The Darkest of Knights

"Yeah cause.. Getting your back smashed inwards with a shovel is not all that painful." Karmy tried to make a joke but eh.. Not all that good. "And all y'all from the Bat clan say that." she chuckled. As they got closer to the hospital, Karmy kept on squirming around in her chair nervously. She was suddenly aware of just how sick she was and, seeing how she was medically inclined, thanks to Talia, she knew what was in store for her if they found out she was hypothermic. "Uhm.. So.." she couldn't find anything else to say really and fell back into silence.

Dick pulled up to the parking lot and left the heater on. "Again... By the looks of things, yes. Why don't you eat that in here and we can get you a bed next to Alice? You look like you can use some time in th-... Are you okay?"

Karmy never took her eyes off the massive medical facility in front of the car, but Dick's voice startled her out of her daze. "Oh yeah, I'm fine!" she lied through her teeth. "Just ya know, not a big fan of hospitals. But, nah, don't worry. I'll be fine." she turned around in her seat and picked her food up out of the bag.

Dick eyed Karmy after he picked any bag of food in the back. "You know, I can tell when you're lying because I can hear your heart beat faster than normal." Dick said opening up the styrofoam tray filled with an array of oriental looking, american made, food. "Well not only that, but you're just a bad liar. What's the issue?"

Zero kept himself busy at the apartment, what with nobody in any shape to be out and obout, himself least of all in those figures. He figured he'd have to check in with Dick eventually, but first priority went to Karmy, who had ran off. He made sure everyone was ok, and took his his cell. He decided to just settle for a quick text of 'R U OK? Call if u can, worried.' Send.

Sarah would have done that herself, but all the images still swum in her mind, expecially the one of Karmy with the hole in her chest, something she still blatantly blamed on herself, and she couldn't bring herself to talk to Karmy at the moment. She settled for just sitting in a corner and keeping to herself, like she had when she was first here two years ago....

"Yeah, I was about to say. Your hearing is that good?" Karmy gave a small laugh and munched on some rice."And well, after spending a long time in white walled rooms with needles, scientists and all sorts of medical devices, a fear of hospitals and doctors settles in." she whimpered.

I'm fine, Dick picked me up and we're gonna go see Alice. How's everyone there?

Dick smiled, laughed even, a rare sight for Karmy herself. "The way we were trained by Bruce, you can't miss anything. In the dark, you'll have to lower your heartrate to eight beats a minute to avoid me. That and hold your breath. Two things Tim is really good at doing." Dick smiled eating a mixture of noodles, veggies, and little bits of pork as politely as possible, despite how hungry he was. "Besides, if anyone tries anything," he paused his meal, "I've got your back."

Karmy didn't bother with the manners, they were in a cramped car and eating cheap Chinese take out in front of a hospital after all, no manners required. "I'll remember that next time I'm trying to sneak up behind you with a squirt gun." she took a mental note. "I know Dick, and I trust you and everything but.. I don't trust them." she nodded towards the doctors. "I was kidnapped the last time I was there." she stated.

"Them? The doctors? We've got Leslie Thompkins watching over Alice. Bruce trusted her, I think you should too." Dick smiled finishing the chinese takeout and discarding it into a convenient plastic bag. "I offered to give her some compensation for her services but she always refuses any payment. You ready to go in?"

"Doctors, nurses, RN's, orderlies, pharmacists, the whole shabang, I don't trust none of them." Karmy replied. "But, if you trust this Ms. Thompkins lady..." opened the door, still bare footed and in her wet clothes from the Joker madhouse incident. "Then I'll.. give it a shot."

"C'mon quickly." Dick urged getting out and grabbing two bags of food for the girls inside, leaving the heater on to keep the rest of the food warm, did he have faith in Gotham to leave his keys in the car? Please, 2031 technology could leave the heater on and the doors locked. He rushed her into the hospital and guided her to Alice's room. Dr. Thompkins wasn't in, but Barbara was sitting next to Alice who was laying on her belly, sound asleep; Dick nodded, "Guys, I'm going to head over to the Batcave really quick. I'll be back." He promised leaving Barbara two bags of take out for Alice and herself. "Thanks Pixie Boots, catch you later." Barbara said getting up to hug him and peck his cheek quickly before he left.

Karmy stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, her back to the door and her eye's fixed on the broken form of her best friend. She didn't know what to do, what to say. Really, there was nothing she could do, she didn't know how to help Alice now and she couldn't talk to her. Alice was in better hands now so all Karmy could do was wait. Holding her wounded hand close to her tummy, she waved at Barbara nervously with her good one. "How are you feeling, Babby?" she asked, knowing that she too had been in the Joker's clutches.

"I'm doing just fine." Barbara said quietly to Karmy getting up and leading her to a bed next to Alice's. "You should rest for a while." She implored. "She's right you know, don't try to fight it either." An old woman in a doctor's cloak walked in. Thin glasses and thinner hands, she took Karmy's arm and forced her to sit on the bed. "You're freezing, hypothermia no doubt, not that terrible ska band: no doubt, just no doubt that its hypothermia. Thompkins, Leslie Thompkins at your service." She said to Karmy.

