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Robin’s hands were settled in his lap, wrists all too thin for Wally’s liking.
Sitting beside Robin’s infirmary bed, Wally sighed softly. His eyes flicked from the sandwich, the plate right in front of Robin’s hands, and then his friend’s face. Slowly, shakily, Robin reached up. He picked a little bit at the crusts. Wally watched his hands move. His fingers are shaking. He needs to eat.
Robin had been captured. It was by someone who didn’t even want to know his identity, didn’t care about it in the slightest. They just cared about hurting Bats. They wanted to make Batman pay them money, because obviously the funding for the Justice League came from somewhere and apparently, they assumed it was him. They’d taken a thirteen-year-old to do that. Now, they were here, with Robin in a hospital bed and hospital gown in Mt. Justice. Two weeks of capture, of beatings and torture and questions. Not damage that would last permanently, which might have been worse in all honesty. Scars lasted, proved that someone survived. A lack of them—
Wally wasn’t going to think about that.
“Is there anything else that we can get to help you eat?” M’gann asked, standing by the door. The whole team was there. Almost. Wally was the only one seated. After a few moments of seeing Robin sitting there, Kaldur had turned on his heel and then disappeared elsewhere in the Cave.
Sending her a weak smile, Robin glanced up from the sandwich. “This is fine, M’gann. I’ll be better in a little bit. I promise.”
Swallowing, M’gann raised a hand to her mouth and nibbled on her nails. Beside her, Artemis leaned against the wall and met Wally’s eyes. She raised her eyebrows. Behind her, Connor shifted. His teeth gritted, and he left as well. M’gann glanced between Robin and where Connor had disappeared. After a moment’s consideration, she turned and then followed Connor. Zatanna ducked into the room, shifting awkwardly on her feet.
Artemis and Zatanna remained.
Looking back at the sandwich, Robin picked at it again. He was still pulling the crusts off, and Wally briefly debated going to a kitchen knife and cutting them off for him. He couldn’t leave Robin’s side, though. Right then, Robin needed him more than he needed the crusts off his sandwich.
Wally pulled a leg up, resting his heel on the edge of his chair and then settling his cheek against the side of his knee.
None of them spoke for a long time. The clock ticked on. Wally glanced briefly at Artemis, then Zatanna. Within a second, though, his eyes were back on Robin. With a heavy sigh, Robin set the plate aside. It clinked on the bedside table. “I…don’t think I can eat this.” He finally admitted, eyes narrowing. Looking up, he added, “Thanks for making it, though.”
“I’ll go tell M’gann.” Artemis said. Glancing at Wally meaningfully, she vanished into the hallway. Let’s not screw this up, Wally decided, turning back to Robin. As for Zatanna, she crossed the room and sat down at the foot of the bed.
“Is there anything else we can make you? I know that soup is probably a good idea. Falling back on the IV isn’t going to work forever.” She gestured to said IV where it sat beside Robin.
Smiling weakly, he said, “I’ll try it. Thanks, Zatanna.” Nodding, Zatanna disappeared into the hallway. Carefully pushing himself back so he could lean against the headboard, Robin reached up and then flinched. One of his hands darted to his side.
Lifting his head, Wally turned to look at him, “Are you alright?”
“Just my ribs.” He mumbled, wincing as he settled down again. “I think I broke my record of broken ribs. Again.”
“According to Bats, you have sixteen fractured ribs. That mean anything?” Wally asked, trying for a lighthearted tone. It felt flat. Too flat, honestly.
With a weak smile of his own, Robin laughed and said, “Whoo, new record. Augh, I am feeling the disaster.” Slumping back against the headboard a little more, he tilted his head back. He didn’t even flinch when his head thunked against the wall. “Really heavy on the dis, though.”
“Is this ‘laying on the floor underneath the Batdesk’ level of feeling the disaster or ‘you won’t see me for the next three days because I’m going to be hiding in my closet nest’ level of feeling the disaster?”
Robin sucked in a long, slow breath. Holding it for a few moments, he thought to himself. Letting it out, he turned to Wally and said, “That remains to be seen.”
