Author's note: I redid some of the chapters. Mostly fixed some errors (Thanks, Purple Ghost Sausage!) and corrected some ambiguous areas. I added more dialogue, took some away (I think...can't remember now), and rearranged a few things to make it flow better. I also fixed the last line. She was coming to work on Monday, an off day, not Saturday. I really need a beta reader!
Chapter One:
Arkham Asylum towered over parts of the slums that comprised the tiny space known to the residences of Gotham as The Narrows. It's orange-ish brick and European design stood out in stark contrast to it's surroundings. Although this part of the Narrows had more money, most of the apartment buildings were still in need of some kind of repair, along with the people that lived in them. Cady Clein looked up at the large building as she approached. She was nowhere near graduating from college, but the internship that was offered by Dr. Crane was too good to pass up. Smiling to herself, she walked in the large doorway. Inside, the Asylum looked more like a once lavishly decorated house than a hospital. All the residences of Gotham knew the history behind Arkham Asylum; generations ago a family member went crazy and killed herself. Her son had been studying to be a doctor and decided to turn his family's mansion into a hospital for the insane. In a strange twist of fate, the son had been put into Arkham for going crazy as well. Cady had heard that the Arkham family still owned the property, but left the running of the facilities to more capable doctors. Mental illness had been proven to run in families. Perhaps this was why the Arkham's had such a hands off approach.
Walking to the receptionist's desk, Cady smiled. The woman who greeted her had a rather bored look on her face. Simply looking Cady over, the woman handed her a name tag and a key.
"You must be Ms. Clein. The code is 5293. You'll need to remember that, I'm not allowed to write it down. He is in his office now. It's through the doors, second floor, to the left. You'll see signs." She smiled slightly and went back to whatever she was doing.
Cady looked down at her name tag. "Cady Clein-Intern" was in bold, black lettering. She clipped the tag to her blazer and headed for the large, wooden door. As she unlocked the door she thought about Dr. Crane. She'd heard from one of her friends that he was a former teacher at Gotham University. He had been dismissed for 'unsavory'teaching methods, or something like that. Cady thought it was odd, then, that he'd be able to get such a job as Arkham's director. She shrugged to herself. Turning a corner to her left, Cady looked up at the signs that hung down from the wooden ceiling. The cafeteria was straight ahead, a few doctor's offices were to the right, and the director's office was up the stairs to the left.
Cady sighed. She was nervous. Making her way up the flight of stairs, she stopped before the large oak door, and took a deep breath. A brass name plate with "Dr. Jonathan R. Crane, Director" hung on the wood above her head. She smiled, knocking slightly before she walked in. Dr. Crane looked up at her from some files on his desk, impeccably dressed with a blank expression behind his silver glasses. She was struck by how young he looked. His dark brown hair curled slightly as it hung down over his eyes. He smiled and Cady was sure it was fake.
"Ms. Clein, it's nice to finally meet you. Please, sit." He motioned to a chair in front of his desk.
Cady nodded, feeling uncomfortable under his icy-blue stare. She sat down quickly.
"Granting an internship to someone in your position is rare. I hope you won't abuse my trust in this leap of faith that I'm taking." Dr. Crane paused for a moment.
He leaned over and pulled out a stapled bunch of papers. Cady recognized it as her report she had turned in.
The doctor continued, holding the paper up slightly. "I must admit that most students' reports that I have read were...dribble. Your title caught my eye that day, though." he paused for a moment before going on, "Being that Dr. Robbins and I were former colleagues, I persuaded him into letting me read your paper. It's not the subject matter, you see. I've read many essays on fear. And I can certainly assure you that it was not the horrific grammatical errors that I encountered or the overly-cut up ideas. It's the way you presented your argument that held my attention."
For a moment Cady felt like she was being analyzed. He'd just put her paper down and then complimented it all in one moment. Perhaps he was still trying to convince himself that taking on an intern was worth the trouble.
Clearing her throat before she spoke, she responded to the question that was hanging in the air. "Well, I remembered what you had said about it. That I should put in some personal experiences. So, I did."
Cady was still trying to figure out how he could of read enough the first time to warrant an input like that. She hadn't noticed that he had folded his hands together in front of him as he watched her.
"Do you plan on furthering your research one day?"
"I'd hope to, but future plans change, so I'm not holding my breath. However, if it's up to me then, yes." She smiled slightly.
"Excellent." He put the paper away and slipped off his glasses. "Understand you will still be expected to attend college full time during the day. I know this internship will be a lot for you, but I expect you to still maintain your GPA. So, any social activities that could interfere with your work will be kept to a minimum. Also, I expect you to be available should there ever be a call in." His gaze bore directly into her.
Cady nodded, smiling. Hadn't he told her some of this yesterday?
