"Is he going to be okay?" Dick looked at his mentor expectantly.
"He'll be fine now. All he needs is rest." Batman refused to look at his ward, opting instead to continue analyzing the results from various treatment options. He couldn't stand to see the relief on the boy's face. Dick sat on the medical bed beside his teammate, lowering his weight gingerly to avoid disturbing his friend.
"It's all my fault, Bruce." The older man's eyes closed as he prepared for the confrontation. "If I hadn't told him about the genetic splicing… I could have at least broken it to him more gently." Dick's fingers ran through his hair, pulling slightly in frustration.
"He had every right to know, Dick. You did the right thing in telling him." Bruce turned to watch the young vigilante.
"He could have died today! I… I could have watched him die. And it would have been my fault…"
"Dick. Listen to me. The truth is powerful. Superboy needs to confront and accept his past. If he's lucky, he may even be able to become stronger because of it."
"I—I agree that he needed to know. I understand that. But what happens now?"
"Ideally? Ideally, he'll awaken in two hours, dust himself off, and be ready for the team's next mission. But things are never that easy…"
With Superboy's conditions stable, Batman left Dick to monitor the half-breed's condition while Bruce made a public appearance. Tonight he had reservations at the finest restaurant in Gotham to dine with a Russian supermodel. In all honesty, however, he would much rather spend his evening going over charts and criminal files. It was well after midnight by the time Bruce returned home.
"Welcome home, Master Bruce. I presume your evening was enlightening?"
"Thoroughly. I didn't know it was possible for one person to talk about themselves for so long… this coming from an experienced Gotham socialite."
"I can't imagine your friend's in the League know how much the Batman suffers to maintain his secrecy."
"I'm sure Hal would smoother me with pity." Bruce joked dryly as Alfred helped to remove his Armani suit jacket. "Has Dick eaten anything?"
"No sir. The last time I came down he seemed… otherwise preoccupied." Alfred's face was as unreadable as always and Bruce raised a questioning eyebrow as he walked toward the entrance to the cave.
"I don't think he's had anything since breakfast. If possible, try to convince him to have something before he goes to bed tonight."
"I don't know if it will be possible, sir." Bruce rode the elevator down to the Batcave with Alfred, expecting to find Dick busy with one of his pet projects. When the elevator doors opened, Batman's eyes scanned the cave for his ward. He found Dick fast asleep curled up next to Superboy, his head resting on the larger boy's shoulder. "I'm afraid he may have already gone to bed for the night." Alfred watched as Bruce's eyes shifted from subtle surprise, to annoyance, and back to his usual cool façade. "Should we awaken the young master?"
"No." Batman replied a little too quickly, turning away from the scene and addressing his computer instead. "But I could use some coffee."
"If I may be so bold…"
"Not now, Alfred."
"Coffee it is then." Alfred replied with a nod.