Damian~
My hearing is the first sense to awaken. Whatever room I'm in is silent except for the steady beeping of a heart monitor.
I listen closer, trying to figure out exactly where I am. The only other thing I can hear is very light, yet slow breathing as if whoever is here is sleeping.
As I start to gain feeling in my body, I realize I'm in the Cave. The med bay cots are distinctly uncomfortable. The more feeling I gain the less I want. My entire torso aches as if I just went through extensive training without stretching beforehand.
I crack my eyes open, the dimmed fluorescents making me regret that decision. I glance over to where the breathing is coming from.
My heart melts at the sight of Cora. She's asleep in a cot that has been pushed close to mine. Her arm is outstretched towards me. She has just the slightest bit of drool beside her mouth.
She looks beautiful. It worries me that she's here though. Did she get hurt too? Did I hurt her?!
That thought sends panic through my system, making the heart monitor speed up. I try to sit up and the dull ache of my body turns to a sharp clawing sensation.
I am forced to lay back down by my body's weakness, but my eyes scan over her, trying to assess if she's hurt or not. She doesn't seem to be hurt, she's not hooked up to an IV or a heart monitor. I see no visible injuries or bandages.
In fact, she looks peaceful. I'm reminded of how serene she looks while asleep. I reach out my arm to hold her hand. It's sore but worth it. A small smile appears on her unconscious face.
I let my body relax, which is most likely better for me to recover quickly. I remain holding Cora's hand.
Her loose grip tightens a little, I hear her take a deep breath. Her eyes flutter open. The gentle smile on her face widens when she spots me. I like that smile.
"Dami, good morning." She says, her voice a little different from sleep. It's sweet and airy.
"Good morning." I rasp out, wincing slightly at how sore my throat is. She notices and her smile falls.
"Let me get you some water." She says, concern lacing every feature.
She starts to get up and walk around my cot. I tighten my hold on her hand.
"Stay," I plead, my voice betraying me by sounding scratchy and weak. It works, though. Cora sits on the cot beside mine. I smile a little, just so she knows I'm okay.
I hear a knock at the metal door, making both of us look toward the intruder. I should say, intruders.
Father, Grayson, Drake, Todd, and Pennyworth stand in the doorway. I sigh, yet I won't let go of Cora's hand. It's not as if they don't know about my feelings. They're the ones who told me what they are.
"How are you feeling master Damian?" Pennyworth speaks, starting to check my vitals while Grayson helps me to sit up. I end up letting go of Cora's hand as he does so. I dislike this coddling.
"Bad." Is all I say. My throat burns if I talk too much, and I would prefer not to waste my words going into detail.
Father hands me a glass of water, I take it with the hand that wasn't holding Cora's, just in case.
"How much do you remember?" He speaks gruffly, yet I can hear the concern in his tone. He turns into quite the 'daddy bats', as Grayson calls it, whenever one of us gets hurt.
"Not much. I remember getting hit with Joker gas, you knocking him out, and nothing after that. What happened to me?" I say, trying to keep my sentences short. The water helped the burn in my throat, but it's still sore.
"You were affected by the gas, you began laughing, which turned into crying, then Cora helped you fall asleep," Drake states. I feel my cheeks heat up. I hate that Cora saw me like that. I feel so weak. Embarrassment floods over me.
"In fact, you're quite lucky she was there, preparing the correct sedative would have taken much longer and you would have caused more injury to yourself," Pennyworth says from beside me, removing the IV from my hand.
I look over to Cora, finding that her cheeks match mine. It's cute. Her eyes keep mostly to the ground, but occasionally she'll glance up at me or the others. She seems very nervous.
"Thank you," I say, catching her attention. She smiles that gorgeous smile that makes my chest flood with warmth.
"It was no problem. I mostly just reacted on instinct actually." She says sheepishly.
"Well, your instincts saved his ribs. Take this." Pennyworth says, handing me a couple of pills. "Thanks to you he only pulled a couple of muscles." I swallow the pills, the water helping them to not damage my throat.
