I do not own Spider-Man or any of the characters in the Marvel franchise, just my OC.
When Hayley returned to the Nurse's station after seeing Harry, she had two people waiting of her. Doctor Scott and Nurse Cadence were having a deep conversation over coffee but stopped as soon as Hayley entered the room.
"Ah, there you are. Take a seat," spoke Doctor Scott firmly, pointing towards a vacant chair in front of him.
Hayley slowly sat down.
She'd never liked Doctor Scott. He was pompous, had a superiority complex, and acted like he owned Ravencroft. Sure, he was one of the institute's most superior doctor and scientist, but he looked down on all women and nurses, except for Cadence. He made Hayley cry in her first week on the job and continued to belittle her ever since. He preferred to give patient's overly strong medication and radical experimental therapies that bordered on torture in Hayley's opinion. Doctor Scott and Doctor Kafka, the head of Ravencroft, were both into untried and new therapies, preferring to test them on the life sentence inmates. And Hayley, with her Psychiatry background specialising in behavioural and cognitive therapy, was unwanted and seemingly beneath the two doctors. So she had been employed as a nurse and not a much-needed psychiatrist, due to her holding a duel license to practice as both.
"Before you relay how your little session went, you should know that by some miracle, Mr Osborn seems to tolerate you. So, you can continue working with him for the time being," sighed Doctor Scott, irritated at the young nurse's success where he had failed.
"Thank you Doctor Scott…"
"Yes, yes, yes. Bravo you. You have another session tomorrow morning. Now, I want you to raise the subject of getting a blood sample from him."
"A blood sample? Why."
"He seems to trust you Hayley," Cadence chimed in, taking a more gentle approach than the doctor. "We had an issue when we tried before…"
"Is that why Gillian left? And those guards? Is that why Harry lashed out?' Hayley asked, already knowing the answer. Not only did Harry hurt her co-workers because he wanted to see her, but he obviously didn't want to submit to having his blood taken.
Doctor Scott and Nurse Cadence looked at each other, confirming Hayley's suspicions.
"We weren't prepared last time. We didn't realise his aversion to needles," Cadence tried to reason.
"Maybe if you'd asked him about it before hand…"
"He's the prisoner and we are the doctors – I do not need his permission for anything," argued Doctor Scott. "Enough of this topic. You will make him understand that it's in his best interest to submit, do you understand? Good. Now, talk us through your session with Mr Osborn."
Hayley wandered home after her day shift, dreading going back to Ravencroft for midnight again – someone really needed to fill Gillian's slot. Not that she didn't mind the extra pay, but she was knackered and felt anxious all the time. Her back was beginning to peel again due to the stress, and with her sleeping pattern out of whack, so was her medication. She was also neglecting normal everyday life activities like food shopping, paying her bills, visiting Gwen… Hayley hadn't been to the cemetery since her friend's burial. With her mind made up, Hayley turned on her heel and drifted towards her dear friend.
The graveyard was quiet, apart from the church bells ringing out, a reminder of it being five in the afternoon. The wind rustled the trees, gently moving the decaying leaves from the branches and to the crisp ground. Making her way among the rows of stone, Hayley avoided walking past her parent's graves, taking the long way to Gwen's spot.
Gwen wasn't alone.
A tall man with brown ruffled hair was standing next to the grave, his hands in his pockets, the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Hayley hadn't seen Peter in a while. They weren't the closest friends, not by any means, more like acquaintances through their mutual friendship with Gwen. If anything, Hayley wished they knew each other better because Parker looked like he needed a hug. She wasn't the touchy feely type, especially because of her burn scars, but Hayley wanted to take away his pain. She coughed to catch his attention.
"Oh, hey, hey Hayley. It's been awhile, huh, like, not since Gwen…" Peter tried to sound upbeat but even saying Gwen's name obviously pained him greatly.
He scratched his head and scuffed his shoes in gawkiness. Hayley tried to give him a comforting smile even though she knew a smile wouldn't fix anything. A smile couldn't fix either of them. She silently stood next to Peter, following his empty gaze down to where flowers covered Gwen's grave.
