I Do Not Own Teen Titans or Young Justice
Hospital Visits…
He was the second son, the screw up. And he was very used to and very accustomed to being seen that way. It was hard not to feel that way when you stacked him up against all his siblings.
There was Richard 'Dick' Grayson-Wayne, the acrobat who Bruce Wayne had adopted after witnessing Dick's parent's horrible demise. Dick was an instant favorite, with Thomas and Martha, and with Bruce, and Bruce's first wife Talia al Ghul. Also, Dick was perfect, not that Jason resented that, no, Jason just accepted that some people had all the luck in life. Dick was one of those people.
He was the second son, he'd been taken in by the family butler; suiting he supposed, after trying to steal the Rolls Royce's hubcaps when Alfred had parked in Crime Alley outside of Leslie Thompkins' clinic. In his defense no one should park a car that fancy in Crime Alley and expect it to leave in one piece. Yeah, the street rat had been dragged into the life of luxury and though he tried his damnedest to make Bruce proud of him. But a part of Jason knew the only one really wanted him in that house was Alfred. Thomas and Martha Wayne hadn't had much to do with him, Dick had been going through a teen phase, and Talia and Bruce were planning the nursery. It wasn't until a few years later that he obtained Bruce's attentions, and then Bruce and he clashed, a lot, when Jason had become a teen and started dabbling in street races, fights, and trouble, but it wasn't until he started getting in trouble that he had mattered. Before then Jason was just sort of there.
The next kid to come into the family was Cassandra Cain-Wayne, she was a sweet kid, but a mute for the most part. Bruce had picked her up one day, seen her father hit her and just scopped her up and brought her home after getting Cain arrested. His grandmother absolutely adored Cass, as did his grandfather. Talia even liked having a daughter, and Dick clearly preferred a sister to him. And while he liked Cass, he was a bit jealous of her and how easily the family had taken to her.
Talia gave birth to Damian Wayne, a baby who everyone instantly adored and the world held bright promises for. Even Jason would admit the kid was cute; then he'd gotten teeth and an entitled rich brat attitude after the divorce Bruce and Talia dragged him through when he was five. Poor kid was miserable; but Damian could do no wrong, not in the eyes of the al Ghuls or the Waynes.
Bruce took in a friend's son; Timothy Drake, a year after Damian was born. Tim's parents had been friends of the Waynes and died in a car accident. Naturally everyone doted on Tim and took him in, not coddling him, but adoring him. He was intelligent, savvy, and pretty cool; but a total rich kid with the act to go with it. Jason hung out in the garage and had started tinkering with the family cars and learning to cook from Alfred.
Jason was used to family drama from the Waynes, however never had there been a bigger fight in the Wayne house than the adoption of Stephanie Brown. Honestly, Jason felt bad for the kid, it wasn't her choice to come from a bad home, and it wasn't like she'd asked be here. Tim had brought her home, and she was staying. She picked up life in the Manor pretty quickly though, and even she became a proper Wayne in the eyes of Gotham.
Bruce's second wife was alright, Jason liked Selina but he honestly was more interested in the drag races than what was going on with Bruce's love life or family drama.
However, when Selina had Helena Wayne a year into her marriage to Bruce, Jason knew he was never going to have a proper place in the family. His father, or the man who had taken him in, ordered him to put Helena down one night, but it ws the look of fear in Bruce's eyes which told Jason he wasn't familya. Jason come home early from a race, Stephanie and Tim were out with friends, Damian at a sleep over with the Kents, Dick was probably banging Barbra Gordon somewhere, and Cass had had a ballet performance, Alfred had been out of town dealing with his family, Thomas and Martha were out of country for a vacation, Bruce was God knew where, and Selina was sound asleep and sick. NO ONE had been home to take care of a crying, screaming, hungry, soiled Helena; then he'd come home and found her. Naturally he'd cleaned her up, given her a bathe, a fresh diaper, and a bottle before reading the Count of Monte Cristo to her as he paced her around her nursery until she was sound asleep and drooling on his shoulder.
