Doctor Harleen Quinzel was standing outside therapy room 102, her hand hovering over the handle. Her heart was beating fast and she could feel the warmth in her red cheeks. She had been very excited when she had been handed this case: the prestige of working with high-profile inmates was, after all, the reason she had chosen Arkham Asylum.
She had studied him very closely; she had read his files, watched tapes of his previous sessions with other doctors. She felt she knew him well, knew what kind of a man he was. He had an interesting way of carrying himself. She hadn't thought she had been scared of meeting him at all, she had felt so ready, but now, as she stood here in front of the door with him behind it, she wasn't so sure anymore. There was after all a reason why no one had lasted very long as his doctor.
She gave the two guards standing by the door a quick smile before pressing down the handle.
"Hello, I'm your new doc-" she started, but stopped as her eyes caught a glimpse of him. He was laying on the light-blue sofa. Multiple chains ran from the couch around him. He was wearing an orange inmate-suit and a straight jacket. His red lips parted in a handsome grin, green hair was hanging loosely around his bright eyes. He was a lot paler than she had imagined.
"-tor..." she finished as she nervously sat down in the armchair in front of him.
The Joker gave Harleen a closed lips smile. He looked her up and down with a suspicious expression.
"Doctor Nathan!" He suddenly exclaimed. "You've gotten a haircut!" He continued, then laughed out loud. Harleen had read about doctor Nathan Saunders. The doctor had lost most of his scalp when the Joker had tried to tear his "wig", as the Joker had believed it to be, off. She shuttered a little thinking about it, but tried to shake it off with a smile.
"S-sorry. My name's Harleen Quinzel," She said realising she hadn't finished her introduction. "I'm taking over from Doctor Nichols." She said trying to sound calm and collected. The Joker didn't look impressed. "Speaking of Doctor Nichols," she continued, determined not to let him shake her. She took out her notepad and pen from the bag she had brought with her. "Why do you think she... eh, decided to drop your case so soon?" That wasn't really how she had wanted to ask the question, but she had been nervous and it came out less professional than she had wanted.
The Joker got a devious look on his face, then a look as if he was acting puzzled. "Gee, I don't know." The Joker said, pretending to wonder. He smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that is?" He asked. She looked at him for a while, should she really answer? She smiled at him, why not?
"Honestly?" she asked leaning in a little, not enough to be in any rage of him, but still. "Really, truly, honestly. Cross your heart and hope to die a long and painful death, and all that!" He said and winked at her. She held back a giggle. It was odd, in a way he was both terrifying and sort of funny at the same time. "I think you scare her. Make her feel... uncomfortable. I think you might even want to scare her." She said with a slight smile, although her voice was shaking a little. His smile disappeared. His eyes became big, and the corners of his mouth started to turn downwards. "I never meant to scare anyone..." He said sadly. "I can't help the way I look. Honestly, I just... I just want a friend, you know? I guess I just try to hard sometimes." He turned his head away from Harleen. Harleen bit her lower lip as she took notes. Her heart was racing. She felt a little guilty for having judged him too soon. She leaned a little closer still. "I think you look fine... And..." She breathed heavily "maybe I could be your friend, if you want it?" She asked softly, setting her notepad aside. He turned his head a little towards her, one of his eyes visible. "Yeah?" He said softly. "Or maybe..." He said, and whispered something so low, that Harleen couldn't hear it. She smiled warmly at him "What?" she asked tilting her head to the side, still smiling a little. "Or maybe," he repeated a little louder, "Maybe you just want to get into my head and poke around until you think you are in control!?" As he said the last word, he violently threw himself towards her, only being stopped about an inch from her, his face close to close to hers, by the chains and the straitjacket. Harleen let out a gasp, her heart in her throat. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, if she leaned in she would touch him. She looked into his eyes and tried to calm herself. He was probably just testing her, like he had done with all the other doctors... Seeing if she'd budge, but she was determined not to. She had seen a vulnerable side of him... or at least she was pretty sure she had. She wanted him to feel safe enough to show it again. She wanted to help him, she really did.
"A-Arkham can be a lonely place... I-if you don't have any friends." She finally said... almost whispered. She found it was surprisingly hard to get the words to leave her mouth, not because she didn't mean them, but because she was, she had to admit, terrified. His angry expression calmed a bit. Harleen couldn't decide if he looked impressed or annoyed since she didn't move. He kept eye contact as he backed down and lay back onto the couch. She tried to send him a smile, but she suspected it wasn't really working.
"It can be lonely for doctors too, you know?" She asked her voice shaking but regaining strength.
The Joker looked her up and down, then scoffed. "Hah, you don't know what lonely is." He said, with a slightly mocking tone. She bit her lower lip "M-maybe not the way you know it... I-I can only imagine, but I do get lonely. People doesn't really care to get to know the pretty blond who isn't going to last a day anyway. Look..." She sighed and held out her notepad and pen "Why don't I put these away and we could get to know each other... as friends?" She tried, sending him a half smile. She wasn't lying either. She really didn't have any friends here, not really. "The Joker raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing in the corner of his mouth. "I... I would like that." He said, and smiled a large bright, slightly sinister smile.