Bab 26: The Good Doctor
We were on our way to the infirmary, where the equipment necessary for the examinations was located. On the way, Hugo calmed down a little and began to ask me unobtrusively about my condition and what exactly had happened to me before such a global change in my character. The questions were not strange and were part of the standard psychological questionnaires I had briefly familiarized myself with while visiting the library at the hospital.
"All right, Mr. Arkham, strip down and make yourself comfortable. I hope I don't need to remind you to remove all metal objects because of the powerful electromagnetic field generated by the machine?" Said the doctor as we entered the room with the MRI machine. - Because your brother likes to keep various hairpins and spokes in the most unexpected places.
Thank you for reminding me exactly how you perceive me: as nothing more than a psychiatric patient who has accidentally escaped intensive treatment. I was also starting to get annoyed with Strange's way of emphasizing my last name.
"Look, if you don't like my last name so much, just call me Jay. That'll be fine.
"Hmm," he pretended to think, "okay, Jay. You know, I've worked with you quite a bit, and I haven't seen a good version of you very often. And you couldn't stand wearing that mask for too long, and there was always a bit of madness in your eyes. - Hugo came dangerously close, staring into my face.
"Ha-ha-ha. - The man's behavior made me a little nervous, but so far there was no cause for great concern. After all, he wouldn't harm me by becoming the first suspect, and the cameras hanging in two opposite corners gave me a little hope for a positive outcome. - Keep your distance.
He took a step back, stroking a small beard.
"Hmm, and the laughter is still just as crazy... - Said the doctor with a twinkle in his eyeglasses. - Okay, we don't have much time, so let's get started.
The examination room was on the opposite side of the surgery room from the one where the girls and I had rescued Dr. Yang. I don't know why, but I miss that crazy adventure; it was fun and the adrenaline was almost pouring out of my ears at times.
In contrast to the gloomy walls of the clinic, the room was bright and decorated in a minimalist style. In the center was an MRI machine, which was a vertically standing toroid with a couch attached to it on skids.
After stripping off all my clothes and pulling a few hairpins out of my hair under Strange's mocking gaze, I climbed into the machine.
"We don't have to do this. - I stopped the man who was on his way to secure me with the straps.
"Oh yeah, sorry, Jay, habit.
"Don't move during the examination and try to breathe deeply and evenly. - Hugo said finally, going into the next room, which was separated from the main room by a transparent window.
Despite my fears, everything went well and in half an hour I was relatively free, because there was still blood sampling and brain electroencephalogram to be done. For this, we moved to a neighboring office with a chair resembling a dentist's chair, with traditional fixation straps for this institution.
Hell, this one looks kind of creepy, because the device was shaped like a helmet with a lot of wires connected to it.
Seeing that I was a little nervous, the man sighed heavily.
"Okay, I need to get normal data for comparison, not total bullshit... I doubt you're gonna let me sedate you...
I shook my head negatively, even though he was behaving appropriately now, I had no idea what would be pumped into the syringe.
"Just a second. - He left the office and soon returned, leading a woman in a nurse's uniform behind him.
"Here, Jay, meet Maria. This is Maria. She works here as a nurse.
"Hello, Mr. Arkham. - She said a little fearfully. - I'm here... uh. I'm gonna sit on the sidelines, yeah. - She sat down in one of the chairs, staying at the edge of my field of vision.
"It's nice to meet you, Maria. - I do feel a little calmer. I hope Strange isn't about to do something stupid. Cameras, witnesses, time limits, he's unlikely to do anything illegal, and I'll be on my guard.
During the examination, the doctor frowned constantly as he looked at the charts and graphs displayed. The machine seemed to be more advanced than a similar device from my world, which showed only one graph responding to brain activity.
"Hmm... That's weird. I don't know if you'd understand. - He turned the monitor screen toward me. - These are your results now... - He pressed a few buttons to change the picture. - And this is from six months ago.
I had read the literature necessary for minimal interpretation of the information, so the main points were clear to me. My overall brain activity was about three times lower, and my pain center was also less active. I was curious how the device would react when I remembered the interworld.
"Ha ha ha.
Shit, I didn't mean to! Fucking habit.
While I was cursing myself with the last words, the doctor was looking at the readings of the device with increasing amazement, and there was something to pay attention to.
The pain center was completely suppressed, but the general activity increased almost one and a half times, and some areas responsible for reaction and perception almost doubled.
"Amazing!" Strange exclaimed, beginning to work with the new information. - It was as if some kind of trigger had gone off!" He looked at me and at the electroencephalogram readings with admiration, and then he began showering me with a hail of questions, ranging from easy second-grade math problems to complex philosophical problems that required a detailed answer.
When the effect wore off, Hugo continued to ask, but without the same enthusiasm.
"One more time!
"What?
"Do it again!" He ordered.
