Fate looked through the portal at Thomas, "Give me a few minutes to do the hypnotization before I join you to see if you need me more.", and Thomas nodded, "Okay!", before the portal vanished.
"Hey, Dad. Alfred told the gist. What do you need?", Bruce replied, "Get the Wayne hospital casts from that cabinet, and any fresh bandages you got. I know the General Gotham Hospital sterilize everything, and is one of the best hospitals, but now with the magic having temporarily touching them, they're technically bad, so we need to stabilize the wounds and injuries better with our touch on them. Your mother's preparing the bedroom, isn't she?".
Bruce nodded, "Right!", heading to the cabinet, and nodding, "Yeah, she is, getting the stuff from the manor med bay to the bedroom to make things more comfortable and warmer as down here is colder than up there, but we will get them up there, Dad.".
"Good, I don't know how much time we have so we have to act like we only have minutes to spare.", Thomas sighed. "Will it work?", Bruce asked. "What we're planning... haven't really tried anything like this before.".
"Not even sure if we can make it work...", Thomas admitted. "If we don't have matching blood types, then this whole idea is muted.".
Bruce replied, "We got plenty of people, Dad. Heck, between me and the kids, there are like 9 people total that got gamma genes in blood! We won't fail, we have to try, for Dick, and them. They're pretty deep now in this with our family, thanks to Mama.", as he returned with the best casts for everything broken and fresh bandages.
"Yeah...", Thomas whispered as Bruce took a deep breath. "Do you think... do you think Mama told them everything?", Bruce wondered.
"No doubt about that; they wouldn't even know the gamma procedure if not for her. They want to fight, that's for sure...", Thomas paused for a moment. "Any updates on Zucco?".
"No, he obviously was there tonight but he's gone to ground again. I don't know how he and his men managed to sneak their way into the circus tents; but...", Bruce slammed a nearby wall with his fist. "Damn it! We let our guard down for just a bit and...".
Thomas looked at his son, "Bruce, if your hand isn't too sore, I need your help with this, I can't do both of them alone.", and Bruce became sheepish, "Right, sorry, I just...right, them first and we'll worry about the Zuccos later... should have taken a note from Poppy there. She's really focused on Dick which I couldn't blame at all.".
"Yes...", Thomas almost said something more but kept his tongue. Odds were if things didn't work out and John and Mary didn't make it, Poppy would rush to adopt Dick in a heartbeat. But he couldn't think about the odds or what would happen if they failed. Having a negative mindset wasn't helping anyone.
And so, they went to work quickly yet carefully like they had minutes to spare, replacing the old casts with the best, most comfortable casts from the Wayne hospital in the city, and the old bandages with the fresh bandages, and changing the IV bags to fresh and new ones afterwards.
Fate came back, exhaling, "Was a bit more complicated, as there were reporters and paparazzi outside as well, but finally got them to think that John and Mary are in another hospital. You got the mobile IV bags and all to them, yes?".
Thomas nodded, "Yeah. Can you make a portal to the guest bedroom, with the two guest beds, on the second floor?", and Fate nodded, having seen Wayne Manor thoroughly over the years, and created a portal, where Martha was just checking over the med bay medical machines and equipment.
"Martha, you go Hulk and carry Mary's slab, transfer to the first bed there while I and Bruce will carry John's slab, as Fate needs to keep the portal open!", Thomas called, and Martha nodded, changing fast into Incredible She-Hulk, and with utmost care, she carried Mary's slab, with the mobile IV bag and all, coming through the portal to the first bed, putting down the fragile stuff down first before transferring Mary into the bed like a reverse slide, removing the slab's restraints as she shifted back to normal.
Thomas and Bruce carried John's slab to the second bed, with Bruce nudging along the other mobile IV bag and all through the portal as Fate kept the portal open, transferring John into the bed, removing the restraints, and with a nod, Fate vanished the portal.
"Right, who's up first for some blood withdrawal to check with compatibility for John and Mary?", Thomas replied, and Bruce replied, "Since I was the first one to help you, Dad, I'm up first.".
Martha nodded, "Right, I'll get some water for you to hydrate, Bruce, and I'll tell the adults of the update so far. I hope Leslie isn't held up in traffic, almost on the way to the manor.", before leaving the bedroom, with Thomas glancing at Fate, "There's a couple vials of John and Mary's blood near you, could you spin them up into the blood machine database computer, if you could?".
"As long as it's fairly basic... technology wasn't exactly my strong suit.", Fate explained as Thomas chuckled. "Don't worry, it's pretty easy, we just have to make sure we can find some matching blood types. Hopefully Martha or Poppy will be the best to match.", he said.
Bruce replied, "Me too.", as he pulled his sleeve up, working his arm and making a fist as he sat down in one of the desk chairs, "Mom or Poppy would be the best match for Mary, considering that they're all female...Perhaps me or Waylon for John.".
