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Yes, Robin knew going out to fight crime with a head cold was a bad idea. But the Titans needed him!
(At least, that’s what he told himself; he knew they would be fine on their own, but it helped his conscience to be there.)
Of course, he didn’t account for hitting his head after being tossed against a brick wall, the concussion that came with it, or how severe it would be. But did he plan on telling anyone? Heck, no. Robin had handled much worse. He’d be fine.
As Cyborg kept a close eye on his leader, he noticed how the pale boy winced with every swallow, slight shivers wracking his slender frame. The leader kept clearing his throat and sniffling, with an occasional cough slipping through. Watching Robin suffer in silence hurt Cyborg, but he knew there was no way his leader would admit to being sick.
Upon returning to Titan’s Tower after defeating the latest villain of the week, Cyborg watched as Robin swayed lightly on his feet. The dark-skinned teen knew his leader was thrown into a wall, and he could only imagine what it did to the other’s already weakened state. As much as Cyborg wanted to confront Robin over his cold and concussion, he knew he had to wait for Robin to come to him.
And so, Cyborg observed Robin for hours.
Watching Robin trip over his feet was the final straw.
It wasn’t anything huge, just a slight stumble, if anything. However, Cyborg knew Robin was not that clumsy. Sure, the boy made mistakes that would be costly if he were on his own, but he never blundered that bad.
Without much warning, Cyborg grabbed Robin’s arm.
“Rob, can you help me with something?” he questioned.
“Sure?” Robin sounded hesitant.
“It’s nothing much. Just come with me?”
Slowly, Robin nodded and shrugged out of Cyborg’s gentle hold. With that, Cyborg placed a hand on Robin’s upper back and led him out of the room towards the med bay. Realising where he was, Robin stopped in his tracks.
“Cyborg, why are we here?”
“Because I’m checking for a concussion,” Cyborg responded. “In case you forgot, I did watch you hit a brick wall earlier, and someone failed to show up for a check-up.”
“I’m fine,” was Robin’s immediate answer.
“Liar.”
Robin didn’t flinch, but it was a near thing.
“All I’m asking is to allow me to check. If you’re good, I’ll leave you alone. Deal?”
“Deal,” Robin hissed.
Smiling, Cyborg led a pissy Robin into the med bay and sat him on a cot.
“Okay, Robin,” Cyborg started. “Let’s begin with the basics. You know, checking for injuries and all that.”
Robin glowered but didn’t move to stop him. Finding nothing on his body or extremities, Cyborg turned his attention to Robin’s head.
“Alright, head wound and concussion check time,” he chirped.
“I am not taking off my mask,” Robin growled.
“Don’t have to. You know that already.”
This time, Cyborg could see the mask narrow as Robin glared. Cyborg chuckled.
“Off your game today, huh, buddy?”
Cyborg could practically see the steam coming off Robin.
“Relax, Rob. I’ll be done here shortly.”
Zooming in his optic eye, Cyborg could just see through the white fabric of the mask. There, familiar blue eyes greeted him. The coloured iris was hardly visible, and Robin’s pupils were wide. He watched Robin narrow his eyes to avoid the light shining on them. Cyborg heaved a sigh.
“Yeah, you’ve got a concussion, alright. Tell me your symptoms.”
“I’m—”
“Don’t. You. Dare.”
Robin at least had the decency to wince.
“Come on; tell me honestly,” Cyborg spoke. “I know you’ve got a cold, too.”
His leader remained silent.
“Alright, how about I tell you some symptoms, and you just tell me yes or no? Sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, body aches?”
Robin sniffled.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Cyborg grinned. “As much as I’d love to give you medication, I know you won’t take it unless you’re desperate.”
His glare deepened.
“Alright, moving on. Headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurry or double vision?
“No vomiting,” Robin was quick to say.
Cyborg hummed.
“Well, that’s good, at least. You’ve still got a pretty good concussion, though. I don’t think it’ll cause any lasting brain damage, so you’re in the clear about that.”
“There’s nothing anyone can do about it, I already know; this isn’t my first,” Robin said.
“Considering our career path, I don’t doubt that. But that means you know what you should do when you have a concussion.”
Robin scowled and clenched his teeth.
“Robin, I’m not trying to fight you,” Cyborg soothed. “I just want to make sure you’re alright. I know you aren’t used to that, and that’s okay.”
“Your point?”
“As the eldest, it’s my job to make sure the rest of you are okay.”
Cyborg stood up before sitting beside Robin and touched Robin’s upper back.
“Let me take care of you.”
Finally, Robin deflated and slumped into Cyborg’s body. Up close, Cyborg could see just how exhausted the poor boy was. His face was pale enough that the dark-skinned teen could see the faint freckles across Robin’s nose and cheeks. Robin’s chest heaved with every breath, and Cyborg felt the shivers that wracked his frame. Carefully, Cyborg brushed his fingers across Robin’s forehead.
“Rob, when were you going to tell me you had a fever?” Cyborg questioned casually.
“Didn’t know,” Robin mumbled.
“Probably from running yourself to the ground, as per usual. Come on; let’s get you to bed where you’ll stay put .”
Robin didn’t have it in him to argue and simply nodded. Cyborg rolled his eyes fondly and helped his leader to his bedroom. Tucking the boy in, Cyborg chuckled softly upon seeing Robin fast asleep.
“Sleep tight, Rob,” he murmured before closing the door with a soft click.
(Other than the vomiting spell Robin had when Cyborg woke him up a few hours later, there was no lasting damage that Cyborg could tell. The boy knew his name [“You know I can’t tell you my actual name.”], the day [“Unless it’s past midnight, I’m pretty sure it’s Wednesday.”], and where he was [“This is my bedroom, right?”]. Knowing he would be okay, Cyborg made it his mission to care for the younger. Robin may be his leader, but at that moment, Robin was his little brother, and it was his job as the older brother to take care of him [much to Robin’s chagrin].)