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Tim had messed up, he had messed up bad. It was just supposed to be a normal drug bust, it was a little farther out than where he normally operated but it wasn’t a threat he had been sure of that. He had checked it over twice and yet It had been a trap, set by one of the rogues he could only assume. But it had worked and it had gotten him far away from anyone who could help him from the burning rubble of the factory he was buried beneath. He hadn’t even seen the bomb before it had gone off sending him flying and trapping him under god knows how many pounds of rubble he was currently sitting under.
He coughed trying his hardest to catch his breath but that was hard to do when your entire body hurt. He definitely had a concussion and his lower back all the way up to the nape of his neck ached, and on top of that his leg was definitely broken, which really wasn't ideal. Was anything going on tonight really ideal? He couldn’t really see anything under the rubble and he could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his body, which scared him because he could be missing a number of fatal injuries.
He couldn’t really worry about that now, he needed to focus on calling for help or getting out. Preferably the latter but he wasn’t picky at this moment. He couldn’t really move, he was in a small airpocket but still pinned by a large beam laying across his upper legs and part of his hip bone. It wasn’t pressing too hard but if it shifted it would crush him and probably paralyze him, assuming he didn’t bleed out first.
Really not ideal.
He very carefully pulled one of his arms out from under a small piece of the wall to his left and fiddled with his belt looking for his SOS signal, not being able to see anything made that increasingly hard.
His hands flitted across the strip of material praying to god he could find it, or an extra comm, or literally anything to signal that he was indeed not ok and needed help.
The air was stuffy and filled with smoke and every breath felt like he was breathing in fire, he knew it had enough oxygen not to suffocate him for a little bit, but it still hurt like hell, and made him extremely dizzy.
He grunted with frustration after pocket after pocket was a bust; batarangs, spare grappling line, fear toxin antidotes, but no SOS signal.
It took him fifteen more minutes before he found it and pressed it, next to it was his pack of glow sticks. He could feel the adrenaline slowly starting to wear off and he felt a sharp pain shoot through his side as he reached for the glow stick. That couldn’t be good.
He slipped the small yellow glow stick out of his pocket and cracked it, the soft yellow glow illuminating the dark shadows that were previously engulfing him. He surveyed his surroundings taking note of little things until his eyes landed on the long metal rebar jutting up from his left side.
That really wasn’t good.
He tried to breathe, tried to calm himself, tried to rationalize but that was kind of hard as his eyes stayed glued to the rebar that was impaling him like a large shish kebab. He squeezed his eyes shut leaning his head back for a second, he should check if the rebar was causing him to bleed or keeping the wound stuffed.
He opened his eyes and moved his hands around the wound, it was bleeding but the rebar was definitely helping so pulling it out wasn’t an option. He tried to check for the full extent of the wound when he heard a crackling to his left.
“Tim? Tim? Tim, report.” He could hear through what he assumed was his comm, he turned his head and squinted trying to see if he could make it out in the darkness not illuminated by the small glow stick.
Sure enough the comm was only a few inches to his left, relief flooded over him in a wave and he reached for the small cylinder ignoring the sharp pain that shot through him every time he moved.
He sighed in relief as his fingers closed around it and put it in his ear.
“Hello?” He rasped his voice slightly breaking, his lungs still felt like they were on fire and talking felt like what he imagined walking on hot coals would feel like.
“Tim?” He heard someone mutter, he couldn’t quite tell who, the comm was badly busted.
“Who..? Comm’s busted.” He choked out.
“Jason.” the voice replied.
“Tim you hit your emergency signal? Are you alright?”
“Jason, did you find him?” He heard someone else chime in. Dick maybe?
“No, but I got him on the comm.” Jason responded, Tim swore he could hear a slight tinge of worry in his voice.
“Tim?” Probably-Dick asked.
“M’here” he answered.
“Tim, what happened?” Jason asked again.
“Warehouse was a trap, bomb, didn’t see it in time buried under rubble.” He responded, hearing his voice crack as he responded.
“Alright, I'm on my way I’m closest, Dick get the batmobile and meet me there.” Jason said and Tim could hear his boots clack against the floor as he rushed towards his bike.
Dick muttered an agreement but he couldn’t really make it out through the buzzing.
“Tim, are you injured?” Jason asked and Tim could hear the engine of his bike humming slightly in the background.