Thomas nodded as he prepped and sterilized the syringe and everything for the blood withdrawal, "I hope so, I couldn't want to risk the kids too much, if they match, but hopefully, adult blood would be stronger compared to child blood.".
"Either way, only one way to find out with things. Alright, let's get this started...", Bruce nodded. "Already getting some samples from John and Mary, though we will need a few minutes before the machine can inform us of their types.", Thomas said.
"Pity we don't know our types really off the top of our heads.", Bruce admitted. "Feels kinda strange with how we got a lot of smart people in this family; we're forgetting like one simple detail.".
Thomas chuckled, "I agree; sorry I never bothered checking for any of us... I'll be sure to fix that but hopefully, this isn't something we'll have to keep doing. If anyone's an O-type, we're golden.".
Fate replied, "Yet I must point out that apart from Thomas, Alfred, and Caroline, the others, well, it was fortunate that you and Leslie and Martha only know how to nurse up to everyone and such, because even with blood, it's one thing of luck if the city messes the blood up with the air and everything, but if pure and clean straightforward from the arm, if in the hospital, well, perhaps several doctors wouldn't notice if they skim over it like nothing, but there would be still one or two doctors who would notice.", as he watched the vials of John and Mary spin and work into the machine, waiting those few minutes like Thomas said.
Bruce exhaled, widening his eyes, "I take it back...Thank god that it's only you, and Leslie...You two know how to destroy blood in an emergency as Mom doesn't do that kind of thing.", glancing at his father.
"Really starts getting to me of just how much we have to do to cover our tracks with things... it's almost a mindboggling mess and I swear, I feel like any second we're going to forget one of our stories and then everything will come crashing down quick.", Thomas sighed.
Bruce replied, "Perhaps a secret book then? We can still tell the basics to the kids these days, but when they get older, they would read the book and then ask questions here and there.".
Thomas hummed, "Not a bad idea...", as he pressed on Bruce's inner elbow, and worked on withdrawing enough blood for a vial through the syringe, then the tube.
Bruce exhaled deeply as they waited before the sound of the blood database computer dinged, and Thomas asked over his shoulder, "Is the answers up for their blood types?", to Fate.
"Should be another moment. Again, if I recall, O-types are compatible with all four blood types so whoever has that type will be the one that should be used.", Fate said as he looked at the screen.
Then another ding was heard, and Fate replied, "John's blood type is A-positive, while Mary's blood type is AB-positive, yet it's tinged with something unfamiliar which I am guessing to be gamma genes...Looks like Dick had slightly changed her blood type while within her through the brief pregnancy/pre-labor to birth, while he is normal AB type in his blood then.".
Bruce replied, "So, that means John and Mary would need O-negative, then...That leaves Dick out, unfortunately for John, but for Mary, it would work...Then again, it's too dangerous to risk him, being young.".
Martha returned with Leslie, "Hey, guys, guess what, Leslie still got secret notes on the blood types for me and Waylon.", and Leslie nodded, "Yep. Martha got O-negative now, but before her change, she was A-negative.".
Bruce exhaled, "Which means that I would be either AB or A-negative, due to you, Dad if we check you...Then again, with my changes, I could be A-positive at best...".
Fate replied, "And Waylon?", and Leslie replied, "He was B-negative before he changed to O-positive...Clearly, it has to do with the gamma genes changing the blood itself, not just the whole body, apparently...And it's good to see you, hood.".
"Oh, come on! It's a helm, not a hood!", Fate groaned in annoyance as she always does this to him. Turns out even if he's powerful, he can get hurt bad occasionally over the years, and Thomas had to refer him to trust Leslie when Thomas was occupied in a meeting with high-business guys for Bruce.
Leslie now knew most of the truth involving around him but never saw his true self underneath. "Oh, I know. Personally, I think a hood would be perfect for you otherwise how could I know what accompanies those soulful eyes, hmm?", Leslie smirked.
Fate seemed to give a frustrated groan, "I told you, Thompkins, I ain't interested to go along with your shenanigans!", and a throat cleared, "If you're done, kids, we will check on Bruce to see if he's compatible.", as Thomas cleaned Bruce's inner elbow and passed the vial to Martha who went to put the vial into the spinner.
"And as for the knowledge of the gamma genes changing the blood inside out and all, Leslie, go get Waylon next while we will do a sample of seeing how Martha's blood might work together with Mary's sample on the machine...Martha, if you please sit down.", Thomas then replied.
Martha took a deep breath as she sat down, "Look, I need to ask, since no one's really discussed it in good detail yet but this whole procedure; this will only give them some partial gamma cells, we're not talking about creating two new Hulks here, right?".
"Well, I had to spend the whole time on the way here thinking through this whole scenario...", Leslie said. "But if my mental calculations are correct, it should be just enough to help them heal and recover faster, but not enough to cause any sort of true mutations.".
