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Jason Todd has seen a lot of different sides of Damian Wayne over the years.
He has seen the brat be furious, especially if he thought that his or his Fathers name had been insulted. Damian would be distrustful whenever he met new people, even if Bruce or Dick vouched for them as if any stranger held unspeakable danger to him and his own.
Hell, Jason has even seen pure joy in Damian’s sparkling eyes last summer when he’d had taken Damian to a special Van Gogh exhibit where all of the artworks were projected across entire walls, not to mention when they found some recently hatched ducks by a pond.
But for all the types of Damian Wayne that Jason has known, he had never once seen the boy like this.
Small.
Weak.
Miserable.
Jason readjusted the boy, placing Damian higher on his hip as Damian sobbed into his shoulder. Jason kept him steady as best he could, every step he took a careful calculation, letting Damian cry as much as he needed to without comment or insult.
Damian was already having a fucking shit time, there was absolutely no way in hell that Jason was going to make it any worse for him than was strictly necessary.
The boy was still trembling, tears streaming down his face as he buried deeper into Jason’s neck.
Damian sniffled, trying but failing to settle himself.
“Almost there.” Jason promised. “Just a little further.”
The boy’s only response was a whimper, a sound that Jason had never thought that he would ever hear Damian make. He never wanted Damian to make a sound like that ever again, not ever. Damian has already been through so much in his short life, and yet somehow whatever the toxin he had been hit with was so terrible that it was like it had broken him.
No, not broken. Fractured, maybe, but Damian was going to be okay because he was safe now and Jason was never going to let his Babybird be hurt again.
“See,” Jason said. “The cars right there, Habibi. We’re going home, alright?”
Damian shook ever harder.
Jason glanced down at him, readjusting to make sure that Damian was as comfortable as possible. But when Damian gave off yet another miserable sound and Jason realised that he was crying in earnest again, he slowed his steps.
“Kid?”
Damian hadn’t said a word since he’d been hit by the toxin but given the fact that neither of them had had a chance to get their rebreathers because they had been out as civilians, Damian had no doubt taken in a lot of it.
At last reaching the car, Jason hesitated before placing him into it.
“Damian,” Jason said. “I’m just going to put you down, okay, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying with you, but I need to set you down.”
Damian just shuddered strongly.
For all the very clear warnings, the moment Jason tried to ease Damian into the car, Damian’s arms tightened on his neck.
“Dames,”
Damian whimpered, burying his head into Jason’s shoulder.
“Dames, we need to take the car.” Jason said. “I’ll still be right there with you, I just need to get us home.”
But Damian was shaking his head.
They were way too far away from the Manor to walk it, especially given that they were still in Gotham proper. There was a closer safe house though, not one of Jason’s but one of Tim’s. That one would be within walking distance, though it wouldn’t have the full supplies that they might need that were in the Medbay in the cave.
Given that Jason had no idea what the boy’s body was going through, he knew that he needed to be fully checked over.
Jason couldn’t risk driving with Damian in his lap. That would be beyond stupid, but they could hold up in the safe house until the Batmobile can come pick him up or something.
With no other ideas, Jason hoisted Damian until he was fully stable again.
“How about a walk then, Kid?”
Damian only cried into his neck.
“Yeah yeah,” Jason sighed. “This fucking sucks, I know, but it’s gonna clear out of your system soon, promise.”
Whatever toxin Scarecrow had used was different this time, and it had hit ever harder because they were in civvies.
Jason had barely even registered it, already having had an off day where he would flinch at every little thing around him but the moment he saw Damian standing there, staring at nothing, his eyes wide and watering, Jason knew that something was wrong.
Shoving away any dredges of his own fear, Jason had picked Damian up and held him tightly and Damian had refused to let go since then.
The boy whimpered but Jason hushed him.
“It’s not far.” Jason promised. “Then we’ll get you a hot chocolate and a blanket, and everything’s gonna be all good.”
