Girls, Interrupted [Huntress, Arkham patients/staff, Babs]

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It was another slow day at Gotham Florist, Dinah worked on a few flower arrangements but nothing too much. Just a few bouquets for a wedding, white roses for a white wedding, right? It was almost noon and Dinah was getting hungry so she decided to take a break. She made her way to the front of the shop. "Mom, what you want for lunch? I'm have the taste for a nice juicy burger with fries!" Dinah then smiled. Her mother shaking her head. "Dinah didn't you have pizza yesterday for lunch, all that fast food is unhealthy for you, try something healthy!" DiDi laughed, knowing darn well that her daughter wouldn't listen. That is just how Dinah is, very hard headed and headstrong. "I'm going each lunch with you father anyway, so nothing for me hun!" Dinah then smiled. "Aww, tell daddy I said hi then! How is his case going?" Before DiDi could answer Dinah's father Larry walked through the door. "Dad! I thought you and mom were going out to eat?" Dinah now laughing. "I decided to pick up my darling and wanted to see if my baby girl wanted to come! I know how you love a good burger from Freddie's!" Larry said with a smile. "Oh, Larry! What am I going to do with both of you!" DiDi now shaking her head once again. They all began to laugh, then suddenly Dinah started to feel funny, light headed, dizzy. Her body then began to become limp and suddenly she was holding on to the counter to stand herself up. Her eyes began to roll in the back of her head and then Dinah hit the floor!!! "Oh my God! Dinah, sweetheart, oh my God, Larry do something!" DiDi screamed, while Larry rushed to his daughter's aid. "Dinah! Dinah! Wake up Dinah! Wake up!"

Dinah then appeared in a small room, dimly lighted room. The room's walls were an off white, padding on the walls. The ceiling tall and the room was narrow. It was all just a dream, an illusion, a delusion from the drug. Her father was dead, seven years dead. What a strong medicine, to bring back such old memories! Dinah was sitting on the ground of the room in a white hospital gown, leaning her head against the soft wall. Her arms bond to her chest, in a field position. Dinah then leaned her head back and opened her eyes, then dim lights blinded her and she squinted her eyes. Now observing the room, looking to the corners, Dinah had no idea where she was or how she got her and why she was in bondage, a straight jacket non the less. Dinah then pulled her self up from leaning on the wall and sat up in a sitting position with her legs crossed. "Hello!?" The room was silent. "Hello!!!?" Dinah said this time under her breath.

Then suddenly the padded door that blended in with padded walls opened. A nurse, dressed all in white matching this room walked in and crouched down next to Dinah. "How are you feeling Anne? Feeling okay?" The woman then put her hand on Dinah's forehead and then patted her on the cheek. "No fever, that's good you were on fire earlier! Well, at least the sedative worked..." Now another woman entered the room, observing Dinah. "Is she stable?" The young nurse nodded. "Yes! A lot calmer now, the sedative did the trick." The other woman smiled. "It always does! Okay let's move her and put her in holding with the other one, then we will find room for them in somewhere in the ward. We are overflowed with patients, so it might take a while, but the pre examination cell will do fine for now!" The woman then left the room and the nurse began comforting Dinah.

 "Anne... we are going to take you to another room okay? You will be with your friend, your friend Mary... you both came into together, but you are both okay now, much better... understand?" Dinah still trying to figure out things and still kind of drowsy from the sedative just nodded her head. "Good... come, let's go!" The nurse then helped Dinah up and walked her down to the pre examination holding cell where another woman, "Mary" was being held in. Mary had woken up way before Dinah from her sedative and was just as relaxed. They then approached the door and then guard greeted them and opened the steel door. "Thank you..." The guard then nodded and remained standing with his arms behind his back. "No problem m'am!" The nurse then lead Dinah inside and sat her next to Mary. "Okay Anne, this is Mary. Your friend, remember... I'll be back in a little bit, just take a seat and relax..." She then left the cell and the door was shut closed.

