The Mercenary & The Magpie

Thank you

Her head felt groggy as her eyes flickered opened to the bright hospital lights above her, she knew she was in a hospital bed from the familiar noises around her.

"Miss." A voice spoke softly beside her causing her to snap her head in the woman's direction, instantly she regrets it from the throbbing pain in her face and neck. "I need you to stay still as we need to check that you don't have concussion."

"I'm fine." She spoke, her throat ached as memories of the alleyway filled her mind, the men stalking her, the scrap that ensued and Bane...saving her. Is that what he did? Did he bring her here to be treated. She lifted herself up studying the jeans and black top she had been wearing last night, her right arm from wrist to elbow was confined in to a cast as she winced at the bruising already coming out on her hand and fingers.

"You really should lie down." The voice again spoke, she turned to study the woman at her side, she was young probably the same age as herself with big blue eyes and blonde hair scraped back in a bun.

"My name is Maggie Griffin, my birthday is March 6th 1993, I live at 256 Street Gotham. I have an older brother named Scott and before Gotham was dragged to hell I was training to be a nurse." Maggie spoke again moving, she gingerly stepped towards her grey jacket when a hand reached out and grabbed it before her a familiar voice making her smile.

"And she doesn't like to be told what to do." Smiling Maggie looked up at the body attached to the arm, the one and only John Blake. He stood a head taller then her and he hadn't changed a bit since the last time he saw her, jet black hair slicked back, a handsome face and cheeky dark eyes though they seemed full of concern right now.

"Can I go?" Maggie asked at the woman who was writing notes in her chart she nodded and told her that the doctor would need to see her in a couple of weeks to assess her arm. 

Steadily her and Blake walked down the busy hospital corridor not knowing what to say, Maggie caught herself glancing at her childhood crush, checking for any reason why he would be here. She mentally kicked herself after three years he could affect her the way he did.

"What happened Mag?" Blake asked snapping her out of her thoughts, she sighed as thought back to last night, the bomb, the madness, Bane.

"Fell off a building I guess, memories a bit hazy." She didn't know why she lied, the thought of mentioning Bane and the men made her feel icy inside. " Next thing I know I'm here."

"You were dumped outside on an empty gurney, someone brought you in but didn't stay, could it have been Scott?" Blake spoke, they both moved to empty seats near the exit of the hospital the short walk draining all the energy from Maggie even though she wouldn't admit it.

"I haven't seen Scott in months." Maggie answered a little too quickly, Scott was her older brother he had once been best friends with Blake but as they grew up they both chose different sides of the law. "I haven't seen Scott since he got out of prison."

"You mean since Bane let them out." Blake interrupted, Maggie stood biting her cheek to stop herself from whimpering from the pain, she didn't know what made her blood boil more, Blake's tone towards her brother or the mere mention of Bane.

"If your looking for Scott try to find someone else to give you a lead." She moved towards the bathroom door as Blake gently grabbed her left wrist. 

"I'm sorry Maggie I didn't come her to fight about Scott." His eyes rung truth to his words.

"Why are you here Blake?" 

"I came in last night with some of the kids at the orphanage that got bumped around in the attack and saw you lying outside wrapped in a rag and I couldn't leave. Mag's I was worried about you."  Maggie looked up in his dark eyes and smiled the best she could.

"I'll be  fine Blake, I always am. You don't have to watch out for me anymore." She gently pulled her hand from his grasp as she stared at her fingers. "I'm not a kid anymore." Turning she entered the bathroom leaving Blake watching her leave.

She gasped a little at her reflection, no wonder Blake was so worried, her normally hint of olive skin was deathly pale except for the blue and purple bruises that covered her jaw and above her right eye, her right hazel eye was bloodshot and looked painful. She pulled her fingers through her long light brown hair, the knots clung to her fingers and hurt her scalp "Shower." She thought as she turned back out of the bathroom to the Blake-less corridor.

"I'm fine Harley, just a bit battered and bruised." Maggie spoke on the phone to her best friend Harley, with great difficulty she managed to continue her conversation on her cell phone and get her apartment key in the lock without dropping or injuring herself any further.  "We'll have to meet up and you can tell me all about your new job."

"If you need me you know where I am." Harley spoke before ending the call as Maggie entered her apartment, it wasn't much but it was her's. Locking the door, she threw her cell and her keys on her green fabric chair, she pulled off her jacket and struggled with it over her pot as she moved towards her bedroom and her bathroom aching for a shower.  Jumping back a scream escaped her lungs as sat on the edge of her bed, hands resting on his legs, covered in his own blood and breathing heavy was Bane.

"Whhaat are you doing here." She spoke slowly moving backwards, he stood moving quietly towards her, she noticed that he was still injured.

"I am in need of assistance." He spoke, she noted it took him a while to get the words out, still she moved back unsure of his intentions, it was only when he lost his footing and stumbled having to stoop himself from falling by holding on to the chair that she knew he wasn't here to hurt her.

"Sit down." She ordered just like the nurse had done to her, she didn't think he would but after a moment he did and sat on the her chair moving her keys and phone. He made the chair look small with his huge body, turning Maggie entered her small kitchen and grabbed her first aid kit and returned to him "You'll um... you'll have to take your shirt off." He stared at her, those cool calculating eyes and finally did what she asked.

He nearly took her breath away, not just with his giant, powerful body that radiated heat before her but with the bullet holes that filled his broad chest. "What happened to you?" She murmured almost to herself as examined his wounds.

"A cat." He spoke, with his shirt off she could see the effort it took him to speak, slowly she grabbed bandages from her first aid kit, her eyes staring in to his she moved and began to treat the wounds.

"Must of been a big cat." She murmured, she forgot who it was she was treating as her hands began the once familiar task of caring for someone, when she was finished she turned her eyes up towards Bane's almost shocked that his eyes were fixed on her's. Standing she picked up all the rubbish, stiffly she walked throwing it and her gloves in the bin.

"I want to say thank you for saving me last night and taking me to the hospital." She turned to face him as he stood putting his top back on "I um.. I don't think I would be here if you hadn't."

"You are welcome." He spoke moving towards her window.

"What will you do now?" She asked a rising panic clawing its way at the thought that he was leaving. "Batman's gone, most of your gang are either locked up or dead." 

"Wait for my sentence to be carried out." Bane spoke, he turned from the window and slowly moved towards Maggie, her heart raced as he stood mere centimetres from her "Thank you Maggie Griffin." She closed her eyes trying to calm her heart and when she opened them he was gone.