Damian shook harder.
Jason readjusted a little, keeping Damian close. While Damian was nearly eleven, he felt impossibly small, his little miserable sounds not unlike the little ones Jason sometimes hung out with at the shelters.
“Damian?”
Damian sobbed right in Jason’s ear.
“I know, christ kid, I know, but whatever you’re seeing it’s not real. The only thing that’s real is the fact that I’m not leaving you, alright? So let’s not soak my shirt, how does that sound?”
Of course, that only made Damian cry even harder.
Balancing Damian with one arm, making sure he felt completely supported, Jason fished out his phone. He nearly fumbled it, and then again when Damian suddenly jolted in response to a loud bang two streets over.
“It was just a car backfiring Dames,” Jason said. “We’re all good.”
He finally managed to bring up the call function, clicking onto the one that said Dickface.
Dick answered on the first ring, because of course he did.
“What’s wrong? Are you dying? Please don’t tell me your dying, Jay, I really can’t leave work at the moment.”
“It’s not me, it’s the kid. And he’s not dying, just spooked, but he’s not settling.”
“Kid…” Dick’s voice trailed off. “Tim’s tracker is with Steph but- What’s wrong with Damian? I’m on my way, stay exactly where you are.”
“Oh, so you’ll come for him and not for-”
“Jason.”
“He’s fine.” Jason said. “Like I said, he’s just… Spooked. Fear toxin, but bad shit.”
There was rustling on the other side of the call, no doubt Dick already rushing towards them.
“Did he attack you?” Dick asked. “Be careful, the knife in his-“
“Left shoe is poisoned, I know, I’m not a fucking idiot.” Jason said. “But he didn’t attack me, unless you consider really tight hugs a way of attacking.”
The silence on the line lasted so long that Jason had to check that the call hadn’t dropped.
“Jason, have you been dosed with something?”
Jason glared at Dick, knowing full well that he couldn’t see it.
Damian sobbed harder.
“Hey hey,” Jason soothed.
“Was that Damian? Fuck, tell him I’m going to be there as fast as I can.”
“Tim’s safe house. Hughes St.”
“Right.”
As soon as the phone was back in his pocket, Jason pressed a kiss to the top of Damian’s head.
“Hear that? Dickie’s coming, just for you Babybird.”
“Babybird…” Damian croaked.
It was the first thing Damian had said since they had been hit with the toxin. Jason shuffled Damian further up on his hip again, pressing another kiss on his head.
“Yeah, Babybird.” Jason said. “You like that name, don’t you? You know, Tim damn near killed me when he heard me use it for you.”
A small hand curled tightly against Jason’s shirt. Damian was trembling, head still burrowed into Jason’s shoulder and neck.
Jason stopped walking.
He looked down on Damian for a long moment.
“Dami,” Jason said. “Can you tell me how old you are right now?”
Damian gave off the tiniest of whimpers. He was still awake, but barely, apparently damn near crying himself to sleep.
“Fuck.” Jason said.
Then, realising that his kid brother might very well be even younger mentally than usual, he corrected himself.
“Shit, hell, dammit, absolute bastard of a brat what have you gotten yourself into this time?”
Damian’s sobs started anew.
Jason hushed him, bouncing him a little on his hip, and when that didn’t work he tried rocking him side to side.
No wonder why Damian was utterly terrified; he probably had no idea where he was or what was happening and if the universe was so fucked up as to have made Damian regress to where he had been with the League of Assassins, who knew what memory he could be reliving.
“I’ve got you,” Jason promised. “You’re safe now, no one can hurt you, okay? I’m right here with you, I’m not going anywhere, Little One.”
“Akhi?”
“Yeah, Brat,” Jason said softly. “I’m your Akhi. And your other one’s coming, okay? Dick’s coming, and he’s going to make everything better, I promise.”
Jason took the walk to Tim’s safe house carefully, talking to Damian all the while, explaining every little siren and loud noise so that the poor kid could know that they were a lot further away then they felt like.
