Jason woke up and found himself lying in a hospital bed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8aqYvBHSV
The bed was dim, the sheets looked… grayish—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg81yQ2baFi
he wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they simply hadn’t been washed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcPsDWrvi9
Everything felt faded and dull.
He moved a little.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtb6TcVQIx
The frame creaked,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlIND36TAB
like the bones of an old house.
He raised a hand and touched the top of his head.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNUI7FZVhd
His hair and forehead were wrapped in bandages—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZAW24V5vE
tight, damp, and sore.
Then the memories started coming back.
Last night,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuz9mTGSQ4
the drunk had come home.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIIdxhmS7j
Jason had been doing homework under the sliver of light that came through the window.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBIAoNpLTa
He was using the charity notebook from social services,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQBHPv111F
and his pencil was worn down to just two fingers long.
He remembered how the light hit the page,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjqHTtFIge
like that one little square of the world was still clean.
The drunk came in muttering,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKpKmsmRRt
repeating curses like a broken record.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLlr7ZoZRm
He shouted about Jason’s “whore mother,”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70oCUuHZ8J
how she had used her body to escape the slums and go to medical school,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTDpHMpOvP
and never sent a cent back.
His voice was thick,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhUG8gvUAq
like spit phlegm—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0233mJkdO
sticky, sour,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTSDUJVj8Q
and heavy enough to make your chest ache.
Jason had tried to ignore it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rmE316q7R
But that night,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ847AxBOnt4
for some reason,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dAWV0bKBV
he talked back.
Maybe he was tired.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FB4ozfflW
Maybe the light had been too gentle,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPkf9Qio0G
and for a second,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVxzG3T7PO
he thought he could be a normal kid—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfukmjixomO
do homework,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyT8RPebQER
eat dinner,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aIJb9CkUB
not get hit.
The man snapped.
That wasn’t unusual.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI43eTGPJ3
Violence was always close by in this house.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL1ZOCll56
But that night,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ElU0BE3RH
he found something under Jason’s books.
It was a paper batarang.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjAGxwuNa9
Nana had made it for his birthday.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP16EnCTzUo
She’d dug through junk piles to find the right paper—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRo7KfJzDo
just the right shine,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqtwSJH09P
strong enough to fold without tearing.
Jason loved it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiQrdCigPL
He carried it with him everywhere.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOhuqJk0Ge
Sometimes he’d hold it up to the sunlight just to watch.
The old man picked it up.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUnF7ui6YP
Jason shouted.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0LpOOaXc2
Told him to give it back.
The man didn’t.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHmbBireOy
Instead, he gave that gap-toothed smile—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEe0VAb0e1
and, right in front of Jason,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQpWGGrFZr
crumpled the batarang in his hand.
The sound was soft—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuvy3oz0rd
just paper crunching.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTS2Y3FPFuO
But to Jason,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXssYRooO5Y
it felt like bones breaking.
He lost it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuXWXoJyfP
Threw himself at the man,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhWFB3y5Id
bit his hand.
The man roared.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ROOIy9i5z
The bottle came down.
Then—nothing.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdTbkti1hR
When Jason came back to himself,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqL2iBEULt
a doctor walked in.
He recognized the man.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbTtTzdbRy
The unlicensed doctor from down the street.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXIRsG9Uva
Rumor was he used to be decent at medicine16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEQ5d98QNa
until he crossed the wrong gang and disappeared into this neighborhood.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3xmCEMslt
He wore layers of torn coats,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDdQCIa5z7
his hair matted,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqR2nRCVFB
his smell a strange mix of chemicals and old collars.
“Oh, you’re up!” the doctor said, grinning casually.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkADsdYFvAv
“Looks like you’re recovering pretty well.”
He walked closer, flipping through a small stack of papers,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3zfIs2Q0L
his tone almost lazy.
“School’s almost out.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7g244beeP
That little girl will be here soon.”
Jason turned.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1wl85OMbC
“You mean… Nana?”
