EDIT: 7/31/07- Hey, lookie, it's the whole chapter now!! YAY! That is all.
Author's Note: This isn't the whole chapter. Just thought I'd get that out there. See, I'm heading off to camp for a week and didn't want to leave my devoted fans (haha I know I'm delusional XD) without anything to read for another week. So you get an unfinished chapter—originally it was going to have one or two more sections, but I'll go on and post it cuz the chapter before this is short and kinda BLAH. Sorry, I had major writer's block starting this chapter, and took me until about two days ago to hop on outta that. So there's my excuse for taking so long. I'll put the rest of this chapter with the next one when I get back, and later replace this chapter with…well, with the whole one. Sorry again, and I'll try to make the reading as not-confusing as possible. Over and OUT!
P.S.- Kudos to The Flying Frog, madmartagan, and Silver-Night2 for being the first three to respond to my MINI-PROJECT!! I'm gonna start working on that soon…
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in the Teen Titans show or comics.
White.
Blazing white.
That was the first thing Gar's mind registered as he blinked himself awake, still battling snaking tendrils of grogginess which refused to let go without a fight. The harsh white against his eyes cause him to blink owlishly, and after a couple seconds of adjusting, Gar was able to make out the fluorescent light flickering slightly on the white ceiling. Slowly, Gar's other senses began kicking in as well; he felt a bed beneath him, crisp sheets covering him lightly. He heard air rushing out of a vent somewhere overhead. The air was fresh and clean, carrying a faint vanilla scent that tickled his nostrils pleasantly. There was a slight pressure on the left side of the bed, causing it to sink ever so slightly. A quiet whirring sound reached his ears from somewhere to his right, along with an echoing, methodical beeping. Curious, Gar lazily shifted in his bed a tad, turning his head to see what was going on. The rustling and small crunch of plastic met this effort.
Now even more curious, Gar managed to look down so his sight was filled by the clear, plastic mask fitted over his nose and mouth. A mask? Gar followed the two rubber tubes elongating from the mask, tracing their winding path across his bed to the blinking, whirring monitor unit setting right beside his bed. Kinda like snakes, he though fuzzily, staring at the tubes…at the monitor. Staring at the heart monitor. A mask…
An oxygen mask.
Gar started into complete consciousness, adrenaline coursing through his body as dread welled up in his stomach. The methodical beeping grew louder and a bit faster. Gar immediately shot up, swallowing some threatening bile as he felt like he kept flying forward, even though his body remained sitting up in the hospital bed. He shook his head to get rid of the feeling, and instead it got replaced with a sharp pain in the back of his head. Reaching up to tenderly touch his bandaged head, Gar felt the starched cloth of the hospital gown scratch against his skin. Gar began shaking. There was a little tug on his wrist as he lifted it—some tape secured the I.V. needle into his wrist.
Gar squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to shove away the fear, but it didn't work. Gasping, Gar ripped the oxygen mask off his face and cast his eyes wildly around the room, knowing he was about to start hyperventilating. Steve! He silently cried, but his foster father was no where to be found in the cramped hospital room. The beeping grew faster, Gar's breath was coming in ragged gasps…
Suddenly something shifted to Gar's left, tickling his arm and causing him to jerk around to face…Gar's heaving chest slowed, and his crushing death-grip on the oxygen mask relaxed, if only a little.
"…Raven?" he croaked, his voice barely there.
The goth girl was raising herself to gaze at Gar through half-open, sleep-ridden eyes—she had fallen asleep half-on the bed, her chair scooted close so she could lay her head down next to Gar, her hands…Gar flushed slightly, momentarily forgetting his situation…her hands resting on his wrist.
While Gar took this in, Raven was awake in an instant. "You're awake!" she gasped, sitting up straight in her chair—but not before grasping at Gar's hand with her own, entwining their fingers for a quick second. Just as quickly, she let go. They stared at each other for a moment.
She cleared her throat, slipping back into her regular monotone demeanor and sliding back further into her chair. "You really shouldn't be sitting up," she droned matter-of-factly. "The nurses said you'd need at least a couple days' worth of rest. It's hardly been a day yet."
Gar stared at her dumbly, not quite sure what to say, not quite sure what was going on, and not quite sure his voice would work even if he knew what to say. At his silence, Raven dropped her stand-offish poise a bit and leaned forward. About to say something, she paused. Then, "…Garfield?"