"I forgot to bring flowers," Hayley mumbled lamely, "I came to speak to her. I need her advice, she always gave the best advice."
"Yeah, Gwen was great like that," Peter sniffed, turning to finally face Hayley, "Well, I guess, could I help? I know I'm not, I'm not her…"
"You're great Parker. It's just, what I need to say, humph, it might make you upset."
"Nothing you could say could possibly make me feel worse Hayley, I guarantee it."
Hayley swallowed thickly; Peter was the last person she should discuss this with. "You know I work at Ravencroft right? Well, we have a new patient and I'm, I'm his behavioural therapist…"
"Its H…Harry isn't it?" Peter whispered. He closed his eyes trying to supress the memories of that night, the night he lost Gwen.
"How can I treat him?" Hayley asked painfully, "When I know what he did to Gwen, how he killed her, that he's the reason she's gone… how…why should I help him? I hate him for what he's done. He deserves to be locked away forever. But when I see him as the Goblin and then he says that Harry is dead, I just, I have to help him, but how? How can I Parker?" she threw up her hands in desperation feeling exhausted to finally tell someone what was keeping her awake.
Peter didn't think he'd heard Hayley say that many words the whole time they'd known each other.
"Wow. O…ok, I wasn't expecting that, kinda caught me off guard here," Peter scratched his head again, fighting a war in his mind over his feelings towards the man he once called friend. "Jeez. I guess, we have to think, what, erm, what would Gwen say?"
"She'd probably tell me that everyone deserves a chance. That, if there is darkness in all of us, then there is also good?"
"Good always triumphs over evil…" Peter quoted darkly.
"I guess. I catch glimpses of the real Harry from time to time."
"He, he was my friend Hayley. I just, he hurt Gwen…"
Hayley turned to leave, having gotten her advice and sensing that Peter wanted to be alone.
"Thanks Parker, take care of yourself," she said before walking away.
"It wasn't him, it's not him, he wouldn't, but I know he did. I failed him, I failed her, I failed you Gwen… I'm sorry…but he wouldn't…" Peter babbled quietly to himself.
But Hayley had heard also and thought about his words as she made the long trip home.
It was 4am and she was outside Room 136 again.
Colin was on his break and Hayley had finished her nightly rounds without problem. And now she was back, like a moth drawn to a flame. Though if Harry were a real fire then she'd be nowhere near him; Hayley didn't need to be burned again. She had reasoned with herself the whole night on why she shouldn't and wouldn't check in on him. However she'd heard mumbling and talking coming from his cell. So here she was, hunched by his room door, trying to stay hidden from him as she looked through the window.
He was sitting in front of the mirror again. Except this time he was talking to his reflection. No, it was more than that, it almost sounded like there was someone else in there with him. Hayley quickly glanced around the dark room but saw no one. She could hear an angry deep rumbling voice that she identified as the Goblin. The other she didn't recognise; a soft and smooth voice coated with charm and upper class sophistication. Hayley couldn't hear the exact words but the two seemed to be in a heated debate about something.
Where had she heard that voice before? It did sound familiar…
"Wha' you doin' down 'ere this late Hayley?" Colin questioned suspiciously making Hayley jump out of her skin.
"Jeez Colin! Never do that again!"
"Well, maybe if you weren't creepin' around I wouldn't of scared ya!" The guard looked at Harry through the door window, "He likes to chat to 'imself at night. Bloody weirdo."
"Yeah. I just wanted to check his behaviour," Hayley said, quickly scribbling incomprehensible notes on her clipboard.
"'Course you did. 'N now you 'ave, you should go back to ya office," Colin said firmly, giving Hayley a gentle push towards the direction of the West wing exit.
She nodded sheepishly and reluctantly walked away, knowing she had been caught spying on her own patient.
Hayley sat at her desk in the Nurse's station with a hot mug of black coffee; it was bitter and almost too hot to drink, but she needed to stay awake. It was 5am and she was feeling haunted after witnessing Harry in his cell. She needed to write up her session with Harry, maybe even what she'd just seen, and now was a better time than any.
