Chapter Text
Jason sat on the hard chair. The cushion had worn down after the first thousand or so people had sat on it.
His knee was still wrapped. It was throbbing. It was doing that constantly now though.
His book sat on his lap, closed. He hadn’t had the will power to open it. His mind seemed to have booted down as his heart tried to compensate, running like a rabbit getting chased by a predator.
He couldn’t outrun this though.
He recognized that he was all but panting. His breathing trying to keep up with his heart as he fought down the panic as he waited for Leslie to come back into the room.
Not that he really needed her to.
He had known what it was when he had seen the x-ray.
He had only agreed to it so they could check all the boxes to move forward.
He knew what she was going to say when she walked in the room though.
There was a quiet knock on the door, pulling him from his thoughts.
0o0o0
Jason knocked down his kickstand, tossing a leg over his bike to dismount before removing his helmet.
He felt like a little kid. Running to his mother because he got a scraped knee that felt like his leg had been torn to shreds when in actuality it had barely broken skin.
And yet a hug had fixed it.
There was no easy fix to this.
He had parked out of the way, shoved his bike into a corner to not cause a problem for them later. He gently placed his helmet on the seat of the bike, keeping the keys in the engine as he removed his gloves, placing them on the seat as well. Hesitantly, he left his duffle bag on the bike. Just in case they said no, or didn’t offer. At least then he might be able to keep some of his pride.
Now for the hard part. Well, another hard part.
Jason turned, beginning his Green Mile walk towards admittance.
Which always seemed like the worst part. Because admitting, meant it was real. And if it was real, there was no way of getting out of it.
Jason walked slowly, his knee protesting every step. Every shift in weight. Every minute rotation needed to keep walking forward.
He reached into the kangaroo pouch of his hoodie, pulling out the rolled up manilla envelope as he advanced towards the batcomputer.
“Hey Jay,” Tim called out as he spared a look over the top of his W.E. work laptop. Probably trying to squeeze out one last document before switching personas.
Jason didn’t respond. Didn’t know if he could and keep his voice steady. Keep the illusion that he was fine for just another minute. Then he could fall apart.
It was 9:14PM. Everyone in town was in the cave, just hanging out before going on patrol. Warming up and stretching out. No one else reacted to him showing up. It wasn’t out of the ordinary. Except, maybe him showing up in sweats and not his armour.
He felt his eyes burning, that odd fire that started behind your eyes and in your cheeks right before your vision started to blur from tears. He had prepared two sentences, that was all he really needed. And he didn’t think he would be able to get them out.
“Did you need help with a case, little wing,” Dick asked from somewhere behind him. Likely having noticed the manilla envelope and coming to a logical conclusion that him showing up was work related.
He reached Bruce’s chair, he knew that Bruce knew he was there. Yet, Bruce didn’t react, just kept typing, knowing that if Jason wanted something he would ask.
But, Jason couldn’t talk.
Instead, he re-rolled the manilla envelope. Smacking Bruce lightly in the back of the head with it to get his attention.
Bruce’s typing paused, “yes, Jason.” Bruce spun in the chair slightly, his facial expression morphing into concern as soon as he saw Jason’s face. Jason could hear Dick’s foot steps and he walked closer to see what was going on.
Jason didn't give him the moment to ask. Instead, he thrust the envelope at the only parental figure he had left as his heart began to panic at the implications.
This was happening.
There was no turning back now.
Jason spun on his heel, all but shoving himself into Dick. his arms wrapping around Dick’s waist as he hid his face into his brother's shoulder, willing himself not to cry for what seemed to be the hundredth time.
“Hey,” Dick cooed quietly, only hesitating for a mili-second before wrapping his arms around his brother. One hand found refuge in Jason’s curls as the other began to run slowly up and down his spine. “What happened?”
Unbeknownst to Jason, all of the bats in the cave quickly came to attention. Putting away their previous tasks to give each other questioning looks as they silently asked one another if anyone had any idea what was going on.
Bruce opened the envelope. Pulling out the papers. He only read the first line.
The first line was all he needed.
‘Jason Todd, you have been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a cancer that begins in your bones, usually in the arms or legs…’
Bruce quickly placed the paperwork on the desk as he spun his chair. His face a mix of anguish and fear as he stood, enveloping his two eldest children.