"The cream is enzyme based," Adriana told the Joker after the laser treatment. "Which means it contains enzymes that are going to accelerate..the break down of scar tissue."
"It looks like everything went well," the doctor said as he applied the cream to the Joker's scars.
Adriana stood beside them and watched. The cream was icy cold because it needed to be kept refrigerated at low temperatures. The scarred area of the Joker's face was so red from the treatment that it looked like his face was smeared with red paint again. Once the doctor was done the Joker went back to his room. Adriana helped the doctor clean the machines and disinfect both rooms before going to the Joker.
He was sitting on a chair beside his bed, looking through a magazine that she had left there earlier.
"Didn't know you were into the summer fashions for this year," she said and leaned against the door frame.
"Yellow is in," he said and tried not to smile. His face felt like it was on fire, but he decided he didn't need pain pills.
"Yeah," she said and walked over to him and leaned on the bed. "Have you..looked yet?"
"At what?" he asked.
"Your scars," she said. They looked exactly the same as before the treatment except fire engine red. She knew that he had not yet looked into a mirror.
The thought of doing so had not occurred to him.
"No," he said and flipped a page in the magazine before looking down at an article about how to make statement necklaces work.
Adriana reached forward and slowly pulled the magazine away from him.
"Do you want to do this?" she asked. "We can stop the treatment if you don't want this done to your face. You don't have to go through with three or four more of these treatments."
"Doesn't matter to me," he said.
"Then why are you doing this? Going through this pain? I know your face hurts."
"Like you and the good doctor said. Good for my mental health and future," he said and reached for the magazine but she pulled it away.
"No," she said. "It's not good for your mental health if you don't want it! You can't just say you don't care or it doesn't matter..that makes no sense."
"It will make it easier for me to avoid police custody," he said. "Less recognizability."
Adriana sat the magazine on the bed. "Okay," she said. "I guess that makes sense."
"It sounds like you would prefer if I stopped this treatment," he said. He felt it on the rooftop, he felt it when she grabbed his arm before he went under the laser. "Is that the case?"
"No...no.." she lied and she could see in his thoughts that he could tell she was lying. "I just..want you to do what's best for you."
"And you don't think the laser is best."
"I just think...I mean you seem so apathetic about it all, but this is your face...it's not like you have a scar on your arm. Both the doctor and I seem to think that the scarring is not good for your mental health but.."
"But?" he asked.
"I don't know how good it will be for your mental health to look in the mirror when this is all over and not recognize yourself," she said.
"I don't look in the mirror very often," he said. And it was true. He had always painted his face without a mirror. He had even mastered shaving his face, even around the complex shape of his scars, without a mirror.
"I know that," she said. "But you are going to see your reflection at some point..and...I just think you need to be sure about this. You're going to look...like everyone else."
The Joker paused to consider her words. Like everyone else. Something he hadn't considered and something that he was sure he didn't want. He stood up and walked over to the mirror by the sink in the room. The redness in his face surprised him momentarily. He rested his palms on the sink and looked at his face. He tried to imagine himself with a smooth face..scar free..hopping trains and buses and planes. Fleeing. He couldn't do it. He tried his best to envision a different face and he could not see it. Because he didn't want to.
"I'll keep this face," he said and then looked over at her.
He was very observant. He could tell how much she tried to hide it, but he could see it on her face and how her shoulders relaxed slightly. She was relieved.
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"I thought you had to work until at least seven," Adriana told Bruce as he came into the kitchen, home about two hours early. She was stirring a pot of sauce for homemade ravioli. He gave her a kiss and then handed her a black velvet box.
She knew what was inside, but he didn't know that. He still had no idea that she had her gift back.
"Before you open it," he said and pulled off his business jacket and loosened his tie. "Here, sit-"
He pulled out a chair at the table in the kitchen for her. She shut her mind off completely. She didn't want her gift to tell her 1his thoughts. She felt she needed to let him speak.
