Help Me, Mr Batman

Chapter 23: Goodbye, and Hello

Bruce shook as news report came in every ten minutes as he waited in the waiting room he was in less than a week ago.

Her heart has stopped.

We got it back going.

The surgery is very difficult.

Numbers, and percentages of her survival.

Her heart stopped again.

We got it going once more.

Blood, we need more blood.

Bruce’s hands were clasped in a praying position and to anybody passing by that wasn’t attempting to save Kayne’s life then they would assume he was praying. He wasn’t. He was trying not to think. He was trying not to hallucinate. He was trying not to listen to the words that were messing with his mind.

So caught up in the words, and trying to stay emotionless to it all. It didn’t even cross his mind that the voice wasn’t his voice of conscious. It was something far crueler.

He just wanted to stop feeling this pain every time a doctor walked up to him to tell him something new. Rarely any of it was good news until it got closer to the end. By then his mind was stained.

He cared about her but did she care about him?

Would she realise whose fault this actually was?

Could Bruce live knowing that she blamed herself?

She blames you, a cackle sneers into his mind.

Bruce shoves the thought out bitterly before calling for one of the nurses. He’s made up his mind all on his own, or so he’s convinced himself.

“You can see her now. She’s stable, and should be waking up soon to be discharged.” Doctor House offers sadness in her eyes. Bruce just nods in thanks; lips thin and sorrow in his eyes. He opens the same door he was opening one week ago.

Kayne lay in the bed, covers tucked up to under her chin. Her body curled in and tilted towards the door. The quiet beep of the heart monitor was steady as her breathing. Her face held a small oxygen tube attached to her nose. Her eyes flutter open softly to a half-lidded state. She glances at Bruce and smiles lightly. “Dad.” She croaks her voice gravelly.

She raises her bandaged hand. “Don’t Kayne. Don’t. I won’t be in here for long. I just have to tell you something.” Bruce states, his voice void of any emotion. “The doctors told me about the pain you are in and they say you won’t accept any painkillers. I am not worth the pain to move.”

“I can bear it. I always have.” Kayne whispers, her smile still on her face but slipping slightly.

“Well I am not worth it. All this pain you have is my fault and I am not worth it.” He mutters taking a step closer but no more. “What are you talking about? Of course you are. I would bare anything for you.” She whispers, tilting her head, to get a better look at him.

“Don’t you get it Kayne, you deserve more. More than me and my stupid baggage.” Bruce growls, looking up at her.

“It’s nothing we both don’t share. Stop talking nonsense and come hug me.” Kayne orders desperately, hoping he would drop the subject.

Bruce saw this was going no where. “You don’t get it Kayne. I am leaving you. I am putting you back up for adoption.” He states loudly.

Silence falls across the room. Kayne’s breathing now just came forcefully from the tube. “What…” she whispers, dangerously low. Her voice cracking. “You’re joking right? Because that is a sick joke Bruce. Stop kidding around.” She reverted back to calling him Bruce now, he noted.

When he didn’t reply she continued, “Bruce you are scaring me. Take that back and tell me you are keeping me.” Her voice was so vulnerable and weak that it made Bruce want to drop to his knees. It made him want to crawl over to her bed and tell what a good girl she was, and how much he loved her being his daughter. Instead, he stood tall though, looking almost proud.

“I can’t Kayne because it’s the truth. You are no longer my daughter, and I no longer have to care for you.” Bruce replies, his hands dangling uselessly by his side.

“No. No. No! You can’t just drop me like that. Not like the-m! You are different! You love me!” She screeches her voice cracking. Tears were pouring down her face but she didn’t bother to wipe them.

Bruce needed to get out or he would end up taking her back. “I don’t love you. I never did. You are just a bag. In fact, you are an accident. I never wanted you. You were a hassle, and a pain in my ass from the moment you stepped into my house. You are a waste of time, and you don’t deserve my pity. You are just a monster.”

With those words nailed into her heart, he turned around and left. She just laid there. Before he closed the door her screams were heard. “You monster! You son of a bitch! I thought of you as my father! How could I have kept your secrets!? I hope you burn in hell! I’ll die because of you!”

The last words he ever heard from her as the elevator doors slide shut. He rode out his slow descent to hell with tears in his eyes. Her last words ringing in his mind, ‘I’ll die because of you.’ He stepped out and passed the van labeled ‘CPS’ without a thought. Trying not to remind himself that that’s the car that will drag Kayne away from him.

Kayne actually screaming there because she knew it was no use.

Doctor House came in as Bruce left. She found Kayne dry faced and staring at the wall.

“Hello Doctor. He isn’t worth it… He isn’t worth my feelings and tears… He’s just like the others… Let’s just get me discharged. Please.” Kayne mutters lowly.

“Okay sweetheart. The foster service is here to take you away.” House comments softly, taking her off the machine.

Silence was in the air as they got Kayne dressed and ready for her trip. Kayne signed the papers, and a service representative signed everything else as she sat quietly staring at the ground.

Doctor House waved goodbye as Kayne was escorted to the elevator. “Don’t be back too soon baby girl.” She calls, as the doors slide close.

Kayne lets a dry sob shake her body before going to a straight face. Her body trembled as she stepped out of the elevator. Her legs felt like jelly as the serviceman took her out the front doors to the van.

The door open and she got in without a word.

She soon regretted it as the door closed.

Kayne looked up to see clown faces everywhere.

She whirls around and tried opening the door while screaming. One grabbed her and yanked her away from the tinted window. A rag pressed harshly around her face.

Kayne tried not to breathe it in, she really did. She fought tooth and nail, but the fumes snuck there way into her lungs. She fell limp two minutes into it, darkness swallowing her.

“Give her here.”  A voice growls from the other side of the van. They pass her broken, bandaged body to the man with the permanent smile.  He grabbed her and set her body in his lap like a small toddler. Her head rested against his shoulder. “My turn to be the dad. Your lose Batboy. You are going to love the real you Kay.” He grumbles, with a smile.

Then he starts humming ‘you are my sunshine.’ When he said it though it was darker.

You are my sunshine.

My Beautiful Sunshine.

Who makes me Smile?

When Skies are Red

You’ll never kill her

Or I’ll Slaughter you

So please don’t bother

She’ll kill you anyway.