Thank you for the support! This isn't edited – as usual, haha. :) - D
I walked towards Arkham with a hesitation. What if we didn't learn anything from this? What if he was just wearing a mask for theatrics? I exhaled. This needs to be done, regardless. It's too late turn around. Walking into the asylum I met the two guards who escorted me to the Infirmary the day before. My hands fiddled with the straps on my messenger bag as we walked. I had enough time to tighten the strap and before I knew it we were there. Was that walk shorter this time? I glanced behind us then in front of us as we turned the corner. My eyes widened at the sight inside of the Infirmary. What the hell? The Infirmary was brimming with people. At least 20 - maybe more. Each one was wearing scrubs, chatting and interacting with each other with huge cheery smiles. Just watching them gave me a twinge of anxiety in my gut. I hated ass kissing. I am running this show. I make the shots. I can be ruthless. No need to be friendly. I entered after a guard unlocked the door for me.
"Here she is," Bruce cheered, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into the shark pool with him. Selina narrowed her eyes as I looked at the faces around me. I didn't ask for this shit. I narrowed my eyes back for a brief second. "Holly, this is everyone," he joked, gesturing to the people surrounding us. He told me each of their names, but I wasn't listening. Each name briefly entered my mind, just long enough for me to hear it before it casually slipped out. I didn't care to know them anyway. I smiled politely, not wanting to seem totally heartless.
"How's Bane?" I asked, as everyone fell back into mum conversation, realizing that I wasn't up for chatting. My eyes glanced at the vault door.
"Unconscious in the makeshift OR," Lucius stated, walking up to us from in between two staff members. His caramel colored skin had a beautiful contrast against his sea green colored scrubs, his honey brown eyes crinkling as he smiled at me. If I had to choose another dream dad, aside from Gordon, it had to be Lucius Fox. "Took almost three horse tranquilizers, but we knocked him out." He gave me a grin that I could only classify as mischievous.
"That's all?" I asked jokingly. Lucius and Bruce both gave a laugh.
"I think Lucius enjoyed it too much. He had this priceless look on his face the entire time. I wish I could have recorded it," Bruce added.
"I don't know why I haven't dabbled much in medical science," Lucius said, as if he were only speaking to himself. I never understood that either, the knee replacements that he designed for Bruce were exquisite. "Everyone always whines to me about how amazing my job must be, I can finally tell them about one that's even better than mine." He patted my shoulder lightly.
"Surgery and the medical field, in general, is very exciting," I agreed. It's a fucking rush. Holding a life in your hands, repairing a body to make it work again, the complexity, the simplicity…. My job never got old. There was always something new and different to do. Like operating on maniacs who wear masks. I pulled the messenger bag off of my shoulder and held it in the same hand as my duffel bag. "Where is my room that I requested?" I just needed a moment alone. There were so many people in that Infirmary, it was making my head spin.
"Room two. Room one is the operating room, Selina and I are in room three, Lucius is in room four, and the recovery room has been designated to room five," Bruce answered, directing me down a hallway to the left of the nurse's station. There were five other rooms heading the opposite way. We're having a sleepover in an asylum, who knew!? I inched my way through the horde of people and passed by room one, staring at the number on the door.
I opened the door to room two and stopped in the door way. Bruce had brought in actual beds, dressers, and mini-fridges. I rolled my eyes and sat my bags down on the bed. Brand new linens too? I shook my head and glanced at my watch. 2:50. I pulled out the bottles of water I brought and opened the mini-fridge. My eyes grew at the unexpected surprise: cans of coke, bottles of water, containers of fruits, and sandwiches. Damn, Bruce. I shoved the bottles in next to the other ones and retrieved my faithful yellow star patterned scrub cap with a black background. I sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing the fabric in between my hands. I closed my eyes for a moment, calming my nerves. It was time to put my gear on and head into battle. I was going to be in charge of someone's life in about ten minutes. I let the rush ease itself down my body, all the way down to my toes. Calmly, I ran by the steps in my mind: get the mask off, get him on oxygen, assess his situation or situations, get him x-rays, reconstruct what I can, close him up, and get him into recovery. I hope it's not a lost cause. Bruce had a cadaver ready in the morgue in case I had to do a complete face transplant. I was hoping I wasn't going to have to. I hated face transplants. My palms beaded with sweat at the thought. It'll be okay. I pulled the scrub cap over my tight bun and stood. It'll be okay. It's just another person. Right?
When I finally decided to face the music, I was met with a joyful Bruce, already in his gown. A nurse held open a gown for me and stood before me, silently insisting I put it on. "I need to wash my hands first," I told her, trying my best not to sound rude.
"You can over here," called out a voice. There were way too many people. It was wearing on my already thin nerves. I stalked through the crowd, clenching and unclenching my jaw. I scrubbed my hands with anger, washing all the way up to my elbows. I could feel them all breathing down my neck. A pair of hands thrusted a roll of paper towels into my face as I pushed the faucet off with my elbow. My brow furrowed as I snatched them without a thank you. The same pushy nurse met me with the gown as I turned around. I know I need to put a fucking gown on. I put my arms through it and had a different pair of hands help shove my gloves on. This enthusiasm was going to kill me. Room one opened for me as I approached the door. Pulling my face mask on, I stared at the motionless Bane, unable to take my eyes off of him. Some deep part of me thought he was going to wake up at any moment and start wailing on us all. The state he was in didn't look right for a man of his size. They had tried to find the biggest bed manageable for him, but it still wasn't big enough. I took a quick glance of the people in the room, two assistants, two back-up assistants, the anesthesiologist, and Bruce Wayne. Wait, Bruce Wayne? I raised an eyebrow at him as I stepped up to Bane. The only noise was the soft hum of the machines and the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor.
