Blood roared in Huntress's ears, her eyes squeezed shut in trepidation. She could hear a cacophony of sounds dulled by the ringing in her ears. The vigilante blearily blinked her eyes open, stunned by the bright lights that assaulted her unprepared pupils. She shook her head, trying to shake off the residual effects of the teleporter.
"*Huntress!*" A sharp order accompanied by a firm hand on her shoulder snapped Helena back to awareness.
The vigilante inhaled sharply, her vision focusing to reveal J'onn staring down at her urgently. His large hands were on her shoulders, squeezing slightly to rouse her. The purple-clad ex-heroine could see a team of people in white coats standing just behind the Martian.
"Huntress, the Black Canary needs medical attention." The alien implored in a deep voice, glancing pointedly down at the heroine in Helena's arms. "Let the medical staff help."
For a moment, Huntress didn't know what to think. She stared down at her best friend, who was limp in her grasp, barely breathing. Each gasp the blonde took was ragged and gurgling, her face paler than Helena had ever thought possible. An extreme mixture of guilt, desperation, and concern overtook the Huntress before she relented and nodded, allowing the medics to bring a stretcher nearer to her. Helena gently lay the Canary on the sheets, realizing with a pang that Dinah's ghostly pallor nearly blended with the sterile white, before finally letting her friend go. The medical team rushed down the hallway of the Watchtower, leaving Huntress standing in the bay, cool air shocking her forearms previously warmed by Canary's fever.
Suddenly, Helena was overwhelmed with fear and relief, sinking to her knees as the ordeal was finally out of her hands. She hadn't realized how much stress she'd been under, trying to keep the Canary awake and alive before help had arrived. A few soundless tears rolled down her cheeks, but she refused to break down here, in front of J'onn. At the thought, she swiped under her eyes and turned to look at the alien. The Martian was hunched over his control panel, looking stoic yet slightly out of place.
"J'onn... please don't make me leave yet." She asked pleadingly. "This is... Canary saved my life and- I can't leave her now. This is all my fault..." Helena's voice broke, tears welling up again in her tired eyes.
At that, the Martian turned to look at her, padding silently to her side and sinking to her level. "Huntress, from what I understand, you saved her life as well. I will not force you to leave; your care is genuine and the Black Canary will likely need support when she awakens." He comforted in the only way he knew how.
Helena stifled a sob of gratitude and instead nodded thankfully at the alien. "Thank you, J'onn."
"Don't thank me just yet..." The Martian said cryptically, rising and returning to his control panel.
If Helena had more energy, she may have pondered what the hero meant by his vague statement, but the vigilante was emotionally exhausted. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, attempting to process all of the events of the past few days. Huntress didn't know how long she sat on the floor of the Watchtower teleportation bay, trying to sort through her complicated thoughts and emotions and determine her next action...
"Helena!" A familiar voice called out in concern.
Quick footsteps followed the exclamation. Before Huntress could open her eyes, she was wrapped in the arms of her loving boyfriend. She couldn't even manage to say his name before dissolving into tears, the emotions of the past several hours catching up to her. The vigilante tangled her fingers in his trench coat, desperately clinging to his proffered comfort. Question hummed, slightly rocking her back and forth as she cried.
After a few minutes, Helena finally pulled herself together. She pulled away, clearing her throat of residual tears. "I'm- I'm so glad you're here." She said gratefully, glancing up to meet where his eyes should be. "They took Canary- I should go see her and-"
"Whoa whoa whoa... hey..." Question interrupted, his voice almost holding more concern than the vigilante could bear. "We should let the medics do their job. Let's take care of you; have you eaten? Slept?" He queried, tilting his head towards her.
Huntress shivered slightly. "N-no... well I guess I had a few bites of soup earlier..." She trailed off, realizing that she'd barely eaten the past two days.
The detective sighed, tensing slightly in worry. "Let's get some food in you."
The purple-clad ex-heroine allowed herself to be gently tugged to her feet and led towards the cafeteria. They passed a few heroes on their way, but none spared them a second glance, likely unaware of the almost-tragedy that had transpired. Huntress was lost in thought as Question made her a plate of food, allowing her boyfriend to take the reins for the moment. After he seemed satisfied with what he'd gathered for her, the detective led Helena to a small booth in a secluded corner of the cafeteria. Not that there was much traffic in the Watchtower, but Question must have sensed Huntress's desire to be alone for the time being.