The look on Bruce's face just sort of proved to Jason he didn't belong here as Bruce took his daughter and Jason had stepped back. That weekend he looked up colleges in Europe to escape, he hadn't ever been able to fit the mold of a Wayne and he was likely never going to. Especially when Christmas came around and Selina announced she was pregnant again. Talia had shown up in a raging fit, and Dick had announced that he was going to film school, while Tim spoke of MIT, Stephanie had been accepted into her private school, Cass was going to Juilliard, and Damian had been enrolled in the finest school there was. Jason didn't make a big fuss as he went about applying to the schools which would get him away from the Waynes.
He really didn't belong.
Alfred helped him get accepted to a university in England, and even arranged for Jason to meet his family. Jason just accepted that Alfred was more family than the Waynes and left Gotham for good.
Perhaps it was because he never fit that drew attention to him, or perhaps it was the fact he was the black sheep in the Wayne family, or perhaps it was simply because of the natural white streak in his hair, but everyone looked at him funny. He settled on Mechanical Engineering as his major and English Literature as his minor; odd picks but he liked his books.
He received a letter with a picture of the entire Wayne family in a hospital room that fall with Selina holding the newest Wayne; Terry. Jason felt a pang at not being in the photo; especially when he saw it was a formal birth announcement and not just a family portrait.
It was in deciding this which had him meeting the oddest, American, girl; she wasn't quiet goth but she wasn't casual either. They shared three classes together and frequented the same library. They also shared a table at the library but hadn't spoken a single word to the other; it was a kind of mutual truce. Silence.
Their mutual companionship in the library slowly extended to the quad sophomore year. That was the year he introduced himself, and she introduced herself.
Rachel 'Raven' Roth, she was from San Francisco, not a goth, majoring in English Literature and World History with minors in Philosophy and Theology. They became fast friends, he got a job as a mechanic at a local garage and he saw her working at a café in the city. They didn't talk all that often, just spent time around one another, Raven wasn't much of a talker, and while he could talk he never seemed to have much to say to her. However, they got along pretty well, and he liked her company. At least, their thing was undisrupted until Jason met Donna Troy, a princess of Themyscira. Raven disappeared for a bit after Donna started coming around, at first he didn't think anything of it. At least, not until he had returned from Christmas break and he Raven was nowhere to be found.
Raven returned after New Years, she looked a bit paler, darker bruises beneath her eyes, and a bit more fragile, but she smiled that ghost smile of hers' at him and said he should ask Donna out. He was a Wayne; even if only by adoption, and Donna was a princess, they would be a royal couple. Jason didn't agree or comply with Raven's suggestion.
As it turned out a week before Valentine's Day sort of shot all of his peace to hell when a huffy princess stalked into the library where he was reading, and Raven was sitting opposite of him, slammed her books down and demanded to know why he hadn't asked her out yet. Raven covered for him saying he'd planned on doing it tomorrow, and then she was gone and he had a date with Donna Troy.
A date turned into a relationship, and as he was labeled as the official 'Prince' for Donna he noticed a lot of odd things about his only American friend. Raven was vanishing more and more frequently, she was paler than usual and when she did show up she had a case of racoon eyes if he ever saw it; even with her wearing cover up, also she seemed… weak.
It was towards the end of the semester when he'd been putting the books back after a cram session with Raven that she collapsed. He'd panicked and called for an ambulance.
Donna had met him at the hospital, and as he waited for news on if Raven was even alright, he found himself wanting to call Bruce. For the first time in over a year he wanted to hear his foster father's voice calm him down from the panic he felt clawing at his chest. Donna left him when she noticed that she'd attract publicity, he stubbornly waited where he was.
It was when the doctor came out into the waiting room that he stood and demanded to know how his friend was. He got nothing from the man, but Jason wasn't leaving until he was certain Raven was alright.
He ended up camping out in the waiting room for about four days, the staff shooed him off occasionally, he'd usually end up across the street for a hot meal but he haunted their hospital. Donna sending her butler with clean clothes for him. It was on the fourth day when the doors had been thrown open and a giant of a man stormed in that Jason actually froze. It was Victor Stone, the number one coming draft pick for pro football, and he looked scared.
"I'm here about Rachel! Rachel Roth! I got a call saying she was here!" Victor said at the front desk and Jason walked up to the man as he was put on hold.
"You know Raven?" Jason asked.
"Dude! That's my sister! Not really my sister, but she's like my sister!" Victor filled in quickly.
"I'm Jason Todd, I found her when she collapsed, they haven't let me see her," Jason rushed.
"You're that Jason! Thank you!" Jason gasped as he was pulled into a bone crushing hug then and he gasped as the larger man seemed to crush the air out of his lungs.
"I just… Thank you man! You have no idea what… God, thank you!" Victor sobbed.
"Mr. Stone, I'm Dr. Avery, I've been treating Miss Roth," a doctor announced. Jason stood by Victor and Victor had a massive hand firmly clasped on his shoulder.
"How is she!?" Victor demanded.
"She's awake, she's asked to see you, and said if Mr. Todd was still here he could come as well," the doctor said.
Jason trembled a bit in relief as he walked with Victor through the hospital until they came to a patient room. Raven's small form was propped up in the masses of pillows, she was shivering, had a purple beaning on her head, and her paler than normal self looked like a single touch would have her shattering. Honestly she looked like a fragile little bird when she turned her huge dark eyes on them and weakly smiled.
"Hey Vic," she chattered. Victor was beside her in a second as he pulled the blanket up and Raven looked at him. "Hey Jason."
"You scared the hell out of me, explain," he stated as he pulled up a chair beside the bed where Victor was sitting. God she was so fucking small.
"Leukemia," she answered weakly.
"Rae… you said it was in remission," Victor sighed. Raven trembled more, Jason tugged his jacket off as he draped it over her.
"I'm sorry," she chattered, looking so small and vulnerable.
"Why didn't you call?" Victor demanded.
"I didn't want to screw up your draft chances," she looked down at her lap and Jason noticed then her dark hair was completely gone.
"Rae," Victor sighed. "This is more important."
"It wasn't that important, the wig was warm, and I paid for most the treatments with my savings," Raven chattered.
"Not the point," Victor snapped.
"How long?" Jason demanded sharply cutting off Victor's arguments.
"October," she shivered. "I thought it was fatigue from work and studying, then the bruises started again, I checked myself in again. It's back."
"Rae," Victor sighed again.
"Why didn't you tell him, or me?" Jason demanded.
"I didn't want to trouble you," Raven shivered. Victor was now dropping a jacket on her.
"Well that stops now, I've got my degree, I'll get a job, move here," Victor started. Raven weakly shook her head and Jason sighed.
"There's no point, it's too aggressive this time," she whispered.
"Raven…" Victor looked ready to burst into tears and Jason touched her shoulder lightly; genuinely worried he'd break her.
"It's alright Victor. I got borrowed time," she smiled meekly. "And the best friends I could ask for, and we all knew you'd be the one to beat it. It was only a matter of time."
"Rae, shut up," Victor teared up.
"It's alright Victor. Just… don't bury me, please, I want… I want to be in the ocean, not in a box in the ground," Raven sighed.
"Shut up, don't talk that way! Kori and Gar wouldn't want you to talk like that! You have to fight," Victor snapped at her. Jason was out of his chair as he yanked out his phone and hurried into the hall. He dialed a number he'd been too stubborn to even look at as he waited patiently for an answer.
It was by the third ring that he got a tired answer.
"Hello?"
"I need a favor, I'll do whatever you want, I'll even leave you guys alone completely but for the love of God Bruce I need help!" he panicked as he dragged a hand through his hair and slid down the hospital wall, tears welling up as he remembered his mother fighting cancer.
"Jay? What's wrong?" Bruce asked now more awake.
"I… you have to save her, she's great, she loves classic literature and tea, she's a world history major, minoring in philosophy and theology, she's… she's fucking sunshine Bruce! She doesn't deserve to die and she's… please! I will do whatever you want, but please," Jason was pleaded as he fought back the sobs then.
"Jason, what's the problem?"
Jason found himself stating what he knew, and begging. Bruce said he'd get back to him and hung up. Shakily Jason got to his feet again as he stumbled into the room and looked at Raven who was sleeping now burrowed beneath the jackets and blankets, shivering still and Victor looked up at him with sad eyes.
"My mom, she… she died of cancer, and heroin, but the cancer's what did her in," Jason said softly as he sat again and stared at Raven. "I… I missed it with Raven, but it's the same, different but the same."
