Chapter 6: Seeking Help

Robin decided going through the back door, when he or Batman needed medical attention after patrol they used the back door, so no one could associate Leslie with the Dynamic Duo. He was finally at the door, took a second to breath and started banging (or more like kicking) at the door. "LESLIE, LESLIE, PLEASE OPEN UP" he continued to kick and scream, praying that someone inside would hear him. He was about to take down the door when he heard a whisper.

"Robin…?" Zatanna said in a small voice.

He looked down to her friend "Zee…don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

"I'm…cold"

"I know, I know. I bring you to one of my family friends she is doctor. You'll be just fine" said Robin not knowing she was reassuring her or himself.

Zatanna could feel her body growing weaker, with the strenght she has left she placed her right hand on Robins cheek. "Dick…I'm sorry."

"What…what can you possibly be sorry about?"said the Robin confused

"When you lost your family…I wasn't there for you" she said whispering.

"Zatanna we were both kids…there is nothing you could have done"

In that moment Zatanna started sobbing "No…there was plenty…I could have done…for you" crystal tears started to fall from his face "I knew if I just asked my father…I could have visited you in the manor…He knew Bruce Wayne from a long time ago…so I was sure he would have let me visited you…but I was afraid…that I'll remind you…of your time in the circus…that you'll get upset…or mad…and end up hating me…or that you already hate me" said Zatanna said between sobs and coughs.

"Zee, I could never hate you!"

Zatanna was so glad when she listened to those words "But You know…in the end…I was happy…that I get to see you again…and see that you became…an amazing hero…My hero"

Robin didn't know what to say or what to do anymore. The only thing he could do was just holds her tight,
"Dick" said Zatanna still with her hand on his cheek

"Yeah?" Robin said looking at her baby blue eyes "Her eyes are so beautiful"

"I lo…u…" She said whispering, but didn't finish, her eyes had closed, her hand left his cheek and her whole body went limp.

Robin just stared at her and holds even tighter, "No no no, Zee wake up" he tries to shake her but it doesn't work "PLEASE ZATANNA WAKE UP" he let the tears escape and put his forehead against hers "please don't leave me alone, don't leave me behind"

Suddenly Robin heard a light turn on, he looked up and saw a familiar face in the door. "Oh My God Robin, what are you doing out in this storm? And who is this girl?". said Leslie Thompkins, the female doctor was wearing her white coat and she looked like she was going on caffeine for over 24 hours.

Robin ignores the questions "Leslie please help her, whatever you do PLEASE help her!"

Dr. Thompkins nodded and let the two teenagers in "put her on the gurney." Robin gently lay Zatanna down, and Leslie immediately starts to examine her.

COUGH COUGH

Dr. Thompkins frowned, "I don't like the sound of that cough" she then stars to check her pulse "Too fast" he murmurs. While Leslie was making all the standard processes, Robin was standing by Zatanna side. "Please Zee, please get better" The Boy Wonder begged in his mind.

When Leslie proceeds to check her temperature, her eyes widen "Damn it, her fever is way too high" she said when she touched Zatanna forehead "Robin. Please wait here, I need to run some tests."

Robin heart sank to his stomach while Leslie started to push the gurney who-knows-where "No, no, no, I can't be away from her, I need to make sure she'll be okay" He started to run after her friend. "Leslie wait…"

But he didn't make even two steps, two strong hands were placed in his shoulders "Let Leslie do her work kiddo" said a familiar deep voice.

The boy just turned around and found the face of his mentor "Batman…? How did you…?"

"Master Robin!" said a worried voice that belong to an elderly man

"Alfred?" said the young hero, confused to see his grandfather figure

"Oh, thank goodness that you're okay lad, we were really worried about you" said Alfred. He takes a good look in his charges soaked appearance "My lord both of you, you need to get out of those drenched uniforms, luckily I became prepared and bring you both a change of clothes."

