Dick gets hurt

Siblings

"Thanks for helping me move these boxes downstairs, Dick," Clancy said, "That was a good idea to give this stuff to the Wayne Foundation;  I just hope it gets to the people of Gotham.  With the weather turning so much colder now, these warm clothes will help."  The things they were carrying had belonged to Mrs. Anderson who had been an elderly lady living alone on the floor above Dick.  Everyone had thought that it was dangerous for her to live in Blüdhaven alone, but when asked, she had said that she had lived here her whole life and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

"No problem, Clancy," Dick said, "And don't worry about it getting to the people of Gotham.  The Wayne Foundation is very careful that everything they receive goes right to the people that need it most."    Although the box he was carrying was ackward, and he couldn't see his feet as he went down the flight of stairs, Dick was actually glad for the exercise.  All the time he's put into his police training had left little time for nighttime pursuits, and he was starting to feel a little restless.  "The Waynes really helped me when I nee.."

"Dick, watch out!"  As Dick put his foot on the next step, to his surprise the step moved!  The next thing he knew, he was at the bottom of the stairs, with the box on top of him, and there was a sharp pain in his left arm.  "omygod, are you ok, Dick?"

"Um, no, I don't think so," Dick said as he started to sit up painfully.  Clancy rushed to get the box off him.  "I think my arm's broken.  What was that, anyway," Dick said looking around.  His eyes rested on a child's skate. "Oh."

* * *

"Well at least now you get a vacation from the academy," Babs said, trying to make it sound like a good thing.  Babs hardly ever left home; she hated to be reminded that she was now limited to getting around in a wheelchair, but when she had heard that Dick had been hospitalized for overnight observation, she would have left in a heartbeat if there hadn't been an army guarding the borders of Gotham.  As it was, she and Dick were forced to communicate by phone;  she was one of the few people in Gotham to still have phone access.  Clancy had brought Dick in, he had told Babs, but she had had to get back to the building.  Nice girl, Babs thought, she looked like your typical young Asian woman until she opened her mouth and that lilting Irish accent came out.  Dick had told her that Clancy wanted to be a surgeon, and that he was hoping that he could find a way to get the Wayne Foundation to help her without her knowing his connection.

"Yeah, and from Nightwing too," Dick sighed.  "I haven't been out in so long, and I really am needed right now. It's frustrating—I can't imagine that Bruce would let a broken arm stop him."

"Oh give me a break, Dick.  You of all people should know that Bruce is as human as they come.  Speaking of Bruce, do you want me to tell him about you're little trip?" 

"Nah.  I'll be ok, and he has enough to worry about.  Besides, he'd probably try to ground me.  This is bad timing," Dick sighed.  "With all the new people coming from Gotham, Blüdhaven really needs a protector, and Bruce has his hands full with Gotham even if my ego did let me call him for help."

"Understood.  It's just something about calling your dad to come solve your problem—I've been there, trust me." Barbara's father was the police commissioner of Gotham which meant he tended to treat any problem she might be having, minor or otherwise, as a case to be solved which frustrated her to no end.  But she couldn't ask for a better father, so she had learned to live with it.  "Well why not go across instead of up?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Dick said, puzzled.

"Call Sarah.  I know she's feeling left out.  She wants to come help, but she knows better to come without Bruce's permission.  Besides, I would imagine you and she would make a good team; after all you two grew up together."

"Yeah, that's true.  Sounds like you talk to her a lot more than I do these days."

"Yeah. She's been a great help with my trying to deal with this damn chair.  I guess because she went blind when she was a teenager, I feel like she has the best chance of understanding what I'm going through."  Babs knew that Sarah had been blinded when she was kidnapped from her New Orlean home by mutant-hunting government officials.  During her 'stay,' they had experimented with her mutant ability to absorb without harm any toxin that didn't exist naturally in the human body.  Their usual method of keeping her under control was to beat her, and the injuries she had sustained had resulted in her blindness.

Sarah still spoke with a Cajun accent, but all her years in Gotham had watered it down so Babs could actually understand her most of the time.   She had been a  ward of the thieves' guild; she had always had wild stories about jobs she had done with that family, although they had always been told in Bruce's absence. Babs remembered when Dick had told her that Bruce had caught a girl in his home who had claimed to be his daughter.  Bruce had known that he had a daughter in New Orleans, although of course he had never told anyone, except maybe Alfred.   In an effort to get her out of the life of a thief, he had offered Sarah a home in Wayne Manor.  She hadn't accepted then, but she had kept in contact with her father, and had finally reluctantly come to live with Bruce and Dick when she lost her sight.

