We are almost out of our jumbled timeline and in to normal time. Again we are looking back on memories over a series of days. In one to two chapters it will be back to a linear timeline that makes more sense. A semi important plot point takes place in this last few days; I imagine that the Commissioner and the Joker would be looking back on these memories in glimpses and flashes.
To recap, we found out that our mystery woman is a business woman who has a strong influence in politics. We also found out that she played a role in Dent becoming D.A, and Gordon getting promoted. She attended Dent's funeral and ran into Gordon. Joker watched the whole thing from atop a hill. When he saw her there, he broke back into her penthouse to try and surprise her. He then tried to interrogate her, and she skirted around the questions. Meanwhile, Gordon sees men moving from a warehouse and becomes suspicious since there never seemed to be any activity there before. He confirms that the warehouse was bought under the alias Joseph Kerr. He was on his way to the M.C.U to lead a raid.
In the last chapter Gordon has revealed to the raid team that they are trying to detain Joker. He made everyone give up their cellphones in the hope that no one could warn Joker of the impending raid. In another flashback Joker's doll has revealed that she collects rare objects during her travels. She acquired a cat named Isis from a friend in Egypt. He also forced her to admit that she was hiding something and her true nature from everyone else. He leaves her to contemplate this as she prepares for a fundraiser. Joker is also thoroughly convinced he has a concussion.
You reap what you sow
I wanted to see what you'd do. And you didn't disappoint... You let five people die. Then, you let Dent take your place. Even to a guy like me, that's cold...
Of course he had no plans to attend that ridiculous swaray of people. She had been right, it would have made him too predictable. He was not one for repitition when it came to matters such as these. He wanted Gotham on its toes at all times. Unprepared for what he would do next.
His little reconnaissance mission had revealed quite a bit though. He considered it a small success. Just that much closer to cracking the code. They had both moved pawns on to the board now.
She had straight out admitted to him that she wasn't what she pretended to be. Now he needed to figure out exactly what it was that she was hiding from everyone else. "...but it isn't like I was trying too hard to hide it. At least from you." That little bit stuck with him. Maybe he even admired her for it. And yet there was still so much that she was still hiding from him.
Of course he could have easily found out her name and any general information about her, the thought had crossed his mind a few times. If he had been on a time restraint that's exactly what he would have done. But that just took the fun out of it. There was just something gratifying about going about it the old fashioned way. Though he was quite disappointed that he had missed a few things during their initial encounter. Things that were pretty big tip offs to her personality. Though he was pleased with himself for deducing that she behaved quite differently around others than she did around him. It hinted very strongly at what she had first told him. That she was fascinated by the criminal mind. Maybe even attracted to it. It would explain a great deal. About letting him stay in her home willingly. Perhaps even something that had happened in her past. Is that what you're hiding?
He could barely wait to see how she reacted to see those missing brunettes in the news. Would she find it flattering, or would she be disgusted? Would it pique her curiosity more so? She was fun.
Still, he couldn't afford any more slip ups, especially not around his men. That was the reason for the phone call that he was about to make. He had kept this number around for this exact reason.
He dialed, drumming his fingers along the leather interior of the car that he was riding in. This one had more sense to try to impress his boss, more so than Eddy. He did not feel as though he was a passenger in a trashcan. As he held the phone to his ear, he caught his driver peeking at him through the rear-view mirror. Making eye contact with him put a quick end to that. His man straightened his back and turned his gaze back to the road.
It took three rings for his contact to answer the phone. There was a confident answer on the other line, "Dr. Shrider speaking."
Joker couldn't help but smile, amusement seeping into his voice. "Hello dear doctor. I do believe that you owe me a favor."
At the sound of Jokers voice, he heard a surprised gasp on the other side. Then he heard the confident tone change to one of nervousness. "Of course I'm taking new patients, let me look at my schedule and see what's available." Joker heard the distinct sound of a door closing.
There was a loud swallow. "What kind of favor do you need," the doctor asked in a hushed tone.
Joker found it slightly humorous that he had caught the good doctor at his office. "A few routine tests Doc. Real simple."
"You...you need a medical favor?"
"You were expecting what? A hit job?" He snorted into the phone.
"No, I-I just...Are these tests for you?" The question held a tone of uncertainty to it. Maybe even disbelief.
Jokers brow furrowed in agitation, "And what does that matter doc?"
There was another swallow, "It's standard procedure. I just need to know if the patient has any known allergies, and what types of tests." The man on the other line held his breath, most likely fearing he had angered the clown.
He clicked his tongue loudly. "None. An MRI."
The line was silent for a moment. "I...um. Okay. Did you have a particular time in mind?"
"You will wait in the parking garage at 9:00 pm sharp. Make sure you are alone and the cameras are turned off. Do not disappoint me Doc, or I'll make true on my promise," there was menace in the threat. It certainly was not an idle one as far as threats went.
He hung up before giving Shrider a chance to reply.
He looked again at the rear view mirror, his driver not making eye contact with him. Though he knew the man was aware of his gaze through his peripheral. "You didn't hear anything, understood?"
