"A Matter of Life and Death chapter 6 RATED PG 13
By Marcie Gore
Story summary: Dick is kidnapped by a vengeful ex employee of Bruce's.
One cliffhanger is resolved but it's NOT over! A stinker aren't I?
Bruce and Alfred stand outside the morgue waiting to be led in. Dr. Lewis, the head
of the coroner's office tells them that police found the body early this morning. The man
was in his early 20s with black hair and blue eyes. He was the same height and build as
Dick. Dr Lewis asks if Dick still had his appendix? The man they found didn't. He also
had a scar on his Shoulder.
At the mention of a scar Bruce's face turns white. He says yes he did have it removed at
the age of 12. Yes he has a scar on his shoulder. He tells the Dr he's ready to view the
body. He starts to shake as he enters the room. Dr Lewis gives Bruce one last warning the
victim was shot in the head. His face may not be as you remember him. Do the best you
can in identifying him.
Bruce lifts the sheet, first checking the scar. It's like he's trying to avoid looking at his
face, trying to delay the pain that might come with knowing the truth. The scar doesn't
look the same but he looks at his face to make sure.
It's not him! For the first time in a long time. Bruce says a silent prayer of thank you.
Then he reminds himself that this young man probably has a family somewhere. He
didn't seem to be homeless. Besides the gunshot wound he seemed to be pretty healthy.
This boy was someone's son.
He tells Dr Lewis he is sure the young man isn't Dick. As he walks out the door tears of
relief fall. He notices two people being led into the room, a man and woman. He stays to
see if they are the boy's relatives and if they need anything. They come out a few minutes
later. The woman is crying, my baby, my baby. The man is trying to comfort her.
Bruce introduces himself and then asks gently are they the boy's parents? Then he tells
them that he was asked to see if he was his son who disappeared two days earlier. He
asks them if they will need help with funeral expenses or anything else.
They tell Bruce that yes the young man did turn out to be their 22 year old son, Randy
Garrett. His car was found yesterday 10 miles away from where his body was found. He
disappeared the day before that. It looks like he was carjacked. The Garrretts say thank
you but they could handle the expenses. They know of Bruce from the newspapers It was
so good of him to take in a boy with no home or family, Dick seemed like a nice boy.
They'd followed his romance with that alien model. She seems nice too but they never
seemed right for each other. People were always telling our boy Randy how much he
looked like Dick Grayson. We'll pray that your boy returns safely, Mr. Wayne. Thank
you for caring, even with what you're going though. Bye.
They return to Wayne Manor a short time later. Bruce goes to the Batcave to test the
blood and hair samples from the van. He compares the blood with a sample of Dick's he
has on file Then he tests the strands of hair using bits from an old comb he had in storage.
The blood matches Dicks, which proves to Bruce that it was the van Dick was taken in. A
few of the strands match Dick's too. For right now there is no way to tell if the hair
matches Joe's or any of the other kidnappers.
He will send them and all of the other evidence he's collected to the Gotham PD to help
with prosecution. He thinks Dick is being held in Gotham not Bludhaven. Right after he
arrives home he receives a call reporting there had been activity near the lot he owns.
Someone had been seen coming out of a cabin a few yards away from where the W.E
owned property ends. He will watch the cabin tonight. This may be Dick's only chance of
being found alive, if he is still alive. He can't think that way he tells himself. Dick IS
still alive!
Next he does something he should've done sooner. He tells Tim about Dick's
kidnapping. He tells Tim he isn't needed right now but to be on stand by. He would need
him to help stake out the cabin tonight. . Tim is extremely angry that Bruce waited two
days to tell him about the abduction. He tells Bruce he is coming right away he wants to
know he has found so far.
When he gets to the cave, Robin tells Batman he has informed the Titans about the
kidnapping. He tells Tim he doesn't want them to be in on the investigation. Their
presence would attract too much attention, which might spook the kidnappers and place
Dick in even more danger He has something he wants Tim to see the videotape.
Before he can start it, the phone rings Bruce picks it up in the bat cave, He will make
another attempt to trace the call.