“Uh, possible concussion, my leg is definitely broken, and a metal rebar is sticking out of my gut.” Tim answered, trying his hardest to fight through the dizziness plaguing him.
Tim heard Jason mutter something definitely not appropriate under his breath.
“Tim is it bleeding?” He asked.
“Not much at the moment.” Tim responded.
The comm went silent and Tim was left with his thoughts again. He could feel his breaths getting harder and hard to take, the smog was smothering him and he was trying his best not to panic. Jason would get there, he would get there and he would be fine.
Without warning the rubble under him shifted causing him to lurch downward and tore the metal rebar through him.
His entire vision erupted into white hot pain shooting through him and he couldn’t quite strangle the scream it caused. He gasped for air trying desperately to fill his lungs.
“Tim? Tim?” He could hear Jason screaming through the comm but it felt distant.
He tried to steady his spinning vision and focus. The glow stick had gone flying but it still illuminated the air pocket to an extent and tim could see the ever growing puddle spreading beneath him, the shift in the rubble had dislodged the rebar and tore the wound larger.
“Tim, Tim report.” Jason shouted and now he was sure he could hear the fear in Jason’s voice.
He coughed trying to gather enough breath to respond.
“R’bble shifted, i’tore the b’r thr’ugh me” He forced out, his words slurring.
“Tim, are you bleeding?” He asked, though he knew the answer.
“Yeah.” He barely whispered.
It hurt, everything hurt. His head was spinning and the walls felt like they were closing in, he was robin dammit, he should be trying to figure out how to stop the bleeding, how to get himself out, something but all he could feel was crippling, suffocating fear. He really didn’t want to die. He’d been faced with death before, he thought when it happened it would happen and he wouldn’t be scared, but he was, he was terrified and he really didn’t want to die.
“Jay,” he coughed.
“Yeah Tim?” He responded, his voice shaking.
“I- I really don’t want to die.” He said, his voice breaking, it sounded so small, like a child's.
“You’re going to be fine Tim I’m almost there alright, just- just stay awake and talk to me. Alright?”
“Jason, please.” He begged.
“I'm coming Tim, you're gonna be fine.”
Tim could hear what Jason was telling him, the reassuring words meant to comfort him but they went through one ear and out the other. He was only 16, he had barely lived, he hadn’t gotten the chance to do anything.
“Jason please, I don’t-” He stuttered, his voice cracking. He could barely take a breath, his entire body shuttering as he labored through one after another. He felt dizzy and everything felt distant and fuzzy. He tried his hardest to keep his eyes open.
“Tim? Tim talk to me I'm almost there.”
Tim wanted to, he really did but he just couldn’t keep his eyes open.
_____
“Tim, Tim please answer me.” Jason was practically begging, his little brother's radio silence terrified him.
He was almost there, he could see the smoke rising from the warehouse Tim had been scoping out earlier, he was so close.
But Bruce had been too.
He pushed that thought as far out of his head as he could because he would be on time, there wasn’t another option.
He swore everything was moving so slow, he was pushing his bike faster than he should but it still didn’t feel fast enough.
“Tim, Tim please answer me.” He tried again.
His voice echoed in his head.
Jay, I-I really don’t want to die.
His voice had sounded so small, he sounded like a child and in reality- he was. He was only sixteen, he was still in high school, he had friends, he went to parties on weekends, he was awkward, he cared too much about his hair, he cracked jokes on patrol, really really corny jokes he had probably picked up from Dick.
Jason’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest.
He practically jumped off his bike as he arrived and threw it down, desperate to get to the rubble.
He checked for the exact point in which Tim’s signal had pinged from and he rushed over, there was so much rubble, so much, and so little time.
He furiously dug through the rubble, his fingers bleeding by the time he saw Tim's boot sticking out of the rubble. He carefully removed the remaining rubble around Tim and he had to stop himself from losing it right there.
The amount of blood pooling under him scared Jason, it was so much and he was so small in comparison to the massive amount of rubble surrounding him.
He reached down putting his hands beneath his back and under his legs, careful not to hurt him worse and lifted him carefully up and off the rebar.
He didn’t even twitch and Jason’s heart dropped, he carried him up and out of the rubble slightly jogging and laying him down on the grass.
Jason pulled the bandages out of his pocket and began attempting to stop the bleeding, trying not to panic. He had to stay calm.