Somewhere in the back of Gar's mind he bitterly noted how she had struggled to say his name.
At that moment, a nurse in yellow scrubs decided to waltz through the door—and Gar was instantaneously reminded exactly what kind of position he was in. He worked his mouth like a fish out of water, and felt the fear rising again.
Raven realized something was wrong once more as Gar froze at the sight of the nurse. Erratic beeping started coming from the monitor, a lot faster than the paced beep Raven had grown accustomed to, lulled to sleep the past night by its methodical sound. "Garfield?" she tried again. The nurse looked up from shutting the door at the sound of her voice, and noticed Gar was sitting up, in bed…clutching his oxygen mask…paler than a ghost…breathing heavily…eyes extremely wide in terror…
The nurse wasted no time in throwing open the door again and yelling something down the hall—Gar couldn't tell what she had said, barely even heard Raven calling his name again. He was losing control of his lungs, and wanted to curl up in a ball far, far away from here…
Two more nurses rushed in, and all three quickly made their way towards Gar's bed. What caught Gar's panicked attention was the syringe one of the new nurses was holding, pushing to make sure the medicine inside squirted out of the thin, gleaming needle…if possible, Gar found himself panicking even more, backing up in the bed. Even though he told himself repeatedly it was going into the I.V., his body refused to obey and sit still, and he found himself begin to thrash about, scrambling to get away as the nurses reached out to get him under control, murmuring comforting coos…
And suddenly Gar halted, feeling a cool, calming wave of…something…wash over him. His breathing came under control again, his head stopped throbbing, and he more or less felt the color flood back into his face. He felt completely serene, his grip on the mask slipped and his limbs fell limp, relaxed and comfortable. As if his fear was melting away…
"I don't believe that will be required."
Raven's firm voice brought Gar back, and he realized she was standing against him, supporting him from falling off the bed as she held his hand with one of hers and his shoulder with her other hand. The nurse with the syringe quickly backed away from the I.V., the syringe unused. She smiled and nodded, before the one in yellow ushered the additional nurses out of the room, all three talking quietly. Before shutting the door, the nurse in yellow turned around and said softly, "I'll let you settle him down while I go get the doctor." She focused on the bewildered Gar. "And I'm quite sure there's someone who would love to know you're awake down in the cafeteria—he'll be here shortly."
And with that, Raven and Gar were alone in the room.
Both remained blissfully unaware of the exact position they were in for a little longer before Raven became painfully aware of what exact position they were in—Gar was leaning rather heavily into Raven, whose arms were almost cradling Gar in a somewhat protective fashion. It didn't help that Gar's head was pretty much level, and thankfully not quite pressed into, Raven's…bosom-oriented area. Raven's face heated and she knew she was blushing heavily, but fought it down before something burst—and before Gar happened to look up and catch sight of her face…
But Gar was out of it—his body was limp in hers and his eyelids drooping, a lazy half-smile slapped on his face, which caused Raven's own lips to twitch upwards. Raven realized she might be doing the whole comforting thing a little too much, and gently pushed Gar more onto the bed, letting go of his shoulder and lowering him more onto his pillow. The movement seemed to rouse him, as he turned towards her with tired question in his eyes. She watched him, not unkindly, and began to move the oxygen mask in place on his face again. Gar, however, raised a hand and impatiently swatted it away.
"No." His voice was hoarse, his throat dry. He swallowed and tried again. "No, tell me…what happened?"
Raven knew what he was referring to. She dropped the mask and sat on the bed by him. "It's my powers. I can…" she struggled, searching for a way to explain it. "…manage people's emotions? No, that's not quite right, it's hard to—"
"You made the fear go away," Gar interrupted.
Raven's face softened. She nodded. The amount of fear she had absorbed from Gar had been incredible—it had taken all her willpower not to dart from the room when she experienced Gar's panic. And she was still keeping it in check. Steve had warned her…he had warned the nurses: "Keep him sedated or knocked out unless he's going to wake up with several familiar faces around him. When he finds out he's in a hospital, he'll freak if he doesn't go berserk on us." Steve had told them the only way he knew how to keep Gar calm in these types of situations was to be there with him, giving him physical support—and that had thus far only been for clinic visits. And she…Raven lowered her gaze, trying not to scowl at herself. Even though she had been the only one in the room, had insisted Steve go down and get something to eat, had been warned the previous dose of sedation would wear off soon, had promised to request more at the slightest twitch—she had fallen asleep. She was extremely lucky she had the abilities she did, or else something could've gone horribly wrong. Stupid.
