Not quite wonderland (Jeremiah)

[iceman]

A BOAT beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July --
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear --
Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream --
Lingering in the golden dream --
Life, what is it but a dream?

White. Soft white walls. This wasn’t wonderland. It was dark and cold. Evil voices wafted around like vultures waiting for a corpse to pick clean. He would cover his face in terror but his arms were wrapped around himself in a torturous inhumane way. They took Alice away from him, that poor girl. He remembered the devilish sounds the sirens made ,how poor Alice who was whisked away on a bed, the man and woman daemons that shed crocodile tears over the sleeping girl, the shields they rammed him with, and the sticks that created lightning. His head was cold and bare. He couldn’t stop but mourning his hat. What did they do to it? Examine it? Destroy it? What was safe from the monsters’ attack? Oh Mr. Rabbit! He dashed away from the attack. He was safe and hopefully on the trail of Alice once more. Hatter let out a small grin but it was killed by the insane screaming hanging rather loosely overhead.

Hatter would've softly sing or hum one but the voices would get louder and their owners would find Hatter. If they found him…..Jervis shook the thought out of his head. If he couldn't sing then he was truly alone in here. If only someone would visit. A large grin appeared in a dark corner of the room.

“Hatter…..why where’s Alice?” The grin whispered in a buttery soft voice.

"T….The J-Jabberwockies…they took her….. from me….me…….the tea party had just begun I can’t believe the naughty monsters now would take innocent little girls.” Hatter said

“But my dear Hatter, at the end of the story how does the hero stop the monsters?” the grin grew a pair of yellow devilish eyes.

"Off with their heads, Hatter.”

[Jeremiah Arkham - Black Mask]

Jeremiah's stroll was slow. The day had thus far been long, longer than it usually felt when running the asylum and tending to its patients. He pulled off his glasses and extracted a cloth from his pocket to clean them before replacing them and entering the code to enter the wing that held his most dangerous, the notorious Gotham Rogues. It was fairly quiet there, most of them still on the streets, yet to be captured. And he? He was just passing through. He had no intentions of stopping to chit-chat.

He had had no intentions. That was the keyword there. Intent, plan, need. He just wanted to fulfill his next successive task that would bring the close of the day all the closer. He wanted to immerse himself in his paperwork, that was how tired he was. He'd been dealing the scathing voice of the GCPD's head of psychology, Lehman, all day. All the questions, all the scheduling. Could he come to court the next day, had he practiced, was he prepared? Of course he was! He was an Arkham, he'd been running the Asylum since his twenties! He knew his field, recertified himself, made sure he was up-to date on therapy techniques, made sure he knew his chemistry. He kept up with drugs! Was he prepared? What was Lehman, a baboon?

Jeremiah snerked, he might as well be. A monkey of money and the system. You paid him enough, he'd declare your grandmother insane.

The doctor paused in his walk and leaned against the wall to take deep breaths. He was not on the phone anymore, he could relax and that's when the voice caught his ears. He knew it well, it was Jervis Tetch's. He titled his head. He'd not seen any paperwork on him as yet. When had he arrived? How long had been there? He followed the voice to its origin.

It was certainly the Mad Hatter's cell. He walked up to the window. The man was speaking, crooning a poem and then he was talking to the corner. Jeremiah knew this behavior, but he said nothing, nothing until he felt he could interrupt.

“Tetch?” He questioned. “I wasn't aware you were here.” His voice was apologetic, as he always schooled it to be. In fact he was a little more than miffed, but not at the man in the cell, but his staff.

[iceman]

Hatter jumped back at the sound of Arkham’s voice. The corner was empty and Cheshire was gone. Hatter’s face grew long and pale. Hatter stared up through the barred window. He stared into Arkham’s glasses but they were only just visible. Jervis could recall memories with Arkham. He could see Arkham's eyes studying him during his transfer. Memorizing his ever muscle movement. Hatter wouldn’t be shocked if that’s how he treated every patient. He wouldn't be shocked.... thinking that merely made his mind think non-stop about his upcoming shock therapy session.

The voices seemed to die out though as Jeremiah stayed to catch his breath for a moment. It was dare say it peaceful. He started to grin a little. “Doctor Arkham. Oh hello h-how are you? I hope you’ll mention my good behavior to ms. Dawes or m-missszszzs….ms. Porter in the….DA’s office.” Hatter stammered quickly. Arkham was an intelligent man. He could see a lying patient before the mugshot’s snapped. Hopefully he would take his fear of eye contact and stammering as nerves and not him stretching the truth but Hatter never has had that kind of luck. If he kept his behavior up he may get early parole or at least they’d bend dress code a tad to let him wear a hat.

