Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.
~Unknown
Chapter Twelve
Stephanie drove to Gotham Mercy General as quickly as she could. She ditched the suit in Blüdhaven, Batgirl couldn't show up at the hospital in daylight. Granted the sun was going down, but Barbara said to meet in front, so it was safe to assume that civvies were preferred.
Her heart was going fast as she neared the hospital. Did Barbara find one of her boys? Their boys? Did something serious happen to them? Was one of them dying? Was it Tim?
She looked up and slammed on the brakes of her vehicle. Just in time. Traffic going the opposite way had picked up and she would have been crushed had she continued past the red light.
Damn, I gotta be more careful.
She carefully continued her way to the hospital. A bit over the speed limit, but she needed to get there.
She parked her vehicle and practically ran to the doors where Barbara was. Steph noticed that she was wearing one of Dick's caps and was fiddling constantly with her clothes. Steph reached out and gripped one of Barbara's hands. She gave what she hoped was a convincing smile.
"Shall we go in?"
Barbara bit her lip and began to roll her wheelchair across the pavement and into the building. The ER was busy and it took a while before they could get a nurse or anyone to stop and talk with them.
"Is there anything that I could help you two with?" The nurse asked looking down at her clipboard.
"Yes, we were wondering about the John Doe that was brought in earlier this evening?"
"Are you related?" The nurse asked not really thinking about the question
"No, but the thing is that-" Stephanie started to explain.
"Sorry, he's in surgery. And until the family gives permission, information about the patient cannot be released." The nurse turned on her heel and walked away.
Stephanie huffed. "Well, that was extremely helpful. I don't even think she was listening to a word that we said. Do you think that BG could take a peak and see if it is our missing boys are in here?" Stephanie was tempted to just that.
"No."
"What? I could-"
"No." Barbara was firm on this. "We'll wait here in the lobby for any information that we can obtain. He's in surgery. We wouldn't be able to get a good look anyway." Barbara didn't too happy.
A phone began to ring and it was a moment before she realized that it was Barbara's phone that was ringing. Babs made no move to answer it. Steph reached into her bag and pulled out Babs' high tech phone. For a moment she marveled at the sight of it. She had a model that was at least a few years old. She read the caller.
"Um, Babs? Your phone would like your attention. Your fiancé would like to speak with you."
Barbara held out her hand and Steph obediently placed it in her hand and stood by as she heard a one ended conversation.
"Dick, I'm at the hospital. There's a John Doe here that I think-" She paused listening. Whatever it was, her face scrunched up and she rubbed her hand over her face. "Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her," again she paused. "I know. Take care of yourselves there, you hear me? I expect my fiancé to be there for me when I come back. Love you, bye."
Barbara ended the call and folded her hands around the phone. She rested her head on her hands, like she was praying.
"Barbara?" Steph was almost afraid to ask what was going on.
"That was Dick."
Stephanie resisted the urge to say duh.
"Damian managed to find his way back to the Manor. But he was beat up pretty badly. He had suffered a stab wound to the abdomen and was bleeding out among other injuries. It looked like he was ambushed on his way home." Finally Barbara looked up and there were tears in her eyes.
"Stephanie, in all likelihood, the John Doe in there is Tim."
Stephanie's chest seized. Tim? She stood and started walking towards the doors in a daze. Barbara grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Steph turned around and tears were spilling over Barbara's cheeks. That was all it took and the waterworks escaped from Steph's eyes. She dropped to the ground and wrapped her arms around the redhead. They held each other for dear life when a small nurse approached them.
"Excuse me? May I help you?"
Stephanie wiped her tears and looked at the nurse. She was an older woman and had been there a long time.
"There was a John Doe that came in earlier this evening. We think that it might be," Stephanie awkwardly searched for the right word, "her brother-in-law in there, but no one will give us information."
The nurse pursed her lips at the young women. She understood.
"I can tell you he's in critical condition. I'm not at liberty to say much more than that. But," she added conspiratorially. "The operating room that they are in has an upstairs viewing area for the students. If you promise not to say I could let one of you in to verify."
Steph stood and immediately started walking. Only when she realized that it was just her moving she looked back.
"Please?" She asked.
The nurse nodded and led Stephanie down the hallway. Steph could hear her own heart beating loudly in her chest. What if it wasn't Tim? What if it was? Why didn't she let Barbara check?
She approached the window of the observation room cautiously. It was hard to see just who was on the table. There were a large amount of people crowded around the operating table. Bloodied gauze was piling up on a table nearby.
She couldn't see his face. She was getting nearer to the glass trying to see. Finally a doctor moved his fat ass and she could see his face. The head was heavily bandaged, and there was a breathing tube down his throat, but there was no mistaking that face.
Stephanie reached out and touched the glass.
"Is it him?" The nurse asked.
"Y-Yeah. That's him. That's Tim," Stephanie whispered.
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry."
There was suddenly a flat line tone coming from the room.
"We're losing him again! Charge the paddles!" One of the doctors called.
Steph's tears started to fall again and she began to openly sob. The kind old nurse gently wrapped her arms around Stephanie and led her out of the room back to Barbara. Barbara didn't need to ask who it was. The look that the nurse had and Steph's reaction was all it took to know.
"Oh, God."
Jason was surprised that his phone began to ring. Not many people called him. He was more surprised that he had his phone on him to begin with actually.
He looked at the caller id. Golden Boy. If Dick was calling now, something big must have happened.
"Y'ello what's up?" He said.
"Jason you need to come home now." Dick's voice was stony. It never was before and shouldn't be.