"Here..." The detective offered, pushing the plate towards his girlfriend.
Helena glanced down at the plate filled with spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and fruit. He'd even grabbed her a chocolate chip cookie. Her chest grew tight with repressed emotion. "Thank you..." She said thickly, feeling her stomach clench as the sight of food made her realize how hungry she truly was.
The vigilante began to eagerly eat the spaghetti, taking large bites in her ravished hunger. After she'd finished about half her plate, she slowed immensely, taking smaller bites to enjoy the taste. Question observed silently, grateful that his girlfriend had gotten some food. A few moments passed before Helena set down her fork, sighing deeply.
"I hope she's okay..." The ex-heroine admitted, guilt tinging her tone.
"What happened?" The detective asked sympathetically.
Helena exhaled lowly. "I gave her the vial of pain medication you left in the first aid kit... which was sort of funny, considering how out of it Canary became. I helped her take a bath, which helped bring her temperature back to normal. Almost too well, honestly, cuz next time I woke up she was burning hot to the touch. She was delirious with fever. I gave her some fever reducer and she went back to sleep, but then she woke up thrashing and screaming in the throes of some awful nightmare. She just broke down in my arms, Q. I've never seen anyone so distraught... let alone Canary. The next thing I knew, she wouldn't wake up and her fever had spiked to 105. That's when I called you for transport..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "I'm scared, Q. What if-"
"No." He interrupted quickly, shaking his head adamantly. "You can't think like that, Helena. Canary is strong; she'll pull through. You did the best you could."
"I can't help but worry it wasn't enough. She needed a hospital from the start and if it wasn't blizzarding we wouldn't be in this mess." Helena's voice suddenly quieted. "She saved my life, Q. If she hadn't pushed me out of the way of Sonar's blast, it'd be me in the med bay right now. If she doesn't-" She broke off with a choked sob.
"Helena," Question began. "Dinah knew exactly what she was doing when she pushed you out of the way of the blast. She's a real hero, always offering her life up for someone else's, but you saved her life too. If you hadn't pulled her out of the water, gotten all the way back to your apartment in the blizzard, kept her warm and breathing... she wouldn't be here right now. You did what you had to do and you did incredible for the limited resources you had available to you. I'm just sorry I couldn't be there to help you. Canary will get through this; she's got good people taking care of her now. The best you can do is wait patiently and be there for you when she needs it. And most of all... she wouldn't want you to blame yourself." The detective insisted, taking Helena's hand to accentuate his words.
The vigilante sniffled, tired of crying but unable to completely stifle the tears. They sat like that for a few moments, Question gently rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand intertwined with his.
"Huntress?"
An unfamiliar voice punctuated the comfortable silence, causing Helena to flinch away from their linked hands. She turned to face the direction of the voice quickly, one hand automatically going for her utility belt as a defensive strategy, realizing quickly that it wasn't there. Her gaze alighted on a small man wearing a white coat. His expression was grave, worry lines and wrinkles crinkled around slightly sunken eyes. He held a small clipboard and shuffled nearly imperceptibly from foot to foot.
"Y-yeah, that's me..." Helena fumbled lamely, coming to her senses.
The man cleared his throat, glancing down at his clipboard before continuing. "J'onn told me to update you on the Black Canary's condition."
"Is she okay!?" Helena interrupted quickly, heart leaping into her throat.
The medic looked slightly taken aback, but unbothered. "She's stable for the time being, but she's in critical condition. If you hadn't brought her in when you did, I'm afraid we would be having an entirely different conversation right now." He paused, sensing Huntress's horrified shock at his previous statement. "She's suffering from residual hypothermia, as well as a fever that spiked to a life-threatening 107 degrees before we were able to mitigate it. She's now hovering around 103, which is not good by any means but much better than her previous condition. She has chest trauma from some sort of blast, with a few bruised and cracked ribs, coupled with an acute onset of severe pneumonia. We had to go in and drain some of the excess fluid. She's on a ventilator now and we'll keep her medically sedated overnight so her body can recover. In the morning, we'll take her off the sedatives and try to take her off the ventilator to jump start her recovery, assuming we can keep her fever under control." He stopped for a moment, as if pondering his next words. "There's a few other concerns we have, but I think those would be better discussed when Dinah recovers. Do you have any questions for me? I know that was a lot of information." He offered sympathetically.