"Okay," she said and sat down still holding the box.
Bruce got onto his knees in front of her and rested his hands on her sides.
"Last night.." he said. "I know I said I wanted another child...and I want to apologize. You know already that I want more children but I should have thought before I spoke. I know we both have a lot going on right now. I mean, Arsenio alone..it takes a lot of work to keep that little one entertained all day. On top of that, I'm aware of how passionate you are about the work you're doing for the city and I'm fairly sure you aren't ready to have another large interruption...But I guess what I am meaning to say is, it was wrong-"
"Bruce," she said. "It's okay..I want more children too, and I guess in the moment I just..it sounded like a good idea to me too." She was in his thoughts and emotions deep enough to feel what he felt, and want what he wanted, even if just momentarily.
"I could tell," Bruce said. "But a moment is just that..a moment. I wouldn't want you to end up regretting it. Two children..or more..it would be difficult for either one of us to maintain what we do."
"That's true," she replied.
He kissed her hand that was over the black velvet covered box. "I won't bring it up again," he told her. "I..."
She waited for him to say more patiently.
"If the subject is ever brought up again," he said. "It will be you who let's me know, when you are ready. Again..I apologize."
Adriana left the box on her lap as she leaned forward and both she and Bruce embraced in a hug.
"So, back to the diaphragm," she laughed in his ear.
"Back to it," he laughed and kissed her firmly on the cheek. "Open your gift."
Adriana lifted the lid on the box with both her thumbs, and saw the pink diamond necklace. She already knew that it was in the box and thought she would have to fake surprise but as soon as she saw it in person, her breath was taken away. The diamond that was uncovered in South Africa.
"I thought...it was going to take over a year for it to be-" she stopped talking as she seemed to run out of breath again as she looked at the stunning mesmerizing jewel in front of her. "Oh my.."
"Yes," he said. "There's been a team working on it around the clock."
"I don't even know what to say..it's the most-" she was again speechless. "I don't even know what to say..."
"And neither will anyone else when they see you wearing it," he said.
Adriana laughed, having no idea where she would wear such a diamond. Even if she was the Queen of England, it would still feel like too much. She was sure there was nothing like it anywhere on earth. The crystal was cut into the shape of a faceted teardrop and surrounded by smaller white diamonds.
"I love it."
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"When was the last time it happened?" Sidi asked Adriana the next day while they played poker. "Before last night."
"It was a while ago Sidi...four or five days," Adriana replied. Sidi was concerned about Adriana's episodes of seeing and feeling like she was burning alive in her sleep. "It's just a nightmare Sidi..my gift isn't hurting me. I'm actually getting used to it."
And it was true, she had adapted to the night terrors enough to be able to keep her suffering a secret from Bruce. She was able to wake herself up before she could sweat too much in the bed and jump into an icy bath or shower while he was still sleeping.
"I don't like this at all," Sidi said.
"Maybe..it's time," Aymara said to Adriana. Time for her gift to be removed for good.
"No," Adriana said. "It's not getting any worse and I'm perfectly fine. If it worsens I promise...we'll move forward but for now, it's totally bearable."
Sidi made a wordless sound showing her disapproval. Adriana had said this exact same thing countless other times. She thought that Adriana was being stupid and wanted to shake some sense into her. But there was nothing she could do.
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"Can I help you?" one of the receptionists at Wayne Tower, Rebecca, said to the the woman in front of her.
"Yes," Sidi said to the woman. "Tell Bruce he has a visitor. Need to speak with him."
"Bruce?" Rebecca asked, certain that this woman dressed like a hippie from the Caribbean was not referring to the company ow-ner Bruce Wayne so casually.
"Wayne," Sidi said. "You do know who that is, don't you child?"
"Oh..kayy," the woman said, showing her offense clearly. "Are you from the Liberty Group?"
"No," Sidi said and could tell by the way the woman asked the question that she was being dismissive and condescending.
"Well, that's the only meeting he has left today and that's not for another hour," Rebecca said.
