Bruce Wayne X OC — Ch. 8: Dr. Yvonne Wayne; Family is a Work in Progress
Chapter synopsis: Dr. Yvonne and Batman both reflect on their marriage as they work, at Gotham General Hospital and on the streets of Gotham City respectively. It was a relatively quiet night for both Batman and Dr. Yvonne, that is, until trouble brews and lands a Flying Grayson in the emergency department.
We get an inside look as to how Dr. Yvonne’s been holding up at work since she first got married to Bruce. The next chapter (heavily related to this chapter) is my all time favourite, and will probably be yours too, so look out for that!
Chapter 8: Dr. Yvonne Wayne
Days later, Gotham General Hospital
“Yvonne, sweetheart, you’re technically still a patient. Are you sure you’re well enough to go to work—"
“Yes,” Yvonne said with a sigh as she placed her phone against her ear. This was probably the 100th time she heard the same question since she fell sick. She was in the car with Alfred on her way to work. “Daddy, I’m fine.”
Derrick and Adele had been checking up on her every day since they learnt Yvonne had collapsed. Yvonne was starting to get tired of their overprotectiveness, especially her father’s.
Yvonne bit her lip. Yup. She had to lie. “Oh, Daddy, look! I have to assist in surgery. I’ll talk to you later!”
“Eve, wait—“
Alfred chuckled as she ended the call. “Master Derrick wouldn’t appreciate it if he learnt you lied to him.”
Yvonne shrugged. “I had to do something to get him to stop and calm down. I’m getting sick of hearing the exact same question for days.”
While her husband was out in the streets fighting crime as Batman each night, she was trying to save the city in her own way. It was her turn to be on the night shift in her gynaecology rotation that month. Yvonne usually drove to work herself, but that day, Alfred insisted on doing it in her stead.
“Regardless, you must still be very tired from the ordeal at the gala the other night, Madam,” Alfred said in concern, turning to Yvonne in the passenger seat beside him. “I would always be delighted to drive you to work each day.”
Yvonne gave him a tired yet kind smile, gently squeezing the elderly British butler’s arm. It was futile to try and win a game of wits against him, so she made no arguments whatsoever.
“Thank you, Alfred. I really appreciate it. I think I’ll be going back home the day after tomorrow.” Yvonne scratched her head and exhaled a deep sigh. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a—“
Alfred shushed her immediately, making her flinch a little in surprise. “Madam Yvonne, you wouldn’t want to jinx your own day ahead, would you?”
Yvonne blinked a few times before chuckling and nodding. Right. The forbidden jinxes of the hospital. Perhaps she was still a little exhausted that it slipped her mind.
Alfred pulled up by the roadside just a few metres away from the hospital. “Now, Madam, aside from your physical exhaustion, are you sure you’re in good shape?”
He was probably referring to her argument with Bruce a few nights before. Well, truth be told she wasn’t too keen on seeing her husband since then, even if she had already forgiven him. Whenever they bumped into each other in the manor, she’d quietly give him a greeting and walk away. She was too anxious to see his facial expression right after.
And their meals together were silent, nothing much past the usual pleasantries. It was suffocating.
Yvonne was thankful she wasn’t a mere corporate wife. At least she had an escapade from her awkward situation with her husband at home; work at the hospital!
The best part was that she got to see her patients!
Thinking about her patients put another smile on her face. She gave him an energetic look, pumping her fists. “I’m ready to go, Alfred. It’ll be tiring, but it's always worth seeing a smile on my patients’ faces.”
Alfred chuckled. He was still worried about Master Bruce and Madam Yvonne’s animosity towards each other since their fight. He had a feeling she was also still carrying some discontent since that night.
Nonetheless, he was glad to see her positively channel her energy into her work instead. Bruce was doing it in his own way—demonstrated by how hard of a blow he had dealt to Scarecrow and Penguin a few nights after their fight. Alfred wasn’t sure whether to praise the man or lecture him afterwards.
Perhaps once they were ready to talk it out, things would be better between them.
After bidding Alfred goodbye, she picked up her handbag and had him drop her off at the entrance. The large hospital seemed old and gothic on the outside, but its interior was a stark modern contrast thanks to Wayne Medical’s generous monetary contributions.
It was almost seven in the evening. The entire building, especially the lobby, was bustling with people—doctors, nurses, medical assistants, students, and patients. Yvonne made her way to the elevators, heading up to the seventh floor, where the OB/GYN department operated.
Finally, she arrived at her destination; the OB/GYN Second Year Residents’ Office. The room was rather spacious. It had a meeting table for group discussions and case studies, computers and designated desks for work and research, lockers, pantry, bathroom, and a double decker bed.
Its amenities were complete, taking the term ‘resident doctor’ to a whole new level. If Yvonne didn’t have a husband and a home to return to, she figured this room would be her ‘residence’.
After changing into her light blue scrubs, she put her lanyard and white coat on. One of Yvonne’s colleagues, Dr. Hudson opened the door to the office then. In scrubs with his eyes halfway open and his shoulders slouched, he dragged his feet towards a nearby bed and threw himself onto it.
Yvonne picked up a clipboard and walked over to Hudson. “Hi, Hudson. Anything I should take note of before heading down to the fray?”
Hudson groaned, lying on his back. “Who—“ he opened his eyes slightly before closing them again, “—oh, great, Yvonne. Nothing much, really,” he yawned. “By the way, I checked up on your patient, Lila Heart while you were sick, like you asked. Her urine output is looking pretty good compared to yesterday.”
Yvonne gave him a quiet ‘ok’ and gently patted his shoulder. “Okay. Thank you. Get some sleep, Hudson. You did great today.”
Hudson’s lips narrowed into a tight line as he shoved a pillow into his face. Was he getting emotional? “You’re the only person who says that to everyone, you know, Eve.”
Yvonne chuckled before leaving the room for the gynaecology ward. “I’m only saying that because it’s true. See you later, Dr. Hudson.”
“Bless your kind little heart, Dr. Yvonne,” he remarked before dozing off.
Yvonne’s main tasks as a second year OB/GYN resident encompassed writing patient charts, doing medical examinations, assisting in surgeries, and helping the patients to name a few. But her days weren’t always perfect, no thanks to certain individuals.
-
It was 9:00 p.m. and Yvonne was in the bathroom. “You must be pretty special to have Gotham’s most eligible bachelor change his ways, Dr. Yvonne,” an envious nurse named Stacy sneered upon confronting her at the sinks. “What are you, some kind of saintess?”
Yvonne exhaled a breath and ran a hand through her messy hair. This was just one of the many pests she had to deal with since her first public appearance at the charity gala the other day. “I have to get back to work now, Nurse Stacy. If you’ll excuse me.”
“You know Wayne has stakes in this place,” Stacy called out as Yvonne headed for the door. Right. Bruce was a member of the board of directors of the hospital. “With him on the board, you’ll be a professor in no time.”
Yvonne placed her hand on the doorknob. She paused for a few seconds before retaliating with a reply. Without looking back, she took a breath and said what she needed to say.
“I don’t need my husband to climb up the ranks in my career, and he knows that very well himself. As much as Bruce trusts me, I also trust in my own capabilities to make good decisions for myself and my patients.”
It was just another bug buzzing around her. Nothing to worry about.
-
At 11:00 p.m., Yvonne found herself at the nurses station with her head slightly bowed, with the infamous Prof. Melanie standing right before her. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were folded.
A patient—not hers—in the gynaecology ward had severe bleeding after her surgery, and because there was no one else on call or available to inform, she handled it, filed it into the system and informed the professor in charge.
“I thought I told you not to call me for menial emergencies,” Prof. Melanie said.
Well, Yvonne was just doing her job and following protocol so that no one would die, but saying that aloud would risk her getting a severe disciplinary action, or worse, fired.
“I… thought it might escalate into something more severe, Professor. I’m really sorry for that.”
And here came the usual lecture whenever she and other residents slipped up like this. Why are you behaving like a first year resident? Shouldn’t you be wiser now? Shouldn't you trust your own judgement as a doctor? Why aren’t you being accountable for your own actions?
However nonchalant she pretended to seem, it still managed to demotivate her like all scoldings usually did. She picked up the slack and after dealing with the aftermath continued charting at her desk.
-
Midnight, downtown Gotham
Batman was perched on one of the gargoyles at the Clock Tower. He had been actively working on the Dollmaker case for a while now. If he were being honest, it was just a way to distract him from the tense and awkward atmosphere at home. This was his first argument with Yvonne in… forever.
The slits of his cowl narrowed slightly. His hands clenched into a fist. He hated it when he couldn’t think of a solution to an emotional problem. But above all, he wanted to make things right with Yvonne. And that began by addressing the sore subjects of their marriage—
A piercing scream interrupted his thoughts. Batman leaped off the gargoyle and pulled out his grappling hook, tracking down the source of the noise.
He ran down five rooftops, scanning the area as he went. Still no sign of where the scream originated from.
“Get away from my wife!” A gruff voice shouted.
Batman ran towards the edge of the rooftop he was standing on and knelt down to observe the ruckus. In the dimly lit alleyway below was a man striking a defensive pose. Behind him with a terrified expression was a pregnant woman—the man’s wife.
His adversaries were three men dressed in three piece suits of various cool colours and styles. With his facial recognition software in his contact lenses, Batman recognised them as the new soldiers of Sal Maroni—Enzo, Luca, and Nico. The couple seemed humble and modest at first glance. What could Maroni’s lackeys possibly want with them?
Batman silently sunk into the shadows, simply waiting for the right time to strike.
“Not our fault Haly refused to pay up,” Enzo spat, pulling out a gun of his own. He clicked it and aimed it towards the couple, Luca and Nico following suit. “Maybe the deaths of his beloved Flying Graysons would teach him a lesson.”
Out of nowhere, a grappler latched onto Nico’s torso, pulling him into the darkness with a frightened scream. Enzo and Luca turned to each other, wondering what had happened to their partner. Meanwhile, the Graysons were trying to flee as fast as they could while the lackeys were distracted.
“Damn it,” Enzo spat, not noticing them making their escape. “This is why I told Nico to keep watch—“
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Luca released multiple bullet shots all around the Graysons, barring them from leaving the alley unnoticed.
“If Haly won’t pay, then you will, starting,” Luca said and grinned cynically, pointing his gun at Mrs. Grayson, “with your very pregnant wife.”
“No!” Screamed Mr. Grayson as the gunshots were fired, shielding his wife from the bullets.
Luca grinned in satisfaction. This mission would surely fast track his promotion to a Capo sooner rather than later. This was easier than he expected.
His gun was knocked out of his hands by a sharp metal object. It was… in the shape of a bat.
“Damn it, the Bat’s here!” Enzo grumbled.
Luca swiveled around and threw a forceful punch at the shadow looming behind him. But Luca was no match for the Dark Knight. He was much taller and stronger than he was, resisting and blocking every blow and kick Luca dealt to him. In a moment, Luca had been apprehended and tied up.
Enzo shot a couple of bullets his way to distract him, only for them to be deflected by the Dark Knight’s tough suit armour. Batman swiftly threw a batarang at him, sending Enzo’s gun flying to the ground.
This was not good. Enzo wasn’t going to go down, not like this. He wasn’t going to lose his dignity getting captured by the Bat so easily. He took off and absentmindedly made a run for it, knocking Mrs. Grayson and himself to the ground.
Batman pulled Enzo over to him with his grappler by the ankles, barring his escape no matter how much Nico tried to wriggle out of it free. Batman had him tied up next to an exhausted Nico and Luca.
They mentioned something about Haly’s Travelling Circus and extortion. Thanks to the blip they made, Batman wanted nothing more but answers from them.
Just as Batman was about to begin interrogating Enzo, Mrs. Grayson let out a pained and piercing scream, clutching her belly in pain.
Batman’s eyes widened. Blood was starting to trickle down her legs, and her husband was also bleeding profusely due to the gunshots. No. The thugs could wait. She could die if she didn’t get to the hospital in time.
“B-Batman!” Mr. Grayson cried, worried for his wife’s life despite his own being at risk. “My wife—“
He tapped a button on his belt, summoning the Batmobile over to his location.
“I’ll get you two to the hospital as soon as I can,” Batman assured him.
The Batmobile arrived just in time. Batman helped the Graysons into the car and sped off into the distance towards the nearest hospital he could find; Gotham General.
“Jim,” Batman said via his earpiece as he sped into the distance. “I’m right by the first alleyway near Grant Park. I have three of Maroni’s soldiers waiting for you to interrogate them.”
“I’ll have the guys on patrol pick them up. Thanks. And you didn’t interrogate them yourself?” Commissioner Gordon said over the line, a hint of surprise laced in his voice.
“I have a very pregnant patient that needs help. One of them knocked her to the ground.”
“Oh, that can’t be good,” the commissioner said with a deep sigh. “Where are you heading now?”
“Gotham General,” Batman said as he arrived at the location. “I’ll be in touch.”
-
Moments ago, Gotham General Hospital
It was a fairly slow night, with no emergencies whatsoever. So at midnight, Yvonne took the time to head to the one place in the hospital that she loved the most; the nursery.
At the nursery window, her eyes fell onto a little baby by the name Stella. Stella and her mother nearly couldn’t make it due to cord prolapse. Yvonne nearly had a heart attack trying to contain the situation before reaching the surgery room. But with her team’s intervention, both were saved from the hands of death.
It had been over a week since Stella had been saved and opened her eyes. Yvonne smiled and gave her a little wave. Whenever the baby saw Yvonne, she’d giggle and smile back.
The best part about her job was that she got to see adorable babies (every weekday at least, and on select Saturdays when she was on call). The feeling of bringing a new life into the world and watching the joy on their parents’ faces as they cradled their child brought infinite joy to Yvonne. It was one of the reasons she chose the department in the first place.
Babies and children alike filled Yvonne’s heart with joy and tenderness. Even if she’d probably never see a child of her own one day, she was grateful to see them at least.
A few footsteps echoed through the hallway, getting louder as they approached her.
“Oh, Eve. I recognise that longing look in your eyes. You should’ve joined paediatrics.”
“Vanessa,” Yvonne greeted him without averting her eyes.
Fellow second year resident Dr. Vanessa Jenkins of OB/GYN. Vanessa was a friend Yvonne made during her internship, and one of her closest friends at the hospital.
Sometimes when Yvonne was facing troubles with her interpersonal relationships, she’d turn to her for pointers. Vanessa’s marriage with her husband Dr. Ronnie was very solid and happy, after all. They even adopted a baby daughter named Lilianne together just a while ago.
Vanessa stood next to her and nudged her lightly with his elbow, hands shoved into the pockets of her white coat. “I know that look in your eyes, Eve. I still stand by what I said.”
That was a whole other reason, a reason Yvonne wasn’t too willing to delve into just yet. Maybe one day, but not at the present.
“I just like being a hero to women, cute little babies and their mums,” Yvonne told him simply with a smile and a shrug.
Vanessa chuckled and nodded. “Okay, I won’t pry into it more. By the way, Eve, are you alright?”
Yvonne shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Vanessa rolled her eyes once before pointing a forefinger at her. “You only head here for two reasons—one: you’re upset; two: you’re conflicted.”
Yvonne sighed. “Is that right?”
Vanessa fancied herself a pretty good therapist for the people in the obstetrics department. She linked arms with Yvonne and gave her a smile. “Walk with me? I’ll buy you coffee.”
Yvonne pursed her lips and nodded, following her friend’s lead. True to her words, Vanessa bought Yvonne and herself a cup of coffee each. They were now in the quiet and tranquil hospital courtyard. They sat on a bench side by side as they gazed at the starry night sky with coffee in their hands.
“Rough day, huh?” Vanessa said. “I heard you got chewed up by Prof. Mel.”
Yvonne groaned. “No, Vee. There’s no way everyone’s heard of that.”
Vanessa crossed her knees. “You think? Everyone in the damn building knows about the Wicked Witch’s deeds and her prey. If anything, everyone’s on your side, Eve.”
“I bounced back from that, don’t worry,” Yvonne chuckled mirthlessly, taking a sip of her coffee. “How’s work so far today?”
“Never ending charting,” Vanessa said with a sigh, “and religious extremist mothers who graduated from Google telling me how every single book and paper I’ve read and memorised are a total hoax.”
Yvonne hummed and shook her head. “How very cumbersome. Do you think they’d survive medical school?”
Vanessa grinned. “They won’t even make it past a week at Cambridge. Those essays and exams you told me about traumatised me, Eve. They’d do a number on those moms.” Vanessa and Yvonne share chuckles, holding onto their cups of coffee.
“Okay, now it’s your turn to talk,” Vanessa said, taking a sip of her coffee. “What’s making you so upset? Is this about Bruce?” She whispered.
Yvonne exhaled a deep breath. “You guessed that right.”
“What, did you fight with him again?”
Yvonne bit her lower lip and nodded. “I-I mean we’re way past that, but… we’re not exactly on talking terms for now. It’s still a bit too awkward.”
Vanessa put her cup down beside her and folded her arms, leaning closer towards her friend. “I need context.”
“I pulled a stunt at a gala in Metropolis,” Yvonne summarised. “The building was under attack and crumbling, so while saving some of the citizens I kind of almost died—“
Vanessa’s eyes widened. “What?!”
“—but I didn’t. I wound up sick and exhausted in bed which leads us to where we are in the present.”
Vanessa gave her a thoughtful hum, a pensive look in her eyes. “So that explains why you were sick these past few days.”
“Exactly.”
Vanessa shrugged. “Well, if you ask me, this is a classic case of misunderstandings and overreactions.”
“On his side?”
“Overreaction on his side, misunderstanding on yours.”
“Vee!”
“Look, if my Ronnie were to suddenly throw himself into the line of fire to play hero,” Vanessa said, “I’d be no different from Bruce. Ultimately, it’s because I care for my husband and his well being more than anyone else’s in the world.”
Yvonne fiddled with the sleeve of her paper coffee cup. She could say all that because she didn’t know what it was like to see her husband going out and about with a past dalliance. Of course she’d say something like that.
Then again, Yvonne had to remind herself that her marriage was just a business arrangement. A no feelings attached kind of thing.
So why did Bruce have to swear absolute loyalty to her in her dressing room back then? To sweeten the deal? To offer her a false sense of security?
All Bruce ever did was confuse her. Yvonne wasn’t even sure what to think of him anymore.
Vanessa patted her shoulder gently. “I think if you two were more forward with each other, you’d be just fine. I saw that look in his eyes at the wedding; I like to think he’s a little crazy about you, Eve.”
Yvonne laughed heartily, finding it almost ridiculous. For Selina, maybe, but her? That was impossible.
Yvonne’s slow and quiet night came to an end when the blaring of ambulance sirens drew closer to the hospital. Yvonne’s phone rang, and so did Vanessa’s. Both of them were required for an emergency? That couldn’t be good.
The pair ditched their coffees and sprinted towards the emergency department at the speed of light. The patients being transported onto beds by stretchers were bloodied and heavily bruised. A few were merely spattered with blood—probably not theirs, Yvonne feared.
Vanessa and Yvonne headed to the same cubicle. There was a woman—probably in her mid thirties—who was moaning in pain as she laid on the hospital bed, her face stricken with agony. The sheets beneath her legs were drenched in pools of her own blood. Yvonne’s heartbeat quickened. Yvonne only prayed it wasn’t what she thought it was.
“Oh my,” Vanessa muttered, bewildered.
“Yvonne, Vanessa? This is Mary Grayson, 34 years old. She’s fifteen weeks along,” Dr. Brandon Harrington, the emergency medicine resident doctor—and Yvonne’s brother-in-law—informed Yvonne the second she got there. “She and her husband were attacked by some assailants in an alley. When Batman got to her, she was nauseous, squirming in pain and having cold sweats.”
Batman? Her chest cinched upon hearing that name. Wait. No. Yvonne didn’t have time to even think about him. She had a patient to save.
Blood had been flowing profusely down her legs. Brandon, Vanessa and Yvonne spent a few minutes to contain the bleeding before Mary finally stabilised. They didn’t know how long she’d last, but they needed her to stay strong until after Yvonne conducted an ultrasound for her.
Yvonne thoroughly examined her abdomen while Vanessa kept an eye on her vitals. From the preliminary examination, Mary was bruised and hurt from severe trauma to her body.
“Where’s her guardian, Brandon?” Vanessa asked.
“Mr. John Grayson is receiving emergency treatment in the next cubicle,” Brandon responded. “Batman said he’d been shot while protecting Mrs. Grayson when the assailants attacked them in an alley. She was knocked down by one of them.”
Yvonne mumbled apologies into Mary Grayson’s ears, telling her who she was and what she was going to do to diagnose her. She smeared some cool ultrasound gel onto her belly, and performed an ultrasound, gently moving the transducer across her belly.
The second Yvonne managed to capture a picture of her ultrasound, the entire cubicle fell silent. Yvonne felt a heavy lump forming in her throat. She wanted to cry—wail even—but for the patient’s sake, she held herself back.
“Mrs. Grayson,” Yvonne mumbled, gently holding her hand, “I’m sorry.”
The once expectant mother's face was stricken with grief, anger, and sadness. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes as she locked eyes with Yvonne. “N-no… Doctor, please. Please save my Dorothy.”
Yvonne closed her eyes and shook her head, squeezing her hand. “I’m so sorry.”
Her wailing echoed throughout the emergency department. Yvonne, Vanessa and Brandon closed their eyes, silently mourning the loss of her child. The patients, nurses and other doctors who heard it paused for a moment of silence in respect.
This was the cruel reality of the OB/GYN department. It was not always a comforting bed of roses. Sometimes, the first thing that greeted you would be nothing more than its sharp thorns.
Yvonne bit her lower lip before turning back to look at Mary Grayson again. She still had to carry out her job. “We’re going to have to wheel you in for surgery, Mrs. Grayson, to remove all the remaining fetal tissues and prevent sepsis.”
Mary continued to shed tears, initially unable to properly respond to her. In a few seconds, she managed a weak nod, giving her consent.
“Okay,” Yvonne managed a small smile at her, gently squeezing her hand. Yvonne and Vanessa shared a nod. Vanessa pulled out her phone and called Prof. Melanie.
One of the curtains enclosing the cubicles had been drawn apart, followed by the sound of Prof. Melanie’s signature ringtone. “I heard the cry,” Prof. Melanie said simply, heading over to Yvonne’s side. “I’m sorry to hear that, Madam,” she gently told Mary, squeezing her hand before turning back to Yvonne. “Dr. Wayne, Dr. Jenkins, catch me up to speed.”
“Mary Grayson. Age 33. 15 weeks gestation,” Yvonne summarised. “Vaginal bleeding. She has severe trauma to her abdomen, which led to intrauterine fetal loss.”
“We’ve stabilised her for now,” Vanessa continued, “but we’re not sure how long she’d last. Sepsis development is active as we speak.”
“Then there’s no time to lose. Good job containing the bleeding, all of you. Jenkins, get consent from her guardian and prepare OR3 before you scrub in,” Prof. Melanie ordered. “Wayne, you’ll be scrubbing in as my assistant.”
“Affirmative,” Yvonne and Vanessa said and nodded, heading off to carry out the professor’s orders as soon as possible. Time was of the essence, to save Mary’s life.
Next chapter: My Therapy Session With Batman ->