Got Your Back, Always

0.IV

Cassie didn't even notice when the Joker had left, she didn't even notice that she wasn't covered in blood. She didn't notice that she was back in her original chair. She didn't notice that the Joker was only gone because Batman had literally torn the door down. She didn't notice that the Joker went without a fight. She didn't even notice the Joker being sent off to Arkam, into the deepest part, a place that will take him a very long time to escape from.

Cassie didn't notice when Batman walked over to her and undid her restraints. Cassie didn't notice that she was being moved, gently like she would disappear any second, into the Batmobile. Cassie didn't notice Bruce trying to talk to her. Cassie didn't notice herself being placed on a hospital bed. Cassie didn't notice Alfred giving her an IV to rehydrate her. Cassie didn't notice the two men's very concerned look, each one very worried they would lose her. Cassie didn't notice Bruce's pacing increasing as Alfred checked over Cassie. Cassie didn't notice her wrists being bruised beyond belief, both men were surprised they weren't broken. Cassie didn't notice when the world around her went black.

Cassie's eyes opened. She was in a dimly lit room. She was in her room, in the manor. She blinked and looked around the room. She saw everything she normally saw every time she woke up. Cassie tried to sit up and quickly realized she was hooked up to an IV. She gently took out the needle, having done it to others several times. She slowly moved to the edge of her bed. She sat there for a moment trying to remember everything that happened.

Cassie breathed deeply, vaguely remembering seeing Bruce and Alfred's faces. She didn't want to think about what she saw with the Joker, she didn't want to talk about it. She decided she wasn't going to tell anyone, not even Bruce, not even Dick. No one needed to know what she saw. No one needed to know what her nightmares were about. No one needed to know. It wasn't their fault she went through what she did, so they didn't need to know. All she needed to know was that they were ok. She would be ok as long as they were ok.

Cassie stood up, knowing her legs would be very weak, and eased her way to her bathroom. She was going to take a very long and very nice shower. The water always cleared her mind and helped her feel better. Cassie knew she wasn't in a fake reality, she just knew this was real. She couldn't explain it to anyone who asked, but the feeling she got wasn't familiar when she moved and stood and breathed, so she knew it was real. She knew Bruce had saved her. She knew he was alive, that's what got her standing. That's what got her moving.

She grabbed one of Dick's shirts she had stolen years ago, and her softest and most comfortable sweatpants, also stolen from Dick. Cassie made her way to her shower and turned on the water, normally she liked her showers scolding hot, but today she figured nice and warm would be good. Cassie normally listened to music as she took a shower but that would have been too much noise, and she didn't know where her phone was, a silent shower was just what she needed.

Cassie wasn't sure how long she was in there, but she didn't care. Her hair was freshly washed, she had used her favorite body scrub and body wash, she had used all of her favorites and didn't care how long it took her. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Ok, she brushed her teeth four different times, with a couple of different kinds of toothpaste, and a couple of different mouthwashes too.

Once Cassie felt as if she had cleaned every inch of the Joker off of her she finally finished getting dressed, well dressed into what she normally wears to bed, but she didn't plan on leaving the manor today. She opened her door and slowly walked her way to Bruce's study. She was hoping to run into Alfred on her way there, but she figured they both would be in there, they usually were when they weren't downstairs.

She saw the door open to the study, which meant Alfred was in there. Normally it was shut, Bruce didn't like having doors opened when he was working.