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The Birthday Present	By : Kip Category: DC Verse Comics > Batman Views: 8478 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Over the next few harrowing minutes, Bruce watched from the corridor as the determined nurse used every ounce of skill and experience to pull her patient back from the brink. The rest of the resuscitation team were magnificent, but there was no doubt as to whom Sandy owed his life this time.
Finally, looking exhausted, Moira beckoned for Bruce to re-enter the room.
"You can come in for a while, Bruce, it might help him. Wash your hands first though." She said, absently smoothing her rumpled appearance. "Where's that idiot?"
"Who?"
"The bald fool." Moira was evidently too tired for any attempt at diplomacy.
"Luthor went." Bruce told her, cleaning and drying his hands. "Just after the rest of your team arrived."
"Good." There was a flinty look in the plump nurse’s eyes. "Or I might have been tempted to tell him a few home truths..."

"I think you made quite an impression on him anyway." He told her with perfect honesty, recalling the angry red pressure mark on the other man's wrist. Evidently Moira had quite a grip on her, and quite a temper…
"Well, when I think what he was implying… And putting his hands where he did!" Moira shook herself. "I'm too old to be pawed like that, and Sandy's too young … what that man sorely needed was good hard slap. Several years too late for it to do any good I suppose though..." She pulled the chair over to its usual place. "You sit here, and you talk to Sandy, until you feel calm again. That should be long enough for everyone else to get calm too."
"You really think Sandy'll know I'm here?" Bruce's faith was all but gone.
"He knew that that damn fool was touching him, didn’t he?" Moira was still quietly furious about that.
"Moira, do you think Sandy deliberately …" Bruce swallowed. Had Sandy really tried to end his own life? Could he have?

"No, I don’t think he meant to do that," Moira understood exactly what he was asking. "My guess is that Sandy panicked. I think he sensed that …horrible… I won't say it. All that Sandy knew was that something was terribly wrong and he tried to get away, the only way that he could." The hand on his shoulder tightened. "Sandy needs to know that you're here for him, Bruce. That he's not alone. That he's safe now."
"How? I don’t even know if he can hear me, let alone understand."
"But we do know that he can feel … don’t we?" Her eyes flickered over the still form and across to the monitor, which was once more moving in slow steady curves. "If the wrong touch can do that, what might the right touch do?"
"I…" If he did this, if he deliberately put his hands on Sandy now, when the blond was so terrifyingly helpless, would he be any better than Luthor?
"I can't make the decision for you, but I can give you some time, and a little privacy. I'll leave the screens in place, and go change into a clean uniform. There will be a nurse on duty outside the door until I get back. If you need anything, or there is the slightest change, buzz, and someone will come running."

For the next few minutes, Bruce sat there watching the lines dip and rise and listening to the myriad of bleeps and clicks that told him that, for now at least, Sandy was stable again…
"Sandy." He said tentatively. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through that."
The lines continued to rise and fall evenly.
"There's no one else here right now, and I really want to touch you. Would you be alright with that?"
The bleeps and clicks didn’t alter. The incandescent trails continued to crawl steadily up, then down, then up, carving the same winding paths along the small screens.
"Just my hand on yours," Bruce reached out and cradled the lax palm between his own, as he had so often in recent days. "There. That's okay, isn't it?" When there were no claxons or flashing lights, he assumed that it must be.
"You know what you were telling me, the first day we met? About how sometimes you just got so desperate for someone to touch you? Well," He took a calming breath. "I feel like that right now." He chanced a quick look at the passive face, the thick lashes that hid the pale blue eyes, at the curved lips usually so ready to smile or laugh with him.
"I want to hold you. Just hold you." He said softly. "Will you let me do that, Sandy? Only I don’t want you to panic and make yourself… ill." He very deliberately didn’t mention what had so nearly happened.

