CHAPTER 14

"I know. I know. Quit nagging Dinah. We'll get there on time. I just want to check up on Wade." Helena and Dinah were on their way to meet Reese to hand off some presents Barbara had decided the GCPD couldn't do without; just a few things to make her communication with the law a little easier.

"You mean you're checking up on Barbara. She'll come when she feels up to it." Dinah was distracted trying to focus on the road as she drove the two of them toward the hospital.

"Yah. That's what worries me. She was so cooperative yesterday, so open. It's all too easy." Helena kept her eyes peeled on the street for any sign of Barbara who, she was sure, would try to go to Wade's side without them.

As Helena continued to insist on Barbara's guilt, it began making sense to Dinah as well. "You don't think she's using the…"

"Welcome Dinah. And she says you're the sharp one of the bunch."

With a roll of her eyes, Dinah stepped on the gas understanding Helena's insistence on checking the hospital.

…

Old habits die hard, Barbara thought to herself as she pulled up to the hospital and began lifting her legs one by one out of the car. Though the transponder and pill duo seemed to be working splendidly, it took her a minute of standing, aided by the car door, to get her footing solid enough to start toward the building. At first her steps were calculated and slow, looking back at the car with each bit of progress. Then, taking a deep breath, she confidently entered the building and made for the front desk.

"Yes. Wade Brixton's room please." She nervously tapped the counter top as she waited for the nurse to return.

"I'm sorry Ma'am. It looks as if he just checked out." The nurse's records showed Wade as having just checked out of the hospital instead of having left on his own hours earlier. "You're welcome to look around. He could still be waiting for pick up in his room or outside."

"Thank you." Goody. I get to hunt for him. Just what I need. Though she was getting used to it, the occasional pain that shot from her neck to her feet when she turned sharply, caught her off guard.

After making the journey up to his room and to the front of the hospital, she decided he was gone. She had missed him. All the pain, hard work, lying to Alfred and the girls, for nothing. Lets just hope I haven't zapped my nerves too much this time. It had only been an hour since she had made the connection with the transponder, a much shorter run than she had planned for. Still, she didn't want to push her luck, so she began heading back toward the car.

"That's strange." Just as she left through the side door of the hospital, Barbara began noticing the pain leaving her legs. More than that, they were beginning to feel numb. "This is just typical. 100 yards from the car and it's going to crap out on me." She began walking faster as the distance between her and the car closed in.

…

"Mr. Brixton seems to be a popular one today." The nurse held Wade's record in the air motioning to Helena that it was close at hand.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a lady was just in here looking for him. Red hair. Seemed nervous."

I'm on it Helena." Dinah ran toward the front of the hospital to look for any sign that Barbara was there.

I told her he had checked out and that she could look around for him", the nurse continued.

"Checked out?" Helena was as confused as everyone that day had been with Wade's departure from the hospital.

"His records show that he checked out this morning."

"How long ago was the lady here?" Helena began leaving as the nurse answered her.

"Maybe fifteen minutes?"

With that, Helena made her way out the side door, unfortunately for Barbara who had just began feeling the signs that her scheme was not going to end up the way she planned. Still, she had no idea it might even be worse than just the transponder giving out.

Helena spotted her as she crossed the sidewalk in the middle of the parking lot. "Barbara!"

Barbara turned quickly upon hearing her name. "Really bad day just got worse", she said with a sigh.

"Helena? Just go home. I'll be right behind…"

"No! I can't believe you." She reached for Barbara's arm.

"Don't Helena! Leave me alone", Barbara scolded as she hit Helena's arm away and threw her right hand up toward Helena's face.

Caught off guard by a blow coming from the hand of a friend, the punch connected solidly with Helena's jaw. "Ughhh…are you kidding me right now? You hit me!"

"And I'll do it again. Leave now!" Barbara turned away, stumbling slightly as she stepped off the curb and felt her knees weaken.

Helena, seeing her falter, jumped near and took hold of Barbara's waist. Whereupon she was met with another blow, a backward elbow to her eye.

"Alright. That's enough of that. Legs or no legs, you're going down!" Despite attempts, albeit feeble, to hold back her anger, Helena felt her eyes change and emotion take over.

Barbara responded by turning toward Helena and landing a kick to her ribs. "I don't need your lectures right now. Just stop!"

"Too late!" Helena jumped forward, spun around and landed a back kick to Barbara's chest, throwing the older woman back considerably.

Surprisingly, to both women, Barbara held her stature. "Come on Helena. You've been wanting this to happen. No more talking. Hit me. Tell me I'm wrong by beating me up. Solve this Huntress' way. Hurt me!" Barbara now walked toward a poised Helena, armed with an Escrima stick in each hand.

"You started this. Not me." Though Helena was clearly holding back, her repeated kicks were taking their toll.

Just as Barbara took a final step toward Helena, both girls were thrown back ten feet, each hitting parked cars.

"Are you two serious? Helena? What? Were you going to beat her until her legs gave out? And you", Dinah turned angrily toward Barbara, "how long did you think you would last against Helena and why are you using that transponder? I am sick of this game. I've even forgotten what it's all about. From the looks of it, so have you." Having said all she wanted to, Dinah stormed back across the parking lot toward the Hummer leaving the other two girls dumbfounded where they had landed.

