Traumatised

Calling Home

'You look tired.'

'It's been a long week.'

'Are you sleeping ok?'

Dick shrugged. He was sat cross-legged on his bed, his body covered in a baggy hoodie and sweats; his mask lay on the bed beside him. He shifted uncomfortably where he sat; he felt vulnerable without it. On the bed in front of him was his laptop, the screen directed at him as he video called Bruce.

'Dick?' The older man looked concerned, it was a look Dick was getting used to seeing.

'I'm handling it.' He said. He knew he couldn't outright lie to him, Bruce knew him too well. But he didn't want to tell his father about his latest episode of sleep paralysis. He didn't want to give him any reason to come to Jump City. He pulled on the sleeves of his hoodie, shrinking further into the material.

'Dick, I agreed to let you leave because you said that it would help. If being away isn't helping I'm going to insist you come home.'

'It is helping.' Said Dick quickly. 'I'm fine.'

Bruce sighed but decided not to bring up the fact that there were dark bruise-like shadows under the younger males eyes. There were certain subjects that he knew caused arguments with his young son. So many of their calls ended with arguments, but he could see there was something bothering the younger, so he didn't want to fight tonight. Instead, he changed the subject.

'How are your studies going?'

Dick groaned and looked away from the screen.

'Dick.' Bruce said, exasperated. He had never had any problem getting Dick to do his school work until this year. These days it was a task getting the teenager to meet deadlines and complete assignments.

'I've been busy.'

'That was the deal.'

'It's tedious!' Dick whined. He was intelligent, he knew that and the work that he needed to complete was ridiculously simple. And what was the point? It wasn't like he was planning on going back to being Dick Grayson.

'Not as tedious as unemployment, which will be your future if you don't get a high school diploma.'

Dick was about to point out that plenty of people were successful in life without a high school diploma, but he decided he didn't have the energy. Since waking up to find he was trapped in his own body, he hadn't been as keen to lie down and sleep. He knew the feelings would pass, they always did, but the week following an episode was always exhausting.

'I'll catch up next week.' He answered instead, not looking at the computer screen.

'Make sure you do.' Bruce's voice was stern but not unkind. He wasn't stupid, he could see Dick was pulling away from everything that reminded him of his sexual assault. And losing interest in things was a common side effect after trauma. But Bruce still held out hope that if he gave Dick time and space, his energetic boy wonder would return. But every now and again, Dick just needed a little push in the right direction. He hadn't been keen on the idea of Dick leaving Gotham and the safety of Wayne Manor, but after Dinah had informed him, she didn't think she could help Dick, he knew he would try anything. But he laid down ground rules with the sixteen-year-old. He had to continue with school online and the straight-A rule still applied. Dick also had to call either Bruce or Alfred twice a week and either Dinah or Leslie once a month. The biggest rule that Bruce made sure Dick understood, was that if he thought Dick's departure was becoming detrimental to the young boy's health, he would bring him home. After some initial arguments, Dick had agreed. Over the last 5 months, he had stuck to his word; it was only now that his grades were beginning to slip.