"Can we-" Huntress fought to keep her voice under control. "Can we see her?" She asked shakily.
"She's sedated right now, but we'll be done running our tests in the next few hours. Then you can see her." The medic explained.
Helena nodded as if she understood, but the truth was, she couldn't possibly understand why someone as selfless, heroic, and kind as Dinah would be suffering like this. She exhaled shakily. "Thank you for the update." She said weakly, but dismissively.
The man nodded quickly. "I'll bring any significant updates to you personally and I'll let you know when you can see her." With that, he turned and walked quickly back towards the med bay.
Huntress stared after him, gears turning to no avail in her exhausted mind. She turned back to her boyfriend, only to sense him staring in concern.
"Helena, come with me." He offered, picking up her nearly empty plate and holding a hand out to her as he stood.
Question gently took her hand, tugging her to her feet. She shuffled after him blindly, not caring that she had no idea where he was taking her. After a moment, she realized that he was leading her to the housing wing of the Watchtower. Before she knew it, they were entering his personal room. One breath brought her comfort; the air was tinged with the comforting smell of Question's cologne. She felt him lead her to his bed, dimly aware as he tucked the comforter around her and helped her settle against the pillows. It was only when he flicked the light off that she realized what was happening.
"Thank you..." Was all she could manage before her eyelids already began to droop.
She felt the mattress dip next to her as he lay beside her. "Get some rest, Helena..." He urged softly, his voice calming her enough to finally let her drift off to sleep...
Helena slowly opened her eyes, feeling warm and well-rested for the first time in what felt like ages. She yawned and stretched, feeling her boyfriend stir beside her. The vigilante rubbed her eyes as the detective sat up. After a moment, she leaned over and butted his shoulder with her own.
"Hey... thank you..." Huntress murmured, hoping that she could communicate all the words she wanted to say with her eyes.
"Always." Question responded with conviction. "Are you feeling better?"
"Much." Helena responded, smiling slightly. "The past few days took a lot out of me." At the mention of her experience, a bit of worry wormed its way into Helena's mind.
"I know." The hero agreed thoughtfully, inclining his head towards her. "What do you say we go pay a visit to a certain blonde rival of yours?" He tried to keep his voice lighthearted, but even Helena could tell it was forced.
Huntress nodded, quickly pushing off the covers and swinging her legs over the side of his bed. She anxiously opened the door and walked quickly down the hallway, knowing that her boyfriend was close behind. The small tinge of worry had escalated to a knot of guilt and uncertainty in Helena's chest, only worsening as she got closer and closer to the medical bay. Only one room was in use, evident by the "Dinah Lance" scrawled in messy handwriting across the whiteboard on the only closed door in the entire wing. Without another moment of hesitation, Helena crept forward and opened the door.
Nothing could have prepared her for seeing her Canary in that state. The blonde was lying limply on the hospital bed, the dull roar of the ventilator coinciding with the regular shallow rise and fall of her chest. The slow beeps of the heart monitor brought little comfort to the Huntress as she continued her assessment. She was swathed in thick white blankets and hooked up to four separate IV's. Helena read the labels from afar; warmed saline, IV nutrition, epinephrine, and dextrose. She swallowed harshly when she saw how pale the heroine was, nearly blending in with the sterile white around her. Even her normally vibrant golden-blonde hair seemed muted in this horrific clinical setting.
A lump formed in Helena's throat and she let out a few choked sniffles as she inched forward, sinking into the bedside chair. She grabbed the Canary's hand, minding the IV tubes embedded in her forearms. Her skin was hot to the touch; not burning like Helena remembered, but still profusely warm. The blonde didn't respond at all to the vigilante's ministrations, causing Helena's heart to clench.
"She's medically sedated," The Question reminded her, almost as if he could read her mind. "The doctor told me the drugs should wear off in a few hours. They'll take her off the ventilator soon, too."
Helena nodded softly, squeezing the Canary's hand slightly in hopes that on some level, she wouldn't feel alone. She pressed her lips into a thin line, turning to her boyfriend. "Are the teleporters fixed?"
Question looked slightly surprised by her sudden thought. "Uh- n-no, not yet. J'onn and I were just working on connecting you and me to the Watchtower."
Huntress sighed. "I'll be okay for a little while, if you need to go help him." She informed pointedly, yet honestly.
