Stitches || Scarecrow

Ch.15

Around mid afternoon, an earthquake rocked Gotham. Julia was in her apartment at the time, and quickly grabbed Arkham and went under the table.

The shaking rattled her teeth, and made her wish for solid ground. So she was grateful when it stopped about five minutes after. Then the buckets of pouring rain came down.

Julia grabbed her phone and dialed Jonathan's number as she stared out the window. She could see four old buildings now all crumbled down from her view.

The phone kept ringing and ringing against her ear. Jonathan wasn't picking up. Trying to ignore the fear that filled her being, she turned on her emergency radio, grateful when it turned on.

"Today we were hit by a major earthquake, the first in years. Several buildings are collapsed, thousands of people are missing. Including several of the patients at Arkham Asylum, which was hit the worst of all by the earthquake. Half the building is destroyed. We'll give a daily report on events every half hour."

She shut it off with a sob. She dialed Jonathan's number again, but it kept ringing and ringing. She gripped the phone tightly as Arkham tried to comfort her, but she ignored him as she started to cry heart wrenching sobs that shook her body like a leaf.

In desperation she decided to go look for him, and hurried out of the apartment and into the rain. She had forgotten her coat, and soon her hair was plastered to her face, with her long sleeve and pants clinging to her with every step. Tears blended with the rain as she walked blindly forwards.

Then suddenly someone grabbed her by the arm. She tried to scream, but was stopped by a man's hand covering her mouth. Julia struggled, but the man was too strong. Then a knife glinted as it was pressed to her throat, making her go still.

"Listen carefully sweetheart. If you try to fight me, I will just hurt you more."

She struggled in reply, not feeling the knife as it cut her slightly on her throat. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

She bit his hand in desperation and he slapped her hard.

"You bitch." he hissed.

Julia felt his hand grab her hair, and was suddenly thrown into a wall. She gasped at the impact and crawled backwards as the man with the knife came nearer. She screamed as she closed her eyes.

She waited for the swing of the knife, and gasped when she heard it make impact with a sickening thud. But she didn't feel any pain, so she opened her eyes. In front of her the man fell to the ground, with blood pouring out and mingling with rain filled puddles. Standing over his dead body was a familiar figure.

"Jonathan." she sobbed.

Jonathan quickly came, helping her up as she hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Shhh..." he whispered. "Your safe. Everything will be fine..."

"I thought you were dead!" she cried.

"I'm not as you can see, but it was a close call. Just like you had just now."

She continued to sob as he whispered comforting words in her ear. But then she suddenly felt a prick on her neck and fell into a deep sleep, unaware as Jonathan carried her home.

...

Call him creepy for watching Julia sleep, but he was afraid to leave her alone. He didn't want her to wake up suddenly and have a breakdown by herself. He sighed and winced at his worsening headache.

During the earthquake he was lucky enough to only escape with a minor head injury. Of course it hurt alot worse then it looked. But he managed to bandage it when he reached Julia's apartment. He had also bandaged her neck, with five stitches. He was glad she was knocked out during the procedure.

He lightly touched her cheek with his hand as he sat next to the bed in a chair. Is this what he really wanted? A relationship? Today just provided more worries for the future. But he couldn't forgive himself if he left her. For now he'd do his best to keep her safe.

Julia suddenly stirred.

"Julia." he whispered. "Julia."

She suddenly opened her eyes and frantically tried to sit up. But he managed to hold her down by her shoulders.

"Its just me. Don't move so much, you might rip the stitches."

She stilled, and he released her as he sat back down.

"What happened?" she murmured.

"You don't remember?"

"No, I do. But at Arkham with you..."

"Oh." he said nodding. "I was luckily in one of my more private labs, that are sheltered by a square of solid steel in the building's structure. So It wasn't as bad as it would've been."

"But your hurt." she whispered as she reached out to touch his bandage softly.
He winced in reply. "That was caused by some falling debris. And I fear I would've been stuck down there unconscious if you hadn't called me. The ringing woke me up, but the battery died before I could answer."

"Your welcome."

"Thank you." Jonathan said sincerely.

She smiled as her eyes started to close again. He started to get up to give her some space, but was suddenly grabbed by her hand.

"Stay... Please."

He nodded and she let go. They soon lay side by side on the bed, one thinking with the other sleeping through the night.