Disclaimer: I don't own the Joker.
Thank you all so much for reviewing my last few chapters. It's great to know what you all think about what's happening, and I'm glad you all feel so much for Jess!
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Take Heed
'Knock, knock',
Jess lifted her head from the desk and sleepily glanced towards the door. Sighing she pushed herself up and stretched her spine. The sound came again and she firmly rubbed her face with her fingertips. Turning towards the door again she cleared her throat.
"Come in," she croaked rubbing her jaw.
The door opened and Jess' office filled with bright light; her blue eyes scrunched shut reflexively and she sighed heavily. The dark figure in the doorway stood still for a moment before reaching to flick the lightswitch on the wall.
"Sorry if I woke you Doctor," the uniformed man smiled and raised the brown cardboard cup in his hand. "I brought you coffee."
Blinking slowly the blonde woman pulled her hair back from her face and yawned. Max crossed the space between them and placed the cup on the desk before slowly turning to observe the room.
"Thanks," Jess pulled a hairband from around her wrist and wrapped it around her now bunched hair. "I'm so tired, I could do with a shot of caffeine. What time is it?"
Max glanced at his watch, "2:35."
"Oh my God, I've slept through most of my shift!"
"You must have needed it. Don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll catch up. After all you have something of a reputation around here as a work-horse."
Jess raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to one side, "Do I?"
"Yeah, you put the big dogs to shame."
Smiling Jess reached for the coffee, pulled the white plastic lid away and held the dark liquid under her nose. "Hmmm, that smells good," Jess closed her eyes before slowly sipping her drink. "Don't you have anything better to do than babysit me?"
"No, not really," Max smiled.
'Great!' Jess sighed inwardly. "Well…thanks for the coffee, but I really do have to start on some kind of work."
"Are you sure you're going to be ok?"
"What do you mean by that?" Jess frowned.
"Well, you know…earlier you were a little shaken,"
"Well, I'm fine now. I was just overtired. Thanks again," she lifted the cup.
Max started slowly towards the door. "If you need me, just let me know, ok?"
"Sure," Jess watched the man leave. As he closed the door behind him she felt her body relax. There was something about that man Jess couldn't quite work out and she didn't like that one bit. The man hadn't even done anything wrong; he'd only brought her coffee, and a strong one at that. But still, Jess supposed she didn't have to like him. He was after all only doing his job. The head of the Psychology Department had instructed Max to watch over her and so far today he had hardly left her side. Maybe she had him all wrong, Jess doubted it. She didn't like him and that was that.
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"Get your ass on the floor!" the guard yelled at the sitting man. "Face down, now!"
The verbally abused man sighed and licked his lips, "But officer, if I lay on my front…how are the nurses going to get my coat on?"
"Just do it!" the man growled.
The Joker casually fell forward onto his hands and knees laughing to himself. "Oh, look at you getting all aggressive!" he smiled seductively at the security guard as the two nurses approached him straight-jacket in hand.
"Shut the fuck up clown!"
Grinning at the two women the Joker batted his eyelids and moistened his lips. He loved how a single movement of his face could unnerve the staff in this place. After three years of permanent sedation he had a lot of ground to make up. Laughing at the women's obvious discomfort he allowed himself to be bundled into the jacket and dragged off of the floor.
"I love it when a woman takes control," the Joker purred as one of the nurses pushed him past the guard and thrust him into a waiting wheel chair. As her counterpart hastily fastened the leather straps around his torso Joker sat perfectly still sucking on his tongue and the insides of his scars. "Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?"
The look of fear on the young woman's face was quickly followed by a firm blow to the back of his head.
"I told you to keep your mouth shut!" the guard flexed his fingers.
"What? Can't I even pay a woman a compliment without people thinking I'm trying to kill them?" Joker peered up at the guard from the corner of his eye and nodded his head from side to side.
"I swear! Are you deaf, or just stupid?"
Joker smiled to himself before answering, "Funny that, I remember someone dressed just like you being asked that about a fortnight ago! Ha ha ha! Would you like to know what happened to him? I can give you a first hand account."
Suddenly the Joker was on his back, still strapped into the wheelchair, with the guard stood over him, "I'd watch your mouth it I was you!"
"Maybe you could pass me a mirror?" the Joker laughed wildly goading the guard.
