Child of the Dark Knite

Chapter 6 Ray of Hope

Bruce held her hand to his brow. Hoping that even through the medication, she'd feel she wasn't alone. He spent an hour, maybe more, trying to get through to her family in L.A., but they kept hanging up. His last call, he got a young man named Liam, her youngest brother he suspected, by the sound of his voice. "Please," Bruce said, "Don't hang up. Lissa needs you!"

He heard a click, and feared that the line had gone dead like so many other times, but such was not the case. "My name's Liam," he said quietly. "If my family finds out I'm talking to you, I'm in big trouble."

"Please. She's your big sister, she needs you right now."

"You her real Dad?"

"Yes. I'm Bruce Wayne."

"I've heard of you. How is she?"

"Not good. She's due to go into surgery in a few hours, as soon as Fitzroy arrives."

"He's the best. Mom had insisted. You're looking to have us typed for blood aren't you?"

"If any of you are willing."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne. We've all ready been through that. None of us are compatible. She's got a very rare O negative blood type. There's very few in the country that have it."

"I know. I'm one of them, but they can't use mine."

"Why not?"

"I've goticatication for a heart condition. It's under control, but the medication in my blood could kill her in her weakened state."

"I'd like to help. Really I would, but there's nothing I can do. Hold on.. Jac Jack, its not that Jerk. It's Ramond. Now would you get out!" Bruce could hear another click and then there was a musical tone before Liam's voice came back over the connection. "I transferred the call to my cell, so no one will know its you if they pick up an extension."

"What happened down there? With her family and her father? Why is everyone avoiding her?"

"It's a trust thing. Dad's big on it, and the rest of us are too. Dad begged mom to tell him about you, but she said she couldn't trust him. Then she had her heart attack. Before she died, she had Lissa lock them in her hospital room so they could talk privately. Mom even had hospital security keep us out. When Lissa came out finally, she was just as tight lipped as mom. Lissa never stuck around, even for the funeral. Dad's disowned her. Says she doesn't deserve his name, if she won't trust him. The rest of the family is sore that she missed the funeral."

"But you're not?"

"Well yes I am, but I understand. This is her life. Every moment counted. Mom had taught us to keep our promises. She told me that she'd promised mom to find you. She nd mod money for the trip. I gave her all I had, most of us pitched in, then she got money from friends, and I got some from my friends. She also sold pretty near everything she had. Then I got up the other day, and she was gone."

"I see. Thank you."

"Mr. Wayne. Keep me posted. My cell is 415-555-8092."

"Sure. Good bye."

There wasn't anything else he could do, accept sit there and watch his daughter die. The other donors of her blood type were either sick, unreachable, or pregnant. There had to be something.

Alarms started sounding again, and all the vital sign indicators fluctuated wildly. The staff ran in, and again he was pushed out into the hall.

He watched them as they tried to keep her from biting through the air tube during the seizure. Medicine was injected, but it seemed to take longer to calm her. Suddenly the heart monitor went flat. Bruce's heart sank in his chest. He was helpless.

They shocked her.

Nothing.

Bruce put his hand to the glass. 'Please, I can't loose you too,' he pleaded silently.

December 21, 2001

"You're gona go see her aren't you?"

Batman turned to the boy. They'd returned from patrol, and things were finally quiet. "Any word from her Alfred?"

"Nothing since the 20th of last month, sir."

"Tim, go to bed."

"But I want to go too."

"No! You have school tomorrow." The Batmobile sped away. He felt awful. Alfred would get an encrypted email every few days, since late September. Begging him to have Batman come to see her, though never mentioning his name at all. He couldn't go. The Joker was causing trouble, then Riddler, Two Face and Catwoman all showed up and had their own schemes cooking. He had to stop them. Then The Claw reappeared, and that took till last night to wind up her latest attempt at destroying the world. The costumed clowns were still in Archum Asylum, Catwoman and Claw had escaped, and things around the city were relatively quiet. Nothing the police couldn't handle on their own.

Tonight he'd go see her. He longed to feel her kiss him. Though he was in love with Celina Cial, her current chosen occupation made their pairing impossible. Not only that, Bruce loved Celina not Batman, and Celina loved Batman not Bruce. This leading a double life was really hitting hard on his social life.

He left the car in the alley, and slipped into Jen's room through her window. She said she'd never lock it on him, and he couldn't wait to see her, asleep or not. But the bed was empty. Not even bedclothes or pillows. All her ornaments and electronics were gone, and her closet was empty. At first he thought they'd moved, but she'd've mentioned it in her email. Or was that why she wanted to see him so desperately.

"DON'T Move, or I'll blow you away." Batman stood still. He'd heard her father's voice before, when he'd brought Jen home back in August, so he knew he was in the right place. The lights went on, and he slowly turned around. "YOU! Damn it, I could have shot you!"

"Sorry."

"Things must be pretty quiet, that you'd investigate a missing person. Thank you."

"Tell me what happened."

"Jennifer, my daughter. She'd been a bit upset recently, but she wouldn't say about what." As Jen's father spoke, Batman circled the room. Looking into the closet, dresser, nightstand, trash, but nothing. It was all empty. "Then, end of November, Jenny was gone. Her professors called, saying that they were sorry to see her drop out. Jenny never dropped out of anything in her life. But she did. She was gone. No clue, not note, nothing. Wanda, her mother, is sick with worry; I get headaches talking to the cops. And still...Look, I know she's over 25 years old, but she's never done anything like this. It's completely out of her character."

Batman ran his hand over the mattress, then looked under it. She use to hide love notes to him there, and he'd put his there too. Though the notes sounded like conversations between friends, he'd enjoyed getting them.

"I found a metal waste basket in here, the day she left. She burned something. The cops took it, but they said it was just paper in the end. Nothing substantial."

She'd burned his notes to her. She must have been really mad at him to do that. "Please Batman. Can you bring my little girl home?"

Batman strode to the window. "No promises. I have to see her file."

He then fired his grappling gun, and swung away. Returning to the car and sealing himself inside, he allowed the reality of her absence to fill him. She was gone. His bright star in the night had disappeared. But why? He felt sick.

He knew this feeling.

He was alone, and he hated it.

PRESENT DAY

He truly hated it. Being alone. 'Don't leave me, please,' he begged her.

They shocked her, the fifth time.

Heart beat.

Bruce's shoulders relaxed, and he lowered his hand from the window. "Bruce!" He turned to see Terry jogging up to him with another man at his side. "This is Fitzroy."

"Time int introductions later, get in there," he said, pointing to the door.

"I quite agree." He shed his coat, left it with Terry, and stepped into the ICU room.

"How she doing?" asked the boy.

Bruce closed his eyes. "We almost lost her."

Terry could see Bruce was tired. He most likely didn't sleep the night before, and now this. "Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria. They'll be a while."

"No, Terry. I'm not going anywhere."

"Ok, but they aren't going to let you watch the surgery. Com on."

Bruce didn't move. For some reason he couldn't breath, his chest hurt. "Bruce? Bruce! Somebody!! I need some help!!!" Terry eased Bruce to the floor, as nurses and other physicians ran to help. "Hang on, old man!" Terry yelled as he was pulled away. "Don't you die on ME!!"