"Not surprising," Victor said in a harsh, emotionally strangled tone. "Raven hid it well, she did it for Kori and Gar, but… I could see it. She puts on the brave front, she will hide it, and make certain no one sees it or hears it, acts like it isn't there, and then it attacks and she… she collapses," Victor sobbed the last part.
"Kori and Gar?"
"Yeah, we… we met at a cancer hospital, I had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Kori, we called her Starfire, she had leukemia, like Rae, and Gar, little Garfield, he had a terminal brain tumor. We... we were the terminal kids, we weren't going to make it, but we fought. Garfield was the first to go, he went quick, he was my best friend, only thirteen. Kori passed away when she was seventeen, we thought she beat it, she'd gone into remission for six months, it came back and it hit her so hard she just… faded. Raven and I were the only two left, Raven's been fighting since she was fourteen. She's family man," Victor was sobbing by the end of his statement.
"She can't die, she can't, she was beating it, she can't fucking die!" Victor was sobbing and Jason put a hesitant hand on the stranger's shoulder for support as his own tears slipped his guard.
"She… she told me about you," Victor sniffled after a while. "She… Rae's never been good with making friends, give her a book and she's gone. But you… you were different. God man, the first time she told me about you she was so damned annoyed that another person had the audacity to sit at her library table with her that she was raging for hours. Then it became a war of wills, she thought… she thought you were trying to intimidate her, told me you were a real scary kind of guy. By Christmas she had decided you were a friend, God I couldn't stop laughing. Told me you two hadn't spoken a word at one another but you were her friend.
"You… you have no idea how grateful I am that she met you."
"She was good to me as well, I never had many friends," Jason admitted softly.
"Mind sitting with her, I don't want her alone, but she's going to freeze to death if I don't get supplies," Victor sobered up as he scrubbed his face.
"Go," Jason waved off. "Hey, here, here's my number, call if you need something and can't find it."
"Thanks, here's my number, if I'm not back when she wakes call me, I… I don't want to lose more time with her than I already have," Victor muttered as he leaned over and kissed Raven's brow before he was gone. Jason just sat against the bed railing, he toyed with her fingers gently and he stared at the face of a girl who was his friend. He must have fallen asleep holding her hand because he woke with her prying weakly at his fingers.
"Hey," he whispered, and she blearily looked at him.
"Your palm's sweaty," she muttered.
"Sorry," he released her hand and then picked up the number Victor had left him and his phone before dialing it.
"You think she'd want wool socks or fuzzy socks?" Victor asked seriously.
"Ask her yourself, she's awake," he handed her the phone, Raven looked so confused then smiled as Victor started talking. Jason just stood up to stand in the hall as he tried to breath. God he'd kill for a smoke right now.
Victor showed up hours later, his arms full of stuff; hospital essetials he said. Raven was sitting up wrapped up in Jason's leather jacket and she just smiled as Victor and Jason unpacked the bags. Victor had gone so far as to make a fashion show for Raven of the thousand scarves, and hats he'd bought her. Jason had laughed with Raven. Before they were forced to leave that night Raven was securely wrapped up in a pile of warm, if somewhat mismatched fleece blankets, an electric blanket, wearing at least two pairs of fuzzy socks, and a beanie from Victor's college, with a walkie talkie in hand.
"Call if you need something Rae, I'll be back in the morning," Victor assured her as he left her wrapped up n sweatshirts blankets, socks, and had a pile of new books lining her bed.
"Thanks Vic," she yawned.
"Love you girl," Victor promised with a kiss on her brow and Jason stood there quietly.
"You don't… you don't have to come," Raven said quietly.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised as he waved her off, afraid to touch her since the hand he'd held earlier was slightly bruised.
"Kay, tomorrow," she yawned as she rested in the pillows, and blankets. Walking out Jason heard victor arguing with a hotel.
"Hey," Jason jogged up to the older man.
"Huh?"
"It's late, I got a pull out couch, you can stay at my place tonight," Jason said.
"Seriously? We don't know each other," Victor pointed out.
"I know, but… Rae was my first friend here, and you're her family, it's fair," Jason reasoned.
"Yeah, thanks man, you close to the hospital?"
"Just a stop away," Jason admitted as he stuffed his hands in his jacket and walked with the giant.