Barbara was knocked out of her thoughts by an alert sounding on one of her terminals.  Dick heard it too, and said, "Sounds like you have to go.  Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime, Dick, you know that.  Take care of yourself."

"Will do, I promise. I'm going to call Sarah.  Thanks."

"Oracle out."  Although she had used a formal sign off, Dick heard the smile in Barbara's voice, and found himself smiling as well.  After a moment of thought, Dick got himself situated, and with the help of a nurse, dialed Sarah's number. "Hi, Sarah, how are you doing?"

"Dick?  Wow you know just when to call.  I was just trying to figure out a way to get out of grading these semester finals."  Dick laughed to himself.  Ever since she had become a college professor, Sarah had complained about grading papers.  She liked the teaching, she said, she just didn't like the grading.

"Well how's this for an excuse?  Want to come down for a visit?  Maybe put on those claws of yours?"

"Sure.  Now's a good a time as any.  It will give me a chance to get my mind off things up here.  But why call now?  I've been waiting ever since the first quake to get a call.  But you know dad, never needs help from anyone to protect his city."

"Yeah I know.  I'm only 30 minutes away and I can't get invited in either.  I've had a bit of an..accident.  Fell down the stairs and broke my arm."

"Ouch.  Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just a bit of a ego bruise.  They've got me in the hospital overnight."

"Well at least you'll get some rest.  I'm sure you've been running yourself ragged; you've got too much of dad in you whether you like it or not.  I can be down there tomorrow, but I'll have to drive since the airport in Gotham is no more.  And I'll have to come down myself, so that means coming as Shadowhawke."

"No problem.  By the time you get  here, I'll be out, and I'll meet you at my storage shed.  And I'll have everything brailled for you by the time you get here."

"Very funny, boy wonder.  See ya soon."

* * *

As Sarah approached Gotham City, she was overwhelmed by the bumper-to-bumper traffic going the other way.  It hurt to see so many people abandon her second home, she thought, even though she knew it was the best thing to happen.  She just hoped that they would return when Gotham was back on its feet.  It was going to get back to its feet.  Many people spotted Shadowhawke's car and waved and cheered. Gotham is calling her heroes back to her, Sarah thought, Even when her guardian refuses to, she added bitterly.  Though she knew he loved her, Sarah found it very difficult to have a father that didn't show his love or allow her to help him.  At least she had had Dick to grow up with.  It had been difficult to go from a whole clan of elders to one father and 'grandfather,' but Dick had helped her to adjust.

Sarah had never actually seen Gotham, except for that one day long ago, and from its rooftops, but she loved the feel of her hometown—the feel of an aloof, graceful city reaching for the sky, silently ignoring the corruption and crime.  Not at all like her first home, New Orleans, which takes all the corruption and covers it in bright colors and revelry.

Sarah arrived in Blüdhaven and was met by Dick in the warehouse.  "It's nice to see you again, Dick," Sarah smiled and gave her brother a hug taking care not to bump his immobilized arm.  "How's it going? Besides the arm I mean."

"Umm..not bad I guess.  It's a good thing I'm right-handed.  Blüdhaven is hanging in there too, considering all the new residents from Gotham.  Haven't heard anything about Gotham except what I get from Babs.  She says Bruce is back.  I don't know why I always worry when he disappears like that.  You'd think I'd get used to it."

"Because it's what children do," Sarah said. "I can't tell you how often I've worried about Dad..doesn't matter that he's been doing this long before I was ever around."  Sarah took off her mask and detached her black-on-the-outside/blue-on-the-inside cloak which attached to the backs of her legs just under the knees, to her wrists, and to the back of her neck.  Dick had always been amazed that Sarah would take off her mask first since it was equipped with a STAR Labs technology that allowed her to see, but Sarah had always shrugged when asked, saying she was used to it.  Her mask looked just like Nightwing's, except that it had no eyeholes, and it attached magnetically to nodes that lay just under her skin at the temples.  Her bodysuit was black, with red and blue armbands and legbands. She wore a silver belt that included her father's bat symbol on the buckle and silver calf-high boots.  Dick remembered when she chose her costume.  She had chosen the blue stripes to honor Batman, and the red to honor Daredevil, the hero that had proven to Sarah that a blind person could have a 'superhero' identity.  Dick watched as she felt for the tag of her gray Columbia sweatshirt and put it on over her costume.  She then put on her jeans and shoes as easily as any sighted person. She stuffed her mask and cloak into a backpack, pulled out her white cane, and took her brother's good arm.  "All set."

