Really short chapter ahead people, this was originally really long chapter but I broke it up to save time. It's unsatisfying but it needed to get written, the next update is already written, it just needs a few tweaks here and there. Sorry I've been working all week and my comp isn't letting me upload to the website... :(
The door creaked open. Alfred quickly swept the coils of sutures and syringes off the table, he cursed as a bottle of anesthetic smashed on the floor. He bent down, his old bones protesting at the small movement. He looked up panicked as a head appeared in the doorway. For a moment Alfred didn't recognize his old friend. The engraved laugh lines and creases that had come to rest on Fox's kind face were drawn with tension and worry.
"How's he doing?"
Alfred rubbed his wearily and sighed. He really was too old to handle what was going on. Old bones and new ideas didn't mix well.
"I don't know. I have the medical equipment running, but he's not showing any improvement." Alfred looked despairingly at Fox. "I'm no doctor, I don't know what I'm doing. What if I kill him Lucius?"
Fox joined Alfred at the table and considered his friend. Bruce was a good man but even when he was sacrificing life, limb, and sanity he was rather selfish. He didn't realize how much Alfred had grown to depend on Bruce. Fox had no illusions when it came to the young billionaire, Bruce had been lucky, but Fox knew that at some point luck ran out. Batman was a man, and men died.
Alfred however had seen Bruce as invincible and as titanic as the former Wayne, Bruce's father. They were Titans. Men of power and wealth and will.
But Bruce's father had been a gentle guidance, he believed in the innate good of man. Not that he would ever admit it, but Bruce was cynical.
And he good reason.
Fox got up and filled a kettle. "You worry too much Alfred. All you had to do was stitch him up."
"But he's been out for almost four hours." Said Alfred morosely, studying his hands. "He should be up now, they said he was doing exercises in the hospital."
"He's always been crazy, at some point Batman has to rest and there's too much excitement in one body." The kettle settled on the old fashioned stove. Bruce had tried to replace Alfred's kitchen with newer, more modern appliances, but Alfred had put his foot down.
He had grown up in this kitchen and he said he was too old now to learn how to use the new technologies. But Fox suspected it was more. He had personally upgraded the computers in Wayne mansion three times and Alfred had read each manual.
But who had ever heard of the sentimental value of an oven?
"He's not like his father, he can't just bounce back up. He took three knived to the chest one which nicked the lung and a bullet just above the heart, not to mention the bruised and the broken ribs I found."
"It sounds like you know what you're doing."
"But I don't. I can treat bruises and cuts Lucius, but bullet wounds? Knives?"
"It's fine, you just need to relax. In fact you need a vacation."
Alfred ignored Fox and stood up. "But you haven't seen it. He never even showed me some of his injuries. He doesn't trust me anymore."
"He trusts you too much Alfred, he knows you too well. I've told you too many times, you worry too much, he's a boy, he gets some scrapes. It's life."
Alfred turned a tortured gaze on his old friend. "Bullet wounds? You don't worry about bullet wounds?"
There was silence.
"You know, I knew this would happen. They told me to watch out, just after Master and Mistress Wayne died, they told me to watch out. They wanted to check for suicidal tendencies at seven. Seven years old. I was so scared Lucius, so goddamn scared."
Alfred stared at his hands. "I don't know what to do anymore. I spin and spin and spin and there's nothing to catch me. Why did I even agree to this crazy scheme? It's madness. He's going to get himself killed and I promoted it."
Fox patted his old friend on the back consolingly. "It's no one's fault but his own."
The kettle began to scream.
By the way the phrase "the kettle began to scream" is copyrighted by one Erin , I'm sorry Erin it was just to good a sentence to pass up. Forgive me?
The next chapter is mostly written, I know this update wasn't particularly satisfying but the next will be. I just watched a Nicholas cage movie and as all Nicholas cage movies it has a horribly cliffy ending, but there's no sequel... :( that's the last Nicholas Cage movie I watch for the rest of my life. I mean come on! The movie was called 'Next' and it was fairly good and then all of a sudden BAM! You get hit with a cutoff. You can't make a movie called 'Next' and then not tell you what comes next...
But hey Nick, if you're reading this I love you and all your movies!
Sorry I have had a rough week.
Here's a preview for the next update.