Rising Robin

Chapter XLI: Mother

Dick Grayson walked through the lobby & made his way to the receptionist's desk. He managed to make a quick stop at the Manor before quickly leaving, not letting himself be stopped by either Alfred or Bruce. Dick changed out of his tattered Robin suit to wear, well, appropriate clothing for the streets of Gotham.

As he approached the desk, he felt his palms grow sweaty. He was nervous. Nervous & frightened. He had never felt this frightened for anything in his life. At least, he didn't think so. The past few months had been hell for Dick, but...after tonight, he wasn't sure if he could even take any more.

"How may I help you?" asked the nice older woman at the receptionist's desk.

Dick cleared his throat. "Um...yes, I'm here to visit my grandmother."

The receptionist nodded. "Alright, what is your grandmother's name?"

Dick bit his lip. "Louise Baxter."

The receptionist began typing the name up in her computer system. After a few moments, she glanced back between the computer screen to Dick. "Dammit," Dick cursed to himself. Had he set off a red flag in their system?

The receptionist slid a clipboard towards Dick. "Sign there, sir. I'll have someone escort you in a moment."

Dick nodded. He signed under "Richard Grayson" so no one would immediately trace it back to him. As he signed, he took a few moments to see if he recognized any other names on the visitor list. After scanning the clipboard for a few seconds too long, a nurse cleared her throat. Dick glanced up at her & saw her nod down the hall, telling him to follow her. Dick set the clipboard down & followed the nurse.

He followed her a few doors down the hall, & stopped in front of one alongside the nurse. "Okay," the nurse said. "Ms. Baxter is in there right now. She's awake for sure. She loves catching the news right before bed."

Dick nodded. The nurse opened the door & poked her head in. "Ms. Baxter! Guess what! Your grandson is here to visit you! Isn't that sweet?" The nurse opened the door wider to let Dick in, & then left him.

Dick stared at the elderly woman who lay in the bed across from the large TV. The room was set up as a nice bedroom, with furniture & flowers & paintings. The only unsettling aspect of the room was the amount of prescription medication bottles that were around her nightstand.

Dick looked at the old lady, who stared back at him. She had long, gray hair with a white sleeping blouse on. She was tucked in comfortably in her bed, & looked so peaceful. Dick almost envied her as his mind traced back to his physical pain that he endured.

"Grandson?" the old woman said softly. "She must be mistaken."

Dick shrugged. "She must've meant Grayson," he said, hoping that she'd put the pieces together.

The elderly woman stared at Dick for a moment, then turned back to the TV. The news was on. They were doing a live coverage of the aftermath at City Hall. She paid no attention to Dick. She didn't recognize him.

Dick sighed. He walked over to a chair that was beside her bed & sat in it. He laid his face against his fist, watching her stare at the TV screen. She was so calm. So...well. He thought that something would have happened to her, & the very idea that she wouldn't be ok scared him to death, but...her not remembering him...Dick felt that her not remembering him would hurt him even more.

Dick waited. He glanced up at the TV. There was amatuer video footage caught of Robin fighting off Nolan Drake. The camera panned passed Roy, passed Logan, & passed Victor, all to get a quick glimpse of the Batman. Then the video panned back to Robin. Dick wasn't sure how he felt about the footage. The caption read "Teenage Vigilantes: Gotham's Next Generation of Guardian Angels?"

"Ah, Grayson!" the woman called out suddenly, causing her shaky voice to crack, leading to a cough. She then looked back at Dick, who felt his eyes wide open & slightly watery. "Dicky?" croaked the elderly woman.

Dick looked up, shocked. "Mother Louise," he gasped softly.

Mother Louise smiled weakly. She raised her hand to Dick's cheek & touched him softly. "Richard...it has been too long," she said. "How are you?"

Dick smiled. "Great, Mother. Everything is great, now."

Louise nodded. "This is good. This is good."

Dick stammered. "I...I, uh...I have so many things I want to tell you."

"Go ahead," Louise breathed.

Dick sighed. "I don't know where to start. I've been gone for so long. I've seen some rough things, horrible things. I've done unspeakable things, &...I don't know. I don't think I can forgive myself." Dick looked up. "I think I'm going to hell, Mother Louise."

Louise let out a soft laugh. "I know, Dick," she said. "But hell will not take you away."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Louise shook her head. "You were born as a talented young man who could fly. God took your parents away. But never for one second did I see you as an orphan. Because I saw the angel within you. I saw the good in you. You were a kind young boy. You were a loving & caring & selfless young boy. You took care of those you loved after you lost your parents. You took nobody for granted after that. That night that God took your parents away, he left you here because he knew you would become someone important. Something important."

Dick smiled. "Wow," he said softly.

Louise nodded. "The Boy Wonder, Dicky. That is what they called you. Just a name. But when I saw you call that bird over to Cheyenne & make her smile when she had hurt her knee playing, I knew you were so much more. That robin was God's way of telling me, 'Yes, Louise, you were right to save this boy.'"

Dick shook his head. "But...I'm not angel. I've done things, Mother Louise. You know what I did that night I left. I haven't gotten any better. I have too much weighing down on me. I've committed too many sins to be an angel."

Mother Louise nodded. "Yes, you are right," she started. "You will stand before God on Judgement Day, & he will weigh your good deeds against your sins. However, the amount of good you have done throughout your life will no doubt outweigh your sins. Your sins will not come close to the good in you."

Dick bit his lip. "I hope so," he whispered.

Louise smirked softly. She glanced to the TV. The news was still covering the story over the attack on City Hall. "The Batman," she started. "Some call him the Dark Knight."

Dick nodded. She continued. "He's truly dark. He has a darkness about him. Something that even the cruelest & most evil fear. He saves us, yes. This is true. But he does not inspire hope. He is a hero, yes. But I do not know if he is heroic. He is just an angry man, whoever he is. He is a broken man who breaks other men. But nevertheless, he is our city's knight. But that...young man in the red & yellow suit. He is a striking young man. Quite limber. He flowed through the air like a bird. He reminded me of someone..."

Dick stared at Louise, unsure of what to say. He was shocked. Did she know?

Louise smiled. "That young man, that...Robin. He is saving this city, saving his people. He is inspiring hope & doing what no one else is selfless enough to do. He is not breaking men. He is fixing this city. He is truly a hero. Even more than that...he is our city's knight in shining armor. No. He is our city's guardian angel. And whoever that young man is...I can say for certain that I am so very proud of him. And wherever his mother & father may be...I know they see him, doing what he is doing for this city. "

Dick began to cry small tears. He did his best not to reveal his tears, but they came anyway. He bent down to hug Mother Louise. She rubbed Dick's back & squeezed him tight, calming him. "It's alright, Richard," she said. "You're a good boy."

Dick let out a soft laugh underneath his cries. "I'm not a boy anymore, Mother Louise."

Louise laughed. "Right. You're right. You're a good man, Richard Grayson. Never forget that."

She pulled away. She patted Dick's cheek & shooed him with her thin hand. "Now go, boy. Go be the man this city needs...Robin."