Chapter Three

Batman was furious when he got the call from Kid Flash. He should have investigated this girl more thoroughly. Then he wouldn't have gotten hurt. Then he wouldn't be in the emergency operation room in the hospital. And he wouldn't be getting the stares he really didn't care about from people who had never seen a superhero in person before.

He, Flash and Superman had been discussing current events in The Watchtower when the call came. He sent a message to Zatarra to meet Zatanna at her location and check over the scene. Superman would go there as well. Batman and the Flash would go to their protégés at the hospital. There was no debate. Not that there ever was in Batman's orders. Their death would just be more painful in Batman's livid state.

Now he was waiting with the two speedsters outside the operating room that Robin was currently in. When they got to the hospital they were pointed to the emergency operation room. It hadn't been hard to find. Wally was impatiently waiting across the hall from the door.

Batman was concerned for the Flash's protégé. Other than the curt nod they were both given when they had arrived the teen was completely still and silent. He hadn't uttered a word or joke and he hadn't moved from his position leaning up against the wall directly across from the door.

The Flash was pacing. Really all he could see was a red blur by the door. Batman stood stoically waiting for the news of what had happened. No one could tell the nervousness in him. The only two people who could ever really tell what he was feeling were Alfred and Robin, and Alfred was still in Gotham. He hadn't been notified yet. Bruce was not looking forward to that conversation.

The three of them waited there for two hours and thirty-one minutes by Batman's count. Then, a tired looking doctor opened the door of the operating room and slipped out into the hallway with them. He looked older, probably in his late fifties Batman deduced, with gray and brown hair and deep-set hazel eyes. His coat was embroidered with the name Vallist. Before he could open his mouth to speak there was a sixteen-year-old speedster in front of him.

"HowisheWillhebealrightWhatto oksolongHowbadaretheburnsHow longwillrecoverytakeIshealri ght?" The speedster spoke faster than the Doctor or Batman could comprehend, and Batman had practice listening to a speedster talk.

The Flash came over to his nephew and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked to the doctor.

"How is he?"

Wally was losing his patients. He needed to know how Dick was. He had had some bad burns and was severely injured.

Nodding, the doctor spoke "He should live. Currently he is still unconscious. The third degree burns cover about 41% of his body, on his back, head, neck, and legs. Another 40% of his body is covered in second degree burns. We have also removed a great deal of shrapnel from him, although none of it got very deep due to his costume. We have managed to stabilize him, and he is reacting well to the medications we have administered. I have seen few people with an outlook as good with similar injuries." He turned so he was directly facing Batman. "I am going to assume you are his guardian, or as close to a guardian as we will get, am I correct?" He said, his voice even as he looked to the man towering a good five or six inches above him.

"Yes. Before you ask his only allergy is to exterruerat-pharmacum. I would also like to know when we will be able to see him." Batman glanced out of the corner of his eye to see that The Flash had put a hand around his nephew's mouth to prevent the storm of words that he was ready to let loose.

"Thank you." The doctor looked to his charts. "We are not administering that drug at this time I believe, nor do I think he would be given any. As for seeing him," Wally seemed to still completely at his words "he is currently in the ICU, no admittance, I'm afraid. The risk of infection is too great for anyone to see him at this time. When he is more healed and can be moved out of the ICU he may have visitors. Until that time, you cannot see him, no." That is when Wally was able to get out of his uncle's hold.

"What do you mean we can't see him? What happens when he wakes up all alone in a hospital room? Don't you think he'll want to see us?" The ginger was fuming. He needed to see his friend, needed to talk to him, needed to reassure himself he was alright.

"The risk of infection with the major burns across his skin is too great. To go in and see him you would be putting his body up to whatever is clinging to you and with the crime-fighting and the alleys and the other places you have undoubtedly been you could have something that could infect and kill him. His system is already working very hard to mend itself the risk of something, even something small, could tip the balance on how well he is doing. I'm sure with even a basic knowledge of science you understand that the skin is the main organ that protects from infection and with most of his gone he is extremely susceptible to such things."

As much as Wally hated it, he did know. He remembered every biology lesson. The skin was the body's first defense and with third degree burns there wasn't any skin left in those places. He clenched his fists and looked down, his face scrunching up in defeated disgust. Disgust that he hadn't protected him. Defeated because there wasn't anything he could do to help him. And he desperately wanted to help him.

