In My Blood

Chapter 9

Hello again! Hope you all are doing well. Anyone still having difficulty writing /18 instead of /19? No? Just me? Well, then...anyway, here is a brand new chapter for you! Enjoy!

Three Days Later

"I can't understand it, Ms. Quinzel", said the nurse, staring at Harleen's tox chart. "With the amount of saline flushes we've been giving you, the toxin should be gone by now."

"Well, why isn't it?" Harleen said, her wrist still cuffed to the bed. "What's wrong-is it something having to do with me?"

"To tell you the truth, we're not entirely sure what's going on. All we know is that there still seems to be trace amounts of the drug in your system."

"Well, what can you do to flush it out completely?"

"More saline...there's not much else, other than what we've already been doing for you, Ms. Quinzel."

"Do anything you need to do", Harleen said desperately. "Just please, get this stuff out of me. I can't stand the thought of me hurting anyone else."

The nurse nodded and made some notes on her clipboard.

"We'll get you started on a saline drip", she said.

Harleen laid awake at night, watching the IV bag slowly insert saline into her arm. She sighed and took a sip of water from the cup on her bedside table.

"Man, this stuff really dehydrates you", she said in a scratchy voice.

"You know you're never getting rid of it, right?"

Harleen whipped around to see her double step out of the mirror once again.

"It's part of you now."

"I thought I told you to go away."

"Yeah, you say that to me every night...and yet, here I am."

"I refuse to believe what you're telling me."

"Oh, would you come off it?"

Her double sat down in the chair by Harleen's bed.

"I know you remember the thrill of shooting Bruce Wayne. It's a shame you only got his shoulder."

"Shut up!" Harleen cried out, and there was the scraping of metal against metal as she extended her arms pointing at her double, who snickered.

"You are so pathetic", she said, slowly walking around her. "I can hardly wait until you're gone and I take full control."

"What?"

Harleen turned to face her.

"That'll never happen to me."

"It ain't exactly your choice, sweetheart; just something that's meant to be."

"I haven't listened to you about anything else so far; what makes this any different?"

Her double was suddenly right in her face.

"Because", she said, "deep down inside, I know you want it to."

"Get out of my head", Harleen growled. "Stay out of my life!"

Her double clicked her tongue.

"Hey, I'm just letting you brace yourself for the inevitable", she said. "Docs are never gonna get that toxin out of your blood stream."

She chuckled as she stepped back in the mirror.

"Especially not if Scarecrow keeps secretly dosin' ya every night."

Harleen's eyes shot open and she gasped. She frantically searched around in the darkness, but there was no one there and her reflection was her own.

"She only taunts me in my sleep", Harleen thought, and sat up in bed. "If I don't go to sleep, she can't get to me."

36 Hours Later

Harleen blinked her eyes every few seconds, trying to stay awake. The nurse had insisted that she try to get some rest, but she had refused, not wanting to face her double again. Her eyelids drooped and her head bobbed, and she found herself drifting in and out of consciousness. Harleen tilted her head back and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

"Don't fall asleep", she muttered to herself. "Don't...fall...asl-"

Harleen fell into a deep and fitful sleep.

Harleen ran through the streets of Gotham, holding a bloody knife.

"There she is!" Jim Gordon yelled.

"After her!" Harvey shouted, and a mob of policemen and some townsfolk ran after her.

Harleen gasped and moved through the town, searching for a place to hide, but soon she was backed into a corner. Police were covering every possible angle, and Bruce Wayne fought his way to the front of the crowd with a stern look on his face.

"Any last words?" he said, his voice seeming to echo.

Harleen closed her eyes and looked down, a smile on her face.

"Just one", she said darkly, and pressed her knife against his neck. "DIE."

Bruce gagged as she slashed the knife across his throat, and he fell to the ground bleeding out. Harleen slowly looked up, smiling maniacally as the rest of the crowd closed in on her.

"NO!"

Harleen woke up, still in her hospital bed, sweat rolling down her back. She panted and looked around the room, not seeing anyone.

"They're getting worse", she said to herself, and looked down at her wrist. There was dried blood on the cuff. "I can't give in to this."

Too drained of energy to worry about the bloody cuff, Harleen settled back in the pillows and fell back asleep.

From the rooftop of the hospital, Jonathan Crane carefully put away his fear gas container.

"Won't be long now", he said, and jumped back down to a waiting van.

Bruce paced around his study, unable to think of anything but how Harleen was doing.

"You alright, Master B?" said Alfred, setting down a tray of hot cocoa.

