Fear (A Scarecrow Fanfic)

Chapter Five

I locked the door behind me, dropping my keys onto the coffee table on my way to my room.  Jasmine's interference into my work had seriously set back my schedule and I had only thirty minutes at the gym.  As I changed into my night clothes, I rearranged my schedule for tomorrow, working out time for me to visit the gym again.

The ringing of my phone sliced through my thoughts and I left my bedroom to pick it up, not bothering to check the number.

"Hello?" I answered, cringing as my mother replied with an annoyed tone.

"I've called you several times.  Why haven't you picked up?"

I hesitated before answering, "I fell behind schedule today, so I just got home.  Why didn't you try calling my cell phone?  Is everything okay?"

"I shouldn't have to call your cell phone; you should make it a point to follow your own schedule!" After raising her voice, she hesitated before speaking normally, as if nothing had just happened, "How is work?"

I couldn't help but tense up, "Everything's fine.  I have some notorious patients, so I must be doing well."

"Really?" She sounded unenthusiastic and I knew she was baiting me into a trap.

"Yes...."

"But not because you deserved it," she huffed through the phone in response, "Do you not think I keep an eye on you?  I heard what happened; you're just a replacement for that doctor who was injured."

"The warden didn't have to assign the patients to me if he didn't want too!" I tried retorting.

"Do not try excusing your failure.  You were hired as a replacement, so you'll have to show them that you belong there," her tone changed again, becoming a little softer, "You have work again tomorrow, so get some sleep.  Goodnight, Sarah."

The phone clicked before I could mutter back an irritated goodnight.  Letting out a stuttered sigh, I went back to my room, turning off the lamp on my bedside table as I crawled under the blankets.

'She doesn't know the full story,' I reminded myself in an attempt to relax, 'You're doing fine.'

Morning rolled around sooner than sleep and I found myself robotically getting ready when my alarm went off.  I locked my apartment door before getting into the elevator and going into the parking garage, unlocking my car door before getting in and starting it, driving out into the early morning traffic.

Not even a minute later, my cell phone rang and I picked it up, getting a glimpse at the caller I.D.  I held the phone with one hand, tapping the steering wheel with a finger as I waited for the vehicle in front of me to move.

"Yes, mother?"

"How's the traffic?  You are in your car, correct?" She asked almost mockingly.

I patiently answered with a, "Yes.  The traffic is the same as it always is in the mornings."

"Good," she paused like she was debating telling me something.  After a moment, she spoke again, "I'll be waiting for you outside your apartment, so don't be late."

"Okay," I answered calmly despite the panic wriggling in my chest.

She wished me a good day at work, reminding me to work hard before she hung up, but her words barely registered in my mind before quickly escaping, replaced with my rearrangement of my schedule again.  If I could finish my reports with no distractions, I'd be able to get back to my apartment in time to make the place spotless to appease my mother.

When I pulled into the Arkham parking lot, I was ready to get this day over with, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball underneath a rock somewhere.  I smiled at the receptionist as I walked past for my office, hoping she wouldn't let Jasmine back in anytime soon.  Once in my office, I sat down at my desk, logged into the computer, and checked my emails.

There was a knock on my door, and I looked up, watching as it opened and a security guard walked in.  Confused, I glanced at the clock, not understanding why he was here when my patient for that time was on the loose.  He gave me a smile, holding out two tapes.

"Batman left these for you when he brought in Riddler last night," he said.

"Oh, thank you...." I read his name tag and smiled, "Mr. Cash.  Will there be an appointment with Mr. Nygma today?"

Mr. Cash shook his head with a frown, "No, ma'am, he's in the infirmary for the time being," he looked at the clock, "I've got to get back to work.  Have a good day, Doctor."

I nodded in response, getting out of my chair so I could put the tapes in the filing cabinet as he left.  Assuming that Batman had caught the others who had escaped, they we're probably in the infirmary as well, so while I was waiting, I read several newspaper articles on what had happened last night between Batman and the Riddler.

Before the guard had come to get me, I had already pulled up an empty document to write my report on, and organized my file on Harley, standing from my desk the moment the door opened.  I walked past him, leading the way to the evaluation room and letting myself in, taking a seat across from Harley.

I set up the tape recorder, "Good morning Miss Quinn.  How are you today?"

"Peachy," she muttered and sighed, "I hear Riddler's back in, all those brains and that ego of his and he can't even outsmart the Bat."

"Assuming he did outsmart Batman, what do you think he would do?" I asked, trying to start establishing what she thought of some of the other inmates besides Joker.

"I don't know," she grinned, "that guy's crazy!"

"I hear you're friends with Miss Isley, whom some people are afraid of.  Does she not scare you?" I changed her focus to someone else.

Harley rolled her eyes, "Nah, Red's cool.  Everyone else just sucks!"

I tried not to smile at that, instead looking up at the clock, seeing that we only had time for one more question, "Do you think Batman's crazy?"

"Ain't we all, Doc?" She asked, smirking, "He dresses up like a bat and beats up loonies!  If he's sane than no one is."

I thought about what she said, seeing her logic as I ended the recording and dismissed her.  Perhaps Batman was just as insane as the Joker, Zazz, Scarecrow, and everyone else emitted into Arkham.

'Think like that and then you won't appreciate what he does for Gotham.  The GCPD isn't capable of catching someone like Poison Ivy or Killer Crock,' I told myself while walking back to my office.

I finished my report on Harley when the phone on my desk rang.  I picked it up and put it to my ear, the voice that came through both surprising and irritating.

"I'm at your apartment.  Are you unable to keep the place clean or are you just lazy?" My mother asked.

I sighed, glaring at the clock, frustrated, "How did you even get into my apartment?"

"The manager let me in," she stated casually, doing who knows what with my stuff, "but you can't be surprised by that, it is Gotham after all.  You should speak with him about letting strangers in."

"Yes, mother," I answered, also making a mental more to have a word with the receptionist.

"We're also going to have a talk about the proper state to keep your apartment in," she stated before, "You've taken a long enough break, get back to work."

The phone clicked as she hung up, but I sat with the phone still to my ear, trying to process the possibilities of what would happen when I went home.  The door opened and I hung up the phone, glancing at the clock as I grabbed my paperwork.  The guard led me into the hallway despite being early to come get me, leaving me to wonder if there was something going on that required me to see the patients earlier.