Dinah then now sitting down hunched over began to straighten up her posture, she then began to wipe her face still not sure what was going on and where she was, but she knew she didn't belong here. She wasn't insane, she wasn't ill, she was a perfectly fine healthy individual. She was Dinah Lance! A crime fighting, butt kicking, flower arrangement making, wine drinking, happy person. "What the hell is going on!?" Dinah then began to observe the room and then looked to "Mary". She observed the woman with dark complexion and long dark hair. "Mary" then looked back at Dinah, just both observing each other. Dinah then became to realize that she knew this "Mary", she knew this woman very well. Could it be? Then she spoke in a soft confused tone.  

"Hel... Helena?"

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Helena didn’t have any pleasant dreams during her drugging. She only remembered the pinch of pain in her neck as something stung her? No…someone snuck up on her when she was walking back to her apartment after school. She had a bag full of papers to be graded, she remembered that. Oh god, her students. She had gotten hysterical at some point. They didn’t have her in a fancy jacket to start and the cuffs they had her in did very little to restrain her. That was then. She was heavily sedated now and in a strait jacket. They didn’t want her putting any more of their guys in the infirmary. She had put up a fight but she had made a promise to herself that she would never let moments pass without actions, and she was determined to keep that promise, even if some guys got hurt.

Lucky for them, she was on a strict no killing kick for Lent. Was it Lent? No? Yes? She couldn’t remember. Gotham was weird to her. After spending so much time in a country run by her family and the Church, she felt disconnected. She felt disconnected even more now as her raven hair fell into her face, covering her light skin. She had the olive complexion of her ancestors, but she was an American mutt. She heard doors open and shut around her and she would jump, expecting a ghost from her past to come through. He was dead though. At least…She shook her head, unsure of the truth and the fiction in her mind now. She would let her sapphire eyes dart every which way as she tried to assess the situation as Sal had taught her. “Sal…” She whispered in a hoarse voice. Why did her throat hurt so much? She had been screaming when they tried to sedate her the first time. Fighting like animal. She didn’t like the fact that men and women felt the need to touch her body, undress her, bath her, and put her in clothing that felt like it had been on people before her. It was enough to push anyone else though violent tendencies, and someone who had their entire family eradicated and she was only saved by a mistake? She was a bit on edge to say the least.

Helena’s head rolled slightly as she sat in the corner of the room. It had been quiet for some time now. She heard murmuring in the hallways, but nothing her drug addled brain could make out. She had to clear her mind some way. She would have to stay calm. And for a person known for her Italian temper, that would be a problem. She pushed herself into the wall as the door opened and they shuffled in someone else. Blond hair, probably a bit shorter than herself, but Helena wasn’t standing up. They called her Mary? No…they were calling Helena, Mary. That’s not my name. Right? She sat there staring at the woman they had sat next to her. Anne? That wasn’t the name she recognized. Not for this woman. “Can…Dinah?” Her mind fog was clearing a little bit but she had to control herself. She was restrained and as the door was closed on her she tilted her head thoughtfully as stared at the blond. “…” She tried to think of something other than the mixed up thoughts of savage revenge, her family’s death. The realization of the lies she was told as a child. She didn’t want to end up like them. She didn’t want to end up in the ground, forgotten and mocked! She felt her anger rising to the surface as she shifted in her place. “…I…don’t…” She paused and looked around the small padded room. “Where…are we?”

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Mary then was now staring at Dinah, just as confused as her. "Can... Dinah?" Ah, it was her! Her old friend Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress of the night. Dinah had served along side Huntress in the Justice League for two years of her four year membership until Dinah resigned cause she couldn't avoid running into her old flame Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. Oliver broke Dinah's heart, she would always hear of his reputation of his love for women, but didn't think he would think of other women when he had her as his own. But never the less, Oliver had an affair and of course Dinah found out. After finding out, Dinah left the League and returned home to Gotham City and took her crime fighting back to the streets and then went to Vietnam to train with Lady Shiva, making her more of a fighter than she ever was. All this had happen just one year ago and Dinah still had a freshly still broken heart. Helena and Dinah were always teamed up cause of their similar in your face, hard hitting style, Helena hit a little harder though. Dinah always stood by that these criminals, may they be rapists, killers, whatever you want to call them, they deserved to pay for their actions. Not take the easy way out by death, but to live with the guilt in incarceration. That's if they had an guilt or remorse to begin with. Back to the situation at hand...

