Thirteenth Step.
Pain. Horrible, mind numbing pain. That was the first thing Edward's mind registed as he came to.
His eyes fluttered open and he groaned slightly before shutting his eyes.
His ears perked up at the sound of a heart monitor. Well it couldn't of been him, he only had a few bruised ribs, maybe a few cracked, maybe a few broken ones.
He looked to his side and felt his eyes widen.
It was Jester, she was hooked up to the heart monitor and an IV as well as a plaster cast on her left arm as well as bandages wrapped round her head.
What the hell had happened to her?
"Jester?" he questioned and got no response.
He bit his lip and fiddled with his hands. It felt odd to be around the girl and the room to be quiet.
"Jessica?" he questioned again, hopping to gain a response with the use of her real name.
Still no reply.
Edward was getting desperate now. "Jess?"
No reply.
Edward sighed and turned away from her, taking the thought of 'out of sight, out of mind' but he found his mind betraying him as it played ugly little scenarios of how she could of gotten those injures.
"You forgot black and white clown," came the weak little voice from his left.
Edward snapped his head round and stared at her.
She saw him and smiled, her jade green eyes sparkling with joy and mischief. "Hey Eddie."
Despite his best efforts he found himself smiling and then he was laughing.
"Eddie?" the young clown looked confused. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Edward laughed. "I'm just… relieved."
"About?"
"It doesn't matter." he said smiling before a frown settled on his features. "And I thought I told you to hide trophy B3 in the side wall not the air vent!"
"I couldn't get to the side wall, so it had to be the side vent. Besides, ya' didn't get beaten that bad."
Edward glared and pointed to to his head. "Oh really? Did I? I have broken, bruised and cracked ribs and a cute across my head as well as bruising."
Jester rolled her eyes. "Slow you're tongue Eddie. I got broken bones slight concussion broken ribs, a bruised lung! God knows what organs are in the wrong place now and quite frankly, I don't wanna know."
Edward blinked. "On the subject of your current state. How did you end up like this?"
"I had a batarang to the face and fell off the old foundations to the floor below," she paused before muttering. "It hurt."
"I imagine it would."
"I don't need to imagine it, it happened. Oh and umm Jonny's dead. Waylon got him in the riot."
Edward paused before sighing. "I told him not to go into the sewers, fool wouldn't listen to me."
"Ya' not upset by that? Not even a little bit?" questioned Jester.
"Not in the slightest," Edward bit out before frowning. "Actually. I… I am a little… oh what's the word..?"
"Upset?" Jester tried.
"No!" Edward snapped immediately. "That would imply I actually cared about him."
"He was your friend," Jester pointed out. "And despite your acts at trying to hide it, you're upset."
Edward glared. "Be silent you black and white fool! I do not need you to go telling me what I feel."
Jester frowned. "Sorry Eddie. You shouldn't keep your feelings locked up ya' know. It's bad."
Edward went to point out that he would share his feelings when he wanted to, when Cash and Doctor Cassidy came over to them.
"Jessica, how are you feeling?" she asked Jester who slumped in her bed.
"How do ya' think I'm feeling!?" the girl cried. "I got tossed off a structure to the darkness below!"
Doctor Cassidy paused. "I… see, well we do have some good news," she said looking through the papers on her clip bored.
"Oh goody," Jester muttered.
"It seems your lung is fine and your arm is just fractured. It was your ribs that took most of the fall."
Jester pouted and folded her arms. "Better then nothing I guess."
"And Edward how are you feeling?" Doctor Cassidy went to ask, turning towards Edward.
He glared at her before sighing. "Think on that question Doctor. I got beaten by the GCPD and my ribs feel like they have gone three rounds with Mike Tyson, how do you think I am feeling?"
"You and Jester answered rather… well it was the same."
"I copy him!" Jester cried happily. "I love to copy Eddie, because it irritates him."
Edward frowned and glared at her. "I wish you wouldn't."
"But I'm your sister!"
"Adopted sister. In fact, self proclaimed sister fits even better."
"Ya know, you're meant to look after me, right?"
"I don't have to," Edward muttered. "I probably should, but I don't have to. Once I get out of here, I'm putting you under Dead Switch's care."
"Who's Dead Switch?" asked Jester.
"My employee."
"You have an employee?" Jester frowned. "Who'd want to work for you?"
"That's a good question," Cash muttered.
Edward rolled his eyes. "She was not talking to you, you imbecile!"
"Eddie!" Jester cried. "That's mean! You should be nicer. Cash is one of the nicest guards around if you get on his good side."
Cash smirked. "You don't have to worry Jester, he does."
"Why does Eddie have to worry?"
Edward glared. "It doesn't matter and I don't worry anyway. Besides, don't you imbeciles have something better to do?"
"Watch your mouth Nigma!" snarled Cash.
"It's okay Aaron," Sarah assured. "We shan't bother you any longer, besides, we need to get the office ready for the new Doctor."
Edward frowned. "Only one, I thought there were at least three coming."
Cash and Sarah paused.
"How the hell do you know that?" snarled Cash.
Edward rolled his eyes. "You may find this hard to believe Cash, but one hears things when they're forgotten in they're cell, things others may not want me find out. Doctor Arkham, Doctor Sinner or Doctor Terry, which one which one?"
Cash glared. "That's non of your business Nigma!"
"I'll find out sooner or later," Edward snarled, directing his attention to Doctor Cassidy, knowing she was the weaker of the two. "So you may as well tell me now."
Sarah paled. "I… that's classified Mister Nigma. Sorry."
"Come on Sarah," Cash said taking her away from Edward who glared after them.
"It's Doctor Mist Terry."
Edward blinked and turned to Jester. "What?" he asked frowning slightly.
Jester smiled. "I read it on Sarah's clip bored, the new Doctor is gonna' be Mist Terry. Say Eddie you should like her," she continued smiling. "Mist Terry sounds like-,"
"Mystery," Edward finished in a small whisper.
Jester frowned. "Eddie, you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
He did look pale, hugely pale and his eyes were set wide in shock.
"I… I used to know someone…" he muttered.
"Called Mist Terry?" asked Jester and she received a small nod. "Wait…. was that the woman everyone else was talking about on the cell block that time?"
Edward gave her a glare, clearly stating she was not to carry on with the conversation if she valued her life.
Jester snapped her jaw shut. "Why so touchy about ya' past Eddie?"
"I could say the same to you, how is Sasha by the way?" he snarled.
Jester paled, if that was even possible. "S- Sasha?"
"Yes, Sasha, you sister. How is she?"
"I… I don't really talk to her any more," Jester stuttered.
"Oh?" Edward raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"
Jester narrowed her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling you already know the answer."
"And why would you think that?"
"Call it suspicion Eddie and the fact I know ya'. You looked didn't ya', ya' looked me up! How could you?!"
"Jester, how am I meant to look after you and trust you if I don't know anything about you?"
"I could say the same thing ya' hypocrite!"
Edward rolled his eyes. "I am not a hypocrite!"
"Yes you are!" Jester screamed, but it sounded like it hurt. "I don't know a thing about you and then you go and look me up! My history?! How could you?!"
Edward rubbed his head and sighed. "Listen to me. I'll… I'll tell you everything, as long as you tell me about Sasha and what really happened at that chemical plant."
Jester glared and hissed. "Ya' know something Eddie, there's a difference here, I'm not bothered about finding stuff out about ya' past, in fact I don't really care. So no deal!"
"You… you inconceivable little brat!"
Jester stuck her tongue out at him and folded her arms, pouting, facing the other way to him.
Well, Edward thought as he lay back in his bed, that could of gone better.
T.B.C: