Stitches || Scarecrow

Ch.3

Julia awoke with a start. She tried to sit up, but noticed her hands and feet were strapped down to the chair that she sat on. Preventing her to move anywhere but an inch.

She frantically tried to squeeze her hand through a strap when she heard a man's cough. She looked up and saw the devil standing behind the desk in front of her.

The devil was none other than Dr. Crane, who looked amused at her expression of distaste.

"You must be wondering where you are, I presume?" he gestures around him.

The room was entirely metal, even the chairs and desk.

"It's just a common room, so don't worry. It's just where we will hold most of our calmer sessions." he continued, adjusting his glasses. He sat on the chair behind the desk. "Now we will begin properly with an introduction. My name is Dr. Jonathan Crane; your doctor. And you are..?"

"Are you serious?" Ragdoll murmured.

Julia stayed silent.

Dr. Crane sighed. He put his briefcase on the desk, opened it, and pulled out another syringe. "It's either talk, or you can take another dose of your medicine. Make your head clearer." he tapped the syringe with a thin finger.

Julia flinched. "Please don't..." she whispered.

"Ah... Progress. Finally." he put the syringe away. And instead pulled out a notebook and pen. "Introduce yourself." he said. His cold eyes piercing her soul.

Ragdoll and her shuddered. "Julia Heart." she kept her voice low.

"Age?"

"Twenty five."

He wrote something down in a quick motion. "Family?"

She avoided his eyes.

"Keep it together!" Ragdoll hissed. "He knows how to target you. He's a bloody bastard!"

Dr. Crane tilted his head. "How about we do it this way. I say a subject and you say something about it. Good? Ok... Mother?"

"In hell."

He raised an eyebrow. "Father."

"Dead to me."

"Oops." Julia said.

"No kidding." Ragdoll said sarcastically.

"Interesting." Dr. Crane folded his hands. "Did he abandon you as a child?"

Julia hesitantly nodded.

"So I'm guessing you had a rough childhood..."

She nodded again.

"Abuse and abandonment?"

"He nailed it." Ragdoll stated.

"Yes." she replied, looking down.

"Were you afraid then?"

She looked up, "why should I tell you a thing! There is honestly no reason when the methods you use are probably illegal. That so called medicine is not a substance real doctors use." she hissed. "Are you even a real doctor?"

His eyes merely studied her, as if she was an unusual painting. "What I do Miss Heart, is I do my best to cure people from fear. So what if my methods ain't legal? They work. And they even affect you as I can see..."

She narrowed her eyes. He didn't answer the question.

"I'll warn you Miss Heart to be sure to think before you speak. Or things could turn quite unfortunate." he smiled.

He gathered his things in his briefcase. "A guard will be here shortly to escort you to your cell. Our next session will be tomorrow. Corporate and maybe I won't give you another dose. Good evening Miss Heart." Dr. Crane finished. He opened the door to the rest of Arkham, letting some of the shadows in the room.

"I'm not afraid of you." Julia stated boldly.

He stopped, not turning around. He laughed darkly. "We shall see."

He left her alone. Well not quite...

"I don't like this." Ragdoll said.

"I shouldn't have burst out like that!" she cried.

Ragdoll sighed. "I know... But now-"

"-We shall pay the price." Julia finished. "And that's what I'm afraid of."