Everything hurt. No place on my body wasn't screaming in agony. Even just trying to open my eyes hurt, never mind moving any of my limbs. I only knew that they were still attached to my body because they were too sore to not be.
I eventually managed to push open my eyelids, through sheer will alone. I was greeted with an unfamiliar sight. And not that I wasn't happy to be out of the concrete torture basement, but this didn't look like a hospital to me.
The room was already dark and the small window outside didn't let in much light apart from a soft glow of moonlight. I turned my head to look around but groaned in pain as I did. I squeezed my eyes shut at the bolts of pain now running down my neck at the small movement. It wasn't even worth it; I couldn't tell much from the room.
It was just a room. Plain walls and carpet, no decoration or features. Just four walls, one window, and one door. Nothing else. It was unusually small though. I could walk the length and width with a couple of strides. Although I had to thank God for small mercies, at least it wasn't another concrete cell. At any rate, this was a room meant for human habitation. Not good habitation… but better than where I had been.
The door didn't look like it was locked but there wasn't much need for that. I couldn't escape now even if the door was open and a red carpet was rolled out for me with Batman at the end of it. I was black and blue, just as the Joker had promised he would make me.
Although he had failed to mention how much red I would also be covered in.
I looked down to my side, expecting to see my flesh all torn up and soaked with my blood. But that isn't the sight that greeted me.
I was clean and bandaged up. I was sure I wasn't in a hospital, but I must have been seen by a doctor at least. I looked further down and could see even the wound on my leg was cleaned and dressed.
This, of course, didn't make it hurt any less. But at least now I knew I wasn't about to die of sepsis or gangrene. I also noticed my clothes weren't as red as they had been. Wait, no. These weren't my clothes. I was dressed in some baggy shorts and a tank top that had been pulled up to the bandage on my side. Was that the Wayne logo stitched on?
I was also tied up and sitting on a chair. Not a bad one either, it was padded and had wheels. I wasn't incredibly comfortable, but this was better than the floor at least. And it was clean, a real step up from my previous accommodations. I could probably wriggle out of the ropes if I tried, but everything hurt too much to attempt it.
I didn't know whether to be thankful to be in clothes that could be considered decent or embarrassed that someone else had changed me. I was debating on which emotion to go with when the door opened.
My eyes immediately flicked to the person opening it and I had to keep in the sigh that wanted to escape me. It was the Joker. Looking smug and happy with himself. I groaned as I tried to move but to no avail, I wasn't going anywhere for now. Not without a lot of pain at least.
"You shouldn't be moving around. Your wounds will reopen, and I just got done stitching you up." The Joker sauntered in, swinging the door shut but not locking it. He knew I was in no shape to escape.
"You're the one who stitched me up?" I asked, slightly surprised. Also disappointed that there wasn't some doctor out there possibly struggling with the guilt of stitching up a poor woman kidnapped by the Joker. If there was, he might have the conscience to report it to the police.
"And I did quite a good job. I've had a lot of practice." He turned his face to the side, giving me a full view of the scars on his cheeks. I hoped my wounds were a little tidier than that, but I wasn't going to say that. I would just judge silently like any polite lady, like myself, would. Although Ellie would scoff at me, calling myself a lady.
"Thanks... I guess." I maybe shouldn't have added the last two words. But it was hard to be completely grateful. He may have stitched me up, but he also made the stitching up necessary.
The Joker didn't seem deterred by it though and smiled. "You're very welcome, doll."
He dragged over a chair that I hadn't seen in the corner and pulled it up in front of me. Taking a seat, he looked over at me.
"How're you feeling?" He asked, almost sounding like he cared.
"I feel like someone chained me up, stabbed me, and then beat me until I passed out." The sarcastic answer was out of my mouth before I thought of anything else. I had no survival instincts. Or at least, not any good ones. But what was he going to do? Beat me up again?
But the Joker just smiled and shook his head. "I kept going even after you passed out. Wanted to make it good for the camera."
I had almost forgotten about the camera; I don't know how I could have. I felt sick knowing someone else had witnessed the Joker using me as a punching bag. I could only hope and pray Ellie wouldn't see it. But I knew at least someone had, and that someone was probably Bruce.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Not knowing what to say back to something so deranged. It was all a blur after I passed out, but I remember bits. I think I called Bruce 'a fucker' at one point and probably swore some more. I had such a potty mouth sometimes. I also remember the Joker sticking me with a needle. Then nothing.
My hand, slowly, went to my neck and I could feel a small hole still healing.
"Oh yeah. I also drugged you." He said it offhandedly. And I narrowed my eyes at him.
"And why did you do that?" I asked, not knowing if I even cared about the answer.
"You wouldn't stay down, kicking up a real fuss. And we had to leave, you've been out for hours." He rolled his eyes as if I had asked to be dragged along.
