[CLOSED]

[performance]

WHO: Dick, Artemis, and Wally
WHERE: Downtown Heropa.
WHEN: 7/12, nighttime.
WHAT: Robin's emotional turmoil culiminates in the world's stupidest injury. Stupid teenage dramatics to follow.
WARNINGS: References to a broken bone? And probably yelling.

[ It's 10:20 PM, and it's finally stopped raining that particular variety of Florida rain that's not so much like a drizzle as like the sky's just up and poured a bucket of water on your head. It's wet and it's too warm and there's still lightning flashing off in the distance, and Robin's just made the stupidest mistake of his career.

Okay, so no one realistically-fake-died, and nothing exploded. Which is a plus, considering his track record. But breaking a leg in a fall from a third story roof has to be — without any hyperbole — the most embarrassing thing he's done in his entire life.

He could make a lot of excuses: he's not used to the weather, the railing was slick, he hadn't checked his equipment, the terrain's unfamiliar, he's distracted and emotionally compromised. He doesn't have his team. Every single one is terrible, even if they're all true.

For several excruciating minutes, while he waits for the painkillers to work their magic, Robin debates his options. An ambulance would attract attention. He's pretty sure he couldn't hobble all the way to the hospital like this, even if there was one within the city limits. Maybe the ground will swallow him up right along with his shame and he won't have to admit that any of this ever happened.

It doesn't.

Out of reasonable options, he sends off a text with his coordinates to Artemis, who, logically, is the person on their team most likely to know how to deal with injuries:
SOS.
Achey breaky leg.
Please don't ask.

And moments later, a text to Wally with the same coordinates:
Need a ride to the hospital.
If you're not married to SB's couch now.
Faster is better.



It takes a minute for him to realize the gravity of his possible mistake. If they find a way to fight over this, too... well, maybe yelling makes bones knit faster. ]

Comments

[runningstart]

Hang on, I'm gonna at least get a towel or blanket or something. [Wally storms off in the direction of the front desk. He's going to harass a towel out of this lady if it's the last thing he does.]

[real_archer]

[Artemis throws up her hands--maybe Wally can get something out of this lady, but Artemis is getting no where.

She stomps back over to Robin and flops down in the empty chair with an unpleasant squelch. She looks over at Robin and her brows furrows.]

... How are you feeling?

[She hopes they at least gave him some pain meds if they're going to make him wait this long]

[performance]

Okay, for now. They had to make sure my leg was really broken before they'd give me anything. Like we look suspicious or something.

[ He glances back over to where Wally's making a scene and sighs. What can you do? ]

I'm sorry you had to take the bus.

[real_archer]

[She shrugs, sinking lower into her seat and following Robin's gaze to Kid Flash throwing a fit about towels.]

Yeah, well... the bus seemed less likely to drop me in a ditch.

[She immediately wishes she could take her words back and slumps forward, pinching the bridge of her nose That was not helpful.]

... Sorry. I just really hate the bus. And the rain. And people getting hurt. And seriously, I hate the bus.

[She figures that if he's ever ridden public transit in Gotham, then he should understand. Not that she can share that with him.

Also she's kind of burying the lead there, but whatever. The bus sucks, lets talk about that.]

[performance]

You didn't have to come. I mean... I know it would've been easier for you to just go home.

[ He doesn't know what he would've done in her position. Probably something stupid. He looks back over at Artemis, eyes soft behind his mask. ]

Thank you. I mean it.

[real_archer]

No, Robin, don't.

[She does not want to feel like some kind of hero right now. She wants to feel like a wet, cranky, worried teenager. Because that's what she is.]

I wasn't going to do that and you know it.

[He's gotten her out of way too many tight spots for her to just go home and watch Netflix or something while he's in the ER. She doesn't know who would be waiting with him in the ER if he were at home, but whoever they are, they're clearly not here. So it's just going to have to be her.

... And Kid Flash. Ugh.]

[runningstart]

[Speak of the devil. Didn't you know that if you think Kid Flash's name with a tone of disgust, you can summon him to the physical plane? Because here he comes, and he's even got two towels with him, each of which he tosses to Robin and Artemis respectively.]

Only two towels available in this entire hospital. They must've had a ton of budget cuts lately.

[real_archer]

[Artemis catches the towel automatically, though she also stares in undisguised confusion when she realizes where it came from.

