Chapter Four:

Fighting Boredom

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty, thirty one, thirty two, thirty three, thirty four, thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight, thirty nine, forty, forty one, forty two, forty three, forty four, forty five, forty six, forty seven, forty eight, forty nine, fifty, fifty one, fifty two, fifty three, fifty four, fifty five, fifty six, fifty seven…

Hmmm… Fifty seven huh. That's about fourteen months. Not fourteen months straight but that's still how long I've been in here; tucked away inside these four blank walls, like a prisoner. Of course no one around here dares to use the term prisoner. It has all of these negative connotations to it. No, these people actually like to refer to us as patients!

"Hahahahahaahaha!" God, these doctors are funny. I'm not the one who needs help around here; if you ask me. But of course, no one bothers to listen to the ramblings of a mad man. None of these white coats wants to hear the philosophy that drives the man, until they've heard how he came about the philosophy. And that is something I'll never tell. So no one will ever listen to me… unless I force them to. I think my little dynamic demonstration really let people know what I'm about. Too bad Bats had to spoil the fun. He didn't let me demonstrate my complete message to the citizens of Gotham. And they would have loved it too. Trust me, my exhibition would have left everyone grinning from ear to ear.

Oh, I can't wait to play with those good civilians again. Next time, I'll be sure to cause a riot of fun. But, in the meantime, I'll just sit here and let my next scheme brew. I'm no one trick pony. Everything I do has to be unique and thought out; and I hatch all of my best plans here at Arkham. These people are so ignorant to their positions in the deck, that I find them all to be great inspirations to me. You know, the real looneys here are the ones who don't even realize how looney they are. That's why these doctors are so much fun! They have no idea how lost they really are.

Unfortunately, I haven't properly seen a single doctor since I've been here. What's a guy got to do to get some attention around here? Killing someone will only send them running to the other guy and away from me. So I guess there's only one thing that I can do…

I bang my head roughly against the wall. "Hahahahahahaha!" This'll get me the attention I deserve. I smile wickedly and proceed to bang up whatever part of me I can against the wall. "Hahahahahahahahahaaha!"


"Hey, watch it doc, you're hurting my arm." The doctor wraps a bandage around my left arm with trembling hands. She finishes her job as quickly as possible and practically runs out of the room. I laugh to myself and yell after her. "Honestly I don't know what you're afraid of. I'm chained to this bed, what can I do?" I smile slowly when she looks at me one last time with those wide, frightened eyes. The doctors here are just too funny! The nurses are even funnier. They cleared the room even faster than the doctors did.

Oh well. I don't mind spending time in the medical ward. The screaming coming from the other patients makes me feel at home. Only now I'm bored again…

I look down at my bandaged arm. This doctor really wrapped this bandage as tight as she could; I think I feel my hand going numb. "Hahahahaha!" Was she intentionally trying to hurt me? Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is going to cost her dearly.

I start picking at the edges of the bandage. I'm unsure of whether to leave it on or not. I want it off because I hate bandages, but I'm liking this painful numb feeling that's it's giving me. As I contemplate what to do I hear a pair of heels coming down the hall. I wonder if the doc has come back. I've got a bone to pick with her; or more like one to pick out of her. I feel like ripping out one of her ribs. I'm a resourceful man, I could do it with whatever I can find in this room or on her person.

When I look up to see who it is, I'm instantly disappointed. It's just some blonde waiting for the nurse at the desk. She doesn't notice me sitting here. I focus on picking at my bandage again. I'm still unsure about leaving it on or not. I hate the idea of having to wear it. Suddenly, I feel eyes burning into my skull. When I look up I see that blonde staring at me. Why the hell is she gawking at me like an idiot? I feel like a zoo animal. Does she think just because I'm behind glass she's safe to stare at me?

I decide to stare back at her as coldly as I can. I bore my eyes into hers without blinking. This'll make her rethink how safe she is. Her face changes into one of fright and she immediately turns her back to me. …Yeah. That's what I thought.

I go back to picking at my bandage. I'm thinking I'll leave it on. I want that doctor to see what she's done to me. I'll take it off when my arm starts turning purple because I'm not stupid enough to lose my arm over teaching somebody a lesson. When I try loosening the edges of the bandage, I hear the blondie conversing with someone. I don't bother to see what's going on because I know she isn't talking to the doc. I would have heard her coming in those loud heels of hers.

"Hahahahhahahaha!"

That laugh. That didn't come from my head did it? I look up and see that the blonde is laughing her lungs out. I've heard this laugh only a couple of times before. Could she be- No. That's not possible. I don't have one. Sure I've heard a woman giggling in my head a couple of times but I've never paid much mind to it. It was just one of the many voices that I hear in my skull. I've never considered the possibility that someone out there exists for me.

I stare at her confused. Could she really be who I think she is? As she walks away she looks at me again and this time she smiles and gives me a quick nod. For a moment, I see a flash of potential in her smile. Could she really be the one? Maybe she is. Maybe she isn't. Either way, I know exactly what I'll be doing for the next couple of weeks. I smile vibrantly as I explore the new possibilities that this blonde doctor presents me.


AN: Sorry about the super short chapter, but I really wanted to post something and I didn't want The Joker to reveal too much of what's coming next. I hope you all liked him by the way, he isn't easy to write. I promise you though, he's going to get more interesting. I'm super excited to start writing his interactions with Harleen! I can't wait for them to finally meet officially; it's gonna be fun. :)

Feel free to leave reviews! They're like fuel to me; they keep me going! I'll see you all in the next chapter. :D