Parental Bat Moments

Sleep Walking

Dick hadn't always been a sleep walker. He couldn't remember having ever done it whilst his parents were alive. He didn't know exactly when he had started getting up and wandering in the night, but it was somewhere around the time he had arrived at Wayne Manor.

Bruce had hoped it would be something his young ward would grow out of as he became more settled in his new life. Unfortunately, this never happened. He didn't walk every night, but he could generally tell when he had. He didn't have nightmares on the nights he walked, well he didn't think he did. He could never remember his dreams when he awoke, but he always woke up feeling tired and exerted.

He always did something different when he was sleep walking. Not that he remembered, but when people recounted their tales to him the next morning (as they generally did), he could never explain why he did what he did. Though he generally found it amusing.

Not everyone would agree with him.

Bruce - Dick aged 9.

Despite how exhausted he always was, Bruce was a light sleeper. He had become thankful of this since taking the young orphan into his care. He often heard the boy screaming in the night and would rise straight from his bed to comfort him.

Tonight there was no screaming, this in itself had Bruce on the very edges of consciousness. What made him cross the void into waking was the sound of soft padding feet walking passed his door. Getting up he opened his door and followed the sound of the footfalls.

To his surprise he came across the young boy, slowly walking his way down the corridor toward the stair case.

'Dick?' Bruce asked quietly. The boy didn't react.

Bruce took some large steps and managed to get in front of him, which is when he noticed the boys eyes were half closed and his pupils were unfocused. He was asleep.

Worried about his young charge falling down the stairs, Bruce hurried down the corridor and lightly tapped on Alfred's door.

'Master Bruce?'

'Sorry Alfred. It's Dick.'

'Whatever is the matter?'

Bruce pointed down the hall to where the boy was still wandering aimlessly. 'He's sleep walking. I don't know what to do.'

Alfred came out from his room wearing flannel knit pyjamas and brown wool lined slippers.

'Don't wake him. Let's try and lead him back to his room.'

Together they gently coerced the child back down the corridor and into his room, tucking him up in bed. It was surprisingly easy, the young boy being very co-operative.

They mentioned it to Dick over breakfast the next morning, but the nine year old had no memory of what they were talking about. Bruce added a stair gate to the top of the stairs that afternoon.

The Team - Robin aged 13.

The team were all sat around the TV watching the oscars. It was late, the programme continuing on into the early hours. Most were still awake and paying attention to the screen. Robin had long ago lost interest and had fallen asleep, curling to the corner of the sofa.

He had been asleep for several hours, none of the others having the heart to wake him and disturb him from his cute cocoon of pillows and blankets. It was nearing the end of the show when Robin suddenly got up.

'Heading to bed Rob?' Asked Wally. The youngest of the team didn't answer. 'Rob?'

The team looked at each other in confusion. It wasn't like Robin to rudely ignore them.