: IMAGINE: You've known Arthur for a while 'cause your mom used to be Penny's carer, but you've distanced yourself as you've developed feelings for him
-- 1st person POV --
"Mom? Mom what happened? What's wrong?"
I hear his voice in the crowd more than any other. Not because he's loud, simply because it is his.
I feel my stomach wrench, and my pulse quickens as I follow the distinctive sound.
He's right there. And my breathing stops.
Arthur Fleck.
"Stand back please." One of the paramedics insists, pulling my focus back.
"He's her son." I yell, at just about the same time Arthur tells them Penny is his mom.
He's noticed me now and his worried expression darkens, as he looks at me almost distrustfully.
"(y/n)! What....what are you doing here?"
He doesn't sound pleased to see me. Quite the opposite in fact, his tone is accusatory and his eyes cold. Making me feel about as welcome as a double glazing salesman.
"Who are you?" The harassed medic turns to me, all patience lost. "Are you a member of the immediate family?"
"I'm his wife." I blurt, gesturing towards poor Arthur, who looks stunned by my proclamation. "Penny's my mother-in-law."
The paramedic nods curtly and ushers me aboard the ambulance, where I clamber up the steps after 'my husband'
God how embarrassing. Why didn't I just say I was his sister? That would've been less humiliating. But it would've been creepy. It sounds silly I know, but given the way I feel about him. Well...
"Is she on any medication?.....Does she have any medical conditions?..." The medic bombards Arthur with numerous questions and he does his best to answer, but I can see he's struggling.
After a while the questions stop coming, and a tense silence descends over us. The only sound is the noise of the sirens wailing, cutting a path through the late-evening traffic of central Gotham.
Arthur sits with his head in his hands, perceptibly shaking as if in shock, the fraught situation starting to take its toll and I have to practically sit on my hands to stop myself from reaching out to comfort him. Too afraid the gesture will be unwelcome.
Eventually we arrive at Arkham State Hospital and everything seemed to happen so quickly.
Passing by the line of ambulances parked outside the Emergency Room entrance, we make our way through the wide, automatic sliding doors, following the paramedics as they wheel Penny's listless, frail body inside on the trolley.
Inside, the waiting area is already full. Nearby a man sits pressing what looks like a cold compress to his head, another is pinching a bloody dressing to his nose. Another medic wheels a woman by wearing neck brace and amidst the sound of phones ringing and doctors rushing back and forth, a child can be heard wailing.
Arthur and I are shown to a waiting area, while they rush his mom off into a side room.
He paces back and forth anxiously, his posture bent like a sad, vulnerable child and my arms ache with the need to hold him.
"What happened?" He asks, his tone clipped.
"I don't know. When I arrived there was two policemen at the apartment. I think they were looking for you--"
"What did they say to her? Did they cause this?"
"I don't know Arthur, everything happened so fast. She collapsed..." Voice cracking with emotion, I bury my face in my hands, trying to hold back the tears.
"Why are you crying?" He snaps.
"W-what?" I look up at him through bleary eyes.
"Why are you crying? Why do you suddenly care again?"
"I've never stopped caring!" My heart wrenches in on itself. "A-Arthur, that's not fair!"
"Oh really (y/n), you wanna know what isn't fair?" He rounds on me angrily, those beautiful jade eyes of his look almost black in the fluorescent light and they're glowing like two coals. "What isn't fair is you disappearing on us like you did! Why did you stop calling?"
"I did still call. Maybe not as often but I came when I could--"
"Not when I was home!" He hurls at me, then pauses, fighting to regain some composure. "And...and not as often. We-- that is, Mom missed you!"
I close my eyes, unable to take the sight of his pained expression. His eyes are wounded, frantic and he's got every right to look at me with such unveiled resentment.
I haven't been around half as much as I used to be....
My own mom used to work as Penny's carer. Right up until the state cut funding she visited Penny daily, and during the days when the elderly woman was more mobile she would take her on days out to the park, or to the local church hall for coffee and cake.
That's where I first met Penny.....and then Arthur.
He would often accompany his mother like a dedicated, caring son, and being a volunteer at the local homeless shelter and church hospice, I recognised the goodness in him in spite of his awkward demeanour, and it made me melt.
At first I had thought it was just admiration. I respected him so much for having been the man of the house for so long, tentatively taking care of his ailing mom, and often going without food in order for her to eat.
Then things started to change. I couldn't help noticing the way his thick mop of chocolatey hair smelled like orange blossom and his eyes sparkled like precious green gemstones.
And that smile.
It never failed to light-up a room when he entered and it had the most alarming affect on me. Whenever he turned my way and flashed that smile, my knees would tremble and butterflies would swirl in my stomach.
But it was bad.
Arthur is much older than me and even though my mom isn't technically working for him anymore, she strongly discouraged me getting too attached to the son of her former client.
Sometimes I wonder if my mom knows things I don't know about the Flecks, because even though she loves Penny she's always been a little wary around Arthur and never liked me spending too much time talking to him.
So I would keep visiting Penny, not wanting to abandon her as I know how much the social interaction means to her, even though she does spend most of her time waffling on endlessly about Thomas Wayne.
She's a sweet old lady.
And Arthur I would avoid. Deliberately stopping by at the apartment when I knew he was out working.
Just then a doctor arrives, shattering my turbulent thoughts.
"Mr Fleck? Mrs Fleck?"
It takes me a moment to catch-on and realise he's talking to me. Awkwardly I stand next to Arthur, as the doctor informs us of Penny's condition.
She's had a mild stroke, but her condition is stable thank god.
We're then taken to Penny, who's wired-up to various machines. It looks like she's sleeping peacefully and once again I'm brushing tears from my eyes.
"She's gonna be okay." I assure him, placing a nervous hand on his shoulder.
I feel his body stiffen, but I don't remove my hand. I want to be there for him damn it, whether he likes it or not.
"I'm going to get a coffee. D'you want one?"
He gives a slight nod of the head, then just as I'm about to move away he unexpectedly reaches up and rests his hand on mine, almost possessively.
"Y-you will come back....won't you?"
"Yes Arthur." I reassure him, fighting the impulse to throw my arms around him and hold onto him forever. Until the pain he feels goes away.
I won't leave you again, ever. Is what I want to say.
But I can't. Not yet anyway. So I don't.