Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. Crane and/or any of the characters/places associated with Batman Begins.

The same nurse returned to her room later that evening. Gotham was at the mercy of a violent thunder storm. Lightning shot across the sky, always followed by an equally impressive boom. Rain pounded against her window so loudly that the nurse practically had to yell to be heard.

"Time for your evening meds, Dr. Crane's orders."

Vanessa took her plastic cup of water and examined her pills-a strange cocktail that Dr. Crane deemed appropriate no doubt.

"What are these for?" Vanessa asked referring to the presence of two new pills in her evening mix.

"Those are to help you sleep. Dr. Crane says they're very mild."

After making sure Vanessa had swallowed all her pills the nurse left her for the night.

"Mild my ass." Vanessa said out loud as she stumbled around her room less than forty-five minutes later. She collapsed onto her bed and was fast asleep before she could even pull the covers over herself.

A particularly loud clap of thunder woke her up sometime later. She felt groggy and nun too happy to be awake but at least the rain had stopped for now. There was no clock in her room therefore she had no way of knowing what time it was, only that it was still dark-a little too dark in fact. She sat up in bed. Something was wrong. The lights in the hallway outside her room and the streetlights below were out as well. Gotham must have lost power sometime during the night. Her only source of light came from the random bolts of lighting that raced across the sky and the faint glow of the emergency lights in the hall which spilled through the observation window and underneath her door.

It took a moment longer for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did she couldn't remember what had registered first, the movement she saw out of the corner of her eye or the sound of the footstep itself.

Her breath caught in her throat and she realized she was not alone in her room.

Finding the courage to speak, she blurted out, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Knowing she'd be unable to mask the fear in her voice she didn't bother trying.

"Scarecrow.", a voice whispered back.

With perfect timing the lighting gave her a first glimpse of this intruder. From what she saw in that brief glance he was a regular man. He was wearing a dark suit although she was unable to discern the exact color. The mask he wore over his face was simple yet terrifying. It was a burlap mask with two eyes holes and a grotesque grin stitched across the mouth with thick, black cord. A hangman's noose hung from around his neck.

"This is it." she thought. "Either I've gone completely insane or this man is real." Neither alternative seemed pleasant. She closed her eyes and prayed he would disappear but he only advanced further.

"No, no, no." she chanted quietly as she began to tremble. Finally daring to steal another glance at him she noticed that the self-titled Scarecrow was extending an arm towards her. Clearly he had something he wanted her to see. Another flash of lightning revealed a black plastic bag hanging in his grasp. By the time the accompanying thunder sounded, Vanessa had already collided with the door. She pulled violently on the handle but the door as always, was locked from the outside. Splinters cut into her fingers and her nails tore as she clawed at the wooden door trying to get out. When the bone of her fingers met the steel of the reinforced door she began to shriek.

"Dr. Crane, help me! Help! Dr. Craaane!" She drew out his last name until her cries for help became nothing but wordless whimpers.