Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuR8cwmT7K9
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBy5XP2RBA
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JlILn1okp
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qxQhANU1S
The frame creaked,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJUgF3ucqK
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM20FANrHzS
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNJLolVhQy
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmSO0CyKak
the drunk had come home.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d3YWtMypv
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTtwcMlfWp
He was using the charity notebook from social services,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEASaezw9st
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlJnEftOgz
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlgp4AW3P0
repeating curses like a broken record.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uZcC8w4HC
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtNPRKxf03
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLGJa42Glx
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tX511CCND
like spit phlegm—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyMtyt3HoR
sticky, sour,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxymeJtj7ka
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKYfWqE7HM
But that night,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVkx7nKkqF
for some reason,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuV9ozSFIn
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPNcCRTdC2
Maybe the light had been too gentle,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqgOPxFpmE
and for a second,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmyo2JSoCb
he thought he could be a normal kid—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHhXgBNYVz
do homework,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xZQxon72I
eat dinner,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZuTfRdebl
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LgmF79qmV
Violence was always close by in this house.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBATJW5yTg
But that night,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v087UCbZB
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TNAVkAOwE
Nana had made it for his birthday.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDnro5pemi
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6CkrP7Fon
just the right shine,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMkfyPYW2b
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO26uuGhzS
He carried it with him everywhere.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1SfEfiUGq
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqIDcAmby2
Jason shouted.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVBxliA9f9
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH90mxC5Sr
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn36Ssn8Oy6
and, right in front of Jason,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabtG333MQt
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekHR9yRkKX
just paper crunching.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXImCDk214i
But to Jason,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZZear8cVK
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5UzxwKw5L
Threw himself at the man,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaouwNtwtQE
bit his hand.
The man roared.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RIPmsKPDb
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMUQZ9FhjY
When Jason came back to himself,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtQfzzUNYZ
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8PZOe93En
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJLnzAo2fR
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqi4vKDwEM
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVS9bCjUhR
He wore layers of torn coats,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGwX5jGxTk
his hair matted,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxuWChMnzA
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9HBZoX9yA
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMI8G4LtZ1
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJvw4Bsfnf
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOHgJMxrtH
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UYCXVy9XR
a weird little giggle.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8eO3AZg51
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTpcl7kdot
Then she went to class.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs50OKY7VR
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPCUWvY1XT
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA3vWGGBWe
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfdM9PRq1O
Her eyes were wide and round,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUBSuJ1tro
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyJv6JN59o
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnD5UEf9Vr
He opened his mouth,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPSwpuf9jv
was about to say something—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09gOj2naab
when her tears fell.
One after another,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJdaEeyMUI
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3uFV6fQPm
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrlXn7YK31
His voice was softer than usual,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXMZwlYCr7
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTE3XLWqKa
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwq9TT7Noca
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAX3fzKUpcj
and carefully reached out37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd6lTapgZ9
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnhXlLlTQ6
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lrXu0UaZt
Really, I’m fine…”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGQATkD41y
His voice got even lower,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXDMO3ZELf
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyV9pCv1lT
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxouFEE9QEy
turned around,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1flrnC0bsq
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2S7gOKN6yu
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhc9iqPhTdt
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPldEnuaEdc
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1pJff22CW
Finally, her tears began to slow.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbzzCLbBpq
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7eJWJTOvW
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz0HQKcYL5
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMw0zbMCV5g
His voice was tired,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3j0vbRmpsW
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sa7KUskvK
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCIMqxumiN
but the signs were clear.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq1idwYw1p
When she signed “Robin,”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPTHbamaWv
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbXXqk0dl4
Sign it again!”
She nodded,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTQoVCTit9
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHz2U9qzyv
“Came with me.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdtsLrUfg7
“Went upstairs.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAOj4fRLun
“Saw you.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkDwivO7Pa
“Took you to doctor.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qXYQH707c
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7R17lRIPk
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhiWc1pNfJ
bright with something fierce,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXuFBsIg1E
almost wild.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwm0s17Tyl3
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmO02Beh2x
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdrbNAYixO
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ylzwyO43M
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVcArnGcPk
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HaUaZg5p1
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggUXeuKcqV
Saved him.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQOgSdOr03
And left.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSLr1TTvL4
and then Add to home screen.