The uniformed man grabbed the strap spanning the Joker's chest and punched him hard in the face, "I'll give you more than a fucking mirror!"
"Hey! Get off him!" one of the nurses grabbed the security guard and pulled him away. "If you kill him we'll all be for it! His doctor is keeping a close eye on his physical condition and I don't wanna lose my job because you wanna beat the hell out of him! Leave him alone!"
Reluctantly the guard stepped away from the restrained man and allowed the nurses to right the wheelchair before leaning close to him, "Count yourself lucky freak! Your doctor wont always be around to look after you."
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"So, we seem to have regressed more than a few steps don't we?"
The Joker sat as lazily as he could considering he was strapped tightly to a wheelchair. "Oh, I don't know. I think it suits me, don't you?" he glanced down at the straight jacket.
Jess sighed and leaned back in her chair, "I want to ask you some questions about what you said me before."
"Mmmm?"
"You said I should be careful about who I put my trust into. What did you mean?"
"What do you think I meant, Jesteeer?"
"Stop calling me that. I just want to know what you were talking about,"
The Joker gazed at the floor for a few moments, then glanced to either side of him before attempting to lean forward and licking his lips, "Your…um… 'friend'…that Max guy, he um, he likes to think that he er…you know, runs things, if you get my meaning. Doesn't like it when…when people stand up to him."
"Are you saying I shouldn't trust him? Is that what you're saying? I don't understand,"
"How should I know? You're the doctor not meeee,"
"But you are saying he can't be trusted?" Jess watched as the Joker tongued the inside of his cheek thoughtfully before shrugging as best he could.
"Did you stand up to him?"
Jess decided to change the subject, "Who killed Ricky Moffitt?"
"Ahhhh…I don't know," the Joker raised his eyebrows and shook his head slowly. "Maybe…ahhh…maybe you should ask your 'friend'."
"Max?"
"How many friends do you have?"
Trying to ignore his sarcasm Jess sighed and wrote something on her notepad. She was getting nowhere slowly and the Joker seemed to be enjoying teasing her.
"Did they tell you what happened to your preeedecessor?" the Joker's eyes sparkled as the words left his mouth.
"Dr. Brightside? Yes, he committed suicide," Jess lied.
"Huh. Suicide?" the Joker chewed nothing. "That'swhat they told you?"
Suddenly Jess could feel the skin at the nape of her neck tightening. This was more like it.
"What do you mean?" she sat upright and placed her notepad face down on her knees. "Are you saying it wasn't suicide?"
The Joker leaned back slightly and pouted his lips. Raising one eyebrow he tilted his head to one side and rolled his eyes, "Airvents."
"What?" Jess frowned.
"Every. Room. Has. An. Airvent,"
"So?"
"Even mine!" Joker grinned and stared straight into Jess' eyes.
"And?"
"Ahhh, do you have any ahhh…any trouble sleeping Doctor?"
"What?" Jess felt her voice crack in her throat.
"A lot of stuff…happens…at night. When you have a nice quiet cell like mine…you get to hear a lot of stuff,"
"Go on," Jess urged him.
"They told you it was suicide. Well I heard he was killed by a one, Jimmy Bowe. They're both lies," he whispered. "I heard his last…er… 'breath'…well, if you could call it that. More of a gurgle really…quite disturbing… especially when you're a quiet soul like myself." He smiled broadly.
"Why are you telling me this?"
He didn't answer.
"Do you know who killed Dr. Brightside? Joker? Do you know who murdered him?"
The Joker closed his eyes and turned his face to the ceiling. Inhaling deeply he finally spoke, "Are you wearing new perfume?"
Jess' heart leapt into her throat. Perfume.
"It doesn't suit you. I preferred the other one," he sighed and opened his eyes to look at her. "What's the matter? Did I, um, did I hit a nerve?"
Jess didn't answer. She didn't know what to say, or do. Why would he suddenly mention her perfume?
"I'll take that as a yes," he licked his lips.
"Today's session is over. I'll send the guard in to collect you," Jess said flatly. Standing quickly she marched to the door.
As she began to turn the handle the Joker spoke behind her, "It wasn't a patient."
She stopped dead in her tracks, "What?"
Cocking his head to the side the Joker's face hardened, "So, my little Jester, did you stand up to him?"