When they finally reached the apartment building, Jason took the steps two at a time. Instantly Damian tensed in his arms so Jason slowed down.
Tim was already opening the door before Jason even had a chance to break in.
Without a single word, Tim shifted out of the way and Jason swept in, hushing Damian as he cried. How Tim just had happened to be at this particular safe house, or indeed how he had gotten here so quickly if he hadn’t been, Jason didn’t care enough to question.
What mattered right now was calming Damian because the poor kid was so upset he could very well make himself sick.
Jason situated himself on the couch, letting Damian stay latched onto his chest. Jason glanced over towards the weighted blanket on the other side of the small room. Tim was instantly going for it, easily adapting to the situation, but he hesitated to actually put the blanket onto him.
“Damian,” Tim said.
“He’s too far gone,” Jason warned.
Tim paid Jason no regard, kneeling in front of the couch.
“This is going to feel heavy, Damian,” Tim said. “If you like it, that’s great, but if you don’t just let us know and we’ll take it away, okay?”
Damian hiccuped.
Tim still waited a littler longer. He shifted the blanket, letting the weight press against Damian’s leg first. Damian flinched hard, nails digging into the back of Jason’s neck. Tim moved the blanket a little higher but all at once Damian was screaming.
In an instant the blanket was off and Jason was holding Damian extra close, talking to him gently.
It took a long time before Damian somewhat settled again, if sobbing into Jason’s chest could be considered settling.
“Hot chocolate won’t work either,” Tim said quietly. “Not if he’s this upset.”
“We need Dick.” Jason agreed.
“I’m not sure even that’s going to be good enough. What happened? Dick said fear toxin?”
“Yeah, and messed up shit at that.”
“Were you hit too?”
“Dames, you’re okay, everything’s okay.”
“Jason.” Tim said firmly.
Damian shuddered strongly and Jason glided a hand up and down his spine, hoping to sooth him.
“Jason.”
“Shut the fuck up Replacement,” Jason snapped. “I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking.”
“That’s Damian.”
“Bullshit. You got hit too, we need to work out a cure. Give me a sec, I’ve got some antidote.”
“It won’t work.” Jason said. “This is a different strain.”
“It might stabilise him a little,” Tim reasoned. “Just enough until we can synthesis the correct antidote once we work out what’s different.”
“Fine, whatever,” Jason barked.
Damian flinched hard.
“Sorry, sorry,” Jason breathed, pressing another kiss to the top of his head. “I know Babybird, I know, but you’re okay. Everything’s okay.”
Finally Tim moved away, leaving Jason and Damian on the couch. He wasn’t gone for long, returning with a small pen of medication.
“I only have one.” Tim said. “I’m going to have to use it on him.”
“No shit.” Jason said. “Drake, get that fucking look off your face, I’m fine.”
“You have been exposed to a-”
A sound outside made Damian jolt hard.
“Hey hey, I’ve got you, shh, I’ve got you…”
Jason adjusted his hold of Damian a little bit, and when he was ready he nodded to Tim. Tim prepared the pen, pressing it against Damian’s neck. The pen hissed as Damian fought against the hold.
“It’s done, it’s done, I promise, no more hurt, you’re gonna be okay.”
Damian sobbed ever harder.
Then… Then Damian went still.
Jason scrambled up fully, his eyes blowing wide. Tim had moved just as quickly, pressing two fingers against Damian’s neck.
“Unconscious.” Tim let off a shuddering breath. “But alive.”
“The meds?”
“Mix of that and exhaustion?” Tim offered. “Whatever the case, I don’t like this.”
Damian’s breaths were shallow, his body limp against Jason. But he was breathing, Jason reminded himself. Damian was breathing, he was breathing. Just unconscious. Only unconscious.
“Jay?”
Damian was alive. He was going to be okay. Tim was here and Dick was on his way and Damian was going to be okay.