"Alfred!" said Leslie stepping in into the room "Thank goodness you are here, I could really use your help with the patient Robin brought"

Alfred nodded "Of course, Dr. Thompkins what do you need?"

"Please go to the supply closet and bring me antibiotics then stay with me and help me treat the girl" said Leslie.

"Right away" Alfred follows her command and ran to get the necessary items.

Leslie then proceeds to look at the dynamic duo "as for both of you take off those damn uniforms before we have more patients, there are towels in the supply closet as well"

Alfred then came back with a bottle of antibiotics and a pair of towels "Will this do Dr. Thompkins?" asked Alfred

Leslie took the bottle and nodded "This one is perfect, Thanks Alfred. Now please if you could accompany me and help me with the patient"

"Right behind you Dr. Thompkins" said Alfred but before he went to the follow to help Leslie, he focused in his two charges "I suggest you two to dry themselves and have a conversation that is long overdue"

The Dynamic Duo saw Alfred disappeared behind the double doors. Alfred was right about they need it to talk, but he been Batman, he didn't now were to start. Neither of them said anything for the next minutes.

Robin decided to end the silence before it became too awkward "How did…How did you find me…us? He said stumbling with his words, he felt nervous all of a sudden.

"I planted a tracker on Zatanna, when you deleted the virus in the computers I was finally able to find you" said Batman in his usual low voice. After that he took of his cowl becoming Bruce Wayne and put Robin into an embrace "I'm so glad that you're okay. I was terrified" Bruce was relieved when his son returned the hug.

Batman step out of the embrace for a moment to check if Robin was injured "Did you get hurt or anything?"

"No, I'm okay" Robin said. Batman looks at his protégé face to make sure he was telling the truth. He didn't find any injury or expression of pain.

"Good" Bruce said and locked her arms around his little bird again.
Robin didn't say anything. He just stood there and let himself being held, after a few minutes he took a step back and face his mentor. "Batman…Bruce…I…I'm…" Robin tries to articulate in vain. "What wrong with me? Why can I just talk to him?"

Batman noticed his protégé inner turmoil. He placed his hands in Robin's shoulders "Dick before we go on with this talk, you need to get changed before you catch cold"
Robin just nodded and accepted one of the duffle bags and towel Alfred had brought. His mind was racing from all the nights events that he couldn't focus in anything. He entered the bathroom and went into autopilot mode. He started to get out of his uniform and dry himself. When he was done, he was dressed in a red hoodie with a black jacket, pants and converse shoes.

When he came back, he noted that had changed too. He was in a black sweater, gray pants and black shoes. Dick went to sit beside him at one of the benches in the waiting room, he still didn't say a word and stared at the double doors waiting for news about his friend.

"Here"

Dick took his eyes off the doors. Bruce was holding a cup from a thermos with a steaming liquid that can't be anything else than Alfred hot chocolate.

"Thanks" Dick said and accepted the cup, but he didn't drink it.

Bruce sighed, "this can't go on" he thought. He rehearsed what he wanted to say in his mind, he needs it to let his son know that he was sorry. "Dick I…"

"You were right" Dick said in a low husky voice not facing Bruce

"What?" asked Bruce confused

"You were right. I should never have gone after Zucco. I couldn't handle my own anger and almost make a horrible mistake…I almost killed Zucco…I wanted to watch him fall like my parents did." Dick faced his father figure this time, he gave a shaky breath and single tear role down his cheek "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry" Bruce took to cup out of his son hands, brush away the tear and embraced him once again while Dick kept apologizing and told Bruce every detail of how he planned to murder Tony Zucco

"Shss Dickie, it's okay little bird, it'll all over now" said Bruce in a soothing voice. "Don't blame yourself. This is all my fault. I should have told you about Zucco, but I was so afraid"

The teen looked up to his father face. "Afraid…afraid of what?"

