Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCUqAukgHM
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBtu1vlq6b
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbWrPHi9Rm
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FWE4O2sD7
The frame creaked,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkNtvbLUbl
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAccmzuGIgW
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6IoH9lnA1
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpGjGfZ8q4
the drunk had come home.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3DAgQ8JYf
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPEw7cQKfh
He was using the charity notebook from social services,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2ZZw9YjL4
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlORS4yvCeA
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiJJLMvtmD
repeating curses like a broken record.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESccUBjlbx
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6UiWaNF9q
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyXwRPK9O6
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK2WMw6Ou0
like spit phlegm—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklobjtbbrE
sticky, sour,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVDdRYDEkx
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc82OSLZXOc
But that night,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHqQJzU8Yp
for some reason,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulNA5YYP6R
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXrMxdn7Yv
Maybe the light had been too gentle,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Q9siZVUiQ
and for a second,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiLeDG4yts
he thought he could be a normal kid—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AVXq9MC0A
do homework,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nAnG4iL9j
eat dinner,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRAeKpQhyW
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJdagcjCqe
Violence was always close by in this house.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAB2Jh4ipV
But that night,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4URLNLd9zO
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsatWOIzXl
Nana had made it for his birthday.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeD5NhblKp
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHYZzPiTbj
just the right shine,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9B49hkDDam
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8U9EC35ME
He carried it with him everywhere.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxzbauGxCq
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9sh6dn0Jz
Jason shouted.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIuH5G1HPX
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQKj469tLn
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Wq3iw21Mg
and, right in front of Jason,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMmNGpJ3uM
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcLTM4skGW
just paper crunching.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCFFNZK3G5
But to Jason,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡww0NsjRSY1
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54UWLip6V0
Threw himself at the man,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMx10nwAqq
bit his hand.
The man roared.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQgP3DShz1
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAD0rO4Irp
When Jason came back to himself,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIPs3awcqL
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktMXSGVY5L
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf95iyh66EJ
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYcaK9Wywp
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aiHExNrtU
He wore layers of torn coats,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCoYJ4dHnk
his hair matted,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNx8w9XqP0R
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiJcFmTKDl
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR7XgvuziZ
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqlpVP13Tp
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgcvg4oTvf
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbMAbQqgiw
a weird little giggle.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7Ym2Urqlk
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg98HGYTjBY
Then she went to class.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡms3fnOODHf
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIfCSnCXdm
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7Hk3YCIcY
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2zcsQCFM8
Her eyes were wide and round,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ043jKdUAQ9
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndrjEcW0Aw
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.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFqqmO5My9
He opened his mouth,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7rx8mADlz
was about to say something—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV79WqMxkHY
when her tears fell.
One after another,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHV0Q1rvRM2
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfF9iQZq3c
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDtWnUeNXu
His voice was softer than usual,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtUyAjVPNj
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4PIqiwKKD
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqj8r1Wr2rQ
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFw9EzilZK
and carefully reached out22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm02nBQZG50
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGZYk82NaB
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGu7P8F2JZ
Really, I’m fine…”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSmvEQc9qt
His voice got even lower,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcdSQ1wjbA
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwTYYTVGO0
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIp0mlcfYz
turned around,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSp0lYRTbT
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbD66APc06
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwe7kvZorPJ
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZdcocMXBt
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKZm9U1ca8
Finally, her tears began to slow.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8ciYqkahE
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gXzpPDnXT
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpALNZYzYpX
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsq0RSIwlMz
His voice was tired,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjfywdviBV
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZsDjYjEoG
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nc6nrRxqy
but the signs were clear.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlNaGcxlRO
When she signed “Robin,”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTCTfWiGaC
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9bMC5K0Dk
Sign it again!”
She nodded,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuM2e7A5tGY
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTPDm7ZYM6
“Came with me.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hNZ0Kx2Z4
“Went upstairs.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gFACyVwgj
“Saw you.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjwTb2IliD
“Took you to doctor.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiyxpgDB96
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55kbrxE1rB
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCM1mSufHp
bright with something fierce,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0ce67Br6w
almost wild.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUF54qyRwuO
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08o8TW0dVh
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW90uX4cLhS
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCh5fzRkID
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiRFqhh5Q6
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiSp1r9W0w
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpjtWukaWK
Saved him.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizZVRUOFFR
And left.
22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQatRIdQeV
and then Add to home screen.