Hostage

Recovery and Interrogation

My eyes snap open and promptly squeeze back shut against the harsh glare of fluorescents. I suck in air through my teeth as I register the pain in my arm. "Wren?" I hear Jim's voice and suddenly everything comes flooding back.
I force my eyes open once more, "Where is he?" I ask. I'm surrounded by the sterile white of a hospital. "Who? Jerome?" Jim's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "He can't hurt you anymore Wren, you're safe."
Jim has completely misinterpreted my reason for asking. "No, Jim, you don't understand," I say quietly as I try to sit up in the hospital bed. Jim rushes to help me up. "He protected me. Without Jerome I would be dead, or very very damaged."
Jim blinks at me, trying to process the sentence I have just uttered.  "He... Protected you? Let me get this straight, Jerome Valeska, the man who brutally axed his mother to death, tried to set a bus of cheerleaders on fire and gleefully tossed men off roofs, protected you?" Jim sounds disbelieving. Which fair enough, if you put it like that does sound like a very unlikely scenario. "Jim, it doesn't make sense I know.  But look at me for a moment. Besides this," I gesture to the recently sewed up knife would," which you saw me obtain, does it look like I have any injuries or bruises or any physical trauma?" I wait a few seconds while Jim starts to appraise me from all angles. "And you must know Jerome was the leader of the Maniax, so it stands to reason he is then the one responsible for me being unhurt?" Jim still looks disbelieving but doubt has started to creep in to his expression; my logic is solid and the evidence leaves no room for argument.

I ask about my mom and dad, and Jim finally snaps out of his thoughts. They rush in in a blur of kisses and crushing hugs. I begin to cry, and not from the pressure on my knife wound. While I was held hostage I tried to repress thinking of them as much as possible to try keep it together as best as I could. Now that they're here I completely break down. I have to reassure them over and over that I'm fine, that I'm sorry for what they went through, reassure them I was actually looked after and show them the lack of wounds as proof. They're hysterical and it takes ages to begin to calm them. Thankfully they are more inclined to believe me than Jim. My parents and I have a strict  honesty policy. I never lie to them and so they don't have any reason to doubt me.

Jim awkwardly coughs after a while and looks at me, "Wren, I know you've been through so much. And I hate to stop the reunion, but unfortunately since you were surrounded by such high profile criminals for such a long time we have to interview you and collect all the information we can." "That's okay Jim, I understand. I'm fine with doing the interview now. Can Mom and Dad stay? It will be easier than saying everything twice?" I ask with a small smile. Jim gives me a grateful smile in return and nods his  permission.
So I recount everything to them. How I looked too calm in the heist and acted unpredictably, so they took me with them. How I was locked in a windowless room at first. Jerome's small kindnesses like giving me the blanket. Moving around the apartment while still not knowing where we were. Greenwood and Dobkins failed attack. Jerome's rescue. Me moving to his room. Him looking after me every hour of the day. How he started to stay behind instead of committing crimes. Theo acting differently around him and my suspicion he would kill both of us soon. The plan for a last job. My escape. I tell them the route I took to the theatre. The type of car I drove. Which part of Gotham the apartment was in. Everything I overheard that could be useful. Any usual habits of the criminals. I talk for hours until I have emptied my two month experience in as vivid detail as I can.
Jim looks grimly pleased with all the information I've given them. Mom and dad looked shocked that I stayed in Jerome's room and I have to explain there was literally no other option to keep me safe from Greenwood and that he didn't ever try anything. They still look uneasy but they accept what happened.
"Jim, isn't Theo going to be after me now?" I ask in a small voice. "Yes, which is why I've set up so much security that this hospital is currently one of the most secure places in Gotham. And as soon as you've recovered, you'll be going home."
"Jim you didn't answer my question earlier, where is Jerome ? " I repeat.
Jim tells me he is currently in the police station in a cell. They're not entirely sure what to do with him since Arkham didn't work out.
"Please keep him there," I ask while everyone stares at me, "He gets worst around other criminals. You saw what happened at Arkham. When he was by himself with me he was getting better."
Jim looks like he wants to argue, but he thinks for a few minutes before grudgingly nodding.