Detective | ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴍᴀɴ

𝒕 𝒘 𝒆 𝒏 𝒕 𝒚 - 𝒔 𝒊 𝒙

"Even with the death of Mayor Mitchel, Mary Mitchel and her son have gathered in an emotional show of city unity...."

To Jess's dismay, the TV clicked off with a static hum, signaling the arrival of Jim to see her. Martha, Jess's mother, cooed and informed her of Jim's presence, but received no response. Since her transfer to the hospital, Jess had remained silent, speaking only when absolutely necessary and even then, using only one-word sentences.

Jonathan, Jess's father, placed his hand on Martha's shoulder, comforting her. "We're going to get coffee, okay, pumpkin?" He planted a gentle kiss on top of Jess's head. "We'll be right downstairs." Jim nodded as they passed him by, his expression marked with concern. Placing the remote on the dining table with a deep frown, he entered the room where Jess was.

"Hey, kid..." he greeted softly. "I heard you weren't talking to anyone."

Silence.

A sigh escaped his lips as the quiet hung in the air. "You know, you can always talk to me. Whenever you're ready, I'm here."

Normally, Jess would have responded with sarcastic jokes or a reassuring smile, letting him know she was okay.

But this time, she merely turned her cold shoulder to him.

The seasoned detective spun on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving her alone. Jess slowly turned her head to look at the empty spot where Jim had stood. Ignoring him pained her, but she couldn't seem to look at a man for longer than thirty seconds without feeling anger welling up inside her.

Just then, the window of her hospital room slid open, causing Jess to jump in alarm. Before she could scream for help, she saw Selina Kyle, with her pixie cut black hair, sneak into the room.

"Selina?" Jess mumbled. "How did you get in?"

Slipping inside fully, Selina gave a smile. "Your room is on the second floor; it wasn't that hard to climb." Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, she asked, "How are you doing?"

"Oh God," Jess grumbled. "If someone asks me that stupid question again."

"Sorry." Selina chuckled, raising her hands in surrender.

Jess rubbed her non-bruised cheek. "Sorry, I'm just..."

"Pissed off," Selina finished for her. "I can imagine." They fell into silence, and Selina felt the uneasiness of it. "Listen... I want to, um, apologize."

"For what?"

"I overheard your argument with Vengeance," Selina said, moving closer to Jess's bed and sitting on the edge of the stiff mattress. "I couldn't hear most of it, but you two sounded pretty heated, and I know it was because I kissed him. So, I'm sorry." She lightly punched Jess's shoulder. "To say I did it to catch your attention would be an understatement."