The hidden quote of the day is by Roy Bennet. There is also a Romani saying that I assume is spelt phonetically as Rom doesn't exactly have a written form, at least that's my understanding of Rom. The story is still only barely mine but well... the kids were hanging off each word of it so if someone can enjoy it I might as well post it. For all the fuss I go to get Richard a dog ... the dog is decorative to the story.
"Good morning Richard," spoke Bruce in French. "Because your head is still healing we are going to stick to speaking French for now. Your mother was French and your father was Romani correct."
"Oui Monsieur." The young boy's French was accent-less.
"Did you speak French at home?" continued Bruce in French. The whole conversation proceeded in calm French.
"Sometimes, but mostly Rom."
"Alfred is here as well and a new friend of mine that I would like you to meet. Do you like dogs?"
Richard nodded.
"Ace can be your helper while you are having trouble seeing. He is actually a retired police dog. His trainer took a job in another country and had to leave him behind. He's not old for a dog but he is very clever." Bruce didn't explain to Dick the article that had gone into the newspaper about the tragic loss of sight of the only witness and how it had destroyed the case the police were building against their only suspect, a known mobster. It had been impossible to acquire a seeing eye dog overnight but Commissioner Gordon had offered help in a different form. Ace had been easily able to pass the public safety test, although admittedly he would need further training to act as a seeing eye dog. He could at least legally wear the uniform and pretend to play the part. They wanted to make a big deal to the public about the loss of sight so Dick wouldn't be a target anymore. Bruce hoped the dog could also be a friend to the boy.
Ace was brought forward. He put his head and paw on Dick's leg. Dick reached forward and pet him smiling.
"I would like to learn English so that I can speak for myself and understand what is going on," spoke Dick though he was still almost completely focused on the dog.
"A bruised brain needs rest to get better so Doctor Leslie thought sticking to a language you were familiar with was better for now. Alfred and I will be sure you learn English but we need to go slow until your headaches get better and the dizziness goes away. When you are better. We will speak only English together until you are fluent."
In English Dick answered. "Is good. I do."
Dick had to wear dark glasses for now to prevent damaging his eyes as they were having trouble reacting appropriately to light. Bruce brought in experts to help teach both Dick and Ace. At the end of the week Alfred and Bruce got to take Richard home. For the trip, a large impossible to miss padded bandage was wrapped around Dick's eyes. "To protect your healing eyes from light," explained Bruce. "When you are home inside we can switch back to the glasses." Leslie helped but she looked uncertain about Bruce's plans to make such a big deal of the vision loss.
Bruce was born a pessimist. He assumed recovery was hopeless. A blind child in a corner of the mansion wasn't a burden. It made a Batman unveiling very unlikely. Dick was safe. He had done what he could.
He didn't expect the exhausted, ill and invalid child to rebound as quickly as he did. The first little while the child was rarely awake for more than a few hours at a time and the most active he got was too softly and awkwardly pad through the house holding on to Ace for both comfort and stability. Ace kept Dick away from hazards but Ace's tail took out a Ming vase and two Royal Doultan figurines. Alfred had a long job scouring the house for expensive obstacles at tail or cane level.
Bruce was surprised when the tired, quiet, tentative child started to change.
He didn't expect a dog and boy to rush to greet him when he came home from work.
He didn't expect a child to tiptoe into his bed after nightmares invading his private spaces and his resting hours.
He didn't expect to come home to Alfred and Richard dancing the twist in the foyer only to be pulled in and encouraged to boogie on down Bruce. The tango with an eight year old was the last thing he expected.
He didn't expect to start to look forward to it.
French started to feel like a comfortable old pair of shoes and the manor and the little boy waiting for him there were his secret indulgence. Though Dick had woeful lows when the grief and loss and terror of all that had happened would bring him to his knees, he was essentially a happy hopeful person who derived joy from bringing others happiness.
Alfred gently helped the child with his English though they still spoke mostly French. Leslie insisted the brain injury wasn't ready for strenuous learning and Dick had so much to learn just to function without sight. Alfred helped him learn to be tidy and organized because the thing you wanted that wasn't put where it belonged, was lost forever in the empty dim blur of the huge old house. Alfred tracked Dick down and brought him back time after time when his explorations took him off to the far corners of the manor and suddenly exploring wasn't exciting but instead was frightening and lonely. Ace was still learning too. Alfred cleverly found all sorts of things Dick could still do for himself. He didn't let him feed all his broccoli to Ace. Sometimes Dick called Alfred, Puro Dad Alfi. Dick blushed and hid for the rest of the afternoon when Alfred asked him what it meant. Alfred mentioned it to Bruce after Richard had gone to bed.
"Grandfather, it means grandfather in Romani," explained Bruce with a slight smile. "I'm learning more Rom daily. I asked him what he thought of Gotham. His response, I hope I am pronouncing it right, it was: Jekh dilo kerel but dile hai but dile keren dilimata. As near as I can tell this means. One madman makes many madmen, and many madmen make madness. He's a clever boy. It describes Gotham well. I am at a stand still on Zucco. I think we'll need a confession. I think the best I may be able to do is get him brought in on other charges."
Richard had woken in a cold sweat with bad dreams. Standing outside the door to Bruce's study he thought on what he'd overheard. What was a confession? Was Bruce looking for Zucco? Why? Brought in on other charges? Was Bruce trying to do a business deal with Zucco? Stand still on Zucco... waking after a bad dream everything always seemed so much scarier than in the day. Richard silently slipped back to bed confused and scared.
In the morning Dick tried to use his computer to figure out what confession meant but even though he was getting better at finding the braille letters he didn't know how to spell confession. He tried the speech to text feature translating into French.
