Laugh Lines

A New Day

~A maniac messiah

Destruction is his game

A beautiful liar

Love for him is pain~

~Thirty Second to Mars~

Bruce woke the next morning by a knock on the door to his room. He was taken into a big communal shower area that was thankfully empty. He stood under the cold spray, scrubbing his skin as quickly as he could. By the time he was done, his skin felt numb. He dressed in the clean uniform and waited for the orderly to escort him.

The Breakfast was bland, eggs rubbery and toast slightly burnt. He ate as much as his stomach could handle. He was then escorted to meet with his new doctor. Joan Leland sat behind her desk and smiled when Bruce was brought in.

"Good to see you again Mr. Wayne. Please have a seat and we will get started."

Bruce moved to the chair and sat, watching the orderly close the door behind him. He looked back at the doctor he had spoken to at the police department.

"How are you today Mr. Wayne?" She asked.

"Fine, call me Bruce."

"Ok Bruce, was there anything you'd like to talk about before we get started today?"

He looked at her, then shook his head. "No, not really."

"That's fine, I would like to go over what will happen during your stay here." She smiled again.

Bruce just looked at her, waiting.

She cleared her throat and started. "First we will be going over some questions and I beg you please answer honestly. These will help us determine what course of treatment that would best help you."

He nodded.

She smiled and continued. "Once we have that finished, you and I will meet twice a week to go over any progress or setbacks. I believe that we can get you back to a better place mentally. Since you are not a violent offender, you will be moved to Ward B, on the first floor. You will be allowed to move freely within the ward. Your door will only lock at lights out."

Bruce was surprised at that, but just nodded his understanding.

"If you become combative or a danger to yourself or others, you will be transferred to a more restrictive ward. We have plenty of room thanks to your many donations over the years."

Bruce laughed at that. Once he had calmed back down, she continued.

"You are on a minimum 3 month maximum 9 months with us. If you follow all of your therapy regimen and actively participate, you could be out of here as early as 3 months and a day."

She sipped her coffee and looked back at Bruce.

"Do you have any questions for me now?"

Bruce digested the information she had given him. It was pretty straight forward. He did have questions but it had nothing to do with anything she had just told him.

"What happened yesterday? I felt the building shake."

She looked at him for a full minute before she relaxed her shoulders and sighed. "I guess it will be okay to tell you, you may hear about it later. Joker decided to blow up half the city. Thankfully, he didn't mess with Arkham or Blackgate. He didn't mess with the hospitals either." She said almost as an afterthought.

Bruce sat there, the feeling of calm was still around him. It was what he had expected. "I tried to warn them, but they wouldn't listen." He said.

"Yes, well, let's steer clear of talk about The Joker for now. I don't think that subject would be conductive to your recovery."