Chapter 11

Two weeks rolled by, and Edward had heard nothing about his release from the asylum. He was beginning to lose hope thinking perhaps they set him up to solve a case, but refused to set him free. It was highly possible that was the case, but Edward continued to wait to see what would happen.

St. Patrick's day would be coming up soon, but he simply continued to watch the news hoping for something good to show itself. Still no Holiday Killer capture, and no news about any more killings until St. Patrick's day.

Edward was getting anxious as the days went on. He continued to take his pills, and every so often he'd visit his doctor to see if Gordon had contacted her, but nothing had happened as of yet. With little word on the actions being taken Edward had begun to wonder if his detective work a few weeks ago had just been a delusion of his mind. Harvey continued to question him, and it seemed he was just as curious as Edward about what was happening, but for once Edward didn't have the answer.

"Cheer up, I'm sure you'll hear something soon." Harvey told him taking a drag of his cigarette.

Edward shrugged, "I had better. I know all of it wasn't for nothing at least."

"Dr. Quinzel seems to be pretty fond of you. She told you that you're progressing well. That's a good sign. It means that you're curable and no one has the ability to stop you from leaving if you keep looking sane... also if they don't find the bodies..." Harvey stated.

"There are no bodies." Edward continued with his facade.

"That's what you keep telling people, and eventually you might even believe it." Harvey told him with a chuckle.

Edward smiled a little at him, but shook his head, "I just wish the news would have something about the Holiday Killer."

"St. Patrick's day is coming up, who knows you are bound to hear something by then." Harvey told him.

Edward continued to wait hoping for more news to come in. Finally, it was March seventeenth, and nothing was said on the news. "Jerry, it's St. Patrick's day today isn't it?" Edward asked desperately.

Jerry looked at his watch, "All day long, Eddie. Why?" He asked as he wasn't in on the case information.

"Nothing... I just... I wondered..." Edward headed back to his cell and lay there on his back.

It was possible for him to fall asleep as the Trazodone seemed to help him. Edward didn't want to sleep, he wanted to hear that the Holiday Killer had been put to a stop. Edward was restless, he had two hours before it was considered 'lights out' and still there was no word on the case.

His mind was buzzing even after the lights went out, and his cell door locked. Edward needed to sleep just so time would pass. He was sure Dr. Quinzel would tell him if they caught the killer, but he didn't want to wait until then. Edward stood up and walked to the bars of his cell looking for a guard. "Guard?" He asked hoping to hear one.

One finally came to his door, "It's lights out Edward, go to sleep."

"That's just it, I can't sleep. Is there any way one of you could sedate me or something? I just want to sleep." He gripped the bars desperately.

"We aren't wasting sedatives on you. Now lie down and close your eyes like you normally do." The guards around Arkham Asylum seemed so keen on keeping the prisoners unhappy that even simple tasks were made into a chore.

"Sir, I am serious. I cannot sleep, please sedate me." Edward said one more time as politely as possible.

"No." The guard glared at him.

"I don't see why you have to make this so difficult. You have no problem injecting people when they make too much of a fuss, why not just give me one?" Edward asked.

"Shut it, Nigma." The guard walked away.

Edward sighed with annoyance before smiling a little, "I didn't want to have to do this, but you're asking for it." Edward sat on his bed speaking as loudly as he could.

"There is a green house, and inside of that is a white house, and inside of the white house is a pink house with all kinds of little babies inside. What is it?" Edward asked loudly, his voice echoing through the cell block.

A few annoyed voices groaned, "Go to sleep!" One of the patients yelled angrily.

"Incorrect, any other guesses?" Edward asked loudly.

"Nigma! I told you to sleep!" The guard shouted into the cellblock.

"I told you to sedate me!" Edward responded smirking a bit to himself; he had to admit, this was fun.

"Nigma you have one last shot before I'm coming in there!" The guard threatened.

"The answer to the previous riddle is watermelon!" he shouted.

"Eddie! Shut it!" Harvey shouted sounding tired.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that, who's afraid of the big black bat?!" He laughed darkly.

"Edward we're trying to sleep here!" Harvey yelled angrily.

"So am I!" He yelled back as the guard started unlocking his cell door angrily.

"I warned you Nigma!" The guard leered in at him holding his baton.

Edward didn't like where this was going, but couldn't do anything about it now. Suddenly a familiar voice caught his ears. "What is the meaning of this?!"

The guard turned his head to look at the woman coming into the cell block, "Dr. Quinzel. Your patient was acting out again." He said angrily.

"So then why were you going into his cell with a baton?" She asked annoyed by the very thought of Edward being bludgeoned.

"What does it matter, Quinzel? This guy killed five people, he deserves a little pain." The guard looked at her not backing down.

"Get out of here. I'll handle him." She told the guard.

He did as she commanded and left the cell block. "Edward, get over here." She said as if talking to an unruly child.

Edward got up obediently and walked over to the bars. "Dr. Quinzel, please tell me you have news for me."

"News?" She asked confused and irritated.

"On the Holiday Killer case. Did they catch him?" Edward asked.

"I haven't heard anything, yet Edward. Is that what this is all about?" She asked him confused.

"I couldn't sleep, and I told them to sedate me. My mind is racing, I can't fall asleep like this." He explained calmly.

Dr. Quinzel sighed and pulled a needle from her breast pocket. "Go lie down on the cot." She instructed.

Edward turned around and did as he was told looking up at her. He watched her ready the needle before pulling up his sleeve, "Next time tell the guard you need to see me, don't start a fight or you'll get hurt again."

Edward nodded smiling a little, "Thank you, Dr. Quinzel. I'll keep that in mind."

She injected the sedative into his arm, "Come see me tomorrow. We'll talk about this. Goodnight Edward." She said looking down at him.

Blackness began to take over his vision, and before he knew it, he was out like a light. He didn't hear her leave, and he didn't realize he had even fallen asleep. His dream state took over fairly quickly leaving him passed out for several hours in a grateful sleep.

The bruises she saw on a number of patients was quite upsetting to her. She knew she was at liberty to report the incidents but she felt like no matter how many she reported nothing was getting done. It wasn't fair at all.

Harleen Quinzel headed down the hallway deep in thought. Had she not worked late, would she have been faced with a beat up patient for the second time? Was that what the guards of Arkham Asylum were all about? Painful beatings and restraint? It was easy to see how they felt they could get away with such treatment of their patients. Who really wanted to listen to a bunch of crazy people who could have just been hallucinating their beatings?

She had declined to tell Edward anything, but she had heard back from Commissioner Gordon, and he had told her they'd managed to catch the killer in the act this time. She would tell Edward the details in the morning, but right now he needed his sleep. It was one of the few things that kept him sane was to sleep.

Passing by the door to solitary she paused for a moment. She knew Boles was in there, and she knew he was likely harming more patients. The guards refused to let her in the past few nights she had tried to gain access. Her doctor status was far to low for access. She would have to wait for her probation period to be over before she'd be allowed inside. Until that day, she would be stuck on the outside wondering just who Boles was taking it upon himself to punish.