The detective looked as if he wanted to protest, but seemed to sense her desire to be alone for the time being. "Okay, I'll go work with J'onn. Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah... yeah I'll be fine. Just need some time to think, you know?" Helena flashed him a halfhearted smile.
Question sighed. "Will you keep me updated? I- um- I care about her too." He admitted, turning away slightly.
The vigilante nodded, her smile becoming more genuine. After one look back at his girlfriend, the Question left the hospital wing, leaving Helena alone with her unconscious best friend. The vigilante didn't know how long she sat next to Dinah, half comforted and half infuriated by the roar of the ventilator and the beeping of the heart monitor.
*Knock knock knock...*
A series of soft, quick raps echoed on the slightly ajar hospital door. Helena, startled out of her thoughts, quickly looked over towards the direction of the sound. The vigilante was honestly shocked to see Shayera peering in through the opening of the door.
"Can I come in?" She asked softly, her gaze imploring.
Helena nodded, unsure of why on earth the ex-heroine was visiting. Icy prickles of concern arose in her chest as increasingly dire explanations rushed through her head. She tried her best to remain impassive as the winged woman delicately made her way to the chair across from her, toting a small black bag around her wrist.
"I bet you're wondering why I'm here..." The ex-heroine said jarringly, with a pointed eyebrow quirk at the Huntress's cool, observing stare.
"Uh... yeah... kinda? But I don't think it's my place to have to know." Helena fumbled with her words, caught off guard by the other woman's knowing glance.
The redhead let out a laugh that sounded almost like a bark. "You remind me of me, kid." She said goodnaturedly, smirking at the vigilante.
Startled by the change in demeanor but relieved to hear laughter flood the quiet room, the Huntress genuinely smiled back. "Is that a good thing?"
"Sometimes." Shayera replied easily, playing with one of her fringed curls. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay." Helena shrugged offhandedly.
"Mmmmhmmm... and Batman likes rom-coms. How are you doing... honestly?" The redhead saw right through Helena's evasive tactics.
The vigilante let out a deep sigh. "Honestly? I just feel really worried... and guilty." She admitted to the other woman, feeling a slight relief at saying her feelings aloud.
"What do you mean?" Shayera tilted her head to the side. "Why would you feel guilty?"
Huntress averted her gaze. "It should be me in this hospital bed right now... not *her.* The only reason I didn't get blasted in the chest and thrown through a frozen lake is because she pushed me out of the way... why would she do that?" Her voice dwindled.
The winged woman's gaze softened. "Because she cares about you."
"But I didn't *ask* her to do that!" Huntress roared, concern morphing to anger. "I didn't ask her to take the hit for me... she does that sort of stuff all the time. From taking hits for me to checking up on me to fighting off enemies so I can escape... I never asked her to do those things... so why does she care so much?!" Helena's voice ranged from infuriated to concerned to defeated.
"You didn't have to, Helena. She cares about you because of who she is and who YOU are..." Shayera murmured. "What are you really upset about?" She pressed, gaze boring into Huntress's.
"Canary and her stupid- her dumb self-sacrificial- Dinah and her freaking martyr complex!" Huntress burst out in frustration, before immediately feeling guilty. "No- I- I'm not mad at her... I could never be mad at her. I just- I feel so helpless, you know? Am I even worth that effort? I mean, she nearly *died* for me. Even if she didn't fully realize it, I know she would offer up her life for mine. And her friendship and kindness and Question and- and you- it just-" Helena broke off with a sigh of enraged exhaustion. "It doesn't make sense."
Helena flinched slightly as Shayera placed her warm hand over Huntress's. "Yes, it does. I felt the exact same way, you know." Shayera smiled slightly when Helena looked up at her in shock, gaze rolling upwards as she disappeared into memories. "I was put into an impossible position; betray my people for a planet not my own, or betray the team that took me in and truly made me the hero I am today. I've made so many mistakes and if I'm being honest... I still struggle to believe that I'm worthy of the care and forgiveness that everyone has given me. I never expected to be invited back into the League, to redeem myself in the eyes of the world... and myself. I thought I was better off alone, that I had severed all chance at connection and meaning with my mistake, but even exonerated, I still had purpose... I still deserved love." Shayera glanced down and met the Huntress's gaze. "You and me... I see a lot of myself in you. You made a mistake, yes, and I can see that it eats you up inside. Even though you have Question and Canary and far more people who understand and forgive you than you might ever imagine... you still can't accept that you deserve that love. So even though you care and love with all your heart, you push the people who love you back away. That's why you're upset with our selfless friend here..." Shayera trailed off, reaching out to softly run her fingers through Dinah's tousled golden hair.