"Helena! It is you!!!" Dinah then had a sense of relief. She was glad it was her, Helena Bertinelli was someone you wanted on your side. She knew that in any given situation that Helena would be relentless for the goal. There was a sudden silenced from both woman, still confused on the ordeal. Dinah then leaned in and gave Helena a hug. "Let's get you out of this..." Dinah then leaned Helena over and began to unstrap the straight jacket that held her still. "There isn't that better..." There was more silence. "...I don't..." Helena now eyes wide open. "Where...are we?" Dinah then let out a deep breath and then made her way to the small window of the confined room. All she can see through that window were the dimly lighted hall ways and white walls. "I have no idea... the last thing I remember was... I was... leaving the gym and that is it!" Dinah then made her way back to Helena and sat down beside her. "Where ever we are... I don't like it... I just don't understand how did we get in this place... this psych ward environment... what... what happen to us?" Dinah then noticed a small sheet of paper on the ground, it was a corner, a corner to a tag or something. Dinah then picked it up and began to observe it. Must have been a part of a admission forum for pre examinations before entering the asylum.Nothing was on it until she flipped it over and noticed in bold faced letters A, R, K and H the rest was torn off. "A... R... K... H... What could this mean?"

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The mention of those letters. “A..R..K…H…” Padded rooms, drugs, straight jackets. This was something that should be familiar to her but the brain fog, though lifting was still there. She looked up gratefully at Dinah as she undid her restraints with slight smile. It’s not as if she could muster anything more right now. “Thanks…” She said weakly, still trying to fight the fog out of her mind. She didn’t like this feeling. It was like her brain of cut off from the rest of her and she had to fight to keep control of it.

She looked around, now free of her restraints as she slowly stood up, leaning herself against the cold padded wall for support. Helena looked around the small room and then back to Dinah. “Shhh…” She motioned for the silence, not just because her head was spinning but because she thought she head something. She waited for a moment and then nothing happened, breathing a paranoid, yet brief sigh of relief she shook her head, letting her raven tresses shake about. She felt like it had been years in this place, but probably only a few hours, but that was enough. “A..r…k.. Ark…” She muttered to herself as she attempted to put more weight on her shaky legs now. “Arkh…Arkhamm. ARKHAM!” She exclaimed, though rather weakly with a hushed scream. “We’re….” She looked around again. “We’re in Arkham, Dinah….” She looked to the blond, hoping she would understand the significance of their situation.

Sure, Dinah was good with the rough and tumble stuff, but she had only heard stories of the crazies that inhabited this place. She wasn’t born in Gotham, or raised in that rat pit. She chose to protect it. But for Helena, Gotham needed her. Gotham was where her family came from and where her mother was buried. This city was in her blood, and she knew the psychopaths and rapists and even a few of the sociopaths that used Arkham as crazy refueling station. “Not good…not in the least…”

She racked her brain as she tried to remember everything from school letting out to her kidnapping, there had to be some clue there that could tell her what they were doing in this horrible place. “Dinah…can you remember anything?” She rushed her hushed tone, placing both hands on the strong shoulders of her companion. “C’mon, there’s got to be a connection. There’s no reason why they would put both of us in a cell together..” She was trying to convey the urgency in her tone while trying to keep it at a whisper now as realization upon realization hit her mind. She was walking home after school. She was Huntress. Did that mean someone…Did someone out there know who she was? Were her students in danger? How much did they know about her? This couldn’t be a coincidence! There were no such things as coincidences in her world. “Dinah…Think…please.” She whispered.

