Chapter 10: Sore Losers

Disclaimer: read chapter 1

By the end of the month, Arkham had kept his word and handed Doctor Knightly the case she had been waiting for.

In an empty room with nothing but a table and two chairs, Kathryn sat down, waiting for her new patient to show up. She killed time by reading his file a couple of times with her black-framed, reading glasses. Almost twenty minutes went by. Finally, Kathryn heard the door clunk open.

She perked up to see one of the head security guards - she later found out to be Aaron Cash - standing by the doorway. Kathryn had hardly seen Aaron because he was busy dealing with maximum security prisoners. However, since Kathryn was assigned with one, maybe she could get to know him frequently. The only thing Kathryn knew about Aaron was that he had taken his job as a security guard very seriously. What happened with Zeus showed just how much.

"Doctor Knightly, your patient #6056 is here," he announced in a stern tone.

Then, Kathryn felt her stomach twist into a big knot of nervousness. Holding back the gasp, Kathryn nodded.

"Great," she breathed heavily with a forced grin on her face. "Bring him in."

Aaron nodded, then peeked outside the door, ushering the men to come forth. "Bring him in, boys."

Kathy held her breath until two more guards escorted the restrained man inside. He was in his mid-twenties (same age as Kathyrn) with dark hair. The guards led him to a chair across from Kathy's.

Looking at her patient, he seemed confused, highly unusually from a man who claimed to be smart. He would be disappointed to learn that Dr. Young won't be returning for another session with him. He might think it's unprofessional to refer him to someone else without notification. Eventually, he'll get over it, Kathryn hoped.

"Alright, Doctor Knightly, I suppose you wish us to leave," Aaron stated with little reluctance.

"Yes, Officer Cash. I can take it from here. Thank you."

Aaron breathed out, casting a deadly look at the patient who winked at him. Mischief twinkled in his eye. He had a plan, a trick hidden in his straightjacket—a way to crawl under the guard's skin. Aaron would've ended the session, right here and now if it was up to him.

Once the guards left the two alone, Kathryn offered her new patient a friendly smile, pressing the record button. "Patient Interview #1. This is Doctor Kathryn Knightly with inmate #6056 (aka Edward Nashton). Good morning, Edward."

"Good Morning to you too, Doctor," Edward greeted kindly. "I believe we've never met before. Are you new?"

Kathryn shook my head. "No, but I know all about you, Edward. I've watched the tapes and read old newspapers."

Edward widened his eyes and smirked. "You have? Oh, I'm so flattered. I have a fan!" A fan wasn't how Kathryn described it.

"You know I would love to begin the introduction properly by shaking your hand, but as you can see..." The patient lifted his elbows, indicating the straight jacket he was wearing, "there's a problem with that, but if you can remove-"

"I'm sorry, Edward, but that's not going to happen."

Edward's jaw dropped, pretending that he was shocked and hurt by her rejection. "Oh, Doctor, we barely know each other, and you already don't trust me."

"Well, from what I have seen and heard, do you have a valid reason why I should trust you?"

Edward smirked up to the point it gave her shivers. "Rest assured, Doctor. I'm always a good boy, especially with Dr. Young. Speaking of which, I have a question for you. What happened to Doctor Young? Nothing serious, I hope." The words spoke sincerity, but his tone of voice did not.

Kathryn shook her head. "Sorry to disappoint you, Edward, but Doctor Young transferred you over to me." He scoffed, a disbelief smile crossed his face.

"Doctor Young dumped me?" Edward asked in a sad tone of voice. "Oh, I thought things were going so well between us." He leaned forward and whispered. "We've grown so close. No offense, Doctor..." He paused, trying to remember her name.

"Knightly," she replied.

"Knightly..." his smirk deepened as he placed his elbows down on the table. "I love your first name, by the way. Kathryn. Sophisticated, but it kinda reminds me of a kitty-cat."

"Thanks... I think."

"Oh, don't worry, Doctor, it was a compliment. I like kittens. They are young, playful, and adorable." He cleared his throat, leaning back against the chair. "Listen, Doctor, no offense, but I really don't like this new trade. You want to know why?"

