Chapter 31

It felt like Bane had gotten a hold of his head. He needed a strong cup of coffee. He needed an entire pot.

Coming out of class to a bombardment of other students and school staff attempting to push through to bring him to a private place to speak with the police wasn't something he thought he'd have to deal with when he'd left the manor this morning with all of 4 hours sleep. Before the staff could usher him away he'd caught glimpses of the many news articles and snippets of live feed from outside the hospital.

"Wayne heir found!"

"Danielle Fischer-Wayne returns."
and other such headlines.

His heart immediately dropped. There was little need for acting when the police entered into the room the staff had found for him, away from the prying eyes, blinds drawn. The nausea churning in his gut was real, the shock and even numbness of it all felt far to real.

Sure they had found out she was alive. That she had been with Jason. She had been in the manor for weeks now. And yet somehow it had never crossed his mind. The thought of her publicly coming back. It had never occurred to him that it would happen. His mind was turning. He didn't know what had happened back at the manor. When he'd left there was no indication anything was different, that anything had happened. The news reporter was outside of the hospital. What happened?

Luckily his mind going a mile a minute was enough to convince the police of his stunned silence. He hardly had to do much more than stammer some nonsensical words to their probing questions on if he had known anything. They were trying to eye him up, he was on the suspect block or at the very least they were hoping he'd have some incriminating evidence towards Bruce? Were they really trying for the angle that Bruce had something to do with it?

'Well he is 4 kids in, one publicly dead and another labeled 'missing' long enough to have been legally declared so..' His mind supplied. He could see their train of thought atleast. Everything was horrible. A PR nightmare for Bruce Wayne that would lead to so much suspicion that was going to lead to so much more trouble down the road. But why the hospital?

Getting back to the manor was no more a treat when the police finally released him. Worse so when he arrived to hear shattering glass and shouting from her room. Well it's good to know that the hospital stay didn't cool any of her anger. If she had the capability and energy to be throwing things at Bruce, recovery seemed a likely option of whatever had sent her to the hospital. But he still didn't have any answers.

Before he could get any Alfred placed a hand on his shoulder. The cough, the squeeze as he guided him away, suggesting he leave them to their own private business. Alfred had a control over them all in a way Bruce didn't. He could never quite tell what it was. It wasn't the same fear that you would feel by crossing the batman. But somehow when Alfred gave this sort of direct order through 'suggestion' you knew not to question him, you knew not to fight.

So here he was, hours later, no closer to any answer on what the hell had happened when he left and nothing to show for his racing thoughts but a throbbing pain about to shatter his skull. Coffee. He needed his Coffee..

He blinked. Then again. Yep. That's her. Dani was up ahead. He hadn't seen her since the night (early morning) before in the cave. A quick survey didn't show anything too physical. No casts or stitches or anything to explain away the hospital visit. Her eyes and nose were an angry red. He didn't know if he'd ever seen bags that deep and dark even on his own eyes. Overall she looks like she'd gone round after round through the worst of the worst of the rogue gallery. But the most disturbing was her gaze. She was looking straight through him. He was clearly in her view yet it was like she was completely unaware of his existence. He'd seen a lot of things, they all had, but never had he seen any of the family so completely.. blank..

"Dani-"He stepped forward calling her name. Suddenly, enough to get his reflex going She spun into the room she'd been standing to the side of.

"Because." She started abruptly. "For all his studies, obstetrics was never really on his list of specialties."

It was strange. It didn't actually take long but it felt like an eternity. That word, he knew what it was. What was it? Then dawning as it came to him. Then that numbness from earlier. Denial.

"How far along?"

Dick.. that.. that was Dicks voice. But his heart.. it was thumping over it all.

"!5 weeks."

15.. weeks.. 15 weeks preg… He couldn't bring himself to finish the word, even in his own mind. No. It had to be something else. It couldn't be what he was thinking.

Her steps were loud as she turned and exited the room, turning directly into him. He blinked into her eyes. A cold hand closed around his heart as he caught her eyes, fighting to get words around his closed throat. Dick had come out calling after her. He got a clearer view of him as she pushed past him, leaving him standing numb and heavy in the hallway.

"Tim.. Hey Timmy."

Blinking rapidly his mind cleared enough to interpret Dicks soft, concerned features.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

He tried to talk but it came out so rough it literally stuck in his throat. He half cough the beginning of his words before he was finally able to get them out. His voice didn't feel like his own, felt like he had been mute his whole life and had just now learned to talk. It felt so disconnected, so surreal..

"y-yeah.. I just uh. I've got something I need to get to." He walked past Dick headed opposite the way Dani had. He had no idea where he was heading but it wasn't there, that's all that mattered.