Red Hood: Shooting In The Dark

Chapter 21: Hospital

Jason carried Katherine's weak broken body into the busy hospital. Kylie froze in her place as Cameron's eyes widened to see 'Redhood' carrying Katherine in his strong arms. Her arms brusied and bloodied arms could barely hold on to his neck anymore, her chin pressed against her chest the left side of her face swollen.
Cameron cursed loudly. Both of the siblings rushed forwards to get there friend. Panic written all over them.
"Get a bed!" Cameron's dark voice doomed. Instantly a doctor reaponded by pushing a cheap, free bed towards them. Cameron took Katherine's fragile body into his own arms.
Cameron laid her weak body down as fast as possible. He turned back to speak to Jason but he had vanished in the panicked huddle of the now crowding doctors. Not waiting another second he turned back to his friend. Kylie carefully lifted her friends swollen eye lid as her thin flash light shone into her hazel brown eyes.

"Katherine....Katherine can you hear me?" She said, her voice crackling slightly under the pressure.
Katherine let out a low, weak groan. As paniced, loud voices shouted orders over one another. The bright white lights drowned Katherine's vision as she could barely keep her head straight. Cameron pushed the metal bed forwards as fast as the wheels could take him. Katherine's broken hand slowly fell against his, glancing down Cameron looked down at her.
"Your going to be okay Katherine..." he said softly. As the thick doors to the emergency operating room began to close in on them.

"Your going to be okay...I promise."

______________________

Cameron looked down at Katherine's weak body as she rested soundly in the hospital bed. A small yellow tinted light was the only source of light that display all of the equipment. Drips delivered her medication in to her veins, bandages and casts covered her fingers, leg, her head and torso. A heart monitor showing her steady heart rate. A air tube lay a strip across her nostrils and upper lip. Though she was stable....

She was completely broken.

Cameron folded his arms as her heart beat monitor gave a peaceful rythmic 'beep'. Cameron sighed as he heard the window in front of him quietly slide open.
He didn't look up. Jason silently slipped into the room, his familar crimson helmet on display to Cameron. Cameron wouldn't have heard him enter if it wasn't for the slight breeze that followed Jason in. Jason took a step forward, a horrified expression hidden under his crimson helmet.
His gloved hand almost reached up to touch her ghostly pale skin. Jason stopped himself as he glanced at Cameron. A cold glare in his eyes.
"The entire left side of her face is bruised and swollen. She's broken 3 fingers in both of her hands, she's broken her left leg in multiple places. Along with a puncture wound in her left thigh, deep cuts all across her arms and torso. It's a miracle that she didn't get a punctured lung from the broken ribs or get a fractured skull." Cameron snarled.
The room fell almost silent again.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jason muttered finally.
"I want you to know what you did to her..."
Jason said nothing. He just looked down at Katherine, the guilt already weighing up on him.
"If you hadn't have got her involved she wouldn't be knocking on deaths door."
Jason said nothing.

Cameron bit the inside of his cheek. Tears almost whelming up in his icy blue eyes. Before Jason could react, Cameron's strong hands gripped Jason's baggy leather jacket. Caughting him of guard, Cameron slammed Jason's spine in to the oppsite wall.
"At least say something you coward!" Cameron snarled.
"What? You don't think I care about her?" Jason challenged. He swiped Cameron's hands off of him.
"You don't think I consider this my fault? She's saved my life more times than I can count. You think this doesn't kill me?!"
Cameron blinked. He was taken a step back by his response. Cameron's glare hardened once again.
"If you really want to keep her safe... leave her, let her have a normal life again."
"What if it's too late for that?"
"It's not."

The door suddenly burst open, Kylie concerned about her unconscious friend. Both Jason and Cameron turned to Kylie, jolting their argument in place. Her body relaxed once she saw her brother but her eyes still stayed wide and fearful as she looked at Jason.
"What's going on here?" She asked angerily. She shut the door behind her, stopping any wandering eyes from peering inside.
"I can pratically hear you on the other side of the hall way." She continued, her angered tone quieter than theirs.
Jason said nothing. Cameron sighed, he paced around for a momment. His fingers gripping the bridge of his nose. 
"Nothing. Just a little talk." Cameron told his sister. She gave him a look which showed her distaste towards his answer. Ignoring her, Cameron turned back to Jason.
"You've got an hour. When Kylie and I come back in the room, you better be gone."
Cameron said before swiftly moving towards the door. He gently ushered his sister out of the room. Her eyes still lingering on Jason as she walked away. The thin plastic coated door shut with a slight click before Jason was left with nothing but the rythmic beat of Katherine's heart beat.

Jason took off his helmet as he sat down in the plastic chair next to her bed. What had he done...

________________

I let out a groan as my limbs felt as stiff as rocks. My heavy eye lids refused to opened. My blurred vision lazily looked around the room for a second. As I threw my heavy head to the left I could see a large crimson blur. I gulped down the thick clump of spit in my throat before my thick, numb tongue attempted to speak.
"J-Jason...." My weak, quiet voice croaked.
As my vision cleared I could see he was asleep, slumped in the uncomfortable hospital chair. My left hand slowly slid across the sheets towards his hand. I ignored the pain of the two broken fingers within my left hand.
As I reached his gloved hand he flinched awake. He took a deep breathe in as his icy blue eyes caught sight of me. I weakly smiled.
"Katherine...hey, your awake" he said softly as Jason leaned in closer to me.
"How long have you been here?" I asked quietly.
Jason glanced over at the clock on the wall. He shrugged as his gloved hand tightly gripped mine. I ignored the slight stinging pain.
"About half an hour" he said with another shrug. Silence fell between us as I felt a wave of peace hit my chest. I just wanted to see Jason. I just wanted to see him right now. Jason looked down at the ground for a second, almost as if he was nervous.

"Katherine.  I-I. I'm so sorry for what happened." He began but I cut him off with a weak shaking of my head.
"It's not...your fault."
Jason frowned.
"I could have just told him what he wanted and left it at that. It was my choice to protect you."

Jason sadly smiled as he glanced down at the ground for a momment. I felt the grip tighten in my hand.
"It going to make this right Katherine. I promise."
"You saved me... You've already made it right."
He looked outside the window, my numb face could barely even drive a frown across my brow. I lazily turned my head to see a dimly lit figure standing stall on the roof top that over looked my room.
"He's waiting for me." He muttered. I pulled my head back to him,
"Tell the brooding bats I said hi" I said with a small smile across my face, the pain killers destroying my mouth filter. Jason smirked. His familiar icy blue eyes scanned my face, as if it was the first time he had saw it.

He gently kissed my fore head. He swiftly moved to the window but turned before leaving. right hand scooping his crimson helmet up. My eyes watched him get up but my face dropped as a sharp memory of pain flashed in my brain. Uncontrollably my numb hand somehow managed to weakly grip on to his sleeve.

"Wait" I croaked. He turned, his face slightly confused. His eyes looking down at me.
"Please stay...just until I fall asleep." He smiled as he sat himself back down in the chair. His warm hand reclasping onto mine.
He sent me a warm smile, his strong hand coiling around mine.
"Sure."
"Thank you."
I closed my eyes, the pain killers quickly sending me to sleep.

That was the last time I ever saw Jason Todd