"I plan to ... Well Dick and I are staring something together. Keep the family business running, carrying the torch, y'know?" Damian said looking at Bruce's first batsuit. He didn't want to admit it, but Dick's influence had affected him more than he thought it would. His destiny? As Batman?

"Oh I've heard of Hypothermia, never heard any of their music though, mainly dedicated to this band I'm a part of." Karmy nervously said, babbling in hopes of keeping them distracted. "You should see one of their shows, Xen does an amazing trick with a banjo and a bang of M&M's. The crowd goes wild every time!" she laughed, starting to hyperventilate slightly. Sitting very still for once, Karmy made no move to get up, but didn't make a move to lie down either. Dr. Thompkins stark white coat and sharp glasses frightened Karmy, so she held her bag tightly, like a security blanket. "How's Alice?"

"Your friend lost the ability to use her legs, the rest of her I can treat rather effectively. You'll need to rest, lay down." Leslie ordered pulling down a strange looking device. "This will treat your body with ultraviolet rays, raising your body temperature and giving you a nice tan. Just relax for several hours. I'll make you some tea. What do you like? Sleepy time? Green? Deathberry?" Leslie asked writing on her clipboard.

Dick walked into the Batcave with his hands full of bags. "Damian, come help me out here." He told him, Damian jumped to his feet. "Mmm, smells cheap. Should have just went to Burger King." Damian said helping Dick out. "You don't have to eat if you don't want to. They're all the same stop looking through all of them Damian!" Dick scolded. "*Tt*, cheap as usual." Damian uttered. "Whatever. Just let everyone know food is here. I gotta get back to the hospital." He sighed tossing trash away from his car.

"Uh, any tea will be fine!" Karmy said, stumbling out of bed into the corner and plopped down into a chair. The sound of ultraviolet rays, which could also be used for deadly weapons, lasers and such, wasn't appealing to her very well. "I'll just sit here and warm up the old fashion way, with a blanket and heat from the, erm, heater."

"You really shouldn't be so obstinant." Leslie began to explain. "You really should get under the UV. We don't have any electric blankets. Trust me."

"I will, she'll appreciate that." Dick nodded and dodged out to the Gotham City streets again.

"Electric blanket? Never heard of those." Karmy thought. Seeing as electric blankets were rarely found around the time Karmy was born, the poor devices were probably extinct by now. "Please, doc-, Ms. Thompkins." she started, fearful of even the word doctor. "You don't know how uncomfortable, how... scared, I would be there."she begged. "Please don't make me, I don't want to have to run again, I'm tired of running..."

"Karmy just trust her, you're not going to die, you're in good hands." Barbara assured "I've dealt with many cases of hypothermia. Believe me this is the best for you. You're going to be fine."

Well, after spending a very long time in a place such as the institute, Karmy had every right to be emotionally scarred and terrified of unknown doctors. "No, please don't." she panicked as Ms. Thompkins approached her. The cold was no longer the reason why Karmy trembled, just pure fear, gripping her in it's iron grasp. No way could she fight them off, especially with Barbara in the room. Cowering in the chair, her eye's scanned the room for an escape route while her hands held her cell phone in her bag, fingers rapidly sending a message.

Cass, please come to the hospital!

Leslie sighed and looked over at Barbara. "Happens all the time." She said to Barbara. "Yeah?" Barbara asked. "Yeah, the patients know more than we do apparently. Don't even know why they show up." She said with a smirk. Alice's head rose, "Karmy, if you can't trust anyone else but me, you can't trust anyone." She said before putting her head back down.

Karmy stared at Alice, having had jumped early a foot in the air when she heard her voice. Even though Alice was quiet again, the little words of advice that she had spewed had been reasuring to Karmy. It meant that Dr. Thompkins had done her job, and she was good at it too. Still hyperventilating and trembling, Karmy rose from her chair and slowly slid onto the empty bed, sitting down and letting her legs dangle off the edge. "Ok." she quivered, her eyes shifting between Alice and the UV light.

Zero sent another text after seeing Karmy's;

Everyone's going to be fine, they just need to rest. Like u do.

He figured Karmy had enough on her plate, what with Alice and all, that she didn't need to know everyone looked right crappy. 'Course Karmy had looked the worst back at the warehouse, so he couldn't help but be concerned.

Dick hurried off back to Gotham General. If Leslie took customers she would be a billionaire. Too bad she only took patients. Dick felt bad but that was the only way they could get Alice to a doctor they could trust.

Leslie turned the UV on and instantly, Karmy's energy began to rejuvenate. She heard Leslie say something along the lines of "Let's see about that hand." Writing down notes on a clipboard. The usual. "Hey Babs. Can you go heat up some water for the tea while I go fetch some anti-biotics in the other room for this hand here?" Leslie asked already heading out the door.

Karmy sat very still in her bed, legs drawn up to her chest and head rest on top of her knees. She had been staring up at the UV lights for a efw minutes but, after realizing that actually looking into something that bright wasn't very smart, she stopped. Startled by the sudden buzz from the text message, she pulled out her phone after calming herself down and replied to Zero. Well, alright.. I wanna get out of her soon and see y'all. Is Cyssy alright? She was unusually quiet before I left. After hitting send, she curled back up and waited for Dr. Thompkins to return.