"Well Hello doctor, how are you today?" Edward said with a smile as he looked up from his breakfast to Dr Arkham.
"I'm fine Edward, please continue eating, I'm just here to observer the cafeteria." Dr Arkham replied not interested in engaging Edward on his own turf.
Doctor Arkham just moved slowly around the room taking note of all the patients, what they were eating, who they were sitting with and how many different groups there were. He noticed that Joker, Harvey 'Two-Face', Edward, Pamela, Crane, Tetch and Harley sat on one table, while some of the less known rogues sat on another table.
The stronger more violent patients sat at a table close to the door, while the more docile and lower end of the food chain, were in the centre of the room, really it was the Batman Rogues' Gallery. They had the power to make the whole asylum come to a complete halt. Doctor Arkham's name may have been on the door and think he was the head honcho, but really, Joker was the man behind Arkham Asylum.
Edward continued eating and watching Dr Arkham as he walked around the room. He stood with his hands behind his back. He was the Head Doctor here and administrator, so he thought he could walk around without a problem, but he was wrong.
What a fool Doctor Arkham is. Thinking he is in charge of this lousy place of an asylum. He couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, his name might be all over the place and his uncle may have built Arkham Asylum, but it stopped there. When Amadeus Arkham went mad, this place and his name went with it. There is nothing left salvageable from the Arkham name.
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here"Said the Mad Hatter, ripping away Edward from his little world of observation.
"Jervis" Said Joker with a grin on his face, but not a grin of happiness, "If you EVER while in my presents again quote a single word from 'Alice in Wonderland' or 'Through the looking-glass'" He said as he wrapped his left arm around Jervis, and with his right hand, held his spoon about two inches from his face. "I will dig out your eye and eat it in front of you. Is that clear?"
Joker wasn't kidding around. He was in a foul mood and wasn't going to put up with anyone's compulsions. Jervis just nodded and let Joker slide back to where he was sitting. Dr Arkham had observed the whole thing and was now going to make his move.
"Now, now Joker, that wasn't very nice to say. Now please say you're sorry to Jervis." Arkham said with a smile. He was not aware Joker was in a killing mood.
Joker took a deep breath and stabbed Jervis in the leg with his pointy end of the spoon. This caused Jervis to yell out in pain and attempt to pull the spoon out.
"MY LEG!" he bellowed and howled. He was in excruciating pain and Joker was lead off quietly without even a word from him.
"Cash, get Jervis to the infirmary NOW. North, take Joker back to his cell in Extreme Isolation. I want a word with him once I've seen Jervis to the infirmary." Dr Arkham yelled as he watched Jervis being dragged off and Joker was taken out of his sight.
The rest of the patients that had seen what Joker had done had gone silent. Crane, who had been sitting next to Jervis had moved closer to Edward and Harvey "Two-Face" had moved away from where Joker had been sitting.
Dr Arkham gave an order to the guards that had shown up in riot gear. Dr Arkham's face was red and he was fuming all over. His happy go mood had vanished.
"I want all these tables cleared and I want all the patients back in their rooms no problems" pointing at all the tables that was not involved with the altercation, he then turned his attention to the table that he hadn't addressed. "I want to question everyone on this table one by one in my office." He then stormed off cross, obviously going to see Jervis in the infirmary.
These are the private notes of Dr Jeremiah Arkham. Date today is the 22nd September 2011. There was an altercation between patients #15666 the Joker and #11948 Jervis Tetch.
From what I have been able to establish from the surveillance footage is, that it was an unprovoked assault on #11948 by #15666. Patient #15666 stabbed the serrated edge of his utensil into patient #11948 right upper thigh. The utensil was removed and all requiring stitches and a course of antibiotics in case there is any infection.
I questioned all the other patients sitting at the table. I started off with patient #11941 Crane, then #12966 Isley and #12967 Quinzel. When I went out into the hall, I saw #15249 and #12942 discussing something. All I did manage to hear was; "In the rec room Monday." To which when the two saw me; they stopped all conversation and pretended they had not been talking.
I'm sure something is going to happen but I am not sure what. Joker's erratic behaviour today was not just a random occurrence.
26th September
There was a fight between patients #15249 and #12942 in the rec room at 3:17 pm. It started when Harvey "Two-Face" flipped his coin and began beating Edward Nigma to the ground with his book. Harvey made threats to his life and some other obscene language. He did not hurt or attempt to bring harm to the guards when he was taken to isolation. Edward only suffered minor lacerations and bruising.
Harvey was given two months for fighting and causing harm to another patient and Edward received two months for his involvement in the fight. Even if he was the victim, both parties have to serve time in isolation to deter others from taking the same action.
When I told Edward that he would be receiving the same amount of time in maximum isolation, he did not seem too upset about it. He knew its part of the procedure and accepted the term without a fuss. He needed some bandages, but I'm sure that it was mostly his pride that was destroyed in the altercation between him and Harvey Dent.
Harvey is more physically stronger than Edward, so Edward did not stand a chance, but after what I heard on Thursday last week, I'm sure this was just a charade. But I am sure that actually getting hurt was not part of the plan.
"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" sang Joker into the little hole that separated his cell and Edward's.
Edward looked over to the general direction of the hole. He rested his head on his pillow. He was back in the same little room that he'd spent his first few weeks here. He was bruised all over and was sure that Harvey had actually intended to hurt him.
"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Are you listening to me?" Joker cooed.
"Joker, please, I just need a minute to think" He groaned as he breathed. The bruise on his right side was very real.
"OK Eddie. I'll let you get some sleep. When shower time comes. I'll bring the soap." Joker whispered into the room.
Edward sighed as he stuffed his blanket into the hole. He was going to have a private conversation with Harvey and he needed to be sure that Joker wasn't going to listen in and ruin the surprise.
"Harvey?" Edward called to Harvey, who was in the cell to the right.
Edward knew that Harvey could hear him and he was just trying to avoid talking to Edward for as long as he could. But that wasn't going to stop Edward from getting the truth. Harvey had actually hurt him and that was not part of the deal.
"Harvey, I know you can hear me. So answer me."
"What do you want Nigma? It's 'Two-Face' to you. Don't forget that!" Two-Face was clearly pissed.
"That was quite a show you put on. I must say the most believable fake fight." Edward said as he rubbed the very real bruise under his left eye.
Two-Face didn't reply, but he obviously agreed that it was a well staged fight. Sure he was locked up in isolation, but with what Edward had promised him in return, two months seemed worth it.
"OK, Two-Face, I hope you're listening, because I have a proposition to ask of you. Something that will make that tiny offer I made the other day, seem worthless."
Two-Face was listening, but he didn't know how Edward was going to top twenty-two million dollars, but if he had more in mind, he was inclined to listen.
Edward took a deep breath and went into extreme detail at explaining his plan to Harvey 'Two-Face.' Not using to fancy or technical jargon to confuse him. When he was finished, he heard Harvey mutter something then say;
"I'm in."
"Good, one more person to go."
To Be Continued...