Everyday Hero

Secret? Not Anymore...

James was a few feet down the hall, typing away to update files, when Mr. Wayne stepped quietly out from the room.

James looked up as he heard the door close and winced inwardly. 

Wayne's eyes were bloodshot with dark circles lining them. He almost looked as if he would need a hospital bed himself...

He glanced down to the clock on his laptop before humming in understanding.

Of course, it was nearly four in the morning... Mr. Wayne has been here since noon yesterday.

James didn't realize it was that late... but when patients in dire circumstances like this come up he usually doesn't. And that's good because then he doesn't get tired easily.

"Mr. Wayne? We can set you up with a bed in there if you would like to stay and get some rest?"

He wasn't sucking up, he actually does this for every family he cares for. Because unlike some other doctors he's been forced to work with, he actually cares about the patient and their families. 

Wayne looked at him with a grateful smile but shook his head.

"Thank you but I have other family at home to attend to... and important things to take care of."

James smiled gently, shook his hand and gave him his emergency contact number, and saw him off.

When Wayne was out of sight the doctor's smile faded and he headed into Dick's room, it was time to check on him once again.

"Oh, doctor James?!"

He turned around and peered his head out the door to see Rosa, one of Dick's nurses, speed walking down the hall. She was carrying a blue duffel bag in her hands... it was partially black with stained ash.

"Yes?"

The nurse handed him the bag while trying to catch her breath. Probably came from across the hospital.

"The family Richard saved went back to their old house today to see if anything was salvageable... and they found this bag. On one of the straps has Mr. Grayson's name. So... they wanted to make sure it was returned to him. They took a quick peek inside to see if anything was damaged and they saw some supposedly spare clothes of his. They seem to be in good condition."

James nodded and thanked her, taking the bag into his own hands.

"That's good... if he wakes up he will probably want some of his own clothes to change into. Thank you Rosa, I'll put these in his cubby before I take a look at him."

The nurse nodded and turned on her heel, likely heading the children's wing...

James shook his head sadly.

Such a shame what happened to those poor kids...

James fully entered the room behind him and closed the door.

It was odd, the room was actually quite calming. The lights were turned down low and you could see the lit buildings and the starry sky from the window.

Peaceful... until you turned to look at the occupant.

He sighed and set the bag down on the counter. He opened the bag to find a simple blue shirt and jeans.

He folded them up and set them neatly in the cubby next to Dick's head. 

There. Now hopefully he has some socks. If not then we can always offer him the hospital--

He drew back his hand with a harsh hiss. Something sharp just stabbed him in the hand!

He gently shook his hand before reaching back into the bag, much more carefully this time, finally grabbing and pulling out whatever just nicked him.

Well, it's not abnormal for people to carry around pocket knives in this city--

Oh. It... it wasn't a knife.

But it sure was close to one...

He turned the object in his hands curiously.

Definitely sharp... seemingly black (remember: low lighting) the doctor furrowed his brows and brought it closer to one of the lamps...

Bat shaped?

..........oh

Ah... I suppose that explains why a Gotham teenager just jumped into a burning house...

And that would also explain the old, and somewhat new, scars he found on the man's body as he prepped him for the MRI... but he didn't tell anyone. Didn't want them jumping to conclusions.

He lowered his hand from the light and reached with his other hand into the bag.

He felt a zipper compartment, exactly what he was hoping for, and slowly lowered the projectile in the compartment, zipping it up quickly.

He set the bag in the compartment with the clothes, eyeing his patient as he did so.

"That's some secret to be carrying around this whole time..."

He checked Dick's pulse before going to the monitors to check them as well.

Yeah, some secret indeed...

And one that James intends to carry with him to his grave.