Hello again! Maybe you're wondering why I skipped a whole week of Robin's recovery. Well this is my reason: unless we want this story to have 100 chapters, I have to skip some of the bits that are of little importance. Anything significant about that week is mentioned in this chapter. Also, we are now closer to the part where everything gets interesting…a lot closer than we would have been if I went through that entire week.

Ok, now I just want to say thanks so much for the flood of reviews! It really encourages me to keep going.

sHaDoWgEeK: Thanks for reading; I'm glad you like it. Dang those typos!

Nevermoretheraven: Lol who is Mike Oldfield? I like writing nightmares probably about as much as you like reading them, so it works.

Cathy: Thanks! And yes, well said: Raven and Robin 4eva!

Tigerfly57: Hmmm…will he be ok? That is a good question, but I'm not telling! Lol, if you remember this little fact you will probably get the answer though: Rob is my favorite character. Thank you for the review, I'm glad you like it!

Kaifan4ever: Wow, you sound so enthusiastic! I must really be doing well! ;)

ZINTHOS: Oh ok, I wasn't sure if it was an x or a z…and yes I knew that Raven could heal him to a certain extent. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reading!

Rinagurl13: Wow! Thank you! I'll try to keep the updates coming!

Majestical: Thanks! I'm so glad you like it! I'll try and make "the rest" as interesting as possible.

Saiya Woods: Hmmm…I was under the impression that you could use either…shrug. It's cool that you like it. Thank you for reading!

Lady isil: Thanks for reading, and I'll try to keep updating!

The fonix freeke: I'm glad you like it, and I intend on continuing to update…it just depends on what my teachers have to say about it. LOL no I don't play electric guitar…if given the opportunity I probably would though.

Yellowlightning: Wow! Thanks so much, I really appreciate your review! I'll try to hold on to the inspiration…it can be slippery sometimes.

Frosty1567: I'm really glad you're enjoying my story! And I really appreciate your review! It makes me want to keep writing.

Kiddette: I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying it. Thanks for reading!

All righty then, on with the story!

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One week later

Physically, Robin was on the road to recovery, much thanks to Raven's healing abilities, but mentally, he was in bad shape. He was having more and more nightmares, each more terrible than the last and all featuring Slade. The strange voice in his head was becoming ever-present, try as he might to fight it off.

Most of the titans had given up trying to talk to him. Even though he was sitting there in front of them, he was miles away and completely out of their reach. They couldn't help him because he wouldn't let them.

I said most of the titans had given up; one was still trying.

"Good morning, Robin", greeted Raven as she entered the med lab with her usual cup of tea and book in her hands. "How are you feeling?"

How Robin was feeling could have filled several volumes, so he mumbled his usual response to Raven's usual question. "Fine."

"That's good", Raven replied; she was used to this lie, but she kept hoping that, one of these days, he would open up and tell her the truth. "Where did we get to?" she mumbled, more to herself than to Robin. She had been reading Sherlock Holmes, something she thought would suit his tastes, to him for almost a week now. She found the right page and started reading.

Robin closed his eyes, listening to the familiar words. This had been his favorite book since he was nine years old, when Bruce had first read it to him. He lost himself in the story, forgetting everything else as Raven's voice washed over him…

"It's noon; Cyborg will probably be bringing your lunch soon."

Robin's dream world vanished; he was back in Titans Tower, back in the medical lab, back on the hard bed with its stiff, white sheets. He sighed, opening his once-again masked eyes. His fellow titans had wondered why he insisted on wearing it; they had all seen his eyes, so why bother hiding them? Why? Because the mask covered more than Robin's eyes; it covered his very soul. It kept his deepest secrets hidden from outsiders. Without his mask, he was just Richard Grayson. Without his mask, he was weak.

"We can read a little more after lunch if you want", offered Raven, watching him closely.

"Sure", he mumbled, trying to sound indifferent, but not quite making it.

Raven's lips twitched into a half-smile. She heard a hint of eagerness in his voice; he was enjoying it, even if he never admitted it to her. "All right. I'll see you later, then", she said, taking her empty mug but leaving the book on the bedside table.

"Bye", Robin mumbled. He hated to see her go, even though he knew she was coming back soon. He didn't like to admit it, even to himself, but lately, Raven was the only thing keeping him sane.

"Chow time!" yelled Cyborg, wheeling in a cart with Robin's lunch on it.

Robin peered unenthusiastically at the food; it was meat, all of it: ham, bacon, hamburger patties…Not exactly his cup of tea, but Cyborg's days were much better than Beast Boy's. "If I have to look at one more veggie burger, I'll die!"

"Dig in, Bro!" said the half-robot cheerfully, ignoring the less-than-pleased look on Robin's face. He didn't wait around for him to respond: his leader had barely spoken two words to him all week, so he didn't expect that to change now.

Cyborg left, and, as though it had been waiting for him to be alone, the voice whispered in Robin's ear. "You do realize that they all hate you, don't you, Robin? They're just waiting for the right moment, and when it comes, they'll stab you in the back. No one can be trusted, Robin. They are all against you." "Lies!" screamed Robin. "Why would I lie to you, Robin? I'm your friend. Trust me, Robin." "NO! Leave me alone!" "Oh, but you are alone."

