This chapter might explain a little.
Chapter 3
This was my first Friday at Arkham Asylum and therefore I would attend my first group therapy session. If today went well I would be allowed to participate at recreation time and I'd be assigned a personal doctor. The women were separated into two groups due to how many of us there were. I was in the second group scheduled after lunch.
When we were led into the room I saw that there were thirteen fold-out chairs arranged in a circle and a woman in a white coat sat at what I thought was the front of the circle. Women scrambled for seats and I ended up almost directly across from the doctor and the Joker was about three seats away from me. Good, he wouldn't be able to pester me.
The woman in the white coat introduced herself as Doctor Cora. She was tall and thin with a tight red bun. I think her big blues eyes were supposed to look innocent or sweet, but they looked cold to me. She explained that we'd go around the circle and introduce ourselves since I was new. I felt bad because I only remembered a couple of the names afterwards.
Next we were supposed to take turns talking about our feelings or if we've had any 'episodes' lately.
No wonder these women were locked up; they were batshit crazy.
One tried to kill herself after her boyfriend of three months dumped her. A blonde woman had drowned her kid in the bathtub. A frail brunette thought she had bugs crawling under her skin. She was on some heavy duty medication.
Geez. At least I could function in society.
My turn came about a billion years too soon. Dr. Cora focused her big blue eyes on me and gave me a blinding smile. How does she get her teeth so white? I decided then and there that nobody should ever have teeth that white. It was entirely unnatural.
Of course a lot of things are unnatural, like glasses and hair dye and face paint…
I saw that her photoshopped mouth was moving and I forced myself to meet Dr. Cora's eyes.
"Huh?"
"I said," she crossed her legs, "how are you today Attica?"
"Oh. Um, fine?" I wasn't sure what she wanted me to say. I was in an asylum for goodness sake.
She smiled anyways, "Good good." She wrote something down on her clipboard. What was there to write? I just said I was fine. "Have you been feeling anxious about anything? Does your incident still bother you?" She was referencing the nightmares I had during the trial.
"No ma'am. I feel just fine." I crossed my arms.
Dr. Cora continued smiling, but I could see the agitation behind her eyes. "Okay Attica. Do you know why you're in an asylum? How did you end up in here?"
"They read my diary."
The Joker, who had remained silent until now, began snickering. The women next to him flinched.
Dr. Cora waited for him to finish before she spoke again, "Yes… Your diary was part of the evidence in your court case. But why are you really here?"
"If you must know," I glared at the doctor from under my bangs, "a man tried to rape me. So I cut off his hands."
The whispering began immediately. My eyes met the Joker's and saw that he was staring at me intently.
The hushed sounds were interrupted by a screech, "Liar!" I jerked my head to my left and saw Mariana pointing a condemning finger at me, "That little slut's pregnant and she's trying to seduce the Joker! I bet she wanted it and used rape as excuse because she's crazy!"
That was kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.
Mariana was standing, but didn't move towards me. Dr. Cora had the guards sit her down and she stayed still, but her eyes were wide and feral.
"Seducing the Joker? What do you mean Mariana?" DR. Cora raised a skeptical brow.
"I heard them talking last night." Mariana hissed as she leaned forward, "They passed papers back and forth too."
Dr. Cora turned to me, "Is this true Attica?"
"Yes. But we weren't doing anything wrong. I just showed him some of my pictures."
"Even so," Dr. Cora crossed her legs the other way, "Communication with patients outside of meals and recreational time is against the rules and it was after bedtime." She scribbled something down on her clipboard, "You'll have your pictures confiscated for a week and you won't join in recreational time during that week as well."
"Yes mother." I couldn't keep the disdain out of my voice. This place was ridiculous.
The doctor's cold blue eyes narrowed, "You'll have your books taken away now as well; thanks to your attitude."
"No!" I jumped to my feet, "You can't do that!"
"I assure you that I can." Dr. Cora turned to the girl next to me and asked her about her week.
I was being dismissed.
"I will not be ignored!" A guard grabbed my arm and I thrashed, trying to throw him off. "I didn't do anything wrong and you're taking away the only thing that keeps me sane!"
"Calm down Attica." The bored tone the doctor used just infuriated me more. She didn't even look at me.
Another guard grabbed me, but I kept fighting, "What do you want me to do stare at the fucking walls?" I was dragged to the floor and I felt someone cuff my hands behind my back. I was crying by now and I looked up at the indistinct faces just gaping at me. I could make out the Joker's blurry face paint through my tears. He was just watching the show. He didn't take his eyes off of me. I kept twisting on the floor, "Please… I just want my books."
A/N: I feel like Mariana's dialogue seemed a little cliche and forced. But keep in mind that she has serious paranoia and jealousy problems and would probably freak out at anybody.
auriellis:
You always seem to be a step or two ahead of me. I had been planning on explaining the Joker's prescence in the next chapter or two. :)