His driver nodded. "No sir. Music was too loud. Think the engine may have been sputtering too."
Joker nodded in approval. He was one of the smarter ones. He might keep him around.
Joker kept the doctor waiting for several minutes just for the hell of it. Annoying others was one of the simple pleasures in life.
The doctor was jumpy as he and two of his men approached him. He had only brought them along as lookouts. Couldn't be too careful with Gordon tearing apart the whole of Gotham looking for him. Though Batman had not shown his face for days, it was only a matter of time.
They had been kept out of the loop. He had let them assume that he was striking a deal with the Doctor. It wasn't too outside of the perimeters of Joker's normal dealings. The fewer in the know the better.
The clown reached out and slapped the older man on the shoulder. "Good to see ya doc!" He was laying it on extra heavy, trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible. He followed the man's gaze to the guns in his men's hands. "Oh don't mind Rainbow and Funnybones here. They're just here to make sure there's no funny business." He laughed horribly loud at his own joke. The doctor attempted a smile, but instead out gave nervous laughter.
He grabbed Shrider's shoulder and directed him toward the building. They left the other two at the door and entered the clinic. The doctor remained silent all the way to the exam room.
Joker noted that he had left the lights off so as not to attract any suspicion. Smart man. Smarter than he had been before he had met him
Joker had caught the man doing deals with some of the mobsters of Gotham. But the twit had been taking jobs from both of the Italian families behind their backs. He had almost been caught double crossing the mob bosses the day that Joker had found him. He had agreed to keep his secret under the condition that he pledged his allegiance only to Joker, and performed any task that was asked of him. It hadn't taken much to scare the Italians away from the Doctor. Especially with Batman keeping an eye on them, and rumors that had been circulating that Joker was not to be trifled with. Those rumors had all been true though. Nobody double crossed the Joker and lived to talk about it. It had happened shortly after he had disposed of Gambol and a few other thorns in his side. They had fled with their tail between their legs, realizing it was easier to find someone else to do business with than it was to be carved open and stitched shut packed with explosives.
Ordinarily Joker didn't keep people around like that, as there were always guns for hire. But having a Doctor on call that wasn't under Gordon's scrutiny was a convenience that Joker couldn't pass up. Between him and the men he employed, there were injuries aplenty to be dealt with. There was also the fact that the doctor owned and managed his own clinic. It kept everything low-key.
Shrider led him into an exam room, flicking on the lights as he did so. He looked briefly at the exam bed, and then back to the Joker. "I'll need you to change into a gown. We have to make sure that you don't have any metal on you."
He stepped quickly to the cabinet, grabbing a gown, and turning back to the Joker. Considering the clown in front of him for a moment, he frowned.
"What?"
"I'm going to leave the room so you can change, but..." He took a deep breath. "I'll need you to wipe that paint off your face just in case it was made with any traces of metal."
He paused waiting for some reaction. The Joker just stared at him, not blinking. Shrider wiped a bead of sweat away from his brow. "Normally it's not something I request, but due to the amount that you have on, I feel it would be best. Some theater makeup has traces of metal." It was a necessary request.
"I thought you were going to leave the room Doc, or did you change your mind," Joker responded. "Want to see if we have the same parts?"
Slowly a completely red Shrider exited, leaving Joker to himself.
He shrugged, and silently removed his clothing. He was careful not to let his knives or grenades fall from his coat. Then he folded everything neatly, and set it on the bed. His boxers stayed, as he knew there was no metal in the waistband. Then he turned to the sink. The idea of it wasn't appealing to him, but making sure there was no permanent damage from Batman's beatings won out. He scrubbed at his face roughly with his calloused hands. When he felt his face was good and raw, he grabbed paper towels and dried himself.
After he had slipped into the gown, he called out. "Yoohoo Doc, you can come in now. I'm all decent for you."
A rather appalled and embarrassed looking Shrider reentered the exam room. At some point he had procured a clipboard, and he tapped his pen against it.
Joker sat on the edge of the bed, with a grin on his face.
Shriner cleared his throat quite loudly. "I need to ask you a few standard questions before we begin."
"Shoot Doc."
Shriner shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, well first...Uh, why exactly are we doing an MRI tonight? What symptoms do you have?"
Joker sucked on his teeth, contemplating. It would be best to answer truthfully, but it was difficult to go against how he had always done. He didn't like giving any information about himself to others.
He decided to be vague, emphasizing on what he felt was absolutely imperative. "Headaches, a general off feeling." At that Shriner raised his eyebrow. "Off for me Doc. Move on."
"So you're thinking what exactly?"
Joker glowered at him, "Concussion."
Shrider nodded slowly, understanding the need for all the secrecy.
"I see. Okay, we've removed all metal on your body. You have no piercings, pacemaker, any pins from breaks, anything like that?"
Joker shook his head slowly.
"Okay good. And no medical conditions, claustrophobia, seizures?"
Joker narrowed his eyes.
Shrider flinched involuntarily. "Okay, so no."
He swallowed again. "I need to take some vitals before we start."
