Harley and Ivy: Chapter 4
They made a strange group as they moved down the halls of Arkham. Dr. Krantz leading the way, Ivy easily carrying Harley in her arms while Johnny the Whistler nervously brought up the rear. Harley was frowning angrily at Ivy. She gestured at her throat and then pointed at her legs and then made walking gestures with her fingers. Her meaning was clear; her throat was what was hurt. She was quite capable of walking on her own.
"Now Harley…" Ivy whispered to her as she carried her along. "You have had a great shock and have been injured. It won't hurt for you to let me carry you for a while, will it?"
Harley shot her another glare that clearly said. "You are enjoying this aren't you?"
Ivy hid a grin as her hand 'accidentally' slid up Harley's waist till she was almost cupping Harley's left breast.
As they entered the Infirmary, a female nurse rushed over to try and take Harley from Ivy's grasp. If looks could kill, Ivy would have earned another thirty or so years in Arkham. Shouldering the nurse out of the way, Ivy carried Harley over to a table and gently laid her down on it. Ivy slowly slid her arms out from under Harley. She made sure the hand that held Harley under her legs slowly brushed Harley's butt as she pulled away. Ivy was worried sick about Harley after the Joker's attack but damn if she would miss such a once in a life time chance like this.
Harley shot a suspicious look at her but didn't attempt to say anything.
Dr. Krantz pulled a large overhead light down and clicked it on. The glare was nearly blinding to poor Harley who quickly scrunched her eyes closed.
Being very gentle, Krantz lightly probed around the barbwire cuts and marks on Harley's throat. Not just out of consideration for his patient but also because he was keenly aware that Poison Ivy was standing right beside him watching every move he made.
"This is not good I'm afraid. The barbwire was wound so tightly around her throat there has been damage done to her larynx. It won't interfere with her breathing but she may have trouble with speaking and her voice will never be the same again."
Harley's eyes even under the glare of the lamp shot open in alarm and she looked at Ivy in terror. Harley was a talker, making her nearly mute was not anything she could face.
"I may have a solution doctor." Ivy began. "You know that Harley and I have the same blood type, don't you?"
"Of course. It's in your medical records which I am familiar with but Ms Quinzelle does not require a blood transfusion."
"I think she does." Ivy replied.
"What? Oh, wait. I see what you are getting at. Your unique enhanced genes. You believe that a full blood transfusion will transfer your rapid healing abilities to Ms Quinzelle." The doctor mused.
"You don't think so?"
"It's possible. No false flatteries but you are truly a unique individual Miss Isley. Rapid healing, enhanced strength and endurance and of course your immunity to all toxins and poisons. It is quite possible that if we do a full body blood transfusion between you and Harley that your blood will 'jump start' her body into producing the same effects but I have to point out that Harley's blood will weaken your system until your more dominant genes transmute her blood into yours. Also we have no way of knowing how long the effects of your blood will last in Quinzelle. It maybe very brief or it may change her forever." Dr. Krantz stated.
"So? What's the problem? Even if the effects are only temporary, it will heal the damage done to her throat, right? So do it!" Ivy said folding her arms over her chest defiantly.
"I can't do that. If the effects remain permanent, I will be responsible for enhancing Ms. Quinzelle. My job is to cure the criminally insane. Not make them more of a threat."
The doctor readied himself as he could see Ivy's shoulders tense. He fully expected her to attack him for denying her demands. So he was caught completely by surprise as Ivy did the unexpected. She lowered herself to her knees and placed her hands behind her back as if she was some kind of slave and looked up at him pleadingly.
"I am on my knees begging you doctor. I, Poison Ivy have never placed myself in this position for any man but I will do it for Harley. I don't want her to face having to go around in this place painfully croaking brief words. I want to hear her happy voice the way it used to be!"
Harley couldn't stand to see Ivy debasing herself in such a manner and struggled to turn on the table towards the kneeling woman. "Don't…Red…Maybe…Quiet…Won't … be… so…bad." She struggled to rasp out.
