The Doctor

Chapter 15: New Friend

The moment I awoke I was almost scared to open my eyes, I laid as still as possible, listening for any sound of breathing or movement. When all I heard was the city noise, I dared to open my eyes and look around the bedroom. There was no sign of Joker and a breath of relief came out, not wanting to be around him after last night. Slowly sitting up, I winced in pain, grabbing my head but quickly removing my hand with a hiss. My scalp feels like it was ripped off, which it almost was I guess. Sitting up fully and putting my feet to the floor, I looked around the room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary luckily. I slowly stood up, sore muscles protesting against the movements, and headed into the bathroom. Staying clear of the paints on the sink I moved my focus to the mirror and cringed at what I saw. Dark circles were lining my red-rimmed eyes while my head looked red and painful. I had bruises here and there around my throat and arms while there was a healing cut on my lip.

     "I look like shit," I mutter out with a cracking voice. Screaming doesn't help the throat any. With a deep sigh and painful stretch, I slowly creep out of the bedroom, acting like I was in a fucking spy movie with how I was darting around corners. Making my way to the living room and kitchen, I make sure to listen to every small noise I hear. Luckily it seemed like he wasn't there, but there was a note on the kitchen island. Picking it up, I open the paper to see a key and black card fall out, which I catch quickly and set on the island. Turning my focus back to the paper I read:
     'I have work today, so I'm not gonna be back until dinner time. Hopefully you remember the rules of not leaving or snitching. The key is yours so you can explore the complex and the debit card is to buy things. Don't make any stupid decisions unless you would like to know what happens. Order groceries and whatever else you need.-J

     I look at the note in surprise and a hint of fear, wondering why he gave me a key to explore. At least it's better than staying here all day, but I better start with groceries and stuff. I quickly pull out my phone and type in amazon and order hygiene products, clothes, makeup (because I feel like the stares I would get wouldn't be good), and some extra essentials. After the order was placed, I quickly ordered a variety of groceries to be delivered in an hour, turning off my phone when I was done. Looking around, I wonder what I should do while I wait for groceries, but pause when I see the kitchen counters covered in the old takeout. I guess I figured out what to do. I look around the kitchen and familiarize myself with what's in the drawers and cupboards as I clean up. Once I was done, I decided to explore everything else while making sure to stay far away from the balcony and his office. Learning that the Joker has a massive movie and game collection was interesting, to say the least, but a knock on the door stopped my exploring. I started to freak out until I remembered that the Joker had a key, so I quickly put on a hat I found and went to the door, opening it. Outside was a lady who was maybe in her mid-twenties with blonde hair and green eyes. She looked surprised when I opened the door and backed up a step.

     "Oh sorry, is um Jack here?" She asked, looking around the hall. I stared at her in confusion for a minute until it clicked.

     "Oh! Jack, yeah...I mean no. He isn't here." I quickly say, looking down awkwardly when she caught sight of my face.
    "Ooookkkk...well, who are you if it's not rude to ask? I have lived next to Jack for three years and have never seen another person in his penthouse." She asks tightly. I gulp and look behind me quickly, wondering what to do.

     "I-I'm Jack's niece. Yeah. I just moved here yesterday from California. He said I could stay with him while I go to college here." I mutter out, turning back to face her and scratching the back of my neck lightly. When I said that, I saw her eyes soften quickly.

  "Oh, that makes more sense. I'm so sorry for being rude, I just have become great friends with Jack and didn't know if you were some bitch using him for money or something." She laughed as she waved her hand up and down at me. I let out a small laugh as well, shuffling my feet awkwardly.