The Queen of Gotham

Chapter 19

I'm currently bunked up in a hotel at the edge of town. I have enough money to stay here for a week. I showed up last night in a rush to get a shower and some much needed sleep. I honestly probably scared the shit out of the old man in the lobby, but I could care less.

I'm excited to go to work and see my only friends. I'm dressed in a blue blouse with a black pencil skirt. I forgot to get my black pumps yesterday, so I'm going to work in my black converse. Hope that's alright with my non-existent staff friends.

My blond hair is in a bun with my glasses on my face. I did my eyes in dark eyeliner in hopes to make them pop out. I smiled at the red lipstick I had on as my face flushed a little. I won't admit that I liked when he said red was my color. Maybe I'll see him today?

I put my lab coat on and hook my card onto the pocket. I nod at myself in the small mirror, then grab my things before leaving my room.

I make it to work in record time and get through the front without the weird stares. I smile and say hello to the few doctors that I know of as I pass by them, and they just smile at me. No one really tried to be my friend anyway. I make it to my office quickly and unlock it.

Opening the door as shutting it, I freeze as I look at my desk. There is a single red rose with a folded up note beside it. I walk over and place my purse inside its drawer as I pick up the rose to smell it. As cliché as it sounds, red roses are my favorite flower and I breath in the lovely scent. I open the paper and read the note aloud to myself.

"I like your spirt, sweet cheeks. I hope I get to see it again. Also, a mutual friend of ours has asked me to speak with you about a missing ring? I do hope you aren't leaving me already, dollface." I read the note again and chuckle at Jokers simple comment on how I'm leaving him.

How can I leave someone I've never been with? I shiver for a second and think that maybe this is Joker silently telling me that I'm his next target. I can't tell if that scares me or excites me, but it sure does something to me that makes my heart race. Is this fear or excitement? I'm living life on the edge, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to take the jump.

I sigh as I look at the question about my ring that is indeed gone. It's not missing like I lost it, but I threw it way. I shake my head as I put the note inside the drawer with my purse and smell the rose again.

I wonder if he knows that this is my favorite flower, or if it's just a lucky guess. Did Ivy tell him about me? I Immediately shake my head and kick that thought away. She wouldn't do that to me. I trust her enough to know that.

A knock on my door brings me crashing back into reality as Dr. Smith walks in. He doesn't smile like he normally does when he sees me, which has me on edge. Last person that changed so drastically turned out to be a woman beater. I don't exactly know what I'm to do if this guy starts hitting me as well. Would anyone come if I screamed for help? Or would they turn the other way because we're in an Asylum?

Smith walks over to my desk and sits in a chair as I sit down in mine. My rose is still in my right hand due to the fact I'm so scared I don't think I can move my fingers to let it go. Smith glares at the rose which has me bringing it to my chest. What on earth is his problem? What did this flower ever do to him?

"I hear you had an interesting session yesterday. How did it go?" I don't know what made me keep my mouth shut, but I didn't want to tell him anything. Something in the back of my mind tells me to be on high alert and to not let a single thing slip out of my mouth. It isn't any of his business anyway.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just had a normal session with my patients, Ivy and Selina. You know this." I didn't know this man, and he certainly isn't the same man he had been yesterday. Smith leans across my desk and glares at me which makes me flinch in fear.

"It's Harley now, right? Don't fall for their charms. They will turn on you the minute they get a chance so don't trust them. Definitely don't trust the fucking clown. He is bad news and he's just trying to get in your pants." I flinch back into my chair as he reaches up to smear my red lipstick down my face.

He smirks at me like he enjoys seeing me panic in fear and sits back down. This is not the man I've come to know over the past two weeks, and I don't like who he is becoming. Who the hell does he think he is?

"Is that all Dr. Smith? If you don't mind, I have to be somewhere right now." I'm shaking so bad that I almost drop to the floor in a panic, so I do the only thing I'm good at doing.

I take off racing out of my own office as I try to get away. I need air or something because the walls seem to be caving in on me. I fall to the floor as I try to suck in as much air as I can, but it never seems like enough. My mind is racing in so many directions that I can't even register that I'm having a panic attack.

"Put your head between your knees." I feel hands help me into a kneeled over position as my head touches the floor between my knees. I don't even care who is helping me at this current moment. I'm just thankful that someone is nice enough in this hellhole to actually help me.

After a few more gulps of air, my vision begins to clear as does my head. I take a minute to breath properly and suddenly start crying. Why am I so fucking pathetic? I'm so weak that it disgusts me.

All I know is that it seems like every man in my life is trying to control me. Smith said my nickname like an insult, and he treated me like a bug that should be killed at any given chance. He reminded me of Kyle so badly that I actually thought he was in the room with us. I mistook him for Kyle before I took off running, and now I know to avoid Smith at all costs. Fucking sadist bastard.

"There. That's better, isn't it?" I look up to see Mr. Cash kneeling down in front of me. I throw myself onto him as I cry and break once again. He's the only person in the staff that's actually tried to be helpful, and I'm grateful for that.

Lately, I seem to be breaking over every little thing. Cash helps me stand and directs me to the medical wing while he supports my weak body.

When we get there, I'm in a much better state than before and the nurse doesn't take long with me. Afterwards, Cash informs me that he had been looking for me specifically because Joker has asked to speak with me once again.

He asks me several times if I'm absolutely sure that I'm up for it to which I tell him I'm fine. It's obvious that he doesn't believe me, but I'm grateful he doesn't try to change my mind.

"I'm sure I can handle another talk with the clown, Cash. He didn't hurt or touch me yesterday, did he?" Cash shook his head as he deflated. "I can handle him today again, and tomorrow too if he asks for me. I know this is against all rules here, but if I can help him in some way, isn't that what matters?"

Cash reluctantly nods his head and tells me that I should just request getting put on his case if he is going to keep talking to me instead of his real doctor. I laugh at the thought as I think about actually doing it. That sure would make things way easier than all this rule breaking. I don't want to lose my job after all.