Chapter 8. Ok! Lets see how this goes!
The way the YJ team told the story, after battling Circ, Nightwing had been slightly injured, but was good enough to chase down the witch with everyone else. Now Nightwing was injured after being shot. Batman frowned; he noticed that there were several details missing from the story. Just then, Flash, and a doctor came into the room.
"You kids need to explain something." The young, dark skinned doctor said. Her black hair was in a tight pony-tail and she wore small, rimless glasses. Batman frowned at Dr. Leslie.
"Where is your mother, Dr, Lisa?" Batman asked. The young doctor looked at him.
"Dr. Leslie is in the middle of a heart transplant, I was asked to take her place in assisting the Justice League." Dr. Lisa said. Batman's frown showed, to those who knew him that he did not like this at all.
"Dr. Lisa is Dr. Leslie's daughter. She had been in the professional medical field for about two years. If she asks you a question, answer it, because it will probably save Nightwing's life." Batman glared at the YJ team. The said team shifted uneasily.
"Ok, now what are you not telling us? I know you kids are hiding something because there is no natural way that the bullet followed the path it did. Unless Nightwing, even though he is nimble as hell, could twist his spine like a cat, the bullet should be about two inches closer to the spine." The team let the kid comment slide, though they all noticed a slight vocal change on the description of Nightwing's nimbleness.
Even dying and broken girls drool over him. Wally commented seriously. Aqualad decided to speak up.
"Well, when we said Circ injured Nightwing, we meant that he…"
"Was turned into a cat!" Gar finished. Even Batman's stony façade broke into a jaw that fell just a little bit; everyone else had jaws on the floor.
"What?" Flash choked out. Gar repeated himself. Then Zatanna explained how to turn him back he had to drink a potion and have his heart race for the potion to take affect. Superman came into the room, followed by BC and WW. The shocked looks on their faces would have been funny, if Nightwing was bleeding out at the moment.
"That explains the bullet path…" Flash said. Dr. Lisa turned and went back to the operation room.
The operation room was more of the med bay's first room because Nightwing was in too fragile of a state to be moved any farther. This med room had a window looking into the room. The YJ team crowded just outside the window to watch; most left after Nightwing's costume had been cut off and the wounds to his shoulder and chest were in full view.
"God, I think I'm going to be sick." Artemis said. She and Wally left, Wally with a protective arm over Artemis's shoulder. Kaldur and Rocket left after the breathing tubes had been inserted down Nightwing's throat. Megan and Superboy left after the cleaning solutions had been dabbed across Nightwing's chest and the scalpel came into view. Before the makeshift doctors could do anything, Nightwing suddenly gained consciousness and ripped the breathing tube from his throat. Noise couldn't pass through the window but after watching mouths move for a few minutes, Flash came out.
"Batman, Nightwing said he won't let us operate until he can speak with you." Flash led Nightwing into the room, Batgirl and Robin follow him. Batman went right next to Nightwing. Even with his ear next to Nightwing's mouth, he could barely hear the hero. That and it took the Dark Knight a few seconds to realize that Nightwing was using Romani.
"Dad, dad, Tell others this." Batman felt his heart grow cold. Nightwing hadn't said if I don't make it, he had just said, tell them as if just wanted to say this and die already.
"Tell, Garth, the pain goes away, find someone to be your family. Tell Rocket, she might have to wait, but sometimes the best things come to those who wait." The silent whisper was choked off and some blood flecked on Batman's cowl and Nightwing's lips. Batman didn't move. He didn't want to waste time. Nightwing continued.
"Kaldur, tell Kaldur sometimes taking a chance is the best way to find the answer. And Megan and Conner, to always be friends first. Zatanna, tell her she is probably one of my best friends. Wally and Arty, tell them I will always support them, and I'm happy for the,." Some wheezing and coughing followed his speech. When Nightwing spoke again, Batman really could barely hear it.
"Tim, oh Tim, tell him I'm so sorry. But Barbra, no, I meant Batgirl, tell her, tell her that I really do" this time when Nightwing broke off, his head lolled and he was unconscious. Batman gave the go a head for the operation to start. Tim didn't waste a second. As soon as Batman had moved he jumped into Batman's spot and yelled in rapid-fire Japanese. No one could understand him, but if they had, he was saying:
"Damn you! I'm supposed to look up to you, you idiot! Now you know what is going too happened now? I'm probably going to jump into a bullet for someone, just like you! I'm going to do everything like you! You can't die! I refuse! You said once you turned 16 you take me a on a car-trip! To the Rockies! You promised! As soon as you could drive! Don't go! Nightwing, don't you understand? Batman may be my mentor, but I learn half of everything from you! If you go I'll be like a painting without color! Stupid, stupid Nightwing! Don't die! Don't' die." The yelling died down into sobs of what sounded like a chant.
