Song Used: Linkin Park - Easier To Run
Raven stood in the hospital parking lot. The world around her came crashing down. She didn't care if a car hit her, if she was hit by lightning, or if the world came to an end. As far as she was concerned, the world had already come to an end.
Robin walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him and looked through his mask to his eyes. Tears running down her cheeks, she fell onto his shoulder.
"Why, Robin? Why?" She cried.
He didn't know what to say. What could he say? Cyborg was doing his job, just like others did. He got caught off guard, like others have, too. What was there to say?
It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something long
It's so much easier to run
Replace all this pain here all alone
Robin awkwardly patted her back, trying to be comforting.
"It's okay, Raven," he mumbled dazedly. "It'll be okay."
After a few minutes, Robin started to coax Raven to go back and see Cyborg.
"I don't think I can..."
"But you should."
"I know..." she looked up again. She rubbed her arms. Since when was it so cold outside?
"C'mon, Raven," Robin said, waving a hand towards the white-infested building, where everything was scarily immaculate.
"Fine," she sighed, and allowed him to lead her back inside. She was getting chilly anyway...
-
When they went back to Cyborg's room, they saw the others standing outside of his room. Dr. Lawrence was talking to them while showing them Cyborg's chart.
"Since last night, his brain activity has slowed tremendously." He said as Raven and Robin joined them.
The Titans lowered their heads as the doctor started to walk away. He stopped after he took about five steps and turned around.
"When in a coma, a person can often hear what other people say to him or her, they are just unable to respond," Dr. Lawrence explained. "You can each have five minutes, but no longer than that. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard stories. Anyway, a few more tests need to be run, and we don't want to test the fragility of his condition the hard way."
Something has been taken from deep inside of me
The secret I've been locked away where one could never see
look so different, never show,
They never go away
Like moving pictures in my head
The Titans took turns.
Beast Boy was first.
"Hey bro, I really don't know what to say but I miss you. We all do. I never thought that you would end up like this and especially when you and Raven were to be wed. It's just not right. You've always been so tough. I mean when we fought, nothing kept you down and seeing you like this is too much. Come on Cy, we need you. Raven needs you. As much as we argued over what foods to eat, who's better at video games, and just about everything else, it was always fun. I just want you to know that I love ya man. You're the big brother I never had."
Beast Boy grabbed Cy's hand and placed it in his own. He patted the other side of Cy's hand, then left.
Terra was next.
"Um, hey Cy. It's your favorite rock-n-roller Terra. I hope you can hear me. It sucks seeing you like this. I'm used to seeing you and Gar fighting all the time, and I wanna see it again for many years to come. You two always made me laugh. It's no wonder he thinks of you like a brother because you two have so much in common. We all wanna see you two get married, so hurry up and come out of the coma. Please?"
Terra gave him a kiss on his cheek then left.
Starfire entered after Terra left. She held her head down and rubbed her left arm while trying to think of what to say.
If I could change I would
Take all the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
If I could take all the shame and the pain I would
If I could change I would
Take all the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
I would take all the shame and the blame
"Hello Cyborg. I hope that your recovery will be a quick one. I hate seeing you, or any of my friends like this. You all are my family, and seeing one of you like this is unbearable. When I saw you ask Raven to marry you, it was one of the happiest days and I don't want to see it end like this. It will be devastating if you do not come back to us. We love you and we want you with us again."
Starfire hugged as much of him as she could, then left.
It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something long
It's so much easier to run
Replace all this pain here all alone
Tears started to drip from her eyes as she fell into Robin's arms. He held her as he looked at Cy's room. Starfire sat down next to BB and Terra as he walked in.
Robin stood there for a few seconds looking at his best friend. Wanting to pay his deepest respect he took his mask off. His blue eyes were filled with anger, guilt and sorrow. He tried his hardest to hold back his tears as he spoke with a hoarse voice.
"I'm sorry Cy. You weren't supposed to end up like this. We were supposed to beat the HIVE, then go back home and continue our celebration for you and Raven. I wish I had seen it. If only I had turned my head a second earlier. You wouldn't be like this, but I know you're tough. At times you've been tougher than me, and I know that you'll pull through."
Some things I remember but thought the soul bypassed
Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have
Sometimes I think I'm letting go and never looking back
I never really thought so, I never realized?
Robin stood there for the rest of his time looking at his best friend. When his time was up, he wiped his teary eyes before placing his mask over his face. He felt powerless standing there as he looked at Cyborg before he left. It was a feeling that he never knew, and never wanted to feel again.
If I could change I would
Take all the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
If I could take all the shame and the pain I would
If I could change I would
Take all the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
I would take all the shame and the blame
Instead of joining the others, Robin walked past them and out of the hospital. He didn't want them to see him cry. The others knew why he left, but wanted him to have his time to himself.
Raven went last.
Just watch it in the sun
All of the helplessness as I've
Pretending I don't feel misplaced
It's so much simpler to change
As she entered, she heard the beep from the E.K.G. monitor. The beeps sounded like a clock slowly counting down the time that Cyborg had left. Her heart felt like it stopped as she slowly walked towards him.
When she did, she found that she had little to say. The majority of her meager 300 seconds was spent staring at the comatose cybernetic, eyes welling with unshed tears.
As time dragged on, the Titans were gradually allowed more time with their friend, and more were allowed to come at once. Sometimes they came together, sometimes alone. Each time they would tell him what villains they'd battled. Whose high score was standing unbeaten on the Gamestation. But mostly how much they missed him.
It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something long
It's so much easier to run
Replace all this pain here all alone
A few months after his diagnosis, his status began to improve, but it stopped dead in its tracks (figuratively speaking) a couple weeks afterwards.
Almost six months after the battle with the HIVE, Raven came to visit alone.
The doctor had news.
It's easier to run
"This is probably as good as he'll get. We can't expect much more improvement; it's been almost half a year. I'm sorry, Miss Roth. You have to let him go."
He walked away in his squeaky black shoes.
Raven stood stock still, stunned into silence. Suddenly, all the emptiness of the past six months - all the waiting for good news, week after week after week, all the hollowness of their victories - had been summed up into those three sentences, spoken by a man in shoes that squeaked and a pure white lab coat with a quality nametag pinned on the pocket.
And it hurt.
If I could change I would
Take all the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made
A lot.
It's easier to run
She went back to the Tower without seeing Cyborg that time.
-
"The doctor said he probably won't improve."
Silence.
"Also... Robin, I'm sorry, but... I'm leaving the Titans."
Robin blinked.
"You're what?"
"Leaving," Raven clarified. "I... Sorry, but I can't stay here any longer. I'm leaving tonight."
If I could change I would
Take all the pain I would
Beast Boy started to protest, but Robin silenced him with a quick, fierce glare.
Turning back to Raven, he asked slowly, carefully, "Is there any way - any way at all - that I can persuade you otherwise?"
Raven shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Robin.
"The Titans are behind me now."
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
I would take all the shame with me
End Chapter Two.