The doctor laughed,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLtYnOI1E5
a weird little giggle.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQpE20cMB9
“Your little girlfriend came by this morning, you know.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RTehG0HW4
Then she went to class.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW1qKilVJY
Sweet kid—”
Before he could finish,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWEFu59O0a
a small figure ran into the room.
The girl froze the second she saw Jason awake in bed.
She stood there,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaU54Eb6bKS
like her thoughts hadn’t caught up yet.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUSDtExEze
Her eyes were wide and round,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkZOTaeegH
her face flushed red.
Then she rushed to the bed in two quick steps.
She stared down at him,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQwDyup9H1
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1CGTjGe2J
He opened his mouth,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAsCp0QxE1
was about to say something—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMBUZKDL9V
when her tears fell.
One after another,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLFEYmqPKb
like someone had cut a string of pearls loose.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHiWcQVojS
Plink. Plink.
Jason jumped in shock.
“Hey—hey, don’t cry…”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDfQoGC1nD
His voice was softer than usual,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3zgOmJAhh
dry and hoarse.
He looked around frantically for something to wipe her tears.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3XSN0liX7
Nothing.
So he pulled up his own sleeve—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev14GYyTqg
his wrist still wrapped in bandages—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dxUnqUN4T
and carefully reached out16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hib17USNm
to wipe the wet trails on her cheek.
But her tears didn’t stop.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIJPp90TD3
They only fell faster.
“Please don’t cry… I’m fine.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzQN5l2Iwi
Really, I’m fine…”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzWipBbPzp
His voice got even lower,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfARTFSVLau
like he was afraid to scare her more.
His eyes darted sideways,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eDfrJJ8wR
toward the doctor snickering in the corner.
The doctor clucked his tongue,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJdc90Lusy
turned around,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjTn8wCe4D
and pushed the door open.
“Your girl, your problem.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tkBu7UeNj
I’m not getting involved—”
The door closed.
And just like that,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaN7Hr2wzNo
it was only the two of them in the room.
Jason looked down at Nana,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDgqwcwaOX
still crying silently.
His breath caught in his throat.
He had never seen her cry like this before.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJaiSwfq2h
Finally, her tears began to slow.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbczpUtOrI
Her eyes were still red.
Jason looked at her,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaqw0S0f4m
and the weight on his chest finally lifted.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO8aUzXEJM
A little.
He had never seen Nana this emotional before.
“What… what happened yesterday?” he asked.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlfaGSEPSN
His voice was tired,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfnbHQlbK8
but he was clearly trying not to shake.
Nana raised her hands,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbH2GAyOfY
started signing.
Her fingers trembled a bit,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8T8QNM7XW
but the signs were clear.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nThD3j9Xw
When she signed “Robin,”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbsFwMCQCf
Jason’s breath hitched.
“What did you just say?16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxQwITq42b
Sign it again!”
She nodded,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QS7x15uW4
repeated the signs.
“Robin.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTSO80SoDv
“Came with me.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRseYVxGPE
“Went upstairs.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYm4Y6jhJPT
“Saw you.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F69W4cVDq
“Took you to doctor.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBFCDNSQM2
“Guaranteed you’d recover.”16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvkINfZIq6
“I’ll pay the cost.”
Jason’s blue eyes widened,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRVMFTIv4k
bright with something fierce,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDS057Hbyp
almost wild.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPNN0CAId0
It was like flames had started to flicker inside them,16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy81SUUsoFU
catching light with each word.
He was replaying every sign in his head.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVRc9JF8H5
Double-checking the meaning.
Nana nodded again.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom481kgong
As if to say: You got it right.
Robin really had come.
He had really come here—16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbdDMZ5LLI
to this place with cracked walls and broken doors.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4GsgA9hC4
Like a storybook hero stepping into the real world.
He saw Jason.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDc2ttAsCS
Saved him.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrcosj7ao3
And left.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtTMpHMkUj
and then Add to home screen.