-1 Dick Grayson
Chapter 2- Life and Death
The crowd roars as Dick Grayson now soared the skies. Dick reached the end of the swing, across to the second board and turned around to see his parents fuss around while the spot lights were scanning Dick. The crowd cheered as the men below began to take the net apart for the parents to do their daily routine. Dick became anxious as he waited for his father to swing over to his side. The spot light flashed to the married couple as they quickly smiled with john grasping the swing now. John pulled on the swing and tried to focus in the strange condition that he was in as Mary tried to stop John from jumping, but John was too quick and strong for her. The rope began to slip without any notice as John swung safely to Dick board. The crowd began to more eager as the time passed when Mary was about to swing over to her husband, and John to his wife. John looked down at Dick and smiled.
"Listen son, go to the ringer and tell him that the man in black will no longer be problem for us, but hurry because the ringer has some kind of plan already set in motion. And son…..I love you."
Dick turned to the ladder and began to climb down as he grew confused but paused when he heard the "L" word from his father's mouth.
"Shucks dad, I know that, so you don't have to tell me that you know."
"I know son, but I feel better saying it now for some reason, now hurry up so that you can return to show off your little move."
Sweat came dripping down from Johns face even more now as the crowd began to clap with every moment passing. John and Mary both leaped off their boards at the same time and smiled while they waved at the crowd for the first few seconds. Mary released her swing and flew into Johns arms as the swing broke apart and the two began to freefall down to the open ground. Dick was about to touch the ground when he looked up when the crowd began to yell. At that moment Dick bare witnessed a horrorific accident of his mother and father.
"MOM!!!!! DAD!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!"
The crowd screamed as all the parents covered the children's eyes and started to leave the circus tent, while Armstrong rushed to Dick's side and lifted him into his arms, pulling him away from the sight. The ringer stepped forth to the stage as he looked down at the two that had fallen.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please exit without doing any harm to the people or this complex….and will someone please call the medics!"
A medical squad rushed in checked the husband and wife as one of the medics yelled for a cart.
"The woman is still breathing, but faintly, quickly! Get the van over here as soon as possible, along with an oxygen tank!"
Dick was taken away, quickly from the tent as tears rolled from his eyes, one after another, falling like the rocks in a rock slide. Dick moved his head up and watched as the medics took his parents away in carts and then into an ambulance as Armstrong placed Dick on a bench outside with the ring leaders coat around him.
"I'm so sorry Richard….don't worry, we'll all be here for you."
Dick sunk his head deep down into the cape around his shoulders and kept crying nonstop while a man in a capo hat walked out of the tent with a large smile upon his face. The man walked over to Dick and took off his hat as he knelt down to Dick's height.
" I'm sorry for your loss child….but don't be scarred, I'm positive that you'll be able to see them again very soon."
The man stood up strait and began to walk away slowly as the circus family glared at the man walk away. The circus family huddled all around Dick to protect him from all the people who wanted to attain a story off of Dick's grief and sorrow from what occurred just recently. The cameras flashed, the sound of reporters filled the open grounds in wait for some report from the police or circus. Dick sniffled and kept his head sunk in the cape as a man in uniform walked up to Dick. Just as the officer walked up to Dick, Armstrong and the others moved away from Dick as officers began to take over the perimeter to shield off the unwanted attention. The officer tugged on Dick's shoulder as he took his cap off.
"Dick Grayson right? I heard from some of the folks around here that you use Dick instead of your other name. Well I'm officer Smith, and I must ask that you come with me son. Just for a quick little ride to Gotham General, the hospital where you're….well where your mother is staying at."
Dick stood up as the Smith took his hand and began to walk to a police car that was waiting for them, just in front of the entrance. Step after step, a blinding light from the cameras all around came forth to Dicks face, with the people holding the cameras, yapping about, trying to squeeze anything out from the boy, with no feelings what so ever for what Dick was feeling at the time. Dick was seating behind the driver of the police vehicle as Smith closed the door and waved his hand for the driver to take off. The officer started to drive off, but as they traveled, the officer aligned the front mirror over his head to face his eyes right at Dick.
"Say kid, how are you holding up? You don't really look too well in the face."
Dick gazed out the window while sniffled as he ignored the officer's question.
"Not much of a talker are you kid? Well don't mind me, my radio doesn't work so I'll be talking my mouth off until I transport you safely to the hospital. So I'm guessing you and your folks were a close bunch aye?"
Dick still ignored the officer as Dick now placed the palm of his hand under his chin to hold his head up. The officer sighed and tapped his cap up to the side some.
"Well I wasn't going to say this…..but rumor has it that your father is already dead, but your mom is still barely alive, but that's just what I heard from a couple of people I heard when they were discussing it on the police radio."
Dick sat up as the officer told him what he knew about his family.
"Wh---what! really, when did you hear this?…"
"Oh, so now you want to talk aye kid. Well I heard this about fifteen minutes ago when head quarters asked me to come and fetch you."
Dick placed his head down and curled his palms together, while he closed his eyes and bowed his head, in a praying pose.
"Huh? Are you religious or something kid?"
"No, not really……but I was once showed how to pray by a priest who visited the circus once…..but that was a long time ago…"
Dick placed his hands down and gave out a small but hearable laugh and the officer smiled a little as he stopped the vehicle in front of the hospital.
"Well kid looks like it's time to see if God heard your call aye, but just know, whatever happens to you and your folks, that things just happen for a reason and something grand is always at the end of that tunnel of grief and despair."
Dick's door opened as another officer stood to the side with his hand out, grabbing Dicks arm gently and helped him step out. Just as Dick stepped out, swarms of flashes were yet again surrounding the frightened child with officers holding the crowd behind a line. Each step to Dick was like a pin piercing his heart as anxiety took over his nerves, one by one they tingled and ached with pain, ready to burst out of their sockets until he finally reached the top of the steps. A sigh of relief came from Dick's mouth as he now prepared himself to pass next stop that he was going to have to endure. The doors flapped open with an officer holding a door on each side for the boy to walk through. Dick lowered his head down and followed the lines of the tiles on the ground, as he tried to clear his mind, but at last could not, for the pain and anxiety was too much to bare. The officer seated the boy as a doctor walked up to Dick and knelt down to his height.
"Hello young Grayson, I'm doctor Li…."
Dick stood up and looked to the side of the doctor and interrupted him from saying another word.
"Where's my mother and father?, I don't really care for any more names right now."
"My don't you like to cut to the chase. Well come with me young man and I'll tell you all about the two on the way to the extensive care unit."
Dick followed the doctor as Dick looked to the side at all the rooms that they were passing. One by one he counted, there was one, two, three, four and then a turn came about as the doctor began to speak up.
"Well first I suppose I'll start with the bad news, which is that your father died on impact, but don't worry it was quick and painless we believe."
"What!, that's im--possible, he can't be dead."
Dick stopped walking as the doctor stopped for a second and then tugged on Dicks shoulder for him to keep walking.
"Yes it is possible young man, so let's keep walking while you're still in shock. Ehem as I was about to say….your father is dead, but your mother is alive and slowly recovering. But I'm afraid she is parlayed from the neck down. I don't like to speak with children, but as you already know, you have no other guardian to hear all this news and tell you. The police thought it was best for a professional like myself to tell you everything in the most simplest words possible."
The doctor walked over to a window to where Mary was in view. Dick stood on his toes and looked in to see doctors still patching her up and preparing to finish up.
"But..but she'll be alright now?"
"We believe she will be, but I doubt she'll last a week, so don't keep your hopes up child."
"WHAT!, don't say that, you're a doctor, your suppose to help comfort people like me…."
Just then the commissioner walked up.
"Excuse us, but we've come to take over now doctor, so you may leave the boy to me now."
The doctor turned and walked away.
"Sorry son, but you're going to have to come with us. You see, you can't stay here in the halls to wait for your mother to wake up, so I've taken the responsibility to take you in for a few days. Just until your mother heals or we find a better place for you to stay."
"I know that….but if it's alright with you, do you think it's possible that I can stay here….. just for a few more minutes? Please"
The commissioner nodded and turned away.
"Alright sonny, I'll head down to get you something to drink, but when we return be sure to be ready to leave this place."
Dick kept his eyes fixated on his mother in her hospital room as he placed his hand on the window. Dick blinked and swiped his hand down slowly as it made a low scraping noise that only he could hear.
A short time passed and the commissioner walked up behind Dick as he placed his hand over Dicks shoulder.
"Sorry son, but its time to go now. Don't worry sonny, I'll make certain that I send you with an officer back here tomorrow."
Dick sighed and turned away. The commissioner walked away with Dick by his side, along with a few other officers behind them. Doctors scurried from room to room as the group left the hospital in a short line, slowly and quietly. Dick drifted off in his mind as they all walked away from hospital and loaded the car with person after person into a police vehicle. The vehicle started to take off as Dick turned his head to the back window and watched as they zoomed off away from his injured mother and lifeless father. The commissioner turned his head backwards at Dick.
"You know I have a daughter named Barbara that's about your age. You don't mind sharing a room with a girl for a while do you son?"
Dick turned his head and looked down at the carpet of the floor in the vehicle while he nodded his from side to side.
" That's great to know. By the way my name is Jim Gordon, but as you know, people around here call me the commissioner. Don't worry son, I'm sure your mothers going to make it. Especially if you can be this strong so far."
Dick nodded and sunk his back into the seat as silence filled the vehicle.