Robin opened his eyes, breathing heavily. He hated the voice; he hated how it seemed to know all his worst fears and doubts. It knew everything about him, and he could never stop it.

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Starfire stared at the ceiling, sighing deeply. She was lying on her bed in her usual position: feet on the pillow and head hanging over the edge.

Star was, believe it or not, depressed. She had done everything she could to help Robin, but for all the response she got, she might as well have not been there.

"Oh, Robin, where have you gone?" …A question she had asked herself many times in the past week.

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"So…do you think maybe we should…do something about Robin?" asked Cyborg tentatively, without looking away from the screen.

"Who?" Beast Boy was furiously pushing buttons on his paddle, leaning to the right, then back to the left, as though hoping this would improve his chance of winning.

They were playing Soul Calibur II, and Nightmare was thoroughly kicking Link's butt.

"That's what you get for choosing a woosy little elf dude!" gloated Cyborg as he smashed Link to the ground, again.

"Hey! Link is so not a woosy! You just pick Nightmare 'cause he has the biggest sword!" Beast Boy was getting ready to use the "my paddle's screwed up" excuse to explain why Cyborg had 55 games on him.

Cyborg suddenly paused the game, turning seriously towards Beast Boy.

"Hey! Dude, turn it back on! I was winning!"

"I'm serious, B. What should we do about Robin?" Cyborg confiscated Beast Boy's paddle and turned off the Game Station.

"Dude! What do I care? You just totally screwed up our game, Cyborg!"

"You were losing anyway, and I think it's pretty lame to put a stupid game before your friend!" Beast Boy was fun and all, but sometimes he could be a real jerk.

"What is there to talk about? Robin's finally cracked, lost it, gone haywire! The only thing to do with him is stick him in an insane asylum!"

"Whoa, what's gotten into you, man? Robin's our friend; doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Wake up, Cyborg!" yelled the green shape-shifter. "Robin talks to voices in his head! He's crazy; we've tried everything and nothing worked!"

It was Cyborg's turn to yell. "That's funny coming from you. Where have you been this whole week? Parked right here, while the rest of us were trying to help him! I'm surprised you even know what's going on!"

"I don't have to deal with this", said Beast Boy, stomping towards the door. "If you want to keep pretending that everything's ok, fine by me, but I'm not going to play along!" He shut the door, kicked it, and stormed off to his room.

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Robin had probably "finished his lunch" by now. Raven sighed, staring at her "Starry Night" poster. He had hardly eaten anything all week. The dark circles under his eyes had been getting steadily darker, suggesting that he was also not sleeping. He was constantly tense, as though waiting for an attack. The only time Raven saw him relax was when she read to him. Something about those words made Robin feel safe, and that is what kept her going, even though Sherlock Holmes was hardly her style, even though everyone else had quit. She was helping him somehow, and knowing that made everything easier to handle.

"Hey, how was your lunch?" Raven asked dryly, staring at the full plate of food sitting on the bedside table.

Robin ignored the question; he was thinking furiously. Maybe Raven could help him. She was something of an expert on this sort of thing. But…could he trust her? Doubt filled his mind: what kind of help would Raven give him?

Robin seemed to be having some sort of inner struggle. A well-placed word or two could make all the difference. "If there's anything you need to talk about, I'm here", she said, her voice soft and soothing.

"She's trying to coax it out of you", hissed the voice. "Don't fall for her sweet words; she just wants a reason to chuck you in an asylum."

"What's there to talk about?" he asked harshly. "Don't pretend you haven't all been talking about it."

"Contradicting himself in one breath; interesting", she thought. "Talking about what?" she asked.

"Don't lie! Stop trying to fake me out! I know what you guys are planning! You can't fool me!" He was breathing fast; glaring at her.

"What are you talking about?" Raven had a feeling that she was getting close to the root of the problem.

He was shaking. "You…You're all against me, you…" His voice trailed off, and then his eyes grew wide. "No. No! That's not true!" he said, quietly at first, but growing in volume. He suddenly screwed up his eyes, as though in pain. "You're wrong", he groaned. "I won't listen to you. NO!" His whole body tensed, every muscle taught…Then, with a gasp, he relaxed, falling back against the pillows, breathing as though he had just run a marathon.

Raven watched all of this, eyes wide and frozen to the spot. She had seen one of, what Cyborg called, "Robin's fits" before, but it was nothing like this. She began to understand all his strange behavior; the pieces were falling into place, but she didn't like the picture that was emerging. As she stared at him, weak and panting on the clean, white hospital bed, something she had been trying to deny clicked into place in her mind: Robin needed help, and the titans couldn't give it to him.

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So there it is, chapter 6. I apologize if I sound mean and heartless, and trust me, there are better things to come…whether or not it gets worse first…well, we'll just have to see. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with chapter 7, although I do know the name: Getting Help…lol if that tells you anything. Later, everybody! -Dusty