She turned her head again as if she heard something. She was paranoid again, and less lucid. She felt the pinch in her neck once more then the weight of her body falling as she spun, but found herself unable to fight as she saw a large man in a ski mask and suit, holding a gun. Three gun shots, three bodies surrounded her. Her brother, her mother and her bastard of a father lay dead in pools of their blood around her. The man with ski mask came to her again, placing a finger on his mouth, telling her to be quiet. She felt helpless, and lost. She shook her head again. Nothing good was coming from this. She had to stop reliving the past in this place or it would consume her and she would really belong here. That was something she didn’t need. “Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle…” She muttered the sentence to herself as she tried to take comfort in it.

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After reading the letters slowly aloud, Helena then shushed Dinah for complete silence in hear a noise. Helena then to repeat the letters on the small strip of paper as well, trying to decipher what can it mean. Every letter spoken, Dinah repeated then Helena started to put the letters together and sound it out, trying to make sense of it. “Arkh…Arkhamm. ARKHAM!” She exclaimed, though rather weakly with a hushed scream. “We’re….” She looked around again. “We’re in Arkham, Dinah….” She looked to the blond, hoping she would understand the significance of their situation. “Not good…not in the least…” Helena exclaimed. Arkham Asylum, that monstrosity of a place, is this it? Dinah thought to herself, never has she been to the place but knew that all the criminals of Gotham, all those maniacs she sworn to protect the good from were locked up in this place, for a second chance or just to keep them from society. Dinah and Helena were in the belly of the beast, hell on earth for heroes like them, for any person matter of fact. Helena then began questioning Dinah if she remembered anything, anything at all. Helena was relentless on the issue, but it was of great importance if Dinah could remember, but at last she didn't. Helena kept asking why and what... But the answer simply was that we both didn't know.

Dinah then coming to her senses and taking a deep breath looked Helena dead in the face. "Listen, calm down... we don't need to worry about how we got here right now, that part was out of our control... what we need to worry about is keeping anyone and I mean anyone from finding out who we are and getting out of here!" Dinah now pacing a little. "We have reputations and lives that we do not want tarnished outside of this hell hole... let's play this safe..." Dinah now taking deep breaths trying to calm herself down. "You are Mary and I am Anne, just some troubled woman from the streets... no more names... Mary and Anne..." Dinah now taking a seat on the padded bench. "I'm sure someone will notice we are missing... but for the mean time we are good as dead, unless we play it safe and... fit... fit in..." Oh boy this is going to be a doozy how could we fit in when we despise there abominations...

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It wasn’t often that he was let out of his cell to mingle among the rest of the inmates but it had been some time since he was placed in intensive treatment. The doctor had given him a good bill of health. He was fit and was working hard at his programs, he did everything he was supposed to and more and for that he won a good behavior badge. Dr. Arkham had recently agreed to let him wander the cells on the block on occasion but only under supervision. He didn’t mind being watched by the zombie in the corner, his eyes were dead anyway.


What had really caught his attention were the screams of two little lambs. Their wool was white, so new and fresh to the environment around them. They must have been suffering so….He stalked down the hall and got the chance to peer into each slot as he went by. Each zombie was minding its own business until he came across something odd. Two little lambs could be seen through the slot.


There they were…..His body pressed up against the door and his face came onto the seal that was between them. “What’s two little white wooled lambs doing together in this cell?” He cooed to the glass and pressed his forehead in a tilt to it. His hand came up to the glass and pawed at the front of it before his expression changed to non-genuine concern. “ Oh don’t be alarmed. I’m out on good behavior. The doctor says I am perfectly safe out here on medicaition.”. He rolled his head and drug his fingers down passed to where the metal covered the door again.””He says it eeeeeevens me out… makes me Staaaaaaable” Victor let the last words slither out with a chuckle. There was barely any room for more dilation of his eyes at this point and anyone on the outside would have probably said he was the furthest from stable someone could get.


Who were these little lambs and why were they here? He had never seen them here before. Maybe the little lambs wanted to graze outside for a while….It was almost recreational time.

