Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or any of the medical jargon/conditions/procedures. I hope you enjoy the third chapter of the story.
The nurse placed a large plastic bag down on the pavement and blindly searched through her purse for a key. It took a minute of rummaging to produce the solitary silver object, but when it was found she triumphantly raised it in the air. The nurse opened the door and, picking up the bag from its position on the ground, entered into the nigh silent building. Her destination was on the third floor, but she veered off to the left just before the stairs.
A soft humming escaped the woman's mouth as she made her way down the hallway. A smile grew on her lips as she gazed around at the inactivity. In her two years at the institution it had never been this silent. Her path led her into the main lounge of the building, to the right of which was located the bullet-proof glass encased nurses' office.
She tapped gently on the main window and waited for the current on-staff nurse to appear. Within seconds of her knocking a short, stocky woman with curly black hair walked up to the window and slid open the bottom compartment. Through this opening she was handed a steaming cup of coffee.
The nurse smiled at her savior. "Thank God for you Star."
"You're welcome, Lisa." Star pointed at a clock imprisoned by a steel cage. "Only half an hour until you get to go home."
The black-haired woman sipped her coffee and nodded in tired excitement at the comment.
Star walked joyfully back to the stairs she had forsaken before and began her climb to the third floor. Once at the top she had to set back down the bag in order to unlock the door.
As she walked down the dismal hallway she counted off the numbers on the doors; even though she knew them by heart, it still offered a fair amount of entertainment. 11456779, 11456780, 11456781, 11456782. Finally she arrived at the door with the hanging white board proclaiming 11456783. Star opened the door slowly and soundlessly snuck in.
Doctor Grayson squatted in front of the patient, eyes staring intently at the sleeping boy. He had dark circles under his eyes and every once in awhile would begin to lose balance and quickly regain his equilibrium. The dark-haired man brought a fist up to his mouth, smothering the yawn which threatened to escape.
Star set the plastic bag down on a nearby chair and walked over to the doctor. With the least amount of movement possible she waved a coffee cup in his viewing field. Instinctively he grabbed the cup, brought it to his lips, and poured the steaming beverage down his throat. The doctor coughed a few times.
"That's hot."
The nurse gave him a sympathetic look. "It's coffee, Dick."
Doctor Grayson waved his hand at her comment. "I know, I know." Suddenly he wheeled his face around and stared at the nurse. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Well," Star pulled up a chair and sat next to the squatting man. "I received a phone call at about four-thirty this morning from Lisa, and she said that some man had come in about five minutes before. She was fairly sure it was you, but wanted to double check before she called in security."
"Oh," Dick turned a sheepish gaze on the nurse, "Sorry. I…"
"Wanted to observe him while he slept," Star completed his thought. "I know."
Doctor Grayson turned his face back to the boy sleeping on the bed. He stared for a moment, but his concentration had been lost. The man brought his left hand up in front of his face and frowned when he noticed his wrist was naked.
Star patted his head gently then stood up and brought over the plastic bag. She pulled from it a silver watch and handed it to the doctor.
"Thanks," he commented while fastening it to his wrist. The bag beside the red-haired woman acted as a magnet for his eyes. Every few seconds he would attempt to peak over at it without being noticed. Finally, curiosity won.
"So," Dick pointed casually at the bag. "What's in there?"
Star smirked at the man's display of attempting indifference. "A change of clothes for you."
"For me?" The doctor gazed questionably up at the woman. "Why do I need a change of clothes."
"Dick, look at yourself." The nurse waved her hand up and down at the man's clothing. "You're wearing pajama pants and an old shirt with a lab coat and slippers. It may be the so-called casual day, but I doubt that's what it means."
Doctor Grayson grinned up at the nurse. "Star, what would I do without you?"
Beast Boy tossed and turned in his bed. All night long he had been plagued by dreams of Terra and the man Slade. In each and every one, he and Terra were enjoying themselves and growing closer to revealing their feelings; but then Slade would waltz up and hold his hand out to Terra and lead her away, or he would wrap his arms about her waist, or even once he shot Beast Boy and then carried the girl over his prostrate body. Never did she choose to stay with the green changeling, always she gazed up at the malign man with such love and fealty in her eyes then left happily by his side.
The only thought left in his mind by the end of his long and painful rest was that it was only a dream and everything would be perfect when he woke up. Terra would be smiling by his side and Robin would catch Slade, then everyone would be able to live out their lives in peace and euphoria. He hoped and prayed to whatever power might listen that this would happen.
A gentle cadence of words broke the boy from his nightmares.
"He's getting worse." Beast Boy turned his head to see where the words were coming from. Upon scanning the room he found Robin and Starfire seated on the table in his room. They evidently hadn't noticed the boy's awakening; therefore, he squinted his eyes in camouflage of his newly awakened state and continued to listen.