Ivy glanced at Harley and then turned desperate eyes towards the doctor. "And my blood may give her immunity to the Joker's Venom. Think of that. Once it gets out that Harley has had a full transfusion of my blood maybe the Joker will stop trying to use that attack on her again. Think of the time and effort that would save you. No more having to check everyone's food for Joker's little surprises."
The doctor seemed to be considering.
"I have to point out that such a procedure is completely against the rules Doctor!" The female nurse who had up till this point had been standing at the head of the table Harley was lying on, trying to look down Harley's blouse said. "It borders on experimentation on inmates. If this got out you would lose your license to practice medicine or psychiatry!"
"Johnny? I want you to go check on the Joker. I want to know if he is in his cell or not." Dr. Krantz called out to Whistler who was standing near the door to the Infirmary.
The guard gave a brief nod and went out the door quietly shutting it behind him.
"I want you to check all the medical records of all the inmates of Arkham." Dr. Krantz said turning to look at the bothersome nurse.
"I can't do that doctor. Regulations clearly state that a female nurse must be present at all times when a male doctor is examining female patients." The nurse said smugly.
"That's it!" Ivy snarled. In one fluid motion she rose from her kneeling position and slammed an uppercut into the nurse's chin knocking her across the room and out completely. The nurse slammed into a cabinet knocking off a rose plant that had been in a pot sitting on the cabinet. The plant landed in her lap.
"I had already planned to do that when I noticed her craning her neck trying to stare down Harley's shirt!" Ivy turned to look at the doctor. "Are we going to do this or are you going to call the guards on me?"
The doctor drummed his fingers on the desk near him for a moment before nodding his head. "I'll probably lose my license but I agree this is the only way I can think of to spare Ms. Quinzelle from maybe years of painful rehabilitation learning to speak once again. But we don't even know if this idea of yours will work. It can't do any harm to Ms. Quinzelle because you are of the same blood type but your healing abilities may not pass to her."
Ivy just nodded her head appearing to agree with the doctor. But in reality she knew it would at least partially work. At one time in the past she and Harley had partnered up and they had hid out in a toxic waste dump. Ivy had used her blood at that time to make a serum that temporarily gave Harley immunity from toxins. It had worked perfectly but since the serum had just a tiny bit of Ivy's blood in it, the effect had faded with time. Ivy was hoping the massive full body blood transfusion would make the effect permanent.
Harley looked nervously between the doctor and Ivy. She semi followed most of the conversation but she wasn't sure how they planned to transfer Ivy's unique healing abilities to her.
Dr. Krantz pulled a table over next to Harley's. "I'll attach a transfusion tube near your heart, across to Harley's heart and then attach a tube at the farthest point from Harley's heart, namely her ankle, across to your ankle. For full blood transfusion it should only take two hours."
Ivy nodded her head.
Harley's eyes grew wide. "Attach a tube near Red's heart to mine? How do they plan to attach a tube?" She thought to herself. As the doctor pulled out a very long needle, understanding hit Harley and she began to freak out majorly.
Seeing Harley starting to rise in panic, Ivy quickly leapt up on the table and straddled Harley's hips. Reaching down she found straps attached to the table and began to strap Harley down to the operating table. Ivy couldn't resist leaning over and whispering to Harley. "Once we get out of this place we should look into getting a table like this."
Harley's eyes widened at the obvious innuendo and she blinked several times at Ivy. Ivy used Harley's distraction to hop off of her and quickly strap her legs down as well.
Once she had Harley fully bound to the table she then hopped on the second table. "Ready when you are doctor." She told Dr. Krantz.