Joker remained silent as Shrider listened to his breathing, took his blood pressure, and took his pulse. He only moved his head to face the Doctor when he announced that he needed to check his eyes. There was terror and disgust in the doctor's eyes. He was doing a good job keeping it from reaching the rest of his face.
"I just need you to follow the light with your eyes." Joker saw a bright burst of light, that his eyes adjusted to in seconds. Then he followed the beam as Shrider moved it from side to side. "Okay, now please look to the right." He obeyed. "And to the left."
Shrider marked down a few notes on his clipboard. He made note to make sure those notes were destroyed before he left.
The clown's eyes followed the Doctor around the room, as he went to retrieve a syringe. "Since we are suspecting a concussion, I'm going to inject you with this dye to see if there has been any damage to your blood vessels or any hemorrhaging. Generally we wouldn't use the dye, but if it's severe this can help show where any bleeding is coming from."
He did not answer, but instead offered his arm. He didn't even feel the pin prick as the needle pierced his skin. Shrider tossed the needle into the bio-hazard bin, and turned back to him.
The Doctor looked at his watch. "A few more minutes so the dye can completely make it through your blood stream." He turned away and began to write something else on the clipboard.
Several minutes passed in silence, apparently the good doctor was not one for small talk.
Finally he cleared his throat, "The machine is down the hall, just follow me." He stood slowly waiting for his patient to follow.
They turned left and then stopped at the fourth door on the right. Shrider gestured for him to sit in a chair while he typed some commands in to a computer.
They were in the control room, the machine visible through a window. The sign on the door warned about a high powered magnet that was always on.
The doctor clacked away a little more on the keyboard, and then led him beyond the door with the warning sign.
When Shrider had finally finished preparing the machine, he turned back to the clown that was watching him intently. "Er, I just need you to lay down on this bed."
Joker padded across the cold tile floor to the MRI machine. He laid stiffly on the bed, still watching Shrider's every move. "Doc, I don't think I need to tell you that if you're thinking of doing something stupid, don't." He made a point to look him in the eyes, "I still have men out there that would enjoy killing someone tonight."
There was fear in the sentence that followed. "You're going to need earplugs, the machine gets loud. I'm going to give you a call button in case you need me to stop." Next he handed him the earplugs. After they were in, he instructed him to lay back and placed the call button in his hand.
"I'm going to move you into the machine now. I need you to hold as still as you can during the scan. On the count of three. One...two...three." The clown held his breath in anticipation.
With a rumble, the bed began to slowly move into the tunnel of the MRI. Joker remained still, and if Shrider didn't know he was holding his breath, he would have thought the clown dead.
The bed came to a stop, and Joker took an an almost undetectable breath. "Okay, now the entire scan will take about 30 minutes. It's important for you to remain still."
There was a whir of mechanics as the MRI began it's scan. Joker heard loud buzzing filling his ears from the vibration of the machine. If it bothered him, he didn't show any signs outwardly.
The doctor was not lying about the noise. There were loud beeps at different intervals and frequencies. He was glad for the ear plugs.
After what seemed an eternity, the bed finally began to move away from the tunnel.
Shrider led him back in to the control room. Briefly he looked and then turned away from the screen of the monitors. "I'm going to let you dress; 15 minutes should give me enough time to process and review the results."
After dressing, he took his time returning back to the control room. Joker folded his arms and leaned against the wall nonchalantly. "What's the damage Doc?"
The Doctor adjusted his glasses, and compared his notes on the clipboard to the images on the screen in front of him. He slowly spun in his stool towards the Joker. "I did notice some signs that would be congruent with a concussion."
Joker outstretched his hand, "Such as?"
Shrider blew out a breath. "There was a slight lag in the movement of your eyes following the light, which is a pretty common symptom of a concussion." He turned back again to the screen in front of him. "There does also appear to be some signs of potential swelling in the brain. The good news is that I didn't see any damage to any blood vessels or signs of hemorrhaging that would require immediate attention."
Joker watched as the Doctor deleted the images from the computer, and then placed his notes in the shredder. One last thing that he would need to do. "I'd say it's incredibly likely that you are suffering from a mild concussion. I say likely, because I didn't see too much swelling. You mentioned earlier that you had some more severe symptoms. How long ago was that?"
Joker shrugged. "A few days or so."
Shriner nodded. "It's possible that initially the concussion was more severe, but you appear to be recovering quite well."
Joker nodded, pleased that his own suspicions had been correct. "Good to hear doc."
He turned to leave, then looked back over his shoulder. "It goes without saying, but if I hear that you have said anything I'll be giving you a refresher on anatomy. You'll get a close up look at your own insides before you die."
At that he left, leaving Shrider swallowing thickly.
Forgive me if there was anything incorrect in here about the process of an MRI. I have had one before, but I do not work in the healthcare field. I'm using my own experience and a little bit of information I found about MRIs and concussions online.
Dr. Shrider, Funnybones, and Rainbow are all original characters for the purpose of this story. I'm not sure if any of Joker's henchmen ever had these particular names in the comics...I just picked some random clown names.
Thanks again for the follows and favorites. It means a lot to me. I would love to get some reviews. It helps me to know which chapters are best and what areas of my writing needs work.