< just_muse_me - After the Night - arkhams_dr >
Nadine Lewis
Batman (OC)
395 words
The small cellphone sat on the nightstand as light penetrated the blinds on the windows of the bedroom. A two changed to a three as a minute passed, recorded by the digital clock beside the cellphone. All was peaceful, calm in the room. The woman in the bed, nestled under several blankets, slept soundly. The cellphone's screen lit up as its ringer went off, and the sleeper woke almost instantly.
She sat up, not immediately going for her phone. Her blue eyes glanced to the side at the empty side of the bed, and she became aware of running water in another room. Not surprising, she decided. Jonathan was the type to shower as soon as he woke, especially with the events of last night. Swimming in Gotham Harbor, borrowing someone else's clothes... She could see the humor of it now, and she almost laughed.
However, she remembered the ringing phone. The ADA flipped the phone open, taking note of the name that appeared on the display before she put the phone to her ear.
"Lewis," she answered, bracing herself.
"Lewis," Jim Gordon replied. She knew he was deciding how to tell her. Tell her what? Bad news. That much she knew. He didn't disguise his emotions well, or he did't right now at least.
"Just--" she hesitated, taking the time to pull on her pajama bottoms. "Just tell me." She managed to get a t-shirt on, shifting the phone from one hand to another to facilitate the dressing. "Whatever it is."
Gordon took a slow breath in and let it out. "I'm sorry, Lewis."
Tears came to her eyes. She knew what he would say. She knew what she would hear. Her voice broke, and she spoke louder than she meant to. "Just say it, damn it!"
"He-- Dent died. Last night." He hesitated, but the woman he was speaking to barely noticed. "Complications from his injuries and being moved."
"O--okay." She closed the phone, unable to say anything else. Her eyes shut as she put the phone back on the nightstand, and her head bowed. She didn't hear the footsteps in the hall as she sobbed. Her hands clasped together, and her head bowed against them, as if in prayer. She bit her lip. Even knowing it was coming, even knowing what she had to hear all along, it still hurt.
It took Nadine all she had in her not to cry out.