Jealousy

Chapter 3

"There sits a clown without a smile on his face. Riddle me that," said Edward Nygma, who had the cell next to the Joker's and watched him from the window as he sat on his bed, glaring at the floor.

"Here's a riddle for you, Eddie. What happens to guys who poke their noses in where they don't belong? They end up wrapped in plastic and dumped in the gutter," growled Joker.

Nygma smiled. "It's fine. You don't have to tell me. I already know what's bothering you. It's Harley, isn't it? She's suddenly become more distant since last night."

Joker looked up at him. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"It's a reasonable deduction based on the facts at hand," replied Nygma. "But then I probably am in possession of more of the facts than you. The only obvious one is that you're angry, but couple that with the other information at my disposal, the information about Harley's movements last night, and the conclusion is fairly obvious."

"And what would you know about Harley's movements last night?" asked Joker.

Nygma smiled again, then went over to the opposite wall of his cell and pressed a stone. The wall slid back to reveal a system of monitors, flashing images from the security cameras set up around the asylum. "It's just a little hobby of mine, hacking into the security system," said Nygma. "It was a fairly easy system to crack, but then most things are for a man of my intellect."

"Yeah, great job, Eddie," said Joker, nodding. "With that kinda enthusiasm for watching cameras, you might make security guard someday."

Nygma's face fell. "It's not a great idea to mock me, Joker," he retorted. "I have the power to bring about your complete humiliation, and I will use it."

"Big words, Eddie," retorted Joker. "Let's see your proof."

Nygma shrugged. "Very well." He punched in some numbers on the keyboard attached to the monitors. "We'll rewind the cameras to about ten minutes past midnight and see what we shall see."

Joker watched as the cameras showed Dr. Johnny Bryan standing by Harley's cell, talking to her for a short while, and then unlocking the cell and leading her down the corridor towards his office.

"Unusual time for a doctor to be meeting with a patient, don't you agree?" asked Nygma, grinning. "Unless they weren't interested in therapy and more interested in...meeting."

"Don't make jokes about sex, Eddie, you've clearly never had any," growled Joker. He glared at the footage, his mind slowly processing the facts. Harley had left her cell late last night to meet with her attractive doctor. She had returned to her cell later, clearly panicked and claiming that nothing had happened. And this morning she refused to be intimate with him. As inconceivable as it was that Harley would ever cheat on him, and as much as he didn't want to believe it, all the evidence pointed to the fact that she had. And he wasn't crazy enough to ignore evidence when it stared him right in the face.

"At least I've not been cuckolded, Joker," retorted Nygma.

He was standing by the bars of their window, grinning triumphantly at Joker. That was his mistake.

When the guards burst into the room after hearing the screaming, they found Joker holding Nyma's collar, and slamming him repeatedly into the bars of the window. They managed to make Joker release him after much effort and rushed him to the infirmary, while dragging Joker off to solitary confinement.

About half an hour later, Dr. Leland visited him there. "You're more aggressive than usual, and that is saying something," she said, glaring at him. "Anything the matter?"

"Yeah, there is, Doc," he replied, grinning. "I've finally remembered something. Something about who I was before Bat-brain threw me into that vat of acid."

Dr. Leland stared at him. "You've had a breakthrough?" she murmured.

"Sure have," he said, smiling. "But see...the thing is...Doc," he beckoned her over. "There's a reason I've repressed it for so long," he whispered. "I'm a little...scared to talk about it. It hurts if I think too much about it, y'know, but I...I need to share it with someone. Someone like you, Doc, someone sympathetic, someone who knows me, who understands me the way you do."

"Well, I'd be happy to listen," said Dr. Leland.

He waved his hand. "Nah, it ain't for a woman's ears. Couldn't subject a lady to the kinda sick crap that went on in my past. No, I need a trustworthy doctor who ain't a gal."

Dr. Leland thought. "What about Dr. Bryan?"

Joker grinned. "Doc, you read my mind! Guess that's what makes you such a good head-shrinker, huh?" he chuckled. "Can you make an appointment with him for me? And as soon as possible – this may very well start me on the road to recovery."

Dr. Leland opened the file she was carrying. "As far as I know, he's free at one. Would that be soon enough for you?"

"Aw, Doc, you're the greatest!" beamed Joker. "Yeah, one will suit me just fine! Can't wait for the session!"

Dr. Leland nodded and turned to go. Joker kept grinning until she left, and then his smile suddenly dropped into the most intense look of hatred and loathing. "It's going to be a real killer," he muttered.