Nightmare in Arkham:

Chapter 12: "Harley's Awakening"

-Harley jolted up off the couch gasping for air. She breathed like she had been submerged underwater for over 2 minutes. Her body still hurt and she had no idea where she was. She felt someone shaking her body. "Harley! Harley! Calm down, Harley! You're safe now!"

-When Harley's senses returned she saw Alice right in front of her clutching both of her shoulders. Her clothes were ripped and covered in mud and water. Her hands and a few parts of her face were bloodied and bruised and covered in grass stains. But Alice seemed to be completely unaware of her own pain, as she was completely transfixed on Harley.

-"OH Misses J! Thank God!" Harley exclaimed as she threw herself in Alice's arms and held her like her life depended on it. She cried hysterically as her head pressed under Alice's chin.

-"Shhhh! It's okay baby. It's okay. I got you now" Alice said as she held Harley just as tightly, her hand pressed around Harley's head. "It was all a nightmare. A mean, evil nightmare. But it's over; you're with Misses J now. I swear, I will never let anything hurt you ever again". After a few moments Alice looked down and saw the blood on Harley's back area and on the couch. Her eyes widened in fear. Oh Jesus, no! She thought to herself.

-"Come on, Harley", Alice said motioning Harley to get up.

-"Where are we going?"

-"To the doctor".

-"Oh God, please no!" Harley exclaimed as she started to breathe heavily.

-"Harley, you have blood covering a whole side of your back. I'm not going to just turn a blind eye to that".

-"I can't deal with sharp objects right now! I just can't!" After literally having a knife shoved in her mouth there was no way Harley was going to let some quack doctor poke at her with needles.

-"You won't have to" said a voice from the doorway.

-Harley and Alice gasped and turned to the doorway to see Batman.

-"OH SHIT HE'S FOUND ME!" Harley tried to get up and run but she faltered on her first step and fell.

-"How did you find where I live?" Alice asked defensively.

-"Your Arkham files. After I was informed that you jumped out of a moving ambulance, I wasn't going to turn a blind eye to that either".

-Harley froze and looked up at Alice surprised. "Misses J, what is he talking about? Why were you in an ambulance? Did…did he do something to you?!" She turned to Batman and asked angrily "What did you do to Misses J?!"

-"Nothing, Harley" Alice responded. "He didn't do anything to me. I just bumped my head, that's all."

-Harley was silent for a moment. "Then…you've come to take me in! Well I won't go down without a fight Bats!"

-"Harley-"

-"Misses J, pull out your Bug Zapper and set it on 'Super High This one's like a million Batgirls!"

-"Harley! Relax. I'm not here for you. I just wanted to talk to Alice and make sure she was okay. Now, I think it would be a good idea if both of you went and got yourselves checked out. There's a doctor not far from here named Leslie Thompkins. She is like family to me and treats everyone I bring in like they were my family regardless of who they might be".

-Alice and Harley fell silent for a moment. Batman sighed, "She won't turn Harley in unless I ask her to, and I won't," Then he turned to Harley, "And Harley, she rarely uses needles. And if she does, she makes it so that you never feel a thing."

-After a moment of thought, Alice and Harley looked at each other. Alice turned back to the Dark Knight and nodded her head. "I agree. On one condition…"

Alice drove her car down the street with Harley riding up front and Batman in the back seat on Alice's side. Batman was just glad he parked the Batmobile out of sight instead of in Alice's driveway. The part of town they were driving in looked like a breeding ground for criminals. The buildings, which had long been abandoned, were all riddled with decay, all of the trees lining the sidewalk were dead, over-turned garbage cans littered the sidewalk, rats scurried along the pavement eating garbage and squabbling over the finer scraps, and along the street were smashed cars with parts ripped off of them. As Alice continued to drive, she noticed a billboard that had originally had "PARKROW" written on it but now had something else spray-painted over it in red graffiti. "Crime Alley?" Alice thought to herself, this city just keeps getting more inviting by the minute.

