Chapter 4

They got her to the med bay as quickly as they could. She had passed out in Beast Boy's arms, but was still shaking. Cyborg hooked her up to all the monitors and started going over her vital signs. Her heart rate had slowed down and she seemed to be breathing normally, but her brain activity was going off the chart. They were glad she was out; with all that was going on she could have destroyed the tower with her powers. Beast Boy hadn't noticed if her powers had been going wild in the woods, but he didn't doubt it.

"So what the heck was she saying when you found her?" asked Robin. They hadn't actually gotten a chance to talk, but now that Raven was safe and secure they could.

"She was going on and on about how everyone is against her and lying to her," said Beast Boy drying off with a towel. "But at first she was screaming that she wasn't evil. Then she suddenly starts saying that we're just using her and that we don't care about her."

"Did she try to attack you or anything?" asked Cyborg.

"No, that's the thing," continued Beast Boy. "She acted as if she didn't even know me. She just kept saying that it was the Teen Titans, she never actually recognized me as Beast Boy."

"I have washed friend Raven and placed her in a clean nightgown that I have found," said Starfire entering.

"Is she awake yet?" asked Robin.

"I am afraid not," said Starfire.

"I'm not sure we want her to wake up," said Beast Boy. "She was acting completely mental out there. I don't know if she'll be herself when she wakes up."

"Well, if she freaks out I have a tranquilizer ready for her," said Cyborg. "It'll keep her calm and it might actually allow us to talk to her and figure out what's going on."

"From what Beast Boy's telling us it sounds like she's schizophrenic," said Robin.

"Please, what does 'schizophrenic' mean?" asked Starfire.

"It means that she's hearing voices inside of her head," said Robin. "Telling her what to do and trying to manipulate her. The question is, why would this happen so suddenly?"

"Maybe it didn't," said Cyborg. "Maybe this has been going on for a while and she just hasn't been tellin us. I mean, BB and I know about all the emotions inside of her head. Maybe everythin's just getting out of control and she can't stop them from talkin to her."

They all looked into the room that held the unconscious Raven. She looked to be simply asleep, like she was dreaming peacefully. The monitors told a different story. Starfire had put her in a black nightgown and covered her with a white blanket. Raven had never looked so pale, and that was saying something.

"Someone should stay with her tonight," said Robin. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it," said Beast Boy.

"You sure, man?" asked Cyborg.

"Yeah, I'm the last person she saw," said Beast Boy. "She may still not remember me, but she may remember one of you. I just think it'll be safer."

"Okay, wake us up if she comes to," said Robin. With that the other three Titans headed off to bed.

Beasts Boy pulled a chair up next to Ravens bed and sat down. He watched her breathe softly, her chest falling and rising like waves in an ocean. Her cheeks were still pink from the cold of the rain and when he touched her hand it was still cold. Her violet hair lay around her pillow in messy knots. Beast Boy had never seen her hair not pin straight. In truth, he had never seen her so fragile, so vulnerable.

The room was quiet but for the sound of the monitors beeping. Beast Boy never liked it when the tower was so quiet. Not even at night. Silence scared him, which might have been the reason he never seemed to stop talking. It wasn't that he had a lot to say, he just didn't want it to grow quiet.

Suddenly Raven began to groan and stir. Beast Boy sat up and moved the chair a little closer to the bed. Raven slowly came around and opened her eyes. She looked around and then caught sight of Beast Boy sitting beside her.

"Beast Boy?" she asked in a soft voice. "What happened?"

"You remember me?" he asked moving closer still.

"Yes," she said in a very hoarse voice. "Where am I?"

"In the med bay," he said. "We found you wandering around the woods outside of the city. You really scared us. Don't you remember?"

"I think so," said Raven, trying to sit up. She grabbed her head and winced. "My head is killing me. Why the heck was I in the woods?" She asked this more to herself than to Beast Boy. She thought for a moment and suddenly it all came flooding back to her. "I was… I was trying to get away from that voice. It felt like it was right on top of me; that I couldn't get away from it. But then it stopped being just a voice. I could feel it consuming me. I entered the woods because I thought it would help clear my mind. But everything from then on is a blur." She closed her eyes and placed her face in her palms. "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know," said Beast Boy. "You were acting pretty nuts out there. You didn't even recognize me."

"No, I did," said Raven putting her hands down. "I just… I just couldn't tell myself that I did. I don't know how to explain it. It was like having amnesia or something. I knew who you were, but at the same time I didn't. Oh, I don't know what's going on." She sighed and lay back on her pillow.

'He thinks you're insane. They all do.'

She sat up and screamed, "No! Not again! Go away!" Then she began to cry.

"Raven, what is it?" asked Beast Boy frantically.

