I know what you're thinking, but it's really not ENTIRELY my fault this time. My beta was having computer problems and it took us awhile to be able to communicate about this chapter. Here it is!
The next day I was informed that all new Arkham "patients" were due for a physical upon arrival, and that it was time for mine. I was still in my straight jacket from the day before, so I just went limp and let the brute of a guard drag me to the medical wing.
The nurse was waiting when I got to the office. She looked up and smiled at me, then addressed the guard. "If you could just remove the straight jacket…"
He complied, and I stretched my arms. My muscles ached. "I'll need you to undress and slip this on," she told me, shoving a paper gown into my hands. "You'll have to leave," she told my watcher. "Confidentiality, and all that."
The guard nodded and left. I looked around the room and spotted the private dressing corner. I was about to make my way over to change when she spoke.
"Drats," she muttered. "I left your folder at the front desk. Go ahead and change, I'll be right back." I watched her leave, and heard her explain, "I have to retrieve her file. She's changing; keep an eye on the door."
This is it. I thought. My golden opportunity. I quickly glanced around the office for a possible weapon. I actually laughed in surprise when I found some packaged scalpels in a drawer. I prepared one for use and hid two more on my person. I could hear steps coming down the hall. It was probably my nurse.
I grabbed up the paper gown and yanked the curtain shut around the changing area. The door opened. I could see her silhouette on the fabric separating us. Her back was to me. "Are you ready?"
Am I? "Just about," I told her. Just about ready to slit your throat. I had a brief moment of doubt. Was I actually attempting a break out here? But then I thought about it logically. Or rather, how Mr. J might think of it: I'm already in the fucking loony bin. What are they going to do if they stop me? Sedatives? Then I try again another day.
I opened the curtain casually. She was setting out tools. Preparing for what she thought was a routine pap smear. Not likely. Her back was still too me. I softly stepped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her; one hand on her mouth, the scalpel ready at her neck.
"You make a sound and it will be your last. Get it?" she nodded in my grasp. "Good," I whispered in her ear. "Because I'm ready to leave, right? And you're gonna help me."
I thought for a moment, trying to form some kind of offhand plan based on my surroundings. Come on…think! Mr. J does this all the time…think…
"I hope you're a good little actress, darling, because I'm going to need you to get rid of that guard out there. We're going to pretend I'm having…a seizure. You're going to tell him to go get the head nurse. Then you're taking me in the opposite direction. Think you can do that, toots?" I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins; my heart thudded in my chest.
She didn't give me any kind of response. I sighed. She could be difficult. If she tipped off the guard this whole thing would be fucked. "Listen doll," I sighed, "You cooperate with me on this, you may just make it out alive. But if you spoil my fun…" I sucked a breath in through my teeth and shook my head. "Well you can bet that when I do get out," I paused, putting my lips directly to her ear, "and I will get out—well, Mr. J and I will come after you personally, just for the fun of it."
She was shaking now. I think she was crying. "How bout it? Help me out?" she nodded. "Good."
I removed my hand from her mouth hesitantly. When I was sure she was staying quiet I knocked over the tray of tools; they clattered to the floor noisily. "Now," I whispered putting a little more pressure on the scalpel against her neck.
"She's seizing!" the nurse called out. "Go get the head nurse!"
"Right away!" the guard called through the door. I heard his boots clomping down the hall.
"Verrry good," I encouraged. "Let's get out of here, shall we?" I pushed her forward, but kept a firm grasp on the back of her white coat. She took off at a jog down the hallway. "Keep away from security now!" I warned her, as I saw that she was directing me towards the front entrance. "Shall we go through the back?"
I thought I heard her curse under her breath as we changed directions. It was pretty much a straight shot to the back of the building. I could see the exit sign above the door. I was almost out. A feeling shot through me that made my body feel like lead. I think I even slowed our running. Too easy. It was just too fucking easy! The last time things went so smoothly for me I ended up shot. Holy hell.