“Dick, Dick where are you?” He asked, he knew his voice was shaking and quite frankly he didn’t care.
“ETA 2 minutes Jay, I’m coming.” He responded, and he knew his older brother, he knew the hell he was probably putting himself through, and if they lost Tim, he didn’t think Dick could handle that.
He couldn’t handle that.
His hands stayed pressed against the wound in Tim’s side pretending he didn’t see the grass below him slowly changing to red. There was so much blood, so much.
Tim’s eyes fluttered open and his eyes glanced up meeting Jason’s. He wasn’t sure how present Tim was given the glazed look he was giving him but seeing him awake made him feel better.
“Hey Tim, you're gonna be all right ok, you're gonna be fine.” He whispered to him, praying he wasn’t lying.
“Jay.” He croaked.
“Jay it hurts.” He cried, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked up at Jason.
“I know Tim, I- Dick’s almost here you're gonna be alright.”
Tim’s eyes welled with tears and Jason could feel his heart crumbling.
“Jay please, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go.” He said, his voice breaking.
Jason didn’t know how to respond, he wanted to tell his brother it would be fine, but he didn’t know if he believed that himself.
Tim’s eyes fluttered shut again as his head lolled back against the grass and despite Jason’s desperate pleading they stayed shut.
He pressed his hand against the bandages but the red bloomed through like a never ending river.
Jason heard the hum of the batmobile's engine pull in beside him and the slam of a door as Dick rushed over.
“Jason- Jason please tell me he’s-”
“He’s alive, barely.” he whispered back carefully picking up Tim and pretending he didn’t see how his head lolled as he carried him over to the car and laid him in the back seat before crawling in next to him, his hands still pressed over his wounds.
“Dick- I, what if he doesn’t-” Jason asked.
“Don’t, please, he's going to be fine.” Dick responded, though Jason could hear in his voice that he was scared.
And that terrified him.
____
The drive back to the cave was a blur, a mix of fear and dread as he carried his half dead brother into the cave, Bruce and Alfred practically ripped him from his hands as they, joined by Leslie, rushed him back to the med bay, and Jason just collapsed, it was so similar, it was all so similar and he couldn’t lose him, not now, and not like this. He couldn’t let another Robin die the same way he had.
He stayed on the floor until Dick pulled him up and forced him to shower and change, there was nothing they could do now except wait. And wait. And wait.
And it was killing him, and he could see it was killing Dick.
Jason threw himself onto the couch and was quickly joined by Dick who curled up against him. He could feel his older brother shaking but he didn’t think pointing it out would do any of them any good.
Damian came in and joined them not much later and without a word and practically curled up on Dick’s lap shaking with silent sobs. Steph and Babs were on their way.
He closed his eyes and did something he hadn’t done in a very very long time.
He prayed.
____
After Alfred had told them that Tim was stable Dick had taken Damian to bed and joined Babs in the cave with Steph. Jason went and curled up on the small chair next to Tim's bed, across from Bruce.
Bruce gave him a look from across the room that Jason knew all too well. He was scared, and hurting and Jason pulled his chair up next to Bruce’s and leaned his head on his fathers shoulder and finally let exhaustion take him.
____
The first thing Tim registered was the fruity smell of the detergent Alfred uses. He cracked his eyes open only to be met with the glaringly bright lights of the med bay. It took a second for his eyes to fully adjust to the room he was in but he could eventually see. He surveyed the room until his eyes landed on Bruce who had fallen asleep in one of the small plastic chairs next to his bed, and next to him was Jason who was slumped over and laying on his shoulder and for a split second Tim was convinced he was in an alternate universe because there was no way in hell Jason and Bruce were borderline cuddling.
He attempted to sit up and was quickly reminded why that was a bad idea and fell back down with a groan. He didn’t think it was that loud but it woke Jason up and he just looked at him for a second.
“Tim, you're up.” He said his voice sounded relieved as he broke into a massive grin.
“Hey Jay.” He croaked his throat scratchy and sore.
Jason turned and nudged Bruce who woke with a start and his face lit up as he saw Tim.
“How are you feeling?” He asked, looking at Tim with a fondness that made Tim want to implode.
