Fan Fiction ❯ A Raven's Cry ❯ Sedatives and a visitor... ( Chapter 38 )

A Raven's Cry

Chapter 38

Robin squinted down at the lit up desktop. Presumably, it showed a map of the city, complete with locations of attacks and patrol routes. To Robin, the desktop was a large blur. He sighed as he leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"How long have you been up?"
Robin sat up and saw Cyborg's large frame filling the doorway. "I'm not sure, I'll go to bed soon."
"That's what you said two hours ago. This can wait until tomorrow."
"No. There's got to be a pattern, and I have to find it."
"You're not going to find it in the state that you're in. You're just exhausting yourself, man."
"I'm fine." Robin picked up a mug of tepid coffee from the desk and took a large swallow of the dark brown liquid. He put the cup back in its place and returned his glare to the desk, "I'm almost there. I just need... I need..." He looked down at his cup of coffee, a confused look on his face. When a small green mouse scurried out from under some papers and dropped to the floor, he understood. "You drugged... yo..." Gar caught him as he started to sink to the floor.
"Jeeze, dude, I though you said this was a mild sedative."
"It is. He's just so wiped out, it hit him pretty hard." He gently took Robin's limp form from Gar and lifted him bridal style, "We'll get him to bed, then we can work on getting Star to sleep."
"I already got an idea for that."
They walked out of Robin's office, and into the common area. Starfire was sitting at one end of the couch, her knees drawn up to her chest. She was staring out the eastern window, watching the sun rise over the city. It was obvious, due to the dark bags under her eyes and the slump to her shoulders, that she had not slept for some time. "Hey, Star." Gar called to her.
Starfire's gaze shifted from the window to the three titans that still stood in the doorway to Robin's office. When she saw Robin, cradled unmoving in Cyborg's arms, she jumped up and ran over to them. "What has happened to friend Robin?"
"Nothin', he's just worked himself out cold." Cyborg assured her.
Starfire laid a tentative hand over Robin's forehead, "Friends, he does not feel cold. He feels quite warm."
"No, I mean that he worked until he passed out, fell asleep."
"I see."
Gar spoke, "Star, we've got something that we want you to do."
"Yes, friend?"
"We want you to keep an eye on Robin while he sleeps."
"You wish me to do the watching?"
Gar grinned, "Perfect." The group of titans walked down the hall to Robin's room. Gar slid the door open and walked into the room ahead of the others in order to pull back the blankets on the bed. Cyborg gently placed Robin's inert form on the bed and pulled his boots off, before pulling the blankets up.
"Star," Cyborg said, "when he wakes up, tell him he can't get out of bed until I come to get him, got it?"
Starfire nodded solemnly, "I shall endeavor to do as you wish."
"Right. I've got a bunch of stuff to do, make yourself comfortable, we'll be in to check on you in a while."
Starfire nodded before Cyborg and Gar walked out. As soon as the door closed, Cyborg spoke quietly, "Alright, man, what did that just accomplish?"
"Since this all started, I've seen Star walk out of Robin's room more than a few times just after I got up. I figure, since she's not handling it well, she's seeking comfort from Robin."
"So then she's..."
"Probably already out like a light." Gar finished. He slid the door open a crack, and peeked in. Then flung the door open wide with a grin. Cyborg could see Starfire curled up on the bed next to Robin, her arm slung across his inert form, and sleeping soundly.
"Good job, man."
"What's the plan now?" Gar quietly closed the door, and they both walked back to the common area.
"I've run some numbers through the computer. First thing first is to use ‘em to put together new patrol rosters with two more titans out. I figure Robin and star won't come out for at least twelve hours. I'm not even gonna check on them for another eighteen."
Both titans walked into Robin's office, and Cyborg immediately got to work. He tapped a few commands into the computer console and plugged a finger into a socket. After a few minutes, he pulled his finger out and leaned back, "Wow. I can see why Robin's the boss."
"Why?"
"With all of my painstaking, time consuming simulations, I came out to the same results that Robin came up with out of his head."
"What's the patrol look like?"
"You and Furry are up for tonight, Slade's on his own tomorrow, then me and Alex, and finally Jacob is insisting on hunting alone. By then Robin and Star should be rested enough to join in."
Gar stood and stretched, "Alright, I'm hittin' the hay. Night, dude."
"Yeah, nigh..." Cyborg was cut off when a swirling black whirlpool opened up in the air in front of Gar.
Gar and Cyborg both readied for a fight as the form of a man coalesced out of the portal. They could both see a sword strapped to his hip, and he was holding something in one hand. After only a moment, he stepped out and was immediately seized by Cyborg. Cyborg picked him up by his leather armor, and shoved him into the wall. "How'd you get through my security?" He snarled as one hand shifted into a sonic cannon."
The man that he held calmly lifted a small yellow disk emblazoned with a large white 'T' "I was told that this would get me in."
Cyborg set him down, just in time for Gar to rush him, "Did Raven send you? Is something wrong?" Gar searched deeper into the link that connected him with Raven, but felt only her usual placid nature.
"Everything is fine, Garfield. Raven sent me to tell you that she wished to speak with you. She said that there are some matters to clear up before the birth of your child."
Gar looked imploringly at Cyborg, who nodded, "Go, man. I'll take care of things."