We Were Born Sick • Gotham Fanfiction •

XLIV: Christmas Ham

"There I was, cold, isolated and desperate for something I knew I couldn't have.
A solution. A remedy. Anything.
...I hated it. Alone and confused was the last place I wanted to be.
Somehow I knew I deserved this." ― Brian Krans, A Constant Suicide

~()~

"Alfred is doing better." Bird quietly said as she returned to her seat in the waiting room next to Harvey, she continued, "He's made it through the night so that's a really good sign... the doctor said there's still no guarantees, but he's is a fighter; through and through."

Reaching over Harvey ran a comforting hand up and down her back, while he rubbed his tired eyes with the other. After speaking to Bird the night before and learning how Alfred had been stabbed and that she was at the hospital with him; he'd rushed to be there with her.
Once Alfred was out of surgery and as stable as they could hope for, he'd stayed with Bruce while Bird ran to get her brother a change of clothes since he was still in his pajamas.

"You really don't know who attacked him?" Harvey quietly asked and he could feel his girlfriend tense up beside him.

"Not a clue." Bird lied, giving a shrug, but she didn't miss the look of disbelief in his eyes.

"What?" She sighed, but didn't get much of an answer as he shook his head and avoided her eyes.

"Harvey?"

Taking in a deep breath, he held onto her hand with his own as he spoke, "I'm just trying to piece things together and something just doesn't sound right with your story."

"It was Reggie." Bird finally admitted to him, "This is all my fault." She breathed, leaning forward and resting her face in her hands.

"No it isn't." Harvey argued with her.

"It is! I told you I thought it was strange that this Reggie showed up out of nowhere, remember? I told you that."

"I remember, but-"

"I felt it, Harvey. I knew something was off with the situation, but he was polite and Bruce seemed to like him and it was nice for Alfred to see an old friend... but, I should have trusted my gut on this and because I didn't; Alfred was nearly killed." Bird whispered, rubbing her bloodshot eyes, "They're still not even sure if he's going to make it."

"It's been a really rough night... but none of this is your fault." He tried to soothe her, but it wasn't working.
When she'd gone by Wayne Manor she'd went into her father's office to get a look around and started noticing things she'd hadn't before –like that along with several different things missing her brother's board of information of Wayne Enterprises corruption had been left bare.

Now, stealing little statues and gold plated pens she could understand, but seeing the other things that were stolen made it clear that the valuables were just a cover and probably a distraction away from what he was really there after.
This was the precise reason she'd warned her brother to not make threats against the board of Wayne Enterprises; they were dealing with dangerous people and now when he found out, she knew Bruce would feel guilty.

"You have to tell the police." He instructed as he started to take his cellphone from his pocket, but Bird quickly snatched it away from him and argued, "No, I don't have to tell them anything."

"Starling-"

"We will deal this this -in the family." Bird cryptically argued with him, but he knew that mean they'd take matters into their own hands.
That they were planning on handling the situation outside of the law and as an officer of the court, he had a moral and legal duty to report any knowledge of crimes.