Family of Bats

It's okay

Damian pov

It hurts. Something hurts. Everything hurts. Focus! What happened?

I...got shot. By....my my mother. Who is supposed to be the only one that still loves me. Did she shoot me out of love? No, that can't be it can it? Who saved me? I was saved right? Cause I'm still alive. Or am I dead?

'Damian.'

Whats that voice? God? No, I am definately not going to heaven.

'Listen, I know...I know I've been a really bad big brother. In my defence you've been a pretty bad little brother to, but thats not the point. If you, no, when you wake up. I'll....help you with your homework, I'll walk Maya when you don't want to, I'll carry you to bed when you fall asleep on the couch again and I'll even accept you tying me to the chandelier. Just...give me another change to be better. I can be better. I don't know how you'll be when you wake up, but try...try to remember our good times...no, we'll make better ones. I swear I'll be better. I...'

It's quiet again. The darkness scares me. Where did the voice go?

'I love you Dami.'

It's said so soft, like it's coming from miles away. I know that voice. I...No. the voice is lying. Right? Nobody loves me anymore. I'm alone. I'm all alone in this darkness.

3rd person pov

It would be a special sight, a father and his three songs standing arround the fourth one. The sick one. Waiting for any sign that he'll wake up. But the sight isn't all there is. It's not the waking up of the snallest one they're anticipating. It's what he'll be like when he does.

'What if he hates us for the rest of our lives. Thalia really did a numberon him. It's like all the hard work we put in on making him more normal is totally gone.'

Dick looks down defeated. It's been two weeks without change. Everyday he comes here, everyday is the same. In some moments, rare ones, he could almost imagine Damian just sleeping. Like he'd seen him do so many times. On the couch, in his own bed and sometimes, on nights Dick treasured, after Damian had a nightmare he'd go to one of his brothers and would quietly slip into their bed. Tim never knew, Jason knew, but kept quiet because he was scared Damian would stop and Dick would pull Damian close to him. He wished he could do that now.

It was getting dark outside. Like every night before the batfamily tries to stay till the very end. The nurses have come to accept it.

Everyone is getting ready to leave when Tim suddenly stops.

'I want to stay here.'

Bruce sighs and looks both fondly and sadly at his youngest.

'Tim, it's doing nothing for anyone for you to stay here. We should all try to rest up as much as we can for when he wakes up.'

'I dreamed last night that he woke up alone. All alone. He doesn't like that. I know he doesn't. So I'm going to stay here, just incase.'

'Tim, shut up and just...'

Bruce silences Jason with his hand.

'Alright, if you really want to stay you can stay, but atleast try to sleep a bit okay?'

Tim nods. Dick gives him a quick hug and Jason tries to give a reassuring smile, he's not very good it.

When they're all gone Tim goes to sit besides Damian.

He's a lot less annoying like this, Tim thinks, I wish he'd annoy me right now.

'He Dami, listen. This whole coma thing. It's really not working for any of us. If you could just...wake up? We could go home, drink hot coco, watch a disney movie, I know you secretly like them. And go on patrol together. I'll team up with you whenever you want.'

At this point Tim had to admit there wasn't much he wouldn't do to see Damian awake again. He'd even let him string him up to the chandelier again. Once, only once.

Time passes by and Tim almost falls asleep when a noise comes from the bed. In second Tim is standing over Damian.

'Dami...Can you hear me?'

Excruciatingly slowly his eyes open. Tim quickly presses the button for the nurse, but doesn't take his eyes of his little brother for a second.

'Dami, you're save.'

It feels to Tim like the best thing to say at the moment. Green hazy eyes lock onto the older boy. For a split second...there seems to be no recognition.

When the nurse comes in and says everything is fine and that she's going to alert Bruce and the others, the boys keep their eyes locked.

'Tim...'

Damian manages to choke out weakly. Tim hasn't heard his name from Damian all that much. Mostly Drake or Red Robin or sometimes nerd. For some reason, this feels different.

'Hé Dami, you know I'm not here to hurt you right?'

If Damian is afraid of him, he's gonna break. If he wants to kill him, Tim doesn't think he'd stop him. He doesn't have the strenght anymore. The silcence drags on.

'Damian please just...'

'Tim...Tim...'

Tears slip from Damians eyes as he desperately reaches for his brother. Desperately reaching for someone who can give him something he doesn't think he can get anymore.

It takes Tim less than a second to react. He climbs onto the bed and carefully wraps his arms arround Damian. Damian is not carefull at all and clings onto Tims shirt with tears streaming down his face. As vulnerable as ever.

'I...I...my mother...I don't...why...why are you still here?'

Tim sighs and a few tears fall down his face.

'Because you're my little demon brother. And in some strange way, I've come to care for you. And I can't imagine my life without you anymore. I'll protect you. Thats what family is Damian. Thats what big brothers are for.'

Damian is confused to say the least. Does his family truly care? But what about the league? What about his mother? She had a reason for everything right? For now only one thing was important though.

'Will...will you stay? Stay with me?'

Tim plants a kiss on Damians head and feels more than a big brother than ever before.

'I'll never leave you again.'