After a quick subway ride, Dick and Sarah were back at his apartment and going up the same stairs Dick had fallen down when Dick saw Clancy coming down the stairs carrying a box.  "Oh, hi, Dick! I see you got your arm fixed up.  I'm so sorry—I feel so bad."

"That's ok, Clancy.  This is my sister, Sarah Wagner.  She's down from upstate for a visit.  Sarah, this is Brigit Clancy, superintendent, and friend," Clancy, noticing Sarah's white cane, looked uneasily at Dick.

"Hi, Brigit, how are you?" Sarah smiled, feeling the familiar tension.

"I'm fine thanks, Sarah. And call me Clancy. Didn't know Dick had a sister.  Come to think of it, I don't know anything about his family.  And I didn't think anyone came to Blüdhaven for a vacation, even if it's to visit family," Clancy smiled.  "Do I hear an accent?"

"Yes," Sarah answered, "I lived in New Orleans until I was 15. No matter how long I'm out, I never quite lose the accent.  I hear yours, too—Irish?" 

 "Yep.  Born in Hong Kong, raised in Ireland.  I've had fun playing with people.  They don't expect an Asian girl to have an Irish accent." She grinned at Dick—she had done just that to him when they met in person for the first time, having had spoken on the phone beforehand.  "Oh, Dick, I'm calling a tenant meeting to discuss the problems with non-residents using the common areas." Then, adding almost to herself, "I sure wish I knew how to get a hold of Dr. Fledermaus."  Dick surpressed a wince, stealing a glance at his sister.  Sarah looked like she had just tasted something sour, but hid it quickly.

"Well, if he's never here, I don't think he'd care about missing a tenant meeting about the common areas," Dick suggested.

"Yeah that's true." Clancy said.  Visibly breaking that train of thought, she continued, "Oh well, I have to get the rest of this stuff downstairs.  Talk to you later," Clancy continued down the stairs, and  Dick and Sarah went into his apartment.  "Have a seat—about 4 paces forward there's a chair—I'll get us something to drink."

"Sounds good," Sarah said as she sat in the offered chair.  "Dr. Fledermaus?" she started.  She had a hint of teasing in her voice.  "You know, my German has gotten a whole lot better since I married Kurt.  What would Dad say?" Sarah grinned.

"Yeah, I know.  I figured I could afford to be cute.  I don't think anyone would make that connection--it would be an awful stretch.  Here..it's spring water." Dick handed his sister a glass, and went back to the kitchen to retrieve his own.  "Anyway, I already have a tentative agenda for tonight.   Lots of people seem to be disappearing.   I thought we could track what happened to them.  Whaddya think?"

Sarah let out a short laugh.  "Well if they've been kidnapped, the kidnapper is basically a thief, and since he's probably an amateur, I should have no problem tracking him fairly easily. I know it's easy to forget, since I'm such a good girl now, but your old friend Fingers isn't the only thief in your mists," Sarah grinned.

"Didn't think it would be a problem.  I'm guessing now isn't a good time to mention that Roy was supposed to come by yesterday. I called the Titans Tower, and Donna said that he left on time, and Clancy said she hasn't seen him, so I'm kind of worried.  Keep an eye out for  him too, ok?  Might be that he found some attractive young thing, and it's tough to believe that an amateur thief, as you put it, would be able to take him, but I think he would have shown up by now."

"Roy.  That's the red-headed, smartass archer, right?"

"Um..yeah..that would be Roy.  He's trying to grow up..really..I think.."

Sarah laughed. "Yeah.  He's cute.  I think I even dated him once."  She grinned.

"Very funny.  Seriously, you were a Titan for a while--how can you forget him?"

"Oh I don't.  I remember him well—I was kidding around.  For some strange reason he was always one of my favorite teammates.  Don't ask me why."

Dick nodded. "I know what you mean.  There's just something about Roy.  He makes you laugh in spite of yourself.  Well, whaddya think?  Think you can find Roy and the other missing people?"

"Yeah. No problem for Batman's kids, right?" Sarah said facetiously.

"Yeah, that's the spirit," Dick said sarcastically.

