II.

A Warm Hand

Even vagrants dream.

Sometimes I don't know if I am where I should be. If we are all allocated a place then why do people rise beyond their wildest imaginations? People rise on their looks, rarely on their talent, on their family connections rather than the friendships they've forged. I wonder if I might yet be elevated to a wonderful place above the clouds and not below the earth, encrusted under the ice like the bones of an ancient animal, found and yet forgotten. Often I shake my head at these dreams of providence that still haunt me even into my adult life; dreams of amazing things happening to one such as yourself can be forgiven in a child. Maybe I will fly, fly up high into the towers of the city. Maybe I will tear down the bright lights and reassemble them in my own styling; my own name. Everything I ever envisioned...I think the city would look better in my image for there would be no cold and nobody would be thrown down, save for those few who were higher than me.

"We are now approaching Gotham Lower."

The tannoy announced overhead, the mechanical voice grinding her ears. Lily sighed as she hefted herself off of the train's uncomfortable seat and gripped the headrest and peered over the carriage. It was simply force of habit; making sure there were no thugs onboard. She had been sleeping for most of the rickety journey so she had to make sure. She yawned and shrugged, she was alone.

She got up heavily; her bulky black jacket-coat was slipping down one of her thin shoulders. With a groan she pulled it up so that it did not hang from her slight body so askew and threw her hood over her head. Fiddling with the zip sent a wave of annoyance over her as her cold fingers couldn't quite grip the finicky little thing. She hissed and spun round as she noticed the carriage door closing; her eyes widened as she made a break for the closing door and breathed a deep sigh when she just made it onto the cold platform. The platform was empty of all things, save for the fat and grubby little pigeons that all bobbed about stupidly looking for morsels of food.

Lily sighed again and stuffed her purple hands under her armpits for warmth; her breath was a white plume of air in this damnable cold. She started along the platform then, the two ends ended in darkness, the tunnel mouth's gaping and dark ready to consume the trains as they carried on along their routes. Lily felt herself shiver; she had slept in a few of those train tunnels, it was anything but pleasant. One always ran the risk of having their arms or legs cut off by the train's wheels as they shot past quickly and so loudly Lily once thought a bomb had went off.

As she reached the double doors that lead out of the station, Lily rolled her eyes. She had been so close, so damned close, home free she'd say, now she'd need to make small-talk with him; and she really couldn't be bothered.

"Lil!"

With a nod of defeat, Lily raised her hand feebly and let out a sharp cough that racked her body; the sound of it almost sounded hollow and made her back sore afterwards. Officer Blake was in front of her now, frowning as she waved her hand to stop him coming closer and half-turned her back so she wouldn't cough on him. After another minute, she looked back and Blake was looking at her,

"You should head on over to Gotham General, get checked out." He offered.

Lily nodded dourly and folded her arms again, with sniff she said cagily,

"Blake, what can I do for you? I'm not loitering and I wasn't planning on staying here either-"

"Hey, hey," He said with a shake of his head, "I was just passing. We got a call about gangs around the area, I'm just patrolling."

Lily nodded and felt her nose redden.

"So, how're you doing? Have you been down to that shelter yet?"

"No..." Lily averted her hazel eyes before flicking her worried gaze back to Blake,

"I'm not going on some register, I'm fine."

"The register's just to help you find work, Lil."

"I don't care, I'm fine. Things are looking up anyway,"

Seeing his incredulous expression, Lily chuckled and shook her head – dimples flashed at her cheeks. Sniffling again, she moved forward a touch and placed a hand on Blake's arm,

"I'm fine, John."

"Then go to the hospital, I'll drive you."

She drew back her hand and began to protest when Blake cut her off making a chopping motion with his hands, he barked,

"You're as white as snow, look at your hands! No, c'mon, I'll drive you."