"I-" Huntress was truly at a loss for words, not sure whether to cry or lash out or just remain silent. "How did you-"
"I saw it in your eyes as soon as I came in, Helena. You're carrying the weight of guilt that is not your own. This is not your fault; Dinah made her choice because she loves you and she's a hero. You saved her life and the *best* thing you can do right now is be there for her; she wouldn't want you to blame yourself." The winged woman in front of her admonished, not uncaringly.
"Funny..." Huntress let out a wet chuckle. "Question told me the same thing."
Shayera smiled. "And I'm sure Dinah will tell you the same thing when she wakes up." The redhead continued to card her fingers through the Canary's blonde tresses. "That's why I'm here... Canary saw the best in me, too. When I came back to the League... there were a lot of people who weren't sure about me. Most kept their distance, though a few went out of their way to make sure I knew I wasn't welcome. Which I expected, honestly. But what I didn't expect was genuine kindness. Canary invited me to tag along on a simple recon mission. She didn't know me, and she definitely didn't need my help, but she approached with a bright smile and somehow knew I was struggling. She saw me as a person, not as a traitor... and after that successful mission, when she gave me a high five for a job well done... I realized that no matter what people believed about me, I could still do good in the world. Dinah changed the way I saw myself, which eventually changed how the world saw me. She has no idea how much that meant to me, so when I heard she was brought in on the brink of death last night, I knew I had to be there for her..." Shayera sighed deeply, her ministrations stilling.
Helena was slightly taken aback by the woman's honesty, feeling as if she'd come to know the ex-heroine on an entirely new level during this surprise interaction. "Thank you, Shayera..." She said sincerely, meeting the winged woman's green gaze.
"No problem..." The Thanagarian replied dismissively, effectively dissipating the emotional tension in the room. Then she smirked at the vigilante across from her. "Wanna know what's in the bag?"
Helena blinked owlishly, processing what the other woman was asking. "Well I didn't until you looked at me like that?!" She quipped, a grin spreading across her face.
Shayera let out another barking laugh, lifting her small bag up from the floor. Helena watched in curiosity as the winged woman pulled out a rather large package of gummy butterflies. Upon seeing the vigilante's confusion, she sent a pointed look towards the unconscious blonde. "Her favorite... don't let her fool you; she may seem badass but she's-"
"A child at heart?" Helena finished, smiling slightly as she reflected on her memories with the Canary. "Yeah, I found that out when we went to get coffee together. Well, I got coffee and she got the most colorful, sugary thing on the menu and somehow managed to get a dollop of whipped cream on her nose three separate times." Huntress rolled her eyes fondly. "I don't know what to do with that kid..."
Shayera got to her feet and took a few steps closer to the Huntress, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "Be there for her. And don't blame yourself, kid." She smiled before turning towards the door.
"Hey, wait, I'M not the kid!" Helena protested, slightly flustered as the redhead turned back to give her a wink before softly exiting the hospital room.
With a sigh, Helena turned back to her unconscious friend, feeling much more optimistic and light as she glimpsed the bag of gummy butterflies left on the Canary's bedside table.
*Knock Knock*
"Hey... how's she doin'?" A gruff voice startled Helena out of an almost doze. Somehow she was still tired, but wanted to stay with her selfless friend no matter what.
Huntress shot up and glanced towards the door, only to see Wildcat stepping into the room, fatherly concern etched over his face. "Wildcat..." Helena greeted, glancing at her still unconscious friend. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was still there, but the roar of the ventilator was gone, instead replaced by semi-regular shallow, gasping breaths. Helena was relieved to hear no more residual crackling sounds emanating from her friend's chest. "Um... she's doing okay. They've got her fever down to 101 now and they're weaning her off the sedative. She's breathing okay without the ventilator, which they seemed relieved about. She should wake up in the next few hours sometime." Huntress answered almost robotically.
Wildcat crept closer to his prodigy's hospital bed, opting to remain standing, as if he was afraid of hurting her if he got too close. After a moment of pitiful observation, he murmured, "Thanks for taking care of our girl."
