I just want to thank everybody for the reviews from the last chapter. I really enjoyed reading them and finding out your opinions on the story and the writing, and they're another great motivator to keep going. I'm leaving for Ecuador this week, and when I'm there I don't really know how much time I'll have to write so I can't say for sure exactly when the next update will be. Thank you all so much for your interest and hope you enjoy the next chapter.
The double doors opened to reveal a sterile white waiting room fairly bursting at the seams with crying young children, families speaking rapidly to each other in several different languages, adults frowning as they wrote on clipboards, and a few harried-looking nurses in flowery scrubs moving among the crowd. Bruce and Dick walked through the controlled chaos towards the reception desk, which was currently being staffed by a young woman who looked like her shift should have ended about four hours ago.
"Hello," Bruce offered tentatively as he gestured towards Dick, "he needs a vaccine today and we were told—"
"Fill this out." Without even glancing up at the pair, the nurse handed Bruce a clipboard with several papers and pen as she continued to type on her computer. "I'll look at your paperwork when you're done and we'll go from there."
Sighing, he accepted the paperwork and selected two of the few available worn cloth seats in between an older man with gauze held against one of his hands and a woman who was gently cooing a teary-eyed toddler. Dick followed and sat down in one of the chairs next to Bruce, his eyes, glinting with a lost look, trained unwaveringly on the white and grey tiles on the floor. His shoulders drooped as he swung his feet absentmindedly back and forth. His mouth was pulled down into a miserable frown.
Great, Bruce thought. Now he can't even look at me. Not that I blame him, he added silently. I spoke to him back there in the same way my father spoke to me when he was angry. My father was a brilliant man but…our conversations didn't always display the best of pleasantries. And Dick is…more susceptible to emotions than I was and am now. He feels everything in spades. Happiness…and hurt.
Bruce tore his side glance away from the boy and began filling out the papers on the clip board. There were forms for health insurance, past medical history, HIPAA privacy notifications, and vaccine general information. He bit his lip and skipped the second form, realizing with a vaguely sickening jolt that he did not know any of Dick's past medical history other than the fact that he had never been vaccinated against anything and no chronic illness had ever been discovered in him. He paused briefly at the sheet's inclusion of family health history before hastily checking the box marked 'patient is adopted/unaware of family medical history' at the bottom of the page and shuffled the sheet to the bottom of the small paper stack.
Once the forms had been completed, Bruce briefly looked over the general vaccine information once again before returning all the papers to the clip board and walking back up to the front desk. He flashed the harassed receptionist one of his award-winning, pocketbook-melting smiles and handed her the paperwork. "All done."
The smile slicked off of her like butter on a skillet. She glanced up at the billionaire briefly before returning to the furious typing on her computer. "What shot will he be receiving today?"
"Well, he needs all the shots that are required for school…does it matter which one he gets first?"
"No." Her tone revealed a mounting air of boredom and impatience.
"Alright…let's go with the first dose of the Hepatitis A." Bruce said as he did a quick mental scan of each of the vaccines the school receptionist had listed and settled on one.
"That's not required for school." She blurted abruptly while still withholding the dignity of eye contact.
"It is for his school." Bruce's false joviality was quickly evaporating in the face of the receptionist's less than enthusiastic work ethic.
"Okay then. I'll get this processed and send it to the nurses back there." She gestured with her chin to the closed door beyond the waiting room. "Have a seat until they call his name and read this." She slid a paper towards him on the counter. Bruce glanced at it and noted that it was a CDC informational about the Hepatitis A vaccine. He scanned through the information as he returned to his seat next to Dick.
A few minutes of silence between the pair passed, which was punctuated by the ever-present sounds of crying children, stressed adults and authoritative nurses attempting to direct the disorder. Dick's eyes remained trained to the floor as his hands, incapable of idleness for more than a few seconds, played absentmindedly with the zipper on his jacket. Bruce, unaccustomed to a lack of boisterous and energetic conversation whenever Dick was his companion, finally cleared his throat and shifted in his too-small seat. "Are you scared of getting your first shot?"
