A/N: With Samantha now part of the family, and Tim determined to marry her, Jason and Dick have taken it upon themselves to teach Tim how to please a woman without Bruce knowing about it. Something powerful happened and two brothers are in hot water with their father. Dick and Jason decide they had better keep out of Bruce's way for a while by taking a case that leads them out of Gotham. The case however has to be interrupted when word reaches them that Tim has a life threatening illness or is it? And has that case actually come to Gotham?
New Life, Death, and Soul Easters
by
AJRedRobin and JasonToddLover
Part 10: Questionable Results
Bruce waited for Dick to arrive as he flipped through several pages of notes. He had gone through these notes to the point that he had them memorized. He tossed the papers aside when he noticed once again the folder that contained Tim's medical report that Dr. Leslie Tompkins provided. Why was this happening now? Tim was barely recovered from that bullet wound and from being in Devlin's hands. Now he was sick. Life was playing a very cruel joke and he didn't like it. Bruce once again took the folder and went over the results. The blood test seemed conclusive, but something didn't add up. Tim just could not have leukemia. It seemed outlandish that such a thing was possible. Bruce barely heard the door to his study open as he concentrated on trying to figure out what were the discrepancies.
"You wanted to see me?" Dick asked.
"Come in Dick."
Dick came in and closed the door. He moved over to one of the chairs by the fireplace and sat down. He saw the pile of papers on the coffee table. Bruce normally sat at his desk. The fact that he was in one of the wing-backed chairs showed how exhausted and frustrated he had become. The desk represented business and yet it was as if Bruce was trying to deny or avoid the business at hand. 'Or maybe he's just trying to put me at ease,' Dick thought, but there was no denying that what they were up against was nothing less than watching one of their family members die a slow, agonizing death.
"Sit down. Dick."
Dick gave a slight smirk. He was already sitting down and the fact that Bruce didn't notice was also testimony on how worried his mind was with regards to Tim.
"We need to go over arrangements." Bruce was blunt.
"Arrangements . . . , " Dick at the moment had no clue as to what Bruce was referring to.
"Funeral arrangements," Bruce reiterated.
Dick's face paled a second time. "Do we have to do this now?"
"It's not going to be any less painful if we wait. If anything, it may be more. Getting it out of the way means we're prepared for when it comes."
"You're right. It's just . . . ,"
"I know, Dick, but we have to be prepared for the worst. We just can't rely on the possibility or hope for a donor to come through."
"Is that the report?" Dick noticed the folder.
"Yes," Bruce answered. "The blood test that Dr. Thompkins examined."
"You can't believe it either."
"I don't believe it," Bruce concurred.
"What makes you question it?"
"The rapidness how this set in. Dick, Tim's listed as having stage four leukemia."
Dick's face visibly paled even more. His face was whiter than a sheet. He looked like he was about to pass out. "Stage four, that's . . . that's the last stage before . . . "
"If he doesn't get a donor within weeks he'll die," Bruce stated. "But I can't help thinking we're missing something."
"You think something's really fishy here," Dick stated. 'Did Leslie give us false hope? Why would she do that? Why would she lie to us/'
"It stinks and I can't quite understand why."
"Then let's go back over the facts," Dick suggested. "Maybe if I look at the report something might occur to me."
Bruce tossed the folder in Dick's direction. Dick started going through the blood test results. It clearly showed the deficiencies in Tim's blood. He still could not believe that Tim had leukemia. They would have noticed this sooner, would they? Was this the result from that Succubus and that bullet wound? No, it can't be. That didn't make any sense. Dick went through the examination papers. Then his eyes narrowed. Why was this so familiar? He read the description, again.
"Dad, I don't think this is leukemia."
"The blood test says it is," Bruce argued. "Did you find something?"
"No, it's more like remembering something I read. Be right back." Dick ran out of Bruce's office and ran back up to Tim's room. He burst through the door. "Jason, where's that case file?"
"SHHHH!" Jason said, harshly. He went over and pulled Dick from Tim's room. "Can't you see he's asleep."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to burst in like that."
"You're the one who insisted I sit with him."
"I know," Dick conceded. "Do you know where that case file is that you had?"
"I left it in the car, why?"
"Because I don't think Tim has leukemia."
Dick ran down the stairs and out to the garage where Jason's car was parked. He grabbed the folder that contained the papers of the case they had started to work on and brought it inside the Manor. He ran upstairs to talk to Jason before going back to talk to Bruce. He wasn't aware of two dark figures that hung in the shadows, their glowing eyes staring in his direction.
Continues with Part 11