Window Sills

Chapter Sixteen

Dick had a hard time sleeping the next couple nights. Up until now, he had just asked to be knocked out with whatever drug was necessary, but the nurse thought that he could develop a bad habit and cut him short. The only time this had happened during his stay was when Tim wandered in, but even then he wound up on some drug. He tried everything to fall asleep again. He read, counted sheep, told himself stories, but none of them really worked. At one point, he had Barbara smuggle in his phone and earbuds and listened to music. Mostly it was just twenty one pilots. That was the only music that really worked. He finally found himself dosing off...

Gray and hazy fog clouded his mind. He was in some large house, probably his home judging by the window sill. A figure sat there dressed in all black.
"Wally?" Dick choked out, his voice raspy. The figure pulled off his hood to reveal the face of speedster .
"Hiya Dickie." He sound older than what he remembered. He jumped up and walked over to the younger boy. "How are ya? Good. 'Cause me? Not so much." He grabbed Dick shirt and pulled him so close, he was only an inch away. This wasn't the Wally he saw when he was dying.
"You...you..were happy? I saw you." Dick breathed out.
"Well, now you gotta decided, am I real or the other one? Or is it all in your head?" Wally pushed him into the wall behind them. "Either way, you pulled me into this mess, got me killed, broke everyone's heart, and for what?"
"To stop an alien invasion, Wally." Dick was stern, but didn't fight back.
"Oh who cares? We're all bound for hell anyway!" He punch Dick in the face. "So now I'm getting my revenge." Dick wanted to fight back, but his body wouldn't. He ached and pained as his was tossed around and beaten, and suddenly he heard a noise. A song. Faintly...
Hello, we haven't talked in quite some time...
He coughed up blood as the red head knocked a tooth out
I know I haven't been the best
Of sons...
"This is fun for me, just so you know." Wally smirked.
I know I've been traveling the deserts of my mind...
Wake up, god damnit! He thought to himself.
And I haven't found a drop
Of life
He let his eyes drop as his vision went black.

He coughed and gasped as he woke up, in his hospital bed, the earbuds still in his ears. He looked at his screen. It was 2:36, and the song he had been hearing was "Addict With A Pen." He didn't fall back asleep, but instead though about Wally, and all his guilt and grievance.