“Jason.”
Everything was okay. They were going to work out a full antidote if this one wasn’t the correct formula. Everything was okay.
Everything was… Distant.
“Jason. Jay. Jaybird. Hood.”
Damian’s breathing was slow, his tears slowly drying. Jason was going to have to make sure he had a drink when he woke up, make sure he didn’t become too dehydrated.
“Robin!”
Jason snapped upright.
Tim was kneeling in front of him, his hand on Jason’s knee.
Jason blinked quickly, his body feeling wrong.
“Timbit.” Jason breathed. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, but you’re obviously not. What the hell was that man, you scared me.”
“Scared…” Jason blinked slowly. “You?”
“Can you tell me where you are right now?” Tim asked.
Jason hummed.
“Symptoms, Jason. Now.”
“I already have a diagnosis,” Jason said. “It’s called PTS fucking D from being your big brother.”
But Tim didn’t look amused. He just reached up for Jason’s neck but Jason batted the hand away.
“I’m fine.” Jason said.
Then, remembering that Damian was resting up against him, Jason regretted having moved so much. He readjusted his hold on Damian, making sure he was comfortable.
Tim stood all at once. He disappeared, but Jason hardly cared, his entire focus on Damian’s slow breathing.
Again Tim returned but this time instead brought over a thermometer. Jason glared at him and Tim glared right back. If only to not disturb Damian any more than he already had, Jason let Tim sweep it across the boys forehead, then Jason’s own.
“No fevers.” Tim said.
“No shit.”
“Hey, just ruling things out, no need for the third degree.” Tim said. “Some of these strains can cause fevers or other effects, not just emotional and mental changes. Are you dizzy? Nauseous?”
“I’m fi-”
“Tell me your fine and I swear to fuck I will end you.”
“You wish.” Jason scoffed.
“No, I wish you’d stop being a pain and just let me help. You want Damian feeling good again? Well, he’s passed out which means your symptoms are the only thing I can go off on to help him. Oh, and I’ll need your blood.”
Jason tilted his head back with a groan.
“Only a vial.” Tim said. “Or three.”
“Just fucking do it already won’t you, Kid?”
They made sure to be careful when taking a sample of blood from Damian’s, fully prepared for him to suddenly come awake and lash out at any moment. He didn’t, simply breathing slowly. Taking the chance, they moved Damian onto the couch proper, though they kept his head in Jason’s lap to make sure he would always have the reassurance that someone was there.
When it came to taking a sample from Jason, Jason glared at Tim.
Tim, to his credit, completely ignored it and did what he needed to do. Or at least he tried to, but Jason’s arm snapped away at the last moment as his heart suddenly seized at the thought of the needle piercing his skin.
By some miracle, Tim did not mock him.
In fact, Tim didn’t react whatsoever. Jason glared even more fiercely, but Tim did not move away from the couch. Not until Jason reached out the arm again. Then, Tim did move, but he did so slowly. Giving Jason every chance to flinch away again, but also every chance to prove that he was able to do this.
Jason took in a shuddering breath and held still as the needle pierced his arm, slotting into a vein. There was no pain, but Jason hadn’t expected any either.
Tim pulled away, disposing of his gloves too, and took the samples away so that Jason didn’t have to just stare at his own blood.
“The equipment I have here won’t be enough for full diagnostics,” Tim said. “But it’ll be a start. We can double check everything in the cave later.”
“Whatever.” Jason muttered.
“Jason.” Tim said. “Thank you for letting me help. With Damian. And with you.”
Jason swallowed roughly. He nodded, focusing on playing with Damian’s hair. Damian didn’t stir, not even when Tim used a damp cloth to wipe away the dry tears on his face.
Like a cyclone, all at once Dick was there as well. He zeroed in on Damian instantly, ignored Tim’s report that Damian was fine just unconscious, only letting off a breath of relief when he felt Damian’s pulse for himself.