[Jeremiah Arkham - Black Mask]

Jeremiah blinked a moment at Jervis's stammering before he tilted his head down. His eyes stared out over the frames of his glasses and his lips pulled into a small, almost unnoticeable smirk. He stepped just a little closer to the bars and peered in at the man.

“Jervis, whatever are you talking about?” He asked softly, his smile audible. “I can clearly see you're being very behaved, though I may need to speak to you later about your friend. I see the Cheshire Cat is still visiting you. That's who you were speaking to wasn't it?” And then the smile was on his lips, clearly visible. “I didn't even know you were here, Mr. Tetch. Though I can guess why. It's Alice isn't it?” He raised a brow curiously.

[iceman]

Jervis began to scoot back as Arkham stepped forward. Jervis could see the Doctor’s eyes through the bars and glasses. Gazing at him. A small smile went across Jeremiah’s face. It was a smile of uncertainty. Jeremiah was thinking or plotting something silently. And….. oooh Jervis just didn’t want to think about it

“Cheshire comes to me I don’t chose when.” Hatter franticly replied. He wouldn’t convince Jerimiah the truth. It was pointless. People here brush it off as insanity and send you through treatment after treatment. Hatter sunk down into a corner hoping the shadows would engulf him and make him disappear. He then shot up at Alice’s name. “Doctor why you of all people should know she slipped into a slumber. She wasn’t dead like the foolish paramedics had said.” Hatter shook his head. “ You should be able to comprehend.” The girl’s sleeping state looked quite like a post mortem one but she was alive and well.

[Jeremiah Arkham - Black Mask]

Jeremiah chuckled lightly, “Jervis, I believe you.” He told him, his voice dropping to a gentle cadence, “but I would still very much like to talk about Cheshire, we don't talk much about him do we?” He asked and raised his hand to the bars of the cell. The fact of the matter was, he did indeed believe the man. He knew he never asked for his own personal demons to awaken and chat, so why hold such a standard to another? He wouldn't do that and part him realized there was no reason for Jervis to fear him, at least not yet.

“And I didn't say you killed Alice, I just assumed that she was the reason you were in here. But I'm very glad she's alright, I would so hate it if she wasn't.”[/color[ He looked through the bars and his eyes held curiosity. In fact, he'd not heard of his latest Alice and whether he was lying, deluded the woman was sleeping if she was actually asleep and nothing more, Jeremiah wasn't sure, but he'd make assumptions, not yet, not without the fact. “May I come in, Jervis? I promise it is a mere conversation. It's been a while since you've been here and I'm curious to see that you're alright. And well,” he let his smile fall to embarrassment, “I'm afraid I can't tell much looking in.”

And if Jervis refused, that was that. Jeremiah would be on his way. It was as simple as that.

[iceman]

Hatter stared rather sheepishly at Jeremiah. “would like to know more about Cheshire?” He asked. Somehow it seemed like a dull topic. Cheshire often visited Hatter but they were merely small chats. If the doctor wanted to make idle chit chat about Cheshire Jervis had no real authority to deny him.

“If you would like to than do come in.” Hatter said. It would help for the doctor to be closer though so his appearance would be more than his two eyes staring down at him through the bars. Jervis felt unprepared to have company though. His head felt cold and bare. It would be rather embarrassing to be seen in this state but he wouldn't dare complain about it to the doctor. What good would that do?

[Jeremiah Arkham - Black Mask]

Jeremiah didn’t immediately reply, instead he opened the door and peered in. “You know, Jervis, I think I have a better idea. Don’t worry, I’m not going to take you to therapy or anything, but your cell is rather depressing, eh?” He peered around. “How about you and I take a walk?” He smiled gently. “And I perhaps provide you with something?” He pointed to his head. “Your hat, you must miss it and we’ve checked it.”

He had checked himself too, though he was wondering why the hat was there then. Now he knew. He gestured out of the cell. “I won’t restrain you unless I need to. The courtyard is very nice today, and I need a breather and you seem to be nice company for a respite. And if you’d like to speak about Cheshire, you can, you don’t have to, though. I’ll not make you do anything you don’t wish to. You don’t even have to accompany me, I can just come and join you in your cell if you’d rather that.”

The man just didn’t seem in sorts in his cell. He seemed overly-anxious and Arkham assumed it was because of his appearance. Well first thing was first, he needed to get Jervis to calm just slightly.