"Because you trust Dr. Young more than you trust a new doctor like me?"

"Wrong! It's because she trusts me. Dr. Young tries to earn my trust. You? It seems quite the opposite."

"What makes you think that?" Edward paused and stared at her with an uncomfortable silence, forcing her to nod and continue the conversation. "Okay, don't answer. You have plenty of time to think it over. Feel free to answer when do you have one. Now since we got the names taken care of, and we have an understanding... let's begin the session."

"You mean it hasn't started already?" Edward asked curiously; amusement lit up his eyes. "Oh, Doctor, you are adorable!"

Kathryn closed her eyes, could already feel a migraine radiating up and down her head. She understood why Young had made the switch, but she refused to give up, especially on her first day with a high profile criminal.

"Anyway, Edward, from what I've read from your last session, you've been leaving threatening ciphers on the asylum walls... again."

"Now they're just paranoid, Doctor. Those weren't threats, that was nothing compared to my other riddles and puzzles..." an eyebrow raised, an idea in mind. A challenge. "May I test you with one, Kitty-Kat?"

Kathy suppressed the urge to correct him. He wanted her to get all worked up. She could only sit still with her arms on the table. "Sure."

"I gave this riddle to Dr. Young, but she didn't get it right. Hopefully, you'll get this one."

"What's the riddle?"

"Well, Kitten..." Edward leaned back against his chair. "Here's my first riddle for you... What is it that walks on four legs, then two legs, and finally, three legs?"

Kathy mirrored his posture in silence to think. Though, it wasn't much of a challenge, for she knew the answer. Kathy smiled triumphantly, relaxing the mischief in his eye.

"I was going to say a human being. A baby crawls on four legs; but when he grows, he'll walk on two legs; and by the time he reaches old age, he'll use a cane, counting it as the third leg."

Now it was Edward's turn to smile.

"I think I'm experiencing deja vu," Edward laughed. "I gave Dr. Young that exact same riddle, and she gave me the exact same answer you gave me. Sorry, Kat, but it's a good try. Really. But the correct answer is..."

"A puppy."

Edward's face faltered. Did he hear that, right?

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I didn't say my answer was a human being. The correct answer - your gruesome correct answer - is a puppy," Kathryn wanted to cry at the thought of her beagle as the answer. "It walks on four legs, then somebody cuts two of them off, leaving it with two. Then, you give him a wooden paw, counting it as the third leg. So the answer to your riddle is a puppy. Am I right?"

Edward's frown deepened up to the point that he was showing teeth. "You cheated." His eyes at her accusingly. "You must have cheated! There was no way you could've known that answer! Did Doctor Young tell you?!"

"Take deep breaths, Edward. It's just a simple riddle." A horrific riddle.

"It's not just a riddle, Doctor!" Edward raised himself from his seat, forcing Kathy to stand as well.

"Sit down, Edward. Don't make me get security."

"It's my riddle! I am Edward the Enigma! You don't have the genius brain to know the answer, so you must have cheated!"

Kathryn shrugged, "Maybe."

Edward's rant came to a halt, allowing the woman to clarify.

"It doesn't take a genius to look at the past notes and read them one by one." Her voice slowed but showed power. So the incident with Zeus wasn't a rumor. This girl tamed the delusional god himself. Edward raised a brow, impressed by her courage and honesty. "Now, I suggest you be a good boy and sit down until the hour is up. Or do I have to bring in Cash and have him take away some privileges?"

Edward frowned at the thought of having his Rubix cube taken away. He slowly sank back down to his chair, allowing Kathryn to sit down across from him.

"Very well," he agreed, allowing a smile to escape his lips again. "What do you wish to talk about, Doctor?"

~000~000~000~

After her session with the Enigma, Kathryn returned to her office, giving herself time to breathe. That man was a pain in the butt and insane when it came to the subject of riddles. She had to take aspirin from Arkham's nurse to ease the migraines. She laid back against her chair, placed her feet up on the desk, and closed her eyes, trying to relax before her next session.

As she was beginning to relax, her cell phone buzzed in her bag. Kathy's eyes opened, placing her feet back on the floor, reaching for her purse lying under her desk. She pulled the phone out to see that she got a text message. She opened the inbox, revealing the message from one of her coworkers.