Starfire wrapped an arm around the Boy Wonder's neck and gently laid her head on his shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"In the three hours I've been here, he's been rapidly changing between his normal delusions and those of pure animosity. Ever since we gave him his first round of medicine he's been drifting deeper and more often into the mindset of an animal. Just looking at his face, there's no human emotion, no signs of logical thought. It won't be much longer until he's lost all the sanity left in him."
"Is there nothing we can do."
Robin's shoulders slumped down in defeat. "I don't know. I've gone through all of my old books and I even searched through the archives, I can't find anything."
"We will think of something." The red-haired girl sat up and gently kissed the boy's furrowed brow. Starfire then cupped Robin's face in her hands and stared encouragingly at him. "Do not lose hope."
Beast Boy noiselessly turned his face to the wall. He had no idea what they were talking about, but he knew it was about him and he wasn't suppose to have heard it. A shiver ran up and down his spine as he continued to listen to their hopeless and downtrodden voices. Supposedly, he found out, there was something wrong with his mind. It now made sense to the green changeling, in some way, why he had to go through all of those tests; but, he never recalled receiving any medicine.
When the room grew silent once more, Beast Boy decided to "awaken" before he had to listen to anymore.
11456783 dramatically stretched his arms out to the side and released a thunderous yawn. He completed several other movements to proclaim to the world that he was finally awake. The patient subtly averted his eyes to make sure the two on the table had heard him, by the shocked looks gracing their normally calm faces he knew they had.
Doctor Grayson unhooked himself from Star's grip and walked over to the bed. "How are you this morning?"
The boy let out a squeaky yawn then proceeded to smile amicably at the doctor. Dick found the grin contagious and let his lips ascend on the sides. 11456783 raised his eyes from the doctor and stared at the beaming nurse.
"Good Morning," she greeted him. "Do you want to have some breakfast?"
At the mention of food, the patient sprang from his bed and took up his position between the doctor and nurse. Joyfully he hooked arms with the two and began pulling them to the door.
Doctor Grayson chuckled at the boy's anxious demeanor. "I'd say you're feeling better."
The boy attempted another fake smile at the doctor's comment, but once the dark-haired man's eyes were upraised once more, 11456783 succumbed his face to a mournful snarl.
Beast Boy bounced impatiently up and down in his seat as he watched Starfire fill his plate with a few pieces of steaming food. He hoped she had made tofu this morning instead of one of her strange alien meals. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he saw a plate brimming with tofu waffles and fruit come floating down in front of him.
"I think he likes the tofu," Doctor Grayson stated as he watched 11456783 inhale three large tofu waffles. He had never met anyone who held such a passion for tofu, but then again, the boy was clinically insane.
Star sat down next to Doctor Grayson and stared on in fascination as the boy continued to eat. Slowly she placed a glass of orange juice within the patient's reach, and watched as his hand shot out and brought the liquid rushing down his throat.
Suddenly the boy halted in his motions and gazed at the wide-eyed pair seated across from him.
The green changeling eyed the two before asking the question on his mind. "So, when do we go see Terra?"
The solitary mention of the girl made Starfire avert her undivided attention to drinking a mug of coffee. She downed the liquid with such dedication that Beast Boy found himself scooting further away from her with dread. Once seated as far away as he could get and still be able to hear the answer, the boy asked his leader a second time.
Robin turned his gaze down at the table for a moment. It was quite obvious that he was attempting to find the right phrasing of his answer and still be optimistic, but his actions produced a dread in the changeling's psyche.
"You see Beast Boy," the Boy Wonder began. " With all that's been going on, it's possible we may never see her again." Robin rushed the last part out hoping his words wouldn't be deciphered.
After telling the patient the bad news about his friend, Doctor Grayson stood up from his seat and rounded the table. He lightly placed a consoling hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Why don't you come with me," Dick slightly lifted the boy up from his seat.
11456783 stared confusedly at the doctor and then at the nurse. Star nodded her head in encouragement at the boy while Doctor Grayson led him from the cafeteria and down the main hallway to the entrance. Right before the two exited through the double doors, Dick reached into his pocket and placed a laminated tag attached to a string around the patient's neck. The boy lifted it to his face, all he saw were groups of little black lines and the number 11456783.
Doctor Grayson took hold of the boy's arm and led him over to a half-full parking lot. It took a few minutes of wandering around before the doctor halted at the side of a red jeep and opened the door for the patient.
Beast Boy stuck his head out the window and laughed as the world whipped past him. He had no idea where Robin was taking him, but at the moment he didn't care. Everything clouding his mind vanished as the speed at which they were going increased.
Suddenly the boy felt a hard plastic sheet lifting into his chin. He instinctively brought his head back into the car and watched as the window shielded him from the world. With an angry grunt he turned to face the front of the vehicle.