* * *

Shadowhawke started in the area of Blüdhaven that Dick had observed to be the area with the highest incident of kidnapping.  She was on the rooftop of a building thanking God for the insulation in her suit and watching two boys in a shouting match.  The kids didn't look like they lived on the street—at least not full-time—and they seemed like brothers to her.  One looked about 11 and the other 17, but they both were white had the same sandy blonde hair and similar slim builds.  The 17-year old had a makeshift cart. Shadowhawke couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she wasn't particularly trying.  She wasn't quite sure why she was watching the argument, but something was odd.  It was starting to snow, and that always did cause problems with her visor.  Her visor allowed her to see all the normally visible wavelengths plus the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, but in inclement weather all the wavelengths tended to blend together even more than usual.  Well at least the kids below stood out on the infrared lengths like a sore thumb.  "Dick, you there?"

"Yep, all ears.  What do you see?"

"The snow is messing with my visor readings, but I have a pretty clear picture considering.  Couple of brothers in a shouting match. There's something strange about the scene though..I can't quite put my finger on it," Suddenly it hit her, "Wait..I think there's someone huddling in the corner.  Let me listen."  He must be really cold, Sarah thought, to not have shown up so well on the infrared band.  Sarah started to listen with hearing that even the experts once suspected was mutant, and could make out the argument.

"But mom said to take each one we find!" the younger boy was saying.

"Look at him, Jim, he's old, and he's way too far gone.  Mom's never been able to help them when they're that sick."

"It doesn't matter!  He at least deserves to be comfortable!  Get him warm!"

"Sick?" Shadowhawke said to herself, "something's definitely going on."  Then into the comlink, "Dick, something's up.  Sounds like the boys are arguing on whether or not the person in the corner is too sick to help."

"Sick?" Dick replied.

"Yeah that's what I said.  Sounds like someone is running some kind of clinic.  I hope the missing people aren't victims of some kind of contagion—we've already been there."  Although Shadowhawke had not been in Gotham at the time, she had known through Oracle that the epidemic that had spread through Gotham had almost killed Tim Drake, the current Robin.  Shadowhawke's attention went back down to the scene below, "Looks like they're moving.  And they're taking the man with them. I guess the younger boy won.  I'm going to follow."

"Ok.  I'll be here."

Shadowhawke followed the boys pretty closely through the streets of Blüdhaven.  They were too busy trying to keep their charge in the cart to notice the tail, and they soon stopped at the steps of an abandoned church.  They went in, and Shadowhawke looked for a less obvious entry.  She found it in the form of a second-story-high broken window, and went in, silently swinging to a rafter.  The scene below her was like something out of a war movie.  There were makeshift beds on the floor as closely packed as they could be, and most were occupied, and there were children lying on the abandoned pews.  There was one woman who had an air of authority and looked like she hadn't slept in days.  She was working meticulously over a patient.

"My God.  Looks like it's what we feared."  Shadowhawke relayed the scene to her brother and took the scene in more detail.  "Oh God, I found Roy,"  Shadowhawke breathed.

"What? Where?" Dick sounded concerned.

"Near the front of the room.  He looks bad, Dick.  And it looks like he's out cold."  From her vantage point, Shadowhawke could see that Roy was lying on his back with his head lilted to one side.  He wasn't moving, and a blanket was protecting him from the cold, tucked up over his shoulders.

 

Shadowhawke's attention was taken off Roy when suddenly the patient the woman was working over became violent, and grabbed the woman by the throat.  The woman had been taken off guard and was in trouble.  "I'm on the move.  I'll keep the line open." Shadowhawke shot a line to a nearby rafter and swung down to the scene.   She landed next to the struggle—she didn't want to hurt the patient badly—and quickly broke the patient's grip on the woman.  The patient fell back down, and the woman staggered back, looking shocked at Shadowhawke. 

"It's ok," Shadowhawke said soothingly, "Sorry to jump in on you.  I was investigating the disappearances when I saw the boys," she indicated the two boys who were still setting up the new occupant in a spot near the back, "What is happening?"

The woman looked at Shadowhawke and sighed, "I don't know, to tell you the truth.  My sons—the boys you followed—and I started to notice that people were getting sick.  I'm a doctor, and the hospitals wouldn't deal with them, and I couldn't not help, so here we are. "   She waved her arms indicating the room.   "Most of them are really sick.  I'm only treating the symptoms—since I don't know the cause I can't stop it, and some have already died.  This old church has a crypt and  my sons and I have taken them down there." The woman's sons, having noticed the rescue, came rushing to their mother. 