Dick’s attention twisted to Jason.
“Jay,”
“Fine.”
“You were exposed too, what are your-”
“I’m fine Dickie.”
Dick’s expression twisted. He sat down hard on the ground, his hands on his knees.
“Whatever it is your seeing,” Dick said.
“Isn’t there. I know, I know. This ain’t my first rodeo Golden Boy.”
But Dick shifted uncomfortably and if Jason wasn’t fully aware that Dick had been in Blüdhaven during the attack, Jason might have thought that he was experiencing the paranoia and restlessness that came with Fear Toxin.
“Dick,” Jason said.
“Is it him?” Dick croaked. “I know I shouldn’t ask but…”
“Would it help if I said it was just a giant pink elephant in the corner of the room?”
Tim snorted but Dick’s tension didn’t ease.
“I’m fine, Dickie.” Jason said. “Promise.”
While Dick did not seem completely convinced, he nodded and gave off another shuddering breath.
“So.” Dick said. “Action plan. The cave has better supplies.”
“But Damian will either think that he’s meant to be here,” Tim said. “Or wherever it was he was exposed. He could panic in the cave.”
“He was panicking here.” Jason said roughly. “I think the cave’s the right call.”
“I’ll stay up back with you,” Tim said. “Just in case.”
Tim did not need to explain why just in case. Damian could come awake and be fine. He could come awake and immediately panic or lash out. He could very well go into a seizure or his heart could stop or experience any of the long list of terrible side effects that could come with Fear Toxin, especially unfamiliar strains.
They moved in tandem.
Dick lifted Damian up from Jason’s lap and while Jason suddenly felt cold without him, he was almost grateful because the moment he stood his head spun. Tim was right there to grip onto his elbow, leading him back towards the door of the Safe House.
Jason shook Tim off the moment they were actually outside.
Tim tensed, but Jason gave him a weak grin.
“I’m good.”
“Sure,” Tim said. “Until you pitch forward and vomit blood or some shit.”
“Oh please Drakeyboy, give me some credit.” Jason said. “If I’m gonna bring up blood, you know I’ll make sure it gets all over you.”
“Hah hah, very funny, get in the damn car.”
Damian’s head tilted the moment Dick set him into the car but Dick gently adjusted it, and as soon as Jason was situated too the boy leant up against Jason a little again.
Tim took the third seat, taking Damian’s hand into his own. No, not his hand. His wrist. Tim was monitoring his pulse, making sure it stayed consistent.
As much as he knew he should be focused, Jason felt himself drifting during the drive. When Damian gave off a small sound, Jason lurched fully awake and fussed over him, making sure he was okay.
Tim met Jason’s eye, but didn’t chide him for reacting over nothing.
Instead, Tim flicked Jason’s shoulder, reassuring him that everything was indeed fine.
Jason drifted again, knowing that Tim was fully capable of keeping Damian safe. Even so, his heart thumped in his chest, blood rushing in his ears, because maybe something was wrong. Maybe Damian had stopped breathing, maybe he was already dead or dying even though his warm body was pressed up against him.
“Almost there,” Tim murmured.
Wether it was directed to Damian, or to Jason, Jason didn’t know.
Even though it was a civilian car, they went straight into the cave. Tim coaxed Jason into fully awareness again. While Jason made a movement to get Damian from the car, Tim pulled him away first.
Jason’s entire body jolted, reaching for Damian.
“I’ve got him.” Tim promised.
“You’re a stick.” Jason countered.
“And you’re a fridge.” Tim said. Then, meeting Jason’s eye. “I’ve got him. Promise.”
Dick was already out of the car too, but when he went to help Jason out of it, Jason shoved passed him and made a beeline for the medbay.
He got there before Tim did, his whole body thrumming with nervous energy as Tim gently laid Damian down onto the cot.
Damian curled up into a ball on his side, but didn’t fully wake.
“Is he-”
“Resting,” Tim assured him.