Helena chuckled lowly. "She took care of me first. She took a hit for me a few days ago and got blasted through a frozen pond..." She trailed off, not wanting to relive the details.
Luckily, Wildcat wasn't one to press. "Sounds like our Canary. Always the hero, that girl..." He let out a short exhale. "This isn't your fault, Helena, if you're thinkin' that. I know a thing or two about guilt and I hope you know that Canary woulda sacrificed herself for you a thousand times over without a second thought. That's who she is and she's lucky to have you." The man's words were wise, coming from a place of similar experience.
Helena nodded, the residual guilt beginning to diminish as a result of the man's kind affirmation. "Thank you, Wildcat."
"Don' mention it." He smile at her, taking one last look at his unconscious prodigy. "Keep me updated? I know she's a fighter but this old man can't help but worry..."
"Of course." Helena offered him a kind smile, which he returned in stride.
"And Helena..." Wildcat began, pausing before exiting the doorway. "No matter what they say... you always have been and always will be a hero."
All Helena could think was that she was glad the hero left when he did so he wouldn't see the sudden tears tracking down her cheeks...
Helena felt a slight rustle on the sheets next to her head. She jolted awake, feeling an ache in her neck from her awkward positioning. The vigilante sat up and stretched, feeling her muscles strain from falling asleep in a hunched over position. Huntress blinked her eyes open, checking her friend's heart monitor to ensure everything was normal. Canary's vitals looked normal, prompting the ex-heroine to look around the room for any sign of what had awoken her. There was nobody in sight, but unfortunately she was wide awake now.
Suddenly, the monotonous beeping of the heart monitor quickened substantially. Concerned, Helena glanced at the screen before her gaze rested on the injured blonde. Dinah's brow was furrowed in painful effort as she stirred slightly. Her fingers unconsciously curled into her palms and she wriggled slightly despite the trauma her body had sustained.
"Dinah?" Huntress asked, half wanting the Canary to wake up and half wanting her friend to get the rest she desperately needed. She reached out and gently grasped Dinah's cold hand in her warm one.
At the new sensation, Canary's eyes opened slightly, her gaze roaming the room aimlessly through dazed, unseeing eyes. Finally, her gaze alighted on Helena and a flash of recognition entered her glassy irises.
"Hel-na?" The blonde croaked.
"I'm here, sweetie, I'm here.." Helena immediately comforted, squeezing Dinah's hand reassuringly.
"'re you ok-kay?" The Canary's voice was soft but her concern was palpable.
Huntress chuckled. "I'll be okay when you are, kid."
Canary tilted her head slightly at her friend's comment. "What happ-ened?"
Helena ran her thumb back and forth over Dinah's hand in what she hoped was a soothing manner. "How much do you remember?"
The blonde's brow furrowed again in concentration. "G-grodd and Sonar... fighting... then c-cold..." She shivered slightly, as if remembering the experience.
The vigilante nodded. "It's okay; you were pretty out of it for a lot of what happened. We took down Grodd and Sonar but before we could detain them, Sonar shot his ray gun right at me, but you pushed me out of the way, you self-sacrificing idiot, and got blasted in the chest and thrown into a frozen pond. Luckily, I was able to get you out with my grappling hook but you were freezing and inhaled some water. I took you back to my apartment and took care of you for almost two days before the teleporters started back up..." Helena paused. "Canary..." She felt a lump form in her throat before she could continue.
The heroine's eyes widened and she struggled to sit up. "Hel'na- wha's wr-ong?"
Huntress sniffled but quickly tried to keep her friend from hurting herself. "Nonono... relax, Dinah... lay back... shhhh... it's okay..." She murmured, heart clenching when the blonde let out little involuntary gasps of pain.
Canary grimaced but let Helena push her back into the pillows with gentle hands. "'m sor-ry..." She whispered: the confused remorseful expression on her pale face broke Huntress's heart.
The vigilante offered a watery smile to the blonde. "No... I'M sorry. You have nothing to apologize for, kid. I just worry about you."
The Canary shook her head back and forth as intensely as she could. "I'm- I'm okay... prom-ise..." She attempted to assure her friend.
Huntress let out a low chuckle. "I'd believe that a lot more if you weren't in a hospital bed about to fall unconscious again..." She quipped, watching as Dinah fought to keep her eyes open. "Let yourself get the rest you need, okay? We'll get you taken care of..."
