Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7mnmglYjO
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcr6lcdORES
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZy0K9uzfU
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5hFb0jp44
The frame creaked,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGbpto7WNy
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZh993LGgP
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTqT9zPwDO
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRg6dz09saX
the drunk had come home.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b9xzJwdec
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZBwHLNg4m
He was using the charity notebook from social services,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1yMoRNqFj
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqqMcX47fe
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEa7e4zv0wh
repeating curses like a broken record.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdg14XRees
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl11ryLur9k
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYecRmBMXMp
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gCPtWyNdw
like spit phlegm—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNGMovrsvP
sticky, sour,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpQGiAmPsg
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCDCk6BhPz
But that night,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf8Whm9BxN
for some reason,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKke1LOi4qJ
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9XjRS50eg
Maybe the light had been too gentle,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk0tDtbZxZ
and for a second,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEzRJVpGBI
he thought he could be a normal kid—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySxdzp1sgJ
do homework,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGYrS3JQEb
eat dinner,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4jcUGHS66
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEY7zlIEPN
Violence was always close by in this house.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXmSxVjbXf
But that night,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46OshKluZ3
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHMctETqKI
Nana had made it for his birthday.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdi9VG9N9Cz
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsATIUG1JGE
just the right shine,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL0XetceJZ
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hp2fu69Gm
He carried it with him everywhere.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMO9rlwp9u
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lRUvZkele
Jason shouted.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QgmYljL7g
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA3sklfbCL
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH69q9qJyR
and, right in front of Jason,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYSzNqeZjX
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirXzPyhPSu
just paper crunching.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGJG2mKJvg
But to Jason,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATc7KhzYFo
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ633JZBp4S7
Threw himself at the man,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZtIgfTOYZ
bit his hand.
The man roared.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7qthE0wmv
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafVCwo3OMi
When Jason came back to himself,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMleJPH8nHd
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoKKeHwhY0
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw8AtYFFWT
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYo6SinNkT
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTX6AFm9Fhk
He wore layers of torn coats,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vsc8gegZe
his hair matted,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGy0mGIu1nw
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3M2wyieI0
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPR40JpklD
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95D2yRY4De
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp10UujkXPe
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIz0G3xEWq
a weird little giggle.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcUdOrXesc
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOANlFyYiq
Then she went to class.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7Ru04paHb
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqllyr9aSj
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Hc0iOXbex
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lTppirHU8
Her eyes were wide and round,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKabigRH7HW
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzAtgdsnzG
like she was trying to make sure this wasn’t a dream.
Jason, under her gaze, suddenly didn’t know where to put his hands.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTFtP94NcA
He opened his mouth,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCniRlJm3G
was about to say something—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH984z1V9JT
when her tears fell.
One after another,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaraB89gYu3
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyPWOoSBgW
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOSGzegysB
His voice was softer than usual,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOuT6hLkuY
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BPba8jdA8
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTzwHM4spn
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aadXiU0iK
and carefully reached out271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkIKdqfD8J
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiwdYg1FN9
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSGMm88wig
Really, I’m fine…”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsta1G9jdw1
His voice got even lower,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVn0DztMgF
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQLEdqu8XR
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXhfrEXBs0
turned around,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCebXJNNcq
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlpIPJ3VfI
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwroSGEf6aj
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpispLNUR2S
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8F37892RU
Finally, her tears began to slow.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv3aw2aYxT
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazgjASE2HZ
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33KpwDeOBz
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZG4zjxlSg
His voice was tired,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCvkDMG5M8
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIllCWgPH2u
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMSbiNQGCb
but the signs were clear.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkUMboW4Gf
When she signed “Robin,”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgyWJqq5Jb
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WCPlgMCGJ
Sign it again!”
She nodded,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJe7GkLJld
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD8gafPv7y
“Came with me.”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Bfn6jVei2
“Went upstairs.”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6vlwpO1Ea
“Saw you.”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4uEipUg01
“Took you to doctor.”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmAmkLFX4a
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny8dUUadNQ
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXOnfxR2pZ
bright with something fierce,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtph2husYRr
almost wild.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm55tWm7gO
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeNLxbaxWs
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TRbb9mUJa
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAuom8jnI6
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOR2sTX1F5
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFS15zSGA1
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZ1iOSDbzg
Saved him.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCvZiANMyi
And left.
271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkttxhOHHQ0
and then Add to home screen.