"What's happened?"
"Damian. He came back to the manor. I wouldn't have noticed him but he called me my first name. He was in pretty rough shape, but Alfred thinks that he's going to be alright."
"When? What about the Replacement?" Jason asked.
He could practically hear Dick's wince.
"An hour or so ago. But Tim's not here. Babs and Stephanie think that they have a lead, but it could be anything at this point. There's evidence to suggest that there was an attack."
Jason closed his eyes and breathed deeply. If there was an attack and Damian was in rough shape, then what type of shape would Tim be in? He looked out at the setting sun and grit his teeth.
"I'll be there in a little bit. Just let me find a criminal to beat up for the night."
"He should be waking up any time now. Bruce wants you to be there when he does."
"He does?!" Jason nearly dropped the phone.
"You're a part of this family. Of course he does. Now get your ass over here, before Alfred gets involved."
Jason shuddered. "Yeah, I'll be there." He ended the call and shot off a grappling hook into the city streets. He took the leap into the air and felt the wind rush through his hair. One of the things that he sort of missed with the hood that he wore.
He got to the manor and went down stairs immediately. He walked straight into the medical bay and there he was. The little demon brat was sleeping on the bed. Dick was resting on a chair next to the bed and Bruce was on the other side.
They both looked back at him before looking back to the sleeping boy.
"How can we be sure that it's him?" He asked. Not that he wasn't happy that the brat made his way home, but it was never a bad idea to be cautious.
"DNA says it's him."
"DNA can be cloned. Didn't you say that he said your first name? The Demon we knew would never address you, or us, as such," Jason retorted. His eyes narrowed. This didn't sound like the kid he had known.
"Why don't you just ask him? He's awake now," Bruce said interrupting his oldest two's conversation.
Jason looked down at the kid. He had blinked a couple of times. Something about this didn't feel right.
"Fa-" his voice cracked. Dick was quick to give the kid water. After he took a few sips he turned back to Bruce. "Father, what happened?"
"You suffered a concussion, a stab wound to your left side, narrowly missing your left lung, your knee was fractured and you lost a great deal of blood. You're lucky to even be alive," Bruce answered.
No one really said anything after that. Jason looked down at his feet. There were a lot of questions that he wanted answered. He heard Alfred's shoes walk in the room and stop a few feet into the room.
"Yes, Alfred?" Bruce asked turning around.
"That was the third time I have tried to contact Master Timothy within the past few hours, Master Bruce. There is still no answer on the other end."
"Little D? What's wrong? Does this have anything to do with Tim?"
Jason looked up with surprise at the brat on the bed. There was a look in those eyes that he had never seen before. Guilt. He should know. He'd seen it on his own face quite a few times.
"Damian?" Bruce pressed. "What do you know about Tim that you're not telling us?"
Jason watched as Damian connected with each man in the room. Whatever Damian was hiding, it would affect each and every one of them. Jason didn't like where this was going.
"He's dead," he finally croaked out. Tears escaped down the kid's face. Jason didn't think that the kid even knew how to cry.
"I killed him."
For a moment Jason's mind went empty with a quiet rage before he managed to lock in the back of his mind. After everything the Replacement did for him. This kid had three minutes to explain everything to him, or he wouldn't hold back. His hands tightened on his leather jacket.
"I killed him."
The air was silent. The only noise was the heart monitor and water dripping deep in the cave somewhere.
"How did you kill him?" Bruce asked, keeping his voice low.
Damian turned his head away. Bruce reached out and held Damian's shoulder, giving a slight squeeze. A tear slipped down his son's cheek. His other hand reached out and wiped it away.
"Damian. Son, what happened?"
Damian turned his red eyes toward his father.
"My mother chased us across the globe. She finally caught up with us on that small county road between Gotham and Blüdhaven. She launched a rocket at us. Drake was ahead of me and demanded that I leave him behind. He was injured, he'd crushed his legs and there had to be some internal bleeding. I was going to back with you to save his sorry hide. But the Heretic detained me long enough to condemn him."
"It's my fault. I wasn't good enough. It's my fault."
"No Damian, it's not your fault," Dick interrupted. "Tim understood what he was doing. He wanted to get you back home to us."
"Why?"
"You're his brother. You do anything for family," Dick answered.
"That makes no sense."
"It's not supposed to," Jason interjected. "You told yourself you would go back after you made it to us. Would you have done that a year ago?"
He wouldn't have. They all knew it. A year ago Damian was still trying to kill Tim. Bruce clenched his teeth at the memory. He watched as his eldest reached out and gathered his littlest brother into a hug. He was surprised when Damian allowed it and didn't protest it. Bruce chalked it up to the trauma that he had just endured.
Rage boiled inside of Bruce. These were his kids that she was attacking. His. They were supposed to be protected under his wings, so to say. He may have strained relations with them, but they were his kids and he would go through hell for them. For Dick the happy spark that managed to hold his whole family together as one. For Jason, who was still the kid underneath looking for the way into his father's heart, even though he already had a place. For Tim, with his inferiority complex and good heart. For Damian, with his only biological son and superiority complex.
They were all his sons and they all belonged here.
Bruce stood and marched right out of the room.
"Where'ya going Bruce?" Dick called out. His grip on his littlest brother loosened.
"I'm going to find my other son." He slammed the door on his way up the stairs to the manor. He didn't wait for the others to follow.
A/N: So there are only four more chapters after this one. And I was thinking about updating it twice a week now. I just want your opinion if that would be something that you'd interested in.