Disclaimer: See first chapter.
A NEW WAY OF SEEING
Chapter 5
Starfire peeked into Beast Boy's room. He hadn't moved since the last time she checked on him and hour ago. Or the time before that.
He was lying on his bed, still as a board, and staring at the ceiling.
Except that he couldn't see the ceiling.
Forcing a smile to her face, she entered the room, careful not to tip the tray she carried. "Hello, Beast Boy," she said brightly with a cheerful smile plastered to her face. She knew he couldn't see her, but she was certain that her voice would reveal a frown.
He made no response as she set the tray on the table Cyborg had positioned next to the bed. "I have acquired some food for you," she said, feeling a little less cheerful. "Soy milk and soup," she continued when he didn't reply. "It is Cream of Mushroom. Your favorite." The only move he made was to blink.
Starfire bit her lip in attempt to hold back her tears. "Oh, please, Beast Boy. You must nourish yourself." She picked up the spoon, filled it with soup, and tried to ladle some into his mouth.
He finally reacted.
Starfire gasped and jumped back when his arm shot out to slap her hand away.
"I'm not an invalid," he growled, half-sitting up and glaring in her general direction. "I can feed myself."
Starfire picked the fallen spoon up off the floor and placed it on the table. "I'll... come back for the bowl," she said as she left.
The other Titans were waiting for her in the living room. "How is he?" asked Cyborg from the couch.
Starfire thought a moment before answering. "I think, perhaps, he is getting better. He told me that he is not invalid and would not allow me to offer assistance in feeding him."
Robin looked heartened. "He finally spoke?"
Starfire nodded and joined him and Cyborg on the couch. Cyborg sighed and closed his eyes. "It's been a long time."
"Two months," Robin elaborated. "And he hasn't said a word until now."
Raven listened from the kitchen table. Two months. Even after the doctor said he would live, maybe even get his eyesight back eventually, she had been worried. Worried that he would die anyway. Not because of his injuries, but because he had lost the will to live. For the past two months, he had rarely left his bed. And then only when Robin or Cyborg dragged him out of it so he could bathe and relieve himself.
Everyone except Raven had been taking turn bringing him food, helping—sometimes forcing—him to eat it.
But this was the first time he had done anything that he hadn't been forced into. Maybe he was getting better. But...
She wouldn't let herself think about it.
Finally, Raven shut the book she wasn't reading and left the room. If there was one thing to keep her from thinking, it was meditation.
The other Titans watched Raven leave. "Do you think... will Raven be alright, as well?" Starfire wondered aloud.
Robin shook his head. "I don't know. She's been taking it pretty hard." No one had to ask what it was.
"Perhaps, when Beast Boy gets better, she will, too."
"Maybe." Robin glanced at Starfire's calf. "How's you're leg?"
"It is fine. I told you: Tamaranian bones heal very quickly." The cast had been removed after only a week.
"Perhaps someone should speak to her," Starfire said, bringing the conversation back to Raven. "She is still very upset. She will become ill if these humors are not released somehow."
Robin stood up. "I'll go."
A knock on her door interrupted Raven's meditation. "Go away," she said.
"Raven?" Robin entered the room. "Are you okay?"
"What part of 'go away' did you not understand?"
"Raven, we're worried about you. You're still upset. Maybe if you talk about it—"
Raven turned her head to look at him. "Stop trying to get me to talk," she said firmly. "You're always trying to get me to talk nowadays. Just like—" Raven stopped and turned away.
"Raven," Robin began sympathetically, "it wasn't your fault."
"Yes it was," she whispered.
"How? You didn't push him off the cliff."
Raven shut her eyes tightly as tidal waves of memories crashed over her. "It wasn't luck that he survived," she began.
Robin blinked confusedly. "What?"
Raven continued as if he hadn't spoken. "After I saw him fall, I dug him out. But I was too late. He was badly injured; crushed bones, punctured lungs, internal injuries. His organs were bleeding so badly."
Robin was speechless. "How... how did you know?" he asked when he got his voice back.
Raven held up her hands and looked at them. "Some of my powers are for healing. I could see his injuries. I could see..." She closed her eyes and fought for control. "I knew he was dying. He needed help. Badly. So I did what I could. But it wasn't enough.
"I went through his whole body. I healed anything that was fatal, then anything else I could find.
"But I ran out of energy before I could get it all. I knew he would live, though. I thought it would be enough."
"It was," Robin said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You did more than anyone would have expected."
"No I didn't!" She jerked away from him. "I didn't even check his head for injuries. His entire skull could have been crushed, and I would not have known!" The comedy-tragedy masks statue by he door exploded. Robin covered himself with his cape so the pieces wouldn't cut him.
Drained of her rage, Raven collapsed into a chair. "So, you see, it really is my fault."
Robin sighed. She seemed determined to blamed herself. "Even if you didn't save his sight, you did save his life. That more than makes up for anything you think you're to blame for." He patted her shoulder lightly before walking to the door. "And I know Beast Boy feels the same."
