Well here is chapter three. Have to say this is the longest chapter I've typed yet, but its one of the most important. That is for sure. Disclaimer: The Teen Titans belong to DC comics. The robed figure however belongs to me…hee hee.

Chapter 3

All Hail the Wheelchair

Three long weeks had passed since the Titan's first visit. Raven had enjoyed their company almost everyday since. Sometimes BB would bring her a book to read, and Cyborg would tell her what they had been doing around the town. Starfire would bring odd things and insist that Raven try them. Once the alien princess brought a can of mustard. Star said it would make Raven feel happier. Raven, though reluctant to try it, was forced to drink it. (After Star and the others left, Raven had ended up vomiting it all back up, and the doctors were none too pleased.) Robin was always his usual silent self.

Raven lay in her bed with a book open in front of her. She had been here for a month now, and the cast on her arm had been removed the day before. Though the book was open, Raven was not concentrating on the words. She hated that she had suddenly become a very slow reader thanks to the head trauma she had received from the crane falling on her. She had also found that she could not remember how to use her powers. She had already cursed the crane ten-fold almost everyday.

But what bothered her the most was that Raven felt useless. With her delayed movements, no powers and inability to walk, would the Titans be able to take care of her? What if the tower was attacked, how would she defend herself? If she couldn't live with them where would she live? What would she do to survive?

She knew little else but being a Titan. In her home world of Azerath, Raven would have been little more than a noble's wife. Here, she felt like the people needed her. It made her feel less invisible. She could do little else, except maybe sort things, read and fight. Azerath was a world where things were like the medevil times. She did know a lot about technology though, but it mostly bored her to death.

Doctor Myers entered the room breaking Raven's train of thought. After the customary pause, Raven glanced up at him. He was pushing a wheelchair. He smiled and said, "I think it's time for you to start moving around again, don't you?"

Raven responded after the normal pause. "That would be great."

The dark titan put her book down and the doctor helped her out of the bed and into the wheelchair. Once in the chair, Raven looked up at the doctor expectantly.

"I'll let you explore on your own mostly. Use the wheels the guide the chair. Turning will take some time, maybe some practice. You'll get the hang of it quickly I think." The doctor explained. "I have to attend to something now so I will let you be. Make sure to be back in your room by six!"

Raven slowly moved the chair into the hallway. The doctor followed her then turned down a hallway. Raven watched him go, then turned the opposite direction and wheeled the chair down the hallway. Nurses nodded to her. Raven nodded back.

The dark titan took an elevator down to the first level. She came out of the elevator and wheeled through another hallway. Stopping for a moment at a T-section, Raven heard a voice behind her.

"You're Raven aren't you?"

Raven turned her chair around to see a small child standing there. The young girl's bright green eyes blinked up at her. Dark circles under her eyes revealed however that she was ill. Her brown hair was in pigtails, and she wore a nightgown. Raven smiled.

"Yeah, I'm Raven." The dark Titan answered. The girl stared up at her.

"My name is Clarisse. I've always wanted to meet a Titan. Especially Beast Boy. I've always thought you were cool though." The girl said.

Raven looked down at the girl and said after the customary pause, "What are you here for?"

Clarisse responded, "The doctors don't know. They've been running tests for awhile but can't find anything."

"Oh." Was all Raven could say. She wished desperately that she had her powers again. Then she could have helped this girl.

"Why are you in a wheelchair Raven? Did you break your leg?" Clarisse asked.

After a moment Raven flinched visibly. The girl saw this and look at the ground and said, "Sorry."

Raven looked back at her. After a pause, "No, it's okay. I…I can't walk anymore. I hurt my spine."

Clarisse smiled softly and said, "Oh."

There was a moment of silence then Clarisse asked, "Are you still going to be a Titan?"

Raven sat in silence. That simple, innocent question struck fear into the dark Titan. Was she still a Titan at all?

"Clarisse! You're not supposed to be out of your room, let alone bothering other patients!" A nurse said sternly as she walked up to the young girl. She gently laid a hand on the girl's shoulder and began to lead her away.

"Oh, Clarisse wasn't bothering me." Raven cut in. The nurse paused. Clarisse smiled. "We were having a very nice conversation."

Clarisse looked up at the nurse. "Can Raven come to my room and play sometime please?"

The nurse nodded. "Now come on. You need to stay in your room."

Raven watched them go, and then she turned her chair and continued onward. As she reached the end of a hallway, it opened out into the center of the Hospital. In the center was a large garden.

Raven's eyes were wide, for the garden was beautiful. It had many flowering plants and was very quiet. A small, shallow pond was off to one side, surrounded by crab apple trees. They had bloomed late and the pink petals glinted softly in the sunlight.

The dark Titan wheeled out onto the garden path, and straight towards the pond. She slowly went underneath one of the trees. The shade was cooling and calming. Raven closed her eyes. It was so peaceful here. Raven sighed in satisfaction.

This place is so nice. I should come here more often… Raven thought as she fell asleep.

Raven dreamed. There was fire everywhere around her. It was burning her home world of Azerath, slowly devouring the once beautiful city. Suddenly, leaping from the flames were three figures. One was a praying mantis, another was a black wolf and the third was an antelope. They circled her then the praying mantis opened a portal and they leapt through it. Alone with the flames, Raven whirled around and came face to face with a strange robed being. It wore a hood and cloak and she could not see its face except its eyes. The eyes were far away and dead.

The brown robes rustled as it stepped towards the dark titan. "You cannot escape the binding of the real world?"

Raven nodded. "I can't walk."

The eyes of the being suddenly grew dark with laughter. "Does it matter?"

Raven stared at the creature as if it were crazy. "Of course it matters! I can't be a Titan anymore if I can't walk!"

"How do you know that?" the creature asked with a cock of its head.

Raven couldn't answer. She didn't know. The being lifted its head a little and said smugly, "Ah, so you don't know. Tell me little Raven, when we meet again, can a person be a Titan without powers or the ability to walk?"

Raven was about to retort back angrily, but the robed being stepped back and was swept away by the flames. Then rearing from the flames came a raven with a scar over it's left eye. Chains held its legs so it could not fly free. It screamed out, "DON'T LISTEN TO HER! DON'T LISTEN TO HER!"

Raven woke with a start. Sweat trickled down her forehead and she wiped it away quickly after a pause.

It was evening. Great, now I have to find my way back to my room. Raven thought in annoyance. She told her hands to move. They stayed still. Come on. Move! Raven angrily told her hands. Finally, her arms moved to the wheels and closed around them.

"I am so sick of these delayed movements!" Raven complained to herself. Suddenly, she had an idea. The dark titan closed her eyes and began to concentrate hard. After a few moments of this, Raven told her hands to push the wheel back. They immediately responded, and Raven was quickly backed away from the pond.

Raven's eyes popped open. She had done it! She had moved without delay. But it had taken a large amount of concentration. However, if she could practice, maybe, just maybe the delayed movements would go away…

"There you are Raven!" A nurse said as she bustled up to the titan. "We need to get you back to your room."

The nurse then wheeled Raven back to her room. Once there, the nurse helped the heroine back into her bed then left. Night fell quickly. Raven tried to go to sleep but it would not come through all of her excitement. Instead, Raven worked on concentrating deeply and moving her hands as soon as she told them. She stayed awake late into the night.