Title: The End Starts Today
Author: Jen Kollic

Disclaimers: All characters are trademarks of DC Comics. Except for Dr Adam Burke who is mine, and appears here as a reference that only me and one other person will find amusing. Ah well.
Feedback: Yes, please.
Notes: I thought it was a good idea at the time.

Spoilers: Big spoilers for Return of the Joker. (the uncut version) Passing references to various other toonverse cartoon/comic episodes/issues as well.

Chapter 3

Dr Adam Burke was not having a good day. Admittedly, being an ER surgeon in one of Gotham's central hospitals made good days a rare occasion at the best of times, but he'd much rather have to handle the aftermath of one of Mr Xzaz's sprees than be in his current situation. Namely sitting in the passenger seat of a stolen car which was being driven by none other than the infamous Poison Ivy. The situation was so surreal that it was almost amusing. Maybe he'd have found it more humorous if it wasn't for the vines coiled tightly around his neck and wrists, the faint prickle against his skin warning him of the thorns lurking beneath their smooth surface.

Well. This was the last time he'd give a 'lost motorist' directions. Assuming of course he survived. That was a lovely thought. Though he honestly had no idea what Poison Ivy would want with him. She was meant to get pissed when you hurt plants, right? And Adam couldn't remember when he had last hurt a plant, except for the fern he'd accidentally killed by over-watering two years ago. And really, Poison Ivy wouldn't have come after him for that, right? Right?

He still couldn't believe he hadn't recognised her the minute she'd wound down one of the tinted windows 'because she was lost'. She had green skin for Christ's sake! But he was never at his best after a twelve-hour nightshift, and had been looking forward to home, bed, and being off-duty for three days. So when she'd asked for directions to the harbour he'd stopped to think about the easiest route, only to have his mental cartography interrupted by an ominous click and found himself looking down the barrel of a .44 handgun.

In that he'd been expecting to have his head blown off there and then, 'Get in the car' had seemed like such a reasonable request. Especially given the lack of passers-by/witnesses about at this time in the morning. It was certainly a preferable alternative to aforementioned massive head trauma. So he'd complied, and the moment he was inside, the vines had snapped around him like restraints, one also snaking out to close and lock the passenger door. That would have been when he'd realised who he was dealing with. Ivy had then warned him to keep still and keep quiet, as the vines tightened meaningfully, and drove off. She hadn't said a word since, and for the past ten minutes Adam had sat stock-still in nervous silence. There didn't really seem to be much alternative.

He hesitantly glanced across at the woman from the corner of his eye, noting her savagely grim expression with some unease. Ivy paid him no heed, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. What did she want with him? The fact that they were headed into one of the seedier outskirts of the city did little to ease Adam's apprehension…

Ivy couldn't believe it had come to this. And also couldn't believe it was the best plan she'd been able to come up with. It did make sense, in a maddeningly simplistic way, but it was so… crude. Harley was badly hurt. But she couldn't go to a hospital. So bring the hospital to her. Sort of. Ivy had already raided a (different) hospital for medical supplies, (via infatuated porter) then hung around another waiting for the shifts to change. She'd been worrying that she'd wind up snatching a janitor, but thank Gaia for name-tags and white coats. And for once today it seemed like she was in luck, as 'trauma surgeon' was clearly labelled underneath "Burke, Dr. A" on the tag.

Even so, this plan was ridiculous. At best. Like something Harley would have come up with. Oh god, what if something had happened to Harley in the time she'd been gone? It had been a good couple of hours now, and all Ivy had been able to do for her was clean her up. The plants would watch over her, but there was little they could do if…

Ivy heard the man beside her jump slightly as she floored the accelerator. She ignored him, trying not to think about what she'd do with him after she'd gotten him to treat Harley. Maybe she should have just taken Harley to one of the backstreet clinics where they simply took the money and asked no questions. But they weren't exactly the most skilled surgeons. And Batman would be expecting that. Then again, wouldn't he also be suspicious of the kidnap and/or murder of a random doctor? No. Of course not. This was Gotham, random murders were practically an everyday occurrence here.

Which reminded her, she still hadn't decided on where she was going to take Harley yet. Because they obviously couldn't stay in or near Gotham. And could only travel by car, so Brazil was out of the question. So was a motel. In fact, Ivy was starting to think that Florida really was the best option…

As the car screeched to a halt down a secluded alley by the fire escape of a shabby apartment block, Adam reflected that it was just as well the vines were holding him firmly in place, otherwise he'd currently be somewhere on the road several feet in front of the car after a quick trip through the windshield. Well, at least it seemed like Ivy wanted him alive? (though he couldn't stop himself from wondering for how long this would last…)

Ivy quickly glanced up and down the alley before cautiously getting out of the car, it would be typical if she was caught now. She'd have felt much safer if she'd taken Harley to one of her hothouses instead, since then she wouldn't need to worry about passers by. But then again, Batman would be expecting that. And it wasn't like the neighbours here were alert and responsible citizens; this was the same apartment she and Harley had been staying in when that bitch with the fox fetish had shown up. Nobody had apparently noticed that woman and her goons breaking in, or Harley being flung out of a window after all.

Turning back to the car, Ivy opened the trunk and removed the two bags of medical supplies she'd had the porter 'borrow' for her, awkwardly slinging the handles of the canvas holdalls over her left arm so she could keep her gun trained on the doctor in case he decided to make an escape bid after the vines let him go. She couldn't very well march him up the stairs bound hand and foot. She could try certainly, but that would be wasting precious time. As would having to find another surgeon if she had to shoot him, so she'd just have to hope he wouldn't make that necessary.