"No." Dick answered in a small voice, his eyes never leaving the ground. It was an evident lie betrayed by his sudden ceasing of all motion and a noticeable widening of his eyes. But he had already given Bruce one reason to yell at him today. He shrank into his chair a bit at the thought of Bruce yelling at him again if he was not brave or patient enough with his shot. His subtle change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by Bruce.
"Well, that's good then. You know there's nothing that you should be afraid of, right? It's just a little prick your arm and you're all done. You've definitely faced worse. You'll be just fine." Bruce comforted as he stared directly ahead of himself.
A brief moment of silence passed again between the two before Dick's eyebrows knitted together, his frown deepened and he finally stole a glance at Bruce for the first time since the car ride. "Are you scared of me getting my first shot?"
Bruce's face jerked towards the boy in surprise. "Why would I be scared of you getting a shot? I've had lots of them before and they aren't anything to worry about. I just want you to know that it may sting a little when it goes in your arm. It's okay to say that it hurts; no one is going to think less of you. And if it hurts too much just let the nurse and I know and we'll make sure nothing is wrong with the injection. I don't want to scare you, but that can happen with needles sometimes. They go into the wrong spot on the body. If you think that's the case, you need to tell me so I can do something about it. But don't think that I'll have to do anything, because I won't, because you…I…we're going to be fine." He finished lamely as he sunk further into his seat.
Dick looked at him suspiciously. "We're going to be fine? Are you getting a shot too?"
"Well, no, it's just that—you're going to be fine." Bruce looked away from the boy as he finished his sentence quickly while making a valiant effort to purge the image of Dick's face contorted in pain as the nurse repeatedly stabs his shoulder to find a suitable place to inject the serum.
He felt a wave of gratefulness for the nurse that opened the door behind the receptionist's desk and smiled as she called Dick's name. Her interruption of his thoughts quickly chased away the worrisome possible scenarios buzzing in his mind with increasing volume and discomfort.
"That's us." The pair stood as Dick attempted determinedly to hide his apprehension. Bruce, noticing the boy's inner turmoil, attempted to offer him a small smile of encouragement, but he missed Dick's eyes as they returned to their fixation on the floor. He then put his hand on Dick's shoulder as they passed through the doorway and offered it a small squeeze. In response, Dick visibly stiffened and sped up slightly so that Bruce's hand fell uselessly to his side as they walked down the hallway towards a door at the end.
He doesn't know how to act around me right now, Bruce thought grimly as his heart dropped into a pit that vaguely resembled shame. He's angry and confused because I took out my frustration on him. He thinks it's his fault and he doesn't know why. He just doesn't understand—kids his age are too young to know how adult concerns permeate everything. Being a kid, you deal with one worry at a time. It just doesn't work like that when you're my age…sometimes things spill over into places where they shouldn't. But he's a smart kid…he'll figure it out. I won't have to explain it to him. That could get…I don't know…emotional. No need to go through that when he can easily get it himself.
"Come in." The nurse smiled warmly again as she opened the door and stood aside to allow the man and his charge to walk into the room. Someone had obviously gone through great pains to attempt to make children feel less vulnerable in this room, though the attempt did seem rather poorly meshed and perhaps a decade outdated. A few faded Mickey Mouse, Mini Mouse and Goofy stuffed animals laid scattered about among the tops of the whitewashed cabinets; a milk crate filled with raggedy childrens' toys took up a large amount of the room's counter space; a framed poster of Buzz Lightyear on the wall proudly proclaimed 'To infinity and beyond!'; and the stickers that adorned the examination table shouted colorfully rendered phrases such as 'I got a shot today!' and 'An apple a day so I can play!'
"Richard, please sit down on the table. My name's Sherri, and I'll be giving you your shot today. Mr. Wayne, I understand that your son needs the first dose of the Hep A vaccine?"
