Cyborg was running as quickly as he could through the tower. He had never been so happy to be robotic, and not have stamina restrict his mobility. Holding his arms out in front of him, he burst through the double doors into the medical center of the tower. Immediately he went straight to preparing his equipment. Setting up an IV and sterilizing a few tools, he went forward into the actual hospital room itself. There, Raven leaned over the bed, her hand on the changeling's forehead.
"He feels a little cold." She unclasped her cloak and covered the unresponsive Beast Boy. Cyborg began pulling the adhesive covers off of the heart rate monitors and began attaching them to his teammate. "I don't get it. One minute he has all the energy in the world and the next-"
"He's exhausted." He flipped a switch on the bed, activating the heated mattress, and removed Raven's cloak from his body. Two of his fingers turned into scissors, and he began cutting the shirt off of his torso. Raven covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, B."
Beast Boy was severely malnourished. His ribs were plainly visible, even with the layer of muscle he'd put on from the constant exercise. Grabbing an alcohol pad, Cyborg began cleaning a spot on his arm to insert the IV. Glancing at the heart rate monitor, he noticed that while it was a slower rate, it was still steady and strong.
"Seems we caught him just in time." Rubbing a hand over his head, he sighed. "If you weren't there…" he didn't finish his sentence. After a moment of silence, Raven spoke up.
"If I wasn't there, this might not have happened." Her eyes were locked onto the changeling. "I got him worked up, and then this happened."
"No. This would have happened eventually" Cyborg reassured her. "Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but it would have happened. At least it happened while someone was there."
"Victor, I need to ask you something." She sat down in a chair beside the bed, and he sat in one beside her. "I told him about our talk."
"And?"
"He seemed worried. When I mentioned you telling me he was talking to you, he almost seemed like it was a secret."
"Mhm."
"Would there be a reason for that?" Cyborg sighed again.
"There would."
"Being…"
"He confided in me. Something he doesn't want shared."
"Does it have to do with his jealousy?" Her question startled him. She could tell she was correct in her assumption. "I can't believe I couldn't piece it together before. The answer was right in front of me, and I couldn't even see it."
"Sometimes, life is like that."
"I guess I never really imagined it would bother him. I mean, if he wanted a date, he could get one." Cyborg was taken aback by her forward remark. "But he chooses to be hung up on a girl who doesn't want to be with him."
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"No. It's the facts." He was confused now. He didn't know they'd already talked about this.
"Wait, so you know?"
"Who doesn't? It's plainly obvious. He hasn't so much as looked in another girl's direction ever since we came back from Tokyo."
Tokyo? But that was so long ago.
"I mean, she told him she didn't want to be with him. She wanted to be a normal girl and attend school. If that's what she wants, he should move on. It's been years and he's still holding on." She sounded sad. Like she pitied the changeling. Cyborg raised his eyebrow.
"Um…what?"
"Terra." He looked at her with a blank expression.
"Raven, this has nothing to do with Terra."
"Of course it does! Why else would he be jealous of me bringing dates here?" Cyborg didn't respond. He just leaned back in his chair. "What aren't you telling me?" He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eye. Beast Boy took in a few sharp breaths through his nose. He was sniffing. After one last deep breath, his breathing returned to normal. He seemed to relax a bit in his bed. "Victor."
"You should head to bed. It's almost eleven o'clock. And I want to get him cleaned up." He stood up and walked over to a lower cabinet, grabbing out a bucket and a sponge. Raven understood the implications and nodded. She rose from her seat.
"Thank you for your help. Please keep me informed of his condition."
"I will. Tell Dick and Star I'll catch them up when I'm finished here, but not to interrupt." He turned on the faucet and began filling the bucket with warm water. "I want to run a few tests before I go. Check his blood and all that." With another nod, she was gone. Her cloak was left behind on an empty chair. "Paging Nurse Stone. Nurse Stone." He joked quietly to himself, adding a small amount of soap to the bucket.