"Well then," Sidi said. "Is he free?"
"Ma'am," Rebecca said. "Mr. Wayne is a very busy man, we don't just accept walk ins. You'll have to make an appointment, like everyone else."
"Do me a favor," Sidi said, not seeming to consider Rebecca's words. "Call him. Let him know he has a visitor."
"I actually can't do that, miss," Rebecca said and looked back at her computer, hoping the woman would eventually give up and leave. No such luck.
"Miss..eh...Rebecca," Sidi said, squinting to read the woman's name badge. "You can call him, or I can call him."
Sidi pulled out her cell phone. Rebecca couldn't tell if the woman was bluffing or not.. but it wouldn't reflect well on her if a visitor had to call the head of the company himself because she wasn't allowed up to see him. Or if someone who knew Mr. Wayne personally felt that she had been treated poorly by reception. She weighed her options quickly.
Sidi watched the woman put on a fake smile before speaking again. "May I have your name please?"
"Sidi," she replied.
"Last name?" Rebecca asked while pressing a button on her headset. Sidi did not respond, she just looked at Rebecca impatiently. "Okay then."
Rebecca pushed a few buttons on her phone.
"Hi, Emily," Rebecca said to Bruce's secretary. "There's a very insistent woman here to see Mr. Wayne. If it's not too much trouble, would you let Mr. Wayne know..Sidi...wishes to see him. Okay, I'll wait...and again I'm so sorry if..you know."
Rebecca went quiet and hoped she would not be in trouble for bothering Mr. Wayne with news that some random woman who just walked in wanted to see him.
"Oh...okay then..." Rebecca said with obvious surprise before ending the call. "Thanks."
"Well?" Sidi asked.
"Security will be here in just a moment to escort you up."
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"This is quite unexpected," Bruce said and greeted Sidi with a brief hug as she was escorted in by security. "Is everything alright?"
"No it is not," Sidi said as the security guard left and closed the door.
"Please," Bruce said and gestured to the seat in front of his desk. "Have a seat."
Sidi waited for Bruce to sit in the chair next to hers before speaking. "It is about your wife."
Bruce raised his eyebrows. Everything was perfect as far as he knew.
"Go on," he said.
"She is suffering from what I would say are very bad side effects from her gift," Sidi said. "Night sweats and terrors, visions of burning alive, fevers-"
"Wait, wait," Bruce said, taking Sidi's hands. "That happened once or twice...a couple weeks ago-"
"It is still happening. She hides it," Sidi sighed.
"What do you mean from her gift? Her gift has been dormant since she was pregnant."
"Nope," Sidi said. "It has been back for a while. She has not told you."
"Sidi," Bruce said, struggling to accept the secrets he was hearing about. Adriana had been lying to him. "What makes you think-"
"You know how I met Adriana," Sidi said. "She wanted her gift gone, removed permanently."
"I know," Bruce said. "You told me that it went wrong."
"Yes," Sidi explained. "She did not follow my instructions. So now she is left with a distorted unpredictable demon of a gift. I warned her we would have to fix it by removing her gift completely but that child never listens. She's suffering the effects now but insists she is fine. I am worried for her and I can not get through to her. She refuses to listen and she's as stubborn as ever."
"How bad is this?" Bruce asked. Sidi being willing to come and tell him things that Adriana had told her in confidence was a betrayal of their entire friendship. This was serious.
"This could kill her," Sidi said solemnly but seriously. "I cannot get through to that girl, but perhaps you can."
Bruce squeezed Sidi's hands. "I don't understand why she would keep this from me...why wouldn't she tell me her gift had returned-"
"None of us knows why that girl does anything that she does," Sidi sighed. "She's clinging to her gift for some reason. Some use she has for it that she won't share with me or Aymara."
"Right," Bruce said. She was Shade and he knew how much it meant to her to be able to help as many people as possible. He needed to do something. "Thank you Sidi. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."