Love is Merely Madness ~ Book 1 ~ Batman Begins

Chapter 19: Near Death Experience

Chapter 19: Near Death Experience

"No," the doctor said as if he was denying a simple non-fatal request. Almost as if he didn't notice his captor holding a syringe against his girlfriend's neck, addressing a man who didn't murder his obsession. The other occupants stilled, contemplating the word that slipped from Jonathan's tongue.

"What?!" Jack was exasperated, not paying attention to Kathryn. She was leaning slightly away from the poke in her neck. The space wasn't much, considering his tight grip on her hair.

"You heard me," Jonathan insisted, watching Jack through the rearview mirror. "I said no. I'm not suicidal. I refuse to sign our death warrant by driving over there. I won't."

"Well!" Jack scoffed in bitter amusement. He wrapped Kathryn's curls in his tight-white grip. The yellow paint on his fingers was barely noticeable now. "You already signed your girlfriend's death warrant by not listening to me, so..." He cringed at the woman's hysterical sobs, screaming at her to shut up. She wasn't completely silent, only whimpered in prayers and pleas.

"Did I?" Jonathan challenged, sounding calm and collected, which irritated his stalker even more.

"Yes!" Jack straightened his back, angling his wrist to prepare the injection. He was doing his best to suppress the tremor in that joint, assuming it was from staying in that exhausting position for so long. "I'm gonna kill her now!"

"Are you?"

Jack scowled at the doctor, "Oh? You don't think I can? I'm a wanted man, no thanks to you. Falcone is my only way out! He said if I don't do this... Well..." His grin didn't reach his eyes as he let out a bitter laugh, "I'm already a killer, Johnny. I killed Summer. What's. One. More?!" He screamed at the woman's ear, making her squeal and kick her feet against the dashboard.

"Please!" Kathryn pleaded, clawing the man's flesh. "You don't have to do this! Please-"

"Stop it!" the creeper didn't let up. The painful red streaks angered him more.

"But you're not a killer, Jack," Jonathan declared. Jack's furious expression dropped instantly, now silently questioning Jonathan's words. "You love Miss Gleeson," the doctor elaborated. "What happened that night was an accident, wasn't it?"

Of all the things Jack expected to hear, once again, the doctor surprised him. His eyes darted back and forth, debating what to say. How could he respond to that? Everyone questioned the motive behind Summer's murder, yet nobody thought to ask if he intended to kill her.

"The police, Gotham, even my uncle... They... They all think I'm guilty - a creep! All the evidence was found in my apartment. My face is caught on camera going back there - I was with her that night-"

"Yes," Jonathan nodded, "you went back into that apartment, but not to kill her."

"My coat," Jack eyed the sleeve, sniffling his nose. "I came back for my coat... only to find Summer out of her mind - more so than mine - having a psychotic breakdown! She wasn't like that when I left her the first time after we..." He shook his head, unsuccessfully shaking the memory. His fist, clenching around the syringe, rested on Kathryn's shoulder. "I swear! Two minutes, Johnny! She was fine for those two precious minutes. The way she looked at me. She thought I was gonna hurt her, but I could never - I could never do that! I loved her! I would've taken a bullet for her! I would've jumped off a bridge if she told me to!"

"You've done everything for her," Jonathan stated the obvious.

"Yes! When she first came to me at Club Spotlight - she came to me, not me gunning for her! I wouldn't have the courage to have a conversation with her. And people thought I was crazy! A girl like her - a guy like me," he smiled dreamily at the day they met. "She told me she needed a cameraman, not just to film her news reports. She wanted more. Summer was afraid Uncle Knox would toss her ass for Lydia Filangeri," he spat at the name, rolling his eyes in annoyance, "so she thought having a stalker would gain her some publicity. Me?" His gaze darkened, snarling like a ferocious, ready to devour its prey. "I would've personally locked that European tramp away someplace so Summer wouldn't have to see her face anymore!"