Numb: The Absence Of Feeling

Let me help you

That night after our argument I had stayed up into the early hours of dawn waiting for him to come home. My eyes stung from keeping them open all night. By now the glass on the floor was cleaned up and I sat on the couch my knees pulled to my chest with my feet hanging over the edge. My eyes began to flutter shut as I tried to keep them open. My head snapped up when I heard a knock at my front door. I jumped up from my spot and raced to the door slinging it open. I was surprised to find Bruce and Dick on his crutches.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We need to talk to you." Bruce answers.

"Okay?" I stepped aside to them in. Bruce scanned my apartment finding the picture of my and Jason inside the broken frame from last night. "What's going on?"

"What happened here?" Dick questioned.

I huffed. "Rough night."

"How was work last night?" Bruce asked.

"Eh normal I guess." I reply sitting back on the couch.

Bruce takes a seat in the chair next to me, "and where do you work again?"

"I'm a waitress."

"You said you were working the last time we spoke and it turns out you're not working there anymore." I bit my inner cheek. "Where were you?"

I sighed. "I was out looking for Red Hood."

Bruce glared at me. "What happened?"

I shifted in my spot. "I followed the trial to a gang...I don't remember the name but he was there and while I was hiding one of his goons caught me. I fought them off while Red Hood fought their leader and threw him against a gasoline truck already getting ready to set him on fire. I tried to bargain with him but he just," I paused remembering everything so vividly. Suddenly my body felt hot all over again and I could hear the bang happening right next to me. Bullets hitting Bruce's car when he attempted to drive me home that night. I opened my mouth to say something but the words were trapped in my mouth and before I knew it I was whimpering as tears began to slid down my cheeks. "I-I...I-I'm sorry."

Bruce and Dick looked at my sympathetically as Dick sat next to me. "Red Hood has already killed two gangs by himself." Dick said. "You need to stay away from him."

"Dick and I are working around the clock to find out who this guy is and in the mean time you can stay with us until we catch him." Bruce offered.

"I'll be okay. I promise to stay out of everything until you guys catch him." I could tell neither of them actually believed me but decided to let it be. Bruce nodded and got up from his seat leaving me and Dick alone for the first time in years. "What happened to us Dick?" I asked as fresh tears spread down my cheeks.

"I don't know (Y/n)." He snaked an arm around my shoulders as I cried against his shoulders. 

"I miss them Dick....I miss them so much."

"I know...I know..."

After my tears dried I helped him off the couch and into the elevator downstairs. "Are you busy today?" I asked him.

He gave me a shrug taking a deep breath in then letting it out in one big huff. "Not really I'm just going to be helping Bruce all day why?"

"Coffee?" We walked down Gotham streets, cars drove past, people walked with each other laughing and smiling. Pigeons pecked at the trash on the ground looking for food, vicious dogs on chains barked at people as they passed. We sat down in a booth next to wide windows while old rock and roll played in the background. The smell of dark coffee, pastries and cigarettes filled the shop as you first walk in. The waitress came by with her notepad, "what will it be for the couple?" She asked.