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Mary…Anne…Those names are so plain. But there’s probably enough Janes in this to start a softball team. Helena looked to Dinah and nodded. She did have to calm down but her mind was always thinking how this could happen. And who was there to notice Helena was missing? The school? Sure. That worked so well the last time Vic came to town and whisked her off to some place in the mountains to re-evaluate her life. She lost her job because she had gone missing then, but then again, Vic was paying her bills. She had a few worries. She wasn’t a member of the Batman’s cabal. She wasn’t in the Justice League anymore. Vic wasn’t around. Her mind was already thinking of the possibilities. How the hell could Dinah not see the bad things all around them? How the hell could someone who lived in Gotham be so damn cheery?

"Yea...we can do this." She nodded in agreement, but at the same time she wasn't so certain she could keep herself under control here. She could run into those creeps that she spent time fighting, beating them roughly. She'd been shot by at least two of these creeps. This was going to be an interesting little adventure.

There was pause as she was about to say something and then in that space of that pause something…someone made it to their door. She looked up, regaining her since of control and the anger that created her. She narrowed her eyes as she looked to the window that they were being taunted through. The eyes. She should recognize them, but she wasn’t entirely certain who they belonged to. “Anne…creep at our door.” She whispered to her companion. She looked around them again and stood up as she stared out the small window. She felt her muscles tense and her hairs stand on end. Dinah was right. They would have to survive this, maybe they’d do it their way, or maybe they’d find another way. But revenge for putting her through her own personal hell was something worth living for right now.

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"Yea... we can do this." Great, now we are on the same page. Sure, Dinah wants to know what had happen to them and who had put them her and why? But, all that will come in time, our heroines will get their revenge, if not on the captors then on one of these criminals who have hurt us in the past. Dinah has a special mentality to her, she likes to live in reality and hope for the best, take care of the things that are in your control.

Situations like this is part of the life of being the Black Canary, the life of a vigilante. No one makes us donned masks and fancy costumes and orders us to go out there and endanger our lives. We do it cause it's who we are, either through vengeance or honor, it is part of you. It will always be a part of you. We are super heroes, we are not normal. Canary chose this life because of honor, amazement, fulfillment and keeping her legacy alive. Her mother, even after having Dinah, kept fighting in secret from her husband doing part-time crime fighting, it wasn't until a situation similar to this that she had finally decided to give it up, go cold turkey, cause she was at a new part of her life and she chose responsibility, the responsibility of being a mother. "Now we need to figure out what kind of role we need to play here... what kind of person should we be? Just another face in the crowd taking risk of becoming somebody's bitch or showing our dominance at a early chance to show we aren't to be messed with... butterfly or flower?"

Helena then began to shush Dinah, she had heard someone in the hall way and them stopping at the cell door. Helena then seen these piercing creepy eyes looking through the small window. "Anne... creep at our door." Dinah then took a deep breath and sternly remained eye contact with the individual. Hopefully this was just some crazed patient wandering hallways high on something, just coming off meds like they have encountered before. He then began talking about sheep, referring to the women I presume and claiming he's safe and calm. Right! The day a crazy claims he's "calm" and "stable" is the day I'll hang up my fishnet stockings and sell my bike, that means never. "He's talking about sheep? Umm... Mary...I think he wants you..." Now giving the man a serious look, not looking away, keeping eye contact and not showing fear, even though she was scared shitless deep down. "...Mary did have a little lamb..." Dinah sternly commenting, not even in an ironic or sarcastic way. "Think he knows something?"

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"Mr. Zsasz, are you here to help me with my newest patients?" Iris inquires brightly as she heads down the hallway and sees the man at the very door she was headed toward. He honestly makes her a bit nervous, if only because she's aware of the meaning of his scars on his skin and there are... quite a few. And probably plenty more hidden beneath his uniform - she doesn't like to think about that. Still, she knows that he's... okayish given that Dr. Arkham has him drugged up to the rafters. And she gives the man watching him a nod of acknowledgement, both to be friendly and to reassure herself that he's there.