Dr. Crane stood up and grabbed a file from behind him, looking through it. Cady took the moment to glance around his office. It was a nice size and furnished to match the rest of the Asylum: antique and...old. The only really interesting thing was the bookcase filled with a plethora of what she assumed were psychology books. Some of them were so old the writing had worn off. She wondered what secrets were held inside of them.
"Ms. Clein?"
Cady turned her attention back to him, a bit surprised. "I'm sorry?" She hadn't realized she had been so distracted.
He handed her a slip of paper. "Your classes are Monday through Thursday and I see a half day on Friday. After school for four hours Tuesday through Friday and whenever I need you on Saturday, you will be working here. This will be the time schedule I expect you to keep even if I am not here." His tone left Cady the impression that the days weren't open for discussion.
"How will I know when you'll need me on Saturdays?" She asked, pulling a small notepad and a pen out of her pocket. She quickly wrote some notes in it before looking up at him.
He watched her for a moment. "You'll receive a call or will be told on Friday. Be prepared to work late, if needed."
Dr. Crane was silent as she jotted some more notes down. Cady looked up at him when she finished.
"I'm just keeping notes for myself. I don't want to forget anything."
"I understand. You'll be needing that when we examine the patients."
"I'm going to be examining patients?" Cady arched an eyebrow at his statement.
"Not directly. Right now you'll be assisting me." He put his glasses back on and checked his watch. "I normally don't see many patients on Saturdays unless there is a pressing need to. However, recently I had to admit a former patient. I hope you're ready, Ms. Clein. Come along."
Before she could comment he headed out of his office. Cady had to jog to keep up with his longer strides. She only hoped that she wouldn't freeze up the moment he asked her a question.
"The patient we are about to see suffers from delusional episodes. I diagnosed him as a schizophrenic a few years ago. Even on medication his symptoms have apparently gotten worse recently."
Cady scribbled down what he was saying as they went. She also tried to memorize where they were going, but the note taking made that hard. Cady made a notation to get a map when she left.
"How old is he and what's his name?" She asked, looking up momentarily.
"James Johnson, age 28."
"When was he diagnosed?" His age was a bit old to be just recently seeing new symptoms for his disease.
Dr. Crane stopped and looked down at her notes, an amused expression on his face. "His former doctor diagnosed him with severe depression ten years ago." He paused for a moment to push the button for the elevator.
"Do you think it could be the medication? What all is he on?" Her mouth asked before she had time to silence the question in her head. A blush crept over her cheeks. She hoped she didn't overstep her bounds on the first day.
Dr. Crane sighed slightly before he answered her as they waited for the elevator. "It's highly doubtful, but that's a typical concern. However we've already tested that theory and found that it's not the case here."
Cady noted that his tone was rather arrogant. She rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking.
The elevator chimed and the ornate, brass doors opened. Dr. Crane motioned for her to enter first. As he entered, he pushed a button on the panel to one of the lower floors. The elevator jerked slightly as it descended. Glancing to her side, she noticed he was looking straight ahead.
"What is your opinion on Mr. Johnson?" Cady asked him.
He was silent for a moment. "Mr. Johnson had been living out on his own for a year now. During his last few sessions before he was readmitted he spoke about a "stick man." He became increasingly agitated and I was forced to admit him when he threatened one of the nurses. I believe this new manifestation is due to an outside influence, but of what I'm not exactly sure."
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. He walked out first and Cady followed behind, writing down the new information.
Before she could ask another question, he stopped again in front of a room door. He pulled the chart out from it's holder in the door and quickly glanced over it.
"Mr. Johnson is known to be a bit violent when he gets worked up."
Cady's eyes grew large. Her first case and the guy was known to get violent? What had she signed up for? She looked up at Dr. Crane. He was taller than her but she could tell under his expensive suit and tie combo he was rather small. He didn't look like he could take on a violent patient. The guard that stood near the doorway, however, did.
"Don't worry, he's been sedated." Dr. Crane said to her as he opened the door, allowing her to go through before him.
The man sat lazily in a chair on the other side of a metal table. His eyes were red rimmed and his face hung emotionless. He stared at them blankly for a moment before he smiled at her. The grin made him look more like a deranged lunatic. Cady moved back slightly, bumping into Dr. Crane.
"Mr. Johnson, please be civil to my new intern. She's here to help me. I don't want her frightened on her first day." Dr. Crane sat down across from the man.
Seeing as there were no more chairs, Cady just stood where she was. She quietly scribbled down how he looked.
"What'sss ya name?" Mr. Johnson asked Cady.
Cady could tell he was heavily sedated by the way he slurred. She was surprised he could stay awake.
Smiling at him, she said "Cady Clein."
"Oh, what'sss a doll like you doing'ere? I didnnn't know ya had brains'n that head of yas."
Cady glanced down at Dr. Crane. His expression wasn't pleasant.