Before Tim could answer Jason sat up and announced he was going to find Dick and the next second Tim was being bombarded by his entire family, excluding Duke and Cass who were on a mission, and one of his best friends. Steph practically jumped on the end of his bed and all but told him he wasn’t allowed to die and not like an idiot and that he had to go heroically. Dick was beaming as he sat next tim, holding his hand and Tim was pretty sure his overprotective family would be the death of him for next few weeks but for now it was fine.
____
Tim was supposed to be on bedrest but hey, technically he was sitting, just not in his bed he thought as he looked over the yard as he nestled against the chimney. It was snowing and the air had the particular chill to it that slightly burnt your throat but in a good way, it felt fresh. Tim had always liked the snow.
He curled a bit farther into his jacket as a particularly shrill wind blew directly into his face, causing him to cough.
“Timothy. Jackson. Drake.”
Oh he was so dead.
Tim turned his head to see an absolutely fuming Jason Todd standing behind him.
“Jason, I uh-” He stuttered, he really didn’t know what to say, so he resorted to pleading. Jason was relatively easy to manipulate.
“Please don't tell Alfred.” He begged as Jason made his way towards him.
“Oh I won’t tell Alfred.”
Tim felt relieved for a solid three seconds before Jason finished his sentence.
“I’ll tell Dick.”
Tim didn’t need to turn to see the smug grin spreading across Jason’s face.
“Jason, you wouldn’t dare.” He said, unsure if Jason was bluffing or serious.
“Wouldn’t I?”
Tim stared him down until he conceded.
“Ok fine, no one deserves to be subjected to that kind of torture, even you.” Jason responded and Tim felt himself exhale.
“How did you even get up here, your legs broken?” Jason asked.
“If there's a will there's a way.” Tim responded, smirking.
“Seriously though, why are you out here?” Jason asked, turning towards him.
“I just needed some fresh air, and some space to think.” He answered, honestly he just needed to be out of the suffocating halls of the manor.
Jason hummed in acknowledgment.
“You never stay at the manor this long, why are you still here?” Tim asked after a few seconds of silence.
"Why am I not allowed to stay at dear old dads house?” He answered sarcastically.
“You know that's not what I meant.” Tim retorted.
“Just wanted to make sure you were ok.” Jason responded refusing to look at him.
“Why? I mean, it’s not like you really liked me before.” He said he knew he was probably crossing a line, but maybe the line needed to be crossed.
“Tim, I never didn’t like you, I was mad. I was mad that the man I had considered my father had moved on and completely replaced me.”
“Jason he didn’t move on, christ he did the farthest thing from it and he definitely didn't replace you.” Tim answered shifting just a bit closer to his older brother.
“Well I know that now, but- then, god I’m so sorry Tim. I never hated you and you didn’t deserve how I treated you. And I need you to know how scared I was that night.”
Tim really didn’t know how to answer.
“Tim I thought, when I saw the amount of blood that just kept multiplying, Tim I was so scared. I need you to know that.”
This time he turned to face him.
“Tim, you are my little brother and I love you so much.” He said and Tim could feel tears pricking at his eyes before Jason pulled him into a hug and the two just sat there.
A few minutes later Tim could hear the window open again.
“Jason what are you…?”
“Timothy. Jackson. Drake.”
Tim spun around to see his oldest brother staring him and Jason down.
“Should I just start going by my full name now because that's all anyone seems to be using.”
Dick grinned.
“Maybe if you weren't disobeying direct orders you wouldn't be called that.”
“In my defense a week of bed rest is extensive.”
“Tim, you almost died.”
“Would you stay in your bed for a week?”
Dick got quiet for a second.
“That’s not the point.”
“Yeah because he knows he wouldn't." Jason chimed in.
“Hey so how did this get turned on me?” Dick asked glaring daggers at Jason.
Jason ignored him and turned back to Tim.
“You should've seen him when I was Robin. He was practically gutted and Bruce probably gained an entire head of grey hair because he just wouldn’t stay in bed.” Jason said, chuckling.
Dick sighed in defeat.
“I hate you both, Alfred made hot chocolate. Let's go.” Dick said, sliding back through the window stopping briefly to turn towards Tim.
“Oh and he’s furious that you're out of bed.” He added smirking before disappearing.
Tim groaned and Jason laughed.
“Let's go Timbo.”
Tim sighed following Jason in, it would be better to just get the lecture over with than to prolong it any more than he already had.