My Sons' Eyes Are Blue, Too

By

AJ

Part 9 – Putting the Pieces Together

Bruce moved to the computer and began examining the week's important news. Recognizing Malone and Cage, Bruce concentrated his search on those two. He first searched on the arrest record. They were temporarily placed in the holding cell in the court house to await arraignment, but it was postponed so they were moved to the city jail. They were there only three days. Bruce found the record showing when bail had been posted for the two men. Malone's bail was posted first. Then Cage was released the next day. Both times cash had been paid. Bruce scrutinized a copy of the receipt for the release of Jasper Cage.

'Where did Malone get $100,000 dollars?' Bruce asked himself. 'Let me look at the receipt for Malone. That might give me a clue.' Bruce pulled up a copy of the receipt for Malone. His eyes narrowed when he saw the name, Ralph Zucco. Ralph Zucco, the man who tried to kill Dick when he was just a boy, trying to take revenge for the death of his brother after Tony Zucco was convicted for the murder of John and Mary Grayson.

'The state didn't waste any time with him. They sentenced Tony Zucco to death just three months after his trial. Ralph Zucco was convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder. He was sentenced for 20 years. How could he post bail for his nephew?

The answer came in a notice that had been previously over looked.

'Ralph Zucco was released on parole a year ago. He violated parole when he disappeared six weeks later. I wonder where you went to Ralph Zucco. Where did the money come from and who delivered it in order so your nephew was bailed out? Or did you show up in Gotham to do the dead yourself. I wonder if there are any fingerprints on that receipt. That would make you an accessory and I'll have you, too. The signature seems to match, but I need to know for sure. Looks like I'm paying a nighttime visit to the lock-up tonight.'

Bruce was kicking himself. If he had investigated further, his sons would not have suffered as they have this week. He would have discovered sooner that Dick's nightmares were due to the altered fear toxin and maybe he would not have had to suffer for a week.

'This is my fault for not collecting the fear toxin right after I saved him from . . . Now Cage and Malone are out there and I have to stop them. Where are you? They better not show their faces or I'll be on them so fast they wished they'd never left Blackgate. And Ralph Zucco, where did you go after bailing out your nephew. Are you involved in all of this? I should have . . . Dick would say there's no point in 'should haves' . . . He's right. I need to focus on what I can do right now.'

The analyzer gave out its customary ping and spit out another index card. Bruce looked at it and got right to work on mixing the appropriate ingredients to create the antitoxin. He placed some of the mixture into a special dehydrator to turn the liquid into a powder to later be pressed into tablets. For now, he placed the remaining liquid into a plastic IV bag and sealed it shut. Attaching an IV tube to the bag, Bruce gathered everything and headed out of the cave, back through the Manor, and back out to the car.

/

Dick was in the middle of another nightmare. Thrashing about., he nearly pulled out the IV as well as nearly ripping his stitches.

"Master Richard!" Alfred had left for only a moment to check on the pot of soup he placed on the stove. "Master Richard, you are having a nightmare you must wake up."

"NO! NO! I've got to escape! Got to help Bruce! They'll kill him!"

"Master Richard . . . Master Bruce is all right," Alfred said, trying to comfort the young man, but the look on the young man's face told Alfred he would not be comforted. The young man, though his eyes were open they had the look of seeing something that wasn't there.

"No, I . . . I . . . failed," Dick quailed in misery, as if he was talking to himself. "They . . . They caught him . . . Malone . . . Jasper . . ."

Then Alfred saw a terrible change come over Dick Grayson's face. Rage and fear were etched into the young man's features. What kind of images was Dick Grayson seeing?

"NOOOOO!" Dick cried out at the top of his lungs, "Don't! DON'T!"

"Master Richard! Snap out of it!" Alfred grabbed Dick, pinning his arms to the bed to prevent him from harming himself further as well as trying to keep him from lashing out at whatever he was hallucinating. It wasn't hard in Dick's weakened state.

"LET ME GO!" Dick growled.

"Alfred!" Bruce came running into the room carrying the IV bag and saw that Alfred was holding Dick down on the bed, trying to restrain him.

"Master Bruce, I can't wake him."

"That's because he's not asleep any more. He's hallucinating through his dreams whether he's awake or not and it's when he's most vulnerable," Bruce explained.

Bruce exchanged places with Alfred and handed the butler the IV. "I discovered the antitoxin. Attach this to the saline. Hopefully it will start working immediately."

"Should he be receiving this much? That's nearly a half a pint."

"That's what the analyzer recommended for someone who received an overdose with this type of fear toxin. Malone pumped him full of that junk. It's going to take just as much to clear it from his mind. It needs to circulate through his system."

"We'll need to trade places," Alfred stated.

As soon as Alfred released Dick, Bruce lifted Dick up in a sitting position so he could sit behind him on the bed. He held Dick in a tight embrace, pinning his arms to keep him from harming himself or anyone else. Alfred hooked up the second IV and adding it to the drip line.

In Dick's confused state, he believed it was Malone that was holding him. Anger and rage filled him and he tried to lash out. "LET ME GO, MALONE! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD! DON'T YOU DARE HARM BRUCE!"

"Hush! Dick it's me. I'm all right." Bruce spoke close to Dick's ear. "I'm all right. You saved us both," Bruce lied. Though he had been the one to save them. He knew Dick needed this. "Nightwing . . . you did it. You saved both of us from the trap. You found the toxin under the floor. You gave it to me. You were hurt. You're safe."

Alfred and Bruce watched and waited as the antitoxin blended with the saline and entered into Dick's circulatory system. Within fifteen minutes, even though Dick continued to struggle against the imaginary bond that held him, the tightness on his face wasn't nearly so pronounced. Bruce continued whispering into Nightwing's ear, and Dick slowly relaxed, his body no longer ridged with tension.

"Is it wise to tell him he was the one to save you?" Alfred asked.

"He needs it Alfred. He'll know the truth soon enough. He needs something to believe in and to fight for."

As the tension left Dick's body, he slowly relaxed against Bruce's chest. Exhaustion from the past week was catching up to him in a big way. Bruce whispered one more set of words into his son's ear. "No more bad dreams, my son."

Bruce carefully maneuvered Dick's body until he was lying back on the bed. This time Dick fell into a deep natural sleep. He would not wake for several hours.

"Alfred, on second thought thanks for bringing my uniform. I'm going to need it tonight."

"It is still several hours until sundown. I brought some soup and I can make something to go with it."

"Thanks Alfred, that sounds real good. I guess I am hungry."

"Let me see what there is in the pantry and I shall bring you a meal. I take it you do not wish to leave Master Dick's side just yet?"

"You know me too well."

"Perhaps I should bring Master Damian here. He should not be left alone at the Manor."

"No, Damian is taking care of something for me," Bruce said.

"I take it, it is the bird you were holding after Master Richard's accident."

"You noticed," Bruce's eyes became wide.

"I could not help but notice. You held the bird just as if it was one of your sons," Alfred pointed out.

"I gave the bird to Damian to take care of," Bruce answered. "He's good with animals. It seems to also calm his troubled spirit. He might be able to repair any damage . . ."

Bruce's phone went off at that moment. He looked at the caller's name and saw that it was Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

"Bruce, what in the hell is going on? You better bring my patient back here or I'll have you up on charges."

Continues with Part 10