Bruce blames Alfred's cookies.
According to Jason, he had never had a single cavity until he moved into the manor. Though maybe it was Bruce's fault, too. He had encouraged him to indulge a bit more. But could he blame himself? When he had found Jason, the boy barely weighed anything close to what a child his age should, and half of that was probably the dirt. He could be forgiven if he had all but shoved food down his throat.
They were all paying for it now.
"Broose," Jason slurred as they walked out the door of the dentist office. Despite the doctor's assurances that the gas would only make Jason light-headed at most and drowsy at least, the second Robin had been astonishingly aware for the entire time he was under the drill. It wasn't until they were on their way out that it seemed the laughing gas began to really take effect.
"Yes, Jason?" Bruce asked warily. He glanced around them to make sure they were alone. Most of the pedestrians around them seemed to not notice them.
"Who DO you think killed Miss Keisha?"
Bruce blinked. And he really did try not to laugh at the ridiculous smile on his son's face as he said that. "Try" being the main word.
Jason looked somewhat-indignant. "it's not funny Broose!, someone killed her and now she's fucking dead!."
"Jason... I do not know who killed her" Bruce replied after he reigned in his laughter. "Who are you even on about?"
Instead of answering, Jason's attention became captivated by a butterfly dancing in the wind.
"Broose," he whispered reverently. His tone reminded him of when Jason had first been offered the position of Robin.
"Yes?" Bruce replied, his voice just as cautious.
"Do you think caterpillars know that they're going to become butterflies? Are they the same in their heads as when they were caterpillars? Or do they stop being their old selves? Do the caterpillars die?, do they fucking die like miss Keisha?"
Alfred delivered the car before Bruce could approach the subject he thought Jason was trying to get at, and instead deposited his son in the vehicle. Before he even managed to climb in himself, the boy was out cold.
Though Jason didn't remember that day, Bruce still remembered the little boy who wondered about the caterpillars and who on earth was miss Keisha?