"Hey, I know you!" The younger boy said, "You're from Gotham, aren't you?  So are we.  What?" The last was said in response to his mother's warning look.

"Yes, I'm from Gotham," Shadowhawke smiled.  "Name's Shadowhawke."

"I'm Jim," the boy answered. "And this is my brother Dave, and my mom, Dr. Pamela Sørseth."  His mother's name was said with pride.

"Glad to meet you, Jim."  Shadowhawke was brought back to the problem at hand and remembered her brother's friend.  "Actually, I believe I know one of your patients," Shadowhawke walked to where Roy was lying on the floor.  He looked like death herself.  "Oh God," Shadowhawke whispered, kneeling next to him.  Then, raising her voice, but not taking her eyes off him, said, "His name is Roy Harper.  He's the marksman known as Arsenal."

"That explains the weapons we found on him.  I'm hoping he's not some killer." Dr. Sørseth said the last as a question.

"He is one of the good guys, if that's what you mean," Shadowhawke was intentionally vague, knowing Roy didn't have that same dislike of guns that had been engrained into herself and Nightwing.

 "Well, he's one of the sicker ones," Dr Sørseth offered.  "We found him in an alley near Blood Square."  On his way to Dick's, Shadowhawke thought.

"Do you know what's causing the illnesses? Or how it's contracted?" Shadowhawke asked.

"No, like I said, all I can do is treat the symptoms.  It doesn't seem to be contagious; my sons and I still seem to be well, although I take blood samples every so often to make sure."

Shadowhawke started to examine Roy more closely.  "I might know someone who can help you, and  I think I can get her to come.  She's blind, so she'll probably get her brother to bring her.  The illness seems like it could be caused by some kind of biotechnical virus." Shadowhawke smoothed Roy's hair as if to comfort the unconscious man.  Of course she was speaking of herself, and of course Dick would bring her.  She had seen the symptoms often enough to recognize a technical contaminate, but like her brother, she had a strong line between Shadowhawke and Sarah Wayne-Wagner.  Dr. Wayne is an expert in biotechnical engineering; Shadowhawke knows enough to get by.

"The person you have in mind wouldn't be Sarah Wayne, would it?" asked Dr. Sørseth.

"Yes.  Why, do you know her?" Sarah didn't recall meeting this woman, but with all the people she's met in her work, she couldn't keep track of them all, especially considering that if she had met Dr. Sørseth as Sarah, she would of course not recognize her face now.

"Oh, no.  I just know the name from med journals.  I've tried to keep track of her work to a degree since she's also from Gotham.  I have to admit that I find it fascinating that she's blind.  Proves that anyone can accomplish anything if they set their mind to it."

                               

"Wayne? Oh! She's Bruce Wayne's daughter!" Jim, who along with his brother had been standing next to his mother all this time, suddenly seemed to be listening again.  His brother poked him.  "I always did reports on Mr. Wayne and his family.  Especially Dick.   I always thought it would be interesting to be in the circus." Shadowhawke heard a laugh in her comlink, indicating that Dick had heard the boy's comment.

Shadowhawke laughed.  "Yes, I guess it would be," she said. Then, to Jim's mother, "I'll let Dr. Wayne know what's happening, and I'll take some blood samples of various patients to her.   She'll probably be able to get here tomorrow afternoon."

"Great.  Meanwhile it's about time for me to do another blood check on myself and my boys.  Would you like me to include you too?"

"No, that's fine.  I'll have Dr. Wayne check my blood if you think she should."  That was the last thing Shadowhawke needed.  Her mutant ability allowed her to keep toxins in her bloodstream, and she had some pretty strong ones in now. She thought right now a sample of her blood would burn through any slide Dr. Sørseth tried to prepare.   Not many people knew that she was a mutant, let what alone her ability was.  Except the Joker of course.  She frustrated him pretty well. A life-saving side effect of her power was that her body produced an anti-toxin to any toxin it was exposed to—she never did figure out why the anti-toxin didn't just cancel out the toxin.  That had saved her father's life once—they had been fighting the Joker, and he managed to hit the Batman with his venom.  In the interest of time, Shadowhawke had scratched some pretty deep marks into her father to get the antitoxin into his bloodstream using the metal 'hawk's' claws she had created.

Across the room a patient started to cough violently, and  in the spirit of her family, Shadowhawke took advantage of the distraction and hoisted herself silently to the rafter above.  She laughed to herself when she heard Jim realize her disappearance and say, "Whoa, she really is from Gotham."  She reported to Dick that she was headed back, and left through her original point of entry.