Bruce replied, "That logically makes sense. And should you go get Waylon, Aunt Leslie? We can't afford to waste much time.", and Leslie nodded, "Right. Be back.", leaving the bedroom as Bruce drank the first bottle of water out of the 10-bundle of water thanks to his mother, feeling better after that withdrawal.
Fate replied, "Will be a few minutes to see yours if it's a different blood type, or compatible, Bruce.", keeping an eye on the computer display as the sample of Bruce's blood worked into the machine.
"Then we just wait... how are they doing, Dad?", Bruce asked. "So far, still somewhat stable but will obviously get worse if we just leave them as is... they won't heal right.", Thomas explained.
"Will you need to perform any sort of surgery?", Fate asked. "Perhaps, even with the transfusion, there might be some bones that could use some work to get them back in place to heal properly.", Thomas replied.
Martha replied, "Don't worry, Thomas...The casts are helping lock the broken bones and such in...Good thing that your father has built Wayne Hospital long ago...It's a miracle that they hadn't hit hard enough for the neck or head...That would have been more trouble...".
Thomas nodded, "Yeah...I guess they had some instinct to tuck their heads in during the fall and crash of the net, which is good. Some of the organs seem strong including the lungs, but their hearts are working hard to regain the blood loss...Hopefully, with the transfusion, their hearts will resume back to normal mode, and give the bones some acceleration, I suppose, in the healing, but honestly, it's a waiting game for the night...You should have heard the other doctors...They were being damn pessimistic...saying that it's a slim chance, and that they are suffering...".
"Wait, are you saying that even with everything for years to heal, they would possibly have ended up paralyzed, if the suffering of their bodies couldn't keep up with the healing the normal way?", Martha asked in horror.
Thomas exhaled, "That, possibly, yes, but they were also thinking of pulling them out if they didn't show any signs of improvement overnight...", with a low growl.
"That explains the few doctors talking about you before I came in to hypnotize them...They were wary and upset of you.", Fate commented.
"I can't exactly blame them. I'm seen as this sort of arrogant man with a doctorate who seems to not really practice any medicine and is trying to tell these folks who work on all sorts of people day after day for years...", Thomas sighed.
"Still, they really felt that sure about them?", Martha asked. Thomas replied, "Yeah; they really thought it would be next to a miracle for even one of them to be able to make it, much less recovering.".
Fate replied, "Good thing you called me then...", before the door opened again, with Leslie and Waylon coming in, and Thomas immediately replied, "There's extra syringes and tubes and vials in that medical rolling dresser.".
Leslie nodded, "Right. Take a seat, Waylon.", and Waylon nodded, taking a seat in the other desk chair as Leslie went to the medical dresser, and Waylon glanced at Bruce, "The kids are distracted with a silly movie, but honestly, I think they were half not interested as they kept glancing at Dick in concern as he was literally glued to Poppy...He tired himself out after crying and holding into her...He thought it was his fault...He said if he hadn't called the cops, Batman then wouldn't have arrested the first guy, making Tony Zucco angry at the loss of his first brother behind bars, all of this wouldn't have happened...".
"I understand that he's blaming himself.", Bruce said. "But he really shouldn't... even if he didn't call the cops, the fact that Tony Zucco didn't get his way meant that he was going to come back no matter what.".
"It'll be hard to truly explain that to him... at least in a way that he'd believe it.", Martha sighed with disappointment. "He'd probably think or say that we're just telling him that to make him feel better.".
Thomas replied, "I think it's up to Poppy, or John and Mary once they get through this, to tell Dick that it's not his fault...", before another ding is heard, and Fate went to look closer at the computer screen of Bruce's results, and the compatibility graph of his genes working with either John or Mary.
"Got Bruce's results, sorry, Bruce, but no O-negative here, but rather A-negative, which is compatible with John's blood sample, but not 100%...You have gamma genes as the tickle in the genes, but not strong enough, looks like...need something stronger...", Fate replied.
Martha exhaled, "Then it's either me or Poppy, since we technically had switched on powers during moments of desperation and puberty, to work with Mary then as we're girls, and Waylon is the same, so hopefully, the third time is the charm.", as Thomas finished with her, cleaning and swabbing, with the vial of Martha's blood, passing it over to Fate to repeat the spinning and scanning process into the machine.
Waylon replied, "Please don't be mad with me, Mom.", looking at Martha, "But I have the strangest feeling that perhaps you are technically too strong with the gamma genes...I mean, sure, you would have some strands of gamma genes of your own strain, but what if you got Ke's strain, and it would be too much power in transference, while me and Poppy are technically the second generation, and perhaps it would just be the right power of gamma genes to give healing? And...well, we're technically tied to John and Mary through Dick...", as Leslie went to work on withdrawing from his inner elbow.