"This will hurt slightly but shouldn't be unbearable." Dr. Krantz said as he opened Ivy's shirt only enough to slip the long needle into the main artery called the dorsal aorta, the artery that leaves the heart. Crossing over to Harley he then quickly slipped the other needle into her main vein leading into Harley's heart. Moving downwards he then inserted another needle tube connection into a vein on Harley's ankle and moving across to Ivy he inserted the end into an artery on Ivy's ankle. Completing the circuit he then opened the valves on the tubes and watched as bright red blood rich with oxygen, and Ivy's unique blood cells, moved across to enter Harley's body. The much darker blood then moved out from Harley's ankle to enter Ivy's body.
"You both will feel somewhat sleepy and tired as the blood circulates among you. This is perfectly natural. Feel free to sleep if you want to." Dr. Krantz said and then pulled over a chair to monitor the proceedings.
Ivy slowly opened her eyes. She felt more tired than she had ever felt in her life. Looking around, the first thing she noticed was Dr. Krantz body slumped over his desk. His head had been cracked open by being hit with something blunt. Ivy wasn't sure from her position on the table but she doubted the doctor would ever rise from his desk again.
"Damn. He was decent too. Arkham is hazardous to the health of decent guys." Ivy thought to herself. Ivy tried to rise from her table but realized a moment later that she had been strapped down as she had strapped Harley down earlier. "Uh oh. This is not good." Ivy worried to herself.
Sensing something moving at her head Ivy tried to twist her head around to look.
"Oh look, the plant bitch is awake." Ivy recognized the voice instantly as that of the female nurse she had slugged. "Should have hit her harder." Ivy reprimanded herself silently.
"I just want you to know there is nothing personal in this." The nurse continued in a conversational manner. "The Joker just promised me big bucks if I iced his little wandering doll, that's all. He particularly wanted me to inject her if I got the chance with his Venom. He wants her with a big smile on her face as they lower her into the ground. I guess now that she is full of your blood, it won't work any more. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to do it the messy way."
Ivy twisting her head could see as the nurse came around Harley's table, she had a scalpel in her hands and a very sick demented grin on her face. "I'll just have to carve a smile on her face."
"Get away from her you bitch!" Ivy tried to growl but it came out weakly.
"Oh don't get me wrong. I don't hate Harley. As a matter of fact I think she is really quite lickable, er I mean likeable, don't I?" The nurse smiled and swiping the scalpel down Harley's blouse she severed the buttons holding it close. Reaching down she began to tweak and pinch one of Harley's nipples.
Harley still unconscious from the blood transfusion began to whimper and moan.
Suddenly she said quite clearly and distinctively in her sleep. "Oh yes Red! Please don't stop."
The nurse stopped her ministrations and looked up in surprise at Ivy. "Well, well. It would seem that Harley has transferred her crush from the Joker to you Ivy."
Ivy could have shouted in joy. "Not so much from Harley's unconscious mutterings but the fact that her voice was strong and clear. Looking across she could see the slashes on her throat from the barbwire were gone and now all that was left were slight pinkish marks. The transfusion had worked! Harley's body was healing itself at a tremendous rate.
Seeing that Ivy wasn't going to answer her, the nurse moved away from Harley's prone body over to the table holding Ivy. "Oh don't be jealous. I think you are quite gorgeous too." Using the scalpel, the nurse quickly cut open Ivy's Arkham shirt as well. Reaching down the nurse painfully twisted one of Ivy's nipples. Ivy didn't give her the satisfaction of reacting but her glare promised a slow death to the woman if she ever got free.
"You aren't as much fun as Harley is. Not nearly as responsive." The woman said in mock disappointment. "Guess its time to bring a smile to her face. Pity to mar such beauty but money is money." The woman then moved out of Ivy's sight.
Straining her neck as far as it would go, Ivy eventually saw the nurse moving back towards Harley's table. In one hand she carried the dreaded scalpel; in the other hand was the rose plant that had been knocked off the table on top of her.
"I thought it would be a nice touch if your dear Harley had something to remind her of you as she goes to Hell."
The nurse then lightly brushed the rose bud across Harley's breasts. Harley sighed and a smile crossed her face but she didn't wake up.
