Birdflash oneshots 2

Hard to breathe

Dick and Wally raced into the Manor, being met with a very tired-looking Bruce. "Where is he? Is he alright?" Dick asked. 

"Upstairs in his room. He's stable." 

"What happened?" 

"I'm not sure. We were coming back from a mission when it happened. He started coughing, but it wouldn't stop. Eventually, he could only wheeze. He passed out before I could get him to the cave, but Alfred got him stable. He's resting right now." Bruce explained as he led Dick upstairs. 

"Do we know what happened? Was he drugged, or did he just get choked up?" 

"We can't find any evidence of drugs, and Alfred didn't find anything in his throat. It reminds me of your asthma, but he's never shown any signs of it." 

"One of his parents could've had it, and passed it down to him. Some people don't develop asthma until they're adults. If he's not already, it would probably be wise to start him on a nebulizing treatment." 

"I'll let Alfred know. If he tries to talk to you, encourage him to rest and save his strength. He's very weak at the moment." Dick nodded, slowly opening the door to the boy's bedroom.

Tim was bundled up under a blanket, pillows piled up to keep him propped up. He had a breathing mask on, and his eyes were closed. He was panting, like he couldn't get a big enough breath. "I'll leave you two alone. If anything happens-" 

"I'll let you know." Dick stepped into Tim's room, closing the door behind him. Tim was so pale, and looked tiny bundled up in the blanket. "Hey, Timbo. I see you're not feeling too good, huh?" Dick said softly, brushing some hair from his face. 

Tim slowly opened his eyes, looking over at Dick. "...Dick?" 

"Shh, don't talk. You should save your strength. I'm just glad to see you awake right now." Tim nodded. "You gave us a good scare. You don't use your emergency button much, so I got worried when the alert popped up. You pressed it once you realized you couldn't breathe, huh?" 

Tim nodded. He would admit it, but that was one of the scariest moments of his life. He was alone, and couldn't figure out why he suddenly lost the ability to draw in a breath. 

"Well, you're gonna be just fine now. You should probably get some sleep, though. I'll stay here, if you want. In case you have a flare-up." Tim nodded again, his eyes showing his gratefulness. He was scared of waking up to that. It felt like something was wrapping around him, squeezing all the air from his body.

Dick slid in next to Tim, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. Tim was very cold. He leaned into Dick's warmth, softly closing his eyes. "That's it. Just go to sleep. You'll feel better once you get some rest." 

"Is this what it's like for you?" Tim rasped out. 

Dick playfully ruffled his hair. "Hey, I said no talking. Do you mean being stuck in bed, or feeling like crap?" 

Tim held up two fingers. He wanted to know both. 

"Well, asthma has definitely landed my ass in bed a few times, but I was usually so exhausted that I just rested. I think all that caffeine you're drinking is keeping you up." Tim laughed softly. "But to your other question, it definitely made me feel like crap. I feel like all the energy in my body was just zapped out, and it hurt when I breathed. You'll probably be a little sore for a while, if it was asthma. I'm going to ask you a few questions, so just nod or shake your head to answer, alright?" Tim nodded. "Good. Do you ever remember feeling like how you did earlier? Like you were suffocating, but there didn't seem to be any reason? Or like it was hard to breathe, even if you hadn't done anything all day?" Tim was silent for a few seconds, but nodded. "Was it recent?" Another nod. It definitely sounded like asthma.

"When you couldn't breathe, did it feel like a band or cold hands were wrapping around you?" Another nod. Yes, Tim could remember those hands. It felt like ice, digging into his body and cutting off his air. "Were you around a lot of smoke or dust when it happened? A chimney, maybe a sawmill of some sort?" Tim nodded. He'd been near a glass making warehouse when it happened. There was supposed to have been a drug ring there, but nobody showed. It had been a useless mission, and it resulted in Tim's condition. "I don't want you freaking out, but it does sound like you might have asthma. It's totally manageable, but it does mean you can't be as crazy about running around. You might need to slow down on being Robin. Trust me, I know that hell. I used to hate when my asthma would ramp up, because Bruce didn't let me go out as much. But I learned that the more you push it, the worse it can get. The best thing will be to carry an inhaler around, just in case something happens. If you've got questions later on, you can always call me and I'll do my best to help you. That sound good?" Tim nodded again. Dick reached over to the nightstand, turning off Tim's lamp. "Now, go to sleep. I've got you. I promise."

It took about an hour for Tim to fall asleep. The poor thing couldn't stop coughing, but it eventually let up enough for him to get some rest. Bruce and Alfred both came in every thirty minutes, checking on Tim as he rested. It seemed that the body heat from Dick was helping him, warming him up through the night. It was close to 11:30 when the door opened once more, revealing a mop of red hair. Dick smiled. "Hey, Walls. He fell asleep five minutes ago, so try to keep quiet. He needs the rest." 

Wally nodded, closing the door behind him. "Agreed. He kind of looks like a ghost." 

"Just a bit. Sorry about leaving you earlier." 

"It's fine. I understand, anyway. You know what asthma feels like. You know it's hell, especially if there's no inhalers nearby. Besides, he's your brother. I'm not surprised you were worried." 

"Did Bruce get what I texted him?" 

"Yep. He and Alfred are looking into the scans they took when they got Tim here. Both are also pretty certain that he has asthma. How are you doing? I know it's scary for you when your brothers get hurt." 

"I'm okay. I was a little rattled at first, but I'm okay now. Sorry if I scared you." 

"Ah, it's no big deal. To be honest, I'm kind of used to it. Between you rushing off for the police force and as Nightwing, I'm used to you throwing yourself headfirst into danger. Do you want to stay here for the next few days? You and I both know a fever brewing for him." 

Dick looked down at Tim, who was still sleeping peacefully. "Yeah. It'll help everyone, to have somebody who's been through it before." 

"Then we'll stay here. I love you, Dick. No matter what happens, I will always love you." 

"I love you too, Wally. Thanks for being here." 

"It's no problem, Dickie. No problem at all."