"I can't help but worry about her, Alfred", said Bruce, taking a seat in the lounge chair. "What if Jerome gets out of Arkham and goes after her again-what if she spends so much time in there, she really does go insane? What if-"

"Easy, mate!" Alfred said, patting him on the back. "I'm sure Ms. Quinzel is safe at Gotham General."

"I need to see her", said Bruce. "It's been almost a week-surely they must have gotten the toxin out of her system by now."

"Alright, Bruce. We'll pop by for a visit."

"Now, Alfred."

Before the butler could say anything else, Bruce grabbed his coat and headed for the car.

"Ms. Quinzel?"

A nurse waved her hand in front of Harleen's face and snapped her fingers.

"Ms. Quinzel, are you still with me?"

Harleen blinked her eyes, trying to stay awake.

"Hmm?"

"Ms. Quinzel, I am very concerned", said the nurse, frowning as she saw her yawn. "Have you been sleeping at all?"

Harleen shook her head.

"As little as possible", she said groggily.

"Why is that?"

Harleen's eyes darkened.

"Because every time I close my eyes, all I see is murder, mayhem, and an alternate persona who REFUSES to leave me alone."

"An alternate persona?"

"Yeah, she keeps saying that I'm gonna be her one day, but I don't believe that for a second. As far as I'm concerned, Harley can take a hike."

"Uh, Harley?"

"Yeah, that's what I call her."

The nurse raised an eyebrow and smiled awkwardly at Harleen, who was fighting to stay awake once more.

"Ms. Quinzel, perhaps we should let you see a psychiatrist."

"Why?" Harleen snapped. "What-you think I'm crazy? That I'm making all of this stuff up?"

The nurse jumped back as Harleen stiffened, her metal cuff scraping against the metal bed frame.

"You don't know what I've been through", she said, her eyes fixated on the nurse. "You don't know what I've seen, what I've done, and what I could potentially do."

The nurse relaxed as she settled back.

"The last thing I need is a psychiatrist. Just focus on getting this stupid toxin out of my system."

The nurse opened her mouth as if to say something more, but thought against it and left the room.

"Call Captain Gordon", she said quietly to the front desk.

Jim Gordon parked his car in front of Gotham General just as Bruce Wayne parked his next to him.

"Bruce."

Jim nodded to the two.

"What brings you here, visiting Harleen?"

"I'm worried about her", said Bruce. "She's been in here too long."

"Yeah, I'm not feeling so great about leaving her in here, either, especially not with the call that brought me here."

"You were called here? Why-what happened, is she okay?"

"She's fine; the nurse just informed me that she hasn't been sleeping."

"For a person of her mental illness, that doesn't sound fine", said Alfred.

Bruce nodded and rushed into the hospital, asking for Harleen. The nurse led them to her room where they found Harleen sitting up in the hospital bed. She gasped when she saw Bruce, Alfred and Jim.

"What are they doing here?" she said, breathing heavily. "I specifically said I didn't want any visitors until you got rid of the toxin, especially not from Bruce Wayne!"

She pointed a finger at him.

"Harleen, the nurse has informed me that you're not sleeping", said Jim.

"Of course I'm not sleeping!" Harleen said, laughing without a humorous tone. "Every night, I am plagued by nightmares and fantasies. And if it's not that, it's arguing with Harley."

"Harley?" said Bruce. "Who's Harley?"

"She keeps insisting that deep down inside, I want to kill you; I want to join Jerome; I want to absolutely lose my mind and go totally stir-crazy!"

"So, she talks to you, then?" said Alfred.

"Of course she does!"

Harleen jumped in her bed, the cuff scraping against the metal once more.

"She torments me, every night! She says over and over again how one day, I will be just like her-well, that's NEVER gonna happen! No matter how much fear gas Scarecrow doses me with."

"What did you just say?" said Gordon.

"Oh, my God", said the nurse. "Of course! That would explain why the tox screen was never clear!"

Gordon pulled out his walkie.

"This is Captain Gordon", he said. "I want police detail at Gotham General for Ms. Harleen Quinzel."

"I-is that really necessary?" said the nurse as he put away the walkie.

"If Harleen is serious about Jonathan Crane sneaking in here every night to dose her with fear gas, absolutely", said Jim. "Don't worry, Harleen; no one's getting in here on the GCPD's watch."

"I'd like to stay with her, as well", said Bruce.

"No", said Harleen, shaking her head vigorously. "If you get hurt again-"

"Harleen, that wasn't your fault", said Bruce. "It was a freak accident, and I'm fine. See?"

Bruce patted his shoulder and Harleen nodded.

