Jason had been sitting by Hailey's bedside to keep her company. She hadn't left her room since she'd been brought back from the hospital. She refused to speak or eat. Though saying refused meant she was doing so willingly. She simply was unresponsive to any suggestions or questions or any words whatsoever. Leslie has stopped by the manor after the second day Hailey refused liquids or solids of any kind and hooked her up to an IV. She was adamant that Hailey needed psychiatric treatment. Bruce didn't think they had to go so far. Hailey simply needed time to process what had happened he told Leslie.
So far they only knew half the story, the other half. The student body's half. Students that were not Hailey's friends. The teachers said they hadn't noticed anything. The cafeteria staff mentioned that Hailey was harassed and pointed out a specific girl in Hailey's class that they constantly overheard gossiping about the quiet, polite girl.
When Bruce mentioned what the cafeteria staff had disclosed to Hailey's teachers only one teacher came forth with the name of the girl in question. Britney Cunningham. She was one of the girls who'd been locked in the bathroom with Hailey. Or by Hailey. How that had happened no one would say. Britney and the other four girls said that Hailey went crazy and attacked them. But they wouldn't say anything else. According to cafeteria staff, Hailey had been the one who was targeted. One of the boys that was always at Britney's hip upended his and the others' lunches on her person. Hailey reacted by standing up suddenly. She glared at the boy meanwhile everyone was laughing at her. The boy shrunk back from her and Hailey left the cafeteria at a brisk walking pace. Only a minute later Britney and her friends followed her. It didn't take a genius to know that they only followed to further harass Hailey and that her attack towards them wasn't unwarranted. Bruce wasn't going to leave any stone unturned. And the science teacher who had both Hailey and Britney in his class was being very helpful.
According to Mr. Ludwig, Britney had been very angry that Hailey scored a perfect score on a test that all her other classmates including Britney barely scored anything higher than a B average. Normally, Mr. Ludwig used a curve scale when students struggled with a unit. But since Hailey scored a perfect score he couldn't do that. Which made Britney's grade point average drop. And she accused Hailey of cheating. But Mr. Ludwig was aware that Hailey knew the material inside and out. Hailey was the only one who didn't have trouble with her homework assignments on that unit. Mr. Ludwig spoke to her prior to the test to find out how it was possible that she understood the lesson so well. Hailey mentioned that she had a tutor who helped her understand the topic. A certain Mr. Allen who was the uncle of one of her brother's college friends. Mr. Ludwig was impressed that she took his class so seriously. So when the accusation was hurled carelessly, Mr. Ludwig easily waved the accusation away. He hadn't realized that any other incident involving Hailey was in relation to Britney's test score. Once he thought about what could have led to the bathroom incident, it was very clear to him what the catalyst had been. He didn't think Hailey would have it in her to just snap out of the blue as everyone was implying. He believed that Hailey was simply defending herself.
Bruce wasn't a stupid man. The media made him out to be but he was far more cunning than anyone ever expected him to be. And so armed with Mr. Ludwig's explanation of what might have lead to the fallout, he quickly contacted his lawyers and had them begin an investigation starting with Britney's friends who forced to speak by their respective parents with the promise that Bruce Wayne would not press charges unless they told they told the truth, spilled everything. Hailey had been the victim of bullying. Britney was expelled from the Academy and forced to begin therapy. The others did not get off easy, they were suspended and forced to do community work. The school apologized for not having caught the bullying ahead of time and any and all previous grievances towards Hailey were retracted and expunged. But Bruce was aware that everything he did wouldn't change how Hailey felt about the incident. She closed herself off once again. He thought it best to give her time. He hoped that she would once again be strong enough to pull herself free from the torments of her own mind.
"The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still. 'I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow—!'"
"That's not what he says!" Hailey blurted out cutting off Jason's voice as he read from Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring.
Jason chuckled. "How do you know? I'm the one reading the book."
Jason couldn't help grinning as he looked at Hailey's exasperated face. He was very happy to see her being herself. That she'd finally snapped out of whatever it was that was keeping her from interacting with anyone.
Hailey sniffed and looked away towards the window. "You can't just throw in a line from The Three Little Pigs and not expect me to notice," Hailey said.
"Is that what I did?" Jason said redolent of innocence.
"You've been doing it a lot," Hailey said looking at him. "You mix up character names and quotes and stuff."
"So, you've been paying attention?" Jason said closing the book and putting it aside. He leaned forward, arms on his knees and hands clasped.
"Yeah," Hailey said and nodded. "But promise not to say anything. I don't want to go back to school."
Jason smiled wider and sat up. He knew he'd seen a flicker of emotion here and there while he read to her. He just wasn't sure what would make her finally say something. But man, she was a good actress. He'd have to give her back.
"Plus, I'm starving," she said and laid a hand on her stomach just as it made a very loud and long growling sound.
Jason started to laugh and stood up heading for the door. He looked back to see Hailey covering her face with her hands. Embarrassment forcing her to want to hide. He laughed again and told her he'd be back with food.