-As Harley looked at Alice, she noticed for the first time how beautiful Alice was. She didn't know if it was her bright green eyes, her clear radiant skin, her ruby lips, or her autumn orange hair. Or if it was the fact that despite being in her middle ages she had the body and the build of a 30 year old, or if it was because she showed unconditional love and kindness to those in need, or if it was just because she was always there whenever Harley needed her. Alice noticed Harley looking at her and smiled. She stroked a few strands of hair that hung in front of Harley's face away. For some reason, Harley found herself enjoying Alice's touch. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie". When Alice removed her hand from Harley's head, she found herself feeling a bit saddened by the loss of her touch. Maybe it was because, as much as Harley would have hated to admit it, the Joker rarely gave her any sensual love. But something told Harley it was more than that. She found herself drawn to Alice, herself. But why?

-"Turn left up here," Batman said from the back seat. Alice obeyed. "That's it right there," he said pointing to a small building with a small stone staircase. There was a window on the door and written on it in gold letters was "THOMAS WAYNE MEMORIAL FREE CLINIC".

-"Thomas Wayne, now why does that name ring a bell?" Harley asked herself out loud. "Oh, wait! I know his son, Bruce. Oh" Harley sighed to herself romantically "What a hunk-a-hunk-a burnin love. I remember when he took me and Red Christmas shopping." Then her voice turned irritable. "Then you had to ruin the fun" she said looking at Batman's seat out of the corner of her eye. She turned to him but he was gone. Harley turned and saw Batman was already standing at the doorway with a little old lady in her mid-late 60s with short grey hair. Batman turned to the car and motioned the 2 women over. Alice got out of her car and walked over to Harley's side. She opened the door and took Harley over her shoulder and helped her to the door.

Inside of her office, Dr. Thompkins took a look at Harley's injuries. "My God! What happened?"

-Harley told her nightmare to the good doctor. The farther she got into the story the higher her anxiety became. She never said Freddy's name or even gave a clear description. All she remembered about him was that he was a monster with a giant claw named "Mr. K". But it didn't matter. Alice knew who it was. By the time she was finished all Harley could think about were all of those faces of the people who must have been just as frightened as she was. And yet she showed them the same mercy 'Mr. K' would have shown her.

-Harley looked at Alice and saw that she was visibly uncomfortable. "Alice?"

-Alice snapped out of deep thought and looked at Harley. "Are you okay?"

-"Yeah, um, I just need to step outside for a minute. Could I please be excused for just a moment?"

-"Well, yes, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside anyway. I need Harley to remove her pants and shirt". Dr. Thompkins explained.

-"What?!" Harley blurted out, surprised.

-"Half of your entire back side is littered with scars. I can't have anything in my way while I'm treating them. Besides, your closes probably have germs on them that are working their way into your cuts as we speak".

-Harley looked uncomfortable. "Look, Harley, I've done this for years. And I promise to make this as painless as possible. But I need you to follow my directions" Dr. Thompkins said to her as friendly as possible.

-Harley gave a reluctant nod. "Good" Alice stated, "Just holler if you need me, Harley".

-Alice and Batman stepped out the room to give Harley some privacy. Once outside Alice walked out of the building and lit a cigarette. "Who is Freddy?"

-Alice turned around, startled, and saw Batman standing before her. She stood silently for a moment contemplating what to say. She knew that she had to tell Batman; Freddy was keeping his friend captive after all. But she also knew that by spreading Freddy's presence in the real world, she would run the risk of strengthening him. But it made no difference now; he had already killed 2 people, severely injured another, and almost killed Harley. Alice closed her eyes and sighed before speaking to the Dark Knight.

Back inside the building, Dr. Thompkins had just finished tending to Harley's cuts. She had washed away the blood from Harley's skin and applied a cool, smooth lotion along the left side of Harley's back region from her shoulder down to her leg where the cuts were formed. The lotion was meant to numb the area as Dr. Thompkins stitched the cuts up. Harley had become so relaxed by the time the lotion took effect that she wasn't even aware that the doctor was literally sewing her back together. But although Harley was physically relaxed, her mind was anything but. She had 2 things on her mind: her thoughts about Alice and the very first thoughts she ever had about the people who were part of the Joker's "Big Joke" and if she truly was just the punch line.