At Helena's soft insistence, the blonde's eyelids drooped lower and lower, her battered body going limp as she slumped into the pillows behind her. The vigilante reached out and brushed stray blonde tresses out of Dinah's slightly flushed face. She smiled as she watched her friend get claimed by much needed unconsciousness.
"Hel-na?" The heroine whispered, fighting against her fluttering eyelids. "Th-an-k you... f-for savin' my life..."
Helena's breath caught in her throat. Even though Canary had already drifted into unconsciousness, she responded with a gentle, "Always."
Despite the long road ahead of them... Huntress knew her Canary was gonna be just fine...
EPILOGUE:
Huntress rolled her eyes as she walked into the workshop of the Watchtower, hearing the newly familiar, "Access Granted: Huntress" echoing behind her. She flinched slightly at the accepting beep of the recognition software, glancing down at her Justice League ID in shocked gratitude. After Helena's display of compassion and heroism during Canary's recovery, J'onn (she expected at the prompting of Shayera) offered her conditional readmittance to the Justice League... essentially a second chance. While before the whole sacrificial fiasco with the currently elusive Canary, Huntress might have refused out of pride... but things were different now. If Dinah had offered up her life for Helena's... she must have been worth saving. Helena still wanted to good in this world, so she accepted the offer, promising not to have J'onn regret his actions. The Martian had even smiled at her and, in the background of the scene, Shayera had offered her a knowing wink.
"Canary! Where are you?!" Huntress yelled through the expansive, dim space. She'd received a text from her best friend, asking her to meet her in her garage at the Watchtower, but the blonde was nowhere to be found. "Dinah! You KNOW you're supposed to be resting! I thought J'onn was pretty clear with his 'no strenuous activity' warning!"
It was true; Canary had only been released from medical observation the previous day, under orders not to strain herself and to refrain from superheroing - as if the blonde could possibly do so - until she was completely healed. They'd finally gotten her fever under control on the fourth day and performed a breathing stress test to ensure that Dinah had no residual respiratory effects of the ARDS she'd suffered. Her body was still recovering, though, after sustaining chest trauma and a concussion, as well as various other defensive injuries. Helena's heart clenched as she remembered the doctor's warning to her. After Canary passed the breathing stress test and was medically cleared, the same diminutive man that had updated the Huntress on Dinah's condition pulled the vigilante aside. In an anxious voice, he asked her if she remembered the "other things" he had mentioned in his initial update. Upon her confirmation, he told her that the Canary was also suffering from long-term exhaustion and malnutrition; her blood work had revealed significant deficiencies in many essential vitamins and nutrients, as well as dehydration and signs of physical exhaustion. Helena was somewhat shocked by the unexpected revelation, asking him why and what she could do to help. The man smiled and told Huntress about Canary's demanding days in the Watchtower, knowing that she was taking up much of Wildcat's mantle training new recruits so that her mentor could go on more missions. She was often sent on one or two dangerous missions a day, her fighting prowess and Canary Cry an asset to many missions requiring covert ops on behalf of the heroes. Huntress added that she conducted morning and evening patrols most nights in the city, feeling a pang when she realized how overworked her Canary must be, knowing Dinah would work herself into the ground before asking for help or taking care of herself. She likely didn't have much time to eat or drink during the day... at least Huntress hoped that was the explanation and not that Dinah was deliberately not eating... but that was a whole other threat that they could tackle after helping the blonde recover. The doctor said that he'd observed their friendship throughout her recovery and knew that the vigilante was a needed influence on the Black Canary, stating that he wanted her to be aware of Dinah's tendencies so that she could step in when her friend wasn't taking care of herself.
Helena shook off the memory, pushing aside her concern to deal with after her friend fully recovered. "Canary..." She tried again, this time in a pleading voice.
"Helena!" A bright voice echoed through the workshop.
Huntress whirled around to see her blonde friend hurrying towards her. "Canary, what are you doing?! You need to be relaxing and-"
The blonde rolled her eyes and butted Helena's shoulder with her own affectionately. "This IS my relaxing! Come with me; I have something to show you!" The heroine turned and bolted for a corner that was shrouded in darkness.
Helena sighed at her enthusiastic friend's antics and hurried after her, wondering what on Earth it could possibly-
"As a well-deserved 'thank you' for saving my life, and for being an amazing friend, I hereby present you..." Canary began, as loudly as she could manage with her still-recovering vocal cords.
