This Is My Future

Chapter 38

Dick's P.O.V

I heard a constant, beeping in my ear and endless hissing. My lungs felt like they were freezing and the inside of my elbow was itchy for some reason.

"Dick?" I heard a familiar voice, feeling someone shake me.

I cracked my eyes open. I looked at the person, who was shadowed by the light above us. "T-Tim...?" I croaked.

"Yeah!" He yelped happily and I felt his hands wrap around one of mine, "It's me Dick. It's Timmy."

"A-Are you..."

"I'm fine, Dick, I promise." He squeezed my hand, "I don't look like it, but I am."

I scrunched my eyes shut then opened them wider, wincing; the light made my eyes feel like molten metal was being poured into them.

Tim slid a pair of sunglasses onto my eyes. "You have a severe concussion," he said. "You're lucky though, you've only been out a few hours. Tigress estimated a minimum two day coma."

"H-How...did I..." I stopped, starting to pant despite the oxygen tube I could feel down my throat.

"Don't talk right now," Tim said rubbing my arm. "You gotta build your energy back up."

I nodded.

"But to answer your question," he said. "What Artemis and Robin told me was that Tigress ran back into the building after the explosion. The last guy you tried saving was dead. You had a rafter on your back, Tigress got the rafter off and, I'm not kidding; they said Tigress carried you out!"

I winced at the ending, because he screamed it.

"Sorry," Tim whispered.

"Rafter...on my...b-back...?"

Tim nodded, "Your back must be killing you..."

I frowned concentrating on the pain that ran from the middle of my back, up. My eyes widened and the beeping picked up.

"Are you okay, Dick?" Tim asked.

My breathing picked up in panic.

"Dick," Tim said, not knowing why I was panicked. "It's okay...you need to calm down."

"No..." I breathed

"Dick, what's wrong?"

"Artemis!" I shouted, forgetting that I should've been calling for Tigress. "Artemis!"

The garage door burst open. Artemis ran in with Robin right behind her. Tigress jumped into the room with her sword ready.

"Artemis..." I croaked with my hoarse voice, looking at Tigress. Artemis and Robin frowned, looking at Tigress.

"Dick, she's Tigress right now," Tim whispered in my ear.

"Artemis," I repeated.

Tigress furrowed her eyebrows.

"Artemis..." I lifted my head to look at the white sheet over my body.

Tigress sighed, not bothering to keep up the act, "I'm right here. What's wrong Little Birdy?" She walked to the bed.

"Your name is Artemis, too?" Robin asked.

And I was the smart one on the Team?

Tim crawled off the bed, knowing something was wrong.

"Arty," I croaked, bunching the sheet in my fists.

"I'm right here Dick," she said resting her hand on mine.

"I'm officially lost," Robin said.

Artemis swatted his shoulder. "Be quiet," she said firmly.

Tigress sighed. My eyes followed her hands as they raised to behind her neck.

"What are you..."

She grabbed the stone and threw the necklace aside.

I didn't see it but I knew her appearance changed. Artemis and Robin's eyes widened, "What...the...hell."

Arty ignored them, "What's wrong Little Birdy."

I looked at her still bunching the sheet. She looked at my hands and patted my knee, which confirmed my thought when my leg swayed limply and I didn't feel her hand.

My breathing picked up again.

"Dick, calm down," she said gently. "What's wrong."

"I can't feel my legs..." I croaked.

She frowned, "What?"

"I...I think I'm paralyzed..."

She moved the sheet off of my body. My ribs were patched with gaws, my torso was wrapped in bandages and I had an IV line in my arm. Thankfully she left my boxers on when she treated me.

I watched her hand as she squeezed my leg, she looked at me. I shook my head. She tried the other leg, I shook my head again. She squeezed my lower legs.

"Mm-mm..." I hummed nervously.

I watched her tickle my feet. "No..." I muttered.

Arty walked to the closet. I looked around, Tim looked worried; Artemis seemed like she was still shocked by Tigress. Robin was in the computer chair looking detached and bored.

Arty came back and I frowned seeing a pin in her hand. I hate needles, but I didn't fight her when she poked the needle into my legs and the soles of my feet.

I sighed, "Nothing..."

"No..." she muttered. "You can't be paralyzed."

She grabbed a scalpel off the medical tray.

"What are you doing!" Tim yelped.

"She's trying to get even the faintest reaction with the most intense pain," Robin muttered, while Arty was occupied with making quarter inch incisions in my legs and feet.

"Are you trying to make him bleed out!" Tim spat.

Arty growled and grabbed a stitching needle to fix the cuts. She covered the stitching.

"Turn over," she told me.

"Why?"

She pursed her lips in frustration, pulled the IV out of my arm and flipped me over onto my stomach.

"What are you doing...?" I muttered.

"Tell me when you feel my hand."

I sighed and propped my head up on my fist, noticing a burn mark on my upper arm that was definitely going to scar. After a minute I felt her hand on the middle of my back.

"There...I feel your hand."

She kept her finger there. "Tim, grab me the scanner."

Tim nodded and walked out of my line of vision, returning with the scanner. Arty took it.

I heard a humming and felt the tool press against my back.

Arty sighed. "Well?" I muttered.

"Clean break through your T-10 vertebrae..." Tim said and I felt him grab my hand.

I bit my lip, wrapping my fingers around his hand.

I'm paralyzed...