"Ha ha ha?" I faked a laugh. Yeah, he's crazy, giving me orders!
"Are you kidding me?! Maybe you lack motivation. - From the top drawer of a nearby desk, a shock baton was pulled out.
Okay, it looks like someone's been playing obsessive researcher, and someone's about to get fucked up, possibly kicked. No, there's cameras, so I'll just do a little facelift.
I was about to break into battle, but I was stopped by an exclamation of indignation.
"Dr. Strange!" The hitherto silent nurse jumped up.
"Ouch. - The man, like a schoolboy caught smoking, put the taser behind his back. - Sorry, I got carried away. Ahem, ahem, let's move on.
"I'd like to remind you that you have one more hour, and then I'll be free. - How is this psycho even allowed to work with patients if he can do this?
"Yes, we should speed up. - Hugo was briefly distracted, typing something on his smartphone.
Further examination proceeded at a more relaxed pace until a panting nurse burst into the office.
"Maria, where the hell have you been? Dr. Kellerman's out there looking for you.
"Oh, I'll be right back!" The woman immediately ran after the intruder, completely forgetting about the clown. Yeah, well, it's the skin that's closest to the body.
I looked carefully at Strange, who raised his hands in a protective gesture.
"Then there was the usual blur, I don't even know what came over me.
Uh-huh, he doesn't know.
"I'll do the blood draw now, it's completely transparent. - The man took out a standard syringe and a disposable needle from a standard package.
I watched him closely, waiting for any catch and it didn't take long.
"What the hell are you doing?!" The sturdy shackles instantly slid out of the hidden slots in the chair, holding my body and limbs firmly in place as Strange approached me.
"Phew, I was afraid it wasn't going to work. - Hugo didn't pay any attention to my exclamation.
Here's your left. If shit's gonna happen, shit's gonna happen. It's like being in a comic book. Oh, yeah.
"Help! I've been captured by a maniac!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, to which my now-exactly-enemy only grunted.
"The room is soundproofed, your screaming is useless. The cameras are static, so you can stop miming.
"Fuck you! The sun circle, the sky around it is a boy's drawing!" I don't know why, but just yelling seemed boring, so I'll sing. - Bitch! Ah-ha-ha!
The man stopped my impromptu concert with a shocker. The man stopped my impromptu concert with the taser.
Hugo stood in front of me, glinting mysteriously over his glasses and shaking his non-lethal weapon in his hands. His gaze was like that of an entomologist looking at an interesting butterfly in his net. It was as if he were trying out where to stick a pin to save a beautiful specimen.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but seeing results like this, I couldn't help myself. I know the Joker is out there somewhere and just needs to be helped out.
Strange didn't stand still, and after making sure I wasn't going anywhere, he walked over to one of the walls and put his hand against it. Shit, fucking stashes. Somebody's got some shit to do. He'd installed a special chair with retractable shackles, in addition to the standard sturdy straps. It's like that bald prick was waiting for me.
"Aren't you embarrassed that your actions are a felony?
Yeah, what the hell he's doing!
"Hehehehehe, don't worry, all things considered, and you won't even remember this little incident... Until it's too late. The office will be left by the same Jay Arkham, who will soon return to his roots, so to speak, hehehehehehe.
Suddenly, part of the wall pulled away, revealing access to a small recess from which a suitcase with mysterious contents was extracted.
"You know, Jay, I'm the one who ordered the kidnapping of your lawyer's family. The hope was that you'd lose the trial and go back to your family where I could work with you properly. Although you would have been sent to a regular prison in the beginning, but I have a few debtors, so it was only a matter of time before we had a private meeting.
What an asshole. Okay, he can't keep me here much longer, and soon they'll be looking for me. But why wait when I can try to get out on my own?
"You're gonna bring back the Joker?
"Yeah. You see, Gotham needs him, or the Dark Knight would be a dead end without his main antagonist. You're like two sides of the same coin, Yin and Yang. A marvelous confrontation that brings a pleasant chaos to the world around you.
While the damn psycho was talking, he remembered to retrieve the contents of the case, which consisted of several sealed flasks of suspicious liquids, as well as a couple syringes.
"I was also very interested in your case, which I couldn't get past. - Like a cliched villain, Hugo didn't hesitate to tell me everything he was thinking. I'm gonna lose my memory, though.
"Ha ha ha. You're such an idiot if you think Bats doesn't have worthy opponents. - The whole time I'd been straining my muscles, trying to break free of the shackles, but they only creaked softly.
"You don't even have to try. - The good doctor noticed my struggles, leaving my words without comment; he was clearly on his own wavelength now. - You're stronger than a normal person, but you can't take these shackles.
Bitch, he's right. Even if I threw all available points at the first start, it wouldn't help me much. I pondered the bleak prospects and searched for a way out, listening to my enemy as he filled one of the syringes with a reddish liquid, mixing the ingredients from three tubes.