* * *

"Dick, we've got to wait.  We can't go there now, and you know it."  It was early morning, and Sarah, having just returned from the church, emerged from the bathroom after showering and changing into blue sweats.  She still had her towel with her, and was rubbing her hair dry.  "We have to give the illusion of Shadowhawke contacting me.  We can work from here though.  We'll go this afternoon, ok?"

Dick sighed.  "Ok. I just feel so helpless."

"Well,  I suppose I'm more able than most blind people, but I still need help. You can help me." Dropping her towel on a nearby chair, Sarah tied her still wet shoulder-length hair into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.  Despite the sweats she was dressed in, Dick saw the transformation into the college professor she is at home.   "Ok, where do you keep your equipment?"

"Mostly next door.  'Dr. Fledermaus' keeps it for me," Dick said with a grin. "I created a trap door in the wall.  Over here." Dick led Sarah to the wall. "Here on the bookshelf.  Hmm," Dick eyed Sarah's height relative to the shelf, "About one shelf above your eye level, fourth book from the right."  Sarah estimated the directions with her hand, and, releasing his sister's arm, Dick guided her to the intended book. "Pull"  The bookshelf turned and they stepped into the neighboring apartment.  "Not original, I know, but it gets the job done.  Ok, layout of the room.  The floor plan is opposite my apartment.  There are a few computer consoles to your right," Sarah laid her hand on the desk, "Unfortunately none of them are set up for vocal output.  Across the way—straight path— is the chem lab."

"That's what I need.  I have some blood samples of different patients," Sarah thwarted the rest of the room description. She made her way across the room, holding one hand out to catch the table.  Dick followed and got a blank slide.  "We'll take Roy's first," Sarah said as she took the offered slide from Dick and put the sample in place. 

"So what do you think this is?"

"You know how closely I keep an eye on the government.  Sort of like a Big Sister to Big Brother.  Well about a year ago I caught wind of a new technological virus, and I started to work against it," Sarah put the slide under the microscope, "Look and tell me what you see."

"How do you do this at the university?" Dick asked as he put his eyes to the microscope being careful not to bump his broken arm.

"Grad students," Sarah grinned, "What's the verdict?"

 "There's something like little claws attacking the red blood cells."

Sarah sighed.  "Yep, that's what I was afraid of.  The good news is I'm just finishing up an antidote.  About to go to human tests.  Can you get me a link to home?"

"Yep, it will have to be through Babs though."  A quick call to Babs' Crays created a link to Sarah's lab at the university.  She quickly downloaded the formulas to Dick's machine. 

"Ok, I've got the formula, now I need the ingredients.  Have any contacts at local think tanks or universities?  If not, I can probably pull my weight as a prof at Columbia."

"Babs has contacts. Maybe she can get one of her people to send over what you need." Dick when to the computer console and brought up the vidiphone on a secure line, "Hey, Oracle, you there?"

"At 8 am this better be good.  How's your arm?" Oracle looked as though she had been woken up.

"It itches.  Sarah's here.  Last night she found a hidden clinic that was treating patients with a biotech virus.  Fortunately she already has a formula, but she needs ingredients to make the antivirus.  Can you help?"

"Sure thing.  How're you doin', Sarah?"

"Good, Babs.  You?"

"Hangin' in there.  I see you already left a copy on Dick's drive.  Let's see… Yeah this is no problem.  I've got some people at Risa Tech who can get this for you.  I'll have them deliver it as groceries, ok?  With Dick's broken arm it shouldn't cause suspicion.  Let me know where this clinic is and I can have more sent the same way."

"Great, Babs, thanks," Dick said.

"Glad to help, Oracle out." 

Dick hung up the line and turned to his sister who had taken a chair near the desk.    "Ok, so we wait for the components, make the formula and go to the church."

"Yeah," Sarah paused. "Dick, I've never had such close contact with the same person as myself and as Shadowhawke in such a short span.  With my accent, I've wondered--do you think she'll see through the costume?"

"Naa..If people don't see that Clark is Superman, with the close contact with people he has as both, you should be ok.  Even with that Cajun accent of yours. Your blindness provides a unique cover."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."  Sarah seemed convinced, and she let the concern slide away.   She stood up and headed back into Dick's apartment.  Dick followed her. "I'm going to take a little cat nap before the components arrive, ok?"

