Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJAMiJtaRi
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlx9CMAcdFu
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3cWLvJE9Q
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrAzhdnFGT
The frame creaked,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthc2RoK3eK
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZ5uKMUfy9
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡay2Mfw6KLe
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VSWOisp8d
the drunk had come home.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnFIMw15ew
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTTtpxz2hM
He was using the charity notebook from social services,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTVEnErGFD
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvKHFZSf1L
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrdhGBfHjF
repeating curses like a broken record.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKEPwgEyCc
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgk7DlDNgw
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zgAhTShh3
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMyqjtqriu
like spit phlegm—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLETJvLkdb
sticky, sour,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1aybabxy9
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuec4tnlM2E
But that night,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGwHioD4M6
for some reason,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEn6vpFWUkT
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEMZmoF0WB
Maybe the light had been too gentle,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcQBK8TKdu
and for a second,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DuyD5w6aq
he thought he could be a normal kid—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHcvYTWLPE
do homework,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOn0gyDEMR
eat dinner,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerOVBfyT1k
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxixMYtiH0
Violence was always close by in this house.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebpP9CWFZh
But that night,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsvnOvwBJB
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcVT9PgSNJ
Nana had made it for his birthday.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgCT5DGpRT
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynOakuB26s
just the right shine,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK5bV6O3V5
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElKviBDJMF
He carried it with him everywhere.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGmOyusWaG
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLE9cH0M1gp
Jason shouted.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2MOV4ig2B
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBjunLOtvl
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEVELBSFWI
and, right in front of Jason,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRPOG2oF7U
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdrm3GzUY0
just paper crunching.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnD2fHiPld5
But to Jason,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikhBmV631v
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVPqzZxXt5
Threw himself at the man,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCbfW4a5DX
bit his hand.
The man roared.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcTsnpNKoY
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3xUF9SsC5
When Jason came back to himself,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsgYUwRte7
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gbhCxSylF
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO9psqPJqa
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzjH3gTvXl
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0kqyAgrUY
He wore layers of torn coats,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtYIRQ7lmi
his hair matted,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnCsS1XscE
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqpsocjaRn
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEwRfGP3Ab
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT6pYRbbGe
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQkNBi6qpY
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCQuX5olO1
a weird little giggle.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoVkvj454t
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFe9a9oiuA
Then she went to class.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OjiWF3B9x
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjpFlTy8Tn
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIPtCWq1I0
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkja2lhYaFq
Her eyes were wide and round,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfx8VX6arp
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWqt5qMh6S
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7qGU1mlBf
He opened his mouth,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuLCMAuBSR
was about to say something—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBHawGiBlh
when her tears fell.
One after another,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡby2MHXKhsx
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b1fLWQtKj
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOqFRO6Zw2
His voice was softer than usual,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmXBMDB94g
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCe8Z7dlX3
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80Rm2aYZPA
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuWlmUKVPo
and carefully reached out24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjZKJJzlOw
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Cma9WI3iE
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69CeisOs1V
Really, I’m fine…”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEOWZQaLPd
His voice got even lower,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KG6jMLH9C
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTUpoOVIi8
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpqcUWDILp
turned around,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgboXgaKTJO
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrZ2IETJTY
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1qLGApQx7
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajF0XohLIl
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIj8PMGiNa
Finally, her tears began to slow.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhP5uYgBn0
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuJgvhKYfN
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZTqqXH5Yh
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9hjxLv4yK
His voice was tired,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcxXBF6iEt
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDFZWI6vhq
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TGN2Hn8bC
but the signs were clear.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHPlUjf3ZU
When she signed “Robin,”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1MMwVHEKb
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMNTAwvzld
Sign it again!”
She nodded,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHKsUiu9eZ
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOQaJUjlDd
“Came with me.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTusReo8nx6
“Went upstairs.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTFGDbu7UT
“Saw you.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9vowxoS3M
“Took you to doctor.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5sfI29HJQ
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcneSC7CP1m
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjDSEIMkvL
bright with something fierce,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3hNpycDYp
almost wild.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSmBZjINte
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5FQItPl1y
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmaifdSMsL
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYDCfCQYMB
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6TnCKp5HR
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZXNMDdaxq
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFejTGWWDe
Saved him.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3B8iPA0dt
And left.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59yaI0CAG7