"Thanks."
Raven looked up, confused at the gentle word. Gar was smiling softly at her.
"And not only for that," he continued, "but, you know, for staying here and all." His eyes flickered downwards, and she was surprised to feel a quick surge of embarrassed warmth travel through her—not her own. She realized that she was still connected to Gar's emotions…and was still holding Gar's hand. Coughing, she decided he was calm enough and dropped his hand, moving her own to her lap. That quick, pleasant tingle still lingered even after Gar's slight blush had faded away.
"No problem."
Gar contentedly watched Raven watch her lap, and suddenly wondered why exactly Raven was here…why he was here.
With a flood, the events of the other night came back to him, crowding their way into his exhausted mind. Gasping, Gar struggled to sit up again, stunning Raven with his sudden vigor. "Wait a second, what are you doing?" she planted her hands on his shoulders, keeping him down and wondering if it was another panic attack. But she didn't sense any overwhelming fear, just…
"No, you wait a second—what am I doing here?"
Raven's eyes bored into Gar's face, an air of suspicion and disbelief about her. "You…don't remember?"
Gar made a somewhat frustrated noise. "No, I remember—well, I remember coming home, and Steve was out, but I was…" Gar's brow furrowed, and Raven moved back to her chair. "Something was wrong with me, like I was gonna…"
Raven frowned as he hassled with his words. "Like you were gonna…?"
He heaved a sigh. "I dunno, I just felt terrible, sick—and so I went to the bathroom to take some medicine, and then…nothing."
"Well, that would make sense, as I found you lying on your bathroom floor unconscious."
Gar didn't miss Raven's attempt at her normal sarcastic bite, but smiled at the lack of mean spirit behind it. "Yeah, I guess it would."
The only sound in the room for a couple of minutes was the beeping of the heart monitor as they sat, lost in their own thoughts.
"So…"
Raven hesitated, and Gar looked up at the sound of her voice to see her pointedly staring into her lap, picking at a fingernail. "You didn't…did you…take any of the pills?"
It took a few seconds for Gar to comprehend what Raven was asking him. "No, I don't think I—wait, did you think…?"
Raven's refusal to meet his eyes was all he needed.
"Hell no! Aw, come on…"
Raven flinched subtly at the angry undertones in his voice, continuing to pick away at the innocent nail. The room fell silent again, and she heard Gar shift in the bed.
"Thought you knew me better, Rae—I'm not that conceited."
Raven's head jerked up at the sound of her old nickname. He was leaning his head back against the pillow, eyes closed and face upturned. She bit back a chuckle. "You could fool anyone, sometimes…I'm sorry, it's just that they didn't tell me anything, and wouldn't let me—they wouldn't—I was so worried, and…" She paused. "I'm glad you're okay."
Gar didn't respond, and Raven wondered if he'd fallen asleep again…when he peeked through an eye, an exhausted but silly smile sneaking up his face.
"No fair...I finally gotcha to smile, and I didn't even tell a corny joke."
Startled, Raven brought a hand to her face as Gar really did fall asleep, shoulders sagging as he slumped into the bed, his small reserve of energy drained. It was barely there, but he had been right…
She was smiling.
Steve absently stirred some cream into his coffee, staring at but not seeing the framed oil painting in front of him, pathetically attempting to bring a more comely feel to the bland, pastel-colored hospital cafeteria. Groups of two or three people each, no more and hardly less, chit-chatted idly as they awaited loved ones' recovery, or twiddled their thumbs for tests and diagnosis to be concluded. A late attendee snagged a blueberry muffin from the counter with five interns trailing him, the cafeteria clerk reprimanding his retreating back as she put it on his tab. Four nurses snickered at the minor disturbance over their coffee, discussing patient moods and the lists of errands calling their names after their shift was up. A little boy asked his stressed mother rather loudly why this hospital didn't have a Mickey D's like the one in Los Angeles did. It was all very picturesque, for a hospital cafeteria.
"Yo! Mr. Dayton! How's the day going for you?"