"That stupid voice, it's back. It won't leave me alone!" She tucked her knees up under her chin and cried into them. Everything in the med bay began to shake and cover with a black aura. "I don't want to hear it anymore," she wept.

Beast Boy wasn't sure what to do. So he did what his natural instincts told him to do. He reached out and brought her into a hug. Amazingly, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, tightly.

"Please make it go away," she cried into his chest.

"I promise I will," he said back to her. He had no idea why he said it. Perhaps he just wanted to make her feel better. He didn't want her to be scared anymore. He didn't like to think of Raven as insecure and weak. She was the one person he thought would never break. But here she was; a shadow of her former self. Scared to death and desperate for help. "I'm going to tell the others that you're awake," he said releasing his hug. She only held onto him tighter.

"No, please don't leave me alone," she said looking up at him. Her eyes were glistening with tears and she was beginning to shake again.

"Okay," he said quietly and held her tightly again. "I won't leave you alone."

"Thank you," she said between sobs. "It's just… I don't want it to happen again. I don't want it to trick me. I'm so sick of being tricked." She could barely form the last words through her sobs.

"I will never trick you," he said in a soft and comforting voice. "Never." She held him tighter than ever and even pulled him up into the bed with her. She was so tired and scared. She didn't want to hear that horrid voice again. She wanted to be protected and she really didn't care who would do it. It never even crossed her mind that this was Beast Boy holding her and lying with her. He was someone strong and someone she knew would never lie to her. And that was all she wanted.

The next morning the other three Titans went to check in on Beast Boy and Raven. They figured she was still passed out and that Beast Boy must have been asleep in the chair. What they found, however, was somewhat different. Raven was passed out and Beast Boy was asleep, but they were holding each other in Ravens bed.

"Should we…" started Starfire in a loud voice, but Robin quickly placed his hand over her mouth. Slowly the three backed out and left the two alone.

"Oh God, I hope she woke up at some point," said Cyborg fearing the worst.

"Cyborg, I doubt he just crawled into the bed with her while she was still passed out," said Robin. "I'm sure Raven must have woken up and needed comforting."

"Then she is well, perhaps?" asked Starfire a little hopeful.

"I doubt it," said Cyborg. "But we'll find all of that out today. Let's just let the two sleep in."

"And we're not going to say anything about them sleeping together in each others arms," said Robin.

Cyborg gave a little disappointed groan. "Awe, why not? Do you know how good this is? I can hold this over the two of them for months."

"Raven is obviously not well and the last thing she needs is you blackmailing her," said Robin. "And Beast Boy is just trying to help her, I'm sure, and it would be very unfriendly of you to use this situation for your own benefit." Cyborg sighed and knew that Robin was right, but he hated giving up such a juicy bit of blackmail. "Like I said, we're just going to leave them be and forget about it."

Beast Boy slowly opened his eyes. He wasn't sure where he was for a moment, until he felt someone in his arms. He looked down and saw Raven fast asleep, cuddled up to his chest. He knew he should feel awkward, that this was very wrong that he should get out of there. But something told him to stay. Raven was one of his best friends; he had to make her feel safe.

He laid there for a while, not knowing what else to do. He didn't want to wake her up. He never noticed how small she really was. Now that he was growing taller by the day he could see that she really was petite. He couldn't help smelling her lilac hair that rested just under his nose. This was the scent that he had picked up on the night before in the woods. It was the scent that led him to her. If it wasn't for this smell, they might not have found her in time.

Raven stirred and slowly woke up. She found herself being cradled in someone's strong, soft arms. She pushed away for a second to see who it was. She was mildly surprised to see Beast Boy staring down at her. He gave a small smile and said, "How do you feel?"

She looked around a little more and let the memories of the night before creep back into her mind. "Alright, I guess." She sat up and Beast Boy quickly got up and out of the bed. Now that she was awake he knew that she wouldn't want him being so close to her.

"Did you sleep alright?" he asked adjusting his clothes that had become twisted during the night.

"Yes, actually," said Raven surprised. She looked at him and gave a small smile. It was then that she realized that she was in a nightgown. She grabbed the blankets embarrassed and pulled them up to cover her. "Listen, um, about last night…"

"I know," said Beast Boy with a smile. "You were just upset. It's okay, I won't say anything."

She had never expected him to catch on so quickly. Now she was really surprised. "Uh, thanks. I hope you know that I won't forget this, so I owe you one."

"Come on Raven," he said with a small laugh. "You're my friend and you're sick. You don't owe me anything." Then he thought for a moment. "Well… maybe one round of video games." He grinned and this actually made Raven smile a sarcastic smile. She was so happy he hadn't turned their little night together into anything more.