Family Ties Chapter 29 Waking Up
Tim slowly awoke, feeling a dull ache in his limbs and a strange numbness in his hands. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at a familiar patch of ceiling. Carefully moving his head, he glanced around his bedroom in the Manor, noting the slight changes. There was an IV drip next to the bed, the line going into his arm. Most of the papers on his desk had been moved to make room for a crate of medical supplies. There were six other people in the room. Wait, what?
He blinked, and counted again. Six. Someone had dragged a couch into his room (they'd have to remove it later, just not enough room), and Cassie, Kon and Bart were collapsed upon it. Dick and Bruce had dragged chairs over to the bed, and Steph was curled up next to his feet on the bed. All fast asleep.
Moving carefully and quietly to avoid waking anyone, Tim sat up. Lifting his hands to examine his fingers, he found them tightly bound with splints on either side of each finger. "Must be a local anaesthetic," he murmured absently, feeling the presence but not the pressure.
"Tim?" said a voice to his left. Time looked over and saw Dick blinking blearily at him. Bruce was also waking up, and he could feel Steph stirring.
"Um, morning?" Tim said, feeling a little guilty. He hadn't meant to speak aloud and wake everyone.
"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked.
"Bit woozy." Tim thought back, trying to work it all out. "What happened last night? It's all a bit blurry."
"You've been out for about twenty-six hours," Dick told him after a momentary pause.
"What?" Tim thought for a moment. "Actually, that one makes sense."
"You almost ran a fever, 'bout eighteen hours ago," Steph explained. "It died down, but then we were keeping you sedated until the truth drug ran out, and there was a lot."
"So you may have urges to tell the truth, whether you want to or not," Dick said grinning mischievously. "I fully recommend you indulge those urges."
Tim nodded seriously. "Have I ever told you what a wonderful explanation of the word 'onomatopoeia' you are?" he said seriously.
Dick looked outraged as Steph burst out laughing, and even Bruce smirked. "He's got you there, Dick," Steph giggled.
"Hey, you're awake at last!" Kon exclaimed, having been woken by all the laughter. "How you feeling?"
"Been better, but I'm fine," Tim assured him. "Someone gonna tell me what happened?"
"Cass reckoned Cain wouldn't expect us near dawn," Dick explained, "So we made it look like we were playing safe with a lengthy stakeout, then sent in the Titans as a distraction to put him off-guard."
"All of you?" Tim asked, directing to question to his teammates.
"We were aiming to look like we decided to disobey Batman and take matters into our own hands," Cassie said. "So that was the scenario I presented everyone. Solstice, Bombshell and Miss Martian trusted B to sort it out. Cyborg and Raven wanted to ask if we could help, and Kon and Bart decided they were more loyal to you than scared of the big bad Bat." She winked at Bruce, to show she was only teasing.
"And Ravager?" Tim asked, seeing who was left out.
"Hasn't had a good scrap with assassins in months, and, in her words, 'wasn't about to let some guy dressed as a flying rodent get between her and a fight with some competent opponents'," Cassie quoted dryly.
"No wonder she's getting on so well with Jason," Bruce sighed. "But you know you would have compromised our identities if you had come in without asking?"
"We'd have come up with some excuse," Cassie shrugged. "Officially Red Robin's recuperating from a training accident at the Tower, so if he was running mission control…"
"Good story, I'll have to remember it," Tim muttered. "So, uh, were there any injuries? Is everyone okay?"
"More or less," Dick said cheerfully, but his eyes slid sideways to a bandage wrapping Bruce's wrist. "But Cain's in a bad way. Seems someone crushed his hand just a little."
"Really?" It was wrong, but Tim couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling that news gave him. "Anything else?" he asked casually.
"He won't be trying that stunt again anytime soon," Bruce growled. "You can read the report later. You're safe, that's what matters."
"Lady Vic looked terrible," Dick added, moving the topic on. "By the time Jay and Rose finished with her, she looked like she interrupted a wasp nest while sprinting through a very thick forest. All welts and nicks."
"AndDeashot'stakingangermanagement," Bart supplied, words running together in the classic speedster-not-quite-paying-attention way. "Hedidn'tlikenotbeingabletohitme. Hewasreallymadaboutit."
"He prides himself on never missing. 'Course he wasn't happy," Steph smirked.
"Okay, that's enough for now," Bruce said. "Dick, go find Leslie. Steph, tell Cass and the boys Tim's awake, and you're all going back to school-"
"Do we have to?" she interrupted.
"Yes," Bruce told her. "The more time you take off now, the harder it will be for you take days off when you really need it. You, Tim and Cass all got expelled for missing class last year, remember?"
"We were pretty busy that year," Tim pointed out.
"We're trying to do better this year. And we're running out of schools."
"Stop sniggering, you three," Dick admonished the Titans from where he'd paused in the doorway. "You have no idea how hard it is to get through class with bruised ribs."
"If you say so," Kon shrugged.
"Fine, we're going," Steph capitulated under Bruce's glare, kissing Tim on the cheek before following Dick out. Bruce turned to the Titans.
"Aren't you going to tell your friends Tim's awake and well?" he suggested mildly, the implication clear.
"Just going now," Cassie said, springing up. "We'll be back later, Tim."
"Thanks. And can you put the couch back on your way out?" the teen asked. Kon grinned and picked it up like it was an empty cardboard box as they left, leaving Tim alone with his father, if only for a moment. Bruce gently took hold of Tim's hand, letting the simplicity of the action speak volumes his words never would; he was so, so relieved to have his son back.
"Tim?" Cass appeared in the doorway, her every move contrition. "I'm sorry."
"You'd only have to be if you gave in," Tim told her softly, and as her face broke into a smile, he knew that, no matter what had been done to him, the worst damage, mental trauma to his sister, was over.
AN: Hands up who asked for fluff? Let's see, hmm, fair few of you. Happy? Or just after more?
Anyway, there will be more fluff. There will be more action. There will be more! The story's not over yet. By the way, I'm interested in a new game. It's called "Can My Readers Guess How This Story Arc Concludes?" It's just a kind of "let's see what you think", but if you're up for it, I'd love to hear some suggestions. And no, this is not a cunning way to get ideas to continue a story I don't know how to finish. I've known how it ends since I wrote chapter 2.
Next week I will be returning to Black and Red. The villain poll is still up, but I'll probably be closing it in the next week or two, so if you haven't voted yet, please go ahead.
This week in Little Bird's Vengeance, Tim is still being questioned, and Fury has a proposition.
Back here next week.
Katara
