Dick Grayson one shots

Germs

Whumptober day 23: forced choice

The after effect of living with the court that Dick hated the absolute most was the paranoia.

He stressed about everything, whether it was something he had control over or not... and recently it felt like he'd had less and less that he could control.

Bruce had been able to reverse most of everything the court had done, which was great, only it now opened Dick up to a world of fears. A plethora of things he hadn't even had to worry about before were now constantly pressing on his mind.

He didn't understand why death scared him so much now. After having his heart stopped and his body shut down so many times by the court death had seemed almost like a dear friend. But now... he didn't know if it was because he knew the next death would be his last, or because he'd finally found a reason to live... But death more than scared him now... it terrified him.

—

Dick watched in the little handheld mirror as his eyes faded from gold to green to blue. He had to resist the urge to look down at the IV line in his arm, knowing it would likely send him spiraling into a flashback.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked, giving the acrobat a small smile when he met his eyes.

"It feels... weird," Dick said, concern shining in his bright blue eyes.

Bruce grabbed Dick's hand, rubbing small circles on the back of it with his thumb. "It's going to take some adjusting," he said softly.

Dick fell back on the pillows stacked behind him as a sudden wave of weakness washed over him. The room fuzzed for a moment, sound fading in and out. "I feel weird," he mumbled.

He didn't realize his eyes had closed until he opened them, Bruce's concerned face looking down at him. "You with me?" He asked, cupping the side of Dick's face with a hand.

Dick hummed quietly. "I'm not sure if I like this change," he replied groggily.

Alfred entered Dick's field of view, checking over his vitals. "I agree with what Master Bruce has said. The change will take some adjusting, but that doesn't mean it won't be a good change."

Dick hummed again. "-m tired," he mumbled with a yawn.

Alfred's lips quirked up into a smile. "We have you very thoroughly monitored," he said. "I believe a nap would be just fine."

Dick relaxed slightly, allowing his eyes to slip closed again.

Bruce was going to fix him.

Everything was going to be fine.

—

Dick hadn't had a choice when the court had made him a talon. He was just a little kid, strapped down and injected with a burning poison... poison that had turned him into an undying killing machine.

He remembered screaming, crying, begging the owls to make the pain stop.

This time he'd had a choice in the matter. He'd been offered a chance at being normal again.

He should've known it was too good to be true. He should've known there would be a catch. There always was.

After lying dormant for years, his immune system was nowhere near equipped to handle the stress of normal life.

He'd spent the next few months on bedrest, helpless as his immune system tried to fight off the world of germs he was now susceptible to.

Nobody in his family quite understood the fear of germs he developed during those long months. Honestly, he didn't quite understand it either. At times it honestly felt as ridiculous as believing in the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny.