14 - Text

[bodilesswarrior]

[Her first thought, when she wakes up, is that she feels like one of her old dolls; torn to hell and stitched up by small, awkward fingers.

Then she remembers to breathe, sucking down air in ragged, painful breathes. She counts the cracks on the ceiling, and tries not to lose herself.

She remembers, of course. She remembers it as clearly as the Joker's smile. It's not so different, really; again, she was brutalised to hurt someone else.

Except this time it's worse, because she saw the Emperor crumple and fall.

She refuses to close her eyes, because she knows what she'll find in the darkness. She focuses on the warmth of the sheets, the glare of the lights, the beating of her heart.

When she's able to lift an arm with convulsions of pain, she grabs her comm.]

Check in if you can.

[Private to Iris]

Are you okay?

[Private to the Emperor]

I'm sorry.

[Private to Creed]

You owe me glasses.

Comments

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara can feel the echoes of it, of Iris coming back to her, and when Iris looks at her, her smile is real.

Slowly, carefully, she mouths "I love you".]</small

[routemistress]

[This. This is only one reason among many she loves Barbara, but it's significant: she's stable without ever being dull, a sheet-anchor when Iris' wildly-flapping emotions need grounding. The thought doesn't form in words, but the analytical part of Iris' mind that reflects so well off Barbara's own is observing it plainly behind the returned smile.]

Don't try and talk, love. We knew 'e'd try this sometime, didn't we? Don't talk. Just remember it for me. I know it doesn't make it all right.

[She just needs something to counterbalance the weight of failure and frustrated protectiveness. And she refuses on principle to apologise again, but she's having to bite it back hard.]

[bodilesswarrior]

[She squeezes Iris arm and it's barely anything, hardly any pressure at all, but she knows Iris will feel it and know what it means.

And then she thinks of the last time they saw each other, worried but determined, brimming with hope and love and brilliance.

She thinks of clasped hands and rasping tongues, delighted laughter and cracking whips.

She thinks of their first kiss.]