Abandonment is a poison. It pollutes every good thought and good feeling, eliminates every memory of companionship. It takes hold of a once hopeful spirit and turns it into a depressed, unseeing creature.

Gone

"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."

Robin struggled to open his eyes. His eyelids felt as though they were made of lead.

He squinted at the sudden brightness, his temples aching. The room was stark, white, without windows. The only furniture in the room was the bed he was on and a rickety chair in the corner. There was an ominous stain on one of the padded walls.

Wait... a padded wall...

He stared at the thick leather straps holding his wrists and ankles fast to his bed. His colorful uniform was gone, replaced by a faded pair of rank-smelling pajamas.

Oh my god... no, no no no no no they didn't...

Bile burned his throat when he realized he was in a hospital. A real hospital. And, real restraints held him fast to his real hospital bed.

A low, menacing voice suddenly broke the silence. "You have lost everything."

Terrified, Robin desperately looked around the room.

No one was there.

"You are a failure." The voice hissed.

Without any hesitation, he began screaming for help, desperately trying to inch his way out of the straps.

An attendant came in calmly. His hardened face, short haircut, and white uniform made him look severe, but his eyes were kind and full of concern.

Trying to control his hyperventilating, Robin wheezed, "Please... please tell me... where I am...?"

The man looked down and left without any answer.

"Please!" Robin begged.

The man didn't come back.

Tears fell down his cheeks as he began hyperventilating again, screaming for his friends who were no longer there.

Slade suddenly emerged from behind the bed, strolling over to a chair in the corner of the room.

"You pathetic child." He whispered.

The boy was nearly shaking and screaming himself into a seizure.

Someone, please make this hell stop.

The attendant suddenly returned with another burly-looking attendant. "Robin," The man held the boy by the shoulders, trying to calm him. "Look... look at me."

Robin's desperate eyes looked into his dark eyes. "First thing. You need to calm down. You are safe, I promise you."

He looked around.

Slade was gone.

Robin finally obeyed, calming his heaving chest and tear-filled eyes.

The attendant nodded, smiling kindly. "Good. You are in a hospital-"

Robin suddenly began hyperventilating again, the reality of the situation hitting him like a truck.

The attendant's smile faded. "For now, it is vital that you keep yourself calm."

Robin, quickly running out of energy and defiance, nodded and looked away sadly.

The attendant's smile returned. "Good. As I said, you are in a hospital. You are still in Jump City. Not far at all from your tower and your friends. You are safe here."

A flicker of hope returned. Robin turned to meet the attendant's eyes again.

"How did I get here?" Robin croaked, his voice hoarse from yelling.

The attendant hesitated. "We received a distress call. You were brought here two days ago."

I've been here for two days, without even realizing it?

Robin stared up at the ceiling, taking in the man's words.

"I know this is very overwhelming."

"Was there any explanation as to why you received a distress call?" Robin asked softly.

Again, the attendant hesitated. "Bruce Wayne stated that you were having violent hallucinations. He feared for your safety."

Oh my god. They called him.

"Robin?" The man looked concerned.

The boy couldn't contain his violent sobs. "Why... w-why did they call h-him?"

The attendant looked at the floor. "I only know of what Mr. Wayne explained to us..." He paused. "I was the one who answered the call. Before you were brought here, you were already sedated. Mr. Wayne only ordered us to keep you stable and to do whatever it took to stop you from hallucinating again."

Like bringing a car to the repair shop... don't care what's done, just fix it...

"They think I'm crazy." Robin whispered to himself, his chest beginning to heave again. "That's why they called him."

The attendant shook his head reassuringly. "You can discuss this more with your doctor. For now, it's important that you rest."

Without any comment, Robin turned over on his side and closed his eyes.

The attendant gave a hesitant nod and left the room.

Bruce thinks I've lost my mind.

Robin looked up at the ceiling, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He thinks I'm gone. Why else would he send me here...?

Without any restraint, he began screaming. Long, painful, anguish-filled screams mixed with sobs.

"WHY?" He shrieked at the ceiling.

No one answered.

He was suddenly jarred awake by two unfamiliar attendants as they hastily unlocked his restraints.

He closed his eyes, wondering if it was minutes, hours, or days that had passed.

Both attendants gently helped him stand and stretch out his limbs, sore from lack of use for so many days.

Slade was sitting in the corner, smiling idly. "It's nice to finally see you without a mask."

The boy paled as he quickly tried to touch his eyes.

Indeed, his mask had been removed. Judging by the raw, scabbed patches of skin where it had been glued to, the mask had been removed quite violently.

Without any explanation, they led him out of his room and through a maze of corridors. Slade silently followed, still smirking.

For a short moment, Robin was able to look out a window to see dazzling sunshine that was characteristic of a late morning.

The group stopped outside a fancy wooden door that was engraved with some doctor's name.

Here we go...

"Robin, did you ever think you would end up here?" Slade chuckled.

Robin closed his eyes, willing himself to ignore his antagonizer.

"What would your father think, to know that his only son landed himself in the nuthouse?" Slade hissed in his ear.

"Shut up." Robin mumbled.

The two attendants frowned at the boy before they realized that he was not talking to them.

Author's Note:

Yes, everything is so dreary and depressing... this chapter has been by far the hardest to write (but was the most interesting to edit). Thank you in advance for your kind reviews.