Just as Raven walked out of the double doors, she was met by Nightwing and Starfire.
"How is he?" Nightwing asked her.
"He's unconscious. But stable." He made a move to go past her. "I wouldn't go in there."
"But-"
"Two reasons. One, Victor asked me to keep you two out until he is finished. And two, unless you are alright with full frontal male nudity, I would stay out. He's getting cleaned up." Nightwing blushed at the comment, and decided perhaps patience was the best course of action.
"Well, what uh, exactly happened?"
"Yes, why is our dear friend in such a state?" Starfire was standing close to Raven, eagerly waiting for the answer.
"He's exhausted and severely malnourished. He overworked his body and it gave out on him. He needs to recover." Her reply was professional and somewhat detached. She was leaving out the more… personal aspects of what had happened in the training room. The conversation wasn't really any of their business anyway. Beast Boy's health was the main concern.
"Please, this is not something you can heal?"
"It's not an injury. He's been overworking and poorly maintaining his body for three weeks. He needs rest and replenishment." She began walking away from the door. "If you'll excuse me."
"Raven, where is your cloak?" She paused in place, remembering seeing it on the chair next to the bed, and the current events of the room it was in.
"Nowhere I am willing to fetch it from." She continued to her room.
An hour passed before Cyborg finished in the lab. After informing Nightwing and Starfire of Beast Boy's health status, he made his way to Raven's room.
He knew she would be up. Their open-ended conversation would leave her mind fixated on his words, and she would want to be updated on their friend's health. He quietly knocked on the door, and was reminded of his first time knocking on the door, and blowing it off of its track in an attempt to stop Beast Boy from backing out of an apology. He smiled at the fond memory. The door swished open.
"Come in" she said from her spot on the bed, having opened her door with her powers. "How is he?"
Stepping through the doorway and hearing it close behind him, Cyborg walked to her bed and pulled a chair from the desk beside it. Sitting down, he began.
"Thankfully, he kept hydrated. The body can go much longer without food than water, and he seemed to at least take that into consideration. Low sugar, low sodium, which is to be expected when he hasn't been eating. But according to the analysis, his stress levels are incredibly high." He paused for a moment. "Thankfully, his poor hygiene didn't cause any damage. I hoped I'd never have to give anyone a sponge bath, but now I'm glad I was properly trained."
Raven nodded, appreciating her friend's vast range of knowledge and skill.
"It was well needed."
"I couldn't agree more" he replied with a smile. His smile faded. "Raven, don't give up on him yet."
"Victor, what am I supposed to do? He asked me to stay away. And maybe he was right. Look at what happened. I don't know how to do this. I can't do that to him again." She had tears welling in her eyes. "We could have lost him. I could have…" She sniffed, bringing herself back to a more placid state.
"Raven, he did this to himself."
"It's not that simple."
"It never is." Standing up, he leaned over and gave her a firm hug, which she reciprocated.
"He told me he can't be around me. I wanted him to leave me alone. But I didn't want this. I never…" She sobbed loudly. "I never thought he would do this to himself." Cyborg patted her back as she cried into his shoulder.
"I know, Rae. And he knows too. He won't forgive himself for what he did. And for how he made you feel. He doesn't feel he deserves more than this." She pulled away from him, wiping her eyes furiously.
"If he had such a problem with me bringing people to the tower, why didn't he just tell me? It's not like I'm trying to throw my dating life in his face." She sniffed loudly. "I may think it's ridiculous for him to be stuck on the same girl, and if he doesn't want to pursue any relationships, that's fine. But that doesn't mean-"
"Raven." The stern tone of his voice grabbed her attention. "This has nothing to do with Terra" he stressed. Her face twisted in confusion.
"Then why else would he be so jealous?" His expression told her she was missing something obvious.
But… that means…
A look of shock and understanding came over her.
"There you go."
