◇Joker One-Shots◇

Grief

"Arthur, listen to me.."   The doctor got personal with the broken man before him. He didn't know Arthur very well, but he was use to grieving reactions to these type of things. How he hated to be the bringer of bad news. "Arthur, your wife needs you right now. She'll be asking for you soon. She'll need you there when she finds out.." 

Arthur nodded, trying to conceal his laughter with his arm. The doctor helped him to his feet, dusting him off slightly. Arthur felt the tears stain his cheeks. There was no use in wiping them away. Not when he had to look his wife in the face and tell her that they lost their only chance on starting a family. The doctor showed Arthur to _____'s room, opening the door for him. 

"I'll let you two have a moment." He cracked the door open a bit before little Arthur in, grabbing Arthur's attention. "I don't want to alarm you but.." The doctor took a deep breath. "When these things happen... we go ahead and clean the infant and wrap them up..." 

"You mean she's..." Arthur's gaze trailed towards the room. The doctor nodded. 

"We let the parents say their goodbyes.." 

The doctor left the door cracked, leaving Arthur to venture forth on his own. Arthur hesitantly walked in, quietly closing the door behind him. He glanced over to the bed, spotting his wife's sleeping figure. She was so pale. All the internal bleeding caused he to lose a lot of blood. Arthur's heart ached at the sight of her. How he wished he couldn't traded places with her in order for her to have been safe and deliver the baby. Arthur's eyes trailed to the side of the room, where an incubator sat. Arthur's mouth went dry when he spotted the still bundle inside. 

There she was. His pride and joy. 

Arthur walked ever so slowly towards the incubator, every step screaming at him to not go any closer. He didn't need to see her. Not like this. Arthur couldn't help himself. He wanted to see her. He had to. Nine months he had been dreaming of seeing her precious face. His palms became clammy and he felt his heart throbbing as he approached her.  He took one glance at her.

Arthur coiled back in horror, leaning up against the counter to regain his balance. He thought he could pass out at any moment. 

Why the fuck would they allow him to see her like that?

Grey skin.

Blue lips and lids.

Her skull looked to be shattered underneath the beanie that placed on her. 

Arthur clenched his eyes shut. Her mutilated face never left his mind. He shouldn't have looked. He shouldn't have. Arthur sat by the incubator, his frame trembling. For a moment he believed his hair turned white at the sight of her. 

His baby girl. His beautiful baby girl. 

For a moment, Arthur thought he would fall into another one of his episodes and wake his wife. But he didn't. Arthur should have been laughing. For once he was hoping he was just so he knew he was feeling something. Yet he didn't. He felt completely numb. Like he felt nothing at all. 

After what felt like an hour of sitting there silently, Arthur made it to his feet. He stood up and turned to the glass coffin that held his daughter. 

His perfect baby girl. 

Arthur opened the incubator and reached in, letting his hand brush against her cheek. She was cold to the touch. Arthur wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and holding her close to him. He stared down at her disfigured face. 

She had such beautiful puffed, purple lips. Long eyelashes and pale cheeks that should have been rosy. Her adorable button nose, dried blood visible in her nostrils. From what Arthur could tell, she had thin brown curls on her head. She would of had his hair. He wondered if she would of had his eyes too. Arthur cooed at her, subtly bouncing on his heels as though he was comforting her.