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Adriana tilted the tiny white cup in her hands and counted the pills. 11 pills of various colors and shapes. A new combination to hopefully help her to finally get some needed desperately sleep. She was different. This was why she chose to self-admit into one of Gotham city's best psychiatric care facilities. She had what some would consider a gift, others a curse, a few others a burden, but to most a sign that she was clinically insane. Since she was born she could hear other's thoughts as well as see their pasts. Every sordid detail of everyone's life. Every single person that she came into contact with.
She was no stranger to medication or encountering shrinks and psychiatrists that didn't believe what she was going through. And she hated having to prove things to them. She would typically have to reveal to strangers some deep, dark secret about themselves to convince them. Fortunately she was able to find a very understanding doctor who was willing to do what she needed. Medicate the hell out of her.
For the past 8 years she had worked for Gotham's police department in emergency situations where the police could not coerce necessary information out of criminals. They paid well and accepted her decisions about if and when she would be of assistance. Only two people currently working at for the Gotham police department knew her abilities and exactly what her job was there. After helping them find yet another dead child who's parents begged for help locating their remains after they had been kidnapped, she reached her breaking point. She quit.
She swallowed the pills quickly and almost immediately began to feel calm. Placebo effect, she told herself. And she didn't care.
She then made her way to the cafeteria and took a tray containing a cookie wrapped in plastic and what appeared to be a chicken salad sandwich and sat at one of the tables across from a woman who had been there for years.
"Hi Esma," Adriana offered to the quiet woman.
Esma smiled and looked away, mumbling in Spanish. Adriana spoke the language very well, since her father was from Spain, but Esma was usually incoherent. After taking a bite of the cookie she felt the thoughts of her doctor invading her mind. Of course, he was in the room. Esma was a comfortable person for Adriana to be around since she didn't think of much and her only traumatic event in life was losing her son in a car accident. It completely destroyed her mind and emotions but compared to all that Adriana had seen in her life, it was not too bad. She just wanted to hurry and eat before more patients came into the cafeteria.
Dr. Andrews was talking to one of the nurses in the room that was getting a drink from the vending machine.
A criminal. Adriana immediately felt his thoughts merge with hers. They were admitting a criminal from Arkham temporarily for observation. Adriana sighed. She was always hearing about things that she didn't care about. The nurse asked him questions about the timing of the criminal's arrival, but it seemed neither one of them knew who they were expecting. Or maybe the medication was working? Maybe the thoughts of others were no longer able to penetrate her mind as well? She wasn't used to any type of vagueness in thoughts.
"Hi, Dr. Andrews." Adriana said as she went to toss the chicken salad sandwich in the trash.
"You should eat more," he replied. "Medication on an empty stomach is never a good idea."
"I had the cookie," she said with a smile. Truthfully, her appetite had been gone for months.
"Are you feeling well?" he asked.
"Great," she sighed.
"I have a few minutes before a new patient is to be admitted, if you need to talk."
"Sure," she replied and followed him to his office.
After they went in and he closed the door, she sat on the couch in his room and laid on her back.
"Tired?" he asked.
"Yeah, I slept a little more last night, just not enough though," she said. She usually slept less that one hour a night. Her mind seemed to go non-stop all night, preventing her from getting adequate rest.
"Hopefully the new combination I gave you will work," he said. "Your evening course of medications will also contain a new drug, very useful for sleep."
"Okay," she said listlessly while he went to sit behind his desk. She heard him rummaging through papers and then typing.
"Did you want to talk about anything?" he said while clicking his mouse.
"Not really," she said, comfortable on his couch. "Actually, I heard that you were going to be working with one of the criminal transfers from Arkham again, but I didn't hear the name at all. Maybe my meds are really working?"
"Right.."he sighed. "Well, actually none of us have been given a name yet. So it wasn't the medication keeping the name from you."
"I see," she breathed with disappointment and sat up. "Why the secrecy?"
"You know I would typically never discuss patients with anyone, especially not another patient," he started. "But you, of course will find out anyway."
She nodded. Somehow his words made her feel as though he knew no medication would ever fix her problems.
"Well-" he started but then there was a knock at his door.
"I'll go," Adriana said and stood and Dr. Andrews nodded.
"Come in," he said and the door opened as Adriana walked over.
"Well, this is perfect," Damien Ricard said as he opened the door. "Hello, Adriana."
Damien and Adriana had been in a relationship for two years. He was a police officer and knew her well. He had also disagreed that she needed to be admitted to a place like this. On some level, Adriana hated him. It seemed that he did not care about her and only wanted to use her gift, and he frequently talked her into coming in to the police station or headquarters to help them track down whoever or whatever they needed, even when she didn't want to. She blamed him for her psychotic break that finally sent her here but she knew he would never understand.
"I was just leaving," Adriana said and went to walk by him.
"Well, I actually wanted to see you both," Damien said. "Which is why I said 'this is perfect'".
"I actually have somewhere to be," Adriana lied. "Pottery class."
"I'm sure this will interest you much more," he said. And then she knew it. He wanted to use her again.
"Is this about the criminal you're bringing in?" she said. "I won't do it. You know why I'm here, I've had enough. I need to take a break...to heal."
"But this...Adriana this is different," he said, smiling and confident. "The pay will be enough for you to never have to work again-"
"Dr. Andrews," she said and turned to the doctor. "I have a therapy session at four right?"
"Correct," the doctor replied, finally speaking.
"See you then," she said and brushed past Damien.
She made it a few steps down the hall before he grabbed her arm.
"Wait," he said forcefully.
"Let go," she said and pulled her arm back. "I said NO."
"Listen," he kept talking.
"NO-" she replied.
"Ten million," he said quickly.
"Huh?"
"Ten million dollars."
Adriana was quiet. She was sure he was joking. The Gotham police department could never afford to pay so much.
"All you have to do is work with some very powerful people, for a few weeks at the most." he said. "This criminal..we feel as though we have lost control. We must figure out what is wrong with him or at least find out his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Only you can help-"
"I can't," she said. "I don't want to do this,"
"WHY?" he said. "This is a lot of money and you will never have to do this again. You could buy an ISLAND away from everyone and never be tormented with anyone else's thoughts again-"
He kept talking but she tuned him out. He was a narcissist. He did not care about her mental health, all he wanted was results. But 10 million dollars could change her life..he was right about that. She considered it for a moment.
"Adriana," he said and took her hands. "You are far too beautiful to be locked away from me in here. This money can change everything..Get you out...away from society. We could be together, and be free."
"I don't know," she said and looked down. Him calling her beautiful was likely a trick. She didn't feel beautiful, in her huge white sweatshirt and loose white pants, the patients' uniform. She hadn't looked in a mirror in weeks.
"Please consider it.." he said. "Do you know who we are bringing?"
She exhaled. Now that someone who knew the identity of the new patient was actually in her presence, she could see it.
"The Joker," she answered.
"Yes," he smiled and nodded. Always impressed with her gift.