But we reached the exit, and there were still no signs of any pursuit. I grabbed the woman's shoulder and spun her around. Without another thought, I sliced her throat and headed through the door.
Daylight. Bright. Sun. I had to shield my eyes at first. I hadn't seen real light in days. I had forgotten the world could be so bright. I stumbled in my first few steps, but as I regained my balance and sight I was stopped dead.
A white van. Ten feet away. And loading out of it, a bunch of clowns, and in the middle of them, mine; Mr. J. They didn't notice me until they started walking towards the asylum. I ran up to Mr. J. He stopped walking.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, breathless from running.
"Breaking you out!" he informed me. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Escaping! Let's keep doing it!" I told him frantically, bypassing them for the safety of the van.
"Alright boys, let's go!" the Joker called shortly after, turning around after me.
As I hopped inside, I heard one of his boys mutter, "That was the easiest mission ever."
The van started pulling away, and I had a thought. "Wait!" I called. The driver halted. "As long as you're all prepared for a break out…" I turned truly pleading eyes to Mr. J. "Can we go get Krista?"
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They loaded me up with a gun and a gas mask. I watched as a clown went over to the exit and started messing around with a wire box.
"Security system," Mr. J explained as he pushed something round into my hand. "You get separated, or in trouble, use this." I studied the object in my hand.
"…Grenade?"
"Laughing gas," when I raised an eyebrow at him, he chuckled. "It's the gaseous form of the poison I added to the coke. Deadly. Laughing gas, I suppose would be more ac-cur-ate."
"Right," I nodded, gripping the bomb in my hand.
"All set!" the security clown called to us.
I donned the gas mask and followed them back inside; Mr. J raised an eyebrow at the corpse by the door. Wasn't I just in here? I thought, exasperated. Then I started laughing. A lot. Mr. J had to tug on my arm to keep me moving.
We arrived to the corner of the main hall at the same time as my guard and who I assumed was the head nurse. She let out a shriek when she saw my company and the guard reached for his gun. Mr. J tossed one of those gas bombs at them and I heard a bang as my vision was filled with plumes of neon yellow smoke. I grabbed Mr. J's jacket just as he disappeared into the fog. He dragged me along quickly; I could hear his laughing through his gas mask.
He swung me around a sharp corner, and just ahead of us I could see a clown swiping a badge over a door on the right. Krista. I pulled away from the Joker and bounded forward, pushing past the henchman and ripping off my gas mask as I entered the room. "Krista!"
She was sitting with her knees to her chest in the corner, both arms wrapped securely around her legs. She giggled when she saw me. "Sarah," she sing-songed softly. "Sarah's here, hehehe," she tilted her head to each side, and then went completely still. When she spoke again, her voice was low, accusing, "Are you here to give me my shots?"
A renewed wave of anger at Mr. J washed over me. "Nooo, sweetie," I assured her softly, bending down in front of her. "No, I'm here to take you home."
"Home?" she echoed; then she giggled.
"Home with me," I smiled and took her hand. "But we have to go right now, okay?"
The Joker had his gas mask pulled up and a radio to his mouth. "Pull around the back of the West. Wing."
I pulled Krista into a standing position. I was about to lead her away when I remembered the bomb in my hand. Any more of that shit could seriously fuck her up. "Here Krista, wear this," I told her, handing her the gas mask.
"Why?" she questioned, eying the hideous mask with distrust.
"There's a bad smell in the hallway. You don't want to smell that yucky smell, do you?" I asked her. She shook her head and accepted the mask, pulling it on over her face. In my peripheral vision, I could see Mr. J watching us.
I motioned one of the boys over. I put Krista's hand in his. "This man is going to get you out of this place. He's my friend. I'll be right behind you, okay?" she nodded, looking at the clown timidly. She was twitching slightly.
Turning to the clown, I narrowed my eyes. "Guard her with your life," I told him.
"Of course."
I turned to Mr. J. "Let's go."