"Thanks for doing this, you… you have no idea what that girl means to me," he murmured.
"I get it," Jason assured him. The trip to Jason's flat was silent, Jason quickly texted Donna that he'd be having a guest and that he'd be at the hospital a lot, Donna texted back saying that was fine which thoroughly pissed Jason off. It wasn't fine, but that was not an argument he was having with the princess over texts.
"Thanks man," Victor repeated once they had set the bed up.
"Yeah, I wish I could do more," Jason admitted.
"Man, I wish she'd told me," Victor looked ready to cry again but Jason just nodded. He got it, he wished Raven had spoken up as well, said she was sick rather than hiding it.
"Get some sleep, we'll take Raven breakfast tomorrow," Victor decided.
"We will?"
"She doesn't eat feasts or food like this man, but she's got a soft spot for peanut butter and bananas, and the peanut butter sort of helps her from looking like a starved holocaust survivor," Victor said.
"Kay, we'll get it at the market in the morning," Jason agreed.
"Good, oh, and she will like movies, shit like Minions and Deadpool, you know, stuff to make you laugh, and stuff like Harry Potter and Marvel movies, stuff with adventure," Victor said.
"Kay," Jason smiled a bit. He'd have never guess Raven liked the Minions.
"Thanks again," Victor sighed.
"Night Victor," Jason yawned as he walked to his room.
"Night Jason," Victor surrendered.
Jason struggled to sleep, and what sleep he did have was restless. He was so fucking scared, so terrified of going through everything he'd gone through his mother, he couldn't lose another person to cancer. He wasn't strong enough to survive that again. Finally sleep came for him and he dreamt of a healthy, pale, black haired girl with a somber face, and a ghost smile. She deserved to live. He needed her to live, he needed her.
The thought bolted him awake at dawn.
He needed Raven.
Jason and Victor arrived at the hospital at nine, they'd accidentally taken longer to get to the hospital than they intended when Jason and victor had argued over which laptop to get Raven so she could watch movies. They'd ended up on a Surface in the end, and Victor pouted at the Mac not being bought. They bought about seven jars of peanut butter, smooth, bananas, green apples, and oranges, Victor insisted this was what Raven would eat other than green jell-o. Jason didn't question it.
But they walked in at nine, walked into Raven's room with their supplies and Jason had frozen seeing Bruce sitting there talking with Raven.
"M-Mr. Wa-Wayne!?" Victor stammered. Raven turned sleepy eyes on them and smiled.
"Morning," Raven yawned.
"Hey sunshine," Jason greeted her as he walked over. "We brought breakfast."
"Bananas?" she asked.
"Yeah, and Victor said you like peanut butter," Jason said as he set the bags on the stand in the room and looked at Bruce carefully.
"He said he's your dad, he wants to take me stateside for a treatment," Raven said blissfully as she struggled a bit to stay awake.
"As I was telling Miss Roth, Wayne Enterprises has been developing revolutionary treatments to treat conditions like her," Bruce started, looking at him.
"You mean you can fix her?" Victor asked as he stopped opening up the laptop.
"I believe that our programs will help Miss Roth, I've read over her chart myself," Bruce said. Jason handed Raven her peanut butter jar and a banana as he went to make some tea, Victor insisted Raven would only drink tea and it was there job to have her herbal tea ready.
"Yes," Victor blurted out. "Whatever it costs, whatever it takes, yes, please! I... I can't pay you now, Mr. Wayne, but I'll get the money, just please…"
"This is pro-bono," Bruce said swiftly. "I Wayne Foundation will be pleased to help accommodate Miss Roth during her treatments, and with the best care possible."
"I can… I can stay," Raven said nervously.
"No, you're getting the treatments Rae," Victor warned her.
"But there are others who might need it more," Raven protested as she took a small bite of her banana.
"You're going sunshine," he warned her.
"Miss Roth, I believe you are a good candidate for our programs, but window is closing. I would like to have you moved stateside to a facility in Gotham, Gotham General has the needed supplies, and you will be receiving a private room," Bruce said.
"Um…" Raven looked fidgety as she shivered. "Alright, can… can I read papers on this though?"
"Certainly," Bruce nodded as he produced the papers for Raven and she took them in trembling hands. "Jason, a word."
