Crimson Flood

CH 6: Lost in the shadows

"It's not looking good. His heart has stopped three times already..."

Tim had refused to be left at home, even though he was still recovering from when Crimson had almost killed him. Now, nearly two days into the hospital stay, he was beginning to wish that the chairs were more comfortable. Not that he was about to leave though. No, he would stay for as long as it took for Dick to be stabilized.

"I don't know what happened to him, but it's as if everything just gave out at once. Heart failure, lung failure, kidney failure... Nothing is working as it should be. We have never seen a case like this before..."

They had not been allowed to see Dick since he had first been rushed into surgery upon arrival. According to the doctors, surgeries were still taking place. The updates on Dick were growing less and less frequent, and Tim was starting to worry that maybe they had been too slow; that it was too late to save his baby brother.

"Coffee?" Damian's tired eyes met his own as the older male took the seat beside him, holding out a thermos. "Alfred dropped it off after I told him how bad the stuff here is."

"Thanks..." Tim took the thermos, taking a grateful sip of the still steaming beverage. "You missed Bruce fighting the doctors again."

Damian snorted, shaking his head with a sigh. "Father is understandably upset... I am worried about Grayson as well."

"We all are. But fighting with the doctors trying to save his life isn't going to help."

"He would not have to worry about doctors if he would just let me contact my mother."

Tim frowned. This had been brought up a few times already, and each time him and Bruce had responded with the same answer. "You know that isn't an option. You know what the Lazarus Pit did to Jason."

"Todd was crazy from the start. I do not believe Grayson will have those issues." Damian insisted, glancing back toward the hallway that led to the surgery rooms. "I was there when they gave Father the full details of everything. He's not going to make it, Drake."

"No. Don't say that. He will make it. Dick is strong." Frowning, Tim reached for his older brother, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Damian. Dick made it this far. He kept me from being killed. He... he can push through this. We just have to have faith in him."

Damian grunted softly but did not push Tim's hand away.

That alone was enough to show Tim exactly how worried his brother was.

"It'll be okay. We just... we just need to trust the doctors and believe in Dick." He repeated, shifting closer until he could rest his head on Damian's shoulder, knowing that while the other male would never admit it, he needed the comfort.

Slowly, Damian stretched his arm out and wrapped it around Tim's shoulders, bringing the shorter male in closer. "Right... he is a pretty tough kid. And we'll be here to protect him and take care of him once he's better. Never gonna let him out of my sight ever again."

Tim laughed sadly, nodding. "He's going to be so annoyed. It'll be adorable."

"Well, if he is annoyed, it'll be his own fault. He's the one who went and got himself possessed. We're allowed to make sure that he's okay."

"Yup. Hey... Damian?"

"Yes, Drake?"

"Do we tell Jason about this? Dick... Dick probably still thinks he's dead."

Damian frowned, a quiet sigh leaving his lips as he shrugged. "I... I am not sure. For now, I think it would be for the best to leave Todd in the dark. He is too unstable at the moment. It would not be wise to tell him and have him barging in and scaring or surprising Richard."