Nerves
Chapter Thirteen - The Death of Me
Bonnie's eyes fluttered open. She looked around before remembering where she was: her hospital room. She had already been there for a week on observation and with no visitors, was now bored as hell. She tapped her fingers on her blanket, waiting for some doctor or nurse to check in on her. The first thing she had remembered was being wheeled into the emergency room by herself. The doctor had informed her that her "friend" had been "escorted" back to Arkham Asylum where he currently resided.
Bonnie watched as her doctor slid open the glass door and entered the room. He glanced at her chart before smiling to her. He plopped the chart down on the bedside table and took a seat on the edge of Bonnie's bed.
"Siobhan."
"Dr. Edwards."
"It's been a while. I see you've been, doing well."
She shrugged and replied, "I've been better."
He fixed his glasses atop his nose. "Well, your bones have been set and are repairing quite nicely. So, I'd say it's discharge day for you."
"I'm thrilled," she deadpanned.
"You know, I know I'm not you parent-"
"Then stop before you sound like them."
"But," he continued despite her statement. "I don't think it's exactly healthy running around with types like the Joker."
Bonnie laughed. "Trust me Doc, he's a lot better company than the people I grew up with."
The doctor paused. "It's just, I hate to have you arrested in your hospital bed."
A police officer entered the room on cue. He had silver handcuffs in hand. Bonnie groaned.
"Great," she muttered.
"I really am sorry," the doctor said.
"Yeah, I bet. And I'm sure the $2,000 wasn't all that bad in your wallet either."
"Actually it was $5,000."
"Fuck you."
"Get dressed," ordered the cop.
Bonnie glared at the officer before swinging her legs to the side of the bed and hobbling over to the clothes lying in the chair. She took her time changing despite the men in the room. She wanted to prolong her freedom as much as possible. Bonnie turned around once fully dressed and held out her arms to be handcuffed. The officer looked at her wrist and foot in casts and decided against the cuffs.
"I don't think you're going to be going anywhere," he explained as he slipped them back in his utility belt.
Bonnie grabbed her crutch and allowed the officer to lead her out of the room by the arm, taking her to a squad car parked outside. He helped her slide into the backseat before closing the door. He slipped into the driver's seat and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot. Bonnie looked out the window as they passed the police station.
"Wait, we just passed-"
"Oh I know, we're not going there."
Bonnie frowned. "Of course we are, I'm being arrested. Are you new at this or just fucking stupid?"
"Neither, I assure you. Just a man who can be bought out with a nice sum of cash."
"What the fuck does that mean?"
He looked at her through his rearview mirror and smirked. "What do you think it means, Bonnie? Anwar sure is an interesting man isn't he?"
Bonnie flipped shit. She grabbed her crutch and began to beat it against the grid on the windows.
"Hey, stop that!" He swerved as he looked in the back.
Bonnie slid across the seats to the other side and began to beat on that window.
"It's useless, you know!" he yelled through her screams of fury.
"Fuck you!" She spat on the back of his neck.
"Hey!" He grabbed his neck and wiped the spit off, clearly disgusted. The officer grabbed his pepper spray and sprayed it blindly into the back.
Bonnie waved her arms around, trying to dispel the cloud but it hit her full on. Her eyes watered and she couldn't see very well through the tears but it just fueled her even more. She began to beat her crutch onto the grid that separated the car. The officer pulled off to an abandoned factory and slammed his car door shut, making way to Bonnie's door. He threw it open and was met by a crutch to the crotch. He bent over in agony as Bonnie tried to get out and hobble away. Two men ran out and stopped her getaway. They carried her inside the factory building and flung her into a chair, tying her arms to the rests, her legs to the legs, and her torso to the back of it. She squirmed and cursed throughout the entirety.
The officer walked up and slapped her across the cheek. Bonnie retaliated with another spray of spit that landed right in his eye. He shouted in disgust and made to hit her again.
"Stop!"
The officer froze and turned around. Anwar walked up with his cronies.
"I paid you to deliver her to me, not beat her. That's my job."
"Fuck you."
"Shut up Siobhan! I'm not talking to you!"