Lily blew out a breath, as if she could exhale her irritation out for him through her mouth. Looking down she could see what he meant about her hands; they were purple and swollen with little splodges of pink and blue all over them both. She thought it was just the cold; it was always cold this time of year. Finally, with a reluctant nod, Lily jerked her head for him to go back through the double doors and out to the squad car that was parked on the pavement.

Lily knew Blake well enough to know that she wouldn't drive in silence. He chattered to her about shelters, hostels, places where people like her could go. She nodded vacantly and didn't comment on how naive he sounded. John had always been rather fecund when it came to the state of things for - as he put it, people like her. When they were finally at the hospital, Blake yanked on the handbrake and turned one of his dark eyes on her, nodding past her; out of the window the hospital was huge, bright and almost welcoming. It had been rebuilt after it had been levelled by Gotham's most famous of terrorists, the Joker. Lily shuddered looking at it,

There were always terrible urban legends about the Joker coming back. Lily was definitely not for that; when she had been a kid, eight years ago, she remembered his psycho face plastered all over the news. It was amazing what one man could do to a city, what one man could do to drive another man to become such a freak and lash out with such ferocity at the citizens of Gotham.

"I'll need to leave you here." Blake stipulated as a call came through on his radio.

Lily nodded enthusiastically and John looked at her harder. She squirmed under his scrutiny and flashed a rather weak smile before he spoke into the radio on his chest shortly,

"Y'know what, someone-else'll handle it tonight. Why don't I get you inside?"

"Uh, no, no, it's fine-"

"No, no. I insist."

Dr. Malrose was quick in his examination. Blake was stood to the side of the examination table that Lily sat perched on with his hands resting inside his thick Kevlar vest. Lily rolled her eyes as the doctor hissed and shook his head before remarking stiffly,

"Mild case of pneumonia, chilblains." He looked over at Lily and shook his head again,

"It's not looking good is it, Miss Bell."

He added condescendingly. Lily didn't look at him and was expecting to hear John's token chuckle at her full name, but when she looked round he was glaring at her. She looked away as the doctor went on,

"I can't vouch for you to go back out there, Miss Bell."

"But-"

"No," He ruled sternly, "If you do, in the best-case-scenario, you'll get frostbite and in the worst case: die."

She coughed again, almost falling off the table until John caught her; his grip warm.

"C'mon, Lil – it won't be for long..." John coerced gently, more pleading than coercing actually.

Lily looked at him then, his face was etched with concern.

"Please, Lil?"

"Alright..." She breathed hard. "Fine, I'll...I'll stay."

He flashed her a relief-filled smile and nodded at the doctor,

"Okay, doc?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you, officer. Come on, Miss Bell, we'll find you a bed."

Everything went by a in a whirl, before Lily knew anything; she was tucked up in a hospital bed in the ICU; hooked up to monitors, IVs and other things. Her breath became ragged as she began to panic; Blake was at her bedside and comforted her reassuringly,

"You'll be okay. The doctors here will help you get better, don't worry."

"You sure?" She squeaked,

"Yeah, of course." He smiled.

Lily found a weak smile for him and blinked when his radio went off. She watched him turn and listen to it;

"Calling all units! All units respond! There's been a shooting in the Narrows."

Blake turned away and listened intently before he peered back round at Lily,

"Listen, I gotta' go, but you stay here until the doctors say you can leave, got it?"

"Yeah." She piped a little too quickly and Blake came closer, his nose inches from Lily's,

"Got it?"

He pressed playfully but he was being serious and Lily smiled batting him away,

"Yes, don't worry."

"Okay, see you soon."

He said quickly and kissed her nose before running from the ward. Lily watched him leave and lay back, trying to relax. How anyone could actually lie in Gotham General after the Joker's attack baffled her; weren't they as worried as her about being blown up? She closed her eyes and tried to forget about the Joker. As she lay there she flexed her fingers and sucked in a breath; because they were warming up they were in agony, her chest was burning too. She sighed as she lay in her bed wondering how it had ever come to this and about how she'd be letting John down soon. Again.