Not the face that can hide beneath the mask,
But what's hidden under the flesh.
The lights were too bright, her eyes hurt. Turning on her bed, she curled her body inwards, arms shifting over her head to try and block out the light. There was a rapping at her door/window. A nurse, this time, with a tray of food. Had her privileges to eat with the other patients been taken away already? That person had touched her, she had obviously not wanted to be touched the way she had been sitting, careful to not bump any of the others. Idiotic man and his idiotic wench.
"Sit up if you want me to come in with the food, Miss Vail," An almost inhumane noise escaped her throat in response to the nurse's words. Her eyes hurt, the light sucked, she needed them covered to save herself from a horrible migraine. Another knock at the window/door and Rae sat up, sending dark looks at the nurse. It was the one who had wheeled her in the day before. Judy, was it? The nurse smiled and opened the door, bringing the tray in with her.
Again, Rae couldn't hear the chattered of the other inmates. Where were they? Her eyes found the tray of food, probably lunch.
"You slept through dinner last night and breakfast, so I wanted to wake you up and give you some food before therapy begins. You don't have a doctor yet, so no individual therapy. So we're starting you out in Group. After this meal, you're going to be eating with the rest of the patients," Judy flashed Rae a smile, the patient staring at her, taking the offered food, eating slowly. She paused mid-bite, glancing at Judy.
"Sorry, got to watch you, you know. Can't have you hiding your fork or anything that you could hurt yourself with," Rae rolled her eyes. Yeah, she was totally going to kill herself with a fork. Riiight.
"I'm done.." She held the tray of food back out towards the nurse, watching the floor.
The nurse tutted a moment, before shaking her head, "Next time, eat more than half you're food, alright? We don't need the doctors thinking you're anorexic or bulimic." The patient nodded lightly. "Now, we've gotta get you to Group." The patient made a disgruntled noise, rising from the bed, wobbly, but not falling.
"Alright."
"Welcome, Raelyn, to Group Therapy!" A doctor sitting in a chair, one of several that formed a circle. A man with eyes that seemed kind. Eyes couldn't be trusted. They lied. The expression, 'The eyes are the gateways to the soul' or something, was a lie.
Joker sent her an amused look, the woman who had tackled her the day prior snuggled close to the man, though was reprimanded for it by the doctor. Next to that woman was the red head. The red head sat next to the doctor, and on the other side of the doctor was the dark haired man who had been reading in the rec. room. An empty chair and then there was a blonde man sitting next to a red haired man, the red haired man was sitting next to Joker. She shifted to the empty chair, careful to avoid contact. Feeling eyes on her, she pulled her knees up, feet resting on the front of the chair.
"Tell us about yourself, Raelyn."
"It's Rae. I don't liked to be touched, and I don't want to be here." A few laughs came from the other members of the circle.
"None of us do either, kid," the red haired man. Others nodded in agreement. The doctor sighed, then let out a noise.
"I forgot, Rae, to introduce you. This is Pamela Isley-"
"Ivy."
"Harleen Quinzel-
"Harley, if ya' please."
"Joker," The doctor waited for an interruption, then continued, "Edward Nigma-"\
"The Riddler, if you would be so kind.."
"Jervis Tetch.." Again, waiting for interruption, there was none. "And Jonathan Crane."
"The big bad Scarecrow," Joker let out a laugh, not paying any mind to the look the blue eyed man had given him.
"Guys, calm down.." The doctor spoke, smiling to the group. "We're here to get things off of our chests and get better, not to pick on each other."
"None of us are going to get 'better', Doc, no matter how hard you try," Joker spoke in almost a singsong voice, winking at the group. Rae shook her head.
The doctor ignored Joker a moment, smiling at the newcomer, "So, Raely- I mean, Rae, Joker told us earlier about what happened in the rec. room yesterday..."
Rae shot a look at the scarred man, arms tightening around her legs, "I don't like being touched, it has nothing to do with anything from my past, or anything else, I simply don't like being touched." Tetch made it obvious when he scooted away from her.
"Well…" Awkward moment. "That was informational…" The doctor scribbled something on his notebook, making Rae irritated. She didn't like doctors and their files, keeping what they think about the patient away from the patient.
Crane leaned over, whispering, "If you're curious, that note was probably about how you deny any possible trauma from your past." Then, he leaned away again, Rae sending him dark looks as well.
Now a crazy was analyzing her? Screw this, as soon as she could walk without stumbling, she was going to leave this place. Break out. Arkham definitely had a reputation for letting prisoners escape, and those that escaped were high profile criminals. She wondered how the hell Arkham hadn't been shut down yet, or been put under new management, upped the security, something to keep the patients from escaping. Idiots.
Well, at least the security would be lax enough for her to escape. She doubted she'd be able to walk quietly. She stayed quiet for the rest of the group session, completely ignoring any and all remarks made in her direction.
Into her room, her cell, she went, escorted like the others were, ignoring their idle chatter, hands rubbing her arms through the horrible clothes given to her to wear by the asylum. Her arms were aching. She'd need to grab her things before she escaped, whenever that would be. Shaking her arms, she went into her room, taking a seat on her bed. What would she do now? Sit there, rot?
No, she'd stand and walk around. She'd get those muscles in her legs working again. She was pacing. It might not have been much, but at least she was moving. The more she moved, the easier it'd be to get out when she initiated her plan, right?
She hoped so.