"So, where are we going?"
"Patience, Beast Boy, is a virtue." The green changeling let out another grunt as he sank lower into the leather seat. If anyone were to lecture him about patience, Robin should be the last person to do it.
Beast Boy stared out the window again and counted off the various road signs. Occasionally, he came to notice, an attraction was advertised more than once. The boy thought of an idea from the repeating boards.
"Can we play twenty questions?"
Robin glanced over at the boy and shook his head at the pathetic attempt. "We can play five questions."
Beast Boy nodded his head and gazed out the window for some inspiration. "Will I like it?"
"Hopefully."
"Does it have games?" The boy smiled hopefully at a sign for the newly opened casino.
Robin smirked as he noticed the object of the changeling's affection. "No."
A billboard for a water park rushed past the boy's eyes. "Is it outside?"
"Mostly.'
"Does it contain gallons upon gallons of water?"
"Some of it."
Beast Boy grew excited by the continuity of the answers with his hopeful destination. "Does it have slides?"
Robin nodded his head. "I believe so."
"Is it the water park?" The green changeling gripped his leader's arm in the manner of a child who has discovered the world for the first time and is begging to be let loose in it.
The Boy Wonder shook off the hand. "You've had your five questions. Plus we're almost there."
Beast Boy sat up straight in his seat and searched the horizon for the towering slides and various fountains of the water park. A smile spread across his face as he noticed it off to the right. The only problem was, Robin had just turned left.
Doctor Grayson pulled the jeep into a parking spot and turned off the car. Before walking over and helping out his patient, the man shed his white lab coat. He figured there was no need to draw any more attention then was necessary.
11456783 walked silently by his side, on his face was drawn a look of utter disappointment yet also a strange curiosity. Dick smiled at the boy and guided him to the revolving bars set up at the entrance of the complex. The patient hesitantly approached the bar. He had seen various people just walk through it, but he wasn't sure if he trusted the thing. The boy tried pushing the metal bar, then he attempted to crawl under it. Eventually Doctor Grayson grabbed onto the boy's shoulder and helped him through the rotating contraption.
The patient found the experience exhilarating and turned to walk through the device once more, but was interrupted by a lanky man rushing up to them waving his arms.
Once he arrived he reached out a hand and eagerly shook hands with the doctor. "Hello Doctor Grayson, it's a pleasure to have you here. My name's Larry and I will be your helper today."
Doctor Grayson gave the man a slight smile. "Hi."
"Now if you will follow me," the slender and nervous man looped arms with the doctor and pulled him along the path. "I want you to know that I can have any area of the zoo cleared out if you want to take your patient there. All you have to do is just tell me where you want to go, and bam! it will be empty within five minutes."
Doctor Grayson attempted to pull his arm away from the man, but to no avail. "Th-"
"So where do you want to go first?" The man cut Dick off.
The doctor looked about their surroundings. Pointing to a sign with a large red arrow on it he answered: "How about the petting zoo."
"Marvelous choice, let me go and clear it out." Dick sighed in relief as he watched the man rush off in the direction of the petting zoo.
"The zoo, Robin? The zoo!" Beast Boy flailed his arms as he trailed after his leader. "You told me there was water and slides. Where are they?"
Robin halted in his walking and turned to face the irate changeling. "The aquarium has gallons upon gallons of water, and near the concessions is a playground with various types of plastic slides." Beast Boy growled at the Boy Wonder's logic and the fact that he had been tricked into a day at the zoo.
"Fine, but what am I suppose to do here? Do you want me to gawk and laugh at the defenseless and caged animals?"
"You're Beast Boy," Robin pointed out. "Why don't you try communicating with your fellow animals."
The green changeling thought on the suggestion. He wouldn't admit it, but this could actually turn out to be fun. A mischievous grin formed upon his lips as he thought on the vile rumors he could spread about his deceitful leader to the animal community.
Doctor Grayson and 11456783 arrived at the petting zoo approximately six minutes after they had watched their helper run off. He had done his job. Not a single soul save the three was in the petting zoo.
Larry waved his arms triumphantly at the various pens. "Feel free to wander."
Dick allowed 11456783 to stroll about the mini-complex. Every so often the boy would stand in front of one of the pens and take on the "form" of the animal. Never once, though, did any of the animals react to his energetic attempts at communication. In fact, most would turn and walk back over to their troughs and feeding dishes, leaving the boy frowning from embarrassed disappointment.
The zoo helper turned his face to the doctor. "So, Dick…"
"Doctor Grayson," the dark-haired man replied monotonously.
"Doctor Grayson," Larry corrected. "What's wrong with him. Is it schizophrenia? He sure seems to be harboring multiple personalities." The lanky man snorted in amusement at his comment.