He felt Batman's hand come down on his shoulder. He could always tell the difference between the two. Barry's was light and gentle. Batman's was heavy and slightly rough, though from looking at others he seemed gentler on Wally. Though that was probably just a trick of his mind. Either way he didn't shake the hand off or open his eyes and look up.

"You should go get something to eat Kid Flash." His voice was monotone and even, like he didn't care about what was going on around him but not giving Wally a choice in the matter. Without looking back at the older heroes Wally turned on his heel and walked down the hall, carefully bunched angry still visible beneath the surface.

Barry watched his nephew walk down the hall, following the signs to the cafeteria. He didn't like the way he was acting. He was angry and more hostile. Not the boy that he knew, not the always-hungry, flirty jokester that he trained. Even in the worst fights they had gotten into with gangs and various super villains he had kept the humor and the jokes. Wally was never as serious as this. It wasn't him.

"They are…friends, I presume?" The doctor said, an eyebrow raised as he looked between the two men. Batman said nothing, just a slight nod. Barry looked at him, his brows furrowed.

"What do you…?" Then realization dawned on him. "What!? No Wally.. They aren't.. Wait are they?" The last question was directed towards Batman, an incredulous look on his face. The dark knight gave him a look that silenced him, then turned to the doctor.

"They are friends and have been for many years. Kid Flash is very worried for his health, as his other friends will be. We will all want any information as soon as possible." His even voice again betrayed no emotion. He handed handed the doctor a business card produced from thin air. "Call if you find anything or if he wakes up." Without waiting for a response he turned and walked down the hall. Barry, knowing it would be expected of him, gave a nod and a smile to the doctor and followed him.

The speedsters head had a thousand and one thoughts bouncing around in his head at the implication of his words. The way Batman had answered after is little studder-fest made it clear that he would explain to Flash later, without so many prying eyes and ears. He couldn't believe it. Wally flirted with every girl that went by. He was always a ladies man. He didn't swing for that team, so to speak. At least Barry didn't think so. This was a much more exciting mission than they thought it would be.

Wally accepted the hastily served food from the cafeteria worker. Most of the people in the room had looked up when he walked in. Some gawked, still were, some of them just sat in stunned silence, and a few who had come from other cities that had superheroes to visit family or friends just went back to eating. As he walked from the lunch line to a table by the window in the corner he looked out and realized it was early morning. He checked the time on his PDA and found that it was already almost seven. As he continued to look out over the brightening sky he saw that the ground was covered in fresh snow. The sky was still too dark to show any colors yet. Central City would only be an hour behind them with the time-zone difference. Even then getting home would still bring him late to school, and he hadn't slept.

He was trying to get Dick off his mind but it wasn't working. Images of a burnt and unconscious bird continued to plague his mind.

He was on his fifth pancake when a sharp tug on his Kevlar uniform near his knee broke him from his thoughts. He looked down to see a small girl, probably no more than four with one hand still hooked in his uniform and the other protectively hugging a small chibi Flash doll. She was in bright red sweatpants a yellow long sleeve t-shirt. Her dark red hair was ratty and unbrushed. She looked worse for the wear and unhappy.

"Are you weally Kid Flash?" she asked

"Yeah." He was about to tell her to leave before but he couldn't yell at her, she was just a little girl. And she had a flash doll.

"I' seen you on TV! You an' the Fwash awe the coolest. Mommy doesn't beliewe me. She said she didn't wan' hewoes ina city. I dunno 'hy. I thin' you the best. Can I," the girl suddenly seemed shy "can I got a pituwe with you? My daddy wouwd take it." Kid Flash looked up behind the girl to see a tired looking guy with matching red hair and a small smile on his face standing a little ways behind her.

"Sure."

After posing with the little girl Wally went up for a second helping of food. He hadn't eaten since a protein bar around midnight, so was now starving. He sat back down and began to eat again, still worried about Robin.

Barry looked around the cafeteria for his nephew. He was in the corner taking a picture with a little girl. Barry smiled. His nephew had a soft heart for kids.

Somewhere along the way he had lost Batman, but he was used to the way that he came and went without a word, he would just be expected to go to the cafeteria.

As the little girl and her father walked away his nephew got up and went over to the cafeteria worker to get more food. The cafeteria was mostly empty at seven o'clock in the morning. Even so, his nephew didn't notice him. As Wally sat back down and began to eat half-heartedly, Barry walked over to the corner of the room he was in and sat down.

"How are you Kid?" He asked gently, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked up, obviously surprised at the sudden entrance. He looked back down to his food, which was now a lot less appetizing then it was a minute ago.

