[IN THE END] - DICK GRAYSON - YOUNG JUSTICE

CHAPTER 21B

Part C will be out in a few hours (probably four).  Comment and keep reading!  Thanks!

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It had been two months since Richard fell into his coma.  Bruce had visited frequently, and whenever he wasn't there, Alfred made an appearance.  The butler knew Richard's current state would alter Bruce's feelings, but something was entirely different.  Something had changed.  And what was going on with Richard was irrelevant.  Bruce was having some other internal issue, and Alfred had yet to hear what it was.  It was quiet without Richard there.  Not that he made the manor all that loud... In fact it was a different kind of quiet. 

Bruce pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, slightly rushing into the facility, as he grabbed his visitors pass from the main counter.  He took the elevator like he always had, thinking it was quicker than climbing five sets of stairs.  But each time he rode the elevator up to Richard's floor, the ride got longer.  As did his days, and his nights.  He spent all of his time worrying about Richard.  A fear in the back of his mind, that grew larger each time he saw him.  The doors slid open and he began walking at a quick pace down the long halls of the hospital.  He stopped short before Richard's room and slowed down as he made his way in.  He took a seat in what had become his chair, bouncing his leg to an unstructured rhythm.  He glanced at the clock, as specific words began to haunt him.

 "It can happen at any second on any given day, and for the first time it is completely clear that the time you get is the time you have and that's the end of it."           

He looked over to him and was thankful when he realized Richard was still breathing.  Bruce closed his eyes as more familiar words crept into his mind. 

"Not many people make it past two to four weeks.  It's hard to predict how long he will last, so I won't put a number on it.  But please, be prepared for the worst." 

Bruce let out a frustrated laugh.  He knew he wouldn't be able to prepare himself for that.  Some things you're just never ready for.  He turned to Richard again pulling the blankets up over the teens shoulders.  He brought his hand to Richard's head brushing his hair out of the way.  "What's going on in there?"  He whispered.

He was beginning to drift off to sleep when a bright light caught his eye.  He crawled over to the vent that he broke and watched the city that stood below him.  It was that signal again.  He looked around the city trying to get some clues as to what it meant.  Suddenly he saw a dark figure standing on a rooftop.  He soon realized that it was the man he had an encounter with the other night.  He watched carefully to see what he was doing.  Then a woman appeared and the two began to fight.  He soon had the young woman dressed in red beat and he jumped from the building, landing just before the police.  They nodded, and took her away.  Then the man disappeared.  He blinked twice to make sure his eyes weren't misleading him.  He turned away from the window and began to think.  'He's a good guy.  How could I be so dumb?  He was trying to help me.'  He became angry, knowing that he would not be in his current situation if he just answered the man.  His eyes made their way back to the gleaming symbol.  Caught in a trans he stared at it, unable to take his eyes away.  And soon enough a new setting surfaced. 

Bruce stood up and looked at Richard one last time before making his way out of the room.  He stepped out of the room and just like that, in one second everything changed.  The lights seemed dimmer, the halls seemed longer, and the pristine white walls that surrounded him somehow seemed darker.  He wondered if he was crazy for thinking each time he exited that room, things seemed more, depressing.  However he knew one thing.  Every single time he was on the other side of the door, his heart was weaker.    

It wasn't long before he was back home, debating what to do.  Whether or not he should come clean.  The guilt built up inside him, slowly taking over his body as wondered what Alfred would think.  He sat there for about an hour, pros and cons lined up, as he made his finally decision.

He marched down the stairs, sitting in front of his butler, ready to admit his wrong doing.  "I haven't been completely honest with you..."  Alfred looked up from the newspaper, curiosity evident on his face.  "Is this about the diagnosis?  You seemed rather unsure last time we talked..."  Alfred commented.  "No.  It's more than that Alfred."  He sounded ashamed.  "The diagnoses is simple.  He's in a coma... They don't know when he'll wake up... If he'll wake up... But you already know that.  I wasn't lying about that.  I just sounded unsure because I myself don't know what to believe.  If I should even believe in anything anymore..."  He stopped short hoping Alfred would pipe in.  He watched the older man shift in his chair, and understood he was unaware of what to say.  It was silent for a few minutes as Bruce gathered his thoughts, taking a deep breath as his eyes wondered around the room.  "I lied when I said nothing else was bothering me.  When I told you I wasn't having problems.  All the times I shook my head when you asked me a simple question... I lied Alfred.  I've kept many secrets, for many reasons.  I'm not proud of all the things I've done.  Specifically things I've done to protect Richard.  I admit to you Alfred, if I were to tell you everything I've done to try and help him, try and keep him safe, you would be disappointed.  He would be disappointed.  I mean, some of these things he would never forgive me for... And not just because he might never wake up."  He paused for a moment.  Looking up to the ceiling as he wondered what Alfred thought of him.  He took another deep breath and continued.   

"If he ever found out the truth... Even if I told him I did it to protect him, it wouldn't matter.  And I get that.  I don't expect him to understand why I've made the choices I have, but I need you to comprehend that I'm not proud either.  I'm not going to tell you all the things I've done, as they are irrelevant at this point.  But my last choice... My last doing... I already told you many times, I've done terrible things but this is different...  Fault flows through my veins... Shame swallows my heart... And the guilt... The guilt grows each time I think about it.  Each time I tell myself I'm responsible.  And that's just it Alfred, as much as I hate to say it, I am responsible."

Alfred pushed the bridge of his glasses farther up his nose as he wished to know what Bruce was referring to.  "Master Bruce... What exactly are you trying to say..."  He finally wondered aloud as it had been quiet for a few minutes.  "I was watching my son die Alfred.  I was not ready to lose him.  After all those sacrifices to protect him, I was willing to make one more to save him.  I knew what I was getting myself into... I knew the risk... Knew it could end him right then and there.  But I did it anyway...  I did it on the off chance that he would survive the situation.  So yes, I gambled...  Because I was the one that sent him into his coma."            

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Does that count as a plot twist?

I'm waring you the next part is pretty intense... As is the rest of this book... I've decided how this story will end, and I think most will be satisfied despite how 'rough' these next chapters are.  And yes, some of them might be hard to read (but probably not for the reasons all of you are thinking).

I'd say number one thing to consider while reading these last chapters (there will be 27 plus a epilouge in total) is to keep an open mind...

You do that and I can assure you, it will be fine.  Like they say, "Things will work out in the end." 

And that they will:)