Shadow Child

Dick knew that the day would come, yet he had never expected it to happen. He was seventeen, for heaven's sake! Seventeen! Yet, he was…scared, scared of being replaced. Bruce had rushed out of the house with Selina, already forgetting the teenager before the baby was even born. Dick grabbed the keys and headed to his motorbike. Immediately, he sped towards the hospital, after all, soon, he was no longer going to be an only child. The thought made him excited and sad at the same time, his father, was no longer going to be his. This child was going to have Bruce's heart, blood, and traits, what if there was no more room for Dick in Bruce's heart?

"Suck it up, Grayson! You should be happy, you're getting a baby bro…or sis. Besides, you've had a brother before." Dick growled to himself. He'd lived through his brother's death, so why couldn't he live through the birth of a new sibling.

Maybe it was the fact that he felt as if not only he was being replaced, but his brother too. He couldn't deny that he was happy for his father, for Selina, for the baby. Yet, he couldn't stop the feelings of envy, doubt, and sadness from slowly creeping into his chest. He slammed on his bike's gas pedal, enjoying the icy breeze whipping around his face.

Selina's face twisted in pain as she screamed. Then, as if some miracle had occurred, she stopped and the doctor held up a pink blob and placed the wrapped child in Bruce's arms. Although the man had very little experience with babies, he was a natural at holding the child.

Walking over to Selina, Bruce placed a tender kiss on her temple with a proud smile before showing her their creation. They had brought the child to life and that thought was still fascinating to him. "He's beautiful." Bruce smiled.

"Of course, he takes after his father." Selina smirked.

"And his mother, he's going to be some good looking kid."

Selina chuckled at her husband's comment, "That, I can't deny. He's going to be getting all of the ladies."

After a few moments, the doctor took the baby and exited the room with Bruce in tow. The proud and overprotective father trailed the doctor to make sure that the baby would not be accidentally switched or misplaced. Bruce pulled out his cell phone as he saw his baby put into its crib with all of the other babies. "Alfred? Hey, guess what? It's a boy! And he's…just, amazing." Bruce breathed incredulously. "I can't believe it. I did it, Alfred."

Alfred stood in the manor, both sad and happy for his surrogate son. "Congratulations, Master Bruce, I'm proud of you. Have you decided on a name?" Alfred asked.

"Not really, we're still debating on a few." Bruce shrugged. After a few minutes of chatter about the baby, Bruce straightened up and asked, "Hey, where's Dick?"

Dick sped down the road, his thoughts elsewhere as he continued to speed. He hadn't noticed the truck. He couldn't have—not with the tears beginning to slide down his cheeks. He was afraid that his life would turn upside down, that he would be forgotten, and he suddenly felt an extreme yearning for his deceased parents and brother. "Jason, why the hell did you have to die? Then I wouldn't be all alone right now…so damn alone." He whispered as he continued to go faster.

The bike reached its maximum speed and Dick could feel himself begin to feel lighter, happier, and closer to his loved ones before the inevitable pain smacked him. The bike slammed headlong into the truck before sending the teenager into the air. He mentally cursed himself for not paying attention, his reflexes were lightning fast and he would've missed the drunk driver had he been paying attention. Then, he slipped into the vast darkness that warmly enveloped him.

"I thought he was already at the hospital." Alfred said. "He took the bike."

"Really? He's not here." Bruce glanced around the waiting room, feeling worry creep into him. "He took the bike?"

"Yes, is he not there, Sir?"

"No, Alfred, um…" Bruce tore his gaze away from his newborn child as a nurse walked towards him.

"Mr. Wayne?"

"Yes? Is something wrong with the baby?" He demanded.

"No, no, I'm Tess and could you please follow me?" She said.

For the first time, Bruce realized that her shirt had blood stains that belonged to someone else. For the first time, he realized that she was pale and partially shaking. "What's wrong? What happened?" Bruce demanded. "Is my wife OK? What's wrong?"

"It's your son, Mr. Wayne."

"You just said—" He angrily began to speak when he was cut off.

"Your other son." She whispered.

The blood visibly drained from Bruce's face as he stared at her. "What the hell happened to him?"

"Accident, we tried to stabilize him. I don't know how much longer—" She stopped in front of a room. "Go see him, Dr. Kirk is in there too, you can get the specifics from him."

Afraid of what he would find behind the closed doors, Bruce prepared himself for the worst. The happiest day of his life was beginning to turn into a nightmare. "Master Bruce! Master Bruce!"

