Freak is an Ugly Word

The days melded together in a blur. Nothing seemed to stand out to Jessica anymore. Everything was the same and her attention was hard to catch expect by the simplest of things. Her days were passed in the Rec Room playing the piano. After hearing his daughter play once again, Frank had brought her some of her old sheet music that she kept close to her at all times in fear that they would vanish. Music seemed to be the only thing that she could do properly those days. It was the only thing she could fully remember how to do.
As was predicted her mind slowly started to degrade itself lower and lower. Memories were lost as were faces and names that went with them. Who was once Mad Hatter had become the Reading Man. Croc became the Big Man. Riddler, who she never knew before, was dubbed the Question Man for the question mark tattoos on the top of each of his hands. Crane quickly became the Doctor and Joker was the Clown Man. Ivy had become Mommy. Simple names that any child would give to those around them.
All had been going as well as the situation would allow until Greg had appeared. Much to his heartbreak Jessica had hardly recognized him and was even frightened of him. It had ensued a large battle between him and Reece and one Reece had won. When he threatened to sue she just smiled and told him she was doing nothing wrong. Knowing it was a lie he called Norman and they were currently working a case against Arkham and Reece in particular. Greg was determined to have the woman’s job.
This knowledge never reached Jessica’s ears. Even if she had come to learn it, it would not affect her in the slightest. Her mind was too far gone at that point. The damage was too great and no one knew if it was reversible or not. With every fiber of his being Greg hoped that it was. If he was a religious man, he would have prayed. But he was not and found such a trivial thing useless.
Sitting on the floor with her head resting on her knees, arms wrapped around her legs to keep them in place, as Ivy brushed her now mid back length hair Jessica gazed at the wall in front of her. The Big Man was standing near by as he always did. His bulky frame took up most of the doorway he stood in to ensure no one could enter it. She liked the Big Man, he was very nice. Always smiled at her and made sure that she was safe. But when he looked at her his eyes were always sad. She wanted to know why he was so sad but feared to ask him such a thing. Being the shy girl that she was she could not bring herself to do so. The Big Man could get mad at her and she did not want that. She wanted him to keep smiling at her. He had a very nice smile.
Ivy was humming a nameless tune to her as she gently ran the brush though Jessica’s hair. “Mommy?” Jessica called to the woman.
Ivy immediately stopped running the brush through her hair. Every time that the word left the girl’s lips her heart was shredded open. Old wounds that had never fully healed were torn open and wept blood once again. She had, once upon a time, had a child of her own. The child had been taken from her not by death but by the hands of her father. Having been so young, just reached the legal age, and he so much older than her, the court had saw her unfit to be a mother and had ordered to give up the child to her father. That was the reason why she hated men so much. All they do is take and take never give. “Yes, Jessica,” she answered her voice trembling ever slightly.
“I don’t feel good,” Jessica told the woman.
Reaching a hand around Ivy felt the girl’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm. What’s wrong?”
“It’s my tummy,” the girl explained. “It’s been bothering me. I puke in the mornings and feel sick all the time. I get dizzy and feel like I’m going to puke after I eat.”
Eyes widened in horror Ivy stood up and helped Jessica up. “Me and Croc are going to go talk to the others. Why don’t you just take a small nap on the bed? We’ll be back in just a few minutes.” Jessica nodded her head and clambered onto the bed. As soon as the girl’s eyes closed Ivy dragged Croc out of the room and headed to the others in the Rec Room.
The entire way Ivy muttered intelligible things to herself. Though he could have ripped his arm from her grip at any time and demand to know what was wrong, Croc just allowed the woman to drag him along in silence. Whatever was troubling the red headed woman would be shed into light as soon as they reached their destination.
Croc was correct. After they had entered the Rec Room Ivy made her way to the others. “She’s pregnant,” she hissed so that only the small group could hear.
The left eyebrow of Crane’s raised high on his forehead. “I thought she was on birth control per her doctor’s orders.”
With a chuckle Joker shook his head. He knew exactly what was going on having more contact with Reece than most. “Maggie ordered her off of the birth control. Stated that it affected the way the medicine she’s been giving Snow White.”
“That’s a load of shit!” Ivy nearly yelled. “That fucking bitch! I know what’s she’s doing.” The red headed woman started to pace. “We have to stop her,” she insisted. “She’s going to get Jessica killed.” Suddenly Ivy stopped pacing. “There’s something we need to take care of first.” Turning to the others she said the one thing that needed to be said, “We have to get rid of it.”
There was no need to explain her reasoning behind such a statement. All the others agreed with her. Well, Joker could care less either way and Riddler did not really know the girl before the change so he had no opinion in the matter. The only question that remained was who will do the deed and how?