"Oh. Oh my God. Oh my God!" She was in complete disbelief. "He's… in love with me. Isn't he?" She asked the question more rhetorically than anything. Her eyes were wide, and her gaze locked in a thousand yard stare.
Holy shit…
This can't be right! It doesn't add up! The sound of pages flipping accompanied this thought.
Even after all the years of what could only be described as… abuse? A meek voice spoke.
It all made sense now. Had he been completely out of line? Absolutely. But he wasn't doing it for fun. To get a rise out of her. He was hurting. She was still angry with him, but at least now… she understood.
A few days passed, and Raven hadn't left her room but for food and other necessities. Cyborg and Nightwing had sat down and worked through the tension, with hopes it would ease Raven's mind through her empathy. The two were now back into their regular friendship, much to Starfire's pleasure. They were currently sitting on the couch playing a racing game while Starfire was cautiously making muffins, being sure to follow the directions down exactly.
"Vic, do you think we should check on Raven?" Nightwing asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"I'll give her one more day. She's still leaving her room, so she's still doing better than she has with things in the past. If nothing changes, I'll talk with her tomorrow." He had been planning this anyway. He wanted to give her time to process, but was also co corned. He figured four days was plenty of time.
Suddenly, his arm started beeping and flickering wildly.
"Shit!" He jumped up from the couch and took off for the door.
"What is the matter?" The question came from Starfire.
"His vitals are going insane!"
His eyes blinked slowly. The overhead lights were bright and blinding. He sniffed avidly, the scent of the medical center entering his nostrils. His heart started racing. He tried moving his arms, only to find them strapped in.
It wasn't uncommon for him to have episodes like this when waking up in the infirmary. That was the reason for the straps. The first time it had happened was after a bad bout with Cinderblock. He was only out for a few hours, but when he woke up, he had absolutely trashed the room. Medical supplies weren't cheap, so the straps were the most viable option.
Unfortunately, the straps were purchased when he was younger, and he had spent the last three weeks in the training room. In his fit of panic he easily broke free. His heart was pounding and his instincts were in overdrive.
He leapt from the bed, yanking the IV from his arm. His eyes were wild, and his nostrils flared, taking in the scent of the room. Something caught his attention. The faint smell of ash and lavender. His head turned quickly towards the smell.
Raven's cloak sat in the chair by the heed of the bed. He tried focusing on the smell to calm himself, but Cyborg slammed the doors wide open, startling him and elevating his emotional state back into one of panic.
"B, I need you to relax" He said calmly, holding his hands up in submission.
"I can't!" His breathing was ragged, his chest healing. He took a few steps back, flashbacks of the past melding almost seamlessly with reality. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He put his hands on the side of his head.
"It's okay, B. You're okay. You're in the tower." He should have known better. As long as he didn't wake up alone, he was always easier to manage. But he hadn't been as vigilant this time.
Beast Boy took another step back, his back was against the wall. He opened his eyes, but he didn't see his friend. In his place was a tall man with a hooked nose and broad chin, his hair sloppily parted down the middle. Beast Boy pressed himself to the wall as if he were standing on a narrow mountain path. His eyes kept shifting from Cyborg to Raven's cloak. But he was frozen in place.
Noticing where his friend was glancing, he hit a button, paging Raven to the infirmary as an SOS call. Then he noticed the cloak in the chair. The broach was blinking. Just his luck. The only cloak with the pager in it was in the same room. Looking at the monitors, his worry increased. He swore, pressing another button. Nightwing answered.
"Cyborg-"
"No questions, I need Raven, ASAP!"
"On it!"
"I know you're having an episode, but I need you to relax" he tried again, his voice calm and even.
"I don't have to listen to you!" He shouted. Cyborg felt the shift in air pressure as a portal opened behind him.
"What's going on?" Raven asked.
"He woke up alone."
"Oh shit." Beast Boy noticed Raven, and his panic began turning into anger.
"Raven, get away from him!" He shouted. She took a deep breath. "He'll lock you up too!"