Satisfied that all is well - or at least as well as things ever are in this place - her attention goes to the ladies in the room. Looking at them through the window, she gives them a friendly smile and is quick to note that they look nervous, but then again who wouldn't be after what they've been through and then talking to Zsasz? "Hi, I'm Dr. Iris Ledford - I've been assigned to be both of your therapist here at Arkham Asylum," she introduces herself with a nod.

"Unfortunately, I'm not going to have time in my schedule for a proper session with you until later. However, I thought that I'd come by and introduce myself, offer to answer any questions you may have - I understand that, given how the two of you were when you arrived it may be a bit disorienting - and also offer to escort you to the rec room if you'd like to go there," she explains further, "Which I do recommend - it beats being locked up in here while they decide where you should be more permanently." And she does think that they'll handle that just fine - yes, it would be plunging them right into the thick of the asylum, but it's not as bad as the horror stories say that it is. Well, not usually. Never while she's been around, thank goodness.

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Victor was fixated on the sheep behind the door. They must be so lonely in there without a Shepard to show them the way. His eyes kept rolling upwards from the slot in the door, finding their way up to the ceiling and piping above. It wobbled and blurred, he wondered if it had always done that….He wondered if the zombies knew. But suddenly his eyes went straight forward into the cell when one of them mentioned that Mary did have a little lamb. He knew a Mary….


There was a Mary that had a little lamb….Which fleece ran red with her blood….Yes, he remembered Mary… His right hand moved to his left arm and slowly ran up and down the third mark out of a five tally. His nail ran over it once, twice, three times before he applied pressure and began to pick at it. His forehead rolled back onto the glass. His tongue had come out and stuck to the glass but then Dr. Iris words suddenly straightened him.


He came away from the door and offered her a lazily put smile. He seemed more confused or caught than anything and he had picked the scar on his arm to make it bleed again. “Dr. Iris” He stammered back a few steps toward the zombie in the corner that’s eyes stared dead forward. “I was just making sure that the sheep were comfortable before they were turned into zombies…” He made his way back in short steps as the door was opened.


It gave him a better look at them while she spoke. It was almost recreation time as he had said and then he’d have the sheep amongst the rest of the flock where they belonged. It would be better this way and there would be more to pet them with….comfort them into… He twitched and reached for his head as his thoughts confused him again. Everything was so blurry with this medication. Was he here to help Dr. Iris?....Yes…He was here to help Dr. Iris.

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She kept her tone low as she responded to Dinah, “That is not the Mary I’m going to be channeling if he gets any closer…” Her eyes didn’t leave the window as the creep stood there, looking at them with those barely controlled impulses behind them. She could feel herself on edge as he stroked his fingers over the glass. She had her own barely controlled urges and they wouldn’t mesh well his. Or maybe a good old fashioned vigilante dance is what she needed. No, don't do that. That was got you wrapped up like a sick present to start with. She pushed some of her black locks from her face as she looked to the door as it opened. Maybe she'd have to fight anyways.

“Mr. Zsasz…” When the woman said that there was a sudden realization why she had the uneasy feeling. She had to work on guarding her emotions, something she wasn’t very good at. She looked up, trying to keep herself from eyeing the man that was obviously going to stay on her mind. She looked to the woman once more, taking in a deep breath as she looked at the woman and her fancy clip board. A thousand thoughts were flying through her head. But she only had one that she needed answered. “..E..Excuse me…but…what are we doing here?” She made to stand up, as if she was accepting the offer to be escorted. She looked down to Dinah as she nodded. If they were to go to the rec area, they’d get a better idea of who they were dealing with inside this place. Of course she knew who she was trying to avoid.