The man glanced down at the phone in his hand and it hit him, he was still talking to Alfred. "Alfred?"

"Is everything all right, Sir?"

"No, I'm so sorry, Alfred, I have to go. It's—Dick. Accident. Bye." Bruce jammed the phone back into his pockets before gathering his wits and pushing the door open.

It almost broke his heart to see the boy he had raised lying in a hospital bed, dying. "Dick." He whispered and then glanced at the doctor. "How is he?"

The man looked at the former playboy and then shook his head. "Not so good, he was hit by a truck."

"How?" Bruce asked, knowing how stupid the question sounded to his ears. But only he knew how quick the boy's reflexes were.

"Drunk driver." The doctor said as if that explained everything.

"Oh, a truck driver was…drunk?" He asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately, he's lucky that he went airborne or else he wouldn't even be here right now," Kirk looked up from the clipboard, "anyway, we've slowed down his internal bleeding and we've given him medication…"

"How much—how much longer?" Bruce asked.

"A few more hours at most," Kirk replied, "we tried everything it's just that, he was so ruined internally that—we couldn't even tell if some wounds were new or old. So much scarred tissue and…I don't even know. Was he a bad kid or something?"

"No, he was a good kid. A real good kid, he just got into fights protecting people." Bruce said.

"Ah…girls,"

Bruce shrugged, not bothering to fix him. "Is he going to wake up?"

"Maybe, but don't worry, he can't feel any more pain." Kirk placed a hand on the man's shoulder before exiting.

Even as the doctor exited the room, Bruce couldn't bring himself to move. His son was going to die. The boy that had given him life was going to die. It was hard enough losing his parents, but now, now this…he couldn't handle this. "D-dad?" Dick mumbled as he struggled open his eyes. Why couldn't he feel anything? What had happened to him? "Dad?"

Bruce snapped to life and moved to his son's side. "Dick, I'm here, Chum."

"Wh-what happened?"

Swallowing the lump from his throat, he murmured, "You were in an accident. Do you remember?"

"Oh…yah…" Dick remembered now, the anger, the sorrow, the unbearable pain, and then the welcoming darkness. "I-I can't feel anything. My legs."

"It's probably the medicine doing its work." Bruce lied. "So you won't feel so much pain."

"Oh…"

An awkward silence stretched by. Bruce didn't know what to say, he couldn't say anything! He didn't want to tell his own son that his time was running low. He didn't want to lose his son at all. No parent should have to bury their child. Apparently, Dick got the wrong impression of his father's silence. "Dad…" Dick's fingers brushed his father's hand.

"Huh, yah?"

"Are you mad at me?" He asked.

"No, why would you think that?"

"I don't know. Your new kid just got born and you should be with it, but you're with…me." Dick's gaze flickered away.

"Hey," Bruce slightly frowned, "I got two kids, and right now, you need me more."

Dick smiled, "So, what is it?"

"What's what?"

"The baby, what is it?" Dick smirked.

"A boy, you got a little brother."

"What's his name?"

"Don't know yet, any suggestions?" Bruce smiled.

"Other than Baldy? Nope."

The man chuckled in spite of the situation. Dick had the strangest sense of humor. "He has hair, Dick, just a little, but still…I don't think Baldy would work."

"Me neither," He sighed tiredly and began to allow his eyes to close.

"Tired?"

"A bit…" Dick murmured.

"All right then, get some rest. I'll be right here." Bruce whispered.

A few minutes passed and Bruce began to feel the dread, the pain in his chest rise. Every second that passed was going to be his son's last. How could this day…bring him a child and then take away his other? He couldn't handle another son's death…could he? Jason…it hurt so bad when he had died. He didn't want to feel the pain again. It was too much. Too much.

In the midst of his own thoughts, he hadn't even noticed Selina being wheeled in, or Alfred standing behind him. "Master Bruce?" Alfred whispered.

"Oh, Alfred, hi." Bruce turned towards his wife. "Selina, how are you feeling?"

She shook her head, stood up and strode over to him. She then sat beside her husband and held him in her arms. "Scared," She whispered, "really scared."

"Me too."

"How much longer?" She asked.

"Not much," He reached out and touched his son's arm, "hey, Dick, look who's here to see you?"

The boy struggled to open his eyes, he then smiled. "Hey," He mumbled and then frowned, "Dad, why am I—why am I so tired?"

"It's just the drugs, Chum, just the drugs."