Did Bruce go to church with Zucco? Very confused but determined to find his parents killer Richard checked the day. It was Saturday.
"Alfred tomorrow go we to God's house please?"
Bruce, Alfred and Dick sat in the pew at church. Dick listened for Zucco, he sniffed to see if he could smell the sickly sweet scent of his cigar. The shapes and sounds and bustle of the church were terrifying. Bruce made him leave Ace at home. The sermon was in English rather than Latin. Dick threw up on his way out of the church and curled up in bed with a terrible headache when they got back to the manner. He slept the rest of the day.
"Maybe this was too much too soon chum," spoke Bruce gently petting the child's hair.
Dick wouldn't stop crying.
Dick's next vision test showed marked improvement. The doctor talked and talked. As long as his vision was still correcting at a rapid pace, glasses weren't recommended. After the doctor had left Bruce brought him into his study for a serious talk. Serious talks were still in French.
"Richard, as long as the world thinks you are blind Zucco has no reason to come after you. The police commissioner and I have a plan. We want Zucco to be overconfident because he doesn't know you can identify him. Do you think you can keep your improving vision a secret?"
"Not hard to do when everything is blurry still and I really want Zucco caught. I want Zucco caught more than anything. Can I work on English properly soon?"
"As soon as Doctor Leslie gives the okay."
The eased into English lessons. Leslie yelled at Bruce for a good long time because Dick wouldn't cooperate with the visual testing anymore.
"Bruce if he can see with glasses, if his sight has stabilized, why wouldn't you want that for him. You realize that you've convinced an eight year old child that he has to be blind if he wants his parents killer to ever be brought to justice."
Bruce didn't believe in explaining himself.
Alfred tried to talk to Dick.
"Bruce has good idea Alfie. Bruce has smart and has trick for Zucco. I help."
"Dear child. You need to take care of yourself. The police will take care of Zucco."
"Bruce say catch Zucco happy day?" Dick tried to explain.
"Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other peoples hands," protested Alfred.
When Leslie thought Dick was medically stable enough, Bruce enrolled Dick in Gotham Academy. He chose G.A. mostly because it was the most secure school in the city. Dick had an aid to help him learn his way around. The smart boards all downloaded text to speech to his personal computer. Ace helped him get around. His grades weren't great at first. He was a blind ESL student, in school for the first time in his life. Dick struggled because there was just so much to learn. The other kids thought he was pretty stupid actually. They assumed he was mentally delayed in addition to being blind and speaking barely any English. It was a lonely time.
His aide figured out just how clever Dick was early on. The assistive technology Dick was working with, Braille, learning the school layout, how quickly he was picking up English, spatial awareness training, dog training. The aid insisted that Dick was scary smart and it was just a matter of time before everyone started to recognize it.
Bruce liked the aid's glowing praise of the boy but as time passed and still Batman had no luck bringing Zucco in finally Bruce admitted, "Alfred, we need to be able to protect him without limiting his opportunities. This has gone on too long. I'm concerned if he ignores proper eye care he may never be able to see again when he might have if we'd taken action early."
"Master Bruce, need I remind you that you put this idea in his head to begin with."
Dick was beyond stubborn but eventually Bruce managed to convince Dick to get a top secret, no one will know about it eye test and maybe, just maybe some super secret contact lenses, tinted so Zucco wouldn't recognize him if he was wearing them. Dick could use them to immediately identify Zucco when he was caught.
"Well?" Bruce asked the eye doctor who was playing along with the charade to ensure the cooperation of one very upset little boy.
"His vision has improved to the point where with some of the cutting edge technology coming out just now, it should be correctable. He is still extremely photosensitive so there are some special lighting requirements. Expect visual fatigue. He will only be able to tolerate this type of lens for a few hours a day so the visual impairment training should continue. At this point I would still recommend monthly eye exams. Laser vision correction is not an option. Expect to have to replace his glasses every few months as his vision profile wanders and with the current prescription they will be very expensive. You might want to put this off a few months."
Bruce wondered if the doctor had forgotten who he was talking to. Expensive eyewear was not an issue.
About a week later Bruce was sitting looking at Richard's now green eyes. The boy blinked uncomfortably. "They kind of sting a bit."
Bruce translated for Dick.
"If your head hurts right here, it's time to take them out. Remember clean hands Richard." advised the optometrist. "Those shouldn't be worn to bed. Please limit them to school hours only until we get a few eye tests back to back without movement in the prescription even if you don't find they are straining his eyes."
Dick reached up to rub at his eyes and was corrected by both Bruce and the Doctor.
"Order him the prescription sunglasses too. I want to be sure the stinging isn't an intolerance to contacts." Bruce whispered to the doctor. Right now Dick was wearing sunglasses and contacts. He got right up close to Bruce inspecting him in detail.
"You are blue eyes. Are big strong but I knowed that. Hands look ouch. Do work hands Bruce? Short nails. Two are blue, more ouch? Broke toes place on that shoe. Why broke? No lean on smart boards at school. Marker on coat. Hey! You eat donut! Say no donut me and you eat donut! What face paint for? You do show?" Dick prattled on.
Bruce smirked at Dick's observation. Yes he did tend to lean on the smart board at work and his left shoe always ended up scuffed because of how he sat at his desk. The tiny, tiny bit of powdered suger on his sleeve was from where he'd bought donuts for the tech department. He'd not been eating them. The bruises and calluses on his hands and nails were from the night work. "The make up is to hide kissing marks little man no more asking about that." Bruce grinned and tickled Richard a little to distracted him.
Dick giggled and looked to the optometrist with a cheeky grin. "Bruce kiss many, many ladies. He hot stuff! New lady last night? You stink pretty at breakfast."
"Hey you!" protested Bruce laughing.