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"Mr. Zsasz, are you here to help me with my newest patients?" Said the therapist who had approached the psychotic patient at our girl's door. "Zsasz..." Dinah said in a low tone, she had heard about this man once before. A notorious serial killer, that etched a mark on his body of each person who's life he took. What a monster! What is he doing out of his cell, this man should be in solitary confinement. But non the less, the Arkham staff must have found him "stable enough to let him socialize with the other lunatics of this place. He is one to be watched, extremely watched. The woman introduced herself as Dr. Iris Ledford and she will be the two women's therapist. We could all use a therapist, maybe this is kind of a perk. Before coming to this hellish place Dinah certainly had enough problems from the death of her father, to the heartbreak and betrayal of the man who she thought to be the love of her life. After these two incidents, she never really opened up to anyone before. Dinah is a true optimist, always wishing for the best and trying to enjoy the simple things in life. Cause we aren't going to make it out alive anyway... Live for the now!

Dr. Iris had explained that she would later on give us each a proper session to find out what makes us tick, who we are and what are we capable of, basically. Try to find out why we are "insane". She then recommended that the women go to the recreational room, it's better than pacing the floor in this small dim room. Just until they find us a permanent room. Whoa, "permanent"? Ain't nothing permanent about her and her friend about this place. “..E... Excuse me…but…what are we doing here?” Helena then asked and she began to stand, questioning the doctor. I doubt that they will tell us anything, I mean we are considered crazy. They never tell the crazies anything. Dinah then rose to her friend's side and then began to nod. "I think that would be the best thing, Dr. Ledford. Thank you..." She then gave Zsasz a serious look and then took a deep breath trying to calm herself and appear  clueless to the situation. She then looked to Helena. "Ready?"

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Observing Victor for a moment, Iris allows herself to relax. Well, as much as she's able to relax around him anyway - he doesn't seem to be doing too badly today. Of course, she only knows the man so well. "Oh, very good! It's important for the sheep to stay comfortable, after all," she replies with a smile and nod, knowing that now is neither the time nor the place to challenge his delusions. It's better to work with them instead of against them when you're not specifically providing therapy.

Besides, her focus right now really should be on her own patients. And there's a hit of surprise on her features when she's asked what they're doing here. It is standard procedure to make sure that someone explains to new patients why they're here, after all. Then again, given the state that they were in when they were brought in... Well, it's not like she hasn't had to repeat herself to a patient before, and she's hardly inconsiderate enough to deprive them of that information. "Well, both of you were brought in and involuntarily committed because you were experiencing a severe psychotic break. Or, in other words, you lost touch with reality to such a degree that you were considered a threat to others or yourself. So for safety's sake you're being held here until - if possible - we can determine why that happened, or at the very least have some time to observe that you're fully stable again and can therefore have some assurance that it's safe to release you," she patiently explains, her eyes shifting between them to see if they understand that much.

It's a bit of a generic explanation, she'll admit, but then again she's not too clear on the specifics herself - apparently it had taken some time and arguing before the powers that be decided that she was the one who could best handle the two new patients, and then when she'd asked for the paperwork she'd found that it hadn't been filled out properly and completely with those needed details. Which would have been a bigger concern, had it not been completely clear that they both really were out of touch with reality and dangerous - she'd heard that more than one staff member got hurt when they were brought in. But they both seem much more stable now, at least, though she'd like to see if that lasts even until the sedative fully wears off. Hopefully she can fill in many of the blanks when she has a chance to speak with them later.

"Any other questions?" she offers, but adds, "I can answer a couple more on the way to the rec room, if you'd like, and there will also be plenty of time for more when I meet with you." So they certainly don't need to worry that this is their only chance for that. And she can't help but smile that they both appear happy to accept the offer. "Shall we go?" she asks, turning toward the door.

Normally it's the orderlies or guards that escort patients to the rec room, depending on how dangerous the patients are considered to be. But she's not too concerned about taking the task upon herself, since they do appear to be so stable, and if it came down to it she does know how to defend herself - it's stupid for any staff member here, no matter what their capacity, to not take classes. And even if they did try to flee from her, there's a real gauntlet to run to get out of the asylum - staff members who know full well that patients aren't allowed to wander around unescorted are everywhere in the halls this time of day, and locked doors are around every corner to keep those without keys out of the places that they shouldn't be. And if you manage to get outside, there's the perimeter fence with the guard towers, and the sheer fact that they're on an island - all of it overkill for patients like them, but there's other patients even that isn't enough for.