That question sparked an argument that latest longer than they wanted. It would seem no one truly wanted to commit the deed though they all knew that it had to be done. Getting bored and annoyed with the argument Joker shot out of his chair, knocking it to the floor with a clatter. “You and your bleeding hearts!” he bellowed. “I’ll do it!”
With that he stormed out of the room. All eyes in the room were on him as he left. Those that did not know what was happening wondered just what the outburst was about. The ones that were walking vegetables did not have any idea of anything and just stared at him because he was moving. Long after he was gone and the swinging doors had stopped moving their eyes stayed glued to the spot having not a clue as to what they were looking at or any recollection of why they were looking there in the first place.
Reaching Jessica’s room Joker stuck his head in. He spotted the girl in question lying on their bed sleeping. Her chest raised and lowered in the slow rhythmic way that one could only accomplish during a deep slumber. “Snow White!” he called as he entered the room. When she did not respond he violently shook her until her eyes fluttered open. “Come on!” he insisted in his high childlike voice while tugging her from the bed by her wrist.
Without question Jessica got out of the bed and let the man drag her to where ever he desired to go. Still tired she had not the thought to protest. One of Joker’s arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him as he led her to a destination unknown to her. “Where are we going?” she inquired as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“You’ll just have to wait and see!” he excitedly answered. His excitement was contagious and Jessica soon felt the pull of joy herself.
The only reason why he would not tell her where they were going was because it had to be a surprise, she thought. That was the only explanation. In her childlike state she absolutely loved surprises. They were so much fun! Surprises were the greatest things.
When they rounded an unfamiliar corner an unsettlement filled Jessica. She was starting to not like this. Having no idea where they were or where they were headed had started to lose its excitement. The unease was not cured when she asked the Clown Man where they were going and he once again answered in the same way. Wanting badly to run she was forced to follow him because of the strong grip he had around her shoulders.
After walking for several minutes he finally stopped forcing her to stop as well. In her panic what surrounded her was lost. All she wanted was to go back to her room and sleep like Mommy told her to do. She did not want to be there with Clown Man. The smile on his face was scaring her.
“You know,” he started habitually licking his lips, “you’ll probably thank me for this later.” Before she could register what he said he gave her back a hard shove.
If Jessica had been paying attention to her surroundings, she would have noticed that a flight of stairs stood before her. Long narrow and shrouded in darkness sitting ominously before her, but she failed to notice them. Her attention just wondered too much to think about the stairs that led to the lower levels of the asylum. The place where they kept the insane of the insane locked up in cells reminiscent to those during the medieval times.
With no time to react she was sent tumbling down the stairs. The right side of her head hit the concrete steps with a sickening crack and she lost consciousness before she reached the end. Seating himself on the top step Joker watched Jessica as she landed in an unconscious heap at the bottom of the steps. For several minutes he sat there watching until blood spilled from between her legs. With the knowledge that his work was completed, he left and headed back into the Rec Room. Someone would come by later and find her so there was no need to call for help.
And he was right. Someone did come, eventually. A dark skinned female with short curly hair cut close to her head happened to come upon the profusely bleeding young woman three hours later. It resulted in the immediate call for help and sending Jessica to the medical ward in the asylum. With the limited resources they had they checked Jessica to their fullest extent.
When they were finished they had to explain their obvious finds to Greg who had been called almost as soon as Jessica was found, he was her one and only emergency contact. Not trusting the medical doctors employed by Arkham he brought his own. A friend from work, the man could hardly refuse Greg’s request.
While Adam, Greg’s friend, examined Jessica Greg was forced to sit and watch, much to his dislike. Reece was present during the examination and hovered over Adam watching his every move. The question of Jessica’s prescription was asked and Reece reluctantly answered the man knowing the drug was still in its experimental state. The answer earned her the best death glare she had ever received from anyone and she feared that her heart would stop dead at that moment.
“That is a very dangerous drug, Dr. Reece,” Adam stated slowly and with the utmost professionalism that he could muster at that moment in time. “It should not be taken lightly as one such as yourself should know that.”
Reece just jutted out her chin and held her head high. She was not going to let that man second guess her decision as a doctor. “I knew the risks,” she answered.
“Then why did you give it to her? With the damage it causes the mind it could very well be the reason why Miss Jones is in her current condition. Upon first witnessing the side effects of the drug you should have immediately stopped treatment, but you did not do so. Why?”
“She was a danger to the other patients and it is the only proven medicine to work for her condition.” The words reeked with lies and dripped with deception. With the corners of her mouth lifting slightly as she fought a satisfied smirk from appearing on her face the two men could see the statement for what it was.