Bruce took a deep breath and responds "The night Zucco escaped and found his notebook. The last pages were about you"

"About me?...But I read the whole thing, there was nothing about me" Dick said confused

"That because after I read them I rip off those pages and burn them. There were so many horrible things that Zucco wanted to do to you. It scared me so bad. Only the thought of you been alone with that maniac…" Bruce didn't finish and embrace his son even tighter.
After several minutes the Dark Knight spoke again "Dick, Zucco had taken so much, caused you so much pain. I didn't want him…to take you too" Bruce put his hand under Dick chin and make him look at him "Dick, before you came into my life, I didn't think I could feel happiness, that my life was only my mission as Batman…"

"But the moment I meet you 5 years ago, from that moment I wanted to protect you. You taught me so much of how to live my life in the light instead of the darkness. You're all I ever wanted in a partner and most important in a son, the thought of losing you is one I cannot stand." Said Bruce, he started to shed his own tears and put his hand in Dick's cheek "You think that you can find in your heart to forgive me?"

Dick took his mentor hand and his smaller ones "Of course, you shouldn't be apologizing in the first place. Everything you did is because you cared about me." Bruce let out the air that he didn't know he was holding

"I was the one who didn't think before acting selfishly and now…" Dick looked down, his bangs covering his face "And now for my selfish decisions Zatanna ended here" Dick said in a shaky voice "She could be dying and is all my fault!" he said putting his hands in his head.

"Dick, please this is not your fault, don't torture yourself like this" Bruce said and placing a hand in his shoulder trying to comfort his son

"I knew she was sick Bruce!"

"What do you mean?" he asked confused

Dick took his hands off his head and took a deep breath "Earlier today, when I was planning how to confront you about Zucco. I heard M'gann and Conner fuzzing over Zatanna. She admitted that it was only a small cold and that they could go wherever they had planned, I didn't think so much about it and left the cave before someone noticed I was there"

He looked at Bruce once again trying to blink away the tears "But even knowing that, I fight her like she was some common criminal …I beat her, insult her…said that she didn't know the pain of losing a parent…but she kept going until she finally made me realize what I was doing…after all I did…at the end…she still called me her hero" said Dick crying again that night

Bruce let Dick cry and repeat soothing words like "There, there Dickie" and "It's not your fault", he needed it to vent all his feelings and frustrations before it gotten bottle up in the back of his mind. After a long time, Dick cries became hiccups and the hiccups became small sniffling. "Dick, look at me"

"You have to stop blaming yourself son" said Bruce

"But…"

"No buts. Dick we can't change the past or the decision we made, the only thing we can do live in the present. After this night, as the way I see it you have two options. You can continue in this guilt trip or you can do something useful and help Zatanna recover" Bruce said in his Daddy Bats-like voice

Dick let Bruce words sink in "While I'm here drowning in safe pity, Zee is fighting for her life, this is not the time to cry like a baby. Zatanna needs me and I'll be there for her like she was for me"

Dick gave his father another embrace and dig herself in his warmth "Okay" is the only thing he responded.

Bruce could see, after the whole ordeal his son eyelids were staring to close. He took a blanket from one of the bags and wrapped Dick with it. "Go to sleep little bird. You need to rest"

Dick shake his head trying to stop the feeling of tiredness "No I can't. I need to be there when Zee comes out."

"Dick, you won't be able to help her in any way if you are sleep deprived. There is nothing else we can do right now, I'm promise I wake you up when she comes out" before his son could respond he placed Dick head on his shoulder and stroke his hair. Dick tried to protest, but he was asleep in a matter of seconds.

"Good night my little bird"

He smiled at his son sleeping form, Bruce looked at the clock in the wall, it reads 3:15 a.m. "So much happened in a short amount of time" he thought. Bruce then drives his attention from the wall to the ER doors "Please, stay strong Zatanna"

Hello,Sorry it's been a while, but I assure it's gonna be worth it. I'm planning a whole new AU based on this story, so please stay tune and thanks for everyone who has been waiting.

Again, I took the dialogue from an old Batman TAS episode, when Dick go after Tony Zucco. Honestly that was one of my favorite moments in the whole series. Hope you like and please review