Chapter Twelve

                                    

                                          
Little did I know I was being watched. That simple gesture that I did revealed a lot to whoever planned it all of this. They knew now that I already knew their plan from the beginning. What would make me a target to shoot down. And I heard a louder shot from the others, which made us all stop in time. But I wasn't the target of the bullet. I look back to see who had been the victim. It took me some time, until I saw someone falling to the floor. I tightened the package of matches and tucked it into my coat. When I see someone ahead of Ecco, who was now standing, slowly falling to the ground.
                          
I knew that face. And I could hardly believe when I realized it had been my father! 
                          
I started running desperately toward him. I got the baseball bat (I do not know what the fetish of this city is for bats) and took out whoever was in my way.
                          
I held my father's head. Without dropping any tears, again. I was angry, very angry!
                          
"Dad, are you okay?"
                          
I began to press the wound to stop the hemorrhage.
                          
"Har ..."
                          
"Do not speak..."
                          
Jim took my father in his lap as more police came in and began arresting the criminals one by one, leading them to the cars. Bruce managed to free himself from the fight with Jeremiah and he would pull me up because we had already done more than planned. But the drug were still there. Taking Jeremiah's workers will not stop him from continuing to manufacture. I picked up the matchbox, lit one of them ...
                          
"Harleen, what are you doing?"
                          
"Ending this plague once and for all!"
                          
And after answering Bruce, I threw the match on the tables, which began to burn immediately. I saw Ecco gather with Jeremiah and escape through one of the windows. They probably had something down there to soften the fall. But I didn't want to know. At our next meeting I would end up shooting that bitch!
                          
I went in the ambulance with him to the hospital. I spent the night there while he had surgery. I kept reliving those moments in my head. I still had not let a tear fall. I was starting to worry about myself.
                          
My heartbeat returned to normal when the doctor came to tell me that they were able to remove the bullet, but my father was still in observations. As soon as I thank him, I see someone running towards me. It was Jenna.
                          
"Harleen! How is he?! "
                          
"He's been operated, I think it went well. But he's still in observations! "
                          
The doctor's full report took 42 hours to arrive. I was in the same outfit two days ago, and I did not mean to take it without hearing that my father was better!
                          
"I don't have good news to give you!"
                          
"What happened, Doctor?"
                          
"It turns out we managed to remove the bullet, however, it hit his spinal column. Which keeps him from moving around for now. "
                          
"But is it a permanent condition?"
                          
"We don 't know yet. In addition, he is having difficulty breathing at certain times of the day. "
                          
"Can we see him?"
                          
"Yes of course."
                          
"Hi, daddy!"
                          
"Harleen ?! Did we win? "
                          
"Ah ah ah, it was a draw. We managed to arrest all who worked for him, but he managed to escape. Don't worry about it now. How do you feel?"
                          
"I can't move my legs."
                          
A tear ran down the corner of his eye. It was hard for me to see him in that situation. I wish I could help him. Hours became days, days became weeks and weeks became months. My father was still hospitalized. I had grown used to Jenna's presence at home. We got on very well. We didn't have any news of Jeremiah or his companion. We haven't had more cases of drug victims, what was a good sign... I think.
                          
Every day, at the end of my work, I paid him a visit. We had parties for him in the hospital room when the day was quiet at GCPD. His co-workers sang a lot and told jokes. Jim even came to bring little Barbara to visit him.
                          
 In the saddest days, my father keep talking to me about what he felt and revealing that he wished certain things had never happened in our past.
                          
I also received visits from my friends. I could already consider friends. Like Bruce Wayne, who'd come to me wondering how I knew Jeremiah's old name. I made up that I had read it in one of the folders in his office file. Because if he found out we were in the same school when we were younger, he would probably ask me a lot of questions and I hadn't the patience enough to answer them.
                          
I just left my father's edge when I was sure he was asleep. Since I hadn't much company at the time, I thought it might be a good time to find clues as to the whereabouts of the other two. Until I didn't realize it, I began to answer you loud. I didn't care, since my father was sleeping and you used his body to communicate with me.
                          
Until one day Jenna and I decided to go on a Sunday morning to visit him. I bought him chocolates because I know that he loves them. She waited outside, since on the morning shift only one person could come in at a time, I went first.
                          
"Good Morning!"
                          
"Harleen, what a pleasant surprise! It isn't a habit for you to come so soon! "
                          
"We decided to stop by and get you some candies."
                          
I noticed that my father had been doing oxygen therapy and was now taking a medication via serum.
                          
"Did you have another attack at night?"
                          
"It's starting to be a habit, but the doctor said I'm getting better. However, you still can't release me. "
                          
"You'll see that you're coming home soon!"
                          
"Harleen, may I ask you a question?"
                          
"Of course! You feel free to ask me anything you want, daddy. "
                          
"It's just that I ... at night ... every now and then I hear you talking to yourself ..."
                          
SHIT !!!!! I was discovered!