Never Fear

53

"I am sorry, Willow."

"Stephen was right," frowning she sat up on her elbows. "Following him around wasn't going to end happily."

"You thought it would?"

"No." Willow laid back down again and shut her eyes. Letting out a quiet yawn she stretched her arms. "I already knew something bad was going to happen. I just didn't know that 'something bad' was going to be him dying." Willow said and jolted up. "Oh my...he is dead. He's like...in a watery grave, no pun intended. I can't use pushing up daisies because he's not on land. He's...dead." Willow ran her hands through her hair shakily. Laying her arms on the table she leaned her head against them and cried quietly. She stiffened when a hand got placed against her head.

"It'll be all right, Willow." Batman said, Willow looked up only to see she was now in an empty, dark room.

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"Hello Willow, how are you today? I heard you've not been sleeping for a few days. If this keeps up the doctors will have to sedate you." Fletcher James spoke calmly. The woman in front of him fidgeted in her seat and pulled her knees to her chest. Fletcher had the task of trying to talk to Willow.

"First I thought I wouldn't eat. But I got bribed to eat by having chocolate waved in my face." Willow said dully. "Then I thought, I don't need to sleep really. I used to stay up late all the time. When I was little I never slept." Willow looked up at the ceiling. "What do I need to sleep for, when I've got nothing to get up for in the day? You lot keep looking in at me, watching me, that's my day."

"Perhaps I can arrange for you to go out and visit the city?"

"I don't want to."

"Willow, you keep shutting yourself in will cause more problems. I know you think it's helping. But it's not."

"No I meant, I don't want to go to the city because it's currently tipping it down with rain. I don't wish to get wet." Willow slapped a hand to her forehead, slightly dumbstruck at the doctor's idiocy.

Fletcher coughed and looked to the window. "So it is." He stated dumbly, Willow inwardly groaned and leaned her head against her knees. This session was going to get a whole lot worse, before it got better.

Walking along the cold, white, clinical corridors, Willow wrapped her arms around herself and her long dark red and black stripped jumper. Sue had knitted it for her, Sue needed a hobby since retiring so she taught herself to knit. Her bare feet made quiet pattering noises against the tiles, looking at the nurse who was escorting her back to her room, she sighed. Willow was trying to figure out which place was worse. Arkham or this hospital. Both members of staff pandered around fussing, both seemed to keep a critical eye on everyone in their care. Fair enough, the hospital staff needed to keep a critical eye on patients, especially considering some were in bad health statuses. Arkham kept a critical eye on people in their care because if they didn't, they'd most likely get attacked.

Upon entering her room, Willow looked confused when she had a visitor. "Bruce?" Tilting her head to the side she walked in and shut the door, thus shutting out the nurse who seemed to have it in mind to follow her in. "You're here because...?"

Bruce turned away from the window and looked in her direction. Sure, he'd been the first person from the outside world to see how she was, other than her parents. But he hadn't seen her since, and weeks passed since his visit as Batman. He'd spent most of his time helping trying to find the missing inmates who escaped to the mainland. He wouldn't be lying when, and if, he'd admitted to trying to finding Jonathan. Bruce didn't know though if he could actually confess to Willow whether he had found, if he found him. For all pretence and purposes, Jonathan Crane seemed to have died in the chaotic accident which happened on Arkham Island.

"I thought you could do with someone else to talk to."

"Right." Willow answered simply while moving away from the door. "Sit down, please. People standing around make me feel nervous." She mumbled and rubbed her arms.

Bruce moved over to the seat which was beside the bed and looked up at her. Willow looked exhausted. She looked in a similar state when he took her to Jim. Her green eyes seemed darker, her skin was paler and in the harsh lighting of the hospital room, it made her skin seem transparent. The usual chatty woman, was now sitting motionless, and speechless.

"How's the outside world?" Willow questioned. Her head was still downcast and she didn't look in his direction when she spoke, her eyes were closed as if she was trying to have a cat nap and failing.

"Well you know, still the same."

"Still the same?" Willow repeated and looked over at him. "Still the same? Half the inhabitants of Arkham are in the city, and you say it's still the same?" She asked cynically. "That's silly." Rolling her eyes she leaned her arms on top of the table and leaned her head against her hand. "Why are you here? I mean, we briefly met once. No offence, I'm honestly not complaining about a new face to talk to. It's just...I don't want to talk."

"I've come here with a proposition actually, I was just trying to think of the right time to tell you it." This caught Willow's attention, she opened her eyes and looked over at him. "A doctor briefly spoke to me. He said you've recovered well but won't let you go until you've slept." Bruce paused, Willow looked bored, she already knew this information. "My proposition is, I need help."

"With?"

"There's a charity auction happening next week, and an exhibition. I want to employ you to help out."

"You can do that?"

"Yes."

"Right." Willow looked towards the window, and watched the rain which still pelted against the pane of glass. Bruce leaned back in the chair, he could see Willow was thinking over what he'd said. He did hope that she'd take up his proposition. It'd be another step towards reforming her character and getting away from the ex-inmate she used to be. "Right," Willow repeated and turned to look at him. "What sort of things are going to be involved in this auction and exhibition?" She smiled, an actual proper smile. Not a hollow one void of feelings. Bruce smiled slowly, it seemed the history enthusiast in her just couldn't let this moment slip by.

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(Edited: 18/Oct/2019)