Kassie's call broke straight through the morning calm as she strode across the cafeteria, causing quite a few heads to turn. If the aggravated and mocking tones dripping from her voice didn't shoot down the sincerity of the question, the annoyance and anger written all over her face did.
Steve rubbed his eyes as she came up to him, trying to restore some life into his dull, done-in brain. Staying up and obsessively stressing all night did not do a body good. "Kassie," he sighed. "What's the matter…?"
"The matter?" She crossed her arms and gave an ironic, biting laugh. "I freaking ride up in the ambulance with him, and the lady at the front desk won't let me know shit about what the fuck is going on!"
Steve blinked at her language.
"I've been waiting her all night, trying to flag down someone to help me, but no one gives me a second glance! They ran him down the hall as soon as we got out, and haven't seen him since! He was like friggin dying, and I don't know the HELL is going on! I've been to I don't know how many stupid nurses' stations or secretaries or whatnot, I don't know whatcha call them, but everyone denies my legitimacy!! Thirteen freaking hours in this place, and closest thing I have gotten to WHETHER MY FRIEND IS ALIVE OR NOT is, 'Sorry, miss, we're not allowed to give out patient information. Maybe you should try talking to…' And I know my shouting at you is not helping cuz you're flippin' exhausted, but could you please turn on the lights for me here??"
Sometime during her rant, Kassie had moved to be about an inch from Steve's face, arms rigidly flung out in frustration. Now she backed away from a wide-eyed Steve, breathing hard and glaring.
Steve cleared his throat. "Hnn…well, if I wasn't awake before, I am now…"
Kassie scowled, re-crossing her arms. "Sorry," she said a bit grumpily and a bit sheepishly. "It's been a really long night."
Smiling, Steve nodded tiredly. "I bet. So were—"
"MR. D! Waddup, sir?"
The greasy, familiar scent of McDonald's wafted over Steve, followed by a strong clap to the back and an arm around his shoulder as he precariously balanced his coffee in an effort not to slosh it all over his shirt.
"Michael, get off him and get over here."
Michael released Steve with a wink, walking over to an impatient Kassie and thrusting a paper sack at her. "Here's your McMuffin and hash-brown, as ordered, cept you'll have to do with OJ cuz they didn't have apple juice. Dorks."
Kassie sent him a quick look of thanks, and then turned back towards Steve. Michael followed suit.
"Have both of you been here all night?" Steve asked incredulously. From what Raven had told him, he had thought Kassie had been the only one who arrived at the hospital with her and Gar—well, more so with Gar, as Raven had simply teleported to beat the ambulances and have the hospital totally ready.
"For me, since about two in the morning," Michael replied. "Does that count?"
"I called him for, you know, support or something," Kassie explained. "Sitting alone in a hospital is only pleasant for so many hours, especially when no one will help you. Plus, he's my partner in crime for finding Gar in that jungle of a high school. We both deserve some answers, in my opinion."
The two watched Steve expectantly, waiting. Steve studied their faces for a minute, knowing that they were who Gar considered his closest friends outside…well, outside the Titans. He also knew they were right.
"Okay." He nodded. "Answers it is."
"Thank you," Kassie breathed—whether towards him or the heavens, Steve wasn't sure.
"Well, before you say anything, I'm gonna go on and take a wild guess," Michael interjected, "that's he's alive and possibly kickin, since you're out here sipping coffee instead of wringing your hands and sobbing or whatever."
Steve gave a small laugh. "Yes, as of right now he's fine, sedated but stable." He paused, looking at Michael. "Wait, do you already know what happened?"
Michael nodded. "Kassie had a lot of time to throw tantrums, but managed to tell me what had happened—as far as she knew—between it all."
Kassie didn't pay attention to the slight. "Can we see him? Or at least know where he is?"
"He's down on a ward by intensive care—"
"The ICU? But you just said—"
"Yes, let me finish. They just didn't want to move him too much, he's in room 1484, I think? But I don't think now's the time for visiting."
"Rats, I wanted to show him a video on my phone that might cheer him up. John and Nick can do some preeeetty stupid stuff when they've had too much pizza."
"Michael…"
"No, it's okay, Gar'll probably want to see you guys soon, when he wakes up. It'll do him good. Say, do you're parents know you're here and everything? I could call you when he's ready, and—"
"No, Mr. Dayton." Michael's face was suddenly intensely serious.