"I'm sure there's a lot about Ms. Clein that someone like you wouldn't know. Now, care to explain the statement you made to the nurse this morning?" Dr. Crane folded his hands in front of him on the table as he spoke.
Cady was amazed how well he took control of the situation. The man took one last look at Cady before he addressed the doctor's question. He had a look of apprehension on his face. Cady went back to taking notes.
"The stick man came to visit me again last night."
"The same stick man who you claim visits you weekly?" Dr. Crane asked. "Isn't he a bit early this time?"
"Yeah, well, his face was melting last night. It was dripping all down the front of him and onto the floor as he walked." Mr. Johnson said.
"And what did he want this time?" The doctor's tone was impassive, like he didn't really care what the man was saying.
"To give me more...Please, doc, ya've gotta keep him outa here! He's trying ta kill me!" Mr. Johnson reached across the table and held onto Dr. Crane's arm.
Dr. Crane pulled away but didn't move to get up. "Mr. Johnson, I happen to have proof that no one entered or left your room last night."
"That's because he comes in through a secret door way! I don't know how, or where it is, but he does! I swear!" He stood up from his chair faster than a sedated man should.
Cady backed up a few more steps. Mr. Johnson was becoming more erratic as he spoke about the 'incident'. She didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.
"Mr. Johnson, please, calm down. Take your seat." Dr. Crane ordered.
"No, you don't believe me. None of you believe me! But it's true! Look!" He pulled up his sleeves revealing ugly bruises and track marks reaching up his inner arms.
"Mr. Johnson, illegal drugs are not allowed in my facility."
"He said he's coming again tonight. Says he's going ta kill me! I'm not safe here!" Mr. Johnson yelled at Crane while he grabbed the doctor's arm again.
Dr. Crane stood up and pulled his arm away from the man before turning to Cady. "Ms. Clein, please get Fred outside the door. Mr. Johnson needs to be sedated again and taken back to his room."
"No!" Shrieked Mr. Johnson. He started rambling about the stick man again.
"Alright." Cady nodded and moved to the door.
"No! He's going ta kill me! You'll be next, girl, if you stay here!"
Cady stopped and turned to face Mr. Johnson. His erratic behavior she could explain away by his distressed state. Him threatening her, however, was unacceptable.
"Mr. Johnson, I hardly think a man made of sticks could harm me. I'd simply break him into pieces and burn him." She shot at him before she walked to the door. She had worked herself up so much that her fingers were shaking as she entered the code to unlock the door. "Fred, Mr. Johnson needs to be sedated and sent back to his room on Dr. Crane's orders." She said once she slid out of the room. The heavy door slammed shut behind her.
Fred nodded to her and walked a few steps down the hall to the nurse's station. Cady finished her notes and slipped the notebook back into her pocket. She turned back towards the door. There was a loud crash and some yelling behind it. She ran up to it but couldn't see through the little glass window as it was too high for her.
"Fred, quick! Somethings happening!" She yelled at the male nurse.
Fumbling to remember the code, she unlocked and opened the door again. Dr. Crane had Mr. Johnson lying on the floor, face down. He kept screaming about the stick man. The doctor was kneeling and had most of his weight on the man. Crane looked up at Cady, his glasses gone and anger in his eyes. His focus turned to someone else and Cady felt herself being pushed to the side as Fred and another male nurse walked lazily into the room. He stood up and let the nurses handle Mr. Johnson. Taking Cady's arm, he pulled her out into the hallway rather harshly, a few feet from the room.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." He straightened his coat and hair as he spoke. "You handled yourself very well in there, considering. The ones like Mr. Johnson like to try to take control of the situation. Thankfully, that's my last real appointment for the day." He turned and started walking back towards his office. "None of the other patients need to be seen until Monday..." She heard his voice trail off. It didn't seem like he was talking to her, but to himself.
Cady looked at him for a moment, her brain processing what had just happened. She wished she could just brush off an incident like that the way the doctor did.
Catching up to the doctor she asked, "Who's the stick man?" her voice cracked slightly as it came out.
Dr. Crane looked back at her for a moment as he walked. "I was hoping you could help me figure that one out."
"Well, is this what we talked about before? The new symptom? What about his parents or someone else in his family?"
The doctor stopped walking to open a door for them to the stair well. He waited for Cady to catch up with him before he answered her question.
"His father is a fat old man and his mother died of a drug overdose when he was a baby."
"Well, what about any other appearances of this stick man?" She asked, slightly out of breath from climbing the stairs.
He was quiet for a few seconds as they continued on their way back to his office. "No," he said to her, "None that I can remember. Of course, the last doctor didn't take great notes. After I add my notes to his file I'll let you look through it. You can pick it up tomorrow after school, if you'd like."
"So, does this mean I'm working on Monday?" Cady had no intention to take the time to just stop by the asylum without staying for a few hours. It wouldn't be worth it and she might have more questions.
"I guess it does." He said as he opened the door that lead to his office.