"Is it alright if I stay?" Bruce asked quietly, as if Bane were just sleeping and not knocked unconscious from three horse tranquilizers.
"I don't see why I not," I answered with a shrug. Had he been all 'amazing' to me, like most women thought he was, I probably would have said no, just because I wouldn't want the distraction. Thank God I'm not most women. I cracked my knuckles and leaned my head back, rotating it on my neck. It was show time.
"Diamond blade," I requested, holding my hand out as I stared down at the mask. Lucius had requested that we use a few of his new inventions in this surgery. I didn't thank anyone as the wand was placed in my hand. It was a long wand with a diamond like saw coming out of it. It looked violent, all serrated and gleaming under the light above us. I held the blade against the mask, just at the upward turn of Bane's jaw. "Get suction and gauze ready," I ordered. Because, I have no fucking idea what Pandora 's Box we're about to open, ladies – and Bruce.
"It's supposed to be like a saw," Bruce whispered. "Press the red button down." There was an audible click as I pushed it in. It made a soft humming noise, blending in with the rest of the medical equipment. The blade moved back and forth wildly. I definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. I inhaled deeply and pushed it against the mask. It met some resistance, creating a snarling metallic noise. I pushed the blade on it with greater force. Come on you piece of shit. I watched, very carefully as the blade ripped into the metal. Steadying a hand on the mask below where I was cutting, I waited to feel the break. I didn't want to do any unnecessary surgery all because I got carried away with the diamond blade. I felt the crack of the mask under my hand as it made it through the metal, my reflexes pulled the blade away immediately.
"It worked," I stated, moving out of the way for Bruce to see. This might actually be fun. De-masking someone who had been hidden away for so long. I walked to the other side of Bane and cut the mask in the same place, knowing what to expect this time, I was actually able to breathe. My eyes studied the rest of the mask, inspecting each visible crevice and tube. I tapped my chin and walked to the head of the table, staring down Bane's scarred body. I had no choice but to cut through the tubing on the top of the mask that lead to the tubes of Bane's mouth and nose. "Prep the oxygen machine and mask, because we're about to head into the storm," I warned. Shuffling occurred behind me as I spoke. "Bruce, you'll pull the mask off, and then someone will put the mask over his face immediately." I held in another breath as I cut through the tubing. Bane's chest seized after the tubes were cut. "Bruce," I cracked, exhaling before pulling in another breath. He put his hands on the mask. "Oxygen, ready?" I sucked in even more air, steadying my wits. A pair of hands with the oxygen mask appeared beside Bane's head. "Go." Bruce pulled it off quickly, revealing the familiar face from the mug shot in his file. A large scar had been ripped down his face, passing along the side of his nose, stopping just before his lips. The heart monitor beeped crazily. I released my breath. Damn it. "Push epinephrine and morphine, now." An assistant fumbled as she added the medicine to his line. His heart slowed a bit, but not enough.
"Push more!" I barked. There was a noise that sounded like an airy cough. We all looked at each other. Bruce was holding the mask in his hands, staring at it, a purple mist floated out and into his face. I peered down and watched the same mist disperse around the room. What the fuck? The nurse looked at me, not moving- Bruce started coughing, hunching over as he breathed in the mist. We all stared at him, unmoving. Bane's heart monitor chirped like mad. "Push epinephrine until his heart slows," I ordered, casting a glare at the nurse. She hesitated. "Don't make me ask you again," I growled. She jumped and set to work. "That needs analyzed immediately," I warned Bruce as he continued to cough. "Take it to Venus Thomas at Craft Laboratories." She might have been pissed at me, but she was the only one I knew of that could get the results of it quickly. "We have any biohazard containers in here?" I asked, glancing around the room. A nurse came shuffling in from my side, clutching a sealable box. She assisted Bruce and held the box as if it were a dead rat.
"We can take my helicopter," he choked.
"I need to know what's in it, the levels, the compounds, everything." He only nodded, coughing into his hand. Someone get this man an oxygen tank.
"I'll be back," he spoke, roughly.
"Tell Lucius to bring in the x-ray machine, please." He nodded again as he opened the door. I got a glimpse at the horde of people staring in- all wanting to catch Bane – unmasked. It almost sounded like a horror movie. This is a horror movie. Lucius walked in seconds later, wheeling in a large metal tube.
"This is new," he stated, rolling it up to Bane's body. Of course it is. "What do you need images of?"
"His chest, neck, and head. I'll decide on others after I see what we're dealing with- if anything."
"Yes, of course." He raised his hand to a nurse, wheeling the tube over Bane's chest. "Can you turn on that monitor please, Carla?" he asked her. Carla? Oh – right – Lucius must actually be nice to strangers. The nurse flipped a large computer monitor to the right of her. He took pictures of Bane, rolling the tube to the wall after he finished. I held my hand on Bane's oxygen mask gingerly, staring as the images loaded on the monitor. His survivability didn't just rely on the mask- it relied on the network inside of him. I gaped, feeling my jaw go slack. Fuck me blind. I never expected this. I stared at the large scar on his face that I knew wrapped down his back. That's what that was for. Gordon's voice and words of encouragement echoed in my mind. "That's a sight," Lucius whistled. Yep.
"I know," I sighed. Think. Think. Think. What can I do with this? Close it off? Leave it? No, I can't leave it.
"What are you going to do?" Is banging my head against the wall an option?
"Wait for Bruce? Maybe there's-" I stopped, staring at the tubes inside of Bane's chest on the x-ray. The intricate cylinders holding God only knew what inside of him. "I don't fucking know." I had never seen anything like that in my life. It was never supposed to come out of his body, it was meant to stay there. I stared at the clock on the wall, willing it to tick by faster…