It was the middle of the night, and Nina had just returned home after a grueling day at school. Her body felt like a heavy bag of bricks as she collapsed onto her bed, too exhausted to even think about eating. The cacophony of Gotham's crime-ridden streets slowly faded into the background as she drifted off to sleep.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the piercing sound of breaking glass. Her senses, sharpened by her brother's constant training since childhood, snapped her awake. Startled, Nina jumped from her lying position to a sitting position on her bed. She sat there for a moment, dazed, trying to make sense of what was happening. Her mind struggled to keep up with her body's alertness.
As she cautiously got out of bed and approached the door, she peered through the keyhole, finding no one on the other side. Without any signs of intrusion, she opened the door. Walking along the wall around the room, she noticed a figure lying on the broken window, half inside, half on the fire escape. The upper half was inside the room, and the man was wearing a red helmet. The man with the red helmet was the first vigilante Nina encountered after months of living in Gotham. He was called The Red Helmet or Robin Hood. No, he doesn't look like a Robin. Robin Hood is green either way, the guy in Star City. Nina hoped the guy was a vigilante, not a random criminal on the run.
"Hello?" she called out loud enough to get his attention. She made him aware of another presence in the place, avoiding unnecessary attacks.
The figure suddenly stood up and pointed a gun at her. Being rational and clear-headed, Nina stopped and raised her hands to show her defenselessness and that she wouldn't attack him. In truth, she was skilled in close combat, trained by her dear brother, but she wouldn't reveal that to the unknown person or risk it with a fucking gun pointed at her face.
His breath caught as a realization dawned on him. Before he could get his question out, "...N-?" His entire body collapsed to the floor.
The girl's heart pounded in her chest as she cautiously approached him. Grabbing the chopsticks from the Chinese takeaway she had eaten that night, she nudged him to see if he would react. One, then two nudges later, no response.
Nina no longer had the gun pointed at her face. She bent down and slowly took the gun out of the masked stranger's hand. She was careful because she could feel his grip was firm, even though he was unconscious. It felt like she was back in the camp, helping the counselors put the campers back to bed after they had accidentally fallen asleep from exhaustion during training. Their grip on the shield was like their lifeline, and in a way, it was.
Once the gun was out of the stranger's hands, Nina put the safety on and threw it somewhere. Irresponsibly, yes, but also out of the intruder's reach.
She could see that he had been injured, judging by his blood-soaked clothes and cuts all over him, some major, some minor. The teenager's following thoughts were not rational, nor were they responsible, but she wanted to help. She had heard that masks help keep the city safe, in a way. So, as someone who lives in the city, she should provide some help. No, this was a want she had when her brother went on quests, random appreciation, and help from others. She might start providing for others since that didn't work out well with her brother. However, she did not have any medical training. She only knew one medic with a lot of knowledge.
Fishing out her phone, she decided to call Will Solace. He didn't pick up the first or second call. Plan B it was. She opened her phone, planning on calling her brother's cousin, Nico. After one call and four rings, the phone was picked up.
"What?" his grumpy voice was sounded through the phone.
"Give the phone to Will," Nina ordered.
"Seriously?"
"Please? He doesn't pick up," her tone changed once she realized her initial demanding tone wouldn't get what she wanted. "This is kinda an emergency."
"What did Percy do now?" Nico groans.
"Not him, me, promise. Please Nicky?"
Nico's faint voice mumbled a complaint about the nickname she had given him at a young age and to not call him 'Nicky.' After some time, his voice returned louder, calling for his fiancé, "Will, it's Nina. She says it's an emergency."
Shuffling could be heard as Will's warm and soothing voice came through the phone, "Hi, Nina." His voice matched him as just the kind of person he was. Her brother's friends all had this talent for stressing her the fuck out or calming her immediately. She took a deep breath, collecting herself with the help of Will and then preparing herself with the knowledge that a scolding was soon coming.
"So, well, hi, Will." She was hesitant. The guy on the other side frowned, realizing she had done something wrong. "So, this guy kinda broke in through the window. He didn't do anything, kinda fainted." Nina hurriedly added before reaching the point she wanted to push across toward the main healer of the camp. "Umm, Will, he's hurt, and I want to help. Please help me?"
"Nina," now Will's tone turned scolding. She's pretty sure that through the phone, she heard Nico laughing.
