Robin's body went numb.
The combination of the salt water invading his cuts with the beyond freezing temperature of the icy water was enough to knock him out cold. He could feel his body sinking deeper and deeper. Everything was dark. His hands were still tied behind his back enabling him to swim, but even if they were untied he was too weak to keep afloat anyways. He was only glad Batman wouldn't have to see him in his previous state for long. As he slowly faded out of consciousness he could still hear the Joker's laugh echoing in his memory.
--
Eyelashes slowly fluttered open, greeted by bright lighting in a stainless white room that looked beyond sanitary. Robin tried to sit up, but it was painful to move. This room...it seemed so heavenly...was he...dead? Examining the room furthermore he realized he was in one fo the guest room's of Bruce's mansion. He was covered in bandages, one big one on his shoulder, and an even larger one wrapped around his upper torso over the higher-up part of his back. Flinching at the pain from sitting up Robin looked down at his hands. He was still shivering, regardless to the warmness of the room. With the twist of a door handle, Robin tugged the blanket upwards and wrapped it around himself, using it as a hood as well. It was Bruce, now out of costume and wearing his usual button up shirt and pants. He had a pitiful look on his face. As if Robin's current state was entirely his fault.
"You're awake."
Robin didn't answer. He only hid himself in the blanket further. He didn't want Bruce to see him like this. The Joker had made him hideous. The cut on his face was no longer bleeding, and not deep enough to leave a scar, but for now a trail of red scabbed its way down his cheek. His body was also carved up and damaged...and even worse...
Now I'm always inside you..
Bruce noticed his discomfort and walked over to the bed. Sitting at the edge he reached a hand out to pet the hood of Robin's blanket, but the boy quickly layed back down and curled up in a ball. Bruce pulled his hand back.
"...Sorry...I just.."
"You don't want to look at me.."
"Of course I do, I never thought I'd see you again.."
"I'm horrible."
Bruce reached a hand to the blanket and tugged it from Robin's face. Laying down besides him he tried to give his warmest smile to the boy, which was hard with the knowledge of how much pain he had gone through.
"You're not horrible. Nothing that happened was your fault."
Robin remained hiding his face, putting his hands in front of it.
"I'm hideous."
Grabbing his wrists gently, Bruce slowly and carefully pulled the boys hands from his face. Their eyes met.
"You're still perfect."
At those words, tears re-appeared in Robin's eyes as he started to cry again. Snuggling against the older for comfort, Bruce wrapped his arms around the blanket covered boy and rested his chin on his head.
"...B-Bruce?"
"Hm?"
"What happened to him..?...the...Joker?"
"...When he pushed you down into the water...I was afraid I'd loose you, so..I instantly dove after."
"So, the Joker..he's still..out there?"
"Don't worry. He'll never touch you again. I won't let you get hurt again."
Robin didn't answer. Petrified by the fear of the mere thought that the Joker was still on the loose.He wouldn't be able to stay in the mansion forever. The streets still had crime, and he couldn't let Batman fight alone. He still ahd a duty to do.
"You're staying here for a while." Bruce suddenly spoke, as if he had read the boy's thoughts.
"I can't make you fight alone.."
"You can barley move. You're staying."
There was only silence after that. Silence until Robin drifted back into sleep, but only after making the final decision in his thoughts that he would help Batman anyways. Right now he was just to tired to argue. To sleepy to speak.
Once he was sure Robin was deep in slumber, Bruce slowly slipped away and stepped out of the bed. As much as he never wanted to let the boy out of his sight again, he still had things to do. Slowly opening the door he kept his eyes on the sleeping figure until the door shut. Turning around he was met by Alfred. A surprised flinch, but Bruce was use to his old friend sneaking up on him.
"He won't let you go alone."
"Then I can't tell him I'm going, can I?"
"I think you're forgetting, Master Wayne, the boy is your sidekick. You're not the only one Gotham needs."
Bruce didn't reply. Alfred always had his way of manipulating words to make whatever he says sound right. Even though it was logical, Bruce hated being wrong. He sighed shaking his head as he continued to walk down the hallway.
"I just need some time to think. Keep a watch on the news, will you? Just in case the Joker puts on any sort of show."
--
A few hours later the Boy Wonder awoke with a sweat after having a nightmare about the earlier events. His breathing had picked up and until he realized his dream had broken into reality, he sat clutching the blanket as if it were to save his life. Glancing around the room he slowly started to calm down. Crawling to the edge of the bed he slowly put one foot down on the ground and wobbly tried to stand. His entire body ached, which only made it seem more like he was walking for the first time. Opening the bedroom door he peeked down each end of the hall to see if anyone was coming and walked to the bathroom. It wasn't like he was doing anything sneaky, but the thought of anyone seeing him still made the boy feel uneasy. His upper torso was wrapped in bandages, and he was wearing a pair of light blue pajama pants that were a little big for him. Once in the bathroom he locked the door. He didn't have to go, but he wanted a mirror. He wanted to see how horrible he was. The bathroom had one large mirror that showed Robin waist-up. His face still had the cut on the cheek, but other then that all the injuries were on his body. Even so, butterflies scurried wildly in his stomach at the awful sight of himself. The bandage hiding his upper back reminded him. What had been carved in his back?
Slowly and carefully, afraid to cause pain to himself, Robin started to unravel the bandage. Once he managed to get it off he turned and stretched to look over his shoulder at the mirror. His eyes widened in a mixture of fear and self-disgust.
'JoKeR'
It was carved there. Deep enough that Robin wasn't sure if it would scar or not. How could Bruce still look at him? The wound was still dripping fresh blood the liquid was now trickling down his back. Robin put a shoulder against the wall and slowly slid to the floor. Weeping quietly he couldn't help but start to cry again. Anything that reminded him of the Joker made him scared, and any thought of Bruce made him cry. It was a horrible combination that only made the Boy Wonder wish himself dead.
"I have to help Bruce...he still needs me..."