Espera | R. Grayson ✔

[13]

She woke up to the sound of knocks on the door which were almost drowned by the heavy thunderstorm outside. She got off the bed and made her way outside, wondering who could be out in the storm.

Someone was knocking at the front door so she stood in the corridor and asked, "who's there?"

"Babs... Can you let me in? Please?"

She recognized that voice instantly and opened the door. Richard stood outside, dripping in the rain but the worrying aspect was that he was injured.

His white shirt was soaked red and a deep gash was visible on his chest. His teeth were chattering from the cold and his hands rested on the door frame to hold himself up.

"Oh my God, Richard, what happened?" She supported him and led him inside, not caring that the blood was staining her as well. She carefully locked the door and brought him to her room.

It had been about two days since she had last seen him and she found it odd how he had disappeared suddenly with not even Helena knowing where he had gone.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have..." Richard spoke up as he realized that her father was at home, judging by the keys and the boots near the entrance.

She gestured him to stay silent and locked her bedroom door as well.

"It's a good thing he didn't wake up," she mumbled, searching for her first aid kit, "come to the bathroom."

She made him sit down in the bathtub, opening the hot water. He flinched at first but gradually his shivering lessened. The water washed off the blood while she brought out the ointment and the bandages.

"What did you get yourself into?"

His eyes had fluttered shut from fatigue and though he felt her hands gently apply the ointment on his wounds after cleaning the gashes, he couldn't move his own hands to hold hers.

"Let's just say I got into a fight," his voice was low and weaker than usual.

"Why?"

He sighed softly, not telling her the real reason, "I don't know."

"And where had you been? Do you have any idea how worried we got? Helena said your brother was going crazy with concern."

The expression on his face conveyed that he knew that very well but did not have the strength to talk about it, "later, please?"

She agreed reluctantly, removing his shirt to see the rest of the wounds, "looks like they really wanted to kill you."

"Nothing new..."

He drifted off to sleep as the hot water was very soothing while she carefully bandaged him up after draining the water. He had started to shiver again so she fetched some towels, wrapping them around him as she shook him gently to wake him up.

"Here, let's get you to bed," she hauled him up and though he had stumbled, he held on to her.

"Thank you so much, love, I've been a terrible nuisance and at this ungodly hour too..."

She looked at him, seeing that his eyes were still drooping with exhaustion, so she made him lay down on the bed carefully and covered him up with the blanket, "you can never be a nuisance."

She was about to leave when his hand closed onto her wrist, silently requesting her to stay with him.

"Just a second, Richard, I'll be back soon."

He let go of her wrist at that and stepped out but much to her alarm, Jim Gordon was standing in the lounge looking skeptically at the wet puddles on the living room floor mixed with red.