"Still not ready to talk to me, huh? Okay, if we're going to do this, it'd better be now." Positioning himself on the edge of the bed, he pressed his hands onto both of Sandy's.
"Just me." He promised. "Only me touching you."
There was no hint of response.
"Well, I guess that no news really is good news?" Encouraged, Bruce let his palms drift up, along the soft skin, still lightly tanned despite a couple of weeks indoors.
"Still okay, Sandy?" Sliding his fingers into place, and careful not to make any sudden moves or dislodge any of the monitor pads, Bruce eased the limp body up, until he was holding the blond cradled against him, face pressed into the collar of Bruce's shirt. He breathed in, taking the fragrance of Sandy deep into his lungs.
"Oh god… I've missed you so much." He whispered. Without thinking about it Bruce buried his nose in the curly fringe, tasting the faint tang of salt on his lips. The familiar body filled his arms, the weight feeling almost, but not quite, right.
"You're getting thin." Bruce admonished him gently. "Alfred will want to build you back up once we get you home again."
"I want to hold you forever," He said softly, "But this isn't the place for it. Sandy… Get better. Come home to me. I want you in my bed, in my life… I … love you."
Just for a second, he thought that Sandy might have responded ever so very slightly. Had he breathed just a fraction more deeply? Moved at all? A glance at the paper readout poured cold water on that idea.
"Just wishful thinking, eh babe?" Very delicately Bruce settled the blond back onto the pristine sheets and tidied the bed covers back into place.

* * * * *

The next day Bruce made a few discreet purchases, one of which was clutched in his hand as he entered the hospital room.
"Oh, you shouldn’t have!" Moira protested, as he handed her the box of chocolates. She peered at him. "How did you find out that I like Cherry Liqueurs?"
Bruce grinned. "You keep a strip of the box lid as a book mark." He pointed out. "So either you, or someone you know likes them. And now you've confirmed it."
"Clever lad!" Moira smiled.
"Elementary detective work," He hid a grin. "How's the patient."
"Clean and tidy." The amiable lady assured him. "I'll leave you to it. As usual, you have nearly half an hour until the next checks."
Something's bothering her. Bruce could see it at once. Something was wrong, and Moira was trying not to let it show.
Wonder what it might be? Something here, or at home? It was often all too easy to forget that people existed outside of the few hours that he saw them in uniform.
Still, if she wants me to know, she'll say something. Moira was not the sort of person to keep things to herself. He already knew about her grown-up sons, her deceased husband, and even her pot plants.
Sandy will probably wake up able to recite Moira’s whole life story… Bruce thought wryly. His mood had become much more positive since he had made today's decisions. It was good to feel in control of at least a few things.

"I'll have to leave the screen open." Moira said suddenly. "New policy."
"Of course," Bruce glanced at her. "So when did that come into effect?"
"Apparently there's been a complete review of visiting procedures after yesterday."
Why doesn’t she sound happier about that?
"Really?"
"Yes… Probably I shouldn’t be telling you, but I think someone ought to."
"Tell me what?" He asked her.
Moira frowned. "The hospital will be bringing in armed security guards to patrol every ward, not just on the outside doors."
"When?" That didn’t sound like bad news. About time…
"From tomorrow."
"That's quick?"
"LuthorCorp promised that they would have people stationed here by the end of the week."
"LuthorCorp?" Bruce was horrified. That was NOT what I was hoping for – not at all… With his company policing the place, Lex would be free to do practically anything he wanted.
"It's been very nice working here," Moira said softly. "I've enjoyed looking after Sandy. I'm going to miss him."