Swallowing more vile liquid, she pulled up Harry's file, opened a blank report document and began to type. Hayley was tapping at her keyboard for well over an hour, but couldn't seem to transcribe her snooping on Harry in his cell. It felt like she'd invaded his privacy, even though in Ravencroft no one had any privacy, especially the incarcerated.
Maybe it was a one off thing, she wondered, there's no point in recording it when maybe he was just lonely?
All Hayley knew, is that she wasn't going to write about it in her report. Clicking save, she began to close all the open windows on her computer screen. Something caught her eye in Harry's open folder; it now contained more files than were there a couple hours ago.
That's strange, Hayley thought.
Thinking nothing of it, she clicked open a video file. The displayed recording was filmed from a rather odd angle. It was only when she saw numbers counting in the corner did she realise that the footage was from a security camera. Curiously she leaned closer, gasping when a very normal, very human Harry Osborn came on the screen pointing a gun at an older male.
It was 9.45am and she was already standing hesitantly outside his cell, Colin leaning against the wall watching her carefully.
"'E's not wearin' a straitjacket no more" he informed Hayley warily, "Rips through 'em with his nails every time we get near 'im with one, sniff, chains more effective anyways."
"I don't think he's insane anyway," Hayley muttered under her breath.
"You wha'?"
"He's just angry, not crazy"
Giving her a disbelieving look, Colin turned the locking mechanism on the cell door and let her in, shaking his head as he closed it behind her.
Harry was the same as before, seated and bound in chains. He gave Hayley a charming smile, nodding towards the chair opposite him; this was his room and people did what he told them to do. He was an Osborn, and everyone should listen to him and do as he said. Besides, he wanted to feel like he had control over the situation.
"Now, we'd like to start you on a course of tablets to help you sleep. It's not a very high dose but I think it might make you more comfortable," she spoke quickly, taking her seat, placing a Tupperware box on the ground by her feet.
"And you care about my comfort?"
"I care about all my patient's health and wellbeing,"
"Even murderers?"
Looking the monster straight in the eyes, Hayley said with an encouraging smile, "Even you." She needed to build up his trust in the system, in her, if he was ever going to let them take his blood.
Something about that comment struck a cord with the human part inside the Goblin; no one had ever cared about Harry before. She didn't have to say ''you', Hayley could have simply agreed. But no, she directly addressed him, as if he mattered to her.
Did he matter to her?
"Since you've been unable to sleep these past nights…"
"Been a regular Nancy Drew have we?" he murmured, cocking an eyebrow knowingly.
"… you will take one now, and then start the course properly at 9pm nightly."
Shifting from her chair, Hayley plucked a miniature paper cup from her Tupperware box, which held a lone sleeping pill. She looked at the Goblin, whose eyes were sparkling with a mischievous nature. Maintaining eye contact, Harry raised his chained hands up as far as he could, shaking his arms awkwardly from side to side. There was an obvious lack of freedom in his movements. That was when Hayley realised there was going to be a problem; how would he take the medication when his hands couldn't reach his mouth?
In that moment, Hayley wished she could slap that taunting grin off his smug face.
She held little blue oblong tablet expertly between her thumb and forefinger; Harry opened his mouth and flicked his tongue expectantly, relishing in the nurse's uneasiness with the situation. Now it was time for him to have a little fun.
Trying to keep her distance, Hayley stepped nearer to the bolted ring on the floor that held firm Harry's binding chains. Both were silent, as she reached forward, placing the pill inside his mouth. That was when the Goblin took his chance and closed his teeth down on her forefinger.
"Have a finger fetish? Or do you want to break some more of my bones?" the young nurse snapped. Although she sounded brave, Hayley had a feeling he wasn't going to hurt her.
His discoloured teeth only trapped her finger, holding it inside his mouth, causing Hayley to blush with embarrassment. Though his teeth were sharp, he wasn't biting Hayley or producing lasting physical discomfort. Not like in their previous meetings.
