A/N: Jeremiah Arkham is based on the likeness of actor Donald Sutherland.

Harleen lay on the examination table, glancing lazily at the picture on the wall. It was a poorly painted image of a park that could very well have been done by one of the inmates; one way that the asylum could save money on "extras."

She adjusted the ice pack against her cheek and turned her attention to the door when it opened and Doctor Thomas and Leland entered.

Doctor Thomas was the administrator over the Medical Unit of the hospital where Leland was over Psychiatry. Both had been called in this fine Sunday due to the 'incident' with the Joker. Thomas pulled two X-ray films from a vanilla envelope and placed them on the light board.

"It appears that there aren't any fractures of the zygomatic or mandibular arches." Thomas said pointing at the film and nodding to Harleen.

"Great, so I'm still going to be pretty for court" Harleen mused. Thomas frowned at her, the way he usually did everyone else. The fifty-six year old man had a superiority complex which rivaled that of Doctor Crane's when he had been over the hospital.

"You're lucky you won't be eating through a straw for the next month." He snapped and Leland cleared her throat.

"How's your headache, Harley?" Joan asked in a soft voice. Harleen's eyes met her soft brown ones.

"Getting better" she said and sat up carefully, swinging her legs over the edge on the table. "The police are here now?"

"Yes, the Commissioner has been waiting to speak with you." Leland replied taking Harleen's arm as she slid to her feet and then walked out the door.

"Wanted to see if I could talk first and not draw pictures, huh?" Harleen chuckled. Leland gave her a sideward glance.

"You're lucky, Harley." She said quietly. Harleen felt that little knot in her stomach pull tight.

"Yeah, lucky that Briggs cracked me across the face with his elbow instead of the baton" Harleen bit back. Joan eyed her and Harleen stopped walking. "Surely you've seen the tape; Joker didn't even lay a finger on me. But that's not what's important is it?"

"Doctor Quinzel." Jeremiah Arkham said in a grandfatherly tone, loud enough to silence her as he and the police came into view in the hallway. He smiled kindly at her and she returned it. Commissioner Gordon joined them as if summoned by her name.

"Hello Doctor Quinzel." The mustached man said extending a hand toward her. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

She took his hand and shook it firmly, smiling back and then following him into her the small conference room. He closed the door behind them and she took a seat. 'Finally meet you' she mused, she had come up a lot in the realm of law enforcement as of late as Joker's hearing approached. He took a seat across from her and tapped a notepad with a pen as he studied her face. She set the ice pack on the table.

This was what it felt like to be on the other side of the table. She felt tense even though she had no cause to be. Perhaps it was because she knew she had to talk about him, and to defend him no less. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Gordon wouldn't like it either. Joker talked about Gordon a few times, how to him he seemed like Ned Flanders from 'The Simpsons' without the nonsensical jabbering. Harleen had told Joker that he more than made up for that himself.

"Tell me about what happened this morning, Doctor Quinzel." Gordon said in a soft tone.

"Please call me Harley, everyone else does" she delivered her usual icebreaker. Gordon nodded slightly.

"Is that what the Joker calls you?" He asked.

"Among other things" Harleen mused.

"How long have you been treating the Joker?" He asked.

"Six months." She replied; he raised his brows in slight surprise.

"Has he made any progress?" He asked.

"Enough to have a competency hearing Wednesday" Harleen replied. He scribbled something down and gave her a sideward glance.

"You don't think he's ready for one?" He asked.

"I believe that is something I'll be answering later this week." She said and placed the ice pack on her cheek again. "I don't think it's appropriate to discuss at this time."

"Really" Gordon said and made another note. "Attacking correctional staff is par for the course for him then?"

"Briggs has a history of patient abuse, particularly of Joker. I've made several complaints on his behalf to no avail. Briggs was never disciplined for any of his actions." Harleen replied.

"The Joker never complained about the abuse?" He asked.

"No, he never mentioned it. I would have to review surveillance footage after he showed up to therapy with bruises. It's another part of his pathology which I don't feel is appropriate to comment on at this time." She replied.

"What were you treating him for this morning?" Gordon asked; a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Joker has been suffering from a series of seizures for the past day. I only received the messages early this morning at home as I have somehow misplaced my cell phone. Once I received word of his condition I came to the hospital to administer anti-seizure medication and a sedative to help him." She replied.

"Does he have seizures often?" He asked

"No." She shook her head. "He'd never had a seizure in his time here so the fact that he has now was a concern that needed to be addressed immediately before any brain damage could result from his condition."

"Does it seem strange to you that he would suddenly start having seizures now?" He asked.

"Doctor Smith had thought the same but an examination and an EEG revealed that he was having seizures." She replied. "As for the timing, I believe that he has stopped taking his medication as he had exhibited symptoms of withdrawal, seizures are common side effects of when someone suddenly stops taking the kind of medication that he is." She said. Gordon cleared his throat and sat back.

"Staff members reported that you have been personally administering his medication for the past week." He said.

"Yes," she nodded, "it was my concern that he would stop taking his medication when he learned of the hearing this week. So I began bringing him his medication and watching him take it in order to keep him from flushing his pills."

"So what happened?" He asked. She shrugged.

"He most likely threw up his medication once I left his cell. Guards have reported that he had been vomiting a lot in the past few days." She said.

"But he didn't say anything." Gordon said.

"No," she shook her head. "I don't imagine he would tell me that he was throwing up his medication as soon as I was out of sight."