"No problem.  I'll give you a wake up call."  Dick took a seat and picked up a book on criminology, preparing to use the downtime constructively.  Even with his broken arm, he still had homework.

When the 'groceries' arrived, Dick had the delivery boy put them on the table, and sent him away with a very good tip.  He went to the couch where his sister was sleeping and shook her awake.  "Groceries are here."

"Ugh" was Sarah's response.  She rose not very gracefully and stretched.  She had taken down her hair, and it had irregular waves from being tied wet.  She and Dick went back to the lab, and worked quickly and silently to produce as much of the antivirus as the 'groceries' would permit.

 

* * *

 

It was about one in the afternoon, and Sarah and Dick had just arrived at the church after creating enough of the antivirus for Dr. Sørseth's  sickest patients.  "Hello, Dr. Sørseth. I am Sarah Wayne, and this is my brother Dick Grayson," Sarah started the introductions.

"Glad to meet you, Dr. Wayne, especially considering the circumstances.  Do you think you can help these poor people?"

"Yes, fortunately.  In fact I've been working on an antivirus against just what I think you have here.  Shadowhawke told me you have a young man here named Roy Harper.  May I see him?"  Sarah felt her brother's impatience.

"Yes.  Do you know him too?"

Dick spoke up, "He's a good friend of mine." He lead Sarah through the patients following Dr. Sørseth to Roy.   They approached Roy, and Dick helped Sarah to kneel beside him, and then stepped over his friend and knelt on the other side.  Sarah extracted Roy's arm from under the blanket, and pushed up his sleeve, mindful of the scars on his arm.  She already got questioned about his weapons, she didn't need to be questioned about his former involvement with drugs.  She felt for a vein with her first two forefingers—this was going to be a challenge with Roy's veins being such a mess—and held her other hand out to Dick.  He handed over a syringe already prepared with the antivirus.

Sarah explained as she administrated the antivirus to her brother's unconscious friend, "Roy is the first human to receive this—it cleared the virus in a about half a day in previous experiments." She pulled the needle out, and handed the syringe back to Dick.  Dick took it, and Sarah put her newly empty hand on her brother's shoulder.  Squeezing his shoulder, she said softly, "It will be ok."

After tucking Roy's arm back under the blanket, Sarah stood up, and Dick followed.  She turned to Dr. Sørseth and said, "Ok, show me your sickest patients.  I have about 25 doses here, and we'll set you up with the ingredients and show you how to make it. Dick, why don't you stay with Roy." Dick, looking grateful, nodded, and sitting crosslegged where he had been kneeling a moment ago, laid his good hand on his friend's arm.

"Thanks, Dr. Wayne.  It's good timing that you were in Blüdhaven.  You're quite known in medical circles, but  I didn't realize you had a brother in Blüdhaven."

"Of course, Mom!" Until this moment, Jim had been watching Dr. Wayne in silence, but now he piped up.  "Dr. Wayne is Bruce Wayne's daughter, and Mr. Grayson was raised by him! Mr. Grayson moved to Blüdhaven about a year ago!" 

Sarah smiled at the sound of Jim's voice.  "I've been away for so long, I've forgotten how my family makes the front page of the 'society pages.'"

"Not so much that, Dr. Wayne, but Jim has always be interested in your family.  He keeps talking about running away to the circus."

Sarah laughed, "Not to New Orleans, eh?"

"Nawlins?" Jim looked puzzled.

"New Orleans, honey," Dr. Sørseth offered.

"Oh," Jim blushed, "Naa…sorry"

"That's ok, Jim, why don't you help me check on the rest of these patients while your mom does her work?"

"Ok!" Jim beamed.  He looked over at Dick, "That sick man is a good friend of Mr. Grayson's?"

"Yes, but Roy will be ok, don't worry."

"Good," Jim lead Sarah to a young boy on a pew near the front, and Sarah began to examine him, feeling his forehead, and taking a pulse.

"Dr. Wayne?  Can I ask you a question?" Jim asked timidly.

"Sure, Jim."

"What's it like to be blind?"

Sarah's been asked that question before, but it always seemed to take her for a loop. "I'll be honest, Jim, it's tough.  It's harder to get to goals.  And you have to learn how to let people help you.  I've always been one to do things myself."

"How do you do everyday things?  Umm..like how do you match clothes?"

