Dianne's body was placed in a room separate from the rest of the wards at the hospital. The post mortem had yet to be performed and she was covered with a white sheet. Neal stood by the bed, his hands clasping the metal rails at the side of the bed tightly as if he would collapse if he did not hold on to it.

Her features were cold and lifeless and his ocher eyes were wide in horror, focused on her without even blinking. It seemed as if he was envisioning his greatest fear in the form of the woman laying devoid of life on the white stretcher.

He could not recall how long he had been standing there rooted to the spot as if he had turned to stone. And he couldn't help but think that the situation at that moment was strikingly similar to how he had always feared his own end would come.

In a hospital with a few of his very close friends grieving over him.

The thought churned his heart for it was almost as if he could see the scene playing out in front of him, a sole bed in an empty ward and when Barbara's distressed features swam in his vision, he shuddered.

A hand closed on to his shoulder and he turned abruptly to see Barbara, though her features were not distressed as he had imagined bit sorrowful nevertheless. She could see that he was troubled and did not know how to deal with the situation.

"Thank you for helping me," his voice came out in a muted hush, "even though we got late..."

"I did what I had to," she replied, eyes taking in the pallor of his skin and the fear evident on his features, "Dianne didn't deserve any of this. No one does..."

His eyes stopped on the lifeless figure in front of the two and he took in a deep breath to calm himself down but his heartbeat was racing and he knew it was just a matter of time before it would turn dangerously erratic. "You're right. No one deserves such a fate... It's terrifying."

She realized that the fear on his face was probably due to the fact that he was thinking in that direction, "you're terrified?"

"Yes," the words escaped him before he could stop himself, "dying in a hospital with the only people you know grieving over you... An untimely death, a tragic one... A death not deserved... I am terrified at the end of my wits, Barbara."

Her brow furrowed in confusion; she knew he would be disturbed because Dianne was a close friend but right then his words pointed to some other possibility, one that she did not want to come true ever, "but why?"

"Because I fear that's how I am going to end up too... In a hospital with the very few people I am close to mourning me," the fear in his eyes was increasing and his voice was breaking as he uttered those words, "that's why I don't let anyone get close enough for them to get attached and vice versa. Because I know it will have to end very soon and I don't want anyone to mourn me... I don't want you to be sad after I'm gone..."

She couldn't hear any more, "stop it, Neal."

"I am sorry," he resumed as if he didn't hear her and though her grip tightened on his arm, he didn't pull apart, seemingly in an unbreakable trance that had taken hold of him, "but one day all of this is going to repeat and I don't want you to be here, standing as I am for Dianne... If I am hurt so bad even though I never loved her, what would happen to a person who loved me and had to go through the same...? I can't let that happen, I won't..."

She had to change the topic scared that if he resumed with his delusional assumptions, she would break down instead, "you should come out now, the post mortem has to be performed and it is not allowed to stay here while the procedure is done."

He nodded, following her out the room but his thoughts were still stuck to that very instant he had envisioned and constant shivers were running down his spine, making him feel nauseous. He paused midway to the waiting room and she turned to face him, concern dashing across her features.

"Neal, are you alright?"

He could not reply as a coughing fit took hold of him and he turned away from her, not wanting her to see him as such. Though she noticed the red tainting his palm and her eyes widened in shock. But before she could ask him anything he had dashed off to the toilets, disappearing from her sight.

Neal's chest heaved as he coughed out blood into the sink, his hands gripping the white marble tightly. His head was swimming and he was afraid he would faint any time. But he grasped the sink tightly, willing himself to stay conscious.

In the past few days his condition had worsened to the point that he was almost convinced that he would not be able to make it to the next week even. And right then seeing Dianne die in front of him and that too in such a painful state was no less than a constant terrible reminder that he wasn't far from that state either.

The water ran down the drain washing away the red and he had to splash his face multiple times as if in attempt to wake him up from the nightmare he was living in.

When he stepped out at last, Barbara was waiting for him and she seemed rather worried.

"I'm fine," he spoke up before she could ask and his tone clearly conveyed that he did not want her to probe further. Nor did she get the time to do so as her phone buzzed and she checked it to see a message from her father.

Batman had been informed and he was there at the hospital at that precise moment. Jim wanted both of them to record the statements right then in Batman's presence so that the investigation could be carried further.

"Batman is here," she spoke up, "you will have to tell him exactly what happened, every single detail. It is important for the case to be investigated thoroughly and if he asks you for any help regarding this case, you must not refuse. For Dianne's sake."

He listened closely and nodded despite the fact that he had no strength to keep going and facing Batman as well as recalling the dreadful scenario was going to take a toll on him.

"Are you sure you can do this right now?" Concern laced her voice as she asked for she could see that he didn't look too well and wasn't in a clear state of mind either.

"I'll do it," his tone however was decisive, "for Dianne's sake. She deserves justice."

***