Within Arkham's Walls V. II: Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow and Joker x OC Fanfiction

I. The High Security Ward

It was my first day working back at Arkham Asylum.

A blizzard raged on outside of the bleak walls in which I was confined in. Ice glazed the few windows the asylum had, isolating the dim space that much more.

I began regretting wearing only a pleated skirt with pantyhose and a sweater. It was slightly warmer when I left my apartment with my overcoat on, but now the endless hallways of tiled floors and walls exuded the same cold they absorbed, chilling me to the bone.

I wondered if they'd send the staff home early due to the conditions, or we'd get stuck here overnight.

I shivered and reminded myself that I had work to do.

It felt strange. I hadn't lived my life as a "normal" person in weeks...nevertheless worked. I had been too busy hiding in the shadows and fighting for the right to live my life.

A sense of danger and anxiety still loomed over me and the fear of being murdered by the monsters at Wayne Enterprises still lingered in my body. But I couldn't let that get to me.

However, I did wonder if my half brother, Bruce Wayne, would take back the company rightfully left to him. If he could somehow drive out those power hungry, greedy bastards...I would do anything to help him.

For the sake of Gotham and for the chance to have a family, I would go to any length. After all, that's why I was back at the asylum.

To save the person that saved me.

✣

I prepared myself for my behavioral notations and organized my list of patients. I planned my first client to be one of the asylums newest...

Jonathan Crane. The Scarecrow.

The only person I ever felt loved me as much as I loved them.

I'm not entirely sure what he was caught for, as it wasn't on file at Arkham. I knew he had that strange aerosol drug and sold it to criminals, but what more could there be?

One thing I was sure of though, was that Jonathan wasn't a bad man.

I did some snooping and learned that he was being held on the side of Arkham that I had never been to.

The High Security Ward.

And I had stayed away for a good fucking reason: this is where the criminally insane patients were kept.

But, I wouldn't let icy fear that began seeping through my body stop me from getting to Jonathan. I knew he wasn't crazy, and I knew he wouldn't hurt me.

As for the other inmates, well, patients, I couldn't say the same.

Under the seemingly innocent guise that I was "trying to expand and grow my experience under my Client Case Notation Specialist position," I prompted my new supervisor to let me take on a patient from the High Security Ward with an upcoming trial, so that my notations could potentially be used in a court of law.

But, the director of the asylum had a slightly different plan. I was actually to have two criminally insane notation cases.

In addition to Crane, I was assigned the most dangerous, wanted man in Gotham as one of my clients.

The Joker.

My heart sank just as it did when I saw the security guards dragging the criminal, shackled and beaten, into asylum earlier that day. His drawn, crooked smile still haunted my thoughts.

Just the sound of the Joker's maniacal chuckle ricocheting off the grimy tile walls of the asylum was enough to send me into a spiraling panic.

I put on my coat and gathered my supplies, waiting for my supervisor to join me so we could trek our way over to the secure side of the building.

"Dr. Packard, are you coming?" I called to the haggard women that now held Jonathan's position as my supervisor and the Chief Director of the asylum. I missed when it was him and I and our patients.

I never expected him to be the patient.

"How do you mean?" She replied in a bored tone, not bothering to look at me. My first day working with her and I was already annoyed.

Jonathan may have been a sociopathic asshole when we worked together, but at least he acknowledged me like a human being...usually.

"Dr. Packard, I can't take my notations without you there. You're to ask the questions and I notate the behavior." She sighed with annoyance and finally looked at me, her eyes soulless and unkind.

"Ms...," She trailed off. "Thatcher," I said, trying to hide the bitterness in my tone. "Right, Ms. Thatcher, I am short staffed 45 employees. 45. As the director of this facility, I don't the have the time to sit in on every one of your cases—"

"But I'm not allowed to—"

"And I'm not allowed to be running a facility with a 1:12 staff to patient ratio! No one, not even the government, cares about Arkham, it's patients, or it's workers. I don't care if you're not a psychologist or psychiatrist, do what needs to be done on your end so notations are produced."

I was speechless as she stormed down the hallway.

Was the economy that bad to where we were so short staffed? The government so corrupt that no one gave a damn about scope of practice or job qualifications? And how did Dr. Crane have time for his patients but this old hag didn't?

If the circumstances were different, I would've quit on the spot. If I was going to be working like I had a PhD, would have to be paid like I did too.

Suddenly, I realized that I was actually just given an opportunity.

Without the presence of Dr. Packard, I could speak freely with Jonathan.

But another realization quickly stole my joy.

That's means I would have to be alone with the Joker.