"Oh yeah, you're so tough when your boys have me tied up but I'd like to see you talk with me untied and in full health."
Anwar ignored her and handed the policeman a wad of bills. "Here's your pay, now leave and don't say a word about any of this or you meet the same fate."
When the man left, Anwar turned to her. "Well, Bonnie, it looks like it's just you and me."
"What the fuck do you want now?"
"It's been a week Bonnie."
"So?"
"You don't remember my promise? I told your man that if he didn't turn himself in in a week I'd come find you instead. And he certainly hasn't shown up."
"That's because he's in Arkham, stupid."
"I don't care where he is!" Anwar shouted. "I care about who dies tonight and apparently it's going to be you."
Bonnie scoffed. "Go ahead, kill me. It'll just be like last week, I won't feel a thing. No matter how hard you try, you can't make me scream in pain."
"Oh really? Well, we'll see about that. Boys-"
One of his men brought him a box. Anwar opened it and took out a syringe filled with an orange liquid. "Adamizol," he explained as he held it up to her. "A compound made specially for you." Bonnie remained silent as he continued, "Guaranteed to make you feel the burn."
He grabbed her sleeve and pushed it up roughly. Anwar stuck her with the needle and squeezed out the strange substance. Bonnie felt nothing for a moment. Then, a sharp sting washed through her body. She could feel her body in a whole new way and immediately she slumped in exhaustion.
"Feel anything yet?" Bonnie remained silent. "Oh, you must still be doped up on pain killers. Oh well, I guess we're just going to have to work through the drugs." He grabbed a bat from a table. "This is going to hurt you a lot more than it is me."
He swung the wooden weapon and connected with her knee. Bonnie cried out as pain shot through all the way up into her gut. It was ten times worse than any other person, being that pain was a whole new experience for her.
"Fuck you!" she shouted through the pain.
"Have you ever heard such a mouth?" asked a new voice.
Bonnie opened her eyes and through her dizziness could make out the shape of Harleen Quinzel.
"You bitch," she spat. "I knew there was a fucking rat around. It's been you the whole time, hasn't it?"
Harleen nodded. "Sorry, but a girl's got to protect her territory. And you're a threat to my Puddin'."
Bonnie struggled against her binds. "Fuck you, you fucking cunt! Get over here so I can fuck you up, you mother fucker!"
"Mm mm mm, what a mouth. Well, keep up the good work Anwar. I have to go meet with my Puddin'."
Anwar nodded goodbye before turning back to Bonnie and throwing another swing to her knee. Bonnie bit her tongue to keep from crying but the tears just kept flowing. Putting down the bat, he picked up a gun and shot her knee.
"Fuck you!" she shouted again. Somehow, cursing made the pain easier to handle.
He shot out her other knee and again the pain was so intense she almost vomited. She didn't think she could last until he killed her. She was probably going to die from the pain alone. As he was about to shoot her again she shouted, "It was me!"
Anwar lowered his weapon in confusion.
"I killed the Chechen! Okay? It was me!"
"You killed my father?"
"And I'd do it again too. I would kill that little bitch again too."
She screamed in agony as he shot her foot.
"He begged like a fucking pussy," she laughed through the tears. Sweat was beginning to pour out her body.
Anwar shot her broken foot and again her screams filled the empty building. He continued with the torture until she was bloody, sweaty, and hoarse from the screams and curses. When she was about to pass out, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.
"I'm giving you something you never gave my father."
"I swear, if you rape me-"
"Say goodbye to your parents."
He held the phone up to her ear just as it was answered.
"Hello?"
Bonnie cried, it was her mother.
"Mom?"
"Bonnie, is that you? What's wrong sweetie? You sound terrible."
Bonnie swallowed down her tears. "I just called to tell you goodbye." Her eyes met Anwar's.
"Honey, what do you mean? You're scaring me Siobhan."
"Tell Dad I said goodbye. And let him know, that I love you both so much and I'm sorry I wasn't a better daughter." The words just seemed to tumble out seamlessly.
"Now you're really scaring me. Honey what's going on? Are you in trouble?"