Suddenly, the lights in the corner flipped on, revealing...
"My bike?! You fixed it?!" Helena's jaw dropped at the sight.
Canary chuckled. "Well, kinda... the engine of your old bike was pretty shot and there was a lot of damage from the cold... so I built you another one..."
Helena crept forward and ran her hands along the sleek black and purple finish, noticing additional details that weren't there before. "It's different..." She said in awe, examining the new features.
The blonde heroine shuffled her feet slightly. "Um... y-yeah, I hope you don't mind I made some upgrades? I added the pointy ears of your mask to the front of the bike, which double as mirrors and there's a grappling hook in the front. There's a new screen, which Question kinda helped me with some of the computer parts. I used the same kind of chip as mine has, so they're connected and we can track each other, since our patrols intersect so often. And there's an SOS feature that automatically sends alerts to the Watchtower, the Question, and me so we can come help you if you're ever in trouble. AND there's heated seats, a first aid kit and emergency blankets and water, with extra storage built into the seat and rear storage compartments..." The Canary trailed off, glancing at Helena's impassive face. "Do you... do you like it?" She asked shyly.
Suddenly, Helena pivoted and wrapped her blonde friend in a hug, showing more emotion than she ever had before, barring her concerned ministrations when the Canary was injured. She heard the blonde's sharp intake of breath in surprise, but soon felt Dinah relax into the embrace. Her arms remained around the Canary for a few more seconds, before she pulled away with a light squeeze.
"I love it..." She breathed sincerely. "You didn't have to do that for me, Dinah."
Canary shook her head immediately. "No! You- you saved my life. Probably three or four times over the course of the past week. You stopped me from drowning in a frozen pond, carried me all the way to your apartment during a snowstorm, took care of me for days before bringing me here, and even stayed with me the whole time I was recovering... you're a hero, Helena. I can't-" She broke off, her voice growing choked with tears. "I can't thank you enough. You've been the best friend I've ever had and I want to repay you for that and-"
"Whoa whoa whoa..." Helena reached out and placed firm hands on Dinah's shoulders, squeezing slightly for emphasis. "Canary, there's something I need to say to you. A few days ago, I was really scared that I'd never get the chance to. Thank you for seeing me for more than my mistakes. Even though our friendship started with me attacking you, you forgave me after my mistake with Mandragora, accepting me with open arms and helping me on patrols. You embody everything it means to be a hero, Dinah. I thought that being a hero meant kicking the bad guys' butts and calling it a night, but you showed me it's so much more than that. It's about sacrifice, about love and genuine care, about never giving up, about fighting for what you believe in... you inspired me to be a better hero. You're the reason I rejoined the Justice League. You're the reason I ever believed I could be more than just a vigilante. You- You saw me for who I could be, and changed the way I saw myself so the world could see me as something more. You saved my life that day in so many more ways than you could ever imagine. You're my best friend, Dinah. I'm sorry for not telling you or thanking you or appreciating you as much as you deserve before now; the truth was I was scared of becoming attached, of accepting help I refused to need. But you stayed by my side anyway. You don't need to thank me; I just couldn't let the wonderful hero who saved me die doing so." Helena broke off, finally glancing back at the Canary.
Dinah's eyes were wide with shock and sadness, tears welling up in those concerned blue irises. She pulled Helena back into another hug, her form shaking with repressed sobs. "Always, Helena. You're a hero..." The blonde murmured into Helena's chest.
Huntress held her for a few moments, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. She felt lighter than she had in ages, as if she'd finally cast away the guilty darkness shrouding her heart. The selfless heroine in her arms was *alive* and Helena couldn't be more grateful that she could fight another day with her best friend.
After Canary's sobs quieted, she looked up at Helena gratefully, pulling away slightly. "I'm sor-" She began.
"Hey, what do you say we go take this baby for a spin?" Helena smirked, effectively cutting off the Canary's needless apology with a knowing wink.
Dinah smiled gratefully. "I'd love to!"
"Have you eaten today?" Helena quirked an eyebrow, the Canary's ashamed aversion of her searching gaze giving her the answer. "That settles it. Hop on, Canary... I know this great pasta place on 9th..."
As the Watchtower transported them back to the city's edge and Huntress sped across the bustling streets, hearing Canary's gleeful laughter... she knew everything would be okay.
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