Gods & Monsters | Bruce Wayne

SIX - BUSINESS

There were case files and notes spread across a large glass table in an office inside Gotham City Courthouse, and Carla and Jonathan were going insane re-reading over every word they'd written to pull together their analysis.

A knock at the door made them both sigh with frustration, though the guest didn't wait for an answer before barging into the room.

"Doctor Fiori, I am so-"

"Excuse me, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Jonathan pulled his glasses from his face as he turned to stare at Harvey Dent, "Some of us are working here. If you want to talk, schedule an appointment like-"

"Jonathan." Carla gave him a stern glance, silencing him with her dark eyes.

She said nothing more, putting down a stack of papers and following Harvey out of the room and into another office around the corner, the door falling closed behind them.

It had been just three days since the night of Bruce Wayne's fundraiser and the feeling of falling to what seemed like an inevitable death hadn't left Carla's bones. It hadn't frightened her as such, acceptance coming to soothe her much quicker than she thought it would, but she could still feel the air in her soul and hear the car engines growing louder all the same.

"Carla, I am so sorry about the other night. I feel terrible for what happened, I should've come back for you and I didn't, I can't apologise enough. Are you alright?"

Carla stood with her arms folded, hair pinned back in a low bun and her lips glossed, eyes lined black like usual.

"It's fine, Harvey. I'm fine, everything is fine."

He scoffed, "You nearly died."

"Well I didn't, clearly," she said with a straight face, "Don't worry about it."

He sighed, the guilt eating him alive ever since Rachel pulled him away into the bedroom at which time he had no idea what would happen to Carla, though the outcome had been almost as bad as it possibly could've been, had it not been for The Batman.

She didn't looked phased, not that Carla ever did. Her skin was just as glowy and her eyes just as bright, even if they were narrowed like she had less and less patience left for him by the second. Harvey could take comfort in that, at least.

"Why did you send one of Falcone's men to Arkham today?" He asked.

She frowned, "Did you listen to a word I said in that courtroom? I've been examining the guy since I came to Gotham and he's only said one word to me the entire time: Scarecrow. Does that seem like a sound-minded guy to you?"

Harvey shook his head in defeat, "It was noted that Doctor Crane was sending Falcone's men to Arkham instead of County, that's probably why they brought you in for a second opinion, a better opinion. I don't want him to get inside your head."

Carla just stared at him, "That man in there today wouldn't have lasted five minutes in County and you know it. Whether he worked for Carmine Falcone or not makes no difference to me. With all due respect, Harvey, I don't tell you how to do your job, so don't tell me how to do mine."

He looked at her for a long moment, silence between them. He noticed the scar on the side of her neck that was healing over, the guilt crushing him again as he remembered the way he'd felt after finding out what had happened to her after he'd disappeared, being able to only wonder how he might've been able to save her from the whole ordeal had he just gone back for her.

"I'm sorry, Carla," he said again, "Can you at least let me take you out to dinner to apologise? I really do feel awful."

"Your apology isn't necessary," Carla pulled open the door and brushed past him, "Take your girlfriend out to dinner instead, Harvey."