Killer Queen

Part 4

Roy had finally found out whether his plasma gun worked or not. Miraculously so, and much to the amusement of his former mentor, it worked like a charm. 

"Happy birthday, old timer. See ya' next year!"

Some colorful words were exchanged from both parties as soon as they had arrived.

 Jason and Roy were once again on their way back home.  While driving back to Gotham, the duo had stopped at an old bakery and Jason had picked up the most fun looking packet of cupcakes. Debbie would surely appreciate the treat. Although Roy had pastries of his own, Jasons' simply looked a lot more delicious.

"Touch any of those and you're a dead man, Harper."

It didn't take long to reach Gotham. And a drive with Roy reminded Jason of the old days when they were young idiots. Although, once they returned things had changed a bit for Jason. 

The first thing he did when returning to Gotham was take a long deserved nap. Second thing he did was take a hot bath and redress himself in clean clothes. Lastly, he would go find Debbie and give her the gift he had brought home for her.

At first he thought perhaps he was at the wrong school exit but when Debbie hadn't come out of class as usual when he picked her up, Jason thought that perhaps she had stayed home. The young man soon climbed up the fire escape yet was greeted with an empty room. That wasn't right, not at all. 

Jason ultimately had entered Debbie's apartment complex, climbed up the stairs with his batch of cupcakes and would knock on the young girls door. Some may have called him paranoid but worry soon settled in Jason's gut. He knocked and knocked but no one answered. 

"His kid is at the hospital," said a rough voice a few feet away from him.

Jason turned his head and across the hall stood an elderly woman with a weary expression on her face wearing a light blanket over her shoulders and shaking a cigarette out of its box, "Hospital?"

The woman nodded her head, her thinning gray hair shaking as she did so, speaking with a hint of attitude in her voice, "If you're looking for Mr. Lawrence, his daughter is in the hospital. She got sick just about two days ago. If a tall drink of water such as yourself is coming 'round here, I'm sure it's for all the wrong reasons."

Turning on his heel, Jason muttered thanks as he once again made his way down the stairs with his pastries, the elderly woman keeping an eye on him the entire time as she lit her cigarette. The young man rolled his eyes as he crept out of sight, "She isn't his kid."  

He arrived at the hospital in twenty minutes flat, scaled the stairs and found her room in five. But what exactly was Jason doing there? He was no one as far as anyone was concerned. Hell, even the old lady thought he was acquainted with the bastard stepdad. 

Jason lent back on the wall opposite Debbie's door. He still held the batch of cupcakes in his arms, some already had been ruined, the frosting smudged to the box. It was only after a few moments that the young man was able to muster all his courage and enter the young blondes room. 

Making sure to open the door as slowly as he could, Jason inched his way in quietly. Butterflies and pink clouds adorned the hospital room. It was the children's ward after all. Debbie lay in her bed sleeping soundly and Jason almost immediately regretted his decision in visiting. Her mother sat at her side, looking up at Jason with concerned eyes.

"Can I help you?"

Debbie had been right. Her mother truly was a kind, beautiful woman even underneath her exhausted demeanor. Debbie had inherited her luminous blue eyes. Although very little else confirmed that this woman was Debbie's mother. But that mattered very little. She held onto her daughters hand but made no attempt to stand up as Jason closed the door behind him. 

He quickly came up with a cover story, "I-I'm Jason. I live down the street from you guys. I sometimes walk Debbie home after my shift at work... I brought cupcakes." 

Larena dismissed his nervousness and welcomed him as a friend and kind neighbor. She of all people knew a friend at a time like this was more than a good thing. Jason took a seat across from her, on Debbie's right side after setting down his box of frosted treats. 

As it turned out, Debbie's mother had taken a break from her waitress job every other day in order to be with Debbie for longer periods of time. Debbie had been in and out of consciousness the last days she was in the hospital. Surprisingly, the mother was quite the talker if given enough time. Yet their conversation was anything but lovely. Jason truly felt terrible for the woman.

"I should have never left her alone, Jason," she confessed.

The young man had been listening to the woman's stories for at least an hour as he kept her company. After having brought up a third cup of coffee for himself and a warm tea for Larena, she had ultimately began into the latest situation in her life. Much the comforter, Jason made sure to listen to every word this woman spoke and give his support to her. 

Jason shook his head, "You did the best you could, Ms. Ruiz." Sure, the woman was just a mere year older but Jason felt compelled in having manners and treating her with utter most respect.

"Can't even balance a checkbook," she scoffed, throwing her hands up, "Who am I kidding? I'm no mother of the year." 

From what he'd been hearing the past hour, Jason was positive this mother was far better than even the mother of the year. She simply didn't see it. But he was still sure to lend a helping hand in comforting her, a pat on the back or even with just giving some encouraging words to the mother. 

Larena soon found herself drifting to sleep, a fact of which Jason had noticed far earlier that night. Jason thought it best to have the mother go home and rest as she would work all day the next day. He helped her with her coat, reassuring the mother that he would look after Debbie and walked her to her car, bidding his farewells just as Larena expressed her thanks.

"You're a life saver, thank you so much, Jason."

Jason took his time walking up the steps to Debbie's bedroom. His head hung low. He still hadn't found out why his kid was in the hospital. Jason refused to intrude and ask her mother as it wouldn't have been any of his business but he couldn't help but worry. But that mattered very little as Debbie would be woken up by the time Jason reached her room.

"Hey, kid," Jason chuckled as he reached her bedside.

Debbie let her eye's adjust in the darkened room, "Red?"