Chapter 12: A Token of Gratitude
Disclaimer: read chapter 1
"Patient Interview #4. This is Doctor Knightly with Patient #6056 with Edward Nashton," Kathryn faced Edward through her black-framed glasses with a friendly smile on her face. "Good morning, Edward."
"Kit-Kat," Edward greeted with a smug look on his face. He still had on his straight jacket, just like the last couple of times. "You look like a ray of sunshine today."
"Yes," Kathryn answered, allowing her grin to show as she wrote her notes down on her clipboard. "Is that a problem?"
Edward shrugged. "Not at all. I love it when people are cheerful..." He smirked. "If you have it, you want to share it; but once you share it, you no longer have it. What am I?"
"A secret."
His smirk stretched, creating a dimple on his cheek. "Got anything to share, Doctor?"
Kathryn shook her head, "No. We are here to talk about you. Remember?"
Edward's wicked chuckle sent chills down her spine.
"Oh come on! Not one itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, juicy secret? What's wrong, Doctor? Don't you trust me?"
"Mmm," Kathryn continued writing, paying no mind to Edward's plea.
"I'm red but I'm not a strawberry," Edward cited. "I'm a shape but I'm not a square."
Kathryn laid her file down, raising a brow at Edward.
"I'm part of your body but I'm not your mouth. I'm a suit in a deck of cards but I'm not a spade. I'm used to saying 'I love you' but I'm not a diamond."
"I can see you are less barbaric with the riddles, Ed."
"The answer?"
"A heart."
"The same heart that is wrapped around your neck."
Kathryn gazed down at her necklace, quickly tucking it under her shirt.
Edward shook his head, clicking his tongue, "Now. Now. Let's not be modest, Doctor. We both know that you didn't buy it out of the blue, and the gem..." his mouth twitched, "a bit out of your price range."
"What do you know about my price range? Are you a jeweler? The diamond could be a fake."
Edward chuckled. "It's not about the money but the heart in it, Doctor. Judging by the clothes..." he gestured the outfit - a red patterned skirt and a black blouse, which he guessed came from a thrift shop, "that's all you. The makeup, the hair, and the small cleavage-" Kathryn crossed her arms, completely self-conscious and offended. "-cries for attention. You had been provided for all your life. It took a lot of guts to leave mommy and daddy, leave the sunshine state to deal with little ole me."
Kathryn had a grim look on her face, not approving Edward's observation. He was supposed to be smart. What he said was entirely inaccurate.
"I haven't been spoiled," she shouldn't be arguing with him. This wasn't his business anyway. She must be the professional one, but this man was good at pushing people's buttons and twisting the conversation around.
"My parents didn't give me what I wanted as a kid," Kathryn explained, carefully making sure she didn't slip any personal information. "I was forced to be independent; keep my nose in a school book and my fingertips on a keyboard every day like you." Edward raised a brow at that. It seemed like they have something in common. "If anything, they spoil my-"
"Did your parents have a roof over your head?" Edward questioned, though his voice deepened with hostility in his tone. Kathryn was taken back, didn't answer him at first. "Provided you a bedroom with a queen-size bed, a cellphone, an education, a car with insurance, tasty food on a plate?"
She didn't say anything, but her averted eyes said it all, earning a snicker from the question-mark man.
"How disappointing. I was raised to believe that pretty, nice girls deserve nice things." Kathryn suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at that. "But I learned the hard way that pretty, nice girls," Edward emphasized the word with a bitter taste in his mouth, "expect nice things and give nothing in return. The man, who gave you that-" he lifted his elbow at her chest, "- he spoils you, and, no doubt, he's expecting his reward."
"Edward, no man should expect a girl to sleep with him for gifts. You think you know me-"
Edward's eyes bolted at the girl's bold statement, "Oh, I didn't mean sex, Kit-Kat. I was talking about the other thing." Kathryn pressed her lips tightly, feeling the burning sensation down her throat and the pressure in her brain.
"Which is?" she asked meekly.
"Isn't it obvious?" Edward sighed when she shook her head in response. "One may be received for opening a door or passing the bread to one who wants more. Though usually not demanded, it is always appreciated. One of two magic phrases, politeness is satiated. What am I?"
Kathryn huffed at the obvious riddle. Her eyes descended back to his file, writing down her notes on paper. A distraction needed to prevent her from breaking.
"You still can't say those magic words, Doctor?" Edward laughed. "You've never shown appreciation to anyone, have you?"
Kathryn sighed, taking off her glasses and rubbing her temples in frustration. Dr. Young was right. Edward was capable of getting under someone's skin. However, Kathryn refused to give up on her first psychotic patient, no matter how annoying he was. She thought back to what he said, something that sparked her interests.
"What about you, Edward?" Kathryn asked. "Have you ever said 'thank you' to anyone?"
"For what? Did you read my background, Kit-Kat? I have nothing to be thankful for."
"Why? What happened when you were a child?"
Edward gave her a look that asked if she was serious.
"Enlighten me," she pressed, "or I could open this folder and read it out loud."
He loudly puffed out some air in defeat, "Very well. My mother left me; my father hated me, always called me a moron."
