"Check again."

"Bru--"

"Please!"

James sighed and narrowed his eyes at Bruce, gently shaking his head. Bruce nearly gave the hospital a heart attack this morning, as soon as visitors were allowed he came storming into the hospital, immediately heading for the ICU.

He certainly gave James a fright, James was already with Dick when Bruce came bursting into Dick's room, hesitating only slightly when James sent him a glare for being so loud. He immediately requested James check Dick for any awareness or signs of being awake.

Which James obliged... the first two times. In five minutes.

"Bruce, I will be honest his heart rate did spike last night for a moment but then went right back down, by the time we got here he was... like he has been. I understand you believe you saw him wake up on the camera, but it could--"

Bruce looked down at his son, a hard look forming on his face.

"Is he harmed at all? Given anymore injuries?"

A quick look of anger flashed across James's face.

No one in the hospital would even dare, least of all his own team!

"Excuse me?!"

Bruce quickly held up a hand and moved to the window.

"That did not come out right, and I apologize for that. I know no one in your team would do anything..."

Bruce's eyes gazed down to the glass, there were a few smudges, but the intruder seemed to be wearing gloves anyway. The Red Hood... or at least someone who insists on taking up that mantle. He's been causing problems left and right for about a month now... but why come here? Did he know Dick in civilian life, perhaps?

Nothing was taken, nothing was vandalized, and Dick wasn't harmed. So why did he come here? And the way he talked to Dick, like they were familiar with each other. And that voice, it was distorted a bit by the mask, but it sounded like...

Bruce stiffened at that thought but whether or not James noticed, he was not letting it show.

"Bruce, perhaps if you would show me the footage, I could better understand what you saw?"

Bruce spun around and gave the doctor a weird look.

"It wasn't just... Dick waking up..."

James raised an eyebrow at him, now expecting a better explanation but Bruce remained indifferent. He would show him, but if James had another patient that needed him...

"How many patients do you currently have besides Dick?"

Well, those weren't the words James was expecting, and the question caused a brief look of grief to cross the doctor's face.

"As of three hours ago... no one."

Bruce inwardly flinched but quickly recovered.

"I am sorry about that."

But James just shook his head and turned toward his current patient.

"If you wanted to talk somewhere more private then my shift is over in two hours... but I must see my family first, I have taken on another shift for him later tonight and will not be off again until late tomorrow night."

Bruce took a second to take a deep breath before glancing once more out the window, gaze focused on that rooftop.

His mind was racing, a million thoughts running through his head and with each one, his confusion grew as more and more questions formed in his brain, none with any answers. He had an idea, but he also knew Alfred wouldn't let him act on it without absolute proof. But now that he ran that voice over and over again in his head, the suspicion, as insane as it seemed, was not letting go.

But before he even took up a shovel, he needed proof. He turned back toward the doctor and nearly winced at the nearly impatient look he received.

"Yes, of course. Come to the Manor when you can, hopefully we'll have another guest present."

James briskly hummed under his breath and went back to Dick's bedside, checking for a fever. Not that he anticipates one, but it is possible after the surgery, perhaps as a result of an infection.

That is the last thing they need right now.

"And who might that be?"

Bruce didn't answer right away, he was focused on watching his son as James carefully performed his task, while his gaze eventually wandered to the doctor's face.

This time, he couldn't keep the wince back.

He looked awful, he was pale with very dark and visible bags under his eyes. His face looked a bit sunken too, he must have lost a rather substantial amount of weight, likely due to a lack of proper meals.

A pang of guilt ran through Bruce. This man was practically working himself to death, for his son. And yet this man had a son of his own, who still had much growing up to do, and he was likely missing out on most of it.

Though he was Dick's primary doctor when his son first came to the hospital, there was nothing that tied him to Dick's care. He could walk away anytime, but he didn't. He's risking both his family life and his physical well-being for Dick.

Maybe there was a way Bruce could both repay and help him.

"Just... a friend of mine. Don't rush with your family James."

James finished what he was doing and straightened up, facing Bruce with a weary expression.

"Have dinner with them, play with your son."

Bruce looked down at the camera, hands clenching it tightly before shoving it in his pocket.

"The footage can wait. Besides, I have to do some... research at home."

James merely nodded and excused himself out of the room, mumbling something about finding some water to drink. And hopefully a pot of coffee too, leaving Bruce alone with his son.

Bruce kneeled down at Dick's side, where he would be level with his eyes, if he were awake.

He set a gentle hand on his shoulder.

No reaction.

"Dick?"

He started rubbing his shoulder lightly, his hope for a reaction slowly fading.

He sighed and carefully moved his hand near the side of his neck before coming to rest on his cheek.

"Son, come on..."

He was about to give up and started to remove his hand. But then Dick's face gently turned just a bit toward Bruce, just a fraction, and a deep sigh left his lips.

Bruce's hand stalled where it was and instead stayed there for another moment, his eyes switching from Dick's face to the monitors and back, his thumb starting to rub in gentle circles, the same way he would do to comfort Dick as a child, usually after a particularly bad nightmare.

A shaky laugh escaped Bruce, his mouth just barely twitching up at the corners.

"There you are..."

He continued for a moment before his hand reluctantly left his cheek and went back to his shoulder, giving it a gentle yet comforting squeeze. His hand lingered just a moment before Bruce slowly removed his hand, letting it fall back to his side.

He had to go now; he had to call Clark and prepare the rest of the family. And yet, he didn't want to leave him.

His face turned stricken, and he slowly got back to his feet.

"It'll be okay Dick..."

He spared one last glance at Dick before exiting the room, gently closing the door behind him.

If he had kept his gaze a little longer, he might have seen the little twitch Dick's finger made.