☆ This isn't how it was suppose to be. Arthur should've been there. It should have been him in the delivery room with her. But he's gone and that hurts more than childbirth.☆
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"No! No, I want an epidural!"
______ cried out, her knuckles white as she held onto the railings of the hospital bed. Many nurses and a doctor were held at gun point, forced to bend at Joker's will. He wouldn't allow anything to go wrong. Not today.
"You heard her, doc. Epidural, now." Joker motioned to the mother of his child. The doctor was trembling as Joker held a gun to his head.
"S-She can't. She's already ten centimeters."
"Meaning?"
"It's too late for an epidural, she's already in the stages of crowning." The doctor stated, pulling a chair up as he prepared himself to deliver the baby. Joker sighed and glanced at the woman he forcefully took.
She was crying out in agony and anguish. She didn't want this. She never wanted this. She didn't want him.
"Darling. I know you're in a lot of pain but the doc says it's too late for any kind of drugs." Joker made his way to the woman's side. He reached over and letter her damp forehead. He felt sorry that he couldn't take away her pain but she had been stubborn the past nine months. Out right refusing to eat and hoping that she miscarried.
"Get Away!" She turned her head away from him, causing Joker to coil back. "I hope they're dead.. I hope they're dead.." She repeated to herself, clenching her eyes shut as she felt another contraction coming.
As much as she wished she could deny the child's life, she would give birth without concent. This baby would be born whether she wanted it or not.
"You're already crowning beautifully." The doctor stated, nervously gazing up at Joker as he stared at his woman, deep in thought.
How dare she be so stubborn now. After all he's done to keep her healthy, to keep his baby healthy. Joker stressed night and day until the day she went into labour. She might've hated him, but she owed him this much. She was his.
"I Can't! I can't do this!" ______ screamed, thrashing around on the bed. Nurses rushed to her aid, to hold her down.
"You'll hurt the baby if you don't calm down! Please, just breathe. Breathe and it'll be quicker."
"No! I want them dead!"
They felt terrible for the woman in the bed. They didn't know who she was or her relationship with Joker. They just know that Joker nerarly took hostage of the whole building. His goonies were scattered at every exit, making sure that all hands were accessible for the birth of his baby. The woman was rushed in, screaming protests and begging them to let her die.
What did this man to do her?
"Darling, that's no way to speak about our baby. This is a happy day! We're going to be one happy family." Joker smiled while by her side. He insisted on being in the room with her. He demanded to be present.
"I Hate You! I hope your spawn is dead!" ______ cursed him, crying out desperately for help. "Please Let Me Die! Let Us Die!"
"The head is out. Give us a good push and it'll be over." The doctor tried soothing her agony with his words. If she could just get it through her head that once it was over the pain would stop. Still, she was stubborn.
"You can do it, love. Breath and push." Joker kissed her head in a loving manor. He loved the mother of his child. That's why they were here with the best doctor. She needed the best care.
"Get Away From Me!" ______ shrieked. She felt like she was being split in half. Curse him. He did this to her. This was all his fault.
"Very good, keep going! You're almost there." The doctor encouraged her. His nurses prepared for the arrival of the infant. They were prepared to clean and wrap the baby in a blanket to hand to their mother.. or perhaps the father since the mother was very hostile. "Keep pushing."
______ cried out like a banshee as she gave it her all, her nails digging into the bed as she nearly blacked out from straining. Joker furrowed his brows in worry of her health. She looked so pale. So weak.
"It's a girl!" The doctor announced, holding the infant in his arms.
Something was wrong, however.
"W-Why isn't she crying.." Joker asked. Babies were suppose to cry, right? They always cried when first born. Why wasn't his? What was wrong with her?
The doctor furrowed his brows, clipping the cord and rushing off with his nurses. Joker stayed by his women's side.
"She's gone.." _____ said. A weak smirk on her lips. "She's gone. She's gone.."
"Don't say that.. she's going to be okay.."
Joker watched as a single tear ran down her cheek. She wanted this to happen. For their child to be dead. She wanted his heart to break.
