Element of Surprise

Part 8: Relating Through a Common Experience

Jason was making his way up to Samantha's room when he heard Tim screaming. He rushed down the hall and opened the door. Tim was moving around wildly on the bed and Caine was about to fall off the edge. He grabbed his nephew and sat back on the bed and tried to wake Tim.

"Tim, wake up," Jason stated. "You're having a nightmare," but his words didn't get through. 'Tim must be dreaming he's back in that box, trying to kick and claw his way out.'

Jason remembered his own experience. Pounding on the lid, kicking and screaming, clawing through the fabric and then the wood, his fingernails bloody and broken, then finally clawing his way out of the dirt. It was something he would never forget. While Jason held onto Caine, Tim kicked the covers off and exposing his bruised arms and legs.

"Damn it," Jason swore and placed Caine onto the floor. "Don't repeat that," he told his nephew. Jason went and sat Tim up and patted his face. "Tim...Tim, wake up. You're fine. You're not in the box anymore." Jason saw that Tim's eyes were open, but there was nothing but pure terror in them. 'Damn, it' almost like my terror.' Jason held onto "Tim. It's okay little bro, calm down. I'm right here."

Time started crying when he realized Jason was holding him.

"Shhhh, it's okay." Jason rocked him back and forth. 'I didn't have any one to be with me during my night terrors. I don't want Tim to go through the same thing.'

Jason felt Tim shaking against him, his breaths coming out in shudders.

"You're not in the box anymore." Jason leaned his head on Tim's. "It's okay…it's okay."

"How . . . How did . . . You . . . Manage . . . To . . . Get rid . . . Of the nightmares ," Tim asked, shuddering.

"I picked up bad habits that I don't want to see you doing," Jason said. He didn't mention he still had them from time to time, but not as often.

Tim gave out a half laugh. "I . . . Won't . . . You make . . . Sure that . . . I don't."

"I'll kick your ass if I see you doing it."

"Fair enough," Tim replied.

Jason snuggled Tim to closer to him.

"It must have been awful. I know now, how you must have felt."

"Scared, alone, hurt, terrified," Jason sighed, heavily. "All of which I do not want to remember."

"Now, I wish I could forget," Tim replied.

"Yeah, like there was a way to block it."

"You found a way out . . . I wasn't strong enough . . . I would have died."

"Tim, I panicked, just like you did," Jason explained. "I had to sit back and take a deep breath and then get myself out. That was something totally new to you. I'm sorry that it happened. I don't want you to go out like that. It scared the hell out of me when I found out you were buried alive."

"I don't want to experience that ever again."

"I know you don't," Jason said, rubbing Tim's back. "Neither do I."

"The thing is you did die. You were gone, and when you came back, no one knew. If Bruce knew he, would have dug that grave with his bare hands. I know he would."

Jason stayed silent. There was a point in time Jason thought Dad never cared about him, but that thought changed over the years. Jason continued to rub on Tim's back. "We dug up that hole you were in so quickly. We were afraid of losing you."

"You almost did. I resigned myself. I didn't think anyone would make it in time."

Jason shook his head. Why would he resign himself so easily? "Tim, you are a fighter. You have bruises to prove it...you shouldn't have given up hope."

"I was losing air. I couldn't breathe. It was too heavy for me. I was so . . . So scared . . . It reminded me of when my stepmother would lock me in a closet so she wouldn't be disturbed when her friends came over . . . I would wait for someone to come and get me. I was three . . . four years old."

"Stepmother, I thought Dana was your stepmother. You mean your own Mom did this to you?"

"Janet Drake wasn't my biological mother. She found out I wasn't her biological son."

"She used to lock you in a closet?" Jason asked. "What kind of parenting is that?" Jason glared. Then his look softened. 'There's no use in being upset on something that passed years ago. My brother is here with us now.' Jason rubbed Tim's head.

"She told me if I made any noise she's ship me off to boarding school," Tim explained. "She would pretend to love me and I fell for it. That's why I stopped fighting."

"Well, you don't have to worry about pretend love. Everyone here loves you and it makes up for that bitch's fake emotion. You deserved better than that."

"Yeah," Tim yawned

"Where the hell is Golden boy? Usually, he's in here with you when I'm not around."

"Asleep. He wore himself out trying to give me good dreams."

"So, he is a dream weaver now? Well, I'm going to have to wake him up. I need to do homework and I have to take blood from everyone."

"You can take blood from me."

"I plan too." Jason laid Tim back onto the bed.

"Is Caine okay? I hope I didn't scare him."

"Dada . . . Dada" Caine said, trying to express in words what his thoughts conveyed. *Daddy, are you feeling better? Uncle Jason is Daddy okay?*

"Caine's okay, he's worried for you." Jason picked up his nephew and placed him on the bed next to his dad.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Tims said, hugging his son and stroking his little cheek.

*I'm not scared,* Caine said. *Just worried. You don't sleep when you have bad dreams.*

Jason listened to the two talk. "I'm going to go and start on my assignment. Caine are you going to stay up here with your dad?"

*Want to play with my cousins and my brother now that Daddy is okay.*

"Okay. Give your dad a hug and I'll take you back down to your cousins and brother."

Caine gave his father another hug then held out his arms so Jason could pick him up.

"Thanks, Caine for visiting me. I'm going to need more ice on these bruises."

Jaosn picked up his nephew and tucked him under his arm like a baguette. His little legs kicked out excitedly. "I'll send Alfred up with more ice. Come on Caine, let's go." Jason made airplane noises to amuse his nephew.

*Weee! I climb steps to see Daddy,* Caine said, pointing out the steps as they approached. *It was hard, but I did it.*

"You're catching up with Jax and Jaylyn. They climbed the stairs the other day. I'm proud of you kid. Now we need to get your brother to start climbing."

*I want to learn to walk. Daddy walked early.*

'How can he know that?' Jason thought to himself. "Can you pull yourself up?"

*Tried,* Caine answered. *Sheets slipped on me.*

"Work on pulling yourself up. That's what I had your cousins do. When you perfect that you can start taking steps while holding on to something."

*Okay. Down please,* Caine stated, patting his Uncle Jason's arm.

Jason entered the sunroom and noticed the babies were back in their circle. He placed Caine down and he crawled over to his brother. 'I should grab needles and vials, plus some labels.' Jason headed down to the cave, relieved that Tim was all right for now. It worried him that Tim's past continued to haunt him. 'My past wasn't all that great either. I died, but I got a second chance, and I'm trying to make up for that. I hope Tim can get past his past.'

Continues with Part 9