A/N: Hopefully will go better then expected, as a first fanfic for the site, I'm not going to hold my breath for success. (Clears throat) I don't own Batman or anything related to him. Blah blah blah.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Everything was being put back together. The new guards have been assigned to their stations, structures have been repaired, all the bodies have been bagged, and while the last of the inmates have been sealed away, a sense of normalcy has passed through the halls of Arkham Asylum.
"As if this place ever was normal," a man muttered to himself as he walked down the halls, his white doctors coat swaying back and forth from his strides. He watched as the guards nervously stood in their old positions, jumping at the nearest shadow or sound. The Doctor himself was rather jealous of them, while he was on his last day of the forced "vacation" he was put on, the whole Titan Incident had went on.
While he was able to find out what exactly happened, it was only from the stuttered rambles of the traumatized doctors and guards.
"At least they will help to raise the lowering number of inmates when they finally crack", the Doctor muttered to himself again this time adding a slight chuckle from his so called "Dark humor".
His name was Dr. George Danforth, he was one of the many doctors who had the job of evaluating, and possibly curing, the many inmates of Arkham. By many that would include the occasional wack job that would come off the streets, to the so called "super villains" that Batman likes to deliver from time to time. Although Dr. Danforth was technically an equal to many of the other senior doctors in the facility he was looked at as the best. While he wouldn't want to brag about his success as he would just say he was doing his job, that didn't stop the others from praising him over his accomplishments.
His accomplishments were a record in length mostly made up of the rehabilitation of the less damaged inmates, and the complete diagnostics of the more mysterious inmates who, for some reason, would stump the other doctors to the point of quitting the job out of frustration. He even made some headway with a few villains that passed under his gaze.
As the good doctor walked down the halls the memories of his years in this mansion passed by him. With the many inmates who threatened or attacked him, the praise and admiration of his colleagues, and the cold gaze of Warden Sharp.
While the Doctor had his respects for the old man, with his dedication to wanting the more famous inmates cured, he showed how someone can change anything with the right reasons. Although the Warden's reasons were selfish they did indeed get results. Yes, the Doctor has his respects for him but that didn't stop the resentment he would sometimes feel when standing near him, staring into his cold eyes after he successfully helps an inmate. After what seems like an endless praise from the others on his success, the Warden would push them all away saying things like "get back to work", when the Warden finally reached Dr. Danforth he would just stand there with a look of contempt, maybe even hatred, about him.
An eternity would pass by while the two men stare each other down until the Warden would finally break the silence with, "Your doing it wrong, you can't save the unsaveable" and with that he would turn and walk away, the simple tap of his cane echoing through the halls as Danforth would just stare off considering the reasons behind the statement.
The Doctor didn't like to dwell on the Warden most of the time though, especially after one night when Dr. Danforth was returning to his office.
It was a normal night and he was finishing up his work so he could head home and be with his wife for the weekend. Though as he walked from room to room locating his office he heard a strange sound. It sounded like scrapping across stone, thinking that somehow an inmate was trying to dig out he followed the sound. He eventually found himself in a strange room he never saw before and found the sound lead to another mysterious room. He finally found the source of the noise though it only raised even more worries and questions. It was Warden Sharp, on his hands and knees muttering to himself, while he used a small chisel to cut into a stone slab that laid against the far wall. The slab had a stone scarab in the center and small intricate symbols that circled around the scarab. While Dr. Danforth stared at the sight wide eyed he let out a louder breathe then he had wanted, the Warden quickly turns his head towards the spot the doctor was but he was already moving away from the spot as fast as he could. When he made it to his office he just sat down and looked out the window pondering what he had seen. When he got back to work that Monday he went past the spot he saw the Warden earlier he looked to see what happened and let out a small gasp, the slab room was completely blocked off by a wall of concrete. The wall itself looked hurriedly done and, given enough force, could easily fall over. Though he never saw the Warden in that state again it always gave him a shiver whenever he saw him.
Pushing the memories aside Dr. Danforth reached his destination. Most of the other doctors were all at their homes recuperating from the incident but he immediately wanted to see the inmate of the hour.
Though normally a doctor never had any say in who they talk to and when, but Dr. Danforth had advantages over the others courtesy of his revered status compared to them all. With his all access security pass, he was given authority all across the island and to set what interviews he wanted. Only the Warden himself had more power in the Asylum then he did, and that power was slight.
As he approached the interview room the small army of guards quickly made themselves look ready and attentive. Dr. Danforth just took out his pass and showed it to them, they just nodded and allowed him to enter the room while following behind.
"You guys can wait outside," Dr. Danforth said with the cheeriness in his voice that made it sound like he were best friends with the nameless guards he cared nothing for.
The guards exchange nervous looks between one another knowing full well how dangerous the patient was. "Are you sure?," one of them finally asked, the Doctor just nods with a smile and walks into the room.
It was simple, the room, a small desk for old paperwork and writing new, a single cushioned chair sat at one end, and normally a less comfortable chair would sit at the other side for the patient but for this particular one there was no need.
Dr. Danforth went over to his own chair and sat down, he looked over to the shaky and jittery form of the Joker. He was strapped down and sat up in an old medical chair with an IV next to him, they hadn't bothered to change him out of his trademarked purple suit or to clean up any of the wounds he had sustained from the incident.
"So Joker," the Doctor began, being given a death glare from the Joker as a response, " you look a little worse for the wear." Danforth looked at the black scorch mark on his chin left by the Batman with a smirk.
"Just a slight bump on the road to the final end," Joker said back with a sneer.
After a moment of silence Dr. Danforth continued. "Well", he started, "I really enjoyed the ending of your last joke, gave me a really good laugh," at this the Joker stopped all his pretend fidgeting and muttering and looked at the doctor with a raised eyebrow.
The good doctor just nonchalantly reaches into his coat and pulls out a white laminated card, he throws it onto the table in front of Joker who stares down at it in curiosity. It was his security pass, the card that allowed so much power on that little island. The Joker just sits there staring wide eyed in thought at the card.
The doctor looks at Joker and smirks again, "I can't wait for your next one." While his smirk slowly increases into a large smile from ear to ear. At that the Joker realizes it and starts to laugh uncontrollably, then even the doctor joined in, their laughter mixing together to were neither of them knew whose laugh belonged to who.
He was considered the best of the best compared to all the other doctors, they never even knew his secrets, his powerful "medicines" that could fix so many problems.
Now they will see, they will all see, his best kind of medicine.
And Gotham will burn for it.