Neither of them commented on it. Instead Adam said, “I want her off of that medication immediately.” Opening her mouth to protest Reece was cut off when he raised his right hand stopping her. “There are no buts in this situation. Since Jessica has been injured it is no longer in your authority to dictate what drugs she will and will not take, it is mine. I do not want her to take the drug if it is going the results are going to make her end up back in here. I am sure that your own medical advisor will agree with me. Her prescribed birth control will be reinstated so that such a thing as this,” he indicated with his forefinger to Jessica’s unconscious form on the bed, “does not happen to again.” Leaving no room for argument Reece was force to agree to the man’s terms.
Angry that her plot had been ruined by Jessica’s little tumble down a flight of stair Reece left the room in a huff. It seemed every plot that she concocted against the young woman ended up thwarted in some shape or form. Cursing Jessica’s luck in the matter Reece locked herself in her office and refused to come out or take patients. The only one she would see was the one who did not even come knocking on her door. Joker’s attention was diverted elsewhere, finding a few games of chess with Riddler more important and exciting than the woman.
“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Greg asked his friend traces of worriment lining each word. Taking her hand in his he gave it a little squeeze earning him no response. Her hand was cold to the touch.
Adam shrugged. “Only time will tell.” Not one to lie, Adam told his friend what he needed but did not want to hear. “She lost a lot of blood. More than normal, but that’s not what worries me. What worries me is the blow to her head. With the damage her mind and brain had previously received there is no telling what this could do to her. She might not wake up.”
“She’ll wake up,” Greg reassured himself more than his friend. “She’s a survivor. Something like this won’t keep her down.”
“And I hope she does,” Adam responded honestly. “But,” Oh, how much Greg hated buts, “another problem could present itself if she does.”
“What’s that?”
“With extensive usage of the drug I have heard of a rare but highly possible side effect, one I’m sure that cunt overlooked. There is a small possibility that her two personalities meld into one.” Expecting horror to appear on his friends face he was unpleasantly shocked to see a smile light up Greg’s face. “That doesn’t frighten you?”
No, not in the least,” admitted Greg. “In fact, I want it to happen. I think such an experience would be rather interesting.”
The horror that should have been placed on Greg’s face was now on that of his friends. “Something is terribly wrong with you. Maybe you should have ended up in here as well.”
“Maybe, but lucky for me I didn’t.”
Not knowing what to say Adam decided it was best for him to just leave. Greg was a very nice guy but had just proven how little of the man he knew. There was an entire side of the man he had never seen before and just a hint of it had peeked out. Greg was an iceberg. Most of him hidden deep under the surface of the dark ocean, and the rest pointing high in the air for all to see. What was buried deep with in the man Adam did not want to witness. Ignorance is bliss and it was one of the few times he wanted to stay that way. A surety that if he dived under the surface of the water he would come face to face with a horrendous monster led him to believe that staying ignorant of the man was the best possible course of action.
After his friend was far from his site Greg stood up and placed a kiss on Jessica’s brow. Leaving the room he went in search of the few people that knew her. Many questions were on his mind and he needed to know the true answers. All inquires he had were focused on Jessica, what affect the medicine Reece had prescribed to her had had, and what had exactly happened to lead to her falling down the stairs. For some odd reason he had a feeling Joker had something to do with it. When Jessica was in some sort of danger or already hurt Joker always seemed to be the hidden cause of it all.
With each passing step he grew nearer and nearer to the room he knew who he was searching for resided. Screams rebounded across the walls of the empty hall he traversed. The laughter of the insane dreadfully filled his ears as it bellowed out in thick waves from the floor bellow them. Never before had he noticed such sounds when he had visited so many times before. They had seemed lost upon him when he was with Jessica and who she deemed as her friends. As those sounds assaulted his ears so did a consuming blackness. Dread and hate of the place he now walked in slowly overtook him.
White walls surrounded him in a dizzily manner. As he walked they seemed to meld together and swirl around him. Nausea crept into his stomach tying it into a thick knot. Pausing momentarily so that the spell would pass he leaned himself against the cold wall. That place was horrifying. He could not fathom how anyone could get better while they resided in those halls. Jessica would not become sane if she stayed there for much longer. No, she would get worse, he feared. Getting her out was the only thing that could truly help her.
So many bad things had happened to her during her short stay and they only seemed to be getting worse with each passing day. Her mind seemed to be losing what little stability it had. Regret of ever having suggested she be taken to the place permeated his mind. But if he had not suggested the place she would have ended up in prison. That would have been much harder for the young woman. Prison was a place he highly doubted she would have survived in. The chance of someone actually succeeding in killing her was much higher than in the asylum. Arkham had been the only choice if he had ever wanted to see Jessica alive again.