"Y-you're horrible at lying…you know that…right?" Dick struggled to smile and then took a deep breath. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

Selina watched her son struggle to speak through a veil of tears. It broke her heart to see him like this and it hurt more to know that he would not be there to play with his little brother. And the day that had made her so happy, would also make her sad. It was the birth and death of her sons. "I'm so tired…" He whispered.

"Hey, Dick, wanna see your brother?" Selina asked.

At that comment, the boy brightened up a bit and struggled to focus. "Yah…I do."

"I'll have the nurse bring him in, OK? Just stay awake, Kiddo, just stay awake." She stood up and exited.

In a matter of seconds, Selina returned with her bundle of joy in her arms. "Here he is, Dick, your baby brother." She whispered and held him up for Dick to see. "Sit up, you can hold him."

"Selina, what are you—" Bruce gazed helplessly at her as he knew what she was doing.

"All right you two, smile for the camera." She said in a soft voice and took a picture. "Bruce, get in the picture."

"Selina."

"Bruce," She growled and glared at him, immediately, he complied. "Very pretty picture."

She took the baby from Dick's arms and allowed him to lie back down. The family of four sat together. Bruce could see Dick's heart beat begin to slow down on the monitor, Selina reached out and grasped his hand. "Dick…" Bruce began, he sucked at conveying his emotions, "I know, I never really told you this, but you know, you're a great kid. A great kid and I just want to say thanks, Chum, for just…helping me get my life back."

The tired seventeen year old forced his eyes to open and smiled, "Nah, thank you for taking me in. Take care of that little tyke…you're a great dad, just letting you know and he's lucky that he…has you and Selina…" His breathing quickened, causing Bruce's hand to fly over and grasp his arm.

Selina struggled to contain her tears as she realized that the time was coming to an end. "Dick, I love you." She whispered. "I'm so sorry…that Ricky won't be able to know how wonderful his big brother is."

"Ricky…eh?"

Bruce glanced at his wife in surprise. "Yah, Ricky Todd Wayne." She smiled.

"I…like…it…" Dick whispered as his eyes began to close.

"Hey, Dick," Bruce murmured in a broken voice, "you know that I love you, right?"

The boy's eyes remained open for a little longer, he slightly nodded, squeezed his father's hand, and then shut his eyes. "Love you too, Dad." He whispered before the monitor showed a flat line.

Selina, unable to hold back her sobs, buried herself into her husband's arms. Alfred, standing behind the family, shed his own silent tears as he held the newborn child.

Bruce, at first stood rigid, silent, and unable to grasp the moment. When he realized that his wife was clinging onto him for dear life, he drew his arms around her and cried. He cried. His son was dead. Gone. Forever. "Dick, damn it." He sobbed and soon it was Selina comforting him. He sobbed hysterically into her arms as the doctors stated the time of death.

Even as the body was being moved, Bruce remained unmoving as he choked on his own tears. "My son—" Bruce gasped. "He's dead…he's dead…no…"

"Sh…" Selina whispered. "It'll be OK. It'll be OK, Bruce."

"No…no…no…" He whispered into her air as he held onto her, failing to contain his emotions. Was it possible to feel this much pain? It hurt more than his parents' deaths. It hurt more than Jason's death.

Epilogue

"Happy Birthday, Ricky." Bruce smiled as he placed an arm around the small child. "You have a good birthday?"

"Yah, it was fun." The four year old grinned at his parents.

"It was, wasn't it?" Selina murmured as she gently kissed his head.

"Daddy? Mommy? Can I ask you something?" Rick timidly asked.

"Shoot," Bruce smiled, although his eyes displayed sorrow at the same time.

"Who are they?" Ricky pointed at a framed photo of two grinning dirt stained teenage boys.

Bruce and Selina shared a startled glance. The child had never taken any interest in any of the family photos before and the couple never bothered pointing any of them out. "Them? They're your brothers." Selina replied. "But they had a few accidents and now they're not around anymore."

"Oh…" Ricky looked up at his father, "is that why you're sad a lot, Dad? Cause' they died?"

"…yah…" He reached over to a coffee table and plucked a photo off of it. "See this picture of this boy holding you? His name was Dick…and you wanna know something?"

The four year old nodded eagerly. "Even though I'm sad about losing Dick and Jason, I'm glad that I have you to come home to everyday. They brought me back to life just to raise you, Kiddo." Bruce smiled. "Never forget that you're one of the best things that's ever happened to me and I love you." He pulled his son into a tight embrace and smiled at Selina.

She nodded approvingly at him as her eyes glistened with tears. He had finally let go. Some people may say that holding on is what makes you strong, but in actuality, letting go is what makes you stronger.