"Our parents know the situation and understand," Kassie added, equally serious. "But there are some questions that we still need to ask. And here may not be the best place to do so."
Something in their voices made Steve really stop and watch the two, an alarm going off in the back of his mind. The determined look in both faces…Steve nodded slightly, understanding.
"I see. Well then, follow me."
Just as the three headed towards the exit, a nurse in yellow walked in.
"He's WHAT??"
"Shhh, calm down or you'll wake the whole Tower!"
"That's not necessarily a biggie on my list of concerns right now!"
Robin rubbed his temple. He had had a feeling Cyborg was going to react like this.
Early mornings in the Tower were normally quiet; everyone was still in bed, with the exception of Robin, who got up before the crack of dawn to train in the gym before breakfast, and occasionally Raven, who woke at least earlier than the others to meditate. Because Robin had stayed up late with Cyborg, going over the files and following a faint trail the hacker had left, he had slept in—and then had been woken up by his communicator going off. Now, he was sitting at the kitchen counter, having waited for a drowsy Cyborg to walk through the doors before telling him the news.
"Why didn't you come wake me up or something?!" Cyborg asked hotly. "We need to see him as soon as possible!"
"Cyborg," Robin snapped, his patience running thin. "I already told you, I've only been up for twenty minutes at most. And if we ran down there as soon as possible, how much attention do you think it would attract?!"
Cyborg angrily opened his mouth to debate further, but Robin continued.
"The hospital staff already knows something's up, seeing as they've had to call in a S.T.A.R. certified doctor and the Titan who's infamous for her misanthrope personality won't leave the side of an otherwise normal patient! We'd only add to the suspicions flying around if we all went."
Cyborg crossed his arms, practically spitting out his response. "Well, then what do you suggest we do? I'm not about to just sit around with my best friend in the hospital!!"
Robin's face twitched, nostrils flaring. He hesitated. "I…don't know what we're gonna do, Cyborg. But I do know we have to be careful about how we react—while I don't wanna sit around any more than you do, we have to think about his safety first."
"And how are we gonna manage that if we're not around to evaluate the situation? To protect him??"
"Raven can keep us updated since she's already there, she might attract more attention by leaving again—and the others can't know about this yet…"
Cyborg slammed his fists down on the counter in front of Robin. "NO! No, man, I'm not doing this—I've been obedient for you so far, supporting you and going along with your decisions no matter how ridiculous or narrow-minded I think they are—trusting you to do the right thing—but I'm NOT going to sit back this time. If he's in the hospital for the reasons we fear, I'm going to be there for him and I'm NOT going to let him get hurt again!!"
Robin leaned back in his chair as Cyborg leaned forward with pretty much every word he said.
"I'm tired of watching my friends fall apart around me—everyone on the team has been affected by his absence, you know it, I know it…hell, everyone knows it!! Even Kid Flash knows it, though he doesn't really know what it's all about! It's about time we STOP trying to ignore it, and be there for him like friends are supposed to be!"
Cyborg's hot breath brushed Robin's face, as he was only mere inches away from the Boy Wonder's nose.
"You might be too much of a coward to face what you yourself believes is a mistake, you might be horrified at the prospect that you actually got close to people after your oh-so-tragic past, you might be scared outta your mind to show that you really do care, but I am NOT going to let that get in my way. I am GOING to that hospital to see my friend with or without you, not later, not soon, but NOW."
Cyborg stared Robin down for a moment, eyes narrowed, sweat standing out on the human side of his face, modified body heaving with anger. Robin returned his glare from under his mask, his own expression one of frustration. The experience was rather reminiscent of the alpha-leader stand-offs they had so long ago, with the beginning of the Teen Titans. And it was broken in the similar fashion of those days.
"Please, friends, which friend of Cyborg's is in need of protection at this hospital?"
Starfire's voice surprised both of the boys, causing them to jerk their heads around to face the confused alien girl gliding cautiously towards them. Busy yelling and being yelled at, neither had heard her enter and didn't know quite how to react to her inquiring stare. Robin was the first to speak.
"How long…how much did you hear, Starfire?"
As Starfire came up beside Robin at the counter, Cyborg shifted away. Starfire watched the two boys carefully before answering, able to sense the tension sifting between them. It was a familiar sort of tension that Starfire had come to associate with only specific conflicts between the two—she had never been one to easily forget what tore her friends apart. And putting that with what she had heard them discussing, she felt she knew what exactly this was about.