With a shove Greg removed himself from the wall and proceeded to his desired destination. Drawing closer to the room the sound of Joker’s cackled echoed throughout the hall. Many of the nurses, male and female, appeared unnerved at hearing the sound of the man’s infamous laughter. Some shuddered as others quickened their pace. Greg did nothing but shake his head at them. Such fools they all were. It was not Joker’s laugh they should fear. There was nothing to his laugh though it was filled with such malice and madness. What he was doing that caused the laughter is what the fear should come from.
Deep in thought of what questions he should ask first Greg walked through the door. His feet carried him to the precise location they knew so well. Hazel eyes darting around the table he gazed upon the faces of those he was ready to interrogate. All train of thought was lost when he glanced down at the table. He nearly burst into laughter. “Are you playing Candy Land?!” he asked in both shock and amazement.
Joker, Crane, Riddler, and Mad Hatter were all immersed in the battle to the finished in said game. “Chess was getting too boring,” Joker answered. “There is a limited supply in games we can choose from. Crane picked it out.”
“I did not!” Crane shouted indignantly.
Joker looked at the man with a hardened gaze. “Are you calling me a liar, hm?”
Greg raised his hand to stop the argument that was evidently going to happen. “Before the argument over integrity starts I would like to have my question answered. Who pushed her?” None answered. “I’m not stupid,” stated Greg. “I know someone pushed her. I have a feeling I know who it is, but I want to know for sure.” He turned to the one person that he knew would tell him the truth. “Nygma, who pushed her?”
Edward Nygma or Riddler to some had a compulsion to tell the truth. To ask him that question would have been considered unfair, but he knew his way around that. “Why do you presume someone pushed her down the stairs?” By asking another question he avoided having to say to tell the man who it was. “Jessica is a very clumsy girl.”
A sardonic smile placed itself on Greg’s lips. Before he had even asked the question there had been a feeling he would do as such. Playing such childish games was not something Greg had time to do. There were other things, albeit not as important, that he had to do that day. But he would not leave Arkham until he had the answer he was looking for. So, he tried for a more direct approach. “Was it Joker that pushed her?”
“Again, why do you presume that someone pushed her? As was previously mentioned, Jessica is a very clumsy woman and could have just tripped over her own feet sending her down the stairs.”
“Or a nice hard push could do the same. Look, Nygma,” Greg started rubbing his head with frustration, “you not answering me is just giving me the answer that I want. What I have learned in my experience of gathering information-“
“You mean torturing people for information,” Ivy stated.
“It’s the same thing,” snapped Greg. He was starting to grow ever more irritated with those people. “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. From my experience I have learned a couple of things. One is people always talk in the end. The second is that when people do not give me the answers that I desire right away it is because they are afraid of the person in question. By you going around the question tells me that it was Joker who pushed her. Your little game was futile. I still got the answer that I wanted.”
Clapping his hands together rather loudly and obnoxiously, Joker stood up. “Bravo, Doc, bravo.” The clapping ceased. “You got the answer that you wanted, like you, uh, always do. What do you intend to do with, uh, what you have found ou-tah?”
As was expected of him Greg’s closed fist hit the man’s jaw with all the strength he could muster. Having fought the man before Joker was pleasantly shocked that the hit was much harder than he had previously experienced before. It sent him off balance and Greg grabbed the collar of Joker’s shirt with his left hand pulling the man closer to him. Joker readied himself for another blow.
What he did not expect was the harsh kiss Greg planted on the man’s lips. It lasted for a second before Joker was pushed back into his chair. “I have to go,” Greg informed the others. “I have other business to attend to, though not as important. I expect that all of you will watch over Jessica while she’s unconscious.” With that he left leaving a confused Joker along with the others.
Once Greg had left the room Riddler turned to Ivy. “Did he just…?”
Ivy nodded her head slowly, “He did,” was all she could manage to say.
“Why?”
“Maybe he’s Italian and that was, like, the kiss of death or something.” It was a crappy explanation and she knew it, but it was the only one that she could come up with.
“Doc’s not Italian,” stated Joker dully. Turning back to face the table a smile appeared on his face. “Who’s turn is it?!”

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Another chapter for you all. I'm sorry to say but updates will only be once a week now. I'm just not feeling the story at the moment and am having horrible writer's block. I'm taking a little break from it. I still have two chapters left before I run out of story. I'm trying to drag them out for you guys. Hoping that within two weeks I'll get my groove back. Wish me luck on that. lol. If anyone has any suggestions feel free to post them on the review area thingy mabob. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all. Review and rate please. :)