"I got this wonderful thing from a recently admitted patient in exchange for some leniency. Still, Jonathan Crane has a fine mind and ingenuity, but unfortunately he is drawn to nonsense not worthy of the title of a true criminal genius. In case you're wondering, this substance makes people very suggestible, I'd call it liquid hypnosis, but the problem is that people can fight it if they know what they're dealing with. And to prevent that from happening, my invention comes into play.
Is it just me, or did he have a German accent? Dr. Mengele's no good.
After some brief manipulation, another syringe was filled with a translucent liquid.
"Amnesiac. Completely wipes out your memory in the last twenty minutes. Side effects include a slight headache, like a hangover, but that's a good thing. Now be a friend, don't fight it, I still have to think of the right settings.
Shit, shit, shit, shit!
"Ah-ha-ha, fuck you!" The shackles won't budge.
There is nothing to lose and twenty-four free points are sent to the first start, increasing it to sixty-eight points. My body is getting stronger, but it's still not enough! I feel like I'm missing quite a bit.
"Joker, it's inevitable, accept it. - The needle pierces the skin at the elbow of his arm.
[Battle for Arkham quest completed: Disarm Patients 318/318. Reward: 31 free points.
Additional task: rescue employees 56/56(65). Reward: 10 free points]
Yeah, blah, blah, blah! Twenty more points going into the first start. I could feel my muscles literally gaining strength.
"Hugo.
"Yes?" The Doctor took his time injecting the poison, enjoying my helplessness.
"Oh, never mind, I was going to rhyme, but then I changed my mind.
~Tresk~
The mount comes apart, freeing my right arm.
"What?!" Shithead didn't even realize it before a hard slap knocked him to the floor, damaging his glasses.
~Tresk-tresk-tresk-tresk-tresk~
It took me a second to free myself completely, remembering to carefully remove the needle sticking out of my arm, the syringe itself resting in the hands of the failed shadow king of the underworld. I unhooked my helmet, feeling a little of the special gel behind my scruff that made the electrodes more firmly in contact with my head. My hair hung down in green icicles, falling over my forehead. A step, toward the bastard who hadn't gotten up in time.
"Aah!" Strange yelled as my foot stamped his hand on the floor.
~Slap~
Another slap made him shut up and lose his orientation in space for a couple of moments, which was enough for me to take away the item I was interested in.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You think you're the smartest one here?" The smoothing of the emotional peak was still working, allowing me to act more rationally. If it hadn't, I would have beaten that bastard to a pulp or killed him, but why do that when there's a much better option?
"You-- you're not funny... - The defeated opponent mumbled in a slurred tongue.
Silently I inject almost all the contents of the syringe, having previously attached the needle to it, and look with pleasure at the doctor's glassy eyes.
"Yeah, "nonsense," ha ha ha ha, you got a bite, asshole?
***
Not knowing how effective liquid hypnosis was, I tried not to give settings that interfered with my instinct for self-preservation. Mostly what was required of Strange was to start helping his patients normally. I doubt the man in front of me would quit his job after being fired, so let him do some good for society. I didn't forget about my own safety either, ordering him to accept the fact that the Joker was now Jay Arkham, and to ignore the weirdness associated with me.
Of course, I couldn't leave without moral compensation, so after tidying myself and my office (the broken shackles went to the trash, and the chair was restored to its original appearance, thanks to the small slides hiding the gripping mechanism), all the vials and syringes were neatly put away in the suitcase I planned to take with me. The drugs I had invented, if they worked the way Hugo had told me, would be of great use to me.
Harley has an excellent grasp of chemistry and should be able to recreate both substances, at the very least, I will try to do it, after studying the necessary information.
Hypnosis and amnesiacs are fine, but clearly not enough to make me forget the offense inflicted on me, so another tab was laid on the doctor's mind, once activated, he would transfer his money to the bank account attached to the letter with the code phrase.
I think I'm done. I had to sit Strange down at his desk, put his slightly damaged glasses on him, and stand next to him, waiting for him to wake up.
"Uh, what?" After a couple minutes of waiting, the man wrapped his head around, not realizing where he was.
"Hugo, can I go now?
"Я... Just a second. - The doctor took off his glasses, examining the damaged wishbone, and then his gaze focused on the tablet of electroencephalogram graphs lying in front of him, which I had graciously opened, removing the last bursts of activity when the study had gone wrong. - Hmm. Yeah, that should be good enough. You're free to go. And I need to get to the bottom of this while I can still use the local equipment. - With each word, he was coming more and more to his senses.
The brain is an amazing thing, and even without various specific means it can give a logical explanation of what is happening, so in twenty seconds, Hugo was completely immersed in viewing the received data, completely forgetting about me.
Well, it was for the best. Without further distracting the doctor, I picked up my suitcase and silently left the office, heading for the exit.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone