All Kory could see was Bruce's back and what seemed like endless hallways as she followed him. Her heart was trying to beat out of her ribcage, her mind was racing, her hands shaky, she didn't know what to feel, what to think or expect.

She thought she was dreaming until she felt rough hands tug her own. Her eyes looked at him and she bit her lip.

"Kory, just don't be too alarmed when you see him, okay? We uhh... have it under control," he said, squeezing her clammy hands, "Relax."

They entered the room.

She was speechless. She did not expect to be greeted by the mess in front of her. Cables and wires tangled, tubes shattered, glass pieces scattered all over the floor, scratch marks on the walls, even the scent of the room was a mess of chemicals.

Her eyes scanned the room but stopped at the sight of him.

Everything faded into the background as she slowly walked over to the bed's edge. Her eyes did not leave him though with every step, her vision became glossed with tears. She reached his side and rested a hand on the bed's railing.

"Richard," she breathed.

There, lying on the bed, was him. He looked like just how she remembered him yet so different and it wasn't the good kind. Though resting, he looked horribly pale and exhausted. His black hair was untamed. His face was covered with cuts and bruises, the left side just above his ear was painted with dried blood. More wounds covered his body and she saw scars she's never seen before. Cables and tubes were attached to him as the monitors beeped and hummed.

Then she saw the straps that chained him to the bed.

"What is this?" She snarled, her hand curling into a fist above the straps.

"I told you not to be-"

"X'hal, did HE do THIS?" she gestured at the room's mess. She turned to Bruce, "is this what you call 'under control?"

"Kor-"

"Why is he strapped," she demanded an answer.

Bruce sighed and walked across the room, picking up a vial from the table.

"When he first woke up, he immediately started trashing and tossing people off him," he turned to Kory, "he even clawed at Wally's face. We just drugged him to sleep for now so we can do some medical examinations."

Choosing to trust his word, she glanced at the scratches on the wall and the tear on the bedsheets.

"He clawed Wally?" she whispered and moved to sit next to the bed, gazing at Dick's sleeping form.

"He doesn't seem to recognize us from the way he reacted. That or he was just in shock. I can't tell right now so we had no choice but to strap him in place so he can't hurt anyone and himself."

Kory nodded and her thoughts took her back to when Dick accidentally inhaled Slade's hallucinating dust. It only took less than 24 hours for him to nearly die that night. Her entire body felt heavy at thought of what might have happened to him in those 6 years.

Bruce placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she just stared at his shoes.

"I'll go check on Dr. Midnight and Clark, you can stay here if you want."

He didn't need to ask, he already knew her answer so he quietly left.

The room fell silent, save for the rhythmic beep of the machines. Kory only had eyes for Dick, nothing existed in that moment. He's here... he's right here... so many questions she wanted answered yet all that mattered for the time being was that he was alive and breathing and under her watching gaze.

She kept telling herself those things but it did not stop her from breaking down and finally letting the tears flow.

"You are here..." she choked, "I have missed you so much..."

XXXXXXX

Kory stirred from her sleep.

"Kory? Hey, wake up," someone was poking at her shoulders.

"Hmm..?" She slurred, lifting her head from her crossed arms on the bed's edge and turned to her side to see Wally.

"There we go," he chuckled, "Bats said you were here so umm Chinese?" he chirped as he passed her the food.

"Thank you."

Wally hummed as he was already busy stuffing food in his mouth. Kory did not feel like eating but it would rude to not eat what Wally offered. He rarely shared food.

They ate in silence and Kory took notice of the now tidy room. Wally must've cleaned or someone else did. She took a few bites out of her meal before staring at his bandaged cheek. He noticed.

"Ahhh I'm guessing Bats told you?"

She nodded and urged him to continue.

"Yeah, he got me. Doesn't hurt, honest. He just surprised me, that's all. Should've seen it coming though, in whatever condition he was in, if I were him and wake up to see people hooking me up to wires and all, I'd freak," he shrugged and cleared his throat, "This might be a stupid question but how are you holding up?"

Kory has asked that to herself many times now and it all lead to the same answer.

"I do not know. I feel relieved, happy, worried, afraid, confused, agitated, I truly do not know."

"I get ya," he can only say before he extended a hand to touch her arm in comfort.

He leaned back onto his chai and cleared his throat, "Sooo where's Mar'i?"

"With Donna. I do not think now is the best time for her to meet him... If he even wants to," she murmured the last bit but it did not go unheard.

"Hey, stop that now. Of course he would. I'm betting he'll want to hear about how I am Mar'i's favorite uncle."

"Wally, she says that to all her uncles," she cocked her head at him and smiled.

"Huh? No way! I so am!" he huffed and Kory giggled.

Wally turned serious as he regarded her, "Kory, it'll be fine. He's here now isn't he?"

Her gaze returned to Dick, an unreadable expression etched her face. He's here. He is safe now. Things will get better.

"I hope so."

"Well, he better wake his ass up soon. I need to avenge my beautiful scratched face."

Kory laughed and he followed. Her laugh was always intoxicating.

It did not take long for their moment to be abruptly interrupted as the machines angrily beeped and the bed jerked.


Next: Blank

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