"Yeah," he nodded as he left Victor and Raven behind.
"Come home," were the first words out of Bruce's mouth once they were alone.
"Huh?"
"Selina told me that I might have over reacted with you caring for Helena and… we, the whole family, wants you home," Bruce said. "No matter what your girlfriend will receive her treatments if she comes in, but we'd like you home."
"She's not my girlfriend," Jason stated firmly. "And… I don't belong there. Didn't fit the upper class or dear grandma or grandpa's mold for a good Wayne. I just looked the part.
"Jason… please," Bruce side tiredly.
"I'll only go if she goes," Jason snapped and walked back into the room where he found Victor working on the computer and Raven eating.
"You'll still visit me in the hospital, right?" she asked.
"Of course," he and Victor answered simultaneously.
"Alright," Raven breathed shakily.
Jason moved back to Gotham and his old room at the Manor when Raven was transferred to Gotham General. Victor even stayed with the Wayne family, Raven had a private room in the north west corner; per Victor's statement that Raven liked sunrises more than sunsets.
Jason hadn't missed much, he didn't care, he and Victor spent just about everyday at the hospital while Raven received her treatments. Victor was the second draft pick when the draft came around; his irresponsible stunt of running off from something when Raven's doctor had called was concerning to scouts until news broke that Victor's 'little sister' was fighting Leukemia. It wasn't a forgivable excuse, but Victor shared his story and people saw him as a hero and survivor.
Raven didn't seem better or worse, she was just tired, and liked company.
Donna dumped him, not scandalously or horribly, they had just sort of drifted apart and then she'd skyped him one day and they had mutually broken up. Jason had snuck Raven out of the room in a wheelchair that day as he took her to the gardens and they read their respective books.
His siblings stopped by frequently. Dick brought his fiancée, Barbra and Barbra and Raven had clashed while Raven got along with Dick. Tim popped in after school, often just sitting there watching a movie with Raven, him and Victor. Stephanie usually came once a week with Cassandra, silence was comfortable then. Damian showed up Tuesdays and Thursdays, he would draw or something in the corner, ignoring everyone and anyone in the room; Raven didn't mind though so Jason ignored it as well. The first time Selina showed up Helena toddled in on quick legs and would have clambered all over Raven had Jason not intervened, and Terry chewed on Selina's hair where he was sitting in her arms.
The first time Martha showed up she was alone, Raven was also alone, what happened Jason didn't know, just that when he showed up Raven was smiling and Martha said he had a beautiful young girlfriend, which had had both him and Raven sputtering in protest. Martha showed up every Monday from then on. Thomas Wayne showed up on Wednesdays, it was irritating because the man was like Bruce and though kinder, was silent, and acted like a doctor as he hovered over Raven.
Victor came every day off that he had, and he never failed to spend the day with Raven and Jason.
Alfred was another daily visitor, bringing Raven bananas, other fruits and peanut butter.
The days Bruce showed up were the days that Jason uncomfortably sat as close to Raven as he could get and hoped he'd disappear. However rarely was anything said as some movie played and Raven drifted off to sleep.
Which brought Jason, after a summer of turmoil, to this fine day in autumn as he pushed Raven's wheelchair through the garden.
"Doc says you're in remission again," Jason said as he parked her under a huge oak.
"Yeah," she smiled weakly.
"That's good," he said as he sat on the bench beside her.
"Yes it is," she agreed.
"Sunshine?"
"Hm?"
"You can't die on me," he murmured.
"I…"
"No, you can't," he warned sharply.
"I'll try not to," she yawned.
"Good, we're also going to watch Victor's first game," he said.
"It's in three hours, I have the sun, and I'm sleepy," she muttered.
"Yeah, I know," he smiled. "Rest up, we'll watch the game in a bit."
"Jason," she murmured.
"Hm?"
"You've been the best friend I've ever had; Vic's family, but you've been my best friend," she smiled. His heart stopped, if she survived this, he was going to marry that girl one day.
"You've been my best friend too," he murmured, she was already asleep though and he smiled. He had some great memories at the hospital, and if he had it his way, he'd never visit the hospital again as he tugged on her ear muffs and sat in the autumn sun.
That's all for now folks!
Enjoy Something Just Like This! =)