5: Shower Scene

Dick looked around him, fascinated, as he was led down the hallway from his new room. While he'd been allowed out briefly for the tests the day before, he had not really taken the time to observe his surroundings. He was kicking himself now. Tati would be so disappointed… But then, Batman would be disappointed in so many things. He was sure it had been a couple months since his disappearance and Dick was still… here… Wherever here was, Dick supposed he had only been 'here' for about a month or less and had been traveling the rest of the time, but Batman should have been able to pick him up while traveling. He was Batman! He had eyes in the sky! Literally!

Never mind the fact that Dick had been kept in trunks and the backs of vans with only brief, quick transfers in uninhabited areas, and maybe a warehouse or two. He didn't really know that for sure as he was blindfolded the whole time, but it felt like a good guess. Then the boat ride had lasted forever, and he honestly had trouble remembering clearly the time before or after it. That was all a blur, including the final transfer to the boat. He knew the box was on a boat, but it was so dark… Maybe he was just imagining it? The Earth could swim, right? He probably wasn't doing too well anyways.

"Hey! Get your head out of the clouds!" The nurse-like-person admonished Dick, giving the teen a fierce shake. Admonished. That was a good word. SAT word. He should remember that one. It might show up. Was there a subtractmonished? Would that be like praised? Oh. When did they stop walking? They were in a tiled room with a hard wooden bench. A few other boys were present with their own personal guard. "Strip!"

'Excuse me?' Dick thought, giving the man the best scandalized look he could manage. Scandalized. That was another great word. He should make a list.

"You heard me! Strip!" The command was empathized by a whack to the back of his head.

Dick flinched and then hesitantly started removing his shirt and pants. He stopped short of his boxers and shivered in the chilly room.

"All of it." Dick flinched once more at the tone and quickly backed away, shaking his head. Implications flew through his mind. His back hit the wall and he quickly curled up, protecting himself. His breathing sped up. "Oh, for the love of-"

"Dick!" Alex's voice broke through the cloud of panic that was rapidly descending upon Dick's brain. "Excuse me." He heard Alex say softer. A second later a smaller hand descended on his shoulder. "Dick, mate, relax. It's just a shower. They're not going to do anything but wash you. By that, I mean they'll shove you in the shower stall, dump soap on you, turn the water on and call it a day. If you snap out of it, they might even let you do it yourself."

A minute later, not really enough time for Dick to really calm down, but enough for him to stop hyper ventilating, the grumbling guard did exactly that. He lifted Dick up, yanking him from Alex's grasp, and threw him in a small shower stall, underwear and all, apparently past the point of caring. Dick scrambled to the feet, but was met by a glob of soap or shampoo or something. The boy whimpered as the man gave him a quick scrub, the quick movements honestly the only thing keeping him upright, and then turned the water on for a couple minutes, washing it all out. With that finished, he was pulled out of the shower and some fresh clothes were shoved onto him before he could find the ability to protest.

"Well, I sort of warned you." Alex's guilty sounding voice said as Dick was shoved towards the door. Dick blinked the soap out of his eyes in order to find Alex and managed to give him a flimsy glare that probably looked pathetic as he lost sight of the older teenager. That was probably the worst shower he'd ever taken, although did it really count as him taking it if he'd pretty much been forcibly washed? Then again, he was sure the nurses in the Target Dump did bed baths, but he had blocked those out. A shower felt different.

He was curled up on his bed under a blanket, crisscrossed with his arms crossed across his chest when Alex returned several minutes later.

Alex gave a light chuckle. "Sorry. I forgot to warn you. We get those every other or every three days. I honestly think it might be Monday, Wednesday, Friday type thing, but haven't been here long enough to know for sure. They don't give us the date or day or anything. It really is guesswork, but that makes the most sense. They'll let you shower yourself or at least give you a bit more time if you don't piss them off."

Dick just glared. Alex threw his hands up in response.

"Okay! Got it! Warn his majesty about other things that might seemed creepy! We have lunch with the other kids, normally, too. Did I tell you that?"

Dick sighed, and relaxed his arms, fiddling with the blanket. Alex relaxed a bit and sank down onto his bed.

"We have class in a bit. You should get ready."

There isn't really a story behind this. I thought of it today. I realized I kind of glossed over hygiene and Dick's mental state (although some signs are there for that) while writing The Medium Between. I might post another chapter later that adds Damian in. He's four, so can't really be treated the same. For one thing, he's too tiny. Anyhow, short tidbit for you guys to enjoy.