Stitches || Scarecrow

Ch.23

"Jonathan, what a pleasure." Dr. Harris stated as they sat in his office. "How are you doing?"

"Actually quite well, thank you, besides the handcuffs being slightly irritating and so irrelevant."

Dr. Harris chuckled in amusement and Jonathan narrowed his eyes. He had never liked Dr. Steven Harris, who was annoying and incredibly stiff in manner. It didn't help that he married often and had affairs every other weekend. But of course he was like any other rich man in Gotham, stupid and extremely rich.

"How is your wife Steven." he asked. "Laura is it? Or is it Lauren?"

Steven also narrowed his eyes. "No, currently I am single."

"How unfortunate since this has been your sixteenth wife? And maybe your thirty sixth affair?" Jonathan feigned mock suprise.

The other doctor cleared his throat. "At least I'm not a psychopath." he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Not a psychopath. Just a concerned doctor who wants to cure Gotham."

"Of fear. Don't you know you'll never get rid of it?"

"But I can Steven. I don't fear, I just regret."

"But I honestly don't think you thought it through Crane." Steven smiled wickedly. "How about your lovely partner? The one that was pronounced dead and now is suddenly alive?"

The temperature dropped dramatically as they stared daggers at each other. "We are not in a relationship." Jonathan said slowly.

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I call her mine and use her as I will?"

Jonathan clenched his fists tightly. "Oh Steven... You know she would never accept a man like you."

"She doesn't have to." Steven whispered triumphantly. "And let me tell you that she is quite a good kisser."

An angry glint was in Jonathan's eyes as he tried to keep calm. Clenching and un-clenching his fists.

"You know she screamed your name. I bet she was wishing it was you instead of me on top of her."

Jonathan lunged forward and punched the other doctor in the throat. Steven fell out of his chair gasping for air as Jonathan kicked him in the side. Then he punched him over and over in the face until the blood ran hot. By that time the guards had come in and restrained him tightly by the arms as Steven stood up, who grinned, showing his blood stained teeth. "I think I know the answer about your relationship and your fears Crane. And it's a different answer than you tell yourself."

Then he was escorted back to his cell as Steven's laughs echoed down the halls. And when they passed Julia's cell, the window remained empty.

...

Julia took a breath of fresh air, it was the first time in a couple of weeks that she had felt the sun on her face. She had forgotten the feeling of freedom.

The stocky guard lazily checked his watch. "You got five minutes." he drawled.

She nodded and tilted her head to look at the sky. Arkham had a small garden in the center of the compound with a few trees and bushes, and above was a square of sky. Right now it was overcast, like it usually was in Gotham, especially now in spring. The air was slightly cold, but she didn't wear a coat. No such luxuries were given to the patients.

She walked to a tree and stroked the bark, memorizing the way the bark curled and twisted in the still patterns. Sighing she walked back to the guard and told him she would like to go in.

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise since she usually begged to stay longer. But he nodded and strode to the door, that required a certain code. He pressed five digits and the door opened, that's when she made her move.