A Scent of the Future *Slow Updates*

Chapter 17

Dick paced back and forth as M'gann and Connor ran in.

"How bad?" Connor asked. Dick looked up with tears in his eyes. "Oh."

"She'll make it Dick. She's tough," M'gann said hugging her friend. Soon the whole team was there, and they were interrogating each of the doctors who came in the waiting room for details about Artemis.

"I can tell you that she is stable, though wound is very dangerous," a doctor said and Tim and Gar pounced on him as soon as he came in the room.

"How dangerous?" Dick asked.

"Dangerous enough to where she needs to stay in the hospital at least another two weeks," the doctor said. Dick nodded. He now regretted not telling Artemis he loved her before she left with Wally. All he did was kiss her.... He thought that would be enough.

"Can we see her?" M'gann asked.

"Yes. Only a few people can go in at a time," the doctor said and led a small group of people, which included M'gann, Connor, Dick, and Tim, to Artemis's hospital room. "Be careful. It's a nasty wound and is still very bloody. She is better off than she looks."

The four friends nodded and Connor opened the door. M'gann gasped as Connor held her tight, and the four entered the room. Artemis was hooked up to a bunch of wires. She had an oxygen mask, and you could see the stiches trailing up from the bottom of her stomach all the way to her rib cage, where the doctors had performed surgery on her. Tim went over to her and sat down, and Dick saw the tears falling down his cheeks. He knew Tim thought of Artemis as a big sister, and that this hurt him to see her like this. M'gann cried into Connor's chest as Connor just stood there, no emotion on his face. Dick sat down on the opposite side of the bed from Tim and took Artemis's hand, and just laid his head on he bed. How could he have been so dumb? Artemis saved him from the Joker, but paid the price of getting shot.

"I'm sorry," Dick said and a forbidden tear ran down his face. "I'm so, so sorry."

Dick didn't know how long he sat there for, but he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Bruce looking at him.

"The doctor needs to move Artemis," He said with no emotion. Dick knew right away something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Dick asked. Bruce just looked at the ground. "What's wrong?" Dick said a little stronger this time. He then saw Barbara crying, and Tim hugging her. Connor was punching a wall and M'gann was hugging Gar.

"Dick...." Bruce said and looked into Dick's eyes.

"What? Is something wrong with Artemis?" Dick asked and realized Artemis's hand had become cold.

"Artemis is...."

"Artemis is what?"

"She's... She's..... Dead."