-"There you go my dear; good as new. It should be a few weeks before the wounds close back up completely so I suggest you try to avoid any extreme activities for at least the first 2 weeks …that includes going on crime sprees". Dr. Thompkins said with a serious tone at the end.

-"Yeah, sure doc, whateva you say". Harley said glumly as she dressed herself.

-Dr. Thompkins sensed the melancholy in Harley's voice and sighed, "Rough night, huh?"

-"You don't know the half of it. I've had my fair share of crazy nights but this entire week has been the scariest, by far".

-"I'll bet it was. And I know you don't like people telling you this, Harley, but when you give yourself over to people like-"

-"Don't, start with that." Harley said defensively. "That thought, alone, is starting to terrify me. But on top of that…I'm starting to feel things. Things that I've never felt before. I feel like I'm going crazy".

-"What kinds of things are you feeling Harley?"

-"Well…I feel like I don't know what's real or what's right anymore".

-"How do you mean?"

-"Well, I was told dreams aren't supposed to hurt you. But I felt every kind of pain imaginable in my dream, especially when my Puddin said he was just using me. What if that dream was real? He said he never though about anyone he hurt after he did it. And…I neither did I. I forgot all about those faces until they were starring me straight in the eyes. And the fear, and anger, and sadness that I saw…I never saw it until tonight. All this time, I thought I was doing them good. But you should have seen how hurt they were".

-Harley stopped to wipe her eyes and then continued. "And something else: I've never doubted the love I have with Mista J. Whenever Red would take me in when he threw me out she, would always tell me that I deserved better love than what he was giving me. She was the only person who loved me any differently than he did. In fact, she gave me everything I wanted from my Puddin. I always assumed she was the crazy one. That kind of love isn't just given away for free. You have to earn it. And I could never earn it from Mista j on account of me srewin up all the time. But Red, the most beautiful, strong, and perfect woman I had ever met just handed it out like Halloween candy. I mean, how could someone like her have open arms for a screw up like me; it's illogical.

But now a second person is caring for me just the same; even more actually. She doesn't care about my mistakes or the choices I make, she likes me for who I am. She doesn't hate anyone, she wants to make people happy. And…and-"

-"And she doesn't hurt you?" Dr. Thompkins interrupted.

-Harley placed both of her hands on her head and grabbed handfuls of her hair, growling in frustration. "I mean, are they both crazy? Is the Joker crazy? Am I crazy? I'm so confused!"

-"It sounds to me like you're awake", a voice said from the doorway. Harley and Dr. Thompkins turned and saw Alice standing in the doorway.

-"Alice, h-how long have you been there". Harley asked, surprised.

-"Long enough, Harley".

-Harley didn't know what to say. She just looked down. Alice walked over to her.

-"Harley, look at me". Harley slowly turned her head and looked into Alice's eyes. "What you're feeling right now is probably the first sign of you opening your eyes for the first time. You're starting to see and think for yourself. You're starting to see things for what they are instead of what you were lead to believe they were".

-Then it hit Harley. "You mean…mind over matter".

-Alice paused for a moment. "More like...matter over mind" Alice said with a smile. This caused Harley to smile as well.

-"Harley, I won't make you do this if you don't want to. But if you want me to help you build a new life for yourself, I'll have therapy meetings with you everyday. I'll help you turn over a whole new leaf and become a better person. That way you can have a normal life, out of Arkham and in the world of opportunity. Of course…that would mean visiting Arkham one last time".

-Harley was silent for a moment. Then she began to smile. "As long as I get to see you, Mises J, I'll live in Arkham". Then Harley wrapped her arms around Alice and she returned the embrace, careful not to press down on the bandages covering Harley's stitches. They stayed that way for a few seconds before Dr. Thompkins spoke.

-"We'll I'll be damned. I can't wait to see Batman's face when he hears this news".

-Harley opened her eyes. "Say Alice, where is B-Man anyway".

-"Oh, he's gone. He left a long time ago. He went off to do some 'dream chasing'. In the meantime…" Alice took out a Hypnocil tablet from her purse, "I need to provide better sleeping conditions for you and the other patients at Arkham".

-"What do ya mean?"

-"Remember that monster that you saw in your sleep?" Harley nervously nodded.