"You still in Arkham?"

She smiled at the name above, which she nicknamed - Johnny. "Yeah. Where r u? I didn't see u at work today."

It didn't take too long for Jonathan to reply to the message.

"Today, I'm testifying in court for the Zsasz case. Remember?"

"I forgot about that. How long do you have to be in there?"

"Longer than I want. Unfortunately."

Then another message popped up.

"Do you have any plans after work?"

Kathryn's smile widened. "Not really. Why."

"Meet me at the courthouse. I must discuss something important with you."

"Why can't we discuss it now?"

She waited for his response in thirty seconds until he replied.

"Sory, I gotto go. Thy startd the tril. We talk latr." It didn't take too long to comprehend what he was saying from his misspelled words, but Kathryn knew he was either in a hurry or attempting to avoid the question.

"What's on your mind, Dr. Crane?"

~000~000~000~

Kathryn gathered her belongings, heading towards the Arkham's entrance.

"Dr. Knightly," a man voice cried out for her name. Kathryn stopped and turned, surprised to see Officer Cash running after her.

Not sure what he wanted, she looked up at him in confusion before asking, "Is there something wrong, Officer?"

"Nothing, except this," he extended his arm to show a keyring containing a bunch of keys and reward cards. "You dropped this."

Kathy immediately took the key ring from his hand and placed it in her bag. "Oh! Thank you! Thank you! You're a lifesaver."

He shrugged, "That's what I'm here for." Aaron rubbed the back of his neck before he continued. "Listen, Dr. Knightly. It's a good thing I found your keys."

"I know. If I lost this, I wouldn't get into my car."

"Yeah, but that's not what I meant."

Kathryn scrunched her brows together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well... I never got the chance to thank you. You know... about the Zeus incident."

"Oh!" Her eyebrows raised in understanding, letting out a laugh. "Oh, you don't have to thank me. I am just glad that no one got hurt... except for Cassidy with minor bruising... and Zeus for he got shot."

"You're not like the female doctors, Dr. Knightly."

"Well, I don't know about that. I pretty much dragged myself in the middle of the hostage situation."

"Maybe," Cash shrugged.

They looked at each other for a moment before Kathy spoke again. "Listen, I want to stay and talk some more, but I better get going."

He nodded. "All right. I need to get back to work anyway. Look, if you need help in Arkham or some lunatic trying to get to you, let me know."

Kathy smiled, taking his word for it. "Thanks. I will. Be careful, Officer."

"I will." For that, he walked away. Kathryn exited the asylum, ready to meet the handsome doctor.

~000~000~000~

After the long ferry and car drive, she finally made it to her destination - the Gotham City Courthouse. She walked inside the building and asked a police officer for directions to where Zsasz's trial was located. She followed the officer's advice, walked down the halls, climbed two flights of stairs, and headed straight for the double doors.

She opened the squeaky door, earning attention from the people inside, especially Judge Faden. Kathryn's face flushed, quickly retreating to the nearest seat. A few moments later, of awkward silence and stares, they continued the trial.

Looking around the courtroom, Kathryn noticed there weren't many people here: only the defendant, the prosecutor, his assistant, and the head judge.

To the left was the defendant - the bald head man with a goatee beard - Victor Zsasz, one of Falcone's thugs who butchered citizens for the mob. His lawyer was sitting next to him. Kathryn, personally, don't know much about Victor, except the rumors about him on TV. Rumor had it that Victor cuts tally marks on his bare skin after his kill.

To the right was the DA, one of them was a woman Kathryn recognized. It was the DA's assistant who had a loud debate with Crane in his office on Valentine's Day - Miss Rachel Dawes.

They don't see eye-to-eye with criminals and Doctor Crane. Kathryn and Crane wanted to help the criminals turn from their horrific ways, but Rachel's only answer was a prison cell. Spending time in jail wasn't always the answer to every criminal's problems - some of them required mental help.

"Now," the defense lawyer cleared his throat, "I would like to call Dr. Jonathan Crane, a psychiatrist in Elizabeth Arkham for the Criminally Insane, to the stand, please."

