It was 6:30 am and Dick Grayson had just managed to drift off to sleep when the phone rang. Groggy and cursing he reached over to his night side table and picked it up.

"Hello?" he said sleepily.

"Hello Dick?" the voice on the other line said tenuously. It was Tim.

"Yah I'm here." "Tim do you have any idea what time it is?" Dick's eyes were still closed and he wasn't even fully awake.

"Yah I know but- but I'm at the hospital Bruce collapsed and I can't get in touched with Alfred and I didn't know who else to call."

Dick's eyes instantly popped open.

"Wait your- what?"

"We're at the hospital and I can't get in touched with Alfred." Dick could tell from Tim's voice that he was frightened.

"Alright don't worry I'll be right there."

"ok"

"Tim, is he alright?"

"He's fine for now they are running some tests."

"Alright good, I'll be right there."

When Dick arrived at the hospital a half hour later Tim was waiting for him at the entrance. He was obviously shaken up. Dick couldn't blame him he remembered the first time he had seen Bruce incapacitated it was a scary experience.

"Ok, what happened?" Dick asked as they walked towards the emergency room.

"We were just talking in the kitchen after we got back from patrol and had just had breakfast when he collapsed all of a sudden." "So I freaked out and called 911." "They came and took him to the hospital and now they are running some tests."

"Is he awake?"

"yah but he was out for like a half hour."

When they got to the room Bruce was sitting up in bed. He had refused to put the jonny on and so was still sitting fully dressed in his clothes.

Dick wasn't surprised it was impossible to get Bruce to do anything he didn't want to.

"hey there old man how ya doing?" Dick asked grinning

Bruce just glared at him.

"I'm fine."

Tim rolled his eyes

"You are not fine! You collapsed in the middle of the kitchen!" Tim shouted.

Dick put his hand on Tim's shoulder and made a motion to with his hand as if to say calm down.

"What have they done so far?" Dick asked.

"They took like a quart of blood and did a catscan."

"So what are we doing now?"

"Now we are just waiting for the results." Tim said

"This is so stupid I don't need to be here I'm fine!" Bruce said pouting.

"Besides it's not like they are going to find anything."

"Bruce you collapsed in the kitchen. And from what Tim said you were out for like a half hour. You are not going anywhere."

Bruce just rolled his eyes and pouted.

"The tabloids are going to love this." he muttered.

"Hey any publicity is good publicity right?"

They waited for about an hour more. Dick and Tim making small talk and Bruce pouting and insisting that he was fine and that he wanted to go home.

After about an hour the doctor came in looking grim and the three of them were suddenly all ears.

"I'm sorry to say this Mr. Wayne but you have a brain tumor."

"What?" they all said at the same time clearly shocked.

"A brain tumor you can see it right here on the scan." He said and pointed out the dark spot in the middle of the picture of Bruce's brain."

"Ok, " the doctor continued. "The good news: we caught it early so we can cut it out surgically and you should be fine." "The bad news: it is rather large so it is an extensive surgery and it is located right in the portion of the brain that controls personality."

"Ok, so what does that mean?" Bruce asked Tim and Dick still had their mouths open and weren't in any shape to say anything.

"It means that we can save your life Mr. Wayne." "But it may come at a price." "The surgery may completely change your personality or it may have no effect at all."

"Will I die?" he asked.

"There are risks to any surgery and death is always a possibility. But this is a fairly common surgery with a high survival rate"

Bruce nodded taking it all in

"I will give you some time to make up your mind but if you consent we would like to do the surgery as quick as possible."

They were all silent for a moment.

Dick started thinking what would Bruce be if he wasn't Bruce?

"I mean if his personality changed he wouldn't be Bruce anymore and what would that mean? What kind of a relationship would he have with him if he wasn't himself anymore?"

Then Tim started to cry and Dick took him in his arms and started whispering soothing words to him and telling him how everything was going to be ok.

Dick felt bad for the kid it was the first time he had seen Bruce really sick.

This was old hat for Dick he had seen Bruce sick and hurting so many times it kinda didn't even phase him anymore.

Bruce was worried of course he was going to have to the surgery. But what if his personality did change? What would that mean? Would his family still love him if he wasn't himself anymore?

When the nurse came in again to check on Bruce he told her that he still had a few more questions for the doctor she said ok and that she would get the doctor right away.

The doctor came in a few minutes later.

"Will I need chemo?" Bruce asked

"Yes we usually do recommend chemo for our patients just to be safe."

"It's just a precaution."

"But you said you can get it all."

"Yes I am most certain we can."

"the chemo is just to make doubly we sure we get it all and don't miss anything."

Bruce nodded

I'm going to lose my hair. Was the first thing Bruce thought of. He had never considered himself a vain person but that's because he had never had any challenge to his looks before. Now realizing that he was going to lose his hair he realized he was very vain and he didn't like it.

"Alright when can we do it?"

I will set you on the board for this afternoon at three."

Bruce was slightly taken aback he was hoping he would have at least a day to get used to all of this.

"Alright then."

The doctor nodded and walked out of the room.

"There was complete silence for several long minutes. None of them could believe what was happening. It was all happening so fast it was a lot to take in- too much in fact.

Dick felt tears stinging the back of his eyes but he was determined not to let them overflow Tim had already broken down today he needed to be strong for everybody.

"Somebody needs to get in touch with Alfred."

"I already tried he's not answering his phone."

"Well we need to try again. If Bruce goes into surgery and nobody tells Alfred we might as well be dead."

Dick knew Alfred wouldn't be able to make it to the surgery. After all he was vacationing in England for another week. But Dick knew that he would want to know. And that there would be hell to pay if he wasn't told.

So Dick tried the number that Alfred had left when he had left for England the previous week.

No answer.

Dick tried again

No answer. He left a message

He tried a third time finally someone picked up.

"Hello? Someone said harshly obviously annoyed at the intrusion.

"Alfred its Dick."

"Yes master Dick what is it?" he said obviously annoyed

"We're at the hospital Bruce has to have surgery and I figured you would want to know."

Silence for a few seconds and when the voice came on the line all hint of annoyance was gone.

"What's wrong?"

"He has a brain tumor." Dick answered "he's going in for surgery at three they say the prognosis is good."

Alfred was silent.

Then: "I will be on the next plane out."

"No Alfred you don't have to stay enjoy your vacation."

"I will be on the next plane out." The voice repeated.

"Alright see ya then." Dick said and hung up the phone.

"well?" asked

"He will be on the next flight out." Dick said doing his best Alfred voice.

That got a little giggle from Tim.

Dick went over to sit next to Bruce and looked deep into his eyes. Are you oK? He seemed to be asking.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes.

"I guess." Was the intended reply.

But Dick could tell he was scared. Hell who wouldn't be scared.

It turned out that Bruce's surgery was pushed back to six due to a car crash victim who had come in with head trauma and multiple internal injuries.

Alfred got there about a half an hour before they wheeled him into surgery. Bruce didn't say anything but all could tell by his eyes that he was thrilled that Alfred was there.

"thank you so much for coming" he didn't say it but he didn't have to Alfred could feel it in the way he hugged him.

He gripped Alfred's hand tightly when he moved to sit next to the bed "I'm so scared." He seemed to say.

Alfred's grip back said "It's ok I'm here."

A short while later Bruce was wheeled off to surgery they were informed it would be a long surgery several hours. Despite several insistences from Alfred that he go home and take Tim with him Dick was adamant about staying despite the fact that he was exhausted and hadn't slept in two days.

Dick and Tim had actually fallen asleep in the chair when several hours later Bruce was wheeled back into the room. The doctor said that the surgery had gone well that they had gotten it all but Bruce should still go for chemo just to be safe. Alfred thanked him and the doctor left the room. Alfred saw no need to wake Dick or Tim after all they were exhausted and there was nothing to do except watch Bruce sleep. So that was exactly what he did.

An 1 ½ later Alfred was starting to doze off when he heard a small voice that seemed to be talking to him. It was so low and soft that he could barely hear it.

"Alfred?" the voice asked. It was Bruce he was awake

"I'm here master Bruce." Alfred answered.

"What happened? Did they-did they get it all?"

"Yes sir they did"

"Thank God." Bruce said and drifted off to sleep.