"Your baby will burn in hell." She looked him in the eye. A dark look held behind them. She hated him and wanted nothing more than to watch him suffer for what he did to her.
Just then, the silence was broken.
Joker looked over when he heard the cries of his child. His daughter. He felt a smile creep onto his lips. His baby girl.
"There we are. You had us worried, little one." The doctor stated, wrapping the wailing infant and carrying her to Joker. The doctor was thankful the child was alive. He knew they would all pay with their lives if they didn't save her. "Congratulations.. She's perfectly healthy.. perhaps a bit stressed but.. she's better in your care than.." The doctor looked over at the woman in the bed. She was muttering something to herself. A prayer?
Joker put his gun away and awaited to hold his daughter for the first time. He had waited so long for this moment. From the moment he found out _____ was pregnant till now. Joker ignored everything else in the world. The staff was busy tending to _____ and his henchmen stood guard by the doors. It was just him and his baby now.
"She's so perfect." His voice weakened and his gaze softened. Everything about her was perfect. Her blushing cheeks. Her pouting lips. Her adorable button nose. Joker could already tell she was going to have the most beautiful smile. "My perfect little girl."
------
Joker stood by the woman in the bed, holding his daughter close. He refused to let anyone take a look at her, fearing that he'd never get to hold her again. The staff left the room and Joker's men stood outside the room. It was just the three of them. The happy little family.
______ refused to look at them. She kept her head turned away. She wished she could just pass away. She wished the doctor let her bleed out on the bed. She wished she could die, that way she would no longer be held against her will.
How did it come to this?
She was never suppose to be here. He should have killed her off a long time ago.
Back then, she knew him as Arthur.
Arthur Fleck. Her husband.
-----
"Do you want to have kids some day?" Arthur asked, his hand rubbing her hips softly as they layed on the bed. _____ smiled at him. That was an odd question.
"I do. Of course, we would want to be financial stable enough to have one but.. I'd like to have some."
"What if we say fuck it and just start a family right now?" Arthur crawled on top of her and nestled his face into her neck. _____ laughed, a slight moan coming from her as Arthur fit perfectly between her legs.
"I wish we could, sweetie. I really do. But our pays combined wouldn't be able to cover it." She kissed her husband, who let out a dissapointed sigh.
"I just.. really want kids, _____."
"I know, sweetie. Me too."
------
"Why do you hate her..."
_____ clenched her eyes shut as she felt the tugging in her chest. She hated him. For what he did to her. What he did to Arthur.
She and Arthur were so happy. They had eachother and they worked hard each day to provide for one another. The days were hard but at least they got to go home and spend the rest of their evenings embraced and loved.
She lost Arthur when Joker took control. Joker took away her husband. Arthur died... and she was left alone with this.. this monster.
"Look at her.."
She shook her head. She would not let herself submit to him. Not after all he's done to her.
"Look At Her!"
_____ swiftly jerked her head to glare at the infant. The spawn. She looked so peaceful, so innocent. There was no way it was Joker's. Joker could see the hatred in his wife's eyes. She wished the child dead.
"Why do you hate her!" Joker cried out. "She's our daughter. Our daughter. She is all we ever wanted! And yet you.. you hate her so.." Joker's voice was trembling. He was so broken.
They wanted a baby so badly but couldn't. And now that they finally had one...
"You hate her because she lived.. because your attempts to kill her failed, so you hate her.." Joker offered _____ to hold their daughter. If she would just hold her.. she'd fall in love with her too.
______ turned her head away. Once again denying the child.
"I don't want her.." She firmly said. Joker coiled back, holding his daughter close to him. "She's nothing.. she should have died."
"Stop Saying That!"
______ turned her head to look at Joker. It pained her to look into the eyes of man she once called Arthur.
"You took him from me.." The tears welmed in her eyes. "He was my everything.. and you killed him.."
"He.. is me."
"You Took Him From Me!" _____ cried out, the tears stinging her vision.
Her shrill voice cause the infant in Joker's arms to start crying, her voice frail but enough to make _____ fall silent. Joker noticed them and smirked.
