entered the chaos of the new New Gotham. Like a scared animal, he wasted no time, but began running for shelter.

"Yah. We're on it Dinah. Actually, I just spoke to a nurse who said a man with a stomach injury just grabbed an armful of bandages and ran out of the hospital."

"Why didn't she stop him?" Dinah drove faster toward the New Gotham hospital.

"Too many people. They can't keep up."

"It has to be him. Oh my God I didn't really think he could be alive, but it's got to be him!" The more she thought about the possibility of Wade being alive, the faster she drove.

"Dinah. Don't get your hopes up. And more importantly don't tell Barbara and Helena. Not yet."

"I know, I know."

Wade stumbled along the street trying to avoid contact with trouble. He finally set his sights on New Gotham Park. It seemed likely for some reason. Though it was fully in his view, it seemed as if he'd never reach the green grass he could see in the distance. Finally nearing the park, he could feel a familiarity. The shade of the trees gave him respite from the heat. He could feel that he had reached his limit for the day and would need a place to get some rest. There was a picnic table in the distance. As he neared the table, he could almost hear the past; or something?

"Wade. I don't normally let people push me."

"Since this requires you to close your eyes, you're gonna have to let me drive."

He heard the words as clear as day, but what did they mean? Climbing up, he lay down on top of the picnic table and drifted off to sleep.

…

"How was the workout Ms. Barbara?" Alfred had tea and coffee waiting for the two girls as they came out of the gym.

"Fine Alfred. I'd like to take a shower." Barbara looked at Helena.

"Good idea! Meet back here for tea or something? I'll have some of that smelly salve you used to rub on me all ready for you."

"Sounds good." Barbara sighed and looked down at herself in the wheelchair and considered the fact that she knew she couldn't make it to her room and into the bath alone. She'd eventually need help. But she couldn't ask. Not then. Instead, she lifted each arm arms still shaking from the workout, slowly to the hand rims and began pushing herself.

Helena nearly kicked herself as she pushed the button to the elevator. "Babs, I'm sor…well, unless you've got this yourself." She was surprised to see Barbara even attempting to push herself.

"Could you…"

"No, sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's fine. I just haven't got the strength….
"Barbara it's fine, you worked so hard…"

"Yet." Barbara interrupted.

Helena placed a hand on the back of the wheelchair and helped Barbara into the bathroom to shower. A smile slightly spread across her face knowing she'd made progress that day.

…

His dreams were different tonight. Full of strange images; faces he didn't recognize, but somehow knew. There was a strange room full of computers, a classroom, a woman with blonde hair that seemed a bit off. The dreams didn't make sense, most dreams don't, but as he woke up that morning to the bright sun shining on his face, one face stuck in his mind. She had beautiful red hair, beautiful eyes full of life, and a wry smile. He sat up, a little more sure of himself. His stomach still wrenched in pain. Still, as he lifted his shirt, it seemed that there was no residual bleeding. He began to walk, in search of something that would lead him to knowledge of what his next step should be.

His first day out of the hospital would be faced head on with two clues. The name Barbara and a lady with red hair.

The sky began to grow dark with cloud cover. As the wind began to blow, Dinah's vision was becoming limited. "It's gonna rain Reese. I'm going to go home for the night. If it was him, he'll have to find shelter when the rain starts. Maybe you could send someone around to check the shelters."

"Good thinking. I'll be around later. Tell Helena I'll see her then."

"K!" Dinah turned toward home feeling a little defeated, but not completely far from hope. She truly believed Wade was alive. Climbing back into the Hummer, she was startled at the sound of Barbara's voice coming over the console receiver.

"Dinah? Helena?" The reception was a little static, but music to Dinah's ears.

"Oracle? It's me, Dinah. How are you…"

"It's just a start Dinah. This isn't a secure link by any means. Lose the codenames."

"Sorry. So, what's up?"

"What's your twenty? What are you working on?"

Communication between the clocktower and any of Gotham's team of vigilantes had been cut off for so long, Dinah almost launched right into an explanation which would have included the fact that she and Jesse had spent the night searching for Wade. She luckily caught herself and focused. Mostly. "I…umm… I… am just out cleaning up a little more out here. The broadcast seems to have cleared most of the pandemonium up. There were just a couple of fights. Nothing big. What are you doing up? Didn't Hel…"

"Yes, she kicked my ass today. I'm pretty spent, but I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd work on getting a start on the com system. Are you on your way home?"

"Yah. ETA 5 minutes. Need anything?"

"Yah, actually. Help!" Barbara just laughed at her situation. She sent Alfred to bed and Helena was asleep on the couch taking a desperately needed rest. Her wheelchair was getting the best of her.

"Be there in a sec. Where's Helena?" Dinah turned into the underground garage.

"I'm losing you. Out."

Communication was cut and Dinah was smiling. For some time, she wasn't sure if there was any hope at all, but right then, she knew there was.

"What's up Barbara? It was great to hear you in the Hummer. For so many reasons. Because you…"

"Dinah? Can we do this after you help me?" Sensing one of Dinah's bursts of endless banter, Barbara cut her off.

"Oh. Sorry. What do you need?"

"Um. Just help me back into my chair and into the bathroom. I can take it from there." She locked eyes with Dinah as she directed her to get a feel for how she'd accept this. Surprisingly, she just went on like it was a normal part of their everyday life. Barbara just chalked it up to being a teenager.

"K. Sounds easy enough. On three then?" Then came the previously avoided flood of banter as she helped Barbara.

"It's just that I was right in the middle of feeling exhausted and hopeless, even though your program seems to have fixed things, and then you came over the car com and I just felt better; safe."

Barbara just smiled, knowing that there was some semblance of truth to what Dinah was saying. She was also smiling at the love she felt for Dinah, like a mom almost at times. Just seeing her grow and change and become a grown woman. If she could just separate herself from the physical pain, she could be happy from time to time.

…

"Mr. Brixton?" Wade was startled as he heard his name come out of a dark alley nearby.

"Who's that?" Weeks of wandering around had given him a sense of security; a sense of strength. His wounds had healed. Still, there were all these questions. Questions that kept him wandering the streets instead of in the warmth of his home. Questions that he desperately wanted answers to.

"Brent. Brent Spinner. New Gotham…"

"Oh. Brent…"

"You lost Mr. Brixton?"

"Ummm… yah, sort of . I …"

"I get it. Lots of people in your shoes actually. Let's get something to eat. I might be able to help you a little."

"I don't…"

"It's cool. Just come with me." The two made their way to a small apartment complex down the street from the park Wade had been calling home for the past few weeks.

Things were almost the same at the clocktower. Barbara and Helena had been working themselves silly trying to get Barbara back to her normal self.

"I'll be down in a second Helena." Coms were back up around the clocktower. Things seemed back to normal. "Thanks Dinah." Barbara reached down and moved her feet back into place.

"No problem. Need help to the gym?"

"I'd like to…I mean…I…Helena can wait for the hour it'll take me to get there myself. I think I can make it." The two of them laughed as Dinah opened the door for Barbara who slowly, but surely made her way into the hallway.

Remembering back seven years ago to when she was first in therapy, Barbara pictured the clunky hospital chair and the trouble she had learning to get around in it. Still, it was easier than this and a lot less painful. Just at the end of the hall, she was almost entirely out of breath.

Dinah had gone down the stairs, but listened intently for a quiet request from Barbara. She didn't mind helping, but secretly hoped Barbara could do it herself.

Barbara too hoped she wouldn't have to call for help, but as she reached up for the elevator button, longing for her electric chair which had a button that could open the doors remotely, she found she was already starting to shake a little.

"She's doing it on her own isn't she?" Helena had given up waiting for Barbara and was sitting down to a newly opened bottle of water beside Dinah. She set one on the table beside the couch the two were lounging on knowing they'd be joined shortly.

"Yah. You guys are doing so great. I just heard the elevator. She made it all the way today."

"Not until she's here drinking this water." Helena smiled at the progress they'd made in just a few weeks.

"You're a slave driver Helena!"

"Yah? You should have seen the things she put me through in those first days as Huntress."

The elevator door opened to reveal a very determined Barbara.

"Need some help?"

"Oh no. I've got it. You guys just relax. I'll be there in a week!"

Helena and Dinah laughed, both feeling proud of their friend. Both hoping, in the very back of their mind, that nothing would come along to spoil the progress. Both knowing how possible that very instance was.

Feeling the metal slip through her hands, Barbara gave one last push with all she had and let her chair run into the side of the couch. "Yes," she said, trying not to sound too excited, but secretly feeling a sense of accomplishment.

"Wooooo Hooooo!" The girls didn't hold back for a second.

"You know it's alright to feel a little excited." Helena took the top of the bottle of water and handed it to Barbara.

"Thanks. It's not that big of a deal really."

"Are you kidding? That's first time you've made it this far."

"Yah. I guess I just feel stupid. I mean I feel like a baby or something."

"Well, before we dive head-first into that pity pool again, you've got more work ahead of you." Helena jumped back up and grabbed the back of the wheelchair and hurried toward the gym.