No Place in My Heart for a Criminal Like You

After thinking over last nights events, I decided that I’d apologise to The Joker and let him know that I was going to confront head nurse on what actually happened between me and The Joker. I was completely aware that this was going to ruin me but I didn’t care, as long as it made him feel better. It isn’t fair that I let him take the fall, as if he doesn’t already have enough people on his back, he doesn’t need another problem being piled on him like being accused of raping his psychiatrist.

I had been filled with determination ever since I woke up, knowing exactly what I was going to say. But the determination soon vanished after I had entered Arkham and reached my floor. The corridor was crowded with nurses, doctors and guards; all talking like there was no tomorrow. I noticed that there were police spread out across the hallway too. Obviously, something terrible must have happened for everyone to be here. I couldn’t help but feel as if it was something to do with The Joker.

I slowly walked through the crowd of people, squeezing my way into all of the commotion. I was eager to find out what was happening.

Surprise, surprise. It was something to do with The Joker. However, I was in total shock at what I saw. The wall of The Joker’s cell and a couple of the cells attached to his had been blown off. All that was left was some rubble and bricks.

“What the hell happened?!” I gasped, to know one in particular.

“It seems that yet again, The Joker has managed to escape from Arkham,” I heard Gordon reply from behind, startling me slightly. I spun round to face him.

“What time did it happen?” I asked.

“Around 3 AM. I would have called, but I didn’t want to disturb you. There’s a bent guard or nurse in this place and they’ve been helping him on the outside. The guards tried stopping him from escaping, but he and his henchmen were just too much of a challenge. It was so unexpected. There was no hinting that he was going to do something so extreme.”

I kicked myself mentally. He had basically told me that he was going to escape and I did nothing about it. I didn’t even question him. I just let it slide. Harleen, you’re an idiot. You truly are. And you call yourself a doctor. I didn’t dare bring it up though, not wanting embarrass myself in front of Gordon.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe he’s managed to escape again. Now, he’s causing havoc in Gotham once more. God knows what evil tricks he has up his sleeve. I thought I was doing so well in my sessions too. What a fool I’ve been,” I sighed as I held my forehead in my hands.

“Harleen, don’t be so hard on yourself. This is The Joker we’re talking about and no matter how well the sessions were going, he’s never going to change the way he is. He enjoys what he does and isn’t going to change for anyone.”

“Why am I the only one who sees any good in him?” I asked. Gordon only shook his head, not seeing any good in him at all.

“Harleen, I strongly suggest you take the day off. This case is obviously bringing you down and some peace at home will put your mind off this place. We’ll sort things out when you come back into work. We’ll set you up with another patient and start some new sessions.”

I nodded my head, solemnly. I felt sick that I was never going to be holding any more sessions with The Joker. I didn’t want a new patient. I wanted him.

The rain began to fall heavily as I walked down to the bus station from Arkham. I really should learn to drive, but I just don’t feel capable. My hair was soaked when I had finally walked onto the bus. Some strands were matted to my face and I generally looked like a complete mess. Rain was still pelting down when I got off the bus and began to walk home, not knowing that I was being watched at the time. I quickly jogged home, steadily, frightened that I’d fall in my heels in the rain.

Eventually, I reached my house dripping with water. I flicked off my shoes and peeled the drenched clothes off of my body as I made my way to the bathroom to take a long hot bath.

I almost fell asleep in my bath as I listened to the thunder and lightening from outside and the heavy rain pelting against the window. It was painfully hard to get out of the bath, because I was so comfortable. It was dark outside by the time I had dried myself off and pulling on some green girl boxer shorts and a black tank top. I had just finished drying my hair when I heard my house phone ringing from downstairs. I quickly skipped down the stairs to answer it.

“Hello?”

“It’s Jim Gordon, Harleen.”

“Oh, hey. Is everything alright?” I asked as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“After today’s incident I thought, since The Joker was your patient and all, I’d search your office. Everything looked normal until I looked on your desk. Now please don’t be alarmed, Harleen,” he warned sounding a little panicked.

“Gordon, what is it?” I asked beginning to become panicked myself.

There was a long pause before he answered my question with a sigh. “I found…a Joker card…on your desk…with the word Harlequin written on the back. And I’m hoping its red marker.”

I almost dropped the phone in shock. I had completely stopped breathing, not being able to take in what he had just said. Typically, the Joker card meant death. Someone was going to die and right now, that someone was me. I was scared to death. I had just realised that I hadn’t spoken for awhile on the phone.

“Harleen? Are you still there?”

“Oh…yeah. I was ju- ”

All of a sudden all the electricity switched off. The phone was completely dead. The bad weather had gotten heavier and it made matters a lot worse. I slowly slid the phone down my face and back onto the receiver.

“Fuck,” I whispered to myself in complete darkness. My body froze when I heard my front door slowly and quietly being opened and closed. I wanted to turn around to see who it was but my body just wouldn’t do it. I heard foot steps making their way into the living room, the room that I was in. Then they stopped. That’s when I forced myself to turn around, though that didn’t help matters at all. I still couldn’t see who was there, since it was so dark. I knew where that person was standing because I could just make out a slight silhouette, but nothing that was useful. I didn’t move and inch and neither did the intruder. I didn’t know where to move anyway.

