Sick Bird.

64. Hear me.

_-_

"From now on you can't leave the manor." Bruce said as he took off his coat and handed it over to Alfred the moment they had stepped into the building.

Dick said nothing. He blinked at the floor in confusion then looked up. He saw Bruce's lips move but no words reached his ears. The thirteen year old read his father's lips and frowned. "Bruce," he couldn't hear himself either, "I can't hear you."

The boy saw his partner turn to him, his face taut and expression grave. He said something to Alfred that Dick didn't really catch. The boy's eyes had started to hurt.

"You strained yourself too much today." Bruce steered his son up the stairs, in the direction of his room. "Hang in there."

-
Dick could both believe that he was on life support again. Despite the many times he had assured Bruce that he was fine the Bat still refused to leave his side.

The silence was odd and the light in the room had been dimmed so they didn't hurt Dick's eyes. He didn't like think that he was deteriorating, but he was. All his tears seemed to have been wasted or he didn't have the strength to show any emotion, either way Dick took it all calmly.

From the the probing needles to the numerous tests Bruce performed, he didn't make a sound. This had worried the billionaire but there was nothing that could be done. Dick didn't bother explaining how he felt, he was almost always sedated to be relieve of the pain he would have felt otherwise and when he was awake there was not much he wanted to say.

He wasn't allowed to leave the manor and his friends were not allowed to come over. Batman had told them that Dick's condition had worsened, which wasn't technically a lie, and that he wanted to make sure that the virus hadn't progressed ahead of time. That excuse shut Wally up instantly even though it wasn't really an excuse.

Movement by the bird's right made his shift his eyes to Bruce.

"Dick," he read the words, "I have to go."

Dick nodded and turned his head away. It wasn't like he had anywhere to be.

Bruce touched his shoulder and the bird looked back. "Can we talk?"

The boy paused for a second, Talia's words flashing through his mind. He was tempted to say no but he relented.

"Roy told me about the nurse."

Dick didn't reply so Bruce continued. "I'm following the lead. It's one of the few I've gotten that haven't lead me to a dead end. So thank you."

"What about Deathstroke?" Dick asked, purposely lowering his voice since he knew that it would be louder due to him not being able to hear.

"The Justice League is handling it."

Dick's brows rose up in surprise. "You're not handling it yourself?"

"No," Bruce smiled for a second. "Being with you more important."

Dick almost smiled back but he didn't. And yet you're leaving.

"I'll be back," Bruce said as he stood up, his expression reassuring, "and then we'll really talk."

Dick didn't know how to feel about that.

-