*Kid Flash: B02* The computer announces my presence to the cave.
"How is Robin?" I hear, its Kaldur.
"Fine." I lied. "He should be better within a week or two." I lie again.
"Thats great." Kaldur responds. Should we tell the team he will join us soon?"
"No." I say, a silence takes over.
"Something is wrong though." I nod. "Did you lie?" I nod again.
"When I say better, I mean for good." And I think Kaldur gets it. My heart races. "It's really scary right now." Kaldur puts his arm around my shoulders. He seems to be crying as well.
"I believe Robin is stronger though." He tries to cheer us both up.
"A few team members can see him. I don't think Robin can take to many people. I was going to asks Conner as well and thats it for now."
"I'd love to see Robin. Kaldur says with a smile. I smile back.
"I plan to go back in an hour or two. I was needed for something. Just don't know what." I say and walk off. Conner, M'gann, and Artemis sit in the lounge. "Hey Conner, Megan, girly friend."
"Hey Wally. Hows Robin?" Artemis asks.
I'm going to lie this time for good. "Fine, he should be better within two weeks."
"Great, so he'll be back in training and hanging with us again!" M'gann responds.
"Totally." I answer, smiling a fake smile.
"So we'll make the cards. Let him get better before visits take place." Artemis adds.
"Yeah..." I respond. "Hey, Conner. Can I talk to you a moment?"
"Sure." He answers getting up. We go out to the hall. "Whats wrong?"
"Robin isn't going to be better in two weeks."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he probably isn't ever going to get better. Thats the bad news. The good slash bad news is that the 'ever' is very long." I say quietly. "Kaldur is going to visit, I was thinking you go too, be an original team thing. We 4 created the team. I think he would like to see familiar faces again."
"I'll go. But what about his secret identity?"
"I don't think its going to be a secret much longer."
"Oh..." Conner puts his head down.
"I think I'm heading back in an hour or two or so." I say and walk off again.
"KID!" Uncle Berry runs up to me all of a sudden. "I got the results. Whatever it is Bruce is giving Dick, I can't identify it."
"Dang it... I'll try to see what else I can find. Is this why I was needed at the cave?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"Thanks Uncle Berry... I just hope that we can identify it soon..."
"Good luck, Kid." I nod and he runs off again.
"Uhg!" I growl in frustration.
About an hour passes of silence in the cave. Everyone just kind of doing their own thing. Zatanna had come in as well as Raquel. I told them both the lie I told everyone else so they aren't worried. Zatanna was relieved. I felt so much guilt... Then Kaldur and Conner and I left out the zeta. We are walking to the manor. "For a Gotham kid, wouldn't they live somewhere in the city?" Conner asked. "Like Artemis?"
"No. They live in the outskirts." A few more silent minutes passed by. I had already called Bruce to tell him who was coming. We got to the road that was so deserted from the city, finally. "You meant it, outskirts." I nod to Conner's comment.
"I wonder who lives in such a place like that?" Kaldur points out the Manor.
"Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson lives there." I answer.
"Superman says Bruce Wayne is a good man. So do others. I say he's a joke like Lex Luthor." Conner comments.
"Thats a rude assumption." Kaldur adds.
"You don't even know Mr. Wayne or his foster son."
"His kid is probably the same way too." Conner adds. We stop in front of the gates. "What are we doing?"
"We're going to see Robin." I say pushing open one of the large gates. "Like I said, you really don't know Mr. Wayne or Richard."
"You've got to be kidding me." Conner says. "Robin's name is RIchard? And Batman is Bruce?"
"Everyone calls him Dick, short for Richard."
"It makes sense. Bruce Wayne has the money to afford all the weapons, tech, and gear Batman and Robin use. Bruce Wayne also has a reason for what he does, Gotham City took his parents from him. Then there is his foster son, Gotham took his entire family from him on a tour stop in the circus." Kaldur concludes.
