Dick Grayson one shots

People need Robin

"I think it's time we brought you to a doctor," Bruce said gently, wishing he'd spoken quieter when he saw the way Dick's face scrunched up in pain.

"A-Alfie said he could fix it," Dick replied, his voice sounding as weak as his body looked.

Bruce sat on the edge of Dick's bed with a sigh. "I know... but this fever's getting a bit too high for even Alfred to take care of," he said.

Dick frowned for a moment before making grabby hands at Bruce.

Bruce picked up the 8 year old and scooted into a better sitting position on the bed.

Dick rested against Bruce's chest, trembling despite the heat that burned beneath his skin.

Bruce wrapped a blanket around the two of them. "You've lost a lot of weight," he mumbled, concerned by how prominent Dick's bones were.

Dick whimpered softly.

"Are you in pain?" Bruce asked.

There was silence for a long moment. "A normal amount of pain," Dick finally spoke.

"A normal amount of pain is no pain," Bruce replied.

Dick was silent again. "Does that mean I have to go to a doctor?" He asked quietly.

Bruce sighed softly. "The doctor can help you bud."

Dick whimpered again, pressing himself against Bruce's chest despite how clearly painful it was for him. "Don't like doctors," he said with a sniffle.

Bruce ran his head through Dick's curls, trying to calm him down at least a little.

"A-a doctor took my uncle away a-and I never got to see him again," Dick mumbled, tears tracing their way down his cheeks. "W-what if they take me away too?"

Bruce wrapped his arms around his son. "I won't let that happen," he reassured. "The doctor will help you to feel all better again... when your uncle was in the hospital the doctors tried to do everything they could to save him, but it was his time to go."

"What if this is my time to go?" Dick mumbled.

Bruce paused for a moment. "I'd be really sad," he said softly. "Because I love you."

"Is that why you want me to see the doctor?" Dick asked, small hands gripping the blanket as he craned his head to look at Bruce.

Bruce gave him a soft smile. "Yeah. I guess it is."

"Then I'll go," Dick replied.

—

Bruce sat at the side of Dick's hospital bed with his head in his hands. Tears wet the palms of his hands, his jaw clenched as he tried to hold back his anguished sobs.

Dick was sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of how his life was shattering once again.

The minutes stretched into hours as Bruce tried to process the news he'd received.

"Bruce?" A small voice eventually called.

Bruce's head shot up. "Hey bud," he said, voice cracking.

"You're crying," Dick pointed out.

"It seems so," Bruce replied with a melancholy smile.

Dick held out his arms for a hug. "Mommy always said hugs help," he offered.

Bruce gave the little acrobat a gentle hug. "Thanks," he mumbled.

The silence weighed heavily in the room, Bruce not knowing how to tell his son that his own body was killing him.

Bruce grabbed one of Dick's hands in his own, marveling for a second how small it was compared to his own... he was only 8 after all. "Dickie," he started, catching the attention of the younger. "Do you remember all those tests the doctors did yesterday?" He asked.

Dick's face soured slightly. "How could I forget," he said. "Did I pass all of them?"

Bruce let out a tear-choked laugh, rubbing his thumb on the back of Dick's hand. "Some of the tiny tiny pieces that build your bones aren't doing their jobs right. They're really good at working, but they forgot what their job is supposed to be, so they're making you sick," he said.

Dick's brow furrowed. "But they can fix it right? Just like Dr. Leslie does when I get hurt."

"They'll do everything they can to help," Bruce reassured. "It's called bone cancer, and not a lot of kids have it, but I'm having the best doctors in the world flown in to help you get better."

Dick's lower lip trembled. "That sounds scary," he said softly.

Bruce pulled Dick to his chest in a hug. "You'll be okay bud. You're my brave little acrobat remember?"

Dick rested his head on Bruce's chest. "I can still be Robin right?" He asked, voice trembling slightly.

Bruce hadn't been prepared for that question, though logically he'd known it would come up eventually. He knew how much Robin meant to Dick. "Robin will have to take a break while you get better," he said.

Dick's face scrunched up slightly, his eyes filling with tears. "People need Robin," he insisted.

"I know they do..." Bruce said, rubbing circles on the acrobat's back. "So don't give up on getting better... because... because I need Robin too."