"You're what? You're leaving?" What would that do to Sandy? There was no doubt that Moira was the ideal carer for his friend… She understood him so well… And with LuthorCorp around too… the picture was beginning to look increasingly unhopeful.
"Oh, it wasn’t my idea." Moira made a face. "No. I got a call from Upstairs this morning. Apparently there has been a complaint, from a very important person. My services are no longer required. As of today... "
"But surely they can't fire you just like that!" Bruce was aghast. "What about following proper procedure?"
"They can remove me from the post instantly if there is any question of professional misconduct…"
"You? No, I won't believe that you've done anything that controversial!"
"I never thought you would." Moira drew herself up proudly. "But someone said it. I don’t think even that bald fool could manufacture any proof though … which is why when my replacement suddenly took sick, the Director had to personally ask me to finish my shift."
"Suddenly?"
Moira's smile turned positively wicked. "Well, let's just say she remembered a migraine headache that she needed to have?"
"Oh, THAT sort of sudden?" Bruce caught on.
"She owed me a favour." Moira told him happily. She looked at him more closely. "You didn’t think that I would sabotage someone, did you? Slip them a Mickey Finn? Honestly, you corporate types! I'm a Nurse, not an Accountant!"
Apparently that was the worst thing Moira could think of, and Bruce was still smiling over it when she bustled off to get herself a nice cool drink.

"Moira," Bruce didn’t want her to think badly of him, but then again, he didn’t want to miss a golden opportunity either.
"Oh ho! That sounds ominous!" The motherly nurse put the chart back in the holder. "Let's have it."
"Have you any plans for the immediate future, work-wise, I mean?" He asked her.
Moira's face fell. "I don’t think that I'm going to be exactly inundated – not with this hanging over me. They can't prove anything, because there is nothing to prove, but that won't matter."
"It won't?"
"No. I work with people who are completely helpless, Bruce. Would you be happy leaving Sandy in the care of someone who had the slightest hint of a stain on their record?"
"Put like that, no." He told her. "But I am perfectly happy leaving him with you."
“If only that were still an option,” The nurse sighed. "I am going to miss him so much… the dear little boy."
Bruce forbore from the temptation to point out that Sandy was in no sense a boy, and, considering the working muscle that the blonde had amassed during his time at the packing plant, could hardly be considered 'little'.
Unless she meant … Bruce felt his face heat up as the memory of a certain red ribbon returned to tease him. No, not little there either… Grateful for his overcoat, he fidgeted as the inevitable happened. With Sandy around his body had gotten used to release on an impressively regular basis, and now it was protesting the enforced celibacy in no uncertain terms.
"I was wondering," Bruce asked tentatively, "If you would consider working for me?"

"For you? It's very sweet of you Bruce dear, but I don’t see myself changing careers at my time of life." Moira chuckled. "Do you honestly think I'd be at home in a power suit and heels?"
"The only change I was thinking of was of location." Bruce smiled. "After the fiasco yesterday I had already half-decided to take Sandy out of here. It was only the problem of finding someone who could take as good care of him as you have, that held me back. If you would be willing to come and work for me at my home, I'll meet any expenses and I can guarantee that when you're ready to move on you will have the very best references… Plus, as an employee of the Wayne Foundation you'll have access to our corporate lawyers. I'm sure that they can clear any hint of slur against you…"
"Oh." Moira blinked at him. "Oh heavens… it is very tempting."
"But you’re not convinced?"
"Well… Sandy's condition has been quite stable, mostly." Moira said carefully, "Hopefully that will change for the better quite soon," She hesitated. "But you must already realise that his care is already more than one person, no matter how dedicated, could possibly manage?"
"I'm not short of resources." Bruce reminded her. "My butler manages the day to day running of the house, and there are a team of additional people whom Alfred calls on as required, I wasn’t expecting you to handle Sandy alone."
"You'll need other people with the same training as I have, on hand, to cover the other shifts," Moira looked at him.
"That shouldn’t be a problem." Bruce felt like he might be getting somewhere now.
"You really are serious." She decided.
"Oh, yes." Bruce nodded. "I usually am."
"Then in that case, Mr Wayne … you have just hired yourself the services of a day nurse. I might just know of suitable staff for the other shifts too… Assuming you would be prepared to trust my judgement?"
"It's still Bruce," Casting a fond eye over the gilded sleeper lying so silently in the bed, Bruce sighed. "I think we can consider the rest as a given," He said seriously.
After all, I already trust you with the most precious thing in my life.
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The Birthday Present