Bruce briefly and inconspicuously gave the nurse a look-over. She was middle-aged and short, with her curly red hairstyle adding about another seven inches to her height. She wore hot pink scrub pants with an obnoxious pink, orange and yellow floral shirt to match. He carefully examined each of her facial features for signs of stress or anticipation, but picked up only on the signs of a relaxed and clear demeanor. This nurse had obviously done many of these injections before, and had no qualms about performing another one successfully. Bruce calmed minutely. His boy was in good hands.
"Yes, he does. This will be his first shot, though. But I think he's ready for it." For some inexplicable reason, Bruce felt it unnecessary to correct her use of the term 'son.'
A look of surprise appeared on Sherri's face. "First one ever? Wow, that's quite unusual for a boy your age these days! Are you scared?"
"No." Dick said as he raised his chin a bit. Defiance in the face of fear. It was one of the first things that had made Bruce realize that Dick was no ordinary child. He first saw it in the look that flashed through Dick's tears as he cried over his parents' bodies. It was a look that belied and incredible and uncommon inborn courage. But courage or no courage, Bruce had also been struck with the same thought at that tragic moment that he was experiencing now: Dick was so small. Surrounded by the massive examination table, his feet dangling far off the ground, the boy seemed dwarfed by all the imagined terrors that a hospital room could hold despite his best attempts to look large and stalwart. Instinctually, Bruce moved closer to him.
Sherri chuckled slightly. "Well aren't you brave? That's right, though. You have nothing to be afraid of. Are you feeling healthy today?"
"Yeah." Dick nodded and swung his feet with more force. Bruce shook his head. That boy never could sit still.
"Good. Can you remove your jacket and push your shirt sleeve up for me?" He complied, handing Bruce his small jacket.
"Are you getting this for school?" Sherri asked dismissively as she applied a small amount of antiseptic onto a cotton ball and rubbed his left shoulder with it.
"Uh-huh." He spoke in a level tone, but his eyes strayed knowingly towards the vial in her shirt pocket.
"Okay. Are you ready?"
"Um, yeah." He readjusted himself on the seat and looked at the nurse.
"Be sure to not look, Dick." Bruce blurted suddenly next to him. "It's a lot easier if you don't look."
Dick cocked his head to the side as he stared at his guardian. "But I kind of wanted to see it."
"Just…for me, okay? Just look away for me."
"…Okay." Dick said resignedly. Sherri attempted to hide her smile as she removed the cap from the needle. First-time parents were all the same. True, she had no proof that this man was a first-time parent, but she did not need it. It was all evident in his demeanor.
"Okay Richard. Here it goes, just keep this arm relaxed and keep being brave for your Dad and me!" And with that, she stuck the needle into his shoulder and began administering the serum. Bruce felt a small smile form on his lips that was a result of the massive burst of pride within him. Despite the tension between them, Dick had been true to his word and looked away. He had barely even winced as the needle went into his arm, and not a single tear formed in his eyes from the pain. Sherri was probably expecting him to flinch and cry, Bruce thought triumphantly. Well maybe everyone else's kids do that, but not mine!
"All done." Sherri grinned as she held a cotton ball up to the mark in his shoulder. "Wasn't so bad, now was it?"
"Not at all." Dick smiled up at her.
"So which Band-Aid would you like? We have dinosaurs, sports and Superman."
"Superman!" Dick responded equally as quickly as Bruce could utter a few mental expletives at the nurse's mention of the hero's name in the boy's presence.
"Superman it is then." She applied the Band-Aid on his shoulder and then looked back and forth between Dick and Bruce. "Now, some side effects may occur from this shot. They're almost never serious, and they're less common in kids. Richard, you may feel some soreness where the shot went into your arm. It might also make you feel a little sick for just a little bit, but that just means that the vaccine is doing its job." She trained her gaze on Bruce. "Usually we can administer multiple vaccines in one day, but since this is his first, we're only going to give him one today and see how he reacts to it. Take him to the hospital if he gets a rash or has any serious symptoms like that. You can come back for the second Hep A dose in six months; until then, you can also get started on his other vaccine doses in a few days."
"Alright." Bruce answered. "Is there any chance he could react to the vaccine badly?"