Kathryn couldn't help but noticed Rachel's tense body language. She couldn't see her face but knew that there was a strong dislike for the doctor. Kathryn wasn't surprised if Rachel had cursed his name under her breath.

The bailiff opened a door from the side of the room, escorting Jonathan to the witness box. As Jonathan was about to step up to the stand, his head turned, and his eyes landed on Kathryn. He looked surprised that she had come here to this trial. Kathy waved as she mouthed out one word.

"Hi."

"Dr. Crane," the bailiff bluntly gestured the steps for Crane. Jonathan looked at him before his eyes descended on the stand. He quickly climbed up and stood in front of the chair.

The bailiff held the bible up in front of Jonathan, "Raise your right hand." Jonathan laid his right hand on the bible. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or so help me God?"

"I do," Jonathan replied.

"Please be seated," the bailiff ordered; Jonathan obeyed.

"Now, Dr. Crane," the defense lawyer began the questioning, "you are a licensed psychiatrist, correct?"

"Yes."

"And the head of Arkham Asylum? For how long?"

"About five years."

"So you would say that your opinion on Zsasz's case is valid?"

"I sure hope so. Otherwise, you have wasted my time by calling me here."

"Of course not," the attorney assured him with a smile. "Dr. Crane, you evaluated Mr. Zsasz before the trial, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And what are your findings?"

Jonathan took a deep breath before he answered, "Mr. Zsasz is indeed psychologically impaired. He clearly has no regard for human life, including himself."

"So you're saying that he could slice his throat at any moment? That he wouldn't last in Blackgate prison?"

"Objection, your honor," the male DA raised a finger, "calls for speculation. The defense is asking the doctor to predict the future. He is no fortune teller, judge."

"No, but Doctor Crane is an expert and had come across similar cases. Some that committed suicide, and others who have received help."

"You're trying to put words into the witness's mouth."

"I am doing no such thing."

"Sustain," Judge Faden silenced the debate. "Mr. Barren, I advise you to keep your questions civil."

"Yes, your honor," the attorney promised. "Doctor Crane, what did you mean when you said that Mr. Zsasz has no regard for his own life?"

"Mr. Zsasz had a traumatic experience involving his parents. Without proper counsel over the years, he thought he had no choice but to gamble all his savings and butcher his victims without care. He doesn't believe in living. He confided in me that it doesn't exist."

"He said that?"

"Yes."

"So, in your expert psychological opinion, what do you think is the best fit for Zsasz? Prison or therapy?"

Jonathan leaned forward towards the microphone, "In my opinion, Mr. Zsasz is as much a danger to himself as to others, and prison is probably not the best environment for his rehabilitation."

Victor was sitting there, secretly smirking, satisfied with Jonathan's answer. However, Rachel was the opposite. She let out a huff, stacking her papers into her folder in frustration. Her boss laid back against his chair and sighed in disappointment.

After the questioning, the judge ruled his verdict, "Victor Zsasz, instead of imprisonment, you will be taken to Arkham's highest security unit for your rehabilitation immediately." He hit his gavel against his desk, "Court adjourned."

Two police officers walked over to Victor and made him stand up so they could cuff his wrists, taking him away for transport.

Kathryn stood up and watched the DA take leave. Carl Finch whispered something to Rachel, then left his table.

He smiled at Kathryn in a friendly, carefree manner as he walked past her, "Good afternoon, ma'am."

Kathryn returned the greeting. "Nice to see you too... Carl?" She said his name more like a question than a statement. He let out a chuckle as he exited the courtroom. Did she get his name, right? She hoped so. If she didn't, Kathryn would blame it on Crane.

"Doctor Knightly," her thoughts were interrupted when Jonathan walked towards her—speaking of Crane. She followed right beside him.

"Hello, Doctor Crane," Kathryn greeted.

"I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

"Well, you wanted to discuss something with me. So here I am."

Jonathan stopped his tracks and looked around the courtroom to make sure no one was listening. "Can we discuss it privately?"

