"Bruce?" He tried to ask, but he couldn't get enough breath to speak. And his throat felt dry, rubbed raw.
His mentor heard him though, and one arm uncurled away from the embrace. He was reaching for it before he realized what he was doing but the other arm had a firm hold on him. Then something cold nudged his lips and he opened his mouth on instinct.
Ice chips. He let the first few melt on his tongue, cooling his parched throat.
When he felt like he could speak, he tried again. "Bruce?"
"I'm here, Dick. You're in the infirmary of Mount Justice."
"Uhn, what happened?"
"Your team got caught. They separated you from the others so they could...interrogate you."
He groaned and shifted on the bed as the memories returned. "They wanted your files. And they had a...Class 3 telepath."
The grip on him tightened. "I figured as much."
"H-how long was I out?"
"Four days. The drugs made you susceptible to their suggestions and lowered your mental defenses. We waited until the drugs were out of your system before we attempted to strengthen up your shields, but you were too deep in your nightmares. J'onn and M'gann had to put you in a coma until you manage to break from the nightmares yourself."
He nodded and Batman fell silent. He missed this, when his parents would hold him after he had nightmares, when he felt safe - he was safe. Then when Bruce took him in, there was a lot less cuddling, less affection. He oftentimes found himself yearning for a hug, or even a comforting hand on his shoulder. But he had to make do with the rare smiles and even rarer hugs.
"Were they specific in the files they wanted?" Batman's voice broke the silence.
Dick tried to think back on what he remembered of the past few days but his mind shied from the memory of being torn to pieces.
"It's alright," Batman was rubbing circles on his shoulders. "I'm here."
I'll protect you. The words didn't need to be said. Despite the rare hugs, Dick had always known Bruce would watch over him. Bruce was his safety net, catcher, and spotter in one.
He delved back into his memories.
This time, he recalled Superman - no, someone pretending to be Superman - say that Superboy was dying; that he needed something to find out why in Batman's files. After what happened in Cadmus, Batman held the only complete information on the lab and its projects. Not even Star Labs had the complete work-up of Project Kr.
"They wanted your files on Superboy," he answered thoughtfully.
Batman nodded. "I see."
"It's still our mission, right? The League won't just take over-?"
His mentor smiled fondly at him. "We'll discuss it in four days. For now, rest up. I'll have Miss Martian nearby in case-"
"It's fine, I'm fine." He interrupted. The last thing he wanted was to be babysat. There was only enough mother-henning he could take with Bruce and Alfred. He aimed a sly smile at Batman. "What's a couple of nightmares for us?"
"I would rather you recover completely than lose sleep from recurring nightmares."
Dick sighed, "Fine. At least, you'll let me explain things to Wally first. He might get jealous."
"He knows." Bruce's lips quirked up in a small smile. "He was the one who suggested it."
