Robin one shot part 3!

Side Effects pt 2

"Typical Grayson luck, eh?" She laughed hollowly and nodded.

"Something like that." He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. He didn't know what to do since there wasn't much he could do. All he could do was wait for him to go back to normal. 

"How long does this last?"

"Hard to say. Sometimes it's a few minutes, sometimes it's a few hours." He nodded with a frown. Although he knew he'd go back to normal now, he didn't like just waiting around for it to happen. He didn't like having a blank spot whilst in a body that was his but not entirely. He hadn't grown into this body, he'd just appeared in it. The only thing he could compare it to was waking up from surgery knowing something was suddenly different. Even that had hardly anything on this feeling because you almost always knew you were going to have surgery. 

"Suppose it's good to know I'm still alive right?" 

"You always say that," she commented with a smirk. 

"Sorry for being relieved," he replied sarcastically. "I'm glad you are too."

"Oh, you thought I wouldn't make it eh?" She gave him a light punch in the arm as he cackled. 

"I yield!" he exclaimed as he put his arms up in defence. "Still a fiery redhead."

"You bet, pixie boots."

They bickered back and forth playfully until Dick started getting quiet. She didn't bring attention to it, knowing that he was going back to normal. She put her hand on his arm and waited patiently as a blank look washed over his face. She'd seen it enough times and every time it broke her heart. No one knew how long this would last and they didn't have enough information to even take a guess. It was hard enough for her to witness, she couldn't imagine experiencing it. Reaching out to hold onto something that wasn't there and getting lost in memory but staying in your current body. Without his training, he'd probably be even more panicked than he usually was. Sometimes it wasn't so bad or at least she thought so. He'd experienced it alone, she knew that for a fact so he must be able to get a handle on it if the jump wasn't too far. Ten years was a big jump. Rapid blinking caught her attention and pulled her out of her thoughts. Dick's face relaxed then turned into a confused expression when he took in what he was looking at. 

"Babs? When did you get here?" he asked.

"You slipped again," she answered. His confusion turned to a frown. "You were fourteen this time. Cheeky as ever."

"You sound so disappointed," he taunted. She tutted at him. 

"You're still sassy, don't worry. Haven't lost that yet." He hummed and turned so he could plant both of his feet on the floor. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to come to terms with coming back. It never felt great to change like that. Sometimes he could get right back to it and sometimes he just couldn't. His mind always felt at least a little muddled. His memories splicing and fading together making messes in his brain. 

"I don't know how many more times I can do this," he admitted. Barbara put her arm around him and he leaned into her touch. "I've lost Alfred, Bea, Damian and now I have this. Migraines so bad I can't stand, regressing and as a cherry on top the nightmares. Babs, I don't know what more I can lose." 

"You've gotten through worse."

"No, I haven't. I knew Alfred would be gone one day so at least I was prepared for that but everything else? How could I have even predicted it? Prepared for it no less?" She shook her head, not knowing what to say. What could you say? He sniffled and broke away from her, standing up. "Sorry, I can't just dump all this on you. You're dealing with just as much right now."

"Don't do that. You're not pushing me or any of us for that matter away. You've done it before and we let you but I won't let it happen again. Not now or ever," she told him sternly. She wouldn't let another Ric situation happen. Not when it meant there was so much more going on at that time and she almost lost him completely. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. "You're not losing me."

"Thanks, Babs."

"Anytime."