She nodded as they walked out of the courtroom and down the steps together. It didn't take too long to notice that someone was following them from behind, and it didn't surprise them that it was none other than the DA Devil herself.

"Dr. Crane!" Rachel cried out for his attention.

Jonathan momentarily glanced behind before he continued his path towards the exit, "Miss Dawes, how are you?"

"I would like to speak to you for a second..." Rachel gave Kathryn a cold, insisting glare, "in private."

Jonathan chuckled at her statement. "I'm sure whatever it is you want to say to me, you can say it in front of Doctor Knightly."

Rachel hesitated, keeping her eyes locked on Kathy.

"Go on, Rachel." Kathryn dared. "Say what you wanted to say to Jon - Doctor Crane." The psychologist cursed herself for almost letting his first name slip from her tongue. She knew that Jonathan would disapprove of the unprofessionalism.

Rachel continued to stare down at Kathy intently until she turned her attention back to Jonathan. "Fine. Dr. Crane, do you really think a man who butchers people for the mob doesn't belong in jail?"

Kathryn let out a snort, earning attention from both Crane and Rachel.

"Something amused you, Doctor..." Rachel trailed, trying to figure out the girl's name.

"Kathryn Knightly," the woman doctor replied. "And yes, something did amuse me... It's you."

"Me?"

Kathryn didn't have to look at Jonathan to see that he was a bit annoyed, but the smirk on his face showed more to the story. He was amused as well.

"Yes, I don't think this was a necessary private conversation. It's ludicrous."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked.

Jonathan continued walking, while Rachel and Kathy followed. "Let's be honest, Miss Dawes," Jonathan began in a bored tone. "You always ask me the same questions every time I testify in court. You're like a spoiled child who didn't get her way."

"You didn't answer my question," Rachel spat.

Jonathan sighed. "Well, Miss Dawes, I would hardly have testified to that otherwise, would I?"

Rachel stepped in front of Jonathan, refusing to back down from the debate. "This is the third of Falcone's thugs you've had declared insane and moved into your asylum."

"The work offered by organized crime must have an attraction to the insane," Jonathan placed his hand on Kathryn's back, motioning her to continue walking.

"Or the corrupt!" Rachel added challengingly.

The couple stopped walking. Kathryn looked at Rachel in shock. Did she really just accused Crane of being part of Falcone's mob.

"What exactly are you saying, Miss Dawes?" Kathryn demanded. She could handle a lot of things from Rachel, but this woman had crossed the line. Accusing Jonathan of dishonesty with no evidence was just plain wrong.

"Doctor Knightly," Rachel turned to Kathryn for an answer, "you're a psychologist in Arkham. What is your expert opinion on Zsasz?"

Before Kathryn could open her mouth to answer, Jonathan cut in with narrowed eyes. "Miss Dawes, don't drag Doctor Knightly into this."

Rachel shrugged innocently. "I just want her opinion."

"Well, don't," he snapped. "You obviously have something against me. I don't care what you accuse me of doing, but leave Dr. Knightly out of this."

"Or else what?" she asked, stepping closer to him in a threatening manner. "Besides, it's a simple question. There's nothing wrong with that." Rachel returned her eyes on Kathy, pressing for an answer. "Well, Doctor Knightly?"

Kathryn shrugged helplessly. "I don't know much about him honestly, but if he butchers people for a living, then there must be something wrong with him."

"But do you-"

"Mr. Finch," Jonathan called for Carl, who was talking to some blonde woman, who was probably a colleague or an ex-girlfriend. "I think you should check with Miss Dawes here just what implications your office has authorized her to make... If any," Jonathan motioned for Kathy to walk with him.

After Carl finished talking to his blonde client, he made his way to Rachel, without taking his eyes off the doctors walking out the door.

"What are you doing, Rachel?" Carl asked.

"What are you doing, Carl?" Rachel retorted, unhappy that Carl wasn't backing her up.

"Looking out for you," Carl answered in a hushed tone before pulling her a few feet away from the crowd so that they could talk privately. "Falcone has half the city bought and paid for. Drop it."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Carl, shocked by his words. "How can you say that?"

"Because as much as I care about getting Falcone, I care more about you!"

