A Natural Progression | Shazam

Chapter 2

"Perish the thought," Alfred said with a smirk.

- - -

Alfred managed to relax in his chair, smiling at the boy as he started to mumble to himself. The nurse from before, still clad in her duckling-covered scrubs, knocked before opening the door. 

"How's it going in here?" she asked, glancing at Billy. "You're awake! Good. How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked, coming over and picking up the clipboard pinned to the end of the bed.

"Fine..." Billy said, receding into himself slightly.

"How's your side?" she asked, writing something down. "Any pain besides a dull thrum?" Billy shook his head. 

"Good. What's your name, sweety?" she asked, meeting the boy's eyes. He glanced down, swallowing thickly and glancing at Alfred before looking at the nurse again.

"B-Billy."

"And your last name?"

"Batson..."

Alfred closed his eyes- Tim and Jason would have a field day with the irony in that name. He shook the thought from his head, opening his eyes and keeping them trained on the other two's conversation.

"And how old are you?" she asked, continuing to write things on her clipboard.

"Ten...and a half."

The nurse and Alfred both smiled as she wrote that down. "Alrighty, and do you have anybody we can call to come get you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as her smile faltered. 

 She already knew the answer, but Billy must have had to confirm it. The raven glanced at Alfred before looking back at her.

"Actually, miss, I was planning on letting Billy here stay with me. Would that be alright?" Alfred asked, standing up and smoothing out his rumpled shirt. 

The nurse blinked at him, a small smile appearing on her face. She glanced down at Billy, who was carefully avoiding her gaze with a small smile, before looking back into Alfred's eyes.

"We'll need to do a background check first and make sure everything checks out, but if it does, you can take him home in the morning," she told him, holding the clipboard close to her chest with a grateful look towards him. 

"If I could just have your license, I can go run that and bring it right back."

Alfred dug out his old leather wallet and handed the woman his license. She smiled and thanked him before leaving the pair alone again. Billy glanced at him with slight confusion. 

"You're sure about this?" he asked slowly. The elder man smiled, nodding and putting his wallet away.

"Absolutely. We have a deal, Willaim. I know it can be hard to trust people, but I mean it when I say I only want what's best for you."

Billy smiled to himself. "Okay. Two weeks and...and if I don't like it, you'll bring me back to Fawcett?" he asked, looking him in the eyes.

"I swear on the Queen."

That got a giggle out of the boy--and Alfred resolved himself right then and there that it was a sound that he would hear again. The boy's entire face lit up when he laughed, his shoulders bunching together as a glow seemed to almost appear around him.