Luckily for Ivy, Adam was unaware that she really wasn't that good with firearms, and didn't try to bolt as the vines released him. Instead he remained sitting, not wanting to so much as twitch a finger without permission from the crazy gun-wielding supervillainess. Especially since he was pretty sure she'd taken the safety off already.

"Get out of the car, and don't even think about trying to run, unless you want me to shoot you." To Ivy's relief, her voice didn't show even the slightest tremour, despite the worry now gnawing viciously at her stomach. What if she was too late…

Adam complied silently, unconsciously raising his hands as he did so. Once out of the car, he caught sight of the bags Ivy was holding, and their contents. And suddenly things started to fit into place. So that was why she wanted him alive then…

Well, the doctor was doing as he was told now, but for how long? Ivy was slightly concerned over the fact that he didn't seem to be reacting to her pheromones, even though he was doing as he was told he showed no sign of blind devotion. She could always just kiss him to ensure his subservience, but then he'd hardly be in a fit state to treat Harley. Maybe he was affected, but was just reacting differently? Must be.

"We're going up this fire escape to the sixth floor. Now." Ivy continued, aiming her gun between his eyes just to be on the safe side. "You'll be going first, and I'll be behind you the whole way, so don't get any ideas. Understand?"

Adam nodded, his eyes back on the gun now, and reluctantly turned his back on Ivy to start the climb. Even though he could no longer see the weapon, he still felt a cold prickle between his shoulderblades. Every now and again this was emphasised by the barrel of the gun being impatiently jabbed into the exact same spot as he ascended the creaking metal stairs. He really hoped she'd put the safety catch back on…

Perhaps because of this, it didn't seem like he'd been climbing for long before Ivy ordered him to stop in front of a glass sliding door, the room beyond concealed by heavy curtains. Glass? In this neighbourhood? Then again, as he reminded himself, anyone who broke into this apartment probably wouldn't live to regret it.

"Open the door. It's not locked." As Adam had guessed, Ivy had no fear of break-ins. Since her kidnap by the fox-bitch, she'd made sure that the plants she'd left here were trained to make sure anyone (or anything) that broke in wouldn't be getting back out. At least not in once piece.

Sliding the door open, Adam waited for further instructions. Another jab with the gun was more instructive than words however, and with a deep breath he pushed the curtains aside and entered the room.

The first thing he noticed was the plants. Vines criss-crossed the walls and ceiling like veins, and to his alarm they reacted to his presence. Several uncurled themselves from the ceiling to spiral towards him, but all he could do was stare at them in blank, uncomprehending horror. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not when they merely coiled about his chest and shoulders instead of his neck.

Stepping through the door behind him, Ivy closed and locked the door before drawing the curtains. As she moved into the room itself, more vines stretched themselves across the entire wall behind her; even if the door had been open it would be inaccessible now. And the front door had already been taken care of, so there was no need to worry about an escape any longer.

Adam watched in some bemusement as Ivy unloaded the gun and threw it aside, but as he saw yet more vines bear it away he realised that she had no more need of it. The gun was a weapon he could have used against her if he had managed to get hold of it. The plants on the other hand only answered to her. Without even glancing at him, Ivy headed off into another room, (this one must have been some kind of lounge before the plants took over…) and he found himself being pushed/dragged along behind her. And then he saw the reason why he'd been brought here.

Forgetting all about the doctor for a moment, Ivy had dropped the bags and darted to the side of the bed where she'd left Harley. The blonde hadn't moved at all, it looked like she hadn't even regained consciousness since Ivy had left. Harley lay on her back, her costume removed ('cut off' would perhaps have been more accurate) and her makeup gone. She was almost as pale as she would have been with the greasepaint on, but she was alive. For now.

Adam flinched slightly as Ivy turned back to him, startled by the raw emotion he could see in her face, and shocked by the unmistakeable tears in her eyes.

"Help her." The request was simple, and Ivy's tone made it clear that there was only one possible answer as she carefully folded the blanket back from Harley's motionless body.

Nervously approaching the bed, ('assisted' by various tugs and shoves from the vines) a quick look at the blonde woman was enough to rekindle Adam's dull feeling of dread. He knew he was looking at Harley Quinn, and had heard about the time she'd been brought in after being flung out a fifth-floor window by her 'boyfriend'. From the looks of her, it seemed that history had repeated itself. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to speak for the first time since getting into the car.

"She needs to be in a hospital."

"She can't go to a hospital." Ivy replied firmly, giving him a dangerous glare. "That's not an option. There's medical supplies in those bags, that's the best I can do. Help her."

"I don't know if I can!" In some detached part of his mind, Adam was embarrassed at how shrill his panic-stricken voice had become. "She needs hospital treatment, and she can't get that here, I can't…"

"She can't go to a hospital!" Ivy repeated with a snarl. "You're a surgeon. Help her. And if she dies, so do you."

Funnily enough, Adam had already guessed that would be the catch. With something between a sigh and a groan, he moved closer to the bed and started to examine his patient, gently pressing her abdomen to check for internal bleeding.

He was still doing as he was told. Good. Though he seemed more afraid than anything else, Ivy was starting to think that maybe her pheromones hadn't affected him at all, which was odd. But he was helping Harley, and that was all that mattered. Even so, Ivy wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing, especially now that he'd insisted Harley should be in a hospital. But Ivy couldn't protect her if she was in a hospital. Then again, if Harley died here, Ivy knew she'd never be able to forgive herself for not taking her to a hospital. And if she did take Harley to a hospital, and she 'died' (of Bat) there, Ivy would never forgive herself either.

If there was one thing Ivy hated, it was a lose/lose situation.