If You Could Turn Back Time

Ch 8

The next day was much less eventful, consisting mainly of time lounging on the couch and MANY episodes of Scooby Doo.

Both Jason and Dick were finally able to keep their food down, and they gladly took the sweet tasting medicine when it was time in both the morning and the evening.

Dick was perfectly happy to chill out in his baby bouncer for most of the afternoon, but Jason on the other hand, wasn't. Now that he had more of his energy back, all he wanted to do was train.

"Bruce, please?" Jason begged, clasping his hands together and making his best puppy dog eyes.

"Jason. You're still sick. It's not good for you to be training." Bruce replied firmly.

"But Bruce..." Jason whined. "I feel fine."

"You might feel fine now, but I don't want to take any chances with you getting hurt." Bruce said, trying his best to be assertive.

"Uuughhh." Jason groaned. "Please please please please please?"

Bruce finally relented, only because Jason was annoying him to no end. He gave Jason a list of simple exercises to do.

"Bruce." Jason whined. "I do these exercises all the time, even babies could do them. I want you to teach me more moves or let me fight you."

"Jason." Bruce said in a warning growl. "You. Are. Sick." He rubbed his forehead, trying to ward off the headache that was starting to pulse behind his eyes. "Besides, you have to get stronger before you can start doing more complicated moves. If you don't do the basic strength exercises, then you won't be able to hold your own in a fight."

"Soooooo... If I get stronger then I'll be able to go out on patrol with you?" Jason asked excitedly, nearly jumping up and down with excitement.

"Yep." Bruce said, running his hand through his hair as he watched Jason start doing sit ups with a look of pure determination on his face. 'This child is going to be the death of me...'

—

"Ugh." Bruce groaned, leaning against the wall of the bathroom, and wiping the sweat from his brow. He took a few steadying breaths before lifting a hand to flush his puke down the toilet. Who'd have thought that something as common as the flu would be able to bring the almighty Batman to his knees.

"Bruce? Are you ok?" Jason asked from outside the closed door of Bruce's bedroom.

"Ya bud, I think I just caught what you and Dickie had." Bruce said weakly as he stumbled out of his room.

—

It only took Bruce about 30 minutes before he was completely overwhelmed. Dick was crying after having fallen off the couch, Jason was running laps around the manor while screaming at the top of his lungs, and Bruce was bouncing Dick on his lap while trying to ignore the dizzy spells he kept having.

Bruce finally decided to call Diana and ask for some help after he blacked out for the second time, waking up to find Dick on the floor again, crying even harder. He opened his phone and went to hismessaging app, clicking on the contact he thought said Diana, and pressing the call button.

"Bruce?" Dinah's voice came through the phone.

"Dinah?" Bruce asked, completely confused about how he'd managed to call Dinah when he'd been sure the number had belonged to Diana.

"Can I help you?" Dinah asked.

Bruce had a miniature debate in his head. Should he ask Dinah for help or try and call Diana instead... The decision was made when Bruce felt his stomach twist, and his head swirl with nausea.