As much as she wanted to.. she couldn't hate the child.
"Fine.." Joker straightened his face. He walked towards the surgical counter where they first took the child to aid her when she wasn't breathing. "You want her dead.. fine.. we'll leave her here." Joker set the child down and turned his heel. He walked past the bed and towards the doors. He glanced at his wife, who refused to look at the child as it cried. "But you get to be the one that lets it happen.." He walked out without another word.
All that was left in the room was _____ and the wailing infant across the room. _____ kept her eyes shut tight, doing all she could to block out the shrill wails.
Let her die. Let her die quickly.
-----
"Happy birthday, sweetie!" _____ set down a small pastry for her husband. He chuckled to himself and kissed his wife. They had been married for a while now. Every birthday was different, but ended the same way. They would have dinner, make love and then go to bed. Arthur couldn't complain however, all he wanted was her.. and one more addition.
"Thank you, love. You've really outdone yourself this time."
"Well, this year you get something special." _____ winked, caressing his cheek as she kissed him. Arthur arched a brow.
"Do I now?" He questioned. He could tell by her body language that she was excited about something. "Do tell me."
"Weeeeell. I know we work really hard but just haven't been able to get ourselves to a point where we can really start a family?" _____ started. Arthur nodded. It always stressed her when he asked. "My job is giving me a promotion. Which means we'll be getting more income.. which means we can start trying for a baby." She smiled at her husband. Arthur sat dumbfounded for a moment.
"You mean we.. that we can actually.." Arthur pushed back his tears. He really wanted to start a family and this promotion was going to let that happen.
"Yes. We can start whenever."
Arthur was quick on his heel: picking up _____ and taking her to the bedroom.
He wanted to start immediately.
------
_____ wiped the tears from her eyes. She missed him. So much. All of their dreams of having a baby together were gone when Joker got rid of Arthur. She hated Joker for this.
But hearing the child's cries broke her heart. They sounded so weak. So in need of comfort.
Arthur would not allow that baby to cry, ever. He would scoop her up in his arms and coo to her until she stopped. He would sing to her and tell her how much he loved her. Arthur would not that child lay there helplessly and die.
_____ shook her head. She couldn't let this happen. It wasn't just Joker's child laying there. It was hers.
It was Arthur's.
______ glanced at the infant on the counter. Watching as she squirmed out of her blanket, the cold air harsh on her tender skin. She wailed and wailed, her voice strained and tired. Where did the man in the red suit go? Why did he leave her?
_____ threw the sheets off of her and let herself fall to the ground. She was still weak, her legs trembling. She crawled across the cool tile, her legs dragging behind her as she made her way across the room. _____ pulled herself up onto the counter, frantic to wrap her baby in the blanket and hold her close.
"My sweet.. sweet little girl." She winced, tucking the blanket around her daughter's small body as she slid down to the floor. "You have his eyes.. His perfect green eyes.." She started to weep. How could she want her dead? How could she deny this child life when she was a part of Arthur. She was all she had left of her dear husband. How could she? "I'm so sorry.. I'm so sorry!"
"Isn't she beautiful?" _____ looked up to find Joker standing by the door. His gaze was locked on the child in her arms. _____ saw the look in his eyes. The look of pure love.
"Y-Yes.. she's so beautiful.."
Joker started walking towards them, his heels clinking against the tile.
"Tell her you love her.."
"I love you so much, sweetheart.." _____ brushed her hand along side their daughter's thin locks. The baby's voice grew quiet at her mother's touch. "God, I could never hate you. I'm so sorry for what I did.. I love you, my precious, sweet girl.."
Joker kneeled down and helped _____ to her feet. She leaned her weight against him as he led her back to the bed. ______ sat down and layed back, letting Joker pull the covers over her and he sat beside her. He softly brushed her hair while looking down at their daughter.
"She's so perfect.." Joker's hand reached down and caressed _____'s hand that supported the baby's head, his thumb rubbing small circles against her hand.
This was something Arthur always did to calm her.
_____ broke down into tears, for the first time, smiling.
"She has your eyes."