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To wolfclaw1098 – Thanks for your review! Hope you like this chapter!
AN – Wow, I can't believe I'm almost done posting this story. One more chapter left after this. Hope you all like it!
Enjoy!
Dick was bored. It had been about two weeks since his friends had rescued him from Slade, but he hadn't seen them since. He had woken up in the medbay of the Watchtower instead of the Mountain, which told him just how badly injured he was. Mount Justice did not have as much medical equipment as the Watchtower did. Bruce was there beside him when he woke up, assuring him that he was going to be okay. The next time he woke up, he was in his room at the Manor, again with Bruce by his side.
According to the Dark Knight, Dick had been at the Watchtower for four days before he was deemed stable enough to be taken home. During the last two weeks, Dick had started his recovery but it became that it was going to be a long journey. Dr. Leslie Thompkins had put him on bedrest and Alfred and Bruce had taken that very seriously. He only went downstairs for supper twice and had to be carried. He was also supposed to ask for help to use the bathroom, and he was carried there too. It was annoying, but his legs were in really bad shape, along with the rest of his body.
He had a giant concussion that still ached, though thankfully no skull damage. His right ankle was badly broken. His left kneecap was practically shattered along with three of his left toes. Seven of his ribs were broken, and another two fractured. Leslie kept saying that it was a miracle none of them caused any internal damage but Dick didn't really have the strength or heart to explain that it wasn't a miracle. That his captor was just very methodical and careful. Not that he really could talk anyways. The strangulation had definitely messed with his throat and vocal cords but again, no lasting damage. It was a lot better now, but it still hurt to swallow and if he talked too long, he'd lose his voice.
Dick didn't really like that. He enjoyed talking. However, not only could he not do that as much as he wanted, he didn't really have anyone to talk to. Now that he was stable and on the mend, Bruce had gone back to work. Not as much as he normally did, but enough for Dick to acutely aware of his absence. And he couldn't ask Alfred to just sit around and keep him company. He knew the butler had more important things to do. One time, Barbara came to see him and that was nice, even if it was a little awkward at the beginning when she had seen how badly he was hurt. But that was it. He hadn't seen any of his teammates, his friends.
If Dick was being honest, he didn't remember all that much of his rescue. He recalled that they had stopped for some reason. And that they had done their best to comfort him. Wally held his hand, Artemis had run her fingers through his hair, M'gann helped him sleep, and Roy, Conner and Kaldur kept guard over him. Now of course, he knew that they had stopped because the ship was damaged and that since he wasn't wearing his mask, they had all seen his face and eyes. It probably wouldn't be hard for them to figure out his real identity, especially for Artemis.
"How are you feeling Master Dick?" Alfred pulled Dick out of his reverie as he entered his bedroom with a tray. Apparently it was lunchtime.
"Bored." Dick answered, pushing himself up into a sitting position, grimacing as he did so.
"Have you already finished the school work Ms. Barbara brought for you?" Alfred questioned, putting the tray on the bedside table closest to him. Dick turned his head away from Alfred and to the other bedside table to stare at the stack of books and binders. When Babs had come over, she had brought him all the work he had missed over the last several weeks to give him something to do and help him catch up.
Looking back over at Alfred, Dick confessed, "I tried, but I can't really concentrate. My head hurts too much."
Alfred frowned, then placed the back of his hand against the boy's forehead. Dick let him, even though he knew he didn't have a fever. It was the concussion that was messing with his concentration. If Leslie was here, she'd most likely be telling him that he shouldn't be trying to do any kind of work at all. That his brain needed rest. Only problem was that his brain just didn't rest. It wanted something to do. The only way for him to fully relax would be to sleep, and even then he moved around. Plus, he was tired of sleeping.
"Not surprising considering your concussion." Alfred murmured, removing his hand. "Perhaps you should rest after you eat."
Dick groaned and let his head flop on the pillow. "I'm sick of resting. It's boring. I need something to do."
"Well, what would you like to do?" Alfred asked, handing the bowl of soup to the young teenager. Dick took it even though he wasn't really hungry. Despite how well he was recovering, his appetite hadn't fully come back yet.
"I would like to see my friends." Dick responded as he started eating.
"I believe Ms. Barbara is planning on visiting when school lets out." The butler informed him.
"I would love that." Dick told him, then added, "But I meant my other friends. Wally, Roy, Kaldur, Artemis, M'gann and Conner."
Alfred fell silent upon hearing that. He knew his grandson was getting restless now that he was starting to heal. The boy was very active and energetic. He hated having to stay still for longer than a minute and Alfred was sure it was worse whenever the boy was put on bedrest, which happened for more than everyone like. And he knew Dick was getting lonely. As much as he and Bruce tried to keep him company, they were very busy. He had hoped Barbara coming over would help, and it seemed like it did, but not enough. The acrobat was a very social person. He needed contact with people almost as much as he needed to breathe.
"I will speak to Master Bruce when he returns from work. For now, I'd appreciate it if you finished your lunch and get some more rest. Your body sorely needs it." Dick frowned at Alfred's words but did as he was told. He might crazy enough to fight and argue with Batman, but a person would have to be absolutely insane to try that with Alfred Pennyworth.