"That's sweet," Rachel leaned forward to kiss Carl on the cheek. What they didn't notice was that some guy was standing outside the courthouse, next to a payphone. He was watching their every move through the window. The man could tell that Rachel and Carl were an item.

"We've been through all that," Rachel uttered before walking past him. Carl sighed heavily and followed right behind her.

As soon as Carl and Rachel were out of sight, so was the man in the orange hoodie.

~000~000~000~

Jonathan led Kathy outside the courthouse and into his car. Jonathan was sitting on the driver's seat, while Kathy was in the passenger's side. They sat there in awkward silence before Jonathan started speaking.

"I apologize for Miss Dawes's behavior. She shouldn't have put you in a position that wasn't yours, to begin with."

Kathryn offered him a reassuring smile, placing a hand over his. "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. It's Rachel!" she groaned in frustration. "God! That DA Devil really crossed the line this time. I can't believe she accused you of being dishonest."

He frowned, staring down at their interlocked hands. "I should get used to it by now."

"You shouldn't have to," Kathryn squeezed his hand gently.

"You know what? We're not here to talk about Miss Dawes..." Crane removed his hand, placing both on the steering wheel. "We're here to talk about something important."

"Right," Kathryn leaned against the seat and watched the people come in and out of the courthouse. "So what's so important that you had to drag me over here? Not that I don't mind, of course, but just out of curiosity."

He cleared his throat, "We need to talk about the currency between us."

"Currency?" Kathryn knew what he was implying but found it funny about the way he was saying it. She couldn't help but giggle. "What do you mean?"

Jonathan heaved out a deep breath, continued to stare at the wheel. "I believe we should discuss this in a different setting."

"Something wrong with the car?"

Finally, Jonathan looked at her with narrowed eyes, not happy with her stupid question. She knew what he was implying. Did he have to spell it out for her?

"Kathryn, I have arranged a dinner reservation at my apartment."

Kathryn raised her brows. His apartment? She had never set foot in his apartment before. This was new. Kathryn couldn't help but feel giddy.

"If you care to join me tomorrow night?" Jonathan finished.

"Jonathan Crane... are you asking me out on a date?" She asked with a smirk.

"No," he clarified bluntly. "This is a business discussion about the professionalism between two co-workers."

"Ah. Well then, in that case," Kathryn picked up her purse; her free hand hovered over the door handle. "I'm afraid I must decline."

Jonathan's mouth dropped slightly in shock, but he quickly regained his composure, refusing to satisfy the girl with a reaction, "You have plans?"

Kathryn shrugged, "No. Not really."

Jonathan scoffed, shaking his head. The girl was the death of him.

"I just don't think it's professional to talk about the professional in your apartment," she explained, "unless it is a date, then by all means. But if you insist it's not..." Kathryn pulled the handle, finding out that Jonathan had locked the door. "Seriously?"

"Fine," Jonathan gave in. "Fine. I am... asking you on a date."

Kathryn suppressed the urge to smile triumphantly. She pretended to be in a debate, thinking it over. "Hm... Tomorrow night, you say?"

"Eight o'clock?" Jonathan offered.

"Hm..." She finally gazed at Jonathan, slyly unlocking the door. "I'll think about it," she swiftly got out of the car, leaving Crane dumbstruck. She ignored him, calling her name.

Jonathan sighed, running his fingers through his hair. This woman had the upper hand and played him for a fool. She was indeed the queen of death.

A fist banged his side window. Jonathan jumped out of his thoughts and gazed through the window to see Kathryn waving at him. He rolled down the window, asking what she needed.

"My phone," she offered, holding her hand out.

He looked down at the middle console, her silver phone sticking out. He plucked it out and handed it to Kathryn.

"Thanks," she said, placing the phone back in her bag.

Jonathan stared at the front window, waiting for Kathryn to bid her goodbyes. He jumped slightly, not expecting heat radiating his left cheek. He watched Kathryn through the side mirror as she left a glossy pink stain on his pale face.

She giggled, wiping the mark with her thumb, "That's a taste of what could happen if tomorrow night goes well."

He didn't have time to respond, for she had already left to drive her beetle back home.