I Miss My Mind the Most, Chapter 3
"The other Titans are here?" I ask in disbelief as Benjamin and Brandon enter the room. Benjamin begins to undo the restraints on my legs while Brandon lingers at the door, a very unpleasant smile plastered on his face. He is holding a small paper cup that I become instantly wary of.
"That's right," Leslie says. "And as soon as you take your medications, we'll go and see them." She steps aside, allowing Brandon to get through.
"Open wide, Dickie," he says, thrusting the cup roughly towards me. I keep my mouth tightly closed and stare at him angrily. His smile broadens. "You want to do it the hard way, huh?" He looks to Benjamin and gives a nod. Having moved up on the other side of the bed, stone-faced Benjamin places his hand against my fingers and begins to push back slowly. The farther back he pushes, the more rapid my breathing becomes. I can feel my jaw begin to tremble so I grind my teeth together to keep from crying out.
"Please, Dick," Leslie pleads, "the pills are only to help keep you calm and relaxed. There's nothing in there that can hurt you, I swear." I turn my angry stare on her as the pain intensifies. "Why must you be so stubborn?" she says in frustration, turning away and facing the door.
Brandon leans in closer towards me. "You know, Dick," he says quietly, almost carelessly, "the head of the institution has granted us permission to help the patients in any way possible. Now if that means having to break every bone in the patient's body just to get him to take a few pills, well, you can bet that's what we're going to do. After all, bones heal, right?"
My eyes were beginning to tear up and I opened my mouth slightly, gasping from the pain. That's all it took. Benjamin immediately stopped what he was doing as Brandon shoved the pills in, placing one hand over my mouth and pinching my nose closed with the other.
"Now," Brandon continues, "you can either swallow these when you're conscious or when you lose consciousness from lack of air. Your choice. Just remember, you're putting off your little field trip with the good doctor here."
I can only stare at him, enraged that he was able to get this far. I begin to shake my head wildly but Benjamin puts a stop to that by grabbing my head on the sides. I stare at them for another moment and finally give in, knowing that I cannot win, and swallow the now slightly dissolved pills.
Brandon and Benjamin remove the restraints on my arms and leave Leslie and me alone. I only sit there in defeat, staring blankly at the wall. A tear slides down my cheek and I do nothing to stop it.
I hear Leslie sigh as she turns around and moves towards the bed. "I do hope we won't have to go through this everyday, Dick," she says softly. She pulls a tissue from her pocket and dabs at my cheek. "I only want to help you."
I turn my head slowly towards her. "You want to help me?" I whisper bitterly. "Then help me get out of here." I swat her hand away and work on getting up. It takes me a few tries before I'm able to stand on my own, indicating I've been in the bed longer than I thought. I move around, slowly and stiffly, staying close to the wall in case I stumble. After a few minutes, I feel comfortable and look to Leslie expectantly.
She opens the door and we step out into a long, grey hallway spotted with white doors on both sides. Most of the doors were open, allowing me to see inside the rooms as we move along. There are various odd people in them, none of which I recognize.
"Our first stop will be Kori Anders," Leslie says, stopping outside a closed door and turning to face me. "She came to us about a year after you. Her parents had been having some difficulty with their marriage. It wasn't so bad that they felt a divorce was necessary, but rather a separation: Kori would stay with her mother while her father stayed with some friends.
"One weekend, Mr. Anders came to visit, only to find little Kori alone. Mrs. Anders' car was still parked outside the house and only a few of her clothes were missing. It was reported to the police who believed that she had merely run off.
"Kori was unable to accept this as it made her feel that her mother did not want her or love her. Instead, she claimed that her mother had been taken by aliens. She started having dreams in which her mother would come, confessing that she had to return to her home planet and someday Kori would be able to join her. Over the years, Kori came to actually believe this story and thought she was really an alien. After her third attempt at trying to fly off the roof of their house, breaking her leg once more, Mr. Anders had her submitted here."
Leslie opens the door to reveal a young lady jumping on her bed. At first, I don't recognize her. She jumps off, landing about a foot away from me, allowing me a better view.
"Starfire?" I whisper confusedly as I enter. She looks so different, so normal. Her skin, normally more of an orange color, was now more pink. Her eyes are no longer entirely green, only the iris. Her hair is tied back in a loose braid and she is wearing a pink tank top with flowered capris.
"Good morning, Robin," she exclaims as she embraces me in a hug. It isn't her usual rib-breaking hug, just a normal one. "I have not seen you for quite some time now," she continues, releasing me and stepping back slightly. "How have you been?"
"Star?" I ask, still baffled by her appearance. "What is going on?"
She stares at me blankly for a moment. "I do not know," she responds. "I was unaware that something was going on. Should I be worried?"
I shake my head slightly. That definitely sounds like Star. "Star, do you know who the Teen Titans are?" I ask carefully.
Her face brightens. "Oh, yes," she says cheerfully. "They are a group of crime-fighters which include you, me, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy."
I sigh in relief. "So you do remember."
"Of course," she says with a giggle. "You only speak of them every time I see you."
I look at her. "Wait a minute, you mean you don't remember being a Teen Titan?" I ask.
She gives me a questioning look. "Well, no. I thought they were only stories. We have been in here for many years now. There is no possible way that we could be crime-fighters. I thank you, though, for including me in all of your stories and giving me such great powers. It makes me wish that it were true. Would it not be great fun?"
"Yeah, fun," I say, feeling crestfallen as I move towards the door. "I gotta go now Star. It's been nice seeing you."
"I have enjoyed our gathering as well, Robin, and hope that you will return soon so that we may reminisce of this past event." She returns to her bed and begins jumping again, as though nothing has happened.
I leave, closing the door behind me. Leslie awaits me in the hallway. "I know it's hard, Dick—"
I interrupt her. "Don't say anything," I say quietly. "Just don't say anything." I stand there for a moment, trying to understand what just happened. "Let's go," I finally say and we continue our journey.
