"Why do you get to live? Huh?" Tim yelled as he dangled the criminal off the rooftop, snarling. "All your kind does is bring pain and suffering to the world. I should do the world a favor and just let you - "
All of a sudden, the bank robber was pulled out of Tim's hands at super-speed and deposited on an adjacent rooftop. Conner flew back over, hovering in front of Tim with a displeased look on his face.
"I was handling it, Conner."
"Yeah, I saw how you were handling it. That's why I decided to handle it. What the hell is going on, Tim?"
"I'm sick of it. I'm sick of their kind running around, hurting innocent people. It's time someone gave them something to be afraid of."
"Yeah, I think you've been doing that. I heard you put the Mad Hatter in traction the other day. Little harsh for a guy who thinks he's an Alice in Wonderland character."
"He's a child-kidnapper. I already got this lecture from Bruce, so if you don't mind - "
"Yeah, I mind!" Conner flew in front of Tim before he could turn away. "We're all hurting, man, but you've taken it to a whole new level. I know how hard this is, but - "
"Hard? You think this is hard? When Cissie wakes up - if she wakes up - we're all going to get a lesson in exactly what hard is. You heard what those doctors said."
Conner's eyes fell on a thick bandage covering Tim's left hand. "Oh, jeez, did you punch a wall?"
"Actually, I put it through a vending machine window." Tim muttered under his breath. "I'm fine."
"Geez, Tim." Conner shook his head. "You're not helping anyone like this. You're just driving yourself to the point where you're going to wind up in a hospital bed next to her. When she wakes up, she's going to need you, and - "
"And? What the hell am I going to do?" Tim yelled. "She's never going to walk again! Hell, she might never be able to use her arms again! How do I help her through that?"
"I don't know." Conner sighed. "I don't know much right now. But I do know this - she's going to need all of us. And that means I have to keep you from getting yourself killed. Hell, when's the last time you ate, even?"
"Last time I was at the hospital. Two days ago."
"That's it." Conner pulled Tim off the rooftop. "You're taking the rest of the night off. Best friend's orders."
Shortly afterwards, Tim had filled up on a mediocre burger and fries, and was back at the hospital. As he approached the room, he could hear the sound of the monitors beeping, making sure Cissie's vital signs were okay. Walking into the room, he knelt by the bed.
"I don't even know what I'm doing here, Ciss. I'm running myself ragged, trying to do something - anything - to feel like I'm making a difference. But this is the first time I feel like I'm completely poweless. You saved my life, and it cost you - God, it cost you everything." Tim bent his head down, leaning his forehead on Cissie's hand. "How am I ever supposed to repay that? I'd give anything to trade places with you - but I can't. I can't do anything besides be here. So if - when you wake up, I'm not going anywhere. Come what may. I'm going to help you fight this, as hard as you can. So...just wake up, and maybe we can beat this."
Tim paused as the rhythmic beat of the monitor kept going.
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Taking on an old prompt (Very early Oracleverse)
Date: 2010-03-12 04:27 am (UTC)All of a sudden, the bank robber was pulled out of Tim's hands at super-speed and deposited on an adjacent rooftop. Conner flew back over, hovering in front of Tim with a displeased look on his face.
"I was handling it, Conner."
"Yeah, I saw how you were handling it. That's why I decided to handle it. What the hell is going on, Tim?"
"I'm sick of it. I'm sick of their kind running around, hurting innocent people. It's time someone gave them something to be afraid of."
"Yeah, I think you've been doing that. I heard you put the Mad Hatter in traction the other day. Little harsh for a guy who thinks he's an Alice in Wonderland character."
"He's a child-kidnapper. I already got this lecture from Bruce, so if you don't mind - "
"Yeah, I mind!" Conner flew in front of Tim before he could turn away. "We're all hurting, man, but you've taken it to a whole new level. I know how hard this is, but - "
"Hard? You think this is hard? When Cissie wakes up - if she wakes up - we're all going to get a lesson in exactly what hard is. You heard what those doctors said."
Conner's eyes fell on a thick bandage covering Tim's left hand. "Oh, jeez, did you punch a wall?"
"Actually, I put it through a vending machine window." Tim muttered under his breath. "I'm fine."
"Geez, Tim." Conner shook his head. "You're not helping anyone like this. You're just driving yourself to the point where you're going to wind up in a hospital bed next to her. When she wakes up, she's going to need you, and - "
"And? What the hell am I going to do?" Tim yelled. "She's never going to walk again! Hell, she might never be able to use her arms again! How do I help her through that?"
"I don't know." Conner sighed. "I don't know much right now. But I do know this - she's going to need all of us. And that means I have to keep you from getting yourself killed. Hell, when's the last time you ate, even?"
"Last time I was at the hospital. Two days ago."
"That's it." Conner pulled Tim off the rooftop. "You're taking the rest of the night off. Best friend's orders."
Shortly afterwards, Tim had filled up on a mediocre burger and fries, and was back at the hospital. As he approached the room, he could hear the sound of the monitors beeping, making sure Cissie's vital signs were okay. Walking into the room, he knelt by the bed.
"I don't even know what I'm doing here, Ciss. I'm running myself ragged, trying to do something - anything - to feel like I'm making a difference. But this is the first time I feel like I'm completely poweless. You saved my life, and it cost you - God, it cost you everything." Tim bent his head down, leaning his forehead on Cissie's hand. "How am I ever supposed to repay that? I'd give anything to trade places with you - but I can't. I can't do anything besides be here. So if - when you wake up, I'm not going anywhere. Come what may. I'm going to help you fight this, as hard as you can. So...just wake up, and maybe we can beat this."
Tim paused as the rhythmic beat of the monitor kept going.
"God, please...just wake up."