Phantom Files

FILE 7: Newest Patient, the Oddly Intelligent

Danny's POV

A week has passed.

My two main patients were Harley and Kristofferson. I've had the occasional knucklehead thug that was only here since Blackgate ran out of space in their prison. I'm pretty sure Teresa's assigning me the dimwits and dangerous patients to scare me away, and she would have gotten away from it if not for my meddling, childish mind and its idiocy of never backing down! I like challenges anyway.

The walkie-talkie Aaron have always gave off buzzy noises and people always talked on them so I turned it off whenever I had patients. It was too much of an annoyance.

Though I found it odd that Harley was the one who signed up the most and not a lot of the other patients. And I'm pretty sure Kristofferson didn't get the concept of 'signing up' in the first place.

Kris was just sneaking into my office whenever he could. Even after he was put into Solitary after the second time, he somehow found a way out to stay in my office. Eventually, after a few days, the guards gave up dragging him back into his cell and just left him with me as long as he doesn't escape and kept everything on a low profile. Mostly a low profile from Teresa since they don't want to be tortured in there time working here since she was such a Wicked Witch.

Actually, I gave Kristofferson a notebook so he doesn't just sit in the stool in the corner of my office and watch me. I've actually read a few of them; the notes were either short stories or behavioral analysis on Harley, which surprised me the most.

It was the usual routine, Harley and I talking and playing games & Kristofferson watching me and writing until something odd happened in the afternoon. Something much more different.

???'s POV (any guesses beforehand??)

Harley was acting off.

I noticed it immediately, obviously. I did sit at the table behind her and I tended to listen in, mostly for information. Ivy and Harley knew a lot of gossips around Arkham and they were the best source of info.

Usually, I'd sit with Johnathan (Scarecrow) or even Harvey but they were currently out. From what I had heard from Ivy's gossip, the old Master of Fear was working on some mega invention to enhance obsessions tenfold, but that was pure gossip.

Back to the topic; Harley seemed a bit more... defensive and jumpy the past week. She was weirdly nervous whenever someone asked her where she's been.

Here's what I mean:

I was casually eating- well not eating but poking at the gray and green slosh on my tray. The only thing that was really edible was the stale bread and a cup of water. But this was Arkham Asylum, why would they ever give us something actually decent?

Anyways, Harley gets late to lunch and Ivy immediately questioned her.

"Hey, Harls," Ivy called, making Harley jump a little, "Where were you, boo? If you got here earlier, you'd be able to snag a piece of bread. You're lucky I'm your friend and I stole one from another person." Ivy passed Harley a piece of bread as she sat down at the table.

Harley was acting nervously strange, "Oh-uh... I just took a.... long -yes -a very long nap. I didn't quite catch the time before a guard woke me up. In fact, it was the guy standing near the door just there." Her obvious stammering and unmessy hair were the first clues to her strange behavior. And secondly, the guards wouldn't let her nap for so long, it was common knowledge for a person of my stature. Though it might not be understood by the plant-like female.

"You okay, Harls?" Ivy asked suspiciously, and I let a silent breath of relief. I wasn't one to interfere with the women's talks so it was hard to satisfy my curiosity. I was glad that Ivy caught on suspicious behavior.