Black Canary assessed how weak Danny had become and assigned simple stretches to help the halfa to strengthen his arms and legs again. Batman delivered the bag from home later that day. He could tell that Jazz packed it. She put in a thermos and a pair of Fenton phones. Just in case. Danny smirked. He could always count on his big sister to look out for him. Because now that he was free, he had to be on his guard against ghost attacks.
He opened his letters from his parents, friends and sister. Jazz used her letter to encourage him to open up and talk about what happened to someone. Sam and Tucker explained everything they'd done to try and find him. Including that they even went to Vlad but the older halfa had no leads. He did say that he'd look into it but as a halfa himself he had to tread carefully. Meaning, it was too dangerous for him to get involved. But it was the last two letters, one from his mother and the other from his father, that moved him to tears. They accepted him. They were guilty and upset that he hadn't been comfortable enough to tell them the truth himself. But they didn't blame him.
He wiped the tears away and got dressed in his own clothes Jazz packed for him with a little help from Black Canary. Jeans, his spare sneakers, fresh underwear and another white and red shirt. It meant so much to him to be able to read his loved ones' words of comfort and wear clean clothes. He wished he could see them but Batman explained that Danny had to stay in Mount Justice for his own protection and his family and friends couldn't come to him. Besides he knew he looked bad. He had wounds across his torso and there was a small scar on his arm from the IV that his rapid healing hadn't prevented. His torso was almost healed though. Black Canary had taken out the stitches but his ribs still hurt, although they would be healed by tomorrow.
He heard voices outside the medical facility but no one else visited him. He was glad for the solitude. He hadn't had it for so long. The silence and peace was amazing after his hell with the Guys in White. That night, for the first time in seven weeks, he fell asleep. He dreamt. He woke up numerous times throughout the night crying in fear and his heart hammering in his chest from nightmares of his torture. But the fact that he could chose to be conscious or not meant a lot to him. Black Canary stayed in the room that night and had offered to give him something to help him sleep but Danny would take the nightmares if it meant he could sleep naturally. Of course, that morning he wasn't as well rested as he would have been if he had taken something, but the fact that he had that luxury was pleasing.
Black Canary helped him eat a bowl of oatmeal. Before his ordeal, he'd never been a fan of the grey sludge, but now… it was best thing in the world. That and the soup he was given. Black Canary helped him to drink some water. Again, water was now one of his favourite things in the world. Then Black Canary helped Danny with his strengthening exercises and asked if he wanted to talk about anything. Danny refused to speak of his nightmares or what he'd been through. He answered any questions Black Canary had. For example she asked how he went to the bathroom and if they allowed him any breaks. Her anger at his treatment frightened him, but like before, he understood it wasn't towards him. But that throaty growl to her words made his gut clench in terror regardless. Her frowns and scowls made him nervous and it took a lot of will power to not shrink away from her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. But anger had meant pain for so long. It was going to take time to repress that response.
The next couple of days followed in the same manner. Bad nights of sleep, days of peaceful silence and strengthening exercises. He progressed quickly. He attributed it to the food and rest. As a halfa he was a lot stronger by nature. Not physically in his human form but in stamina. And after the president's test in gym. Sam made sure that Danny and Tucker wouldn't flunk the class or come close to flunking again. Besides, Danny learnt his lesson back then. Getting shrunk and chased by Skulker when powerless with Dash… it was a great motivator. After the third day, Danny was strong enough to take a shower by himself in the adjoining bathroom and become a lot more independent. It was heaven. To feel clean. Smell soap. Be in a different room than syringes. It was a small detail, but it meant a lot to Danny.
Physically, he seemed fine. But he knew he wasn't. Loud noises frightened him. An angry look almost paralysed him with fear. The nightmares were horrible. His appetite was coming back, he actually felt hungry again. But while he longed to get away from his bed and explore and maybe even have a flight. He didn't want to leave. This room felt safe. It was a constant and he knew nothing could get to him there. So he didn't leave the room. He sat on his bed going through his ghost files on his computer, played videos games Jazz sent him.
He could always use the laptop to contact his loved ones…but he wasn't ready to talk to his family or friends. As much as he wanted to see them and go home, he knew they'd want to know what happened and he relived those horrors enough at night. He didn't want to have to tell them what he'd been through. It was hard enough to know it happened, if he had to explain everything… he'd break down. He knew he would. So he kept quiet. His throat was much better. It no longer hurt to talk. It was suspected that his preferred mutism was due to not speaking for so long. His initial pain was believed to have stemmed from his constant screams and lack of drinking anything. But all things considered… Danny was happy. He was no longer in agony. He was no longer bound. He was no longer captive.
So Danny's a little bit reclusive but I think we all can understand that. After being a lab rat for so long, privacy would be amazing.
But Danny has been affected by his ordeal, as mentioned in the chapter. But there will be more evidence later in the story.
In case anyone was wondering, this story is about Danny's recovery after his time with the Guys in White.
The next chapter may seem a bit like a filler but it introduces a new character that will have a big role later on. So bear with me.
Until the next chapter.