Crumbling

She woke up to the sound of beeping. But it wasnt her alarm clock. It was a heart monitor. She realized she was in the hospital she jumped up and out the door. A nurse saw her and approached her. "Are you alright?" The nurse asked. "What- what happened?" She force out. Her throat still swollen with fear. "The Joker escaped, you fainted and suffered a minor bump to the head you're very lucky to be alive after everything that happened." Suddenly she remembered everything and felt sick. "You're boyfriend called for you said he hopes you're ok he sent you some flowers i put them next to your bed. She looked to see a bouquet or roses in a blue vase next to her bed. Matt was relentless. Although she did love roses now wasn't the time for him.

She went home and started thinking about him. Why did he want to escape? Other than obvious reasons. He was so detached when she had saw him. What happened? She sat down and went through all her notes on him trying to identify what had triggered this. She stayed up all night thinking about it. Strange had given her the next 3 days off to collect herself. When she finally woke up she decided she would go visit the gymnasium and relax. On her way out she found another bouquet of roses on her porch she wanted to throw them out and scream but they were so pretty she took them inside and placed them on the table.

When she got to the gymnasium she couldn't concentrate on anything. Her mind was a mess. Where was he? Was he okay? She knew she shouldn't be thinking such things but it was the only thing that came to her mind.

For the next three days she felt completely zombied out. Reading her notes, reading notes from past doctors. Her house was falling apart. Dishes and laundry piling up. The roses kept coming. As much as she loved them she just let them pile up out front of her door. She had blocked Matts number anyway so he couldn't call her anymore. Not that that would matter she wasnt checking her phone, When she finally came back into work she was assigned to work with Victor Zaz again. She sat there hearing what he said but not listening. "Everything is meaningless" He said his eyes twitching looking at her. "How does that make you feel?" She asked. Eyes seeing but not looking. "Like life is calling to me telling me to cut and kill to make the MARK" He said pouring his soul into his words. "And how does that make you feel?" She said repeating what she had just said. Victor looked at her and gave her a sheer look of disbelief. "Are you joking!?" He yelled walking to the door. Joking, Oh she missed those little jokes. His jokes were funny. Even if she couldn't laugh she always wanted to "This is ridiculous!" he yelled at the two way glass. "Take me back to my cell!" The guards came in and escorted him out. Harleen stared off into space. walked into the interview room and closed the door behind him. He sat down in front of her. Her eyes continued to wander into nothingness. "Dr. Quinzel?" smiled at her. Suddenly her eyes saw and she snapped back from her trance. "Yes. " She answered.

"How are you falling?" "Falling?" She said. Falling. Falling in the sky. All those colors. Exciting. Liberating. Now everything was black and white. "I said how are you FEELING?" Strange repeated himself opening a book and pulling out a pen. Harleen didn't even realize strange was taking notes on her. "I feel...empty" she thought. "I just wanna know why he left". "You must be worried being so close to treating him just to have him taken from you."

"yes" her face lit up

"It is understandable" He jotted more down in his book.

"I can give you full access to Joker records so that you can patch together your work".

"Alright..." She said feeling slightly better.

As she walked back to her office grabbed her. "Harleen" She said. "Yes?" She asked a little confused. "May I have a word with you?" she said a bit concerned. "Of course" harleen said walking with her. The two went to lunch together. "I had a friend who worked here once, her name was Diane. She was one of Jokers doctors" Harleen started digging through her book "Yes! i have some of her notes" she said suddenly excited. Whistler grabbed her hand from grabbing the papers. "The joker killed her." They both shared a moment of silence. "She was smart. A really nice person too...I just dont want that to happen to you..." She said. Harley smiled at her taking the words to heart "Thank you" She said.

She couldn't sleep. She could never sleep.

She sat blinking in and out of consciousness at the computer reading his medical records off the computer. Broken Hand, bullet wounds to the leg. Crushed foot. Fractured ribs, punctured lungs, concussion, internal bleeding, dislocated shoulder. Comas, Seizures. There was so much. The brutality of some these made her so upset. Clearly it had been batman beating him senseless. She looked through his mugshots. Over the years he had been there more scars more injuries but that same lost emptiness in his eyes.

"I hope he kicks his ass" She heard cash say from a distance. She peaked her head out and saw they were watching tv as she approached closer she realized why everyone was watching it. The joker robbing a bank. Batman and him going at it. Suddenly she felt vulnerable. Seeing him on TV outside of the asylum in normal clothes. In the same city as her. Suddenly he became REAL. He stood there with a gun shooting at batman. Batman leaped away from the shots and through a batarang at his hand knocking the gun out. As batman came closer harleen felt scared as if he was coming after her. Joker tugged on his shirt and sprayed him with a stream of acid blinding him giving him time to escape He jumped in his getaway car and went speeding down the road. Batman took off to his batmobile and took chase.

She walked down the hallway. It was never ending hallway. Desk after desk after desk after desk. Never reaching the exit. Her legs became so heavy and slow every step was slowed down. She would never escape. He came walking right beside her not affected by whatever it was that was keeping her from moving full speed. "its fun isnt it? fighting for your sanity? I gave up on it years ago!" He laughed. She looked at him and laughed. Oh how she wished it wasn't a dream.

She sat there at her desk jotting down scribbles of nothing on her notebook. The arkham melody played over the speaker. "New patient in transit" It played. She raised her head from her desk. "Who is it?" she asked aloud. "Looks like batman brought in the joker" says nonchalantly. She jumped up and walked right to patient handling. Her heart was running circles in her chest. Finally he had come back to her. She pushed open the doors and brased herself to face him. He sat there handcuffed to a wheelchair his head sunken low. "Thanks batman we gotta keep these freaks in check" Cash said to Batman. "Just make sure he dosnt escape this time" The Dark Knight said taking his leave, His black phantom cape making a swooshing sound sweeping the floor as he walked away. He was bigger than he looked on tv. She was so happy he was finally back. His green hair was so vivid in comparison to his dark purple leather trench coat. She wondered where he got his clothes. They were so debonair yet flashy. He could feel her eyes on him. He lifted his head up slowly revealing his face. Her heart stopped beating. On the right side his jaw was swollen. On the left side a black eye, blood vessels inside had busted causing blood to leak over his eye ball leaving his green iris to glare brightly at her. "How was your day doc?" He asked with a small smile. There was thick sticky blood stuck in the creases of his teeth. Batman was an animal. She wanted to go chase after him and give him a piece of her mind. How dare he beat him like that. Unnecessary violence. "Ive been better" She said sadly grabbing a cleanex. This wasn't the happy reunion she thought it would be. She walked over and went to wipe some blood specks from his cheek. He winced at first and she pulled back. She felt a bit he realized that her expression was sad he looked at her and smiled. Joker closed his eyes and stretched his face out twords her. She smiled faintly a and wiped his cheek. He didnt like being touched like this. It made her feel special that he would let her touch him. walked in and stood silently watching the two. Cassidy saw the way Harleen looked at him and smiled. The affection she was giving him. " i don't think you should be touching him" said. Harleens head turned like the exorcist and she shot her a look of pure malice. "Someone has to clean him up, i don't think its appropriate or healthy to leave a patient in his condition to just sit there" She hissed. "Shes right." The voice came from the hallway. "I'll be taking him for a catscan so we can follow up with his care now that hes back" said. Harleens expression mellowed "Thank you" . She watched helplessly as Dr. Whistler wheeled joker away.