"Okay, okay, so please don't tell Percy, but this guy's a vigilante of Gotham, and he's hurt. And I know it's dangerous, and I should kick him out, I know, I know," Nina said, wanting to show her brother's cousin's fiancé that she was aware of what she was doing as her voice hurriedly informed them. "But I can't just leave him out there. He needs help. I don't know how to treat him. Please? I can't just leave him injured, Will."
A sign was heard through the phone. After some faint bickering from two voices over the phone, a response was finally heard. "Fine. Describe the wound."
"Wait a second." Nina put the phone on speaker. She would hear if Will said something while the phone wasn't in her ear. Grabbing the vigilante's armpits, she started to lift him, and boy, was he heavy as fuck. "Do you eat bricks as a kid?" Nina absentmindedly comments, "No, wait, I can lift bricks." Grunting at his heaviness, she dragged his body to her room and not so gently placed (dropped) his body on the floor, she threw her blanket off the bed and then placed him on the mattress.
"Are you done?" words were faintly heard from the living room.
Nina ran back to the living room to grab her phone. "Yeah, yeah." Using her phone's flashlight to see in the dimly lit room, she identified several bullet wounds and stab wounds. "Bullet wounds and stab wounds. The bullet wounds can be located on his lower torso, and the stab wound is on his right leg. It looks like the person he took down didn't want to go alone."
"Alright, let's deal with the bullet wound first," Will's voice came through the phone. "Do you have clean towels, bandages, tweezers, any type of alcohol works, fire, needles and string, and gloves?"
Nina quickly ran to the bathroom, rummaging through the cabinets, she found tweezers for the eyebrows and a stack of clean unused towels. Grabbing a couple, she ran into the kitchen, her next stop. There, she grabbed matchsticks and looked for alcohol, but nothing. Needles were conveniently in the sewing kit in the living room before she returned to her room where the vigilante lay. She couldn't do much about the gloves or the alcohol.
"Yes," Nina replied, her voice trembling slightly with fear and adrenaline. It wasn't her first time witnessing gruesome sights or treating someone. Gods know how much she has helped her brother, but his injuries were mostly healed with nectar or ambrosia. However, this semi-good mortal would most likely die if he ate those. She didn't mind criminals or those who have committed wrong as long as there were reasons behind their actions, and this man seemed to be trying to improve Gotham City bit by bit, in a twisted way, but his mind was in the right place. "But not everything, though. I don't have gloves or alcohol."
"It's good enough. Now, see if the bullet wound goes straight through. Suppose it doesn't grab the tweezers and place them over the fire for some time. When it cools down, reach in and pull the bullet out. It might take a few tries, but be patient about it."
Nina followed Will's words. The third time she went in, she could pull it out. The bullet was bigger than the tweezers she had gotten, so she had to keep them open before being able to pull the bullet out. She had made the wound larger.
Her heart raced, the sight of the enlarging wound causing panic to surge within her. She quickly described the situation to Will, her voice shaky but determined. "Will, the wound is larger now. I made it worse while trying to pull the bullet out."
Will's voice over the phone was a steady reassurance. "Nina, take a breath. Look at the edges of the wound, are they straight or uneven?"
Nina peered closer, examining the wound. "Straight."
"And the blood, Nina? What color is it now?" Will inquired.
"Dark red," Nina confirmed.
Will's tone shifted slightly, recognizing the need for stitching. "Alright, that means we need to close it up. Do you have a needle and some thread?"
Nina nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Yes, I have them."
"Good. First, clean the area around the wound with water," Will instructed calmly, guiding Nina through the process. "Stitching is a bit like sewing clothes, just a tad deeper," Will explained, trying to ease the tension in her voice. "Leave a bit of space between each stitch. Take it one stitch at a time, and don't worry if it's not perfect. The goal is to close the wound and allow it to heal. Take deep breaths."
Nina breathed in and out, talking to herself to calm down and think. Her hands became more stable as she responded, "Okay." After some time, she was done, breathing a sigh of relief, "Done."
Will's calm and reassuring tone encouraged her through the process. "Now, Nina, that's the hard part done. Next, you have to deal with the rest. Can you do it?"
"Yeah."
"Okay," Will continued, "the smaller wounds can be ignored for now. Focus on the ones where there's still significant bleeding. Is there anywhere where you can see a lot of blood?"
Nina quickly assessed the man's injuries, her eyes falling on the stab wound on his leg. "The stab wound on his leg. It's still bleeding quite a bit."
