Everyday Hero

Struggles

There was silence in the darkened room, as both doctor and nurse went over the newest test results. For the third time.

James's lips were set in a thin line, a vein pulsing in his forehead. Adam was just beside him, a hard frown overtaking his features, arms crossed as his eyes scanned the results. 

"This complicates things a little... but his pain..."

Adam trailed off as James set the results down and ran a hand over his tired face. Well, so much for trying to wean him off the pain medicine.

Dick's seizures... they have been happening this whole time yet they have been so small no one has even noticed. Not even Dick himself, as he has no memory of them. 

Until today, when he had started to eat breakfast. There had been a commotion in the hall when James had been on his way to make his hourly check on Dick, Mr. Wayne had started yelling for help.

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Dick was unresponsive in his bed, eyes staring blankly ahead, his lips moving involuntarily while moans came from his mouth. 

Focal seizures. 

James heard the other staff murmuring this to each other as he started to push them out of his way, yelling ahead that those in his patient's room make space around the bed. 

When he entered he discovered Adam was already with Dick, a calming hand on his shoulder while speaking calmly to Mr. Wayne, assuring him that his son was not in any pain. 

Wayne didn't look all that convinced.

Adam's head swiveled around to the sounds of the door closing with an irritated look on his face before realizing who entered.

James glanced briefly at his nurse before taking Adam's place at Dick's side, grabbing his wrist to monitor his pulse, his eyes locked onto his patient's face. 

"Time?"

Adam immediately knew what he meant.

"Approximately three minutes. I've been in here for two minutes, they haven't seemed to have gotten worse."

Three minutes... danger zone is usually longer than five.

About a minute later, Dick's mouth stopped convulsing, and along with that his vocalizations stopped. Thirty seconds after that his facial muscles relaxed all together. 

His eyes drooped and James reflexively tightened his hold on Dick's wrist. Bruce let out a heavy sigh before coming around the other side, his hand reaching up to cup Dick's cheek.

"Dick? You with us son?"

Bruce gently tipped his face up, Dick's hooded eyes starting to flutter.

They paused for a moment before opening, his bleary eyes starting to come into focus once more.

Once his eyes were visible, James let go of his wrist and pulled Adam aside to talk while Bruce gained eye contact with Dick.

"Dick, do you know who I am? Or where you are?"

Dick blinked up at Bruce, before furrowing his brows a little.

"Y-yeah. W-what is going o-on? D-did something h-happen?" (Remember guys, he has a stutter right now.)

Dick blinked once more then glanced past Bruce to his doctor and nurse, who were talking quietly amongst themselves.

"His oxygen was stable the whole time, and they never progressed worse."