"But I didn't actually do much. How could I have helped?" She asks. I hate the way she downplays how important she is. I'm going to make her see just how incredible she is one day.
"Quite the contrary. When you're near him, Master Damian's brain releases certain chemicals that help him to relax. In layman's terms, you calm him down." Pennyworth explains.
I feel my cheeks burn. He may as well have just said that I love her. I can't tell if I want her to catch on or remain unaware.
"Oh. I mean I knew you guys said he acts differently around me, but I didn't think I could actually affect someone that much." She says, more to herself than anyone else. She doesn't look at anyone, getting lost in thought.
Does that mean that she knows? Or is she thinking something else? Why am I not saying anything? Even the burning of my throat wouldn't usually stop me from speaking my mind.
Todd snickers and I glare at him. Grayson looks like he's just received the best news of his life. Drake smirks maliciously at me. I'm never going to live this down, am I?
I lean my head back and sigh, glancing over at Cora. She seems to be thinking over every life decision she's ever made. I just want to go back to sleep.
Those pills Pennyworth gave me must be kicking in. My head starts to feel fuzzy and my body feels heavy.
I try to get out of bed now that the pain is going away. I stumble a little until I'm caught by strong arms. Father picks me up like a child, but due to my body being mostly unresponsive I can't struggle out of his grasp.
"Father I'm fine. I simply wish to go to my own room. I've been in the med bay long enough." I say, my jaw feeling loose. The pain in my throat hurts less, at least.
"Then I'll take you. But you're not walking on your own until you've recovered more." He says, leaving no room for debate.
"Very well," I say. I know there's no point in suggesting otherwise, and I have very little strength left to fight.
Father begins carrying me away. I glance back at Cora who seems to have broken from her trance. I can vaguely hear her talking quietly to Pennyworth, although I'm unable to make out what she's saying.
Instead, I turn my attention back to the ceiling. The stalactites of the cave get closer as we ascend the stairs. I sit in forced silence as I watch my world go by.
I wish I could remember what happened last night. What did Cora do to calm me down? Were there any other witnesses? Will Cora look at me differently now? I'm almost positive I looked my worst, but would she have been there if her perception changed that much overnight? How did she end up asleep on that cot?
"You think louder than you speak sometimes," Father says. I try to make a questioning expression, but all I could do was flinch an eyebrow. He seems to understand.
"I'll take a guess. You're wondering about specifics and maybe a certain girl's reaction?" He questions, even though he was right and he knows it. I shift my head into a semblance of a nod. I curse my lack of control over my own body.
"The pills will wear off soon, and your next dose will be lower." Father starts. "As for last night, You had us all worried. Joker's new gas was slower to completely take control, and you fought it off long enough to get you the antidote." He recounts. That settles a few questions
"But, you started to get a bit hysterical when the initial shock set in. Alfred worked quickly, but Cora was quicker." He says with a soft smile. "She sat with you and held your hand until you fell asleep. That girl affects you, Damian, in a way I've never seen from you or anybody else."
I'm almost positive I blushed, but I can't feel my face very well. Father continues, almost to my dismay.
"I would usually remind you that romance doesn't typically fit with our line of work, and it's still on the tip of my tongue, but what I saw that girl do for you may actually change my mind. Just this once." He chuckles. If I could make any reaction, I don't actually think I know what it'd be.
"In essence, I give you my blessing," Father announces to the empty hallway. "And when you have enough feeling in your jaw, you can yell at me all you want about it."
I mostly zoned out after that until I was placed on the familiar sheets of my bed. Father tucks me in as if I'm a child. I raise an eyebrow at him, and I'm minutely excited about the movement.
"Get some rest, Damian. Alfred will bring you some food later." He says, patting my head before walking away. I hear my door close, signaling that I'm finally alone and the embarrassment has ended.
I let the fog in my brain take me.