Will's instructions were clear. "Alright, Nina, let's address the bleeding from the stab wound. If he's wearing pants, get scissors to cut them. Then, apply pressure with a towel. Keep firm, consistent pressure for a few minutes. If the bleeding doesn't stop or slows but then starts again, continue applying pressure. It might take some time, but don't give up. Once the bleeding is under control, secure the dressing with a bandage or tape. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't start bleeding again. Blood loss is the most dangerous to a person."
Nina followed Will's instructions, pressing the towel against the stab wound on the vigilante's leg. She could see blood seeping through the fabric, but she did her best to maintain pressure. After a few minutes, she responded, "I'm putting pressure. The blood is being soaked, and the bleeding's slowing down."
"Good, now check his pulse or breath."
Nina carefully leaned in and placed her fingers against the vigilante's wrist, feeling for his pulse. It was weak but steady. She then observed his breathing, which seemed shallow but consistent. "He's still alive," Nina confirmed, relief washing over her. "But I can't take him to the hospital. He's a vigilante, meaning his identity is hidden for a reason. Will, I think he needs to stay here for a while."
Nina's mind raced with conflicting thoughts and emotions. She understood the need to protect the vigilante's identity, especially in a city like Gotham, where revealing oneself as a hero could lead to danger for the vigilante, their loved ones, and her who knew the identity. However, she had no medical training beyond what she had learned from helping treat her brother, his friends, and her mom.
"Nina, this is dangerous," Will warned her. "You're as strong as us. He is dangerous."
"I know, but if I take him somewhere, they might discover who he is, and he could be in even more danger," Nina reasoned. "I don't want him to die, and I don't want him to be unmasked. I'll take responsibility. I can tie him up with the bed sheets after I help him."
Will sighed on the other end of the line, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Alright, I'll guide you through the basics, but promise me you'll be careful. If it gets too risky, call for help immediately."
Nina nodded, even though Will couldn't see her. She focused on his instructions, trying to tend to the vigilante's wounds while keeping him stable.
Minutes felt like an eternity as she applied makeshift first aid. Once the wound was sealed, Nina thanked and assured Will that she had tied him up before hanging up.
Nina sat at her bedside, waiting for the man to wake up. Percy, her mind finally thought. How long had they gone without contact? Hurriedly grabbing her phone again after ending the call with Will, she noticed it was very late, and Percy still wasn't back.
MJ
Where are you?
Nina stared intently at her phone. A response soon arrived from the contact named 'Pajamas'.
Pajamas
I'm going to be home later than later.
Turns out the aquarium had a crack.
MJ
Okay
Make sure everyone's alright.
Pajamas
Don't stay up too late
Sleep early
Goodnight, little sister
MJ
Yeah yeah
Goodnight, big brother
Come home soon and stay safe
She closes her phone and rests it by her side. Her hands were bloodied, none of which belonged to her. She had to clean her phone, too. She relaxes as she looks up to her room's ceiling and sighs. I did it, why did I do it, fucking shit, I did it, her thoughts were all over the place.
Okay, okay, getting up from the floor, she grabs everything that was soaked in blood.
Nina moved with almost robotic precision, cleaning up the blood-soaked towels and bandages and disposing of them carefully so as not to leave any traces behind. It wasn't the first time she had dealt with such situations, having helped her mother when Percy would return from dangerous missions injured. Over time, she had become accustomed to the sight of blood, the urgency of caring for wounds, and the underlying fear that always accompanied such incidents.
As she cleaned, her mind was processing everything and storing it away for a later date. Percy hadn't returned home yet. I'll wash the blood from the windows. It was a little past midnight. Let me tape the windows with cardboard. Thirty minutes had passed. The floor. 1 hour. The dishes. 30 more. Percy's fine, it's just work. He's a demi-god, believe in him.
Once the room was tidied up, Nina washed her hands thoroughly, trying to remove the blood stains that had become familiar to her. She then sat back to her bed, staring blankly at the wall. The adrenaline that had fueled her actions earlier had now worn off, leaving her feeling drained and numb.
She considered calling Percy again for a moment, but she decided against it. He had enough on his plate with his responsibilities, and she didn't want to burden him with her worries. Besides, she managed to handle the situation and would continue to do so.
Hours passed, and the clock ticked away. Exhaustion caught up with her, and she lay on the floor next to her bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep didn't come easily; her mind still raced with thoughts and concerns. Where are you, brother?