“Sit down, Jay.” Dick said.
“I’m fine.” Jason ground out.
“We know you are,” Dick said, far too carefully. “But also, I’m going to go get an antidote all the same. Just in case.”
“It knocked the kid flat out!”
“Exhaustion, most likely.” Tim said.
Tim’s eyes then lit up and he readjusted, his smile too perfect.
“You know,” He said. “I would have thought you were too strong to be scared of just one little needle.”
“Fuck you.”
“Really,” Tim said. “Not even the great Red Hood can tolerate just one tiny-”
“Just fucking stick me already.” Jason barked.
For all of Tim’s teasing, once Dick actually brought over the antidote that they hoped would tide Jason over until a new one was made, Jason’s whole body went numb.
He didn’t need it.
He didn’t.
He was barely symptomatic, and while Dick had long since deduced that Jason had seen a certain crow bar wielding maniac in the corner of his vision for nearly two hours now, the others never needed to know the other things that Jason was seeing too.
None of it was real, he knew it wasn’t, that’s how fear toxin worked.
Jason didn’t need to be stabbed with a huge fuck ass needle to give him an antidote that most likely won’t do shit anyway. No, he was fine.
“Little Wing,” Dick said softly.
“Just, just do it.”
“Tensing is just going to make it-”
Tim rolled his eyes. He came over and all at once Jason’s face was stinging.
“What the fuck was that for you asshole!” Jason roared, shoving the damn idiot away.
Tim’s grin was far too bright as he stumbled back.
Jason glanced down, watching Dick put a little Wonder Woman bandaid on where the antidote had gone in.
“You. Fucking. Assholes.”
“Hey,” Dick said, pleased. “It worked, didn’t it?”
Jason listed.
“Oh don’t be so dramatic,” Tim said. “You’re fine.”
The world was slowing, the laughing madman in the corner of his vision no longer laughing.
“Okay, we should get these samples tested,” Dick said. “I can watch them while y- Jason? You good?”
Jason hummed.
“Jason?”
He was warm, but he was cool too. Cool because he was a badass motherfucker that can do whatever the hell he wanted to do.
“Crap.” Tim breathed.
Jason was so cool. He was so cool in fact that he fell right off the cot, but he never hit the ground because he was just that awesome. Well, Dick was that awesome. Damn, Dick really was awesome. He was an ass, and a self sacrificing idiot, but he was great.
“You’re great.” Jason told him, though the words came out weird.
Twisting towards Tim, not understanding why Dick was still holding him upright when Jason was clearly fine, he decided that he was going to point out just how much he appreciates the idiot too.
Instead, Jason just threw up on Tim’s shoes.
“Crap indeed.” Dick whistled.
Jason knew no more.
Damian’s head was hurting.
While his first instinct was to reach for his weapon to take out whatever enemy had managed to get one up on him, he shoved it aside because all at once he knew exactly where he was. He still launched up before he could stop himself, though of course Richard was right there to keep him from toppling from the bed completely.
Damian breathed hard, even though there was clearly no reason for it to do that.
He was in the cave, the cave’s medbay to be precise. There were no dangers here. His adrenaline should not be so raised. Except of course it should, he was in the medbay and he did not remember getting into the medbay which meant he had been unconscious.
Damian had been unconscious.
“Easy, easy,” Richard said, guiding Damian back down onto the bed.
Damian sat up again, shoving off Richard’s hand.
“Rest.” Richard said.
“What happened?”
“Damian,”
“Richard.” Damian said lowly.
“Okay, okay,”
Richard leaned back, putting up his hands in surrender.
While Damian was fully capable of getting out of the bed without issue, he did not do so as a way of showing respect to Richard. It had nothing to do with how his head was spinning, because his head absolutely was not spinning.
He was not that weak.
He could not be that weak.
“Richard…” Damian swallowed roughly. “I’m… Dizzy?”
