Paralyzer [Gotham]

8

When we got back into town, I expected Victor to take us home. Instead he took us to the Lounge, my eyes widening when he were welcomed by a man bleeding out on the central couch. I grabbed Victor's sleeve with a pointed glare. "You can't just force me to fix prople up, to play good doctor for you," I growled.

"You think I don't know that?" he tempted, stepping closer to me as speaking even lower than I had been. "I recomended him to Penguin, so you can either fix him up or let him bleed out. Your call." I took a deep breath but let him go, coming to exmaine the gurgling man. He had three prominant wounds, though the ones to his neck and gut seemed the freshest.

"Go get sutures, gauze, towels, and a bottle of booze," I instructed Victor over my shoulder. "I'm gunna need your help for this." He nodded and stalked off, holding my hands over the man's wounds as I waited for Victor to return.

[]

I waited behind the bar with a sigh, now that Penguin had dropped the license system, Victor was reluctant about letting me in on work. He still let me come with him to the Iceberg Lounge but he didn't let me in on the details anymore.

I poured myself a drink as he sat before me and frowned when he moved it away as I set down the bottle. "Hey," I huffed, grabbing the glass and narrowing my eyes at him. "You can only limit me so far before I start lashing out," I warned. I held his eye and took a drink, smirking when his eyes narrowed at me. I leaned over the bar and moved to peck his cheek, pouting when he pulled away at the same moment.

His eyes darted over me a second as he pulled out his ringing phone, frowning at the caller ID a moment before picking up. "Barbara, what can I do for you?" he greeted. He nodded as he listened, eyes moving back and forth over the bar a moment before coming to me. "Give me one moment." He said nothing more, swipping a purple gloved thumb over my pouted lip before walking into Penguin's office with a hand held over the reciver.

I sighed and finished my drink, washing out the cup and clearing the bar off as Victor left with a pleased look about him. A short while later, Penguin's little mute orphan came out of the office and sat at the bar. I looked over his curls a moment and nodded to him. "Can I get you something?" I chuckled. He just nodded in response, so I took a deep breath and looked over the options, pouring the kid a glass of cranberry juice. "You okay, little man?" He shook his head, setting down his cup before reaching for the notepad around his neck.

When he turned it around, I leaned forward and inspected his neat handwriting. I think I'm in trouble. I gave a little half frown and leaned closer. "You know what I think?" I whispered, resting my chin on my folded arms. "I think Oswald really needs a friend, and that's why he picked you. All his other friends weren't nice to him, said mean things about him. Do you know what that's like?" The boy frowned but nodded, fingers running over the pattern of the glass. "Keep your head up," I advised, smoothing a finger over his cheek.

[]

Victor had taken me home, and for a short while I babysat Martin, the mute boy I got to meet earlier, until he left with Victor, who told me the boy would be leaving Gotham indefinately. By all means, he had asked me if it was okay to keep Martin here, so he wasn't forcing it upon me, but I'd been okay with it up until they had left.

Matrin had given me a small peek at what it would've been like, what it should've been like, and then hearing I wouldn't see him again reminded me of how it was. I hated it, because he had taken the boy himself and I didn't have my usual outlet. By the time he did come home, I was drunk and it was three, maybe four in the morning. To top it all off, he couldn't stay. "Come on, you need to get to bed," he sighed, glaring at me as I held him back with a foot planted firmly against his chest.

"I needed you, and you aren't even staying," I pointed out, frowning as I watched him take off his gloves.

"Old man Falcone is coming back to town," he informed, as if that excused is absence. "When he gets here, I need to go." I closed my eyes when he ran his hand up my calf, my drunken, tired brain barely processing what he was trying to do.

"Say hi to Carmine for me," I hummed, pulling my leg from him and sitting up. I tried to stand but only fell back into the couch, glaring when Victor chuckled. All the same he wrapped his arms under mine and I had a hard time refusing. He had some time, just not a lot of it.

"Stay up with me," I tried as he walked me to my room. "Skeletons pull all nighters, right?" He held a hand over my mouth and pushed me forward.

"I could actually use the power nap." I groaned and sat down on my bed, grumpily taking my cat in my arms and turning away from him. "Don't be like that, Luce," he sighed.

"Why not?" I huffed. I jumped a bit at his fingertips against my face, not wanting to give into his actions despite how soothing it was. He pulled my hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear, easily relaxing into the bed.

"Because you shouldn't go to bed angry, especially not drunk angry." I sighed and turned to face him, offering a shrug as I leaned into his hand.

"I'm not angry. Not now that you're here. I just wanted you to stay longer." Victor took hold of my chin and kissed me between the eyes, smiling against my skin when I reached up to hold him there.

"Carmine isn't here on vacation, little Sofia's gotten herself in trouble," he informed in a mumble, smiling despite the bad news. "Which is why" - he paused to sit up and kick off his shoes - "I need some sleep. So do you."

"You could at least take off the vest," I scoffed, unable to understand how he could sleep in his suits.

"I need to get up and go," he sighed, waving a hand at me as he laid himself out straight. "I don't have time to worry about clothes." I rolled my eyes and turned over, leaning my head on his arm. It made me feel a little better that he moved his arm to wrap around my shoulders, allowing me to curl into his side. I was careful not to cling too much to him, I didn't want to wrinkle his suit too bad.