I looked back to the window and it was dark so most likely night. Guess that meant I had been out all day. Don't the police say the first 24 hours are the most important in abduction cases? Guess I had already passed that. I bet Ellie was freaking out even more now. I sighed again as I thought of my sister.
I knew Bruce would have her somewhere as safe and secure as Fort Knox, but that didn't stop my worrying. Was she hurt? Was she upset? Was she making hell somewhere? I hadn't believed the Joker when he said she wasn't trying to find me. I knew she would never give up on me, she just wasn't that type of person. I raised her, I should know.
I knew she wouldn't stop until she found me. And she wouldn't let Batman stop either. That's probably the reason behind my new room. Batman had been looking, so we had to move. I knew the Joker was lying when he told me Ellie had left me.
"Are you mad at me?" I opened my eyes and narrowed them at the Joker who was looking at me with a sad expression. Was I hearing things?
"Huh?" I asked dumbly, not believing my hearing.
"I knew you would be. But you didn't leave me with much of a choice Jess." Was I high right now? Had the Joker slipped me shrooms or something? Am I tripping? This cannot be real.
"Joker. You kidnapped me and my sister, locked us in a basement, stabbed me, chained me up, brutally beat me and then drugged me. And filmed it, let's not forget that. So why, why would I be mad at you?"
The only way to fight insanity is with more insanity. I guess. But the Joker looked relieved.
"I knew you wouldn't be petty and hold that against me." He smiled broadly and I had to suppress the urge to bolt up and punch him, right in his stupid face.
I was even angrier because even if I wanted to, my body wasn't healed enough for me to move anywhere fast. Also, my hands were tied, let's not forget that too.
"But you should rest up. We'll be having guests later." The Joker got up from his chair and put it back in its original spot.
"What do you mean?" I asked, the hackles on my back instantly rising. What the hell was he planning now?
He chuckled quietly and waved his finger at me.
"Don't try and ruin the surprise. I've spent all day planning it." I had tried to stand but he quickly pushed me back down on the chair. "Ah, ah, ah. What did I just say? Rest up. I'll come to get you when it's ready."
His hand on my shoulder wasn't rough, but he wasn't going to let me back up. I stared at him, not knowing what to say or do. When I made no other move, he smiled and left the room. Not locking it.
Every time I interacted with this man; it was like he was a different person. Did he have multiple personalities? Was that his deal? Or was he just psychotic?
He had been a charismatic captor then a chaotic psychopath, twisted and unhinged.
And then he would switch again in an instant. He had beat me bloody, but then stitched me up afterwards. Dressed me in clean clothes and had me somewhere I would be comfortable. As comfortable as a kidnappee could be.
Almost like he cared… Is this Stockholm syndrome? Was it supposed to set in this quickly?
Maybe not that. I knew that if I was able, I would already be jumping out the window to freedom, or hitting the Joker with something very heavy and or sharp. I just didn't know why he was doing this or how to deal with him. I hadn't even processed what he had just said.
We'd be having guests? Was that what he said? Just who would these guests be? I hoped he didn't mean more psychopaths were coming. Like some demented evil crazy convention. I'm having trouble dealing with one. Maybe that was his way of saying the police or Batman were closing in. I hoped it was the latter and not the former of my theories.
I could barely think straight, everything still hurt. If the Joker was going to drug me, he could at least give me something that would have helped with the pain. My head just feels foggy. Now that he was gone, I tried standing up again. It hurt. Like a Bitch. But I managed it, albeit with a stumble.
He had done a pretty decent job of wrapping up my wounds. I didn't know what his stitch work was like underneath, but that wasn't important. At least not right now, and if it was horrendous, there was always plastic surgery. I didn't need to worry about the cost, Bruce would be paying for it. He would be paying for a lot of things. And not only with his bank card.
I was going to put that boy through the wringer.
'Oh, I can't have a three-week holiday to the Maldives on your dime Bruce? Remember that time I was literally tortured by a psychopath for you, do you remember that? Yeah? Why yes Bruce, I would like to fly first class and stay in a 5-star resort, how generous of you.'
I would also probably punch him, maybe kick him in the shins a couple of times. As mad as I was at him though, I really wanted him to swoop in right about now. I didn't know what the Joker was planning but I didn't want to stick around and find out. I had been through enough insanity, I wanted to go home, to be with Ellie.
Maybe have a beer? And have some goddamn pizza. I deserve pizza. I deserve a whole stack of pizzas. Maybe I'll guilt Bruce into buying me a pizza place. Then free pizza for life. That was a sound financial choice. On my end anyway.
I looked out of the window and up at the moon. My mind wandered back to Ellie. I hope she was safe; I hope she was okay. She had to be doing better than I was right now.
A/N
I'm sorry it's a belated update. But I did say it might take a little bit longer. I have no idea where I'm going with this. So it's a surprise for both of us. See you next time..?