Anwar nodded to Bonnie, signaling it was the end of the call.
"I love you Mom."
Click.
Bonnie sniffled and looked up at her captor.
"Well, that was touching," he said. "But we have business to finish."
He gestured to one of his men and they brought out a can of gasoline.
"Do it," he ordered.
The thug unscrewed the top and walked towards Bonnie. She looked at him through dull eyes, too tired to protest or throw out curses. He poured the thick liquid all over her and Bonnie did all she could not to inhale or swallow any of it. She spit it out of her mouth and gasped like a fish on land. Anwar stared at her, cigar in his mouth, looking like his father.
"Boss?"
"Light her up," he threw down his cigar and stomped it out with his shoe.
The henchman lit a match and dropped it on Bonnie, igniting her instantly. Her screams of agony filled the entire building and could be heard outside but no one could was around to hear them. No one was going to rescue her.
. . .
The Joker looked around his room and frowned. It was still white. He kept hoping that if he closed his eyes long enough he could make them change into any color other than white. But it never worked. Keys rustled outside his door and he looked up as a guard and a nurse walked in. It humored him greatly that even in a straightjacket he was still a threat to the tiny nurses. What this place needed was a thick, strong woman who could easily pass for a man, not wimpy, pretty little girls who were too afraid to look him in the eye.
"You have a gift," she said softly as she presented a box wrapped in red wrapping paper with a blue bow on top.
The Joker looked down at his restraints and then back up at the nurse.
"Oh, right." She rushed to undue the jacket, guard standing close by.
Once it was off, the Joker grabbed his present and quickly tore off the wrapping paper and bow. A note slipped out and he picked it up, unfolding it.
"A little present from a new friend. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."
He opened the box and almost screamed in rage when he saw the ashes. He knew just who they belonged to and it killed him on the inside that he couldn't have been there. It should have been him in that box being delivered to her, not her to him. The nurse peered over and frowned at the contents, clearly confused. Who would send dust as a present?
The Joker handed it back to the nurse. "Put it with my things," he ordered.
The timid nurse nodded and accepted the box, replacing the lid on top.
"Oh, and you have a visitor," she remembered. "I can take you there now if you'd like."
The Joker nodded, bored to tears in the white room.
"But I'm going to have to put the straightjacket back on."
"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. He was getting really impatient with the woman.
She hastily pulled the jacket back on and secured it tightly. She led him to the visitation room where guards were posted in all four corners. The nurse sat him down at a table with a redhead wearing a large coat. The Joker looked at her through raised eyebrows, immediately suspicious of the strange woman sitting in front of him.
When the nurse walked away, he asked, "Who the hell are you?"
"I see Bonnie's mouth has rubbed off on you," the woman commented.
"What are you doing here?" he whispered harshly.
"I'm getting you out of here silly!"
The woman was brighter than his white room.
"Bonnie's dead," he informed quickly.
"I know, I heard. Terrible really."
"When are you getting me out of here?"
She checked her watch. "Oh, in about . . .five seconds."
A blast shook the building and all of the bodyguards ran out of the room to see what it was. Harleen pulled off her red wig and threw off her coat. She was dressed in a nurse's uniform. She grabbed the Joker's arm just as a head nurse flew in and demanded she take him back to his room. Harleen nodded and tugged him out the door, leading him to a back side door where a car was waiting for them. The Joker got into the passenger seat as Harleen slipped into the driver's. She started the car and pealed out of the parking lot, making way to some unknown location.
"Take me to the apartment," he ordered.
"What, why?"
He paused in thinking and then, "I have planning to do."
This isn't the last chapter! I still have an epilogue which I'll post tomorrow morning. Now, on to the reviews. I got six whopping big ones, pushing me over the thirty review mark! :D That's awesome guys! Thank you so much! The reviewers are: Meena, SafetyPinStitches, Vivalo, LaBellaMorte, trickstersink, and Imogen-x0x. You guys are astounding! Don't forget to check out my poll on my profile about the sequel. So far I have three votes for yes! And a few requests via reviews to keep writing. As always, I hope you enjoyed and please review. :D