The nurse then savagely jerked the needle near Harley's heart out. Since she had not closed the valve on the tube, some of Ivy/Harley's mixed blood squirted out spraying the rose plant.
"Mother Nature, I've tried to protect you and punish those that have abused you all my life. Please repay me now but letting this work." Ivy thought desperately. Straining with all her weakened might, Ivy commanded the rose plant mentally through her blood.
The nurse smirking started to lay the plant down between Harley's breasts. Tried that is, but the rose plant suddenly began growing. The thorny vines wrapping around her wrist, biting in deeply.
"What the hell?" The nurse screeched and tried to throw the plant away from her. The thorny growth continued to grow at a massively accelerated rate though and wrapped around her arms. Trying to slash at the plant with the scalpel only caused the frightened woman to drop the scalpel. It landed next to Harley's head, the blade sticking into the table.
Stumbling back away from the table the woman began to scream as she tried to rip the plant off of her, all the while the plant kept growing and twisting around her body.
"Harley! Wake up Harley!" Ivy began yelling at her as she struggled with the bindings on her hands.
"I had the most intense dream Red." Harley said as she started to wake up. "Hey! My voice is back and my throat feels fine. As a matter of fact I feel better than I have ever felt before."
Harley turned her head and the first thing she noticed was the scalpel near her head. Eeping slightly she turned her head towards Ivy and spotted Ivy's breasts as her shirt had been cut open.
"Um, wow Red. What happened to you?" Glancing down she noticed she was in the same position. "What happened to me!" She yelled. Reacting instinctively she made a grab to close her blouse. A loud ripping noise was heard as the strap that had been holding her left arm down tore free.
"Wow. When did I get so strong?" Harley asked stunned.
"You have inherited some of my strength and endurance." Ivy said tiredly. "You got stronger and I got weaker. With some time it will balance out and we should both be at the same level."
Harley began undoing the straps on the rest of her body. "Does that mean I will inherit that neat green tint you get when you are in the sun for a long time? I always thought that was such a beautiful look on you."
"I don't know. I guess you might. Wait a minute. You thought that looked beautiful on me?" Ivy said jerking her head up from the table to stare across at Harley. "But you never let on that you thought I looked good. I tried flirting with you many times and it seemed like you were totally oblivious!"
Harley released the last strap and carefully pulling out the remaining needle on her ankle she stood up. "Trust me Red. I noticed. It was just…" She trailed off.
"You were hoping you and the Joker would hook up." Ivy finished somewhat bitterly.
"Well, yeah. But it wasn't just that. I've never… I mean I just never thought of another woman in the way I knew you were thinking about me. I was flattered. I have to admit I was kind of interested too but I was… I was just scared okay?"
Ivy looked up in surprise as Harley started releasing her straps. "Traveling with the Joker I thought nothing really scared you. What were you scared of?"
"Well gee Red. I hadn't ever made it with a guy and I knew from sex ed classes how that was suppose to go. I have no idea how two women, um, get it on." Harley finished as she blushed strongly.
"Then we're going to have to work on your education, aren't we Harley?" Ivy practically purred at her.
Harley wondering if a woman could pass out from blushing too strongly glanced around the room, anything to keep her eyes off of Ivy's open blouse which the woman maddingly hadn't closed yet.
Spotting the dead doctor at the desk Harley frowned. She wasn't shocked at violent deaths. Traveling with the Joker they kind of got to be common place but she had started to like the head shrink of Arkham. He had helped her after all.
"Who killed the doc?" She asked Ivy.
"Nurse Cratchet." Ivy replied with a frown. "She had a deal with the Joker to kill you and leave a permanent smile on your face. She killed the doctor and strapped me in while I was unconscious."
"I still can't believe the Joker is going to these lengths." Harley said sadly.
"Don't tell me you still feel something for that freak!" Ivy hissed as she angrily sat up on the table.