... A cold, mean part of her wants to say something cutting, but she can't quite come up with it. It's when he does stupid stuff like this that she could really hate him, because it always catches her off guard.

So the actual wet and muddy part of her just mumbles a thank you and starts drying off.

A nurse opens the door door the the waiting room. Somehow the nurse manages to sound equal parts incredulous, annoyed, and bored as she reads the name "Robin" off her clipboard.]

[performance]

[ Robin barely has time to dry his hair before the nurse shows up. What perfect timing, he mutters under his breath as Wally escorts him over to the door.

He wants to say a lot of things before he leaves. "Please don't yell at each other." "Please don't make a scene." "Please don't let them do anything weird to me." But one makes him sound paranoid, and the others he knows they can't promise. ]

You'd both better sign my cast when I'm done, okay?

[ And with a smile he's not really feeling, he leaves them on their own. ]

[runningstart]

[Wally waves his comm at Robin as he's wheeled down the hall. Call him if you need him, buddy.

...and now Artemis. Wally looks over at her before looking away. Probably should go over there and sit in uncomfortable silence like a man.]

[real_archer]

[Artemis finally breaks the silence with quiet worry.]

... Do you think they'll try to make him take off his mask?

[runningstart]

[...she didn't even say anything horrible. Crap, he's totally the bad guy in this one.]

What? -uh, no. Probably not. I mean, we're still in Heropa and heroes aren't exactly uncommon. They didn't make him give his real name so it's...it's probably fine.

[real_archer]

Good...

[Aaaaand back to the awkward silence. Artemis absently squeezes her ponytail out with the towel, trying to ignore the minutes ticking by. Finally, the poor towel is as soaked as her hair and there's nothing to do but sit with it draped around her neck, dripping onto the floor.]

... This is stupid.

[She doesn't remember making a conscious decision to say anything but the words are out before she do anything about them.]

[runningstart]

Yeah, the- [Wally bites it back at the last second, that throwaway comment about the hospital or the hero situation in Heropa or the weather, for crying out loud, but he knows what she meant. He freakin' knows.

He sighs and slumps down in the chair, arms folded.]

...sorry. What I said in the alley was a low blow. If we're gonna fight I could at least try and be classy about it.

[real_archer]

[She's tired of fighting at all, but if that's where he wants to take this conversation...]

And maybe not when we're trying to get our friend to the hospital.

[runningstart]

Yeah, all right, agreed. Also bad timing.

[real_archer]

[She looks over at him across the folds of sopping towel.]

... Do you seriously think there's ever going to be good timing for this? It's. Stupid.

[runningstart]

[Wally sniffs, scuffing the heel of his boot against the ground. He doesn't quite meet her eyes before looking away.]

...Why didn't you get out of the way?

[real_archer]

[Artemis just stares at him, uncomprehending and unimpressed. Is this something new he's going to blame her for or has he just come up with a new way to blame her for the same old things?]

What.

[runningstart]

[Surprisingly, no.]

In the alley, when I was running at you. You didn't get out of the way. You didn't even flinch.

[real_archer]

[She'd forgotten about that. Frankly, it hadn't seemed important at the time.]

You weren't going to hit me. What's the problem?

[runningstart]

[Something clenches up in Wally's chest. Wally doesn't know if he hates it or not.]

Nothing. No problem.

[He scuffs his heel against the ground again.]

[real_archer]

.... Well, that's new.

[Suddenly, Artemis can't sit still anymore. She gets up, dropping the towel on her chair.]

I'm gonna see if there's coffee or something... you want anything?

[runningstart]

M'fine, [KF mumbles, lacing his fingers together over his stomach and slumping down further in his chair. He has a lot to think about.

He's still sitting that way when she comes back too, which is pretty rare for him. Even thirty minutes is usually too long, so twenty usually at least has him fidgeting in his seat. He hasn't moved an inch though, even when Artemis settles in a chair nearby with a cup of coffee that is probably even worse than it smells.]

...back at the school, I didn't think you were the mole. I wasn't gonna say that. Didn't even consider it.

[real_archer]

[She looks at him over her coffee cup for a long moment. The coffee is just as terrible as he suspects but this is actually her third cup.]

... I didn't really think you did.

[It would be easier if he did. At least then she could stand up and say "you're wrong" with her head held high.]

But... thanks. For saying it now. I guess.