"Fine." His voice was monotone, that of someone who was definitely hiding their feelings. Barry picked up on this. Granted it was Wally who basically wore his heart on his sleeve.

"Really? You were kinda freakin' out over Robin a few minutes ago. Bats even sent you away. If there is something you want to talk about or tell me, I'm here, you can tell me anything." Barry wasn't sure he wanted to hear about everything now, while everything was going on and they were in a hospital cafeteria.

Wally sighed. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want Robin to be safe though. I should have been looking out for him, should have noticed when he wasn't right behind me as we got out of that place. It is my fault he got hurt. I should have been paying attention. And now he's in a hospital room and he's going to wake up and he'll be all alone and we won't be able to go see him or anything." Wally looked around at the looks sent his way; his voice had risen towards the end of his speech. He lowered his voice. "It's just frustrating that's all" he grumbled as he began to stab at his food. Barry raised an eyebrow but didn't contradict his nephew. He looked around

"I don't know where Bats ran off to but he'll be here soon. I know Zatanna went back to the cave right after we got here, she probably told the team. You should probably go back" Wally's head whipped up with a death glare that Barry either didn't notice or ignored "and tell them what happened and how Robin's doing." His demeanor softened. "They are his friends too. They will want to know what happened, what's going on. It won't kill you to go back to the cave. Plus, you need sleep. You'll be dead on your feet soon, and that will not help anyone."

Wally roughly picked up his tray. As he started walking towards the tray drop off he practically spat over his shoulder.

"Fine."

Batman closed down his own wrist computer. He had placed a bug in the hospital mainframe from an empty office. After hacking the firewalls and getting the full information on his ward he used the security cameras to view the room his ward was in. All of his costume, excluding his mask, had been removed. Now his body was almost entirely encased in gauze. It was heart breaking and Batman realized it was his fault. But it didn't matter now as he stood up and slipped silently from the room. He needed more information on the girl that had caused all this. He needed to find out what the locals said of her, what they knew. It was odd. Most of the information he had gotten were second hand views; no arrests, no criminal records, no warrants. The police would most likely be of no help.

There was no staff in the hall he walked down. It was uniliminated enough that no one could see him even if there were. He continued down the hallway to the cafeteria, figuring he had given the Flash and his protégé enough time to have their heart to heart. Batman had noticed the developing relationship even if Wally didn't. He was sure that Robin had noticed his feelings changing. He also knew that he would come to him when he was ready. Though with the new development, he was unsure of where everything was going to go. He would continue to think on this later.

He saw the two of them in the corner talking. Just as he entered the room Wally got up and said something over his shoulder to his uncle before dumping his tray at the drop-off and storming away. The Flash sighed and then looked up. When he noticed Batman he walked over to speak with him.

"That didn't go well. He doesn't want to talk to me... I'm worried he's going to do something stupid." Barry said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"More so than usual. I'm done here. I'm shifting through the staff files as we speak. We should go back to the Watch Tower, there is nothing more we can do here for the time being." Batman began to leave the building. Not wanting to run all the way back to central city The Flash quickly followed to catch a ride with the dark knight. The man was already at the bat-jet ready to take off. Before he could close the top and take off Barry was seated behind him, buckled in. Batman raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had figured he would at least be given a warning.

When Wally entered the cave he didn't expect to be bombarded with all his friends in their pajamas yelling.

"Where is Robin-"

"What happened to-?"

"How-"

"When-"

"STOP!"

The final statement was Auqalad's. In the dead silence that followed everyone was looking at him.

"Wally please, start at the beginning and tell us what has happened. Zatanna has not been able to tell us any farther then Robin being brought to the hospital." He stood straight but it was easy to see the worry in his features. The team deserved to know how he was doing. And not a sugar-coating either.

So he told them. Everything the doctor had said, from the diagnosis to them being unable to see him until he got out of the ICU. The horrified faces of his friends didn't help his sour mood.

"How long will it take for him to get out of the ICU?" Asked a very scared looking M'gann.

Wally shrugged. "I don't know. With the burns that he got it will take weeks before he is even partially healed. It will be a while." Instead of the anger he had at the hospital Wally now sounded only defeated and tired. He rubbed his face with both hands. "I'm going to go sleep. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Murmured voices of consent fill the training room as the boy left. He padded softly down the hall making his way to his room. When he got there he stripped himself of his costume, only in his boxers. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.