Chapter Text
Bernard was a liar.
He knew that.
He knew that he was about to come clean as he sprinted, feet pounding the sidewalk as he desperately pushed himself further and faster.
He didn't care.
He didn't care that the fence said 'No Trespassing', he threw himself against the freezing chain link and climbed.
He didn't care that the GCPD was less than a hundred yards away, searching for Mr. Freeze, he sprinted down the nearest dock.
He didn't care about the chunks of ice now floating in the harbor, just the dark, nearly invisible lump draped over a small ice chunk.
Red Robin.
The cops hadn't seen him get hit.
But Bernard had.
He didn't hesitate, hopping and ripping off his shoes and jacket as he ran, before diving into the water.
It was SO much colder than he had expected, and he felt his body freeze.
His mind screamed at him to swim. Move. Anything.
But he couldn't.
The water felt like a giant, icy hand that was wrapping around him, squeezing the air out of his lungs.
The salt stung his eyes.
He needed air.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he managed to force his arms to move.
And then his legs.
They moved with no coordination what so ever for a few seconds, but he was gradually able to make his way to the surface.
He gasped and choked, shivering and trying to regain his bearings. Where was Red Robin? Where had he gone? There were still chunks of ice floating all around him, blocking his vision as he spun-
THERE!
Bernard kicked his legs, reaching back in his memories of childhood swimming lessons for anything that could help him now.
There wasn't much he could remember at the moment, but he kept going. Red Robin needed help.
Tim needed help.
He was nearly there when the motion of the water caused the hero's limp form to slip off the ice chunk. Much to Bernard's horror, he disappeared from view with no resistance.
Bernard paused for only a second, but then took a deep breath and dove underwater.
It was dark.
It was cold.
The ice was starting to cause sharp pains to shoot through his limbs.
But he couldn't stop.
He needed to find Tim.
He needed to save him.
He-
His hand hit cloth and he clutched it with all his strength.
He made sure he had a firm grip on what felt like the cape of Red Robin's suit and kicked his legs as hard as he could, hauling them both to the surface.
His lungs were burning as he gasped for air, clinging desperately to Red Robin and kicking his way back to shore, doing his best attempt at a backstroke.
He was…
So tired.
He was in school to become a chef. Nighttime swims in a frozen Gotham harbor werent things he'd prepared for, but every time he felt like he couldn't make it any further, he refocused on who he was saving.
Red Robin.
Tim.
Bernard had watched the news last week, heart pounding in terror, as Red Robin swung into a burning apartment building, making it out with three children in tow.
He hadn't hesitated for a second.
Bernard had had to fight the urge to call him as soon as the news reported that everyone was safe.
He'd needed to hear Tim's voice.
Needed to hear it from Tim that he was actually alright.
Needed to hug him and hold him and assure himself he hadn't been hurt by that stunt.
Needed to yell and scream and break down because he had just watched the man he loved throw himself into a burning building.
A building that was actively on fire.
A building that had partially collapsed barely fifteen minutes after he'd gotten out.
He'd wanted so badly to call Tim.
To tell him he'd seen him on the news, and how dare he scare Bernard like that.
But he hadn't.
He'd kept quiet.
Because Tim didn't know Bernard knew who he was.
Bernard's hand scraped mud and he gasped.
They were at the shore.
Coughing and forcing his shaking legs to hold him, he readjusted so he could grab Red Robin under the arms and drag him the rest of the way out of the water.
He got a few feet from the water line before his knees gave out and he hit the ground.
The feeling of just… laying there…
It made him really feel just how exhausted he was.
The night grew darker around him.
He gasped and panted, feeling lightheadedness wash over him like a wave.
He felt his heavy, soaked clothes cling to his shivering frame, making him colder and colder by the second, thanks in part to a cool breeze.
Grunting, teeth chattering, arms shaking, Bernard finally pushed himself up onto his hands and knees to check on Red Robin.
He was unconscious, face pale, lips blue. And way too still.
"Red..?" Bernard froze, feeling sick.
