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The harsh lights of the small white room served only to irritate her bright blue eyes, and make everything seem a little more intense. She was used to this though, she knew the old routine, and so when they uncuffed her hands she lounged back in the stiff blue armchair and rubbed her wrists dramatically, as if the cuffs had hurt. In truth, she had been through much worse.
"Good evening Harleen, do you know why you're here today?" A soft female voice said to her from across a coffee table. Harley turned her attention to her now, seeming to notice her for the first time. She was pretty, though much older than Harley, with salt and pepper hair up in a tight bun and soft wrinkles at the corners of her green eyes. She was dressed in a white coat, with a clipboard clutched before her. Harley grinned at her, remembering a time when she had sat in that seat.
"Yeah, you're gonna try and get inside my head, right doc?" She said and threw her long legs up onto the table in front of her.
"We're here to talk Harleen—"
"Harley" She cut her off abruptly, with a twinge of the anxiety she felt in her voice.
"Okay then. Harley. We're here to just talk. My name is Doctor Isabel Scott, but you may call me Isabel."
"How sweet." Harley remarked, and threw her head back against the chair, staring up at the white ceiling and blinding lights. She imagined this must be what the good folk of the world saw right after Mistah J blew their brains out.
"So Harley. How are you today?" The doctor began, starting with formalities. Harley knew this game. Friend your patient. What'd they think she was, an amateur? She was a damned expert at this game. After all, that's how she'd gotten her Puddin' to open up to her.
"I'm just great, doc. Couldn't. Be. Better." She said, still staring up at the ceiling. Then with a snap of her head she looked back down and grinned, "you got any bubble gum?"
Doctor Isabel Scott reached into her pocketbook and removed a pack of spearmint. Not bubble – but it would have to do. Harley snatched a piece and popped one in her mouth, chewing obnoxiously as she watched her.
"Would you like anything to drink, Harley?"
"Sure, I'll take a cola." She said absentmindedly, and gazed around the office boredly. Wonder what Mistah J was cookin' up right now…
"You're thinking about him." The soft voice cut through her thoughts rudely, and she turned those bright blue eyes back to Isabel.
"So what now you're a mind reader too? Kinda defeats the purpose of talkin' now don't it, doc?"
"Your eyes glass over when you think of him, and you get a particular smile on your face. It's fairly obvious to anyone who knows about your obsessive nature when it comes to him."
Harley glared at her, keeping her mouth shut this time. A guard placed a cola in front of her on the table, and the doctor thanked him and sent him away with a flick of her hand – back to the door to keep the place secure. Harley didn't say anything, so she continued.
"Do you know when the obsession started, Harley? Do you remember the exact moment?"
Harley leaned forward and grabbed her drink, taking a few deep swigs instead of answering. She'd been through this conversation before. Hell, they probably had some of her previous answers in her chart – not that any of them were consistent. Sure – she remembered the exact moment, the exact moment her obsession had started, but the matters of the heart were a girl's private information! So she stayed silent and drank her pop.
The doc didn't resume speaking right away though, and this began to unnerve Harley. Instead she was just watching her, studying her as if expecting to see some sort of reaction.
And then there it was.
Lightheaded, woozy, why was the room spinning? Her stomach somersaulted and she groaned. What the hell was going on?
"Don't be afraid Harleen. We've just given you a little something to help you relax. Perfectly harmless."
"You bitch!" Harley spat at her, but the extra effort made her head spin, and so she sank back into the chair, her head dizzy, and let the soda fall from her hand and hit the floor. She couldn't think straight. Why was it so damn bright in here?
"We're just going to talk Harleen."
The words echoed in her head.