The scalpel cut open Nightwing's chest. Superboy came in and carried out Robin, who had stared at the blood spurting out of the incision like it was the very fires of hell claiming him.
"Come on kid, he'll be alright. I'm sure he heard you." Conner wasn't sure what Robin had said, but he recognized 'stupid and 'don't die'. The two left, leaving Zatanna and Batgirl. Zatanna, who was out side the window was remembering the brief period they had been dating.
The two were just now friends. Zatanna had done something that had ruined their romantic relationship by leaving years ago. The two could never go back. Now Zatanna hoped that Batgirl and Nightwing could have a chance. Zatanna even felt guilty for the year she had dated Nightwing, back when he was Robin.
"Please, please live." Muttered the sorceress. Zatanna left as J'hn came into the med room.
Batgirl sat by Nightwing's head in a chair that BC gave her. J'hn and his healing abilities mixed with that of two experienced doctors gave the female bat hope. From what Batgirl could understand, they were opening the chest to repair the rib cage and stitch any torn muscle. Batgirl thought about how Tim had talked to Nightwing. She thought if the emotions running through her head ever since Nightwing had invited her to join YJ.
A single tear ran down Babs's face. 'Babs', the nickname he had given her the first day they had met. Dick Grayson, the rich, orphan, brat of Gotham. Babs laughed at her first assumption of the small boy she was friends with.
Why, why do I keep calling him that?
What was t hat? – Megan
Um, can you cut me off of the link? I really need to think to myself, and I don't know how well I can block my thoughts. Babs request was answered with a curious silence in her head.
He isn't a boy, he isn't a man either though. Why am I so obsessed with him? WHY THE HELL DID I KISS HIM! Babs felt a headache coming on. More tears ran down her face. Babs noticed Nightwing has a cut, just under his lip that needed stitches. Without asking, and trying to not look at the open chest of her childhood friend, Babs grabbed a needle and thread, went back and neatly stitched up the injury. She then saw the torn suit on the floor, the open chest of Nightwing and a thought came to her.
Batgirl, her cool recovered, stood up, causing the doctor's to look at her curiously. She cleared her throat and began:
"Nightwing, I know you can damn well hear me, so listen ok? I'll make you a bet, if I fix your suit before your surgery is done, you have to live. I'm not the type to do work that won't be appreciated. If the surgery ends before I finish the suit, you can, can die. Got it?" Without waiting for any sort of signal or response, Batgirl grabbed the suit and started to stitch every tear and cut mark in it. She used the same needle she had on Nightwing's face and thread that she always kept in her belt. She was determined not to lose.
Tim sat in the living room remembering everything Nightwing had told him. Wally had an arm over shoulder, and Artemis was sitting on his other side.
"Rob, um, I guess this is how Nightwing might say it, but, tomorrow always means the sun came back around and rose." Wally said.
"That was really offhand KF." Rocket commented as she handed Robin a juice box. Robin took it a sipped it slowly, oblivious to what was going on around him. The young boy just sighed.
"Hey, Robin, I know Nightwing started his training at 8 and joined Batman at 9, but when did you start?" Artemis asked. Robin looked at her.
"Well, this is actually my first year of really doing any hero stuff. Today was the one year mark. I started on my birthday." The team looked shocked, today was Robin's birthday, and Nightwing was…
"Oh, well your doing a great job. We are really glad you joined us and Nightwing never stops praising you, did you know that?" Megan said, she was passing out cookies. When Robin took a bite he looked at the kitchen, and recognized Alfred. The cookies were snicker doodles, Tim's favorite, and Dick's least. Tim began to snicker, but it soon became tears, and he leaned into Wally and cried, everyone just stood aside, their own tears leaving trails on their faces like saw does in wood after being dragged across.
Nightwing, please, please live!
So, how is it? I really hope that nothing is too unreal. By the way, if you haven't guessed, I'm making Tim Japanese.
The way I see it is
Jason 1st – Hispanic
Richard 2nd – Romani
Tim 3rd – Japanese
Damian 4th – Biologically Batman's - American
Helena 5th – Biologically Batman's – American
What about you guys? Please review? The reviews inspire me. Oh, one more question!
Should I have one more dilemma in this story, or end it?
Love
Burning Bright