-"If you take this before going to sleep, not only can I guarantee you the most relaxing sleep you will ever have, but I can also reassure you that you will never see that horrible creature ever again"

-Harley looked at the tablet being held in front of her. She suddenly remembered Alice taking this pill before she went to bed earlier. Only now, Harley had forgotten what, exactly, it did. But at this point she didn't care. That was the worst nightmare she had ever had by far. And if Alice was guaranteeing her a goodnight's sleep just by taking it, then she felt no reason to decline. She took the Hypnocil.

MEANWHILE…

-Poison Ivy laid balled up on her small rectangular mattress in her, or rather Harley's, cell. She didn't have the company of her plants to make her feel more at home and the thought that they were just next door, less than an arm's reach away, and she couldn't even touch them angered her to no end. But at the moment, something else was on her mind, something that vastly outweighed her anger. And that was whether or not Harley was safe. How on earth could she have allowed her to be taken away by an Arkham doctor? And if she didn't bring Harley here, then what was the doctor doing to her? How Poison Ivy managed to catch even a wink of sleep that night was far beyond comprehension, especially to her. But she did, and she began to feel better as she drifted off into silent slumber. Whenever Poison Ivy was locked in Arkham like a caged zoo animal there was only one other thing besides her plants that got her through the insanity that surrounded her: her dreams.

-In a lush green field, dozens of small children laughed and ran through the grass. The field was inside of a jungle setting where everything was bright and vibrant and full of life. It was like a second Eden. There were other children swinging on the vines, climbing through the trees, and lying in fields of flowers. There were flowers of every conceivable kind and some had completely unusual colors ranging from green, blue, to purple. The trees were abundant in fruit that hung like Christmas ornaments. Butterflies, hummingbirds, even fireflies flew carelessly through the sky casting light and color in the skies of the Eden. And right in the center was a massive spring with a series of rivers that was being feed by a waterfall that fell from an unknown source directly from the sky.

-On the bank of the spring, dipping her long, elegant legs in the crystal-clear water, was Poison Ivy. But this was a different Poison Ivy. For although this one was adorned in green attire made from leaves and flower pedals, her skin was pale white. As she sat on the edge of the spring, someone came up from behind her and placed their hands over her eyes.

-"Guess who, Mother Nature", said the voice of a little girl.

-"Hmmmmmm… Gee, I don't know. It could be anyone", Ivy said playfully. The little girl laughed.

-"Is it…Lindsey?"

-"Nooooo"

-"Sheryl?"

-"Getting warmer?"

-"Dimitri?"

-"Dimitri's a boy!"

-"Well darn, I give up! You're just too good".

-"It's me Mother Nature! Rosie!"

-"Oh! Of course, my sweet little Rosie!"

-Poison Ivy turned around and was face to face with a little girl about 6 or 7 years old. She had deep blue eyes and long blonde hair tied up in pigtails. Rosie ran up to her and tackled her, sending Ivy and herself falling backward into the spring. Poison Ivy surfaced holding Rosy in her arms. She kissed the side of Rosie's head and the two touched foreheads for a few second. Rosie playfully squirted water into Ivy's face and the 2 laughed as they engaged in a splash fight.

-As night fell, the fireflies danced across the sky creating a display of stars against the dark shade. All the children were curled up in beds made of leaves and were sleeping peacefully. Ivy sat by Rosie's bed.

-Rosie reached under her covers and took out a bracelet made from the petals of various flowers. "I made this for you Mother Nature".

-"You did!" Ivy whispered enthusiastically.

-"Yeah, I wanted to make something as pretty as you".

-"How could I have raised something so sweet?" Ivy asked happily. She extended her arms motioning Rosie to give her a huge. Rosie obeyed. Sometime later Rosie was lying in her bed with Ivy s hand stroking her hand. Ivy was humming a soothing lullaby to the child and when she saw that she was fast asleep, she leaned down to kiss her. But right before her lip made contact with her forehead, the girl shot up, wide-awake, and in a loud, hyper voice shouted "HIA RED!"

-Poison Ivy shot up from her cell bed startled. She looked about her surroundings trying to see what just happened and then she caught sight of Harley standing right in front of her with a humongous smile.