Alex stared up at the ceiling, silent and seemingly unmoving…
The hospital, understanding her pain, had allowed her to bring in her three dogs.
After having her hands treated by Alfred and hearing what had happened to Harvey, she'd insisted on seeing him.
Insisted on apologizing for what she'd failed to do…
AJ nuzzled her owner's waist, blue eyes sad, as Blizzard seemed intent on ignoring the agony and surveyed the hallway.
Midnight lay on the hospital chair beside Alex, sometimes raising his head to say something encouraging to keep her from tears.
Standing once a nurse waved her towards the door, Alex slipped into the hospital room to see Harvey.
His face stubbornly faced the wall, keeping his burned half out of sight, as she sat down in a chair at his bedside.
"Hey, Harvey…" She managed, eyes guiltily on the floor…
AJ nudged her encouragingly in the elbow, and the blonde found the strength to continue.
"I know how much my mom meant to you…And I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything for either of you…"
Looking up, her ears lay back under her cap as she thought he wasn't listening…
"But I know mom really cared about you, too…And I want to stay with you…Mom would like that…"
Not hearing a reply, she sighed, pulling out a card with her number on it from her jeans…
"If you need anything, you'll call, won't you? I just want to help…"
Carefully, she propped the card up next to the coin and slowly turned to leave, ushering out her dogs first…
"Alex…"
Stopping, she turned towards Dent, almost feeling her tail raise in expectation.
"You're so much like your mother…I could never blame you for what happened…"
Another gash in her heart, but Alex nodded slightly…
"Just don't strain yourself…"
She smiled weakly…
"I learned that lesson the hard way."
"Don't worry about me."
Nodding, Alex said her goodbyes before heading out into the hallway, Midnight bristling a bit and AJ grabbing hold of her pants.
"What's up with you guys?" She wondered, looking around.
A TV caught her attention, the Joker's voice saying that if someone didn't kill the lawyer on the show, he'd blow up a hospital.
'Aw crap…'
"Come on."
Running out as the nurses and doctors began moving out patients, she stopped in the driveway and turned to the three dogs seriously.
"I want you to go home and get my wakizashi."
Blizzard seemed ready to protest, but she cut him off.
"Go and do it. I need to help these people. I have my Silverfang outfit, but my blades would have set off the alarm. I need them."
After a moment, the three huskies agreed, running off as she found a place to quickly change her clothes.
Stuffing her 'civilian' attire into her bag, she hid it in a locker she found at a store before running into the hospital.
People seemed a bit startled to see her, probably assuming she'd only come out at night, but Silverfang ignored that.
"What can I do to help?"
One doctor seemed to compose himself, and told her of the heavier patients that needed to get into the buses coming in from outside.
Doing just that, she watched the speedy chaos of patients being loaded up.
While helping load one elderly woman in the back, she saw a cop run into the building, ears twitching.
He was saying something to another cop over his COM link, about getting someone outside…
Her nose answered the question on its own…
'Harvey…'
Running inside after the officer, she followed her nose to Harvey's room through the winding hallways.
A gunshot made her pick up the pace, and Silverfang was surprised when she turned the corner and got a taser to the stomach.
Crying out in pain and shock, she stumbled back as her bandages caught most of the charge.
"Well, hello gorgeous. What are you doing about?"
Shaking off the electricity still rushing through her veins, Silverfang growled in rage, ready to lunge when she noticed what Joker was dressed as…
Stopping in befuddlement at first, she eventually couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.
"Sorry, sorry…Just…Seriously didn't think you'd look that great in a skirt…" She teased before coming back to herself.
"Where's Dent?"
"Why, right here!"
Crystal eyes widened at the sight of Harvey, a pistol in hand and a glare on the good side of his face…
'Oh CRAP…'
"Whoa, there. Let's not go trigger-happy. I've already been shot one too many times, thank you."
"You were never scared of being shot before." Dent accused, and Silverfang backed up another step, reaching back to find a table.
Fingers wrapping around a scalpel, her eyes turned confused as Harvey flipped a coin.
It came up on a scarred side, and she deflected the bullet fired before throwing the scalpel, knocking the gun out of his hand.
What Silverfang wasn't expecting was a blow to the head…
Body crumpling to the floor, her foggy brain tried to keep working as her vision blurred…
"I wouldn't want to waste such a gorgeous girl, but I suppose I can make an exception."
Taunting laughter, and what felt like a mocking kiss to her forehead that made her want to snarl…
'Mom used to do that, you sick bastard…'
With her mind going in and out, she hardly noticed when they were gone…
'I've got to get out of here…'
Managing to move her limbs, she got onto shaky legs and headed for the window at the end of the hall…
'Keep moving…Ignore the pain…Almost there…'
In her dazed state, she almost felt someone helping her along, and she reached the sill after some careful steps.
Looking out, she saw a bush and a car below her, and busted open the window before jumping out.
Once the roof of the vehicle was crushed under her impact, the building caught fire.
Rolling to the ground, Silverfang shook her head before starting to run from the building, which exploded fiercely as she jumped behind a short wall.
Relaxing with her head against the bricks, she panted as her brain began to jumpstart and clear…
'Need to move…Need to warn Uncle Bruce…Need to stop him…'
Managing to stand, she grabbed hold of a wall, and looked up to see AJ running up with worry in her eyes.
"Hey, baby girl…I'm fine…"
The red-furred dog licked her owner's hand as Blizzard and Midnight stopped behind her, the latter with her wakizashi and knives strapped to his back.
Taking them and putting them on, Silverfang breathed out as she stood straight.
"Come on. I have a feeling this whole thing isn't done yet…"