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After lunch and a quick nap, Dick turned on the TV in his room. The volume was turned way down and he kept his eyes from fully focusing on the screen in order to keep his concussion from worsening. It kind of ruined the point of watching TV but it was one of the few things he could do. Homework and reading just made his head hurt and he didn't want to sleep anymore. He was so bored.
As if someone read his mind, there was knock on his door. Turning his head to the side, he saw Barbara standing in the doorway. Immediately, he turned off the TV and waved her in.
"Hey Dick." Barbara said with a smile as she strode into the room, appearing a lot more comfortable and confident than she did during her last visit.
"Hey Babs. How was school?" Dick asked, giving her smile of his own.
"Boring as usual." She answered while she plopped her bag and books on the floor before carefully climbing onto the foot of the bed. "Actually, it's a little worse since you're not there."
"Sorry." Dick apologized, though he was sure his life right now was more boring than school.
Barbara simply shrugged her shoulders. "Not your fault."
"What's that?" Dick asked, pointing at all the books. Though the school gave them all a lot of homework, Barbara usually flew through it. Which most likely it was meant for him. Or was hopefully something else that would cure his boredom. His stack of homework was high enough.
"More homework for you." Barbara told him. Dick groaned and gestured to the stack of work on his bedside table, saying, "Haven't even been able to finish what you brought me last time."
"Would you like me to help you?" Barbara offered, eyeing the stack and glancing at the other work she brought. It definitely was a lot and she wasn't sure if Dick would be able to get it all done before he returned to school, depending on how soon he recovered. Dick was extremely smart, but he had a bad concussion, and he had missed over a month of school.
"No, it's fine. I can do it all later, when my concussion is gone." Dick replied, though he inwardly groaned at the thought of all the work he had to do. He might excel at it but honestly, he hated school.
"Okay, then what would you like to do?" Barbara wondered, crossing her legs.
"I don't know. A board game maybe?" Dick suggested. There wasn't much else he could do with his injuries. And even then, it would have to be an easy game. Otherwise, his head would start hurting more than it already was.
Barbara thought for a moment, then said, "How about chess?"
"Chess is boring. How about Clue?" Dick responded with a grin. Clue was one of his favourite games. Bruce introduced it to him not long after he took him in and Dick started his Robin training. Bruce said it would help him hone his detective skills, but he never expected Dick to be as good at it as he turned out to be. The stunned expression on his face when Dick won after only three turns was priceless.
"Sure." Barbara usually preferred games with more strategy, but she still liked Clue and she was here to try to entertain her best friend. If that was what he wanted to play, then that is what they would play.
Dick's grin widened and he pointed at the messy desk on the other side of the room. "It's over there."
Barbara quickly grabbed the game, set it up and the two started playing. For an hour they played round after round. They went a little slower than normal to compensate for Dick's terrible headache, but he only mildly complained about it. As the time passed, and Barbara saw how relaxed he was, she wondered if she should ask him how he truly was coping with everything. She didn't want to make him upset, but wanted to know how he was doing so she could help more than just offering him a distraction. When they finished another round, Dick being the winner, she decided to take a chance.
"How are you really doing Dick?" Barbara asked seriously as she set everything up for another round.
"Sick of people treating me like glass." Dick answered automatically with a slightly bitter tone. But when he saw the stunned expression on her face, he dialed it back and reluctantly admitted, "Really bored and unless I have something to do or someone to talk to, I keep thinking about what all happened while Slade had me."
"Has anyone else been able to come visit?" The redhead wondered. He didn't really have any other friends at school, and she wasn't sure if he had been able to see his superhero friends.
"No. Don't really have any other friends at school, and the others, only Wally and Roy know my identity. So, they can't all come." Dick responded, staring down at the game board in disappointment.
"If Wally and Roy know, why don't they come?" She then asked.
Dick opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped when he realized that he hadn't thought about that. Looking up at her, he said, "I don't know."
"Maybe you should ask Bruce." Barbara told him, dealing out the cards.
"Yeah." Dick agreed, then grabbed his cards and said, "Come on, let's play."
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It was nearing supper but the time Bruce got home from work. Ever since he brought Dick home, he had tried his best to be home as well, but he couldn't ignore his responsibilities at Wayne Enterprises for long. He had been avoiding his job for over a month while he searched for his missing son. He couldn't ignore it anymore, no matter how much he'd like to. It was times like this that he wished he didn't have to work. He never really enjoyed his day job and now it was keeping him from his child.
Instead of going straight to Dick's room, Bruce headed to the kitchen. Due to his injuries the young boy was recovering from, he had eaten in the dining room only twice. And not only did he need to be carried down, he almost fell asleep at the table. Bruce wanted Alfred's opinion as to whether or not they should try again, or just bring him a tray like they had been doing ever since they brought him home, besides those two times. Plus, his surrogate father had been with his adopted son all day. He wanted to know how he was doing.
Hearing him enter the kitchen, Alfred lifted his head and asked, "How was work Master Bruce?"
