Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3akgecBsR
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgJJfMoIpA
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppc3fhq9IT
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPpCDC317v
The frame creaked,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk28yW29RbW
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPA40lABBy
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZJ8cpYjne
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdESRTeFYhu
the drunk had come home.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTBwzUQqJy
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5d5Ly98Fhh
He was using the charity notebook from social services,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeShJEmBMm
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4OZVnC50q
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFP7lrEaqe
repeating curses like a broken record.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYGXFd0YES
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33jvWZ55Ms
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoo03HlSbV
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEQsqdLLUg
like spit phlegm—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvvqPK9rSY
sticky, sour,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGYomG48iF
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetIjK4HB8t
But that night,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6QkOAGvee
for some reason,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYHzwxYNvH
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9drZizxbn
Maybe the light had been too gentle,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKudmnOfzrV
and for a second,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaSA2YbOEr
he thought he could be a normal kid—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziI3ep1aiT
do homework,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbQMxI02Mz
eat dinner,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXDugubg4w
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh070ak0xFE
Violence was always close by in this house.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLij8UhAge
But that night,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcsZamSQzr
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn77GUHnFb
Nana had made it for his birthday.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgd7dovwtM
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtymN14352t
just the right shine,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EpYoezNAC
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSq28S85mk
He carried it with him everywhere.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29s0gLY7rO
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOjPachC55
Jason shouted.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72QskCeqqG
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzlXHeYX7p
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC6hTOObgw
and, right in front of Jason,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9qb2nsQYb
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHKPpYdmPr
just paper crunching.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWHFuZTbSA
But to Jason,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcZqilvK4E
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESLCKZmGBB
Threw himself at the man,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXbjNwOeFe
bit his hand.
The man roared.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBI7KxTjw7S
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK5sObWRhA
When Jason came back to himself,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0FcnTwkyV
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEOIs4Bak7
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yJhMnNXVh
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiisk71DvYO
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrHt5pwx8m
He wore layers of torn coats,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk66U8K6rZL
his hair matted,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L5tEfCEF9
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡad0p09IxFd
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnP4qUqKH4
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtak94cwD9
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvrcclzd0G
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m0avwCxtE
a weird little giggle.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQi4XGcsy2
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXbAWa3JkQ
Then she went to class.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsj2DbV0z9
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAcS90rALm
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdp40h4i66
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yAOlHpPu7
Her eyes were wide and round,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6tAe4yF40
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuO9O8nZTf
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt4wBycQmW
He opened his mouth,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD6rmQTHMi
was about to say something—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BdLCvATZh
when her tears fell.
One after another,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZTZOtkY37
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFttOgOULk7
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPg4rwmBUf
His voice was softer than usual,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWtEr3YSKz
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzd786OeO5L
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBwTavSfZb
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOP2vuIQUU
and carefully reached out14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUDNeKM5ua
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZoHq2LAjz
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9l9u3Dsew6
Really, I’m fine…”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9uZdrtvSD
His voice got even lower,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7FsuDR4No
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdMBLntZ4v
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBLhc5m7Z1
turned around,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUjun9T50K
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1CjUrdbaG
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0OgBfuIAn
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhzGyJnNMD
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5hfJ13cXQ
Finally, her tears began to slow.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3on60vyc9
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM8M8pMbjW
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0u0fHNaER3
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvd7c389PiE
His voice was tired,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM1ZjdB5EP
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKquLGS8Ux9
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXaoN9w8Lg
but the signs were clear.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNbc5SU8ew
When she signed “Robin,”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr5Q4W58oV
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzpJqANRUa
Sign it again!”
She nodded,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknDxp7bFH0
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfSvoffFyC
“Came with me.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoWjHRLfJd
“Went upstairs.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhxv3DL0gh
“Saw you.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS70T7BviZu
“Took you to doctor.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKBXZAokyn
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMvJfN1AyX
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxO8aIjgZ0
bright with something fierce,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFuiGUJwp1
almost wild.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjMUvEJKgU
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUb7wi85Eqq
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4td13PxZjK
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXamVSSR9Ii
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtGSAbVvPu
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDZS5FSVGQ
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBIaFrqYBA
Saved him.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Bovi6TGP4
And left.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jXgqxM4bP
and then Add to home screen.