Bring Him Back

Side Effects

He woke up suddenly not long after he fell asleep.

His sudden jolt startled the others that were in the room but Jason, being the nearest to him, immediately shoved a bucket onto his lap.

And it was a good thing he did because a few seconds after that, Dick's eyes bulged and his entire body hunched as he emptied his stomach into the bucket.

He finished a moment later with a few short coughs.

His skin was pale and sweat was pouring down his face, yet he was shivering.

He looked absolutely miserable.

Jason wordlessly took the bucket and set it beside him as Dick laid back in the chair.

His teeth were gritted, his eyes narrowed.

He barely glanced up as Barbara and Tim silently left the room.

As soon as they left the room, Leslie came back in.

"You're up."

No duh.

"You're done for today, I already disconnected the IV. We were just waiting for you to wake up."

He glanced up at her, his teeth now slightly chattering before forcing himself onto his feet.

"I'm going to my room. I need some sleep."

His pace was slow and sluggish, prompting Wally to stand up from where he was sitting.

"Don't you want some help getting back?"

Dick's gait staggered before he steadied himself.

He didn't say anything until he made it to the door.

"I can handle myself."

He shut the door behind him and they all waited until his footsteps faded.

"Leslie..."

Bruce spoke for the first time in about an hour.

"What if this doesn't work?"

She hesitated for a moment, taking in all three pairs of eyes looking at her.

"We could always do surgery-- a lobectomy. But... based on how many surgeries he has already had in his young life-- it may not be the safest way."

"So it's backup."

She nodded.

"It will take a while and a few more treatments to see if the chemotherapy is actually working though. We'll just have to wait and see."
_______________________________________

Dick fell face first onto his bed at the Tower before slowly rolling onto his back.

I thought... it wasn't supposed to be this bad. Not yet.

His face turned into a scowl as he gazed at the metal ceiling.

It's only going to get worse from here... why did I say yes?!

An image of his youngest brother's sad face drifted across his mind.

Right...

He closed his eyes, intent on trying to relax, before they flung open once again.

He scrambled off his bed and reached for the garbage can near his desk.

This time it was not as long but certainly no less terrible.

He was left panting softly as he dragged himself and the garbage can back to his bed.

This time he curled in on himself, dignity forgotten.

But he was also alone so really... what did it matter?

He tried to slow down his breathing, hyperventilating would not help at all, and took big, deep breaths.

Weak... useless...

What kind of hero was he now?

Useless...

He knew this was wrong. He should not be acting like this!

But... how can he not?

Think about it.

He was the first sidekick ever. And probably the best at that.

He was an accomplished leader for multiple teams.

He was always fearless in the line of duty and always took it upon himself to comfort those around him before taking care of himself.

And maybe it's because of that, that people always forget how young he really is.

And how much trauma he has been through.

Yes, he could handle torture from the Joker. Many times.

And yes, he could handle the backlash from the Invasion.

But he's still human.

And his life has barely begun.

But this cancer, and this damn treatment, was taking all of his confidence with it.

He was no longer strong and independent.

He was weak.

And how could he comfort others when his body is failing him instead?

And the only reason he got cancer in the first place was because he was trying to fix his mistake.

To bring Wally back home.

It really seemed like the universe hated him.

Just when he managed to get everything to turn out alright he gets hit with a deadly sickness.

Hilarious.

He closed his eyes tight as he heard his door slide open.

Footsteps, and by the sound of them, three people.

He sighed and nearly flinched as a hand touched his shoulder.

But the grip was soft, soothing.

He glanced up and saw the three people he needed most at the moment.

Barbara, Tim, and Jason.

Their faces weren't filled with worry.

No pity could be found.

But they weren't stoic either.

No, their faces showed understanding.

Dick slowly moved up into a sitting position and calmly stared at them.

They stared back.

Barbara removed her hand as she and Tim sat on one side of him and Jason on the other.

They stayed that way until Dick finally fell asleep, leaning on Jason's shoulder.

They didn't move.

And no one talked throughout the entire encounter.

They didn't need to.

They were bats after all.

The three of them glanced at the door as Bruce was looking in.

He didn't say anything either.

He merely observed the situation before nodding.

They nodded back.

Jason gently and carefully laid him down on the bed.

And they stayed there long after he was in a deep sleep.

Until eventually, all three teens fell asleep beside him.

Bruce watched silently before closing the door, a slight smile on his face.