Grin And Bare It

Tapes and Plans

First meeting with patient name unknown, alias The Joker. Patient have symptoms of anti-social personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, suffers hallucinations, bi-polar disorder as well as delusional disorder according to Doctor Strange's notes. The range of disorders are unheard of with any previous patients. This patient is a special case. Patient is known to be very uncooperative and has a high risk of lashing out. For the first session I plan on going over more of his obsessions. Perhaps if those obsessive tendencies can be learned to be controlled then the patient can be rehabilitated.

Bruce listened to the recording on his tablet as he laid against the bed. Ready to play the video of the taped therapy visit. Joker didn't exactly get Doctor-patient confidentially due to how violent his out-bursts were. He had so many therapy visits a week from multiple different doctors. They claimed it was for the best to assign him multiple doctors for therapy but Bruce knew most of them just wanted a chance to make it big with breaking the case known as the Joker. If one of them managed to get the truth out of the maniac then they would become famous. If one managed to ever cure him they would go done in the medical history books. But it was dangerous to be a doctor to the Joker. He was the most dangerous patient. That and the fact most of the doctors never lived long. Doctor Randell Kershaw was a fairly new doctor at Arkham. Only worked there for a month before the Joker was brought back the last time. Doctor Kershaw took over for Doctor Strange scheduled days for about three weeks before the psycho killed him with a letter-opener that he managed to get ahold of somehow. Bruce sighed and rubbed his temples. Another life he felt responsible for. Joker had been in an even worse mood than usual when Batman had brought him in. More like a feral rapid dog just wanting to sink his teeth into anyone. Maybe it wasn't Bruce mocking the Joker like he had said but the Joker who was always mocking him. Clicking the video on Bruce prepared himself mentally. The video of four days in Jokers eighth month stay at Arkham.

"Good evening, my name is Doctor Randell Kershaw, what would you like me to call you?"

Joker sat there in the Orange Arkham uniform. A bored expression on his face. Clearly he wasn't in his usual mood for games. Still he said nothing.

Kershaw shifted in his seat slightly at the silence and he scribbled something down in his notebook.

"What's your age?" Kershaw asked and again the Joker didn't respond. Kershaw sighed heavily. Obviously trying to figure out how to approach certain questions.

"You know Joker, I'm here to help you. You are allowed to speak freely." Silence again. "Do you want to talk about what happened before you came back to Arkham?" Silence again but the Joker twitched just ever so slightly.

"Do you want to talk about Batman?" Kershaw stepped both feet into that terror and Joker glanced at him then. Finally given some acknowledgement to the other man's presence in the room.

"No." Joker said simply. It was the first word he had spoken so far to Kershaw. Joker looked away from the doctor back to the wall with a distant look in his eyes.

That caught Bruce off guard. Joker had one obsession and here he was offered to talk about it and refused. It had to be because of their last meeting together. Joker was obviously still fuming from it. His mood seemed to shift though from that one question.

"How about we talk about." Pause as he shifted more in his seat. "Your violent outburst with the orderly this morning. What had brought that on?"