Red Robin wasn't breathing.
"Red Robin?"
No.
No, no, no.
Please, no.
"Tim!"
Bernard dropped down and pressed his ear to Tim's chest.
Nothing.
How long had there been nothing?
"Tim..?"
The cold, combined with the exhaustion and panic caused him to freeze.
What was he supposed to do?
What could he do?
Warm him up?
CPR?
Call someone?
No! His phone was dead after its dip in the harbor.
He suddenly felt even more alone and helpless.
He couldn't call anyone for help.
"Wake up..?" He heard himself whisper.
His hands moved on their own, finding their way to the center of Red Robin's chest. He pressed down hard, but nothing happened.
How..?
How was he supposed to do this??
Help.
He needed help.
"Help." He whispered brokenly.
His vision blurred with tears.
He pressed against Red Robin's chest again, harder.
"Help!" He called again.
His limbs were so cold he was feeling pins and needles, but he pushed down again.
"Conner! Help!"
A figure dropped to the ground right in front of him, scattering dirt and rocks.
"Bernard! What's going on?"
Conner's eyes landed on Red Robin's still form and he gasped, dropping to his knees and reaching out to brush his hair out of his face.
"What happened?"
"He's not breathing. I- I got him to shore, but I don't know how long he hasn't been breathing. I don't know CPR, and I don't know what to do. Please, help." The words tumbled out of Bernard in a rush.
"Calm down. Deep breath, okay baby?" Conner looked about as scared as Bernard felt, but he'd at least been trained for life and death situations. "I'm going to talk you through it, but you're going to have to do CPR."
"No, no, no, no. I can't. Conner, I can't. I don't know how. I never learned."
"Bernard. Bernard, look at me. You have to. I can't. I literally can't. If I try, I'll crush his ribcage. You have to. I'll be here. I'll walk you through it, but he needs this NOW."
Bernard nodded and cleared his throat. He was so tired.
So sore.
So cold.
So scared.
But Tim needed him.
"'Kay. What do I do?"
"Put your hands here. Like this." Conner guided him into position and directed him through everything.
But Red Robin stayed still.
"Harder. Bernard, you need to push harder. His lungs are under his ribcage."
Red Robin still wasn't breathing.
"Okay, now tilt his head back. You're going to need to pinch his nose and breathe for him, alright?"
Red Robin's lips looked like they were turning from blue to purple, though that might have just been Bernard's panicked brain playing tricks on him.
"You're doing great, Bernard. Just keep it up." Conner held Red Robin's limp hand, words of encouragement growing strained the longer Tim continued to lie there, unresponsive.
Bernard's limbs shook.
He was still coughing up seawater himself.
He was freezing and terrified.
Tim had called him the night before, just to chat. Bernard hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now? He'd give anything to hear Tim's voice again.
His laugh.
The stutter he always fell into whenever he was embarrassed.
The way he'd lose himself excitedly in an explanation, talking for hours sometimes.
The way the light would dance in his eyes and he'd get that big, goofy grin on his face when he'd dance around their apartment with Conner.
The-
Red Robin's body suddenly lurched, causing Bernard to jump back.
Conner quickly turned him on his side, rubbing his back and holding him as he coughed and hacked up water.
"You're okay. You're okay. You're okay. You're okay, baby." He just kept repeating.
He was alive.
He was moving.
He was…
He was breathing.
Even when he sank back, hanging limply from their boyfriend's arms, Bernard could still see his chest moving.
Tim was… alive.
The world seemed to shift around Bernard and he felt himself fall to the side, barely catching himself on the rocks.
The… the ocean hadn't been that loud a second ago, had it?
"Bernard..?" Conner's voice sounded so far away.
Bernard tried to shake his head, hoping to clear it, but the events of the night hit him like a Mac truck.
He felt his arms give out.
He felt himself fall.
He felt the cold, hard ground, and the warm, rough hand now on his face.
The last thing he heard was Conner's voice, telling him to keep his eyes open.
But they were just…
Too heavy.