[Deleted]

Victor was pleased to know that Dr. Iris was pleased with him in how he was handling the newcomers. He listened intently to their confusion and the doctor’s explanation. With the fog in his mind he couldn’t find one reason not to trust what she said about them or him. He had done the right thing by standing here and welcoming them here. After all, sheep need to be pampered and fed before they are shaved and skinned alive.


Victor backed up from the door and wandered in a circle in the middle of the hallway while he waited for the doctor and the new sheep to come out. They were all going to go to the rec room together. Once it seemed like they were getting ready to go suddenly Victor made his way far too quickly to Dr. Iris side and leaned in the doorway beside her. The gesture wasn’t hostile but it could have been perceived that way with his track record, but that was the last thing on his mind.


His boney fingers touched the inside of the door and kept a close eye on both of them. He felt a flash come into his vision and visibly jumped. He felt his skin move but he never actually left the ground, it just felt like his skin had separated from himself for a moment.


[“What is she waiting for?”]


A shake of his head made the audio go away quickly. He couldn’t even hear what it said it had whispered so softly, whatever he had been given that morning had really made things a bit quieter. But is that what he wanted? He wasn’t sure; the thought of it confused him and caused him to squeeze the sides of his head. A long streak of blood had ran down his arm and passed his elbow from where he had picked at Mary’s scar. He was numb to it and he didn’t even notice that he had wiped some of the blood onto the sides of his cheeks.


Victor had bounced back quickly enough to where he felt he could suddenly insert himself into their cell without the doctor’s permission. He held out his hand to the sheep with the raven hair. “ I can show you where things are here….There are many things here.” His voice lowered to a whisper and he leaned down with his hand to try and take her hand. “ But do you want to know a secret?” He asked her with a hush.

[Deleted]

The reason for the sedation was rather obvious. Helena had a habit of lashing out when she felt threatened. It came in handy for her night job. She rubbed her shoulders, and observed the bruises and lacerations on her hands and knuckles, she must have connected a few of her thrashing kicks and into the orderlies. She felt a bit bad about that. She should probably apologize but she felt like these guys were probably put through much worse when other patients come through. She took a breath and pulled her hair behind her ear as she winced a little, feeling a small cut behind her ear. She hated those cuts, they were so much like paper cuts. The part about them being delusional was a bit of a stretch, but that didn’t help her feel better about being dragged off so near to the school.

Helena looked to Dinah and nodded just slightly. She’d go to the rec room, but she had to be on her toes. But no one could suspect them of being anything more than trouble young women who had a bad day. She took a deep breath and when Dinah didn’t mention anything further, even though Helena had a million questions still, but they would have to wait until things unfolded further. She looked around with her blue eyes, keeping her eye on the door, an eye on Zsasz as he hovered around them. She really didn’t trust him. But again, she had to play the part of Mary, a scared woman in a place she was more than out of place in. No fear, Helena. You’re a Bertinelli, Sal trained you handle yourself in any circumstance. You promised yourself you wouldn’t be a scared little girl anymore. Get you game face on.

She followed Dinah and the good Doctor out of the room, bringing up the rear of the little group, and seeing that Zsasz was offering a hand to her. She felt her herself filled with disgust and her heart pounding in her throat. She couldn’t act on her instincts. She had to hold herself back. That was something she wasn’t very good at. She looked down at his hand a bit timidly, she let her eyes drift towards Dinah and Doctor Ledford for any sort of confirmation of one way or another. But as she wasn’t receiving one quick enough, she moved her hand, delicately setting against his as she remained very uncertain of his motive. “Umm…umm…” She felt very unsure of her answer as she looked over to the hallow eyes that looked to her. “Sure…” She whispered in kind to him. She tried not to tense of too much. Please be something about tapioca pudding Tuesdays…