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A NEW WAY OF SEEING
Chapter 5
Starfire peeked into Beast Boy's room. He hadn't moved since the last time she checked on him and hour ago. Or the time before that.
He was lying on his bed, still as a board, and staring at the ceiling.
Except that he couldn't see the ceiling.
Forcing a smile to her face, she entered the room, careful not to tip the tray she carried. "Hello, Beast Boy," she said brightly with a cheerful smile plastered to her face. She knew he couldn't see her, but she was certain that her voice would reveal a frown.
He made no response as she set the tray on the table Cyborg had positioned next to the bed. "I have acquired some food for you," she said, feeling a little less cheerful. "Soy milk and soup," she continued when he didn't reply. "It is Cream of Mushroom. Your favorite." The only move he made was to blink.
Starfire bit her lip in attempt to hold back her tears. "Oh, please, Beast Boy. You must nourish yourself." She picked up the spoon, filled it with soup, and tried to ladle some into his mouth.
He finally reacted.
Starfire gasped and jumped back when his arm shot out to slap her hand away.
"I'm not an invalid," he growled, half-sitting up and glaring in her general direction. "I can feed myself."
Starfire picked the fallen spoon up off the floor and placed it on the table. "I'll... come back for the bowl," she said as she left.
The other Titans were waiting for her in the living room. "How is he?" asked Cyborg from the couch.
Starfire thought a moment before answering. "I think, perhaps, he is getting better. He told me that he is not invalid and would not allow me to offer assistance in feeding him."
Robin looked heartened. "He finally spoke?"
Starfire nodded and joined him and Cyborg on the couch. Cyborg sighed and closed his eyes. "It's been a long time."
"Two months," Robin elaborated. "And he hasn't said a word until now."
Raven listened from the kitchen table. Two months. Even after the doctor said he would live, maybe even get his eyesight back eventually, she had been worried. Worried that he would die anyway. Not because of his injuries, but because he had lost the will to live. For the past two months, he had rarely left his bed. And then only when Robin or Cyborg dragged him out of it so he could bathe and relieve himself.
Everyone except Raven had been taking turn bringing him food, helping—sometimes forcing—him to eat it.
But this was the first time he had done anything that he hadn't been forced into. Maybe he was getting better. But...
She wouldn't let herself think about it.
Finally, Raven shut the book she wasn't reading and left the room. If there was one thing to keep her from thinking, it was meditation.
The other Titans watched Raven leave. "Do you think... will Raven be alright, as well?" Starfire wondered aloud.
Robin shook his head. "I don't know. She's been taking it pretty hard." No one had to ask what it was.
"Perhaps, when Beast Boy gets better, she will, too."
"Maybe." Robin glanced at Starfire's calf. "How's you're leg?"
"It is fine. I told you: Tamaranian bones heal very quickly." The cast had been removed after only a week.
"Perhaps someone should speak to her," Starfire said, bringing the conversation back to Raven. "She is still very upset. She will become ill if these humors are not released somehow."
Robin stood up. "I'll go."
A knock on her door interrupted Raven's meditation. "Go away," she said.
"Raven?" Robin entered the room. "Are you okay?"
"What part of 'go away' did you not understand?"
"Raven, we're worried about you. You're still upset. Maybe if you talk about it—"
Raven turned her head to look at him. "Stop trying to get me to talk," she said firmly. "You're always trying to get me to talk nowadays. Just like—" Raven stopped and turned away.
"Raven," Robin began sympathetically, "it wasn't your fault."
"Yes it was," she whispered.
"How? You didn't push him off the cliff."
Raven shut her eyes tightly as tidal waves of memories crashed over her. "It wasn't luck that he survived," she began.
Robin blinked confusedly. "What?"
Raven continued as if he hadn't spoken. "After I saw him fall, I dug him out. But I was too late. He was badly injured; crushed bones, punctured lungs, internal injuries. His organs were bleeding so badly."
Robin was speechless. "How... how did you know?" he asked when he got his voice back.
Raven held up her hands and looked at them. "Some of my powers are for healing. I could see his injuries. I could see..." She closed her eyes and fought for control. "I knew he was dying. He needed help. Badly. So I did what I could. But it wasn't enough.
"I went through his whole body. I healed anything that was fatal, then anything else I could find.
"But I ran out of energy before I could get it all. I knew he would live, though. I thought it would be enough."
"It was," Robin said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You did more than anyone would have expected."
"No I didn't!" She jerked away from him. "I didn't even check his head for injuries. His entire skull could have been crushed, and I would not have known!" The comedy-tragedy masks statue by he door exploded. Robin covered himself with his cape so the pieces wouldn't cut him.
Drained of her rage, Raven collapsed into a chair. "So, you see, it really is my fault."
Robin sighed. She seemed determined to blamed herself. "Even if you didn't save his sight, you did save his life. That more than makes up for anything you think you're to blame for." He patted her shoulder lightly before walking to the door. "And I know Beast Boy feels the same."
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