Kathryn looked up at him and couldn't help but pity him. Her father always supported her no matter what.
"Really?" Kathryn whispered as she was taking notes.
Edward continued, "I was determined to prove him wrong, so I decided to enter a contest at school. A twenty-dollar prize to the kid, who could figure out an almost impossible logic problem." Edward smiled proudly at the results, "I won of course."
Kathryn couldn't help but form a small smile on her face. "That's great. I'm sure your dad was very proud of you."
The smile dropped by her statement. Edward scoffed. "Please! He thought I cheated. He kept yelling, 'You must've cheated'" he deepened his voice, imitating his father, "'Admit it, you moron! You cheated!' I swore I didn't, then he hit me for lying."
"I'm... sorry to hear that, Edward," Kathryn said sympathetically.
Edward chuckled, "Don't be. He was right."
The moment ended.
~000~000~000~
Jonathan was walking down the hallway, keeping his eyes locked on the folder. His shoes clicking at each step, until the sound ceased by the eerie creak behind him. He turned around to see the janitor's door wide open, expecting Carl to step out, but he didn't.
"Mr. Todd?" Crane questioned. He knew no one was walking behind him for he would've heard footsteps. The door widened but neither a hand nor a person showed.
'Relax, Johnny-Boy," his half retorted with amusement. 'It must be the wind.'
No, it couldn't be the wind for he wasn't near any windows. Jonathan cautiously stepped towards the closet to investigate. He peeked inside to see cleaning supplies and floor signs, not a body in sight. It must've been his imagination, or Todd left the door open by accident. He could've sworn he heard something. Refusing to dwell on it, Jonathan continued his pace and regained control of his breathing.
'Don't tell me you were spooked, Crane.'
Jonathan neither denied nor admitted the allegations. He stayed silent as he returned to his office, greeting Miss Thomas in the process. He entered and shut the door behind him, setting his papers on the desk.
Unbeknownst to him, someone's bare feet tiptoed towards him and grasped his shoulders. He whirled around to grasp the responsible's wrists. His breath hitched at the beautiful, smiling face behind him.
"Boo," she giggled at his eyes that widened in alarm.
Jonathan breathed out as he let go of her, "Kathryn, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you," she pecked his lips, running her hands up and down his pecs. "Sorry, I scared you," though her smirk showed the opposite of remorse.
"You didn't scare me," Jonathan denied, sitting down on his chair. "Did Miss Thomas let you in?"
Kathryn shook her head, "No, she wasn't around when I let myself in." She stepped around the desk to sit on his lap. "I had a stressful session with a patient, and I thought maybe... we could have a 'discussion about it'."
Jonathan raised a brow at her choice of words. They knew that she couldn't go into detail due to confidentiality unless it involved life and death. However, her kisses suggested that she didn't want to do any talking during this visit.
"What happened that upset you?" Jonathan wondered as he leaned his head back in content.
"Nothing important," she murmured.
Jonathan peered over her shoulder to check the door, making sure no one would barge in at any moment, "You know the door doesn't lock, right?"
Kathryn pulled away, glancing at the door for a moment, "How often does someone barge in here?"
"Not often. Miss Thomas doesn't let anyone or herself in unless I say so, she's a good dog. She responds only to her master's voice."
"Am I a good dog?" Kathryn teased.
"No," Jonathan bluntly stated, couldn't help but groan as she nibbled his ear. "You did..." he was breathless when she moved on to his neck. He tried to get the words out, "come in here... without my permission. Your parents should've been stricter on you when they had the leash."
"Are you complaining?" she asked in a whisper, trailing her thumb across the outline of his full lips. Jonathan didn't respond at first as Kathryn cupped his face to kiss him. She stifled a moan as his arms crept around her back, pulling her closer to his hips. Her heartbeat picked up the pace as she felt the buckle dig uncomfortably against her crotch. At least, she hoped it was his belt.
Kathryn quickly held on for dear life as he pushed himself off his seat. Her arms looped around his neck; her legs wrapped around his waist. Jonathan carried her away from the desk. Kathryn expected him to lay her on top of it, swiping off its contents, but Jonathan was a man of order, refusing to make a mess. He simply pinned her against the filing cabinet, muffling her gasp by his kiss.
She migrated her arms to his shoulders to push him back for some air. However, he tightly pressed her wrists against the cold metal behind her. This was indeed exhilarating but a little scary. They were inches closer to the door. Anyone could pass by and overhear everything, especially Miss 'Nosy' Thomas. Did she know about their relationship? The last thing Kathryn wanted was for Emma to catch them in a very compromising position.
"Jonathan, maybe we should-"
"Don't fight me," he hissed. Kathryn tried not to laugh at his attempt to be intimidating. The head man was a panting mess as she was. Jonathan buried his face into her neck, breathing in her vanilla scent, "Let me ease your burden for ten minutes."
Kathryn closed her eyes almost giving in by the smooth fingers chilling her sides, "I'm not ready-"
"I know, and I promise we won't. Just trust me."
And she did trust him for those ten precious minutes. She was being a good dog who only responds to her master's voice, and she enjoyed it.