Good, he recognizes me.
She took a step toward him. Looking through the window on the door, she saw Nightwing and Starfire making their way down the hall. She locked the door with her powers. The fewer people in the room, the better.
"Beast Boy, who do you see?" she asked in a level voice, taking another slow step forward.
"It's him! It's Galtry!" Nightwing was banging on the locked door now.
"Beast Boy, you're safe. You're in the tower. You had an accident." She was only a few steps away from him.
"It's a trick!"
"Raven-" She held a hand up, silencing Cyborg.
"Look at me." He did. She held her hand out to him. "Beast Boy, everything is alright. I promise." She grabbed his hand. He looked back at the man behind her. He squeezed his eyes shut.
When they opened again, he saw Cyborg, a worried expression on his face. Looking through the window, he saw his leader's face peering through. He took in the room and recognized it. Looking down, his green eyes locked onto her violet ones. His breathing slowed down, a tear running down his face.
He fell to his knees and hugged her.
"I'm sorry" he whispered in a shaky voice. She put a hand through his hair.
"I know."
"I want to stop…"
"I know. You've gotten better. Last time was worse." She moved away from him, and he let go. "I forgot about this." She turned to grab her discarded cloak.
"Wait!" He grabbed her wrist. "I'll bring it back later." She looked at him and saw the pleading in his eyes. She nodded, and he let her go. She summoned a portal and was gone in an instant. He sat there on his knees, staring at the space she had just left. He looked at his body and noticed he was terribly underdressed. He began ripping the monitors from his arms and chest, grunting as he tugged them.
"Not exactly how I was hoping to start my day." Cyborg's voice brought him back.
"I'm sorry. I almost had a handle on it when you came in." He grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled himself back to his feet. "I'm sorry, Cy."
"It's okay, man. Someone should have been here. But we had no idea how long it was gonna be. How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted." He rubbed a hand down his face. "How long was I out? Five, six hours?"
"Three days, B." He turned back to the table, grabbing a needle. "Arm?"
Beast Boy held his arm out, still in shock from the news.
"Three days?"
"Well, that's what happens when you don't eat for three weeks, hardly sleep, and cut yourself off from the outside world." He turned away, satisfied with his sample. "But hey, what would I know? I only had to bathe you." Beast Boy blushed.
"You did not…"
"67923" he responded, without looking up from his work. Beast Boy was rigid. It was tattooed on his left thigh. "What's that mean, anyway?"
"It was how Galtry made sure I couldn't escape. He had this elaborate plan that, if I ever escaped, he could find me and identify me, and reclaim me." He scratched his chin, feeling the hair that he hadn't noticed had grown to cover the lower part of his face. "Got a mirror?" Cyborg handed him one. He looked at himself, his long, shaggy hair almost meeting his eyebrows, and a light beard around his jawline. He let out a sigh. "I'm surprised she came."
"I'm not. You pissed her off, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care." The computer beeped. "Blood came back fine. High in adrenaline, go figure. But the IV stabilized your other levels." The changeling picked up the cloak and sat in the chair, hugging it to his chest for comfort.
This was how their talks usually went. They almost relapsed back into their old habits, but never quite. Then, he'd leave the room, and turn back into the husk of himself.
"Gar, this has to stop." He turned around, facing the changeling. "Enough brooding. Enough starving. Enough 'training' all night and day." He put air quotes around the word. Beast Boy wouldn't meet his eyes. "You have to work this out."
"I don't know what else to do. I can't sleep. The thought of eating makes me want to throw up. I can't face her. I hurt her really bad. And she still came back to fix me just now." He took a deep breath. "I don't deserve her time."
There was a loud bang as Cyborg slammed his hand on the table.
"Damn it, Gar, this is about more than you!" He pointed a finger at him. "Do you think we wanted to watch you do this? So, what's your plan? You gonna head back to the gym, and I'll see you back here in three weeks?"
"No. I'm gonna leave."