He nodded, and we were bounding through the halls once more. I felt a sharp pain on the bottom of my foot and stumbled. I looked down to see a smear of blood on the ground, right next to….a bloody scalpel. It had fallen out of where I had tucked it into my hideously orange jumper, and I had stepped on it. Of course I stepped on it.
I sighed, and prepared to keep moving when a set of hands from behind me clamped down on my upper arms. Instinctively, I dropped my gun and pulled the pin on the bomb in my left hand, dropping it to our feet.
I jabbed my elbows back into my assailant and brought my sleeve-covered hands to protect my mouth and nose—but not before catching a breath of pungent, putrid, noxious gas.
I coughed as I ran away, and soon my group of would-be rescuers was back in sight. I followed them out the back exit. I was still coughing as I hopped into the van; my lungs felt like they were on fire.
"You…okay?" Mr. J asked, studying me from the corners of his eyes.
I nodded and cleared my throat. "Got a face full of gas, but I'm fine." I had scarcely finished my sentence when the laughter hit me. "I just escaped, and then went back in to Arkham Asylum!" I laughed, clutching my stomach. It just seemed so hilarious. I felt happy. Euphoric, even. I was back with the boys, back with Mr. J. Home, even in this van.
"Well…thanks for coming to get me—even if I was a step ahead of you," I wasn't mocking him, but he probably couldn't tell by my hysterical laughter at my own jab.
He stared into my eyes, and I felt myself sober up. "Thanks for keeping your mouth shut."
I looked around the van, hoping to catch sight of Parker now that the masks had come off. He wasn't with. I did, however, see the guard that had escorted me out to the police car. I pointed at him, my mouth open. He smiled.
"Had to make sure you were worth getting," the Joker threw out when he noticed my surprise.
I turned my attention to Krista. She occupied a corner of the van in the same position as earlier. If not for her occasional glances to the men around us, I would have guessed that she thought she was still in her room. "Krista," I said softly, scooting over to her. She gave me a small smile. Her dark eyes twinkled. "How are you?"
She stared at me and giggled.
"Krista?"
"Krista?" she echoed, then giggled some more.
I turned on Mr. J. "You fried her brain," I accused him.
"She fried it herself," he shot back.
I turned back to my best friend. "How do you know the devil?" she asked me softly. She was gazing over my shoulder.
It was the most coherent thing she had said since I'd found her. I glanced behind me to the Joker, then back to Krista. "He can't hurt you," I told her. "Don't worry."
"Can he hurt you?" her eyes shone with concern. I didn't want to tell her that he could, so I just smiled and shook my head. I hoped he didn't think that I thought that was true. I'd hate to finally get back home just to have him prove some shit to me right away. "Good," she breathed, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall of the van.
I made myself comfortable by her, bringing a hand up to stroke her hair gently. I looked across the van to Mr. J. He was watching Krista and me again. Why did he keep staring at us? "How'd you know where she was?"
His gaze flicked from Krista to me, and I found myself locked in his dead stare. "You weren't leaving without her."
I gave him a small smile, "You do know me!" He gave me a smirk, then went back to studying Krista. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to me protectively, eyes never leaving her almost-killer. I returned to stroking her hair and she sighed and rested her head on my shoulder.
"I don't like that place," she confided softly.
"You never have to go back there," I promised.
"Good. I'd rather stay with my Sarah," she sounded like a child. It made my heart hurt in the worst kind of way. Whatever had happened to her mind, the damage was done now. No more adventures. No more nights on the theatre. I tried to accept that this was the way that she was going to be from now on, but couldn't imagine, even when I tried, not having my old best friend back; the girl with which I could just exist, and not have to think about the front that I held around everyone else. The one person that knew me—truly knew me, inside and out, and loved me that way—and she was gone, now just seemingly a shell of her former life. There were no quips, no jabs; the fire that had once resided in her eyes had been extinguished, and so prematurely. She was too young to live like this. It didn't make sense. Why was she the one to lose her mind? She wasn't in cahoots with the Joker, I was. Shouldn't it have been me to lose my mind?
And then I remembered that I already had. And that's when the laughter came back.
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