Work Text:
Bruce entered the Cave to find an unconscious Jason on the floor, near his bike, as if he just had the time to get up before passing out.
Bruce didn’t know how to act, he ran towards his son, screaming for Alfred to help him. He took off Jason’s helmet to see his closed eyes, sweaty face, and pale skin. He looked like he had a fever and a bad one.
Alfred was already stripping the vigilante from his vest and tee-shirt and they both realized with horror that Jason had a bloody, dirty bandage wrapped around his stomach.
Bruce took his son in his arms softly, trying not to jolt him too much as he was carrying him to the bed in the med bay.
“Master Bruce, can you carefully take off his bandage while I’m looking for a blood pack? I need to take a look at his injury.”
Bruce took a scalpel and carefully opened the bandage in two, suddenly hit by the smell of blood and infection.
The injury was not looking good. It was deep and red and bloated, and Bruce wanted to know how long did Jason wait, thinking he would be fine on his own before going to the Cave, probably too painful to ignore it anymore.
“Oh, Jay,” mumbled Bruce, “you really are determined to give me grey hair.”
Alfred came back with a blood IV and winced at the injury, as he was putting the needle in the unconscious boy.
“That boy really needs to learn how to take care of himself.”
“Or at least learn how to call when he can’t heal his own injuries.”
They both sighed and Alfred started to sanitize the wound. Even passed out cold, Jason was whimpering as if he was feeling the pain in his stomach, and Bruce shushed him slowly, petting his messy hair like it would keep the pain at bay.
“Master Bruce, can you get me an oxygen mask? I’ll have to anesthetize him so he won’t wake up when I stitch him up.”
Bruce nodded and left without a word to find a mask in the med bay, leaving his son whining alone with Alfred.
He smiled softly when he heard his old butler trying to calm the boy down as he was coming back next to the bed: “Come on, my boy. You’re going to be just fine, and I will make you hot cacao and crepes when you’ll wake up. Sounds good?”
Of course, Jason didn’t respond, but Alfred hummed as if it was a dialog and continued his work.
“I’ve got it, Alfred.”
The old man approved with a small sign and took the mask from his hands: “I’m taking the anesthetizing gas and we’ll get started. Alfred placed the mask on Jason's face and let the young boy breathe in it, inhaling the sweet gas.
"You'll be just fine, baby. Don't worry."
Jason regained consciousness feeling nauseous and dizzy. He was struggling to understand what was happening, and the world was foggy around him. He tried to open his eyes, and the only thing he could see was a blurry black and blue figure above him.
“B...Blue…” he slurred. He couldn’t even filter what was coming out of his mouth. He heard voices all around him but he couldn’t understand what they were saying, he couldn’t even tell if they were speaking his language.
Something was warm against him, like a big heating pad and he let his body melt in it.
“Warm…” he mumbled, “soft…”
He could feel the big heating pad shaking softly next to him but couldn’t understand why. He felt a hand running through his hair, untangling messy locks and he hummed happily: “I… like that.”
Then, he fell back into sweet darkness.
Bruce was holding Jason close as he was deeply asleep, still under the effect of anesthesia. Dick was still in his Nightwing suit, while Damian and Tim were in civilian clothes around the bed. Jason seemed to wake up and opened his eyes slowly, but he looked very confused. Alfred warned them that the anesthesia might make him confused and comatose for a while, but when Jason looked at Dick without even understanding that he was there and slurred: “B...Blue…” Dick couldn’t help but smile fondly. “I know, my suit is awesome, Little Wing. You’re jealous?”
Jason didn’t answer and Tim choked a laugh as he was filming the scene with his cellphone.
“Todd, who’s your favorite brother?” Damian asked and Bruce rolled his eyes.
“Let you brother alone, I think you all know how sedative gas is.”
Jason’s eyes were still open but he wasn’t looking at anything in particular, he suddenly seemed to realize that he wasn’t alone in the bed and he pressed his body against Bruce: “Warm…” he mumbled, “soft…”
Bruce’s torso shook as he was laughing softly, before starting to untangle his son’s messy locks.
“I… like that,” Jason mumbled again before his eyes rolled back in his head.
“I guess we’ll never know who is his favorite brother,” sighed Tim as he snapped a few pictures of Jason, so small in their father’s arms.
“We all know it’s me.” Dick smiled. He pressed a kiss on his sleeping brother’s forehead before heading to the shower.
Bruce sighed at his children but he was smiling. He would always be happy having one of his children in his arms.
When Jason woke up again he was less confused, just very tired, and very cold.
Someone next to him was reading a book, his father, and Jason couldn’t help but complained: “Dad… ‘m cold.”
“I’m sorry Jason, it’s just the fever. You had a pretty bad infection but Alfred is having you on antibiotics. Do you want another blanket?”
Jason nodded, but when his father started to move, Jason whined and tried to hold him down: “Noooooo. Stay here, you’re warm.”
“Alright, alright, Jaylad. I’m staying here.”
Bruce took his phone on the nightstand: “Hey Dick, can you bring a blanket for your brother, please? He’s cold but doesn’t want me to move.”
Jason could hear Dick chuckling on the phone, and a few minutes later, he appeared in the room with two more blankets and warm tea.
“Okay now make room for me.” he smiled before lying next to his younger brother, sandwiching him between his body and their dad's.
“Are you feeling better now, baby?”
Jason nodded, he was feeling warm, comfortable, and safe, and he kind of wanted to stay like this forever.
Jason closed his eyes, inhaling his father’s cologne. He was feeling happy. He missed feeling safe and protected, he missed his dad. He missed everything.
“I missed you, dad.” He mumbled without even noticing it.
He didn’t see his father’s smile illuminating the room as he was kissing his son’s forehead.
“I missed you so much, Jaylad.”
It took a few days for Jason’s fever to broke. He spent the first night after the anesthesia throwing up in the toilets, but his father was with him, holding his messy locks so they won't get dirty, running a comforting hand down his back and shushing him softly.
Then, they spent the next day watching movies and drinking hot cocoa in the living room. Alfred brought them lunch, even if it was just a soup for Jason.
Bruce had to stay with him for at least twenty-four hours after the surgery.
Damian and Tim joined them in the evening while Cass, Steph, and Dick were on patrol. Tim was typing on his laptop, and Damian sat next to Jason, acting as if he didn’t care, even though Jason noticed the younger checking on him often during the movie, before resting his head on his brother’s shoulder.
“Don’t get hurt again, Todd.” He mumbled as a good night when Bruce led Jason to the bedroom. "Oh, wait! Who's your favorite brother?"
Jason couldn’t help but smile: “Good night, baby birds.”
They went back to Bruce’s bedroom and he checked his son’s stitches before putting him to bed.
“Alright, Jaybaby. Let’s go to sleep now. And if you don’t feel good during the night, you can always wake me up, I really don’t mind.”
“Thanks, Dad,” yawned Jason as he let his eyes close. He knew his dad will always take care of him.