Birds of a Feather

15

The League's medical team had gotten to the tower quicker than anticipated. They arrived this morning three days after my chat with Batman. I watched through the monitors as they held a meeting upstairs with the rest of the team and nervously paced. I just knew that in the back of my mind something was going to go wrong. I had fought hard to have everyone leave the tower but no one seemed to agree with me. That left Cyborg, who agreed to help with the surgery and be there when I wake up so that I wouldn't be alone.

When the doctors entered the room I had been sitting on my bed staring blankly at the wall in front of me. I knew that these were some of the best doctors in the world but I was just so afraid of it not working.

"Rae? Earth to Raven?"

I looked up and saw Cyborg setting up some sort of monitor next to the hospital bed they had brought in the room. "Sorry what?" I said not really paying much attention to anything other than the wall in front of me.

"Rae it's gonna be okay." He smiled and walked over sitting next to me on my bed. I nodded not really agreeing with what he said.

"Raven, listen to me. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He said placing his hand on my knee. I leaned over into his metal shoulder hoping for some support. "You need to promise me something." I said quietly. I watched as the doctors stared at me in fright and it wasn't making the situation any better.

"What's that?"

I took a deep breath and looked at him. "If something goes wrong. If I get out of control, you have to be the one to put me back down. Use your canon blaster just like last time and knock me out. Don't let Nightwing or Batman anywhere near me do you understand. It has to be you." I said quietly. I knew the rest of the team were standing in the viewing box behind us, listening to everything.

Cyborg looked up and then sighed. "I already knew going into this that if anything were to happen it should be me to fix it. I won't hold back just because it's you, I promise." He got up and continued to fiddle with all different kinds of medical equipment.

I looked up at the viewing box and saw everyone standing anxiously waiting for the surgery to begin. Nightwing looked at me through masked eyes and though he looked as calm as ever I could feel that he was just as anxious as I was. With his and my emotions coursing through my head I sat on my bed and crossed my legs. I hadn't meditated in a long time after all when Trigon was out of the picture there really wasn't a need to.

I meditated for as long as I could, trying desperately to drown out the sounds of machinery and whispering. I tried to reach into the bond to get any sort of indication on how Richard was feeling. Words kept popping into my head that were not my own. Please. Let her be okay. Please.

I'd be better if you left. You and Bruce. I thought, hoping that the bond was strong enough to get through to him. At this point the beeping had been subdued and I had full control of my mind. I could feel the frustration and anxiety rolling off of Nightwing. I could tell my suggestion hadn't been what he wanted.

If you think I'm leaving you again you're crazy. He replied back and even though it was only in my head I could tell he was using his stern leader voice.

You're the one replying to the voice in your head. I said, trying to lighten the mood. It was so unlike me to joke around but with the fear rising in me with every small sound I needed something lighthearted.

"Raven, we're ready." Cyborgs voice broke me out of my trance. I looked up and could tell he had entered full doctor mode as he flipped through pages on a clipboard. I nodded and walked over to the hospital bed they had set up. The nurses immediately started to take my vitals and then eventually the doctor came to give me the anesthesia.