"No! No! It's not like that! I just still can't believe how badly I misread him. I really thought he would never kill me. I thought I was something special to him. Guess I suck at reading people, huh Red?"
To avoid Ivy's suspicious eyes, Harley began looking around the Infirmary once again. "Hey what's with this plant over here?" She asked.
Ivy glanced over and saw a huge mound of rose plant. It vaguely looked like a giant cocoon. Sticking slightly out of the mound of vines, thorns and roses was a withered woman's hand.
"That would be Nurse Cratchet. She thought it would be funny to bury you with the rose plant that was in the room. Unfortunately for her she got some of my, er I guess I should now say our blood on it. I mentally commanded the plant to grow." Ivy said shrugging.
"Oh wow. Will I be able to do that too?" Harley said jumping up and down in excitement.
Ivy shrugged again. "Don't know. Guess we'll have to experiment once we get out of here to see how many of my abilities you got." Ivy gave Harley a wicked smile. "We'll have to experiment with many things." She added.
"Um, yeah." Harley answered and started blushing again. To change the subject she suddenly asked Ivy. "What are we going to do now? The Joker won't stop until I'm dead and even if we escape, you know the Joker will just walk out of Arkham and come after us. There is no where we can run that the Joker won't follow…" Harley paused for a moment.
"Unless…" She pondered.
"What?" Ivy asked curiously.
"We can get the parts to the sonic device the Joker used and open a portal to Tenchi's world! That's it Red! We can escape from Gotham and from this crappy world completely and go to Tenchi's world!" Harley said excitedly.
Ivy with a frown folded her arms across her chest. "I can't believe you Harley! I save you from the Joker! I tell you that I am attracted to you and you want to rush into some other guy's arms! Straight from the Joker to this Tenchi guy!"
"No Red! You got it all wrong! I admit I was slightly attracted to Tenchi but I'm over him! I just want us to go to his world cause no one will know us as criminals there! We can start over. No more running from the law, we can settle down and just live together. You would love Tenchi's world Red. Clean water! Pure air and bright cheerful sunshine!" Harley paused and then added. "Besides, Tenchi has a large group of women that live with him that are after him. He wouldn't look twice at me. I'm nothing compared to those other women."
To Harley's surprise Ivy's frown turned even stormier looking. "Don't ever say that again Harley! You are more than a match for any other woman and could get any guy she wanted to. I would kill them of course but you could get them."
"Trust me Red. I don't want any more guys. I just want to settle down with you and be happy. I think we both deserve it, don't you? Tenchi knows that I was a criminal but it didn't faze him. He believes in only judging people for how they act. Not what they might have done before. One of the women staying with him was a criminal. Tenchi can help us as a friend to get us settled in."
Ivy didn't seem too convinced but she unfolded her arms anyway. "Well, we do need somewhere to go and you are right that the Joker isn't going to give up on his vendetta against you any time soon." She raised a hand to stop the exuberance she felt starting to come from Harley. "We'll think about this other dimensional thing later. For right now we need to get out of Arkham first. How do we go about that? The sewers?"
Harley grimaced in distaste before shaking her head. "Can't. After the last time Killer Croc used that way out they put an electrified iron cover over the access route. How about over the walls?"
Ivy shook her head this time. "They stationed permanent guards up there after the last time the Joker used that way. Tunnels?"
"Remember they dug up the grounds and put a layer of concrete 15 feet down after the last time Mad Hatter used a 'rabbit hole' to escape."
"Then how are we going to get out? We need to do this today cause as soon as they see the dead doctor and nurse they are going to blame us. We get thrown into solitary; the Joker will use the opportunity to kill you." Ivy reminded Harley.
Suddenly there came a knocking on the door to the Infirmary. "Doctor Krantz? Should I do another round of Arkham or can I come in yet?" The voice of Johnny "Whistler" called through the closed door.
Harley rushed over to the door and found it locked. Looking over at Ivy and getting a nod, she slowly unlocked the door and stepped back away from it.