She is very right, Barbara thought to herself. "Ugghh…" Her legs began to shake; which at this point, was not a welcomed sign.

"Someone needs to give her a refresher course on telekinetic etiquette. I think I may actually be hurt over here." Helena shook her head to get her bearings and felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder. "Barbara? You listening?" She focused on Barbara who was leaning up against a car thirty or more feet away in much the same position as she was.

Barbara was shaken by the force of her body hitting the frame of the car and had yet to assess any physical damage apart from the pain and shaking in her legs and back. I guess I really pissed her off. She thought to herself glaring over at Helena. She's apparently just going to sit over there. I don't want her help anyway. "Come on Barbara. On three then….one, two, three…" She was slowly able to get her legs underneath her and begin pulling herself up using the rear-view-mirror above her.

Helena didn't have quite as much luck. The slightest movement of her left arm, in a futile effort to get off the ground, told her that her shoulder was definitely dislocated; she wouldn't be getting up on her own. She looked over and noticed Barbara standing with the aid of the car. It was clear she was sharing the painful realization that Dinah had won this battle.

"Hel? You have a point. Note to self, she is dangerous when she's pissed! I could use a little hel…"

"Nothing doin' you stubborn jerk!" Helena yelled across the lot.

"Come on Helena. I am admitting I was wrong to …."

"Not the point Barbara. My shoulder is dislocated. I don't think I CAN get up."

"Are you kidding me?" Barbara asked confused, as her last hope for a strong shoulder to lean on, verbally admitted defeat.

"Yes Barbara, as funny as this situation is, I am kidding." She yelled in her most sarcastic voice. "I am enjoying watching you torture yourself though."

"Stalemate then?" Barbara let out a sigh followed by a slight whine as she leaned up against the car.

"Check!" Helena agreed. " We are kind of screwed."

…

"You what? They what? Dinah, where are they now? What is happening?" Reese yelled into his new comlink.

"You know you don't have to hold the com link directly to your mouth and yell right? It's got pretty strong sensors." Dinah continued driving toward home, not really giving much thought to the state in which she left Barbara and Helena. In her mind, they deserved whatever pain they were experiencing.

"Not the point Dinah."

"Reese, you are more than welcome to run to their aid, but I think they will survive and might even learn something if we let them figure it out on their own."

"On any other day, I might agree with you, but now is not the time to leave them helpless."

"I'm telling Helena you think she is helpless." Dinah just laughed with no intention of going back to help.

"Reese out!" Annoyed with the teenager's reasoning, he sped off.

…

"Damn it!" Barbara slammed her hands down on the hood of the car as her first steps after Dinah's toss faltered. She then turned to go to Helena. Her movements were everything but steady and graceful. Half way there, she knew she was going to have to suck it up. Luckily, the realization hit at the same time as the last surge of the transponder fled her body and she grabbed the handle of the Hummer that had brought her to this completely fruitless point and time. Recognizing her fingerprint signature, the door popped open. Necessity forcing her to pull herself into the front seat, she dragged the body of her chair into position and secured the wheels once again. "This counts as a week's workout!" She could feel her heart beating faster and faster between every labored breath. Lowering herself into the chair and placing her feet on the rest, she actually felt a little satisfaction. As the effects of the pill dissipated, she shoved her chair back from the door and went to help Helena.

"That was impressive Barbara!" Helena calmly commented.

Barbara was startled as she looked up to see Helena standing in front of her holding her shoulder. "How long have you been there?"

Helena smiled, "Long enough."

"If I weren't dying here, I'd try my hardest to kill you!"

"Oh Barbara, don't you remember? We're the good guys. We don't kill. Annoying isn't it?" Taking a step forward, Helena discovered a couple other possible injuries.

"Funny Helena. Is it just your shoulder? Looks like you're having trouble walking. Just sit down." Despite being utterly furious, Barbara was anxious to help Helena for a change after the past few weeks.

Helena allowed her body to thud on the edge of the sidewalk and braced herself for the jolt of setting her arm back into place. As she inhaled, she felt the painful, albeit quick, pressure on her shoulder. Much to her dismay, she let out a slight whine. Quickly her eyes darted up toward Barbara who she'd fully expected to be smirking and even enjoying a temporarily weakened Huntress. Instead, Barbara just pushed back and went to get back into the Hummer.

"Hey!" Helena stood up, massaging her shoulder. "That's it? You've nothing else to say to me?"

Barbara spun quickly around in her chair to face her confused friend. "No. Not right now Helena. I need to think. I need to be…"

"Alone? Well, I don't think that's a good idea. Let me help you find him Barbara."

"I don't want to find him. It's too late! Now you can either ride with me back to the clocktower or walk. Makes no difference."

Helena paused briefly. Though it was uncharacteristic of her, she had, in the past few weeks, been doing a lot of reasoning in her own mind; thinking before acting impulsively. Thinking through this situation told her that if she were going to get anything across to Barbara, now would be the time and it would have to be by going along with her for the time being. "Fine. But we're not finished with this."

Both women knew a long, deep talk was inevitable. Barbara focused on getting back into the vehicle. "Fine. And if you're riding with me, either sit in the backseat or break down the chair and put it in the back."

Helena waited for Barbara to get situated then disassembled the chair and tossed its parts into the back seat.