"Has he expressed the desire to remain in Arkham over going to Blackgate?" He asked.

"He has expressed the desire to not be confined at all." Harleen replied running her fingers through her hair.

"According to Anthony Hall and Doctor Arkham you were mugged last week, is that true?" He asked changing tact. Harleen felt the knot pull in her stomach.

"Yes I was." She replied.

"Why didn't you report it to the police?" He asked setting his jaw, his gaze firm.

"I am not certain of whether it was an actual mugging or an attempt to keep me from testifying this week." She replied. Gordon raised his brows, his expression surprised.

"He didn't take my purse; he only tried to strangle me and ran off when he was interrupted by a passerby." She elaborated.

"Have you received any threats, Harley?" Gordon asked.

"Yes, numerous threats have been called or sent here and to my home in the past week. I reported these to the District Attorney; did he fail to mention them? We have received threats against Joker as well but that has been, as you said, par for the course." She replied, feeling unease at the memory of some of the messages she'd received.

"Have you told the Joker about any of this?" He asked.

"That would not have been to the benefit of his mental health, although it probably would have amused him." She said.

"Why do you say that and yet not comment on anything else about him?" Gordon shot back.

"Joker enjoys attention. I don't think that is privileged information as he made it clear to the general population last year." She replied. Gordon grimaced at the memory.

"But about the threats made against yourself, have you told him about those?" He asked.

"I don't tell Joker anything about my personal life. He's used that information against other therapists in the past and by not indulging him I have had more success with him than any of them." She replied.

"Do you think he likes you?" Gordon asked. Harleen sat back in her seat.

"Joker doesn't like anyone." She replied.

"Why did he protect you?" Gordon asked.

"What?" Harleen blanched.

"In the footage from the incident this morning, Joker made no move to defend himself or attack Briggs until Briggs hit you. It was then that he killed Briggs." Gordon said.

"I wouldn't know, I didn't see the footage and I was stunned, unaware at the time he attacked." She replied. "Besides, he attacked me during our first session. He tends to take advantage of vulnerabilities as they arise."

"Like when he attacked the guard when he found out you left town for Chicago." Gordon said. "Or when he killed the inmate who said he was going to murder you and then have relations with and consume your remains."

"Who was that?" Harleen asked, genuinely confused.

"Samuel Petersen" Gordon read from his notes. "Doctor Arkham said that two months ago the Joker killed him."

"I remember that he killed Petersen; that was when he was removed from contact with other patients. But I was never told that it was related to me." She replied, feeling sick.

"Doctor Arkham told me this morning that the Joker told him after the murder that Petersen had told him explicitly what he would do to you had he the opportunity. It apparently had an effect on him." Gordon replied.

"If he did say that was the reason he killed Petersen, then I imagine that his actions were selfish instead of heroic. He wouldn't have wanted to have a new Doctor, he hated all the others." She replied.

"But not you" Gordon said watching her face.

"I don't know what you're trying to get at here, Commissioner." Harleen said, flushing with irritation.

"Have you ever discussed the hostage situation at Gotham General with him?" Gordon asked.

"That is confidential." Harleen bit back. Gordon eyed him warily.

"I would think he wouldn't like having a former hostage of his overseeing his care." Gordon said. "What exactly are the ethical ramifications of that?"

Harleen felt like she had been punched in the gut. She went to speak and then closed her mouth and clenched her jaw, tears stinging her eyes.

"What exactly are you implying?" She said, sounding angrier than she'd wanted to.

"If the Joker is shown to be incompetent to stand trial due to insanity then he would remain in Arkham under your care, is that correct?" Gordon asked sternly.

"Yes." Harleen replied. He rubbed his palms together and shifted in his seat so that he sat higher.

"You see, to me it seems very convenient that the Joker would stop taking his medication a week before he is set to undergo a competency hearing in order to be prosecuted for his crimes; especially when you have been giving the medication to him directly. The fact that he would then be returned to the care of someone who was once a victim of his, a person he has killed to protect twice. What exactly are you and the Joker getting out of his therapy?" Gordon asked suspicion thick in his voice.

"He is not aware that I was one of the hostages." She replied.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, staring holes in her. Tears spilled from her eyes.

"I am acutely aware of it. I know what you are implying and you are very wrong to even suggest it!" She snapped. "Doctor Arkham knows I was one of the hostages, and I have received therapy for the incident. In fact, treating Joker has been very beneficial to me in that case. I am not seeking revenge or any sort of relationship with him. My interest in him as a patient is professional. I want to help him get better! You would think I would get a greater sense of satisfaction sending him to his death by capitol punishment after curing him instead of keeping him here and torturing him by whatever means. I am not Jonathan Crane!" She wiped her eyes and sat back.

"And I do think he's legally sane, yet suffering from severe mental illness" Harleen said in a small voice. "I also see a benefit to the field of psychiatry by continuing to study him. Is that what you wanted to hear, Commissioner?"

Gordon nodded and then looked at his hands. Harleen began crying and Gordon reached out a hand to place on one of hers.

"I know you are doing your job and everyone in this city had a hard-on for him." She said. "I am trying to do right by my patient for his own wellbeing and I have only been met with criticism both by my colleagues and Joker himself."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harleen wiped her eyes with both hands and stood up.

"You have no idea what it's like to be the only person who cares about him." Harleen said and then left the room; letting the door quietly click closed behind her.