"There's an extremely small chance of allergic reaction. Highly unlikely he'll have to worry about that at all. But like I said, if he displays any serious symptoms, take him to a hospital immediately."
"Sounds good. Thank you, Sherri. Dick? Ready to go?"
The boy slid off the table. "Bye, Sherri!" he waved as they walked out the door and returned to the receptionist's desk. Bruce handed the harassed front desk nurse his credit card for payment, taking care to explain to her that he wanted to opt to pay for the full cost of the vaccine instead of leave it to be covered by the free clinic. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Lucius Fox's name again appeared in the caller ID and Bruce swore lightly under his breath before pressing the green call button. "Yes, Lucius?"
"Hello, Bruce. Can I ask where you are?"
"I'm at Leslie's clinic. Dick just got his shot and now we're leaving. Are the papers ready?"
"Nurse? My arm feels a little funny." Dick frowned as he rotated his arm to get a better look at his shoulder.
"That's a symptom of the shot. It's a thick serum in the Hepatitis A vaccine. Can you get his attention by chance?" She indicated towards Bruce, who was talking further with Lucius about the technicalities of the paperwork.
"Uh, it's not really a good idea to interrupt him." Dick replied nervously as his eyes darted in between the counter and the receptionist.
Bruce handed his credit card to the receptionist as he listened to a reply from Lucius. She surreptitiously rolled her eyes and ran the card through the machine as Dick scuffed his shoes on the floor, waiting diligently for the billionaire's conversation to finish. Just don't bother him, Dick thought miserably. He's an important man and he has a lot of work to do. I'm lucky I got to do this much with him. If Alfred were here then he'd be the one to take me to the doctor.
"Alright Lucius, I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Thanks." He hung up the phone and signed the receipt from the transaction. After one more futile attempt to flash a well-received smile at the receptionist, Bruce exited the building with Dick in tow and got back into the Mercedes before joining the post-rush hour traffic through downtown Gotham.
As before, Dick remained absolutely silent in the car while watching the buildings go by through the window. The silence continued for a few minutes before Bruce cleared his throat and tried a tactic to break the quiet. "So are you excited for the trip tomorrow?"
"Yes sir." Dick replied quietly.
"Have you ever been to San Francisco before?"
"No sir."
"Oh…well I think you'll really like it. There's a big red bridge there that everyone calls the Golden Gate." He waited patiently for Dick to question why the bridge was named so when it was painted red instead of gold, and gradually grew discouraged with his efforts when no further response was elicited from his passenger. He tried a different tactic. "Did you say something back there about your arm?"
"Yeah. It's just a side effect of the shot though. It's fine." Dick focused on the window more intensely to prevent Bruce from seeing the flicker in his eyes that revealed the fact that he was not telling the entire truth. The dull throb from the shot persisted in his shoulder, but it was nothing a junior crime fighter in training could complain about. Dick felt especially uncomfortable complaining about it to a man who was currently preoccupied with running a multibillion-dollar international company that thousands of employees relied upon for their livelihoods.
Bruce, noting the finality in his charge's voice, did not push the issue further. "How about I call and order some pizza when we get to Wayne Tech?"
"I-I'm not very hungry anymore. It's okay Bruce. If, um, if you're okay with just giving me a couple bucks I'll get something out of the vending machine in the break room."
Bruce felt the dull ache in his stomach reach a sickening proportion. Way to go Wayne, he thought self-deprecatingly, now he doesn't even want to talk period. You happy now? You got your damned peace and quiet. Still…he did have a lot of people relying on the success of this merger for their paychecks. And many of those people also had children. He begrudgingly admitted to himself that his own would have to wait just a few more hours.
I'll make it up to him, Bruce swore silently. I'll buy this kid a pizza from every damn pizzeria in the city if that's what'll make him happy once all this is over. I'll—, he glanced over at Dick once again, who was discreetly tracing the outlines of passing buildings on the window. —I'll figure something out. Bruce set his jawline in grim determination, but inside he felt some crushing apprehension in his abilities to repay Dick for this incident.