oh, my baby | tim drake

006 | scared to death

call your mom | noah kahan

Tim woke up to the sound of someone gasping.

At first, he thought it was a nightmare—his mind always ran worst-case scenarios now, dreams drenched in blood and laughter and Joker smiles—but the sound wasn't in his head.

"Tim."

Her voice was tight. Frantic. Painful.

He shot upright.

Vanessa was standing near the bathroom door, hunched over slightly, both hands cradling her stomach. Her face was pale, her lips trembling.

"I'm bleeding."

Everything inside him stilled.

"What?" he breathed.

She turned around slowly, and the sight of red—staining the waistband of her pajama pants—sucker punched him.

"I don't know what happened, I woke up cramping and I—I panicked and—" Her voice cracked, but Tim was already moving.

"Okay. Okay, okay. Come here. Sit down." He guided her gently to the bed, grabbing his phone and keys. "We're going to the hospital. It's going to be okay."

She nodded, trying to believe him.

He didn't know if he even believed himself.

GOTHAM GENERAL – TWO HOURS LATER

The waiting room was cold and unkind. Everything smelled like disinfectant and bad coffee.

Tim paced. He couldn't sit still. Couldn't breathe right.

Vanessa had been taken in for an emergency ultrasound twenty minutes ago, and it already felt like a lifetime.

He had texted Stephanie, Jason, and Leslie. No response yet.

He hated that he wasn't in there with her. He hated that she was alone in that sterile room while he waited like a useless bystander.

He hated how much this reminded him of losing people.

"Tim Drake?"

He jumped when a nurse called his name.

"She's okay. You can come in now."

EXAM ROOM

Vanessa was lying on the exam table, still pale, but her eyes met his the second he stepped in—and the second he saw tears, he feared the worst.

But then she whispered, "The baby's okay."

Tim nearly collapsed into the chair beside her. "Jesus."

"The bleeding's from a subchorionic hematoma," Vanessa said quietly. "Leslie explained it over the phone. It sounds scary, but... it's not uncommon. Especially in early pregnancy. I just need to rest."

Tim nodded. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"I thought we lost them," he whispered.

"I did too."

They sat in silence. Vanessa leaned her head against his shoulder. He could feel how tightly she clung to his arm, how her fingers trembled even now.

"You're not allowed to scare me like that again," he muttered.

"I'll do my best," she whispered back.

LATER THAT NIGHT | THEIR APARTMENT

Tim carried Vanessa inside gently, setting her on the couch and pulling a blanket over her. She looked exhausted—more emotionally than physically.

"I know this sounds stupid," she murmured, staring at the ceiling, "but when I saw the blood, I wasn't thinking about myself. I was thinking about the little hoodie I picked out. About the name lists we never finished. About how I'd never get to meet them."

Tim knelt beside her, resting his chin on the edge of the couch. "You're not stupid."

He hesitated. Then said, "I thought I was going to lose both of you."

Vanessa closed her eyes and let his words settle. She reached out, brushing his cheek with her fingers. "We're still here."

He leaned into her touch.

"And we're not going anywhere."