3.
Gotham General...
Athena stared at the screaming man in utter disbelief, arms crossed over her chest and navy blue scrub top which was in a serious state of wear. She narrowed her eyes and inquired for the sixth time, "So...you were attacked by a giant bat? What part of that do you expect me to believe?"
The prophet eyes bulged and he pulled against the steel handcuffs that held him to the stretcher. "I swear! He attacked me! I'm not crazy!"
Athena's eyebrow inched upward and she looked to the nurse at her side. Unsure of whether she should go ahead and order a head scan and drug test, or not. It was commonly accepted that Batman was real in Gotham.
Yet, she didn't want to look like she was his biggest fan.
"LaWanda, go ahead and send some blood-work to the lab for drug testing and a head scan for any brain abnormalities or injury."
The thirty something single mother with dozens and dozens of cornrows glanced at Athena, "What if the loser really was attacked by that thing?"
Athena shrugged, "Who cares. I don't want the hospital getting sued because I didn't exhaust all possible means to make sure the nut is ok. It's not my problem who he gets beaten by, it's my problem to make sure he receives the best medical treatment."
LaWanda looked over at Negly and giggled.
He thrust a finger at her, "Do not laugh in the presence of greatness!"
She then looked to Athena, "Speaking of which, Lieutenant Gordon is out in the waiting room waiting for you. Plus another detective waiting to see loser-boy here."
Athena sighed. She glanced at her watch and then wrote down some notes on the chart. "Send the labs out and send him up to Radiology. Have them page me when the scan is done, or when the lab results come in." She then ducked out of the curtain and wandered over to the nurses station. With a peek at her beeper which was on vibrate and then at her cell phone, which had no new calls, no new messages and no new texts. She was free to talk to the cops.
She pointed to Detective Flass who was speaking to Lieutenant Gordon, "You can go speak with Mr. Negly real quick before he's sent up to Radiology. He's getting a head scan and a drug test, he claims to have been attacked by that Batman."
Flass hesitated, unsure whether he wanted to leave her alone with Gordon, then he remembered Gordon knew he was dirty, and it wouldn't be a shock if she told him anything.
Off he went to go question Negly.
"What can I do for you Lieutenant?"
Gordon gave her a tired smile and tried not to yawn. He then pulled a piece of paper from his worn duster. "Sorry to bother you Athena, I wanted to bring this by and I had a couple questions to ask." He handed her the picture, a mug-shot of a young white teenage male, obviously high.
"He robbed a hospital over in Glenwood and in Riverdale, some reports have put him around here, so I wanted to warn you."
She nodded, "I'll make copies and post them around."
The beeper in her coat went off.
Quickly she checked it, OB. She had sent two women up. One woman was going to give birth sometime soon, and the other had delivered in the automatic doors of the ER.
"Have you spoken to your brother recently," he quickly questioned.
She shook her head, "Not since Friday when he came over for dinner. Why?"
"Your father is missing and we'd like to question your brother, and we are having problems locating him."
"Give me your card," she told him, whipping out her cell phone and dialing the OB floor.
He gave her his card and she wrote down her brother's private cell number. Then got a nurse on her cell, "This is Athena down in the ER, I was just paged."
She handed him the card as she put the phone against her neck, "Tell him I gave it to you and if there's a problem to call me."
Lieutenant Gordon gave her a weary smile, exhausted. "Thank you."
"That's his private number so use it in emergency times only, and be nice." She then put the phone to her ear and waved to the retreating cop.
Meanwhile...
Batman knelt in the corner of the balcony of Paul's hotel room. He worked the lock as if it were a first grade puzzle. The door opened without much effort. Though it was a penthouse on the twentieth floor, so there was some thought it would be more difficult to be broken into.
It was a keen thought.
Batman strolled into the room, sore.
Paul had been training. He had been learning martial arts and knife work, he was learning but he certainly not a novice, but Batman was better. Still he had taken a few well placed kicks, punches, and thank God his suit was well constructed.
He'd definitely be taking something to help him get around when he got home.
First he had some work to do.
He looked over the contents of Paul's closet, his dresser and then he found a loaded gun, it was in the dresser drawer.
With a mental note he closed the drawer.
Then he spotted a briefcase on the floor against a wall. Batman went to it and saw put it on the bed. Opened it. There were many papers inside. Quickly he thumbed through them. Finding paper after paper on Batman. Nothing correct, nothing even closely related to Bruce Wayne.
He also found copied police reports from most Batman's run ins with the authorities.
Then there were newspaper articles about Batman.
When he looked at the pockets on the side he found receipts, money, and a contract.
Paul was looking for Batman. He was just looking in all the wrong places.
5:45...
"Let me guess, you were attacked by the Batman too?"
Paul smiled at Athena as she unwrapped the apple slices Alfred had cut up for her, she was seated on a empty stretcher, enjoying a few moments of silence, that had been until he peaked his head in.
Paul made a face, "Well yeah, but I'm not here about that."
She made a noise that could have meant anything and munched contentedly on her apple.
"You have seen Batman?"
She munched, "Says who?"
He held up a police report. She looked it over, seeing it was from when Dr. Jonathan Crane had broken into her previous clinic. Then she shrugged, "So what."
"I'd like to talk to you about it."
With a laugh she swallowed the fruit she had been eating.
LaWanda's head peeked in the curtain, "There's a trauma coming in. Man with multiple stab wounds. He's fine minutes out by bus."
Athena nodded and hurriedly chewed on the rest of her snack.
"So?"
She spoke with her mouth full, "So what. I saw a man dressed up. Big freakin deal. If you don't mind I have a minute to eat my apple, wash my hands, and get outside." She then looked him over, "You should go see your primary care physician, looks like someone kicked your ass."
Paul gave her a perfect smile, "Why don't I see you?"
With a massive bite of apple, "No. It's not an emergency. Don't waste my time."
8:19...
"Holy Mother of Bon Jovi, Bruce, did you ask for someone to kick your ass or what? This looks like a foot print."
"Mmmmmm."
"Did someone jump on your back, or what?"
Another moan was his answer.
She smiled and continued to thoroughly rub his bruised and tight muscled back. With a shake of her head she gently massaged the bruised area's between his massive shoulder blades. Finding her hands looked tiny in the broad expanse of his back. With some gentle scratching of his skin beneath her long nails, she noted the curling of his toes.
"I think you may need a hot bath...maybe we should invest in a hot tub."
"Yeah...sounds good," he managed, his first words in a good twenty minutes. Unable to do more then move his lips. Having her seated on his bottom while she massaged his bruised back and shoulders, it was the best torture he had ever experienced.
"Do you want a happy-ending?"
All she got was a moan in response.