The first thing Joe says is did our little surprise scare you?
By Marcie Gore
Story summary: Dick is kidnapped by a vengeful ex employee of Bruce's.
One cliffhanger is resolved but it's NOT over! A stinker aren't I?
Bruce and Alfred stand outside the morgue waiting to be led in. Dr. Lewis, the head
of the coroner's office tells them that police found the body early this morning. The man
was in his early 20s with black hair and blue eyes. He was the same height and build as
Dick. Dr Lewis asks if Dick still had his appendix? The man they found didn't. He also
had a scar on his Shoulder.
At the mention of a scar Bruce's face turns white. He says yes he did have it removed at
the age of 12. Yes he has a scar on his shoulder. He tells the Dr he's ready to view the
body. He starts to shake as he enters the room. Dr Lewis gives Bruce one last warning the
victim was shot in the head. His face may not be as you remember him. Do the best you
can in identifying him.
Bruce lifts the sheet, first checking the scar. It's like he's trying to avoid looking at his
face, trying to delay the pain that might come with knowing the truth. The scar doesn't
look the same but he looks at his face to make sure.
It's not him! For the first time in a long time. Bruce says a silent prayer of thank you.
Then he reminds himself that this young man probably has a family somewhere. He
didn't seem to be homeless. Besides the gunshot wound he seemed to be pretty healthy.
This boy was someone's son.
He tells Dr Lewis he is sure the young man isn't Dick. As he walks out the door tears of
relief fall. He notices two people being led into the room, a man and woman. He stays to
see if they are the boy's relatives and if they need anything. They come out a few minutes
later. The woman is crying, my baby, my baby. The man is trying to comfort her.
Bruce introduces himself and then asks gently are they the boy's parents? Then he tells
them that he was asked to see if he was his son who disappeared two days earlier. He
asks them if they will need help with funeral expenses or anything else.
They tell Bruce that yes the young man did turn out to be their 22 year old son, Randy
Garrett. His car was found yesterday 10 miles away from where his body was found. He
disappeared the day before that. It looks like he was carjacked. The Garrretts say thank
you but they could handle the expenses. They know of Bruce from the newspapers It was
so good of him to take in a boy with no home or family, Dick seemed like a nice boy.
They'd followed his romance with that alien model. She seems nice too but they never
seemed right for each other. People were always telling our boy Randy how much he
looked like Dick Grayson. We'll pray that your boy returns safely, Mr. Wayne. Thank
you for caring, even with what you're going though. Bye.
They return to Wayne Manor a short time later. Bruce goes to the Batcave to test the
blood and hair samples from the van. He compares the blood with a sample of Dick's he
has on file Then he tests the strands of hair using bits from an old comb he had in storage.
The blood matches Dicks, which proves to Bruce that it was the van Dick was taken in. A
few of the strands match Dick's too. For right now there is no way to tell if the hair
matches Joe's or any of the other kidnappers.
He will send them and all of the other evidence he's collected to the Gotham PD to help
with prosecution. He thinks Dick is being held in Gotham not Bludhaven. Right after he
arrives home he receives a call reporting there had been activity near the lot he owns.
Someone had been seen coming out of a cabin a few yards away from where the W.E
owned property ends. He will watch the cabin tonight. This may be Dick's only chance of
being found alive, if he is still alive. He can't think that way he tells himself. Dick IS
still alive!
Next he does something he should've done sooner. He tells Tim about Dick's
kidnapping. He tells Tim he isn't needed right now but to be on stand by. He would need
him to help stake out the cabin tonight. . Tim is extremely angry that Bruce waited two
days to tell him about the abduction. He tells Bruce he is coming right away he wants to
know he has found so far.
When he gets to the cave, Robin tells Batman he has informed the Titans about the
kidnapping. He tells Tim he doesn't want them to be in on the investigation. Their
presence would attract too much attention, which might spook the kidnappers and place
Dick in even more danger He has something he wants Tim to see the videotape.
Before he can start it, the phone rings Bruce picks it up in the bat cave, He will make
another attempt to trace the call.
The first thing Joe says is did our little surprise scare you?