“Can’t say I’m surprised,” Richard said. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
Damian considered for a long moment. He was in the Medbay, but could not detect any pain that would be indicative of a physical injury apart from a general soreness and his head. A head injury? No, that didn’t feel quite right.
Before the Medbay he was… With Todd?
Why on Earth would he be with Todd?
They had been at a cat café. A way to make up for… No, not as a just retribution or attempt of begging for forgiveness. Todd had proposed they go to the new cat café. There had been no ulterior motive, and while Damian’s immediate instinct was that there was something higher at play, he had dismissed the notion because not everything needed to have a reason.
At least, that was what they kept telling him, assuring him that sometimes people did things for the sake of doing things.
Damian still didn’t completely understand, but he felt as though he was getting there.
They went to the café, staying far longer than was strictly necessary because there were just so many cats to meet and play with. But then they had left… And there had been…
There had been.
Damian clicked his tongue in frustration, knowing he needed to be better than this. He couldn’t just completely forget important details such as this. But Richard did not mock him or rush him, he simply waited.
“Toxin.” Damian whispered. “We were exposed to Fear Toxin but… But it was different.”
“Great job, Dami,” Richard said.
“It is hardly that impressive to-” Damian stopped himself. Took in a deep breath. “Thank you. We were exposed to toxin, but everything is blank after that point. I… Must have had a bad reaction.”
“Yeah,” Richard grimaced. “You did, but you’re okay now.”
“Is that why I’m dizzy?”
“Maybe.”
Damian stared at him.
Richard didn’t meet his eye, leaning back a little further and whistling a little tune. Then he readjusted in his seat. Then he leant forward again because while a Richard Grayson was alway in motion, a Richard Grayson who both wanted to say something but couldn’t for some reason was ever more fidgety.
“Richard.”
“Jason and Tim gave you an antidote.”
Damian blinked slowly.
“As is protocol.” Damian said. “Though I’m sure I could have managed without it.”
“That’s just the thing though,” Richard said. “The antidote they used reacted badly with the new strain of toxin. It uh, knocked you out? Just for a little bit! You’re fine!”
“Knocked me out.” Damian mimicked in Richard’s voice.
“I promise you’re fine, Tim had no way of knowing and you really were panicking and-”
“Richard.”
The man’s shoulders sagged.
“I am awake.” Damian said. “I am… Okay. You need not worry.”
“Yeah but,” Richard’s smile was strange, more strained than usual. “You could very well have stopped breathing. The antidote almost acted like its very own poison. We were very lucky you didn’t.”
“And Todd?”
“Recovering.” Richard said. “We kinda made the same mistake with him too, but his bigger body was able to tolerate it better. Woke up with one hell of a headache, but he’ll be fine.”
“He’s complaining, isn’t he?”
“Like a baby.” Richard said. “But the second thing he said was asking about you.”
“Second.”
This time, Richard’s grin was pure and bright and Richard. Damian felt steadier just seeing it, and steadier still when Richard reached out and squeezed Damian’s hand.
“The first thing he said was calling Tim some words that I really shouldn’t be repeating. Second was asking for you, third was that he really needed to take a piss.”
Damian clicked his tongue.
He stretched out a little, his body tender for some reason.
“Rest.” Richard said. “I’ll tell the others that you’re awake.”
“Very well.” Damian said.
He did not yawn immediately, because Damian Wayne al Ghul does not yawn.
Then again, he really was tired and a single nudge from Richard was enough to get him to lay fully down once more, curling up on his side. Damian blinked slowly, only then realising that he was not alone in the bed.
There was a toy elephant, worn from years of use and love, tucked up against him. How he hadn’t yet noticed it unnerved Damian, but now he carefully picked it up.
“Thought you could use a friend.” Richard said.
The presence of Zitka was the clearest sign that whatever Damian had been through, it had been very bad. He glanced at Richard, saw him nod, and hugged the elephant, letting his eyes droop closed.