Born to Fly

The Enemy Within - ✔

"Can I come over, Harv? I'm having boy problems. I can bring food."

"I have a free evening, but I'm going to start charging for these counseling sessions."

I arrive at his apartment an hour later with tacos and milkshakes to go around.

We eat through three tacos each before talking about anything of importance. It feels nice to catch up with him again.

"Let me guess. Penguin's now in control and wants you to stay. Jim want you out and you're torn between the two because Jim's your brother and you and Penguin have a fling, which is super gross by the way."

"Oswald knows I don't want to be in it, but I don't really have a choice if I'm going to be with him. I'm training up a doctor out of courtesy. After that, I'll be in the background. It's still not enough for Jim."

"First off, I'm still pissed off about what he did to Fish. Secondly, don't call him Oswald around me. It's weird, okay? He's Penguin and nothing else. Thirdly, you know Jim always calms down after a while. That's beside the point, though. You need to decide what you want. It won't matter what Jim says or what Penguin thinks of you. When you're doing what you love, you'll be happy in your own skin."

He really should be charging me for these sessions. I feel worlds better, I think. It's going to take time to figure out what I really desire, and who I am now that I have lost my best tool. Speaking of, I think it's about time to take off the casts.

"Thank you, Sensei Bullock. I don't want to keep you from your night."

"Hold on," he says. "This is beginning to feel a little one-sided. I help you with your issues, now you can help me with mine."

"Anything."

"What do women like as gifts?"

I haven't been the recipient of many gifts in my life. "I think all the girls I knew liked to get chocolate. Can you ever go wrong with food? Flowers are nice. Maybe jewelry?"

He thinks on it, obviously embarrassed that he has to even ask.

"Something thoughtful! A nice card, a poem. Why? Do you have a special lady in your life now?"

"I do. I met her a few weeks ago. Her name is Scottie. I'd love her you to meet her."

"I'd love to," I say, following him to the door. "I'll call up Penguin and we'll make it a double-date."

"Yeah, right." He laughs. "Keep dreaming, sister."

"Can anyone tell me what the most important question is when you're addressing a new patient?" I let Loren saw off my casts as the training session begins. The rest sit with papers and pens in their hands.

After leaving Harvey's, I made a syllabus for our training. As it turns out, I can fit all of my notes into one lesson. After we're done here, they'll split into their respective warehouses. Loren will shadow me for the next few weeks.

"We ask their name!"

I rub my free arm. "Nope. Next guess."

"We're supposed to find the wound."

"Wrong again. Does anyone else have the answer?"

Their blank expressions give me the answers I expected.

"We need to ask them about their pain scale," I say. "Their pain is your number one concern. If you can't get their pain under control, they die faster. You may have noticed yesterday that a majority of the wounds were not treatable. Giving them morphine will decide if they die a horrific death or a peaceful one. You're in control."