Unbreakable (A Dick Grayson story)

CH 8: The Awakening

Everything hurt.

Dick took in a shuddering breath, grimacing at how even that simple action made pain shoot through his chest.

It was so bright, and he had yet to even open his eyes.

Maybe he could just go back to sleep...

No.

Slade would not approve of that, and Dick hated it when he made Slade angry.

Slowly, Dick forced his eyes open, hissing softly as the bright light stung his eyes. He lifted a hand to cover them, frowning when he realized that there was no mobility in his wrist.

He could hear someone moving around and then the lights dimmed.

With a sigh of relief, Dick dropped his hand from his eyes, brows furrowing in confusion as he noted the fact that his right hand and arm was in a splint all the way down to his elbow. He blinked; eyes still watery from the light.

Slowly, Dick registered the fact that there was a man in the room, standing by the door and what he could only presume was the light switch.

"Who... who are you?" His voice cracked, hacking coughs proceeding the question as pain flared in his throat.

Water.

He needed water.

Fortunately for Dick, the man seemed fairly aware, stepping over to a sink and filling up a small cup before moving to stand by his bedside. "Shh... just drink this. You've been out for a while. It's probably going to be hard to talk at first."

Dick took the offered water, gulping it down in a few quick swallows. If he was being honest, he was not exactly sure where he was or how he had gotten there.

Everything just felt so hazy and jumbled.

He hated it.

The man gave him a gentle smile, taking the cup and refilling it for him before he spoke again.

"So... you're probably wondering who I am and where you are, huh? My name is Bruce Wayne. I've kind of adopted you." The man... Bruce... rubbed the back of his neck in a slightly awkward manner, making it all too clear to Dick that this man did not talk to children often.

"Sorry about not discussing it with you first and everything, but it was a bit of an emergency situation. You needed surgeries that the government was not willing to fund, and the simplest option was to become your legal guardian in order to authorize it all."

Dick frowned. Something felt off about that answer, but at the moment he was far too out of it to care.

"Okay... Bruce... where am I? What... what happened?"

"You don't remember? That makes sense, I guess." Bruce frowned ever so slightly. He would have to talk to the doctors about the possibilities of the boy having memory impairments. "You were found in the hideout of a villain, Joker. Batman rescued you and brought you here, to Gotham Central Hospital. From what Batman and the police can gather, he was using you and others as test subjects for a new drug. Although what kind of drug is known."

Dick bit his lower lip as he nodded slowly, brows furrowing in concentration.

Right.

The plan.

He remembered Slade saying that he was being left with Joker, remembered Slade telling him that the set up would be perfect. From Dick understood thus far, this Bruce guy did not seem aware of the fact that he was not just a victim of crime.