"You're a good friend, Bruce", she said. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow anyone in here after visiting hours", said the nurse.

"Oh, I think you can make an exception for Bruce Wayne", said Jim. "And if not, you can make an exception for the GCPD."

The nurse sighed and nodded, walking away.

"Thank you, Gordon", said Alfred, nodding at him.

"Thank you all", said Harleen. "You're doing so much to keep me safe. I just really hope it's not all for nothing."

"Right", said Alfred, "I'll pop back by the manor, bring ya some blankets, jammies; anything else, Master Bruce?"

"Harleen?"

Bruce turned to the girl.

"Would you like anything from Wayne Manor?"

Harleen shook her head.

"I'm just grateful for the company", she said.

Nurse Whitney Pajaros used her cell phone to make a call outside of Harleen's room.

"It's me", she said. "Yeah, we've got a problem: The girl's delusions are allowing her to see the truth, she knows you're still dosing her with the fear gas, and now the police have been assigned to watch the room."

"Well, that does put a damper on things", said Jonathan Crane, and sighed. "Alright, we'll take care of it; inform our contact in Arkham that the plan has changed."

Whitney nodded and hung up the phone.

Jerome Valeska tossed a ball against the wall in his cell, catching it as it bounced back to him.

"Can't believe this", he muttered to himself. "You slice one guy's head off, and it's solitary confinement. It's no fun in here."

He jumped up and clutched the bars.

"I should be out there, with my adoring fans; or even better: free, like Dr. Crane. Speaking of the good doctor, I wonder how his quest goes with Ms. Harleen Quinzel?"

WHAP! A guard's baton slammed down on his hand, causing him to relinquish his hold on the bars.

"Ow", Jerome said, shaking it.

"You know the rules, Valeska", said the guard. "No hangin' on to the bars."

"Amp down, would ya?" said Jerome. "I mean, it's not like I can get out of solitary confinement."

"Valeska!" called another guard. "Time for social."

Jerome grinned maliciously.

"And now I can", he said. "Open, sesame!"

As the guard rolled his eyes, Jerome flourishly stepped out of his cell and past the guard.

"You've got one hour", said the guard as Jerome stepped into the Rec room.

"Thank you, my good man", Jerome said, pretending to tip a hat towards him.

"Valeska!"

Jervis Tetch stormed up to him.

"I help you escape Arkham, and for what? To see you back in here, unable to free me in return? You promised, Jerome!"

Jerome shushed him, eyeing the guards around the fenced area.

"Relax, Mr. Hypnotist", he said quietly. "It's all part of the plan."

Jervis huffed and shrugged his shoulders.

"This came for you."

Jerome took an envelope in his hands and opened it. Inside there was a note:

Time for plan b.

At the bottom was a photo of a scarecrow. Jerome chuckled.

"Plan B, it is", he said, smiling.

"Get out."

Bruce was awoken from his sleep by Harleen muttering in hers. Through slitted eyes, he watched as her arms jerked around and she started hyperventilating.

"I said, get out."

"Harleen?"

Bruce rose from the chair he was sleeping in and walked over to the side of her bed.

"It's okay, Harleen; I'm-"

"I SAID, GET OUT!"

The cuff around her wrist scraped against the metal post, fresh blood spurting from the gash.

"Nurse!" Bruce called, and then gasped as Harleen suddenly grabbed his wrist. He strained to get away as she increased the pressure, her eyes staring straight ahead.

"He's gonna kill you", Harleen sing-songed, apparently in a trance.

Bruce cried out as she tightened her hold.

"And I'm gonna help him do it", Harleen whispered.

As a nurse ran in, Harleen's eyes drooped and she let go of Bruce, who took a few steps back. Bruce ran his hair through his hands as the nurse injected more saline into Harleen's IV.

"You okay, kid?" said the nurse once she was done. "Sorry I forgot to tell you: Sometimes, her dreams can get pretty intense."

Bruce stared at Harleen's bleeding wrist, and then looked down at his own. Harleen's thumbnail was indented on his skin.

"I'm fine", he finally said, "but I am seriously worried that she might not be."

Harleen chuckled in her sleep, and the two whipped their heads around to face her.

"You sure you wanna stay, kid?" said the nurse, and Bruce nodded.

"I'm going to help her get through this", he said, no matter what it takes."

And that's the end of Chapter 9! Gotta say, I like how Gotham has started off for its final season (and I sort of don't, but I won't say anything for those who haven't caught up). Hmm, what could Plan B possibly contain? Guess you'll have to wait till next time to find out! See you soon. REAL soon.

-Imagigirl20