Dick inhaled a long breath and then let it out slowly. He was going to strangle this man sooner or later. "I can't tell you what's wrong with him. There is a such thing as patient confidentiality. As for schizophrenia, it's not characterized by multiple personalities. That is a common misconception of the general public. There is an actual illness for multiple personalities, it's what is also present with that delusion that will tell whether or not someone suffers from a different illness."
"I knew that," the man defended himself. "I was just seeing if you did."
Doctor Grayson shook his head at the man. "Could you clear out the aquarium?"
"Right away, Doctor Grayson." With that the annoying helper ran off.
11456783 sat dejected in front of the rabbit pen. None of the animals had responded to him. He thought he was doing the right movements and calls, but he began to doubt himself. Perhaps he was just having an off day. A forced smile formed on his lips as he attempted to convince himself of this.
Doctor Grayson placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and nodded his head in the direction of the aquarium. "Let's try over there."
Robin glanced over at his teammate in the car. The changeling sat hunched over in his seat with his head resting against the window. The Boy Wonder turned down the radio before speaking to the melancholy boy.
"That was fun, wasn't it?" Robin tried to flash a cheerful smile at the boy but was greeted by a mournful sigh.
"Oh yeah, fearless leader, that was the most fun I've ever had." The Boy Wonder cringed slightly at the venomous tone of the changeling's voice. "Did you notice that not a single animal responded to me. Not a single one. Do they find me repulsive or something?"
Robin shrugged at the boy's question.
The two sat in awkward silence as they continued traveling down the road. Suddenly Beast Boy sat erect in his seat. "I know why they didn't respond."
Curious to the boy's reasoning, Robin urged him on. "And that would be…"
"I'm green, that's why. Tell me, have you ever seen a green rabbit? Or a green elephant? How about a green lizard?"
"I have seen a green lizard, actually." The Boy Wonder smirked at the exasperated sigh to his right.
"Who cares." Beast Boy pushed the button on his door and stuck his head out the window.
Victor Stone whistled jovially as he walked towards the doors of the institution. It had been a long week and now he could go home and spend the weekend in bed. The lab technician breathed in the crisp autumn air as he exited the building. Freedom was the only word going through his head.
The man glanced casually to the side and spotted the red-haired nurse sitting on the steps. He gazed about the parking lot but didn't see her car anywhere; therefore, being the good friend that he was, he strolled over to her.
"Hey Star, do you need a ride home?"
The woman jumped from the sound of his voice but smiled as she discovered who it was. "Thanks for the offer, Victor, but Dick just called and should be back any minute now."
Victor stared quizzically at the woman. "Why does he have your car?"
"Oh, he walked this morning but needed a car, so I let him borrow mine."
"Where'd he have to go today?" The technician took a seat next the nurse and waited for her response. Knowing Dick, it was going to be interesting.
Star shrugged her shoulders. "He took 'Beast Boy' to the zoo for some experimentations."
Victor nodded his head at her answer before the realization of her words hit. "He took, physically away from the institution, his patient to the zoo. Isn't that against the rules of this place?"
"Well, yes," Star conceded to the man. "But you know how Dick is."
"True, he is the number one workaholic with an obsession for trying out the extremes of his reach." Victor smiled at his friend's recklessness. Glancing at his watch, the man stood up. "Well, I must be going. Rest and relaxation await. Have a good weekend Star."
The technician began to walk to his car, but was stopped by the nurse calling out his name and rushing towards him.
"Victor, I almost forgot, could you do Dick and me a huge favor this weekend?"
The man stared worried at the nurse. He should have walked away right then, his mind was screaming for him to run, but he stayed anyway. "Depends upon what it is."
Star fumbled with a small purse in her hands as she built up the courage to ask the favor. "Could you fill in for Dick this weekend in watching 11456783? It would mean the world to the both of us."
Yes, he definitely should have run. A rolling sigh escaped his lips as he gazed at the nurse's pleading face. He was about to answer, but Star spoke again in explanation. "Dick is terrified that Doctor Wilson is going to volunteer to watch over the patient. You know how paranoid Dick is about Doctor Wilson's methods. I know that if he doesn't know for sure that Slade isn't going to be watching the patient, he's going to be worried all weekend."
Victor subjected himself to her plea. "All right, I'll do it."
"Thank you so much." Star gripped the man in a bone crushing hug before she let him journey to his car.
AN: Well, that's chapter three. Hope everyone enjoyed it, if not, I promise the plot will thicken nicely next chapter.
I would like to send out a warm thanks to all of my reviewers for chapter two: Heavenly Awkward, Lotus Star, eventidespirit, Lady Lire Snowstorm, Judgement (Mathew- (x2), Blowfish the Monkey Tamer, and The Magician (a.k.a Josep.
If you wish to, you are more than welcome to review. Hope you enjoyed this. I will try to get chapter four written as soon as possible.
Thank you for reading chapter three.