"As boring as usual." Bruce answered, going to the coffee pot. "How's Dick?"
"Resting at the moment. Ms. Barbara came to visit and it wore him out a bit." Alfred replied. After a moment's pause, he added, "Despite that, I believe it did him some good."
"What are you getting at Alfred?" Bruce questioned, immediately sensing that the elder was implying something but wasn't sure what.
"Master Richard has expressed that he is growing rather bored." Alfred informed him, turning his attention back to the meat he was seasoning.
"Not surprising, but he has his homework to keep him busy. I highly doubt he has finished it all already." The billionaire responded as he took a sip of his coffee.
With a shake of his head, the butler said, "No he has not. He is having difficulty concentrating due to the concussion."
"That's to be expected. He hasn't gotten bored enough to the point where he's doing something stupid, has he?" Bruce asked, knowing all too well what ended up happening when Dick grew bored but was still on bedrest and had nothing to distract him.
"No, but he is lonely. He made a comment about wishing to see his other friends." Alfred told him.
"I'm sure he misses them but with his injuries, he's not up for a trip to the Mountain to visit them." Bruce pointed out.
"And they are completely incapable of coming here." Alfred then muttered, causing Bruce to frown and his eyes to narrow.
"They don't know our identities so of course they can't come here." Bruce reminded him.
"Of course." Alfred said in a tone of voice that made it clear he didn't approve of his surrogate son's decision but wasn't going to continue arguing with him about it.
Bruce inwardly groaned, downed his cup of coffee, said, "I'm going to go check on Dick," and headed out of the room.
The house was quiet as he walked up the stairs. He had gotten used to silence after his parents died, but ever since Dick came into his life, it was rarely quiet. Quiet wasn't Dick's nature at all. He was constantly running around, jumping off of things, talking and laughing. He brought such joy to Bruce and Alfred's lives. Joy that Bruce didn't think he'd ever have again. During those weeks Dick was missing, the Dark Knight felt like there was a dark cloud hanging over him. It was mostly gone now that he had his son back, but Bruce knew it wouldn't fully leave until Dick completely recovered.
Reaching Dick's open door, Bruce gave it a quick knock. Dick, who was lying awake on the bed watching TV, looked over and said, "Hey Bruce. Come on in."
"How are you feeling chum?" Bruce asked with a small smile as he moved to sit on the bed beside the young teenager.
"Bored. And still a bit sore." Dick answered honestly, pushing himself upright.
"You need any more meds?" Bruce wondered, laying a hand on Dick's knee. The uninjured one of course.
"I shouldn't. We both know better than to get addicted to those." Dick pointed out, though it was clear by his tone and expression that he wished otherwise.
"True, but some Tylenol shouldn't hurt." Bruce responded.
Instead of agreeing, Dick hung his head and said, "I already took some."
"I'm sorry chum." Bruce hated seeing his child in pain. If he could, he'd switch places with him in a heartbeat.
"It's okay. It's the boredom that's really getting to me. I hate not being able to do anything." Dick complained with an irritated tone.
"I know. Believe me I know." Bruce told him, giving the acrobat a knowing smile. When he saw Dick smile back, he continued, "I can talk to Lucius. See if he can take over again for a bit so I can stay home with you."
"But you've missed so much already. The company needs you." Dick half-heartedly protested. As much as he wanted his father to stay with him, he felt guilty for how much he had missed in order to stay with him. How much he had missed in order to look for him when he was in Slade's clutches.
"Well, if you're feeling up to it, how about I bring you to Mount Justice for the day? In civilian clothes and sunglasses of course." Bruce reluctantly suggested. "We could get you a wheelchair so you won't have to walk and we could ask Dr. Mid-Nite to be on standby in case anything happens."
"They've seen my face B. It wouldn't be hard for them to figure out my identity, especially Artemis. Is there really any point in continuing to hide my identity?" Dick questioned, looking down at his legs.
"Yes, because they will respect your privacy." Bruce responded, trying not to lose his patience since he and Dick had talked about this many, many times already.
"So you trust them to respect our privacy but not with our identities." Dick stated. When he sensed Bruce starting to get agitated, he said, "They're my friends Bruce. They saved my life and I trust them. I want them to know. They have earned the right to know."
Bruce thought silently for a few minutes. He was beyond grateful for his son's team for saving his child, and Dick did have a point about them seeing his face. Artemis for sure would be able to put two and two together when he went back to school, if she hadn't already. And with the exception of Dick, all the young heroes knew each other's identities and so far it hadn't been a problem yet. But all of his instincts demanded that he did everything he could to protect his child. The boy in front of him was one of the only people who mattered to him. He didn't want to do anything that would risk his life. If he could come up with a way that would ensure Dick couldn't sneak out, he'd stop him from being Robin. Unfortunately, he hadn't figured that out yet.
"Can Wally and Roy come at least?" Dick then asked, pulling his adoptive father from his thoughts. "They already know who I am."
"I'll think about it Dick." Bruce told him, then gave his leg a gentle pat. "Get some rest now. I'll bring up some supper in a little bit."