“Well, there’s those…cheese snack things you like. Uh…we were talking about these in Spanish class the other day, what are they called in English?” Thinking, Wally said, “Queso table y…breadsticks?”
Robin stared at him. “Do you mean ‘queso untable y palitos de pan’? Because I don’t think table is a Spanish word.”
“It totally is, what do you mean?”
“Anyways, they’re called…” Robin paused. “What are they called?”
“I don’t know, let me look it up. Anyways, I taped a pack to the bottom of the Batdesk the last time I snuck into the Cave. Got grounded for three weeks for sneaking into Gotham, but it was worth it.” Wally whipped out his phone. Robin did not do the same, because he wasn’t allowed to go on screens for the next several days. Concussion protocol at its finest.
When he found the answer, Wally stared at the bed. You’re kidding me. Robin stared at him. “What’s it called?” Robin asked. When Wally hesitated, Robin just…waited. A few seconds passed. “How dumb are we?”
“Cheese dip and bread sticks.” Turning his phone off, Wally put it away. Turning to Robin, affronted, he repeated, “Cheese dip. And bread sticks.”
“How are we two of the smartest people on the Team and that slipped our minds?” Touching his head, Robin winced and pulled his hand away. “Forget I said that, think I found out why.”
“At least you have the excuse of a concussion, I’m just being a moron.” Wally grumbled. His eyes went to the sandwich. His stomach growled loudly. With a sigh, Wally pointed at it and asks, “I hate to ask this—”
“Just have it.” Robin didn’t even have to reach over. Wolfing it down, Wally set the plate down. Artemis walked back in. Glancing at the plate, she turned to Robin. “I told him to have it. Never waste food, right?”
“Right.” Looking at Wally, Artemis nudged him in the shoulder, took the plate, and added, “And we definitely don’t want Motor Mouth here to pass out on the bed or something.”
“Again.”
“Again.” Artemis agreed, snickering. As Wally cried out in feigned annoyance and offense, Artemis and Robin shared a smile. Settling back in the bed, Robin straightened up. His whole demeanor changed. Wally watched him.
Leaning on his palm, Wally turned to look at Artemis. “So, what’re Sweetcheeks and Zatanna up to?”
Artemis wrinkled her nose. Flicking his eyes towards Robin, Wally prayed that he didn’t look too desperate. Dark eyes narrowing, Artemis crossed her arms. “Not funny, Wally. Why don’t I go and check? Leave Robin to suffer with whatever…this is.”
“Thank you, dear.” Wally smiled at her as she stalked out of the room, but he saw the brief nod. Then, she was gone.
“I thought you weren’t flirting with M’gann anymore. Did something change when I was gone?” Robin asked.
“No, no, you’re fine.” Wally laughed. “It’s just an…inside joke, you could say.”
“Mhmm.” Again, Robin touched his head and winced. He’d relaxed since Artemis left, though. That was the important thing.
Looking at him, Wally asked, “You doing alright, man?”
Still touching his head, though much more gingerly now, Robin nodded. The grimace taking over his face said otherwise. “Yeah, just…feeling the aster. I think I need to lie down. Watch my back?”
“’Course, man.” Wally said. With a nod, Robin settled down on the bed a little more. Curling up, he turned his back to Wally. Within a few moments, the heart monitor eased out as he drifted off. “Man, I’m jealous that you can do that.”
His phone buzzed. Glancing down, Wally turned it on.
The Smarter Green Arrow: Rob asleep?
Flash Boy: yeah
Flash Boy: you changed your name back
Flash Boy: surprised it’s not “The Prettier Green Arrow”
The Smarter Green Arrow: we all know GA’s got that covered
The Smarter Green Arrow: someone’s gotta be the brains—he doesn’t get to claim it all
The Smarter Green Arrow: but also don’t tell him. I’ll let MM and Z know to put the soup on ice for him
Flash Boy: thanks, Cupid
The Smarter Green Arrow: you can thank me by never using that nickname again
Snickering, Wally tucked his phone away and turned it on silent. Crossing his arms, he settled down, kicked his feet up, and prepared for a long night. Bats wasn’t going to be back any time soon.
Wally could watch Rob until then.