"I didn't know Bruce Wayne lost his parents, or the origin of... I feel like a jerk now."
"You do realize, thats probably the last thing Dick would be thinking about right now, is what others think of him. I don't think that is at the top of his worry list." I comment. We get to the door and I knock.
Alfred answers. "Hello Wallace, Kaldur'ahm, and Conner. Master Richard is sleeping right now but I'm sure he wouldn't mind visitors. In fact he'd probably love to have you up there. I do believe you can show them to Master Richard's bedroom, Wallace?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Alfred." I say. He allows us in and I lead them all upstairs.
"I don't know if Bruce is still up there or not." Alfred calls up.
"OK." I answer back. I lead them to Dick's bedroom upstairs. His door is shut as always and I open it gently. Kaldur and Conner follows me in, shutting the door behind them. "Don't startle him, so try and be a bit gentle with words and speak slowly. Also, don't show worry or anything." I explain, they both nod. I observe around. "Bruce isn't up here." I say and look over to Dick, but notice the cup of tea sitting on the night stand. "But he was. But he already has given Dick his medicine for the morning. It's to early for the next doce." I comment. "Sorry... thinking aloud." I talk quietly, trying not to startle up Dick to much. I kneel down at his bedside. HIs eyes are open, slightly anyways. Conner and Kaldur stand in the corner, glaring around the room.
"This room is kinda big for a kid." Conner comments. He then seems to notice the poster, the Flying Graysons poster. He gives a good long stare of concentration at it then walks over next to me. His eyes though pry over to the nightstand which has an alarm clack, cup of untouched tea, and 3 photos of Dick and his family. Dick is on his dad's shoulders, his mom close to him, his uncle, aunt and cousin in a similar way but John is in the middle, not on his dad's shoulders. Then the rest of the circus is behind. Thats the one Conner seems to gaze at. Then he sees the one with just Dick on his dad's shoulders and his mom hugging his dad. They all smile brightly and naturally, Conner picks that one up. He gives it a good long gaze until he puts it down again.
Kaldur just stands at the end of the bed, looking over Dick. Dick doesn't seem to notice any of us, maybe me, I can't tell. "Hey, buddy." I say calmly with a smile. He may be blind right now. It seems like it. So I snap my fingers in front of his eyes. He blinks then slightly turns his head to me and smiles with a little bit of teeth showing. "Kaldur and Conner are here too, Dick." I tell him. I look over to them now both at the end of the bed. They just seem to be a bit upset or shocked to see Dick in such a cruel condition. I gesture my head for them to come a bit closer so that Dick can see them too. I mouth the words 'Be gentle' and they nod. I gently grab above the elbows of both his arms a gently sit him up against the pillows and pull the blanket up a bit further. I'm careful not to touch where Bruce has been injecting the medicine.
"So why isn't Bats taking care of him?" Conner asks. I notice the smile leave Dick's face.
"He has been taking care of him, I've been giving Dick friendly company, thats why I've been missing from training. Trying to lighten the stress load. He is my best friend." I explain. "Just until he gets better." I add, making note that they shouldn't mention what the doctors have been saying.
I sit next to him on his bed. Kaldur brings over the chair from Dick's desk and sets it next to the bed. Conner sits on the bed next to Kaldur. Dick's smile comes back, so does mine. "Your very much missed on the team. It will be a relief when you come back." Kaldur says kindly. I notice that Dick isn't looking at anyone, or really anything.
"Dick, can you look at me real quick?" I ask. He doesn't do anything. I gently lead his chin to look towards me. His eyes move into mine. "Maybe today wasn't the best day for you guys to come." I tell them. "I think he may be losing his vision and possibly hearing. Maybe it'd be best if we just let him rest for today. Maybe he'll be in better condition later."
"What if there is no later?" Conner comments. Kaldur and I stare at him with thought. Then Kaldur looks back at Dick. "I shouldn't have said it."
"We don't know whats going to happen to our friend with this illness, all he can do is hope. But I trust that the team truly doesn't need to see him like this. We shouldn't let their hopes for Robin fall, thats what he needs right now more than anything." Kaldur explains.
"There is something else I need to tell you guys, but not in here. Meet Flash and I in secure room of the cave. This deadly illness Dick has, it doesn't just come on as sudden as it did for him. It's not a natural illness like the flu, it's a fever that continues to rise affecting basically all functioning parts of the body till the body will no longer function. It's not something he was born with either, well, as far as I know."
"What are you saying, Wally?" Conner asks.
"He's being poisoned." I say. Kaldur's eyes seem to widen then shrink back down. He looks at Dick again. "It's not by accident."
Kaldur puts his hand on Dick's forehead. "That would mean..." He doesn't finish, but we all know what it means already, the conclusion anyways. "We shouldn't be leaving him here. We need to get him somewhere safe."
"We don't know what it is that he's being poisoned with yet, we don't know why you know who is doing this to him, or what is making him do this. And to finish, Dick isn't in any kind of condition that he can be moved, with his fever as high as it is right now. Right now, we are all just sitting ducks."
"But it is wrong to leave him in this state, still in risk."
"Thats why I'm around." I told him. "He'll be in even more risk if we don't play this careful." I explain. "Maybe you guys should leave." I tell them. I feel bad about making them leave, but I don't think Dick really knows that they are there, I don't really think he is even conscious. Right now he is just kind of staring off.
"I don't want to leave." Conner says.
"But we should." Kaldur answers. He gets up and puts the chair back under the desk. Conner moves closer and takes Dick's hand. His hand is so small compared to Conner's.
"This isn't the war you were meant to lose, Boy Wonder." Conner adds then lets go, getting up.
We all go to the door until I turn my head to see that Dick moves himself to his side and lets out a small whimper. He seems to be trying to say something. 'Stay' is what I make out. "please" He breathes.
Conner hears it too and turns around. I look into Dick's blue eyes that are surrounded by dark circles compared to the complete paleness of his face. "Then shall we stay?" I ask. "For a while?" Conner smiles and walks back over the Dick's bed. Kaldur nods and follows Conner. I kneel back down as well at his bed. "Maybe M'gann should of came. It'd be easier to know what your wanting." I say jokingly. Dick's face brightens up a bit, still no color though. His eyes still aren't following around us though. Just drifting off. He may be trying to listen. "Dick, can you follow my finger?" I ask putting out my pointer finger in front of his eyes. I move it back and forth, but his eyes don't follow. They move a bit, but I don't think he can really see. I snap and he doesn't blink.
"Your blind right now." Kaldur states. "But you can hear a bit, right?" He talks slow, a bit loud to see if Dick can hear.
"Can you hear us?" I ask him, being closer to him. He nods. "Very well?" He shakes his head slightly. "Not to well?" He nods. The "medicine" Bruce gave him must be wearing off a bit. "I'll be right back." I say and leave. I find Alfred preparing dinner. "Hey, Alfred. Did Bruce give Dick anything today?"
"Besides the medicine? No, only once did he give it to Master Richard his medicine today. That was hours ago. If you think he needs the second doce, would you please give it to him?"
"Yeah. So what was Bruce up there for?"
"For Richard's company, what else? I gave him a cup pf tea earlier. Master Bruce went up there with nothing and I believe was only up there for a few minutes before going back to work. "
"OK, just wondering."
"I'm making dinner, should be done in the next hour."
"Got it. Oh, and one more question. Do you know what it is Bruce has been giving Dick?"
"I'm not exactly sure. He got it from Dr. Leslie." I nod and the go back to Dick's room.
"Why wouldn't Alfred know what Bruce has been giving Dick?" I mumble.
"I don't know about you two but thats enough for me to conclu..."
"I know your right Conner, but like I said, we need to play it careful. Thats why I'm leaving it up to Black Canary and Flash..."