"Enough…" she replied slowly. "But please, tell me—what is 'the matter'?"
Cyborg and Robin made brief eye contact, ignoring the inquisitive, bright green eyes observing their exchange. Cyborg bit his lip, sighing. Robin didn't pay any attention. "It's nothing you should be worried about, Star," he falsely reassured her. "Just something Cyborg and I wanted to discu—"
"Do not leave me out of this, Robin."
Robin was a bit taken aback by the firmness in Starfire's voice, and even more so by the slight glint her gaze. A small cough from Cyborg's direction implied he was, as well—while Starfire may be innocent and naïve in Earth and human customs in general, at times like these her friends were reminded she was not completely oblivious when it came to emotions and interaction. Just because she was alien did not mean that her race didn't have emotions or interaction as well; and, yes, she had lived with the team for the past five years of her life…
"I'm telling her, man. This is seriously enough."
Robin looked sharply over at Cyborg, Starfire curiously following suit. But the hard set of Cyborg's face told Robin discussion and persuasion were over. All Cyborg was doing now was asking Robin for permission out of courtesy—he would tell whether Robin wanted him to or not. And besides, he knew Cyborg was right this time.
"Fine." Robin nodded his head, slightly peeved. And as an afterthought, "But just her. We're not getting Kid Flash involved in this, as he doesn't need to be involved."
For one reason or another, Robin didn't think Raven would be too pleased if the newer member got involved.
Starfire anxiously leaned forward on the counter. "So? What information do you wish to share, friends?"
"Starfire…" Cyborg began. He looked towards Robin, who raised an eyebrow as if asking, the hell are you looking at me for? You're the one who wanted to tell her. It was enough to prompt Cyborg. "It's about BB—I mean—it's about Garfield—"
Starfire instantly shot up, her face flashing from happiness at the mention of the previously taboo subject to concern at the uneasy tone Cyborg was using. "Friend Beast Boy! Is he okay? What has happened? Need I prepare a Tamaranian folksong of brolgbat or risthsleg?!"
Cyborg sucked in a breath. "Aaaaactually, Star…he's in the hospital. So maybe a get well card?"
Starfire froze. She turned towards Robin, worry etched through her features. "Is this true?"
Robin solemnly nodded. "Yes…he had an accident. Raven's already down at the hospital with him—"
"That is good! Friend Raven will protect him with all her might until we get down there, yes? We must leave immediately!"
Robin brushed off the 'see-I-was-right-we-should-go-visit-him' looks Cyborg was shooting him. "I…yes, Star, but you need to understand—"
"Glorious! I will bring him the card of being well and we will converse with our friend until he is better! Let us depart!"
"Star! Listen to me!" Robin gripped Starfire's arm, getting her to sit still and turn towards him. "Listen—this is important. The last time I spoke with Raven, Garfield was still more or less in critical condition, stabilized but only barely."
Both Starfire and Cyborg stared at Robin, Cyborg only just hearing this as well. And now that he though about it, actually, he had reacted before even asking…
"Hold up a sec, Robin. What exactly did happen to him?"
Robin cringed the tiniest bit, as if fearing the question would be asked and now fearing answering it. "Well…" he avoided his teammates' eyes. "The last time—when I spoke with Raven, she explained—she was the one who had found him…"
"Yes?" Starfire prodded apprehensively.
Robin hesitated a moment longer, and then looked directly at the faces of his friends, his mouth set in a grim line.
"He was found with a bottle of sleeping pills. Overdosed—they think he tried to commit suicide."
Shock weighed down the air like a thick, wool blanket, covering the senses of two out of the three friends. Robin watched them, wondering what they would think—whether they would believe it or not. He hadn't wanted to at first—had shouted at Raven through the communicator, refusing to believe—but now, he wasn't so sure anymore.
The motionless silence was broken when Starfire suddenly shot up from her chair again, this time into the air. She hovered above Cyborg's and Robin head for a minute, not looking down or turning around, then shot off down the hall to the passage that lead down and out of the Tower. Robin watched the back of her head as she flew away, knowing without a second though where she was going.
"C'mon, Cyborg," Robin said as he jumped over the counter, thumping his friend's mechanical shoulder as he passed, striding for the exit as well. "We gotta a hospital bed to visit."