"So first day at Arkham? Good luck Dr. Quinzel." The guard smirked at Harley as he let her through the wrought iron gates leading to the asylum.
Harley's cheeks flared in embarrassment "Thank you" she replied sarcastically.
She had to remain calm, getting pissed off at the first guard she met would not be helpful to her first day at work. She tried to collect her thoughts as she drove up the long winding road right up to the Asylum's front door.
She was so nervous, this was her first ever real job out of medical school. She had so much to prove to so many people, that she was worthy of being called a doctor.
Harley was so lost in her own thoughts she almost crashed into the security checkpoint leading into the Asylum car park.
The guard looked up at her sudden stop, raising an eyebrow before saying "I.D, mam?"
"But I nearly- actually, never mind. Here" Harley handed her new pass over, she actually started shaking with excitement...or nerves, she couldn't tell.
The guard barely glanced at it before giving it back to her and pressing a button behind the desk.
"Welcome to Arkham Asylum" he said before looking back at his morning paper.
She drove through the open gates, parked up and got out the car, admiring the building the way she did on her first visit with her class at college. Harley couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur and Gothic nature of the building, it was so enormous but so beautiful from the outside. It was actually hard to believe the kind of horrors this place has seen and the people it contained, if she didn't know any better, Arkham Asylum could have been the most beautiful place in Gotham.
Harley was soon out of breath as she climbed up to the fifth floor. She began to think it was time to do some exercise, especially if she had to escape insane patients chasing her with a sharpened pencil or something, she continued down the corridor until she the door with 'Dr. Leland ' written across the frosted glass.
As Harley prepared herself to meet one of the most skilled Psychiatrist throughout Gotham who was also now her boss, she began to feel nervous. Some of Harley's previous bosses had been utter creeps especially the pervert she worked for at that coffee shop...that's the last time she works somewhere where there is a peeping hole into the changing rooms.
As she prepared to walk in she quickly straightened her skirt and took a quick rain check in her pocket mirror to make sure she didn't look like she was about to have a mental breakdown. Okay, be polite, friendly and calm, don't say anything stupid or silly. Harley sighed at the last bit and knocked on the door.
"Come in" called a clear, feminine voice.
Harley opened the door and stepped in. "Hello Dr. Leland? I'm Harleen Quinzel "
The women sat at the desk in front of her had a friendly smile on her face, something that reassured Harley, people with good smiles always calmed her. Dr. Leland had soft features with laughter lines, a brunette bob and brown eyes, she had a tall yet skinny frame and a beauty mark underneath her right eye. Harley guessed she was around 40.
"Hello Dr. Quinzel, it's great to finally meet you. Please take a seat." Dr. Leland smiled and gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
Harley closed the door and as she walked to the chair, Dr. Leland stood up, shook Harley's hand, then both women took their seats.
Harley took the opportunity to look around the office, it was a medium-sized room with around 5 cabinets, most likely filled with patient files. There was a large window with the blinds open, several pictures on the walls including a pretty painting of the sea, a doctorate certificate and a poster depicting a kitten hanging from a tree with the slogan 'Hang in there Kitty!'.
The desk was large and made of mahogany. The wallpaper was beige and the carpet too. It was all quite calming, Harley guessed that this was the point.
She then quickly turned back to the still smiling women sitting opposite her.
Dr. Leland spoke first "Before you start to worry everything looks fine and in order, did you find my office alright?" she inquired as she shuffled around some papers.
Harley smiled back "Oh everything has been great. The nurses at the front desk were very helpful, thank you ."
Privately she was cursing the skinny, stuck-up, unhelpful, judgemental bitches with their fake acrylic nails and stupid faces.
Dr. Leland snorted at this comment "That would be a first! Feel free to call me Joan Dr. Quinzel, just not around patients." She smiled a genuine smile at the young doctor. Harley smiled back, grateful for the act of kindness.
"You can call me Harley." She answered back.
"Well then Harley, I'm afraid this is where we have to go over the protocols and rules and then I will take you for a tour of Arkham" Joan continued before retrieving a large introduction pack from her desk drawer.
Harley sighed inwards, this was going to be a drag but she felt excited knowing that afterwards she would get to see more of the real Arkham.
Half an hour later they were walking down the corridor. Both women were wearing their doctor's coats, Harley's showing her brand new shiny name-tag.
"Joan, how big is Arkham overall?" Harley questioned as her and Joan walked through many different stair ways, corridors and rooms, it just never had an end.
"Big enough to get lost easily, you have no idea how often a crying intern turns up at my office in the beginning of September!" Joan chuckled quietly at this.
"I really shouldn't laugh but I remember when I was doing the same thing at Gotham General. It's good to be on the other side of the looking-glass for once!" Harley smiled, feeling for once, like an actual adult.
Joan continued and described each ward as they went through them, from the mild and hopeless to the deranged and dangerous. They had arrived at the elevator for the heavy security wing, otherwise known as 'The Rogues Gallery'.
Joan turned to Harley with a serious tone in her voice "Now this is for these 'super criminals' I am sure you keep seeing on the TV, the people in this ward are psychos and downright terrifying human beings who have no objection to destroying your entire life."
This made Harley's adrenaline kick in, this was the reason she became a doctor. To understand the truly crazy criminals that roamed and controlled Gotham.
Joan continued "I'm just warning you to keep your wits about you, be careful of who you interact with and frequently check you have all items on you that entered with." she then swiped her security card allowing them to step into the elevator.
Joan spoke quietly as the lift went up "I will take you around the ward and let you see some of the patients. Normally we wouldn't do this with someone so young and freshly qualified as yourself but I have faith in you. You seem to be able to handle yourself and I think you'll do just fine here" with that, she smiled at Harley.
Harley swelled with pride "I love a challenge. I believe no-one is incurable. You just need the right medicine."
Joan raised her eyebrow slightly "Well we will see how you do with some of your first patients but be ready, it might be different to what you expect"
The elevator door opened to another a corridor which split off in opposite directions. At the end of the corridor ahead of them was a heavy set door, designed with the purpose of keeping everyone in. This was armed by two guards both carrying heavy guns.
Harley observed the door, practically feeling the danger seep through it. She turned round to Joan and spoke "I'm ready."
This was the beginning to the end of Harleen Quinzel's life.