"I get someone to mark them with little knots in the tag.  The knots tell me what color the item is. See?"  Sarah pulled the back of her sweatshirt to show Jim the 4 little knots shaped like a backwards L.  "That stands for 'ble' in Braille, which is my shortcut for 'blue.'"

"Cool.  I know you're a college teacher, right?  How do you correct your students' homework?"

"Boy, you've thought about this, haven't you?" Sarah smiled.  Jim shrugged.  "I have my students send me their homework over the university's electronic mailing system. My computer is equipped with voice output." 

Jim nodded.  "Dr. Wayne? Can I ask you another question?" he asked with a downcast voice.  Sarah could tell that the impending question had been on the boy's mind for a while.

"Shoot."

"Is it ok to take drugs if it they let you help people?"  Jim asked the question so quietly, Sarah wasn't sure she would have heard it if she had had a sighted person's hearing.

"Well it depends," Sarah said gently, "Why?  Is your mom taking something to stay awake?"

Jim nodded, forgetting that Sarah couldn't see him, and then said, "Yeah."

"It's ok, we'll help your mom.  It might not be today, but I'll make sure she gets help, ok?  Do you know where she keeps what she's taking?  Can you get me a sample?"

"Yeah, I can.   Thanks, Dr. Wayne." Jim sounded relieved.

The pair worked in silence as Jim led Sarah around to various patients that evening and into the night.  The next day she was laying a cool cloth on a young boy when suddenly Dick called, "Sarah, he's waking up!" Sarah got up suddenly and started to move before Jim reached her side, resulting in her tripping over a patient.  Jim, in motion when he heard Dick's exclamation, quickly reached her side, and guided her around the others to Roy.

Sarah knelt next to Roy, "Roy? Can you hear me?"  Roy's eyes were fluttering open, and, after a minor fight with the blanket to free his arm, he raised his hand to his head as he let out a groan.  "Roy? How do you feel?"

"Yeah, I hear ya.  Like I've been run over." His eyes opened completely, and focused on Sarah, then on Dick, "Sarah? Dick? You're arm? What happened?"

Not sure if Roy meant what happened to him or to Dick's arm, Dick answered, "You got very sick, and were found by a doctor who brought you here.  Sarah saved your life with a new antivirus. My arm's broken—long story—I'll tell you later."

Roy looked at Sarah.  "Saved my life?  God, and I thought I could handle a trip to Blüdhaven."

Sarah responded, "Truth is I don't think your illness was an accident.  I don't know why you and the rest of these people were targeted, but I suspect it won't be hard to figure out." 

Roy groaned again, and attempted to sit up.  With Dick's help he succeeded, bringing his knees up and putting his elbows on his knees.  He rested one forearm across his knees while keeping his other hand to his head.  "God knows there are enough people who'd like to see me dead.  Don't know of any in Blüdhaven off hand." Dropping his hand, Roy looked around, "This is the first time I've been to church in a while.  All these people are sick?"

"Yep," Dick answered, "Why don't you rest for a bit, and when you feel up to it, we'll move you to my apartment."

"I can go now," Roy staggered to his feet, "I think I've been on this floor long enough."  He padded  himself, "Where are my..uh..things?"

"Over there," Dick pointed to the corner. "I'll get them. Sarah?" Sarah understood that her brother meant for her to spot Roy.  He was still a little shaky on his feet.

"I've got a question," Roy said, "If I was so sick, why wasn't I taken to a hospital?"

Sarah answered, "Dr. Sørseth said the hospitals are refusing patients with these symptoms.  Just the tip of what's making me think this isn't an accident."

Dick returned with Roy's 'things,' which had been put in a backpack, and Roy tried to take it from him.  "No, I'll carry it," Dick said, slinging the pack onto his free shoulder. "You have enough to worry about just trying to move yourself."  Resigned and tired, Roy nodded.

"Dr. Sørseth?" Sarah called.  She imagined that the doctor had come to the scene, but that Sarah had missed her arrival while fussing over Roy.

"Yes, I'm here."

"We're going to go, and it looks like Roy's coming with us.  I'll make the necessary arrangements for the components you'll need to make the antivirus, and here are my formulas." Sarah held out the papers, and Dr. Sørseth took them.  "It's actually a pretty simple formula.  If you have any questions, call the number I wrote at the top."

"Ok, thank you, Dr. Wayne."

Sarah said her goodbyes to Jim, and with Roy between the siblings but requiring no support, the trio left the church.  "You realize what a sorry-looking group we are."  Roy said, amused, as they made the trip back to Dick's apartment.