Hailey wasn't alone for long. Alfred waltzed in with broth and tea with Jason who was looking a little hangdog. And Hailey once more took on a stoic expression. Even though her stomach growled at the smell of food, her expression remained the same and her eyes were fixed at some point in oblivion.
"I caught this young man trying to fix you something to eat, Miss Hailey," Alfred said eyeing the girl and ignoring the fact that she was ignoring him. He'd had plenty of practice with children who ignored him that he didn't take it personally. "But since you haven't eaten anything solid for days on end, I'm afraid the only thing your stomach can take is broth. I also brought you some tea. In a couple of hours, I'll bring you a little more and after that, we shall try something more solid."
Alfred placed a warm hand on Hailey's head and sighed.
"I do wish you'd speak up. We only want the best for you," Alfred told her. "I'm willing to speak for Master Bruce to say that he's beside himself in worry. If there's anything you need, we'll gladly fetch it for you. For now, eat your broth, dear. I'll leave you in Jason's care because heaven knows neither of you cares for the company of an old man."
"Aww, Alfie," Jason said. "You know it's not like that. But I'm just reading to her. Boring stuff really."
"Very well," Alfred said making his way to the door. "Carry on."
As soon as Alfred was out the door, Hailey was scarfing down the broth.
"Jesus, Hals. Slow down before you barf," Jason told her.
"I told ya I was hungry," Hailey said putting down the empty bowl and wiping her mouth. She suddenly felt really tired and her belly was sloshy with soup. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes as she snuggled under the covers.
Jason scratched his head as he looked at her. Maybe she hadn't been acting at all.
"Hals," Jason said sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping a hand around one of her ankles. He squeezed it a little when she hummed in response. "What happened? You know, at school."
Hailey let out a long exasperated sigh. She squirmed until she was completely under the covers and then told him that what happened in the cafeteria and the girls' bathroom. Though she didn't tell him about the rumors or anything that would involve Jason or that the bullying had started some time before. Right when Jason's arm had been broken. But when he asked what prompted all that, she shrugged and even though he couldn't see her, he understood that she wasn't going to tell him.
"I don't want to go back to school," Hailey said quietly. "Not because of what happened." She uncovered her head and looked at him. "I just don't like it there. Those kids are different from me. I miss my old school. My friends. Everything was smaller and homey like going to the park and feeling calm and knowing you could run and scream and laugh. You know? Here, everything is like, I don't know, going into a museum and not being able to touch anything or make any noise cause the security guard will throw you out. I just, I don't know."
Jason sighed and squeezed her ankle.
"I'm sorry," he told her quietly.
"For what?"
"I'm the one who brought you here."
"What? No, you didn't."
"Hailey look at me," Jason said and Hailey held herself up with an elbow as she looked at him. "I was there that night. I was the one who brought you here. I'm Robin."
Hailey looked at him for a beat then frowned. She remembered that night like it was a weird dream. But Robin, she remembered him clearly. His voice. And she whimpered a little before she hugged him.
"Hals?"
Then she started to cry. And she didn't know why she was crying. But she wasn't sad. All she knew was that Jason felt bad for having brought her to the manor and she hated that she'd made him feel that way. Life in the manor wasn't so bad. And there was no one that was mean to her like her stepmother had been. It was just that she missed Mrs. Suarez and her old school and the friends she'd had in her old school. She sniffed and took in a breath as Jason squeezed her to his chest.
"Why are you crying?"
Hailey started to laugh a little. Then shook her head snuffling again.
"I don't know. But if you're Robin and you were there that night, you helped save me," Hailey said softly and added, "My stepmom wasn't such a nice person. Bruce and Alfred are very nice. And when you're not being a jerk I like you too."
Jason chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"I feel stupid for not knowing that was you that night," Hailey said and sighed. The last of her tears drying up. "So is that why you disappear all the time and how you broke your arm and all the bruises and why you could do the things you do?"
Jason grinned as he pulled her back at arm's length and looked at her. She had asked all those questions in a rush. But instead of answering them he simply nodded because the answer was the same for all of them.
"That makes a lot more sense," Hailey said and looked down. Then she looked at him again. "Does Bruce know?"
Jason frowned a little but then he nodded.
Hailey frowned too but for a very different reason. Because now she'd sort of guessed what they'd been arguing about. Not that she was certain it had actually happened since she always thought those arguments she heard were sort of dream induced. But if they were, then they were probably arguing about him being Robin. But she couldn't understand why Bruce would be against it. Wasn't Robin like a superhero? Wasn't that a good thing?
"Can I ask you something?" Hailey told him and lay back down. She pulled the blanket to her chin and closed her eyes.
"What is it?"
"Since you're Robin," she said sleepily. "Can you check on Mrs. Suarez? I haven't seen her since the funeral and I want to know if she still remembers me. You don't have to. I know it's stupid. But I kinda miss her."
Jason squeezed her ankle again.
"Yeah, I could do that. Now get some sleep, okay?" Jason said with a slight frown.
"Mmm-hmm."