The Goblin had already felt her touch and now he wanted to taste her. He flicked his devilish tongue around the captured dainty digit, eyeing Hayley intently for a reaction. She parted her lips sucking sharply at the cool air in shock. Harry thought she tasted glorious.
Feeling his hold slacken when an impish satisfied grin appeared, Hayley tried to remove her finger as quickly as possible to not prolong the awkwardness. Harry wanted to continue Hayley's discomfort; puckering his lips, her finger came out much slower, extending their contact. For Hayley, this was torturous, though her body thought otherwise. Harry spied heat rash crawling across her flushed chest.
He managed to kiss her fingertip before she hastily pulled her hand away. Glancing up at her like a naughty schoolboy, Harry waited patiently for Hayley to regain her focus before bringing him a cup of water to swallow down the pill. She refused to look into his startling eyes; they were dangerous to gaze at, penetrating and evil, but still human.
After consuming the pill, the Goblin nodded to her rouged chest, "You look burnt or are you just red from embarrassment?"
It was an instinctive reaction, one she would kick herself for later as it exposed a weak spot, but in that moment Hayley lost her professional resolve.
She dropped the paper cup; water droplets splashing the legs of his orange prison jumpsuit, making the Goblin watch her in fascination. The way her face had gone blank, almost in horror at his words. At how much paler, if that was even possible, her porcelain skin had become. How she leaped towards the dirty mirror above his sink, pulling the relaxed collar of her shirt open more, intently inspecting the place he had noticed. She dabbed and pulled at her skin as if she was making sure that it was an embarrassed flush on her skin and nothing else.
The flustered girl didn't realise that if he craned his neck, Harry could see her reflection in the mirror. His hungry eyes memorised the way her collarbones stuck out slightly, how soft her skin seemed, and the nasty scarlet scars decorating her shoulders. Now that was something he hadn't expected.
He sighed loudly, marvelling at how interesting his little ginger nurse was quickly becoming. He still wanted to kill her – no one touched Harry Osborn – but now Harry was beginning to think that she might be more interesting to keep around. Hayley was innocent yet scarred, quiet but with a sassy side; she was a delightful enigma. Much more interesting than the vapid models he'd been with in a previous life.
His sigh jolted Hayley out of her moment with the mirror and she realised she'd yet to inform him about the blood sample. The room felt stifling for Hayley whereas the Goblin was as cool as a cucumber, relaxed and enjoying no longer being alone.
It was now or never.
She returned quickly to her chair, picked up the Tupperware box and slowly backed away towards the exit.
"Not going to say goodbye? I'm offended!" the Goblin said smoothly, a glimpse of Harry's playboy personality slipping past the monster's mask.
Hayley, turned, bracing herself for what she had to say next; "Tomorrow morning Doctor Scott will be taking a sample of your blood. It's, it is in your best interest to comply or…"
Immediately his demeanour changed.
"THEY CAN'T HAVE IT! NO! YOU BETRAYED ME! YOU'RE JUST LIKE HIM!" the Goblin bellowed, standing off his chair as far as he could, rattling his chains wildly. He kicked the chair angrily, screaming, trying to rip off his bindings. He wanted to kill her.
In that moment, Hayley saw the monster that had killed Gwen, and she knew if he was free she'd be dead too. All she could hear was his voice echoing in his cell. She barley noticed Colin and another guard bursting through the door and tackling him to the floor just as the cuffs on his wrists broke.
"GET OUT HAYLEY, GET OUT!" Colin yelled, trying to get through to a stunned Hayley who had slide down the opposite wall, sitting on the ground shell shocked.
"YOU'RE BOTH THE SAME! I HATE YOU! YOU. ARE. JUST. LIKE. HIM!"
I just can't seem to stop writing this story! Had a wonderful dream last night about Harry and Hayley… future chapter material, I think so!
Huge thanks to everyone who is reading and enjoying my first fanfic; all the views, reviews, followers and favourites make me so happy. To my guest reviewers who I can't personally PM, know that your reviews make me smile.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter lovelies.