Brothers Portraits, and Messages.
Part 2
Tim's temperature broke sometime during the night. He was bathed in sweat. It dampened the sheets to a point where he started to shiver. Tim opened his eyes to see that Bruce and Dick were asleep. Not wanting to wake them, Tim tried to get up but fell immediately back against the pillows. His left arm was put in a sling and made it difficult to maneuver. Breathless, he tried again and got half way, but his energy was spent. Lying back down Tim watched Bruce and Dick's breathing while they slept. Tim's mind started working on various thoughts. He wondered who was going to discover him first. Then his thoughts went back to how this started. 'I hope Bruce will not be too mad at me . . . I guess this was a fitting punishment for having been stupid. I know I won't sneak out again . . . Just forgive me,' Tim yawned. 'I guess sleeping isn't such a bad idea right now.' Closing his eyes Tim once again let the sound of Bruce and Dick's breathing lull him to sleep.
"What the hell are you doing here, Todd?' Damian questioned. "Father didn't want you back here."
"This is none of your fucking concern child," Jason argued. "Now move out of my way!"
"No! You don't tell me what to do," Damian argued. "You are not welcomed here! Remove yourself!" Damian stood in front of Jason.
Tim didn't know how long he slept when he heard voices. It sounded like some argument. He tried to turn over but something prevented him from doing it. He opened his eyes and looked at his right arm. Oh right the IV. Tim wanted to sleep more and the voices were making a racket. Finally, he had enough.
"HEY! Can't a guy get some sleep around here!" Tim yelled. "Take it outside!" Tim grumbled. 'Can't Damian and Todd just get along.' Tim tried to turn over to go back to sleep.
"Master Jason, Master Damian, I will not have you fighting in front of Master Timothy's door while he is recuperating. Take it elsewhere please."
"Move the fuck out ta my way!" Jason was getting angrier by the minute.
"And what are you going to do? You're already injured, you pathetic weakling."
Jason snapped and punched the kid right in the jaw. "You have no fucking right to call people weaklings! You're probably half the reason why Tim doesn't want to be in the hero business! Fuck you!"
"Master Damian . . . Master Jason . . . What did I say? Must I repeat myself?" Alfred stood with his arms behind his back, but the boys were ignoring him.
"Get rid of him then!" Jason yelled, pointing to Damian. "He's always spewing shit out of his mouth! He's the one that shouldn't be here! His own mother didn't even want him!"
"You shut up Todd! Father doesn't love nor want you! Your death must have been a joke!"
"ENOUGH!" Bruce demanded as he came out of Tim's room. "Alfred, take these two and give them a suitable punishment. Tim can't sleep with all this racket."
"I was just coming in to check on Master Timothy's wounds, check his temperature, and relieve you."
"That's fine Alfred . . . Then I'll find a suitable punishment where they will have to learn to work together."
"I'm not working with this demon," Jason stated.
"I can't stand you either, asshole."
"That's it! " Bruce growled. "No vacation for you two if you cannot get along. You two will stay behind and guard Gotham . . . And NO KILLING!"
"No. Father please, I'll behave," Damian whined. "Don't leave me here with him!"
"Do you have anything to say Jason?"
"I don't want to be here either. I'm looking forward to a vacation."
"Then you will both follow the rules, no fighting until then."
"Yes, Sir," both said in unison.
"I need your assistance with Master Timothy, Master Jason." Jason followed Alfred back into Tim's room.
"Alfred . . . Jason . . ." Tim tried to sit up. "What's going on?"
"Lay back Master Timothy so we can check you bandages," Alfred stated.
"Nothing Timmy . . . Just ran into some "little" problem."
Tim laid back so Alfred and Jason could check his wounds. "Is Damian out there still? I thought I heard his voice. Can I see him?"
"I'm leaving if he comes in here," Jason stated.
"Master Jason, you shall do no such thing," Alfred stated icily. "I need your assistance to clean Master Timothy's wounds. Ignore the barbs."
"Fine," Jason grumbled.
"Can you sit up Master Timothy?" Alfred asked, but he could see Tim struggling to sit up. "Master Jason, please help Master Timothy to sit up so I can change his sheets and get him into clean dry pajamas."
"All right let's get you up right." Jason slid his arms underneath Tim and lifted, sliding him up against his pillows.
" . . . Hugh . . . " Tim groaned. The pull on his shoulder didn't do him any good either. "Can Damian visit me, please?" Tim started to shiver when his pajamas were removed.
Jason clicked my tongue. "I guess if you want," he mumbled under his breath, "I don't know why..."
"I promised Damian something," Tim answered. "I'm not going to be able to do it for a while . . . And . . . I . . ." Tim felt the pangs of uselessness again.
"Of course you may see Master Damian," Alfred said as he assisted Tim with his pajama pants. Your hip is looking much better since we cleaned out the infection. Now let's take a look at that shoulder. Master Jason, please have fresh bandages ready while I clean the shoulder wound."
Jason went into Tim's bathroom to the medicine cabinet and pulled out bandages. He returned and handed them to Alfred. He watched as Alfred removed the old bandages around Tim's shoulder.
"That is looking much better as well." Alfred said as he cleaned the wound and took the bandages from Jason. "Thank you Master Jason . . .You have been very helpful during this crisis."
"Anything to make it up to Tim."
"Aw . . . Jay . . . You don't have to do that."
"Here Master Timothy, let's put you shirt on . . . Bend forward a bit."
"Aaaagh," Tim hitched in a breath. He could feel his stitches pulling as he bent forward so Alfred could to put the shirt around his shoulders.
"Need a painkiller Master Timothy?"
"Yeah . . . I could use one," Tim stated. "Why didn't Black Mask shoot me in the foot. At least I could get up and use a pair of crutches."
"Since Master Damian has not assisted yet, why don't I ask him to get you some painkiller from the cave. Master Jason, would you please ask Master Damian to come in."
Jason bit his tongue and exited the room to Damian's. "Hey ugly, Alfred wants you in Tim's room."
"Shut up Todd," Damian groused getting off the floor and following him into Tim's room.
"Masters Jason and Damian, remember what your father stated."
"Hey Damian," Tim said as he struggled to get his pajama shirt on. "Aaaaaaa . . . Stitches pulling . . ."
"Perhaps if you straighten your left arm," Alfred instructed. "I can slide the pajama shirt over this arm and then we can put it on your other arm."
" -tt- how are you?" Damian folded my arms against his chest and glared at his wounded brother.
"Not bad, considering I got shot twice," Tim joked. "How did you hear about it? You were with Collin."
"Father messaged me."
"I don't remember that."
"You developed an infections in both wounds yesterday and needed emergency treatment," Alfred stated. "Both wounds had to be opened and cleaned. You were running a very high fever and delirious."
"I woke up around 4:30 in the morning and saw Bruce and Dick in my room."
"Your fever must have broken at that time."
"Damian . . . I wanted to say . . . I'm sorry . . . Um . . . I won't be able to show you some moves with the bow staff . . .Um . . . Why are you scowling at me?"
"Breaking your promises . . . I despise that..."
'Damian . . . I can't . . . Not with a shot up shoulder and hip . . . I can't even hold a bow staff right now . . . Bruce probably won't want me doing anything for at least a couple of months."
"Master Damian . . . If you had seen the wounds before surgery . . . Master Timothy was lucky," Alfred scolded. "The wound to his hip alone could have shattered the bone. He lost a great deal of blood."
"My apologies," Damian bowed his head in shame. "I know you are not going to be able to do something for a couple a months. I just thought you didn't want to train me anymore."
"Of course I want to," Tim said. "Tell you what . . . If Bruce let's me down in the cave, I could watch you practice with your sword. Did any of your teachers before you came here teach you some practice forms you can show me?" Tim knew how good Damian was with that saber. He could not help feeling some trepidation at the prospect of crossing swords again. Tim could also see that Damian needed something more than reassurance on making good on a promise. Tim waved Damian over. "Come here."
Damian shuffled over to Tim nervously. "Yes?"
"Alfred could you hand me that short metal item. It looks like a pointer."
"Here you go Master Timothy," Alfred stated, handing over the small object.
"I'm not supposed to keep this in my room, but . . ." Tim pressed a hidden button and the short metal tube expanded into a metal bow staff. "You remember this? I haven't used this particular staff since I got my wings." Tim rubbed his hands along its length. It was light, but strong. Without saying another word, Tim held out the staff toward Damian.
"For me? " Damian slowly took the staff from Tim.
"If I'm going to be your teacher, a student needs a staff. My teacher gave me this staff when I was learning. And before you ask he wasn't our father. I'm passing it on to you. It's my promise to teach you . . . I don't know when that will be . . . But just so you know I keep my promises."
Damian gave Tim a smile, a big smile. "Thanks Tim!"
"There is one thing you're going to have to do for me."
"What?"
"Don't argue with Jason. You don't know the full story about what happened."
"What did happen?" Damian asked. He was curious, but skeptical.
"First what did Father tell you?" Tim asked.
"That Jason almost got you killed. He left then came back. I'm not sure Father trusts him."
'Boy Bruce didn't tell him everything,' Tim thought. "First, Jason isn't to blame for everything. I am . . . I talked Jason into getting me out of the Manor . . ." Tim could see that Damian had this confused look on his face. "It changed after Jason got me out. I didn't know he was going to meet someone who owed him money. That person was Black Mask. Things backfired and Jason made sure I was safe, but he was nearly killed in the process. His back was torn up pretty bad. I called Dick to help. I made the mistake agreeing to bring back Jason's motorcycle. I put on his helmet for my own safety, not thinking that Black Mask would come after us, Jason specifically. Black Mask mistook me for the Red Hood. I tried to talk myself out of the situation. I had no weapons, no grapple, only a mask that Jason gave me to wear to protect my identity. I tried to protect Jason and tried to find a way to call for backup. I wasn't Red Robin. And I was way over my head. I stalled for time . . . I was trapped in Black Mask's car with no way out." The images were growing stronger in Tim's mind. "He shot me . . . Be . . . be because I-I-I didn't . . . Want to give up Jason . . . Then he shot me again and I had no choice . . ." The tears were streaming down. And despite the stitches Tim curled up his legs and buried my face against my knees. "Jason would have died too. It's not all his fault . . . If I hadn't left the manor . . . But if I hadn't gone with him . . . I shouldn't have ridden his motorcycle. I should have driven the Redbird home, my car. So . . . You see we were at fault, Damian. Not just Jason . . . And we both have to live with it."
"So, you both are at fault, but you need to stop throwing yourself on a guilt trip." Damian sat down on the bed. "I'm not saying this to be rude but you and Jay are still alive, right now. Right here. Why are you and Jason stuck in the past? What is done is done. What you can do now is get better, get stronger. Do what you must so you know the mistakes not to make."
"I'm only telling you what happened because I had nightmares . . . That Black Mask got ahold of Jason . . . Set a trap for him . . . And killed him . . . All because of me . . . I promised I'd teach you . . . And I won't go back on that promise . . . But I've become a liability . . . I've screwed up too many times."
"There you go again. You keep giving up easily. Maybe you should stop," Damian looked down at the carpet, trying to hide his tears of disappointment. "I was looked forward to working beside you when patrolling." Damian got up to leave. "Get better...we are going on vacation soon."
"Vacation?"
Damian left the room, leaving the staff behind.
Continues with Part 3