"Thank you," she breathed.
"Hm?"
"I wanted to thank you," Kathryn cupped his face to look at his confused gaze, "for being so good to me - for making me feel so happy. I just wanted you to know how much this means to me."
Jonathan didn't know why Kathryn was suddenly getting sentimental - almost too sweet. He knew she appreciated everything he had done for her. He heard her say the words every time. Jonathan didn't dwell on it as she sweetly pecked his lips before they had to resume their mission.
~000~000~000~
Kathryn knew it was ridiculous to go to the store just for a twelve-pack of Coca-Cola, but Elise forgot to get it on the way home from work. She admitted to being a bit temperamental when Elise refused to get some for her. Kathryn was suffering a headache, and caffeine was her favorite medicine.
She parked her car that was a mile away from the general store. She hated the fact that she had to walk a long way just to get caffeinated soda. Another bad thing about this city was the traffic and bad parking spaces, no different than the rush hours in Pensacola, especially driving to Gulf Breeze.
Kathryn carried her purse and walked down the sidewalk towards the general store. She was turning into a corner, making a left turn. Kathryn accidentally bumped her right shoulder against a man's left arm.
"I'm sorry," the man apologized. "Excuse me."
"You're fine," Kathryn shook it off. "Excuse me." At that moment Kathryn's fingers slipped, releasing her bag that fell onto the sidewalk. "Sugar!" she cursed.
Kathryn and the man instantly squatted down to pick up the purse from the ground. Their fingers lightly brushed against each other but Kathryn pulled away slightly, allowing the man to take her purse from the ground and stand up.
"Here you are," the orange hooded man handed the bag to Kathryn, who accepted it with a thankful smile.
"Thank you," Kathryn noticed that the man was tall and had dark hair like Jonathan's. However, the man was tan and muscular, the layers were partially responsible for the bulk. He was good looking, Kathryn admitted as much.
"Um... Is something wrong?" she asked politely, noticing that the man was looking at her as if he had seen a ghost.
"I'm sorry," the man apologized, taking a couple of steps back, without taking his eyes off her. "I don't mean to stare. It's just that... I thought you were someone else. You look a little bit like an old friend of mine."
"Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Kathryn said sympathetically.
"It's not your fault," he lowered his gaze at her rubbing hands that attempted to create warm friction.
"Y-Your fingers are... cold," the man stated the obvious.
Kathryn put her fingers against her cheeks, realizing his statement was true. She shrugged, "I-I'm fine. It's just my hands."
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man apologized as he removed his denim coat. "Here. Take my jacket."
"Oh no!" Kathryn shook her head and waved her hands, refusing the man's offer. "I can't-"
"I insist, please," the man draped the clothing over Kathryn's shoulders. "Please take it."
Kathryn was a tad warm with the clothing but didn't feel right about taking a stranger's jacket. He may have possessed lice or a disease. Though, it's too late for she came in contact with the clothing.
"How would I give it back?" she asked.
"Take it as a gift," the man replied with a smile.
"But I don't know you," Kathryn pointed out.
"No," The man shook his head, realizing her statement was true, "but I do know that you're cold."
"It still doesn't change the fact that I don't know your name."
"Well, let's change that," he extended his hand for a handshake. "I'm Bruce."
Kathryn smiled, shaking the man's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Bruce. Look, Bruce, I appreciate your intentions, but I can't take this jacket from you. It's not right."
"Don't worry about it," Bruce insisted. "Just take it. I can't stand the idea of a pretty woman like you walking in the cold."
Kathryn could feel the heat already on her cheeks, not exactly sure how to respond to that, "Uh..."
Bruce chuckled nervously, realizing that he had gone too far with the flirting. To think that girls used to fall for that pickup line.
"I'm sorry," Bruce apologized.
"No. No. No," Kathryn waved it off. "It's fine."
"No," he disagreed. "I saw your face. I was out of line."
"Just a bit," she pinched her short fingers with little space in between, indicating just how much.
"Uh..." Bruce rubbed the back of his neck, immediately shifting the subject. "Do you by any chance know where Wayne Tower is?"
Kathryn was relieved that he didn't try to ask her out for a drink or something inappropriate.
"You're new in Gotham, aren't you?" she assumed.
Bruce shook his head, "No... I just haven't been back in a long time."
"Oh. Well, we're in the Diamond District, if you go further south and take a right on Kane Street," she pointed behind Bruce who followed her fingers, "you'll see it front and center. You won't miss the big W."
"Thank you."
"Actually, I should be the one thanking you... for the coat," Kathryn let her arms fall to the side and sighed heavily. "Listen, Bruce, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get going."
"Oh, of course," Bruce nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I won't keep you any longer."
"Thank you," she stated her goodbyes in a hurried fashion. "It's really nice to meet you, Bruce. Good luck finding Wayne Tower," for that, Kathryn turned away and continued on to her destination.
"Thanks," Bruce mumbled, "but I don't think I need it." He walked the opposite but stopped when he realized he'd forgotten something important. He hurried back to where he saw Kathryn and called back to her, "Wait, I didn't get your name!" But it was too late. By the time he showed up, she was already gone.
