Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMB7sDrwk4s
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkNxPSN122
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EUChhTOPr
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72O42nFpPL
The frame creaked,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnsSfIVLnX
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkhtmQ0m17
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdICPxtRJeQ
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyI40SBfJHS
the drunk had come home.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpA3S65KUy
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLut43BUFN
He was using the charity notebook from social services,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5PAyYjFE4
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4iEXC6ZCR
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkChBZ1G2c
repeating curses like a broken record.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpMovCyry8
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lj3ib30Bi
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzTWM5sWqe
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsyT2oZ5PZ
like spit phlegm—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduPWbYpqqZ
sticky, sour,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIdrpIIF64
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXn1MqAEMK
But that night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSw7UoOn5DX
for some reason,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwgi97avJD
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzGZguebeg
Maybe the light had been too gentle,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8e3J3FvKy6
and for a second,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUPKoxqFUW
he thought he could be a normal kid—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhiiolMXyF
do homework,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpymBCFukn
eat dinner,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGysKDs8ms
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73HhRZhf3S
Violence was always close by in this house.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3agWBVrsH
But that night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr9jqAVY4Y
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjXYM0WwwC
Nana had made it for his birthday.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtCTfS8lsN
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYKKBkx8J2
just the right shine,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7luqu1F15
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbpmV8MXUa
He carried it with him everywhere.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpGIosvjC7
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAr7QKplk1
Jason shouted.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskVYjGmMQq
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TNZf1u0c1
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRmvpmUAgv
and, right in front of Jason,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiGUDudA2y
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ639dnPkvjw
just paper crunching.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7svw5PNwlu
But to Jason,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJAXBXTtK8
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcg05BnZYvi
Threw himself at the man,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9kKrcSkpA
bit his hand.
The man roared.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmsR2goVuX
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijaGVwrZth
When Jason came back to himself,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhr8YDykPj
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVXPIdH8HW
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtnOhjlyKq
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5NdQ36Pni
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIbnEE4IYK
He wore layers of torn coats,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvADGC5uITs
his hair matted,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18yBHnQcBc
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvjGSe8ea7
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQa3zhrSo4
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT41slIGKnO
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYvm1EBcPT
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVMDHpBt7w
a weird little giggle.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWGNxXhJ9o
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSjnjzC9hX
Then she went to class.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalocvJpy0V
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1QAULeOMq
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrR7F6D3h6
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw3JuCxJNg
Her eyes were wide and round,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yoO8RVxww
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE340Z3sSWV
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.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbiCXl1bNv
He opened his mouth,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XNoC2Bwl4
was about to say something—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsRgwO8N98
when her tears fell.
One after another,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzWwLXXF8T
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUkcYPrbYT
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdAwYfJDxy
His voice was softer than usual,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PuQsl4Kj3
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHyrwrS4pv
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgL8WBREzYh
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiC8eGjmC5
and carefully reached out10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODTFVpGHGn
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMtar49qJa
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNNpzyMgcv
Really, I’m fine…”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlahx8zhOY
His voice got even lower,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO7Ui9Aauw
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1touWI6hb
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPRVYEBxjX
turned around,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTDqtND4Lz
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OzPwokR8X
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFKt5ZedMc
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaCNNkMbuL
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hALlx9ilA
Finally, her tears began to slow.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMa0azWrfx
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHjZgNnkEC
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQN31vl4eH
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zc8IReLNi
His voice was tired,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0oggZb05N
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXWMy1AKl0
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5aIWlFGK1
but the signs were clear.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1JdZ2vAQ9
When she signed “Robin,”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwgLRBb0Zk
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VKqaQxRPa
Sign it again!”
She nodded,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcukkT72i7I
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauS3MF0xXu
“Came with me.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlW0YsrV3d9
“Went upstairs.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzDbp38Ood
“Saw you.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9aZAfxQkf
“Took you to doctor.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2COkthZhyF
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2Accqc5Tv
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZgvDYuvS4
bright with something fierce,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGd8HAEJzVS
almost wild.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvF83hD5Lt
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpbtClE8wx
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8of3Lvp4U
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpT2XfcNXCK
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKUYHS4Je2
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1jdQakujQ
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClzRGLR9P5
Saved him.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXz088dUvDf
And left.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAdUFGMo9x
