Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqL9jcUuHz
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJj6uc2Ux7n
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ky6QI0cHR
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHirUXU7Mk
The frame creaked,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQ8eBXpY7J
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaR3TNJROQ
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xarSrR0GB
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcatStPbiQf
the drunk had come home.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1xojYVVE2
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpg0KcFsKD
He was using the charity notebook from social services,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhk42dGHrb
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iuRWYsNuR
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡau5zatfUMv
repeating curses like a broken record.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvuUO88TJs
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3t9lcH1v4Q
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXs93bjT8F
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzR1p8A7k7
like spit phlegm—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAWovVBU8Z
sticky, sour,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipfaT3ox6O
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZhudtGY2p
But that night,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBZ2pfDEeA
for some reason,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFRfRyYnaI
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITyCfhkTNP
Maybe the light had been too gentle,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AUl6iSr6I
and for a second,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqjRSnykgo
he thought he could be a normal kid—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCeDAzIdEn
do homework,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLStI7EHI0x
eat dinner,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ia2ey2AfR
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz6fAsgqsg
Violence was always close by in this house.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTERXAci4h
But that night,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZfwA5wr0I
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSEAkg0QMp
Nana had made it for his birthday.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HsKqUvtRk
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsUvZDl5kj
just the right shine,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS85G68mDPw
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM2zx1L5tW
He carried it with him everywhere.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlc86Yfdf6
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj8iwL2RqA
Jason shouted.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C6vnssNOC
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKqbELACJd
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIM2ZjzFOL
and, right in front of Jason,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5M3K8QB9w
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61qiWij82F
just paper crunching.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzr4POZi8P
But to Jason,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBAp1TjZCt
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxj94HeZORn
Threw himself at the man,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNldGUKkxQ
bit his hand.
The man roared.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfakaMlnC63
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H6ISuOJ2Q
When Jason came back to himself,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RbDtgYiYK
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUQMc0nCLZ
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIq24OYpUW
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkO42z0RQ40
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM2YR6XTZZ
He wore layers of torn coats,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHiQEc519J
his hair matted,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqUELG1OmE
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJN23rpocHI
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvEUnsGE7V
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrHb3bM4us
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZdxjJ3gpH
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8R9CQI7iY
a weird little giggle.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUlPTroNlk
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaACKqhi5et
Then she went to class.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMpCskpFjL
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAYy1gixYe
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJflFd1ZqS
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6t49IzKQA
Her eyes were wide and round,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGNQaguTr1
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcibojq9VfI
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.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEihQ3gdMf
He opened his mouth,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wbuxVxEAZ
was about to say something—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx8AfTQSI6
when her tears fell.
One after another,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zUYHyRTrb
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpmesRGAoI
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzqXSj8lXm
His voice was softer than usual,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt88DpxWsLr
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdqfBfOF5d
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgagxdNA6ZL
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgZGUVspzu
and carefully reached out32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqumhpK835
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6x72zO9D0x
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF64ONDcAqS
Really, I’m fine…”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnXIhA0ORe
His voice got even lower,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP5rHTYYe2
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NGO15dbo6
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RXh81rfBG
turned around,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5ZiShlhpd
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuOmpU8yFj
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFyJzInQNj
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ByW8Bt8Nx
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEFGP07b0b
Finally, her tears began to slow.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKoaNou2zn
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36Go9fXQrF
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMJ8LSEx9z
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWl0XUB3w3
His voice was tired,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA40HLTmLzv
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIABWTFWQh
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPM1uNWiAJu
but the signs were clear.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAoanbIdBq
When she signed “Robin,”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ib3hNpCem
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcHDaoMzZY
Sign it again!”
She nodded,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFA05m6Wu7X
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsuxLod8d3
“Came with me.”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0X2V54eSHK
“Went upstairs.”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbV4vYeOSK8
“Saw you.”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCB4lK6pPhM
“Took you to doctor.”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UP6ALZvOF
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqugshn8gT3
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCw40vLbrvX
bright with something fierce,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNL432YPeX
almost wild.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZIvjPro3V
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvesjo07JjU
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEIk758K9J
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaRuZCuaOF
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2R540GAv5g
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosmX549nBL
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRnFNjTJ7L
Saved him.32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs3irqqaKW
And left.
32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaOnNwH90K
and then Add to home screen.