Unexpectedly, a flash of lightening lightened up the room alongside a loud thunder clap. I gasped loudly when I caught a glimpse of the intruder. Can you guess who it is?

His tinted green hair was damp, but still kept his little waves. The rain had managed to smudge his clown make-up and the black had begun to run down the white and then merge into the red. Instead of his once white clad body that the patients wear, he wore his oh so infamous attire. The outfit consisted of, the purple pants and trench coat, a green vest which covered a purplish-blue hexagon shirt. And not to forget his purple, leather gloves.

When he heard me gasp, I heard the leather of his gloves rub against each other and I could just make out his fingers wriggling and stretching as if he was preparing for something. I slowly backed up against the wall with a thud. He let out a loud piercing cackle and I took this as my cue to flee. I quickly ran into the kitchen to the right of me and I heard his footsteps following. At least I thought they were following. I ran around the back of the stairs to make my way to the front door. I screamed when I saw The Joker standing at the entrance, blocking my escape. I thought he had been following me. I quickly changed direction and started to run up the stairs, but I was soon grabbed by the ankle. I ended up crashing onto the steps hurting various parts of my body. I groaned in pain as The Joker twisted my ankle to make me face him. I shrieked as I lashed out at The Joker’s chest, but he didn’t seem fazed by this at all. Instead he just simply caught my flailing hands and pinned them down on the stairs. He was hovering above me, his face extremely close to mine.

“I missed you too, puddin’,” he whispered harshly into my ear.

“Get off me!” I screamed as loud as I could, hoping that someone in the neighbourhood would hear. The chances weren’t very high as the weather was still pretty bad and hardly anyone else lived in my neighbourhood. It was pretty run down.

“Shh, shh, shh, shh. Calm down my little Harlequin.” He placed both my wrists into one of his hands and then reached into one of his pockets with the other. After searching around for a bit, he pulled out a roll of duct tape. He then peeled the tape with his teeth and then ripped it off. He let go of my hands to stick the duct tape over my mouth and I took this as a chance to strike at him. I kicked my legs and punched him in the face. His only reaction was a quiet ‘oh’ as his head turned to the side. I immediately stopped moving when he turned his head back around to look down at me, with an evil, angry and malicious glare.

“Now,” he started through gritted teeth and then viciously groped my neck with his strong hand. He continued, “Have I done anything bad to you?” His grip tightened around my throat, making it hard for me to breathe. I tried clawing his hand away but I wasn’t strong enough. “I’ve done nothing to harm you, yet you…lash out at me whenever you can…It’s as if you want me to hurt you back. What do you want? Do you want me to retaliate? Because it seems to me like you do, but you don’t want to see what I could do to you. Be a good girl and keep your hands to yourself, beautiful.” I couldn’t help but think of how much of a hypocrite he was being. “Now, I’m going to release your pretty little throat, suggesting that you take my advice. I don’t want to do this, but a bad girl like you needs to learn some manners on how to treat their guests.” He slowly let his hands slide away from my neck to my forearms. I lay almost lifeless, not wanting to upset him again.

“So, I thought I’d drop by since I was in the neighbourhood because I wanted to let you know about my little…break out. But the real reason I’m here is because I want to take you away with me,” he explained as if it was really normal.

I let out a little, muffled scream through the tape.

“Shh!” He hushed as he put a finger to his lips. “Don’t get too upset, yet. Since you’re not big on the idea of leaving with me, I’m going to make a little deal with you,” he said before licking his lips quickly. “You see, I’ve recently became infamous for attempting to rape my female victims. This little rumour is now spiralling out of control and it’s starting to make me look bad…I don’t like that. Not. One. Bit…Say, I blow up an orphanage…nobody cares anymore…or say, I actually kill the Batman…nothing…but I lay my hands on one insignificant little doctor and everyone thinks I’m a rapist! You see, the people of Gotham have a way of taking things out of proportion and turning one tiny molehill into a mountain! So, what I’d like you to do is, let all of Gotham about your little slip-up by telling Commissioner Gordon and the head nurse what you did. Huh? What d’ya say?”

I took what he said into consideration, taking my time to think. The time taken was too long for him, so he quickly searched his pockets again and pulled out a switch blade.

“Maybe this will help you make up your mind,” he stated as he flipped the blade up. He placed it on my neck. “Hmm?”

I nodded frantically in reply. He moved the blade away from my throat and then moved some strands of hair away from my face with the tip of his blade.

“See? You were right. Progress is made when we cooperate together,” he said playing with my words from the last session in Arkham. He then continued to rip the tape away from my mouth. I held my mouth in pain and then he stepped back from hovering above me. He began to walk away, but I stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

“What’s going to happen if I don’t do it?” I asked.

“Then I’ll find you and take you away with me,” he replied. He turned to leave again but then looked at me and said, “And if you tell anyone about tonight, people will die.” He left my house with a cackle as he walked into the rain and then into a van.

Once again, I was crying over him. I was scared.