Detour From Oz

Chapter 2- Some People Go Both Ways.

Credits go to my editor, but above all, my best friend TylerDeWayne. He has a way with words that is most beautiful. Please check out his work, you won't be disappointed.

"Patient seems to have suffered a mental breakdown of sorts. I believe it was brought about after the loss of his wife and child. As yet, the patient has been unable to speak. Continued observation shows little mental activity. It's as if the shock of what he saw triggered his mental collapse." Dr. Jonathan Crane spoke into his voice recorder. He sighed and switched it off. The patient-Robert McCoy was sane before he dealt with him. Robert was sent to Arkham Asylum on an insanity plea; no one believed him that a crocodile looking man killed his family. After the murderer-who is now know as Killer Croc, made a name for himself, they opted to release him and settle this with a big, fat check that screamed: Sorry for not believing you and locking you up in an a mental asylum. It was unfortunate that Robert however, truly started to believe that he killed them and refused release. The Robert experiment was unsuccessful, for the reason that Jonathan induced over the required milligram dosage by accident. This wasn't him; he didn't make mistakes. It could be possible that after the session with Riley, he found himself more intrigued by her. The fact that she knows who he truly is, even if it is on a subconscious level; made him feel exposed and a little paranoid. If she goes around saying things like that, people will start asking questions. People will start to realize that hey, there was a Dr. Jonathan Crane that used to work at university who experimented on the staff and accidently shot a student. So he has no choice than to blame this failed experiment on her discerning skills.

Jonathan thought a little more about how to handle the Robert McCoy situation now; and eventually decides that it is best to kill him and put him out of his misery. There is no doubt that he wouldn't be interesting in sessions anymore. While he sat in his office chair, elbows perched on his mahogany desk, head resting on his hands in thought; there was firm and familiar knocks at the door. He inwardly groan and kept reminding himself to give Dr. West an over dose of fear toxin. The obligatory 'come in' left his mouth a little harsher than he intended and he hoped West didn't catch it. He walked in with a solemn expression. Something was wrong. Did he figure out just who Jonathan Crane really was? No he wasn't smart enough for that. Maybe he is suspicious about his patient Robert McCoy... Maybe he knows that he had something to do with it. Was there a problem with Riley perhaps? Riley. Somehow that girl has managed to creep her way inside his mind every time. One session was all it took for her to fuck with him. Before he could offer West a seat, he had already made himself comfortable in the session chair. He took notice of how horrid West's posture was, which really didn't surprise him; everything about West was utterly unpleasant, right down to his choice in ties. A saddening voice broke the doctor out of his disapproving thoughts.

"I am sorry about what happened to Robert McCoy."

"Excuse me?" The doctor replied confusedly: "You didn't hear what happened to him?"

"I am quite sure I have not." West made an 'o' shape with his mouth and averted his gaze.

"They found him dead in his room..." He paused for an unnecessary dramatic effect. "Apparently he carved the word fear into his arm with a makeshift knife and bled to death." Well that certainly handles the situation on how to get rid of him, Jonathan thought to himself. Dr. West seemed to be gauging his reaction.

"Well that is unfortunate." He lied smoothly. This was actually better than he had planned it. The fact that Robert carved Jonathan's favorite word into his arm made pleased him. In a way, the doctor killed him; as indirect as it may be, the lasting effects of the fear toxin probably did the trick. All Robert needed was that one little push to send him over the edge.

"Yeah...So things went well with Riley, I presume."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well from what I heard, she has been the happiest she has been in ages." West then stood from his seat and walked over to where Jonathan was sitting. He sat on the mahogany desk, much to Jonathan's reluctance, and bent himself to whisper something. Jonathan unwillingly leaned in to hear his words. "Did you fuck her?" All of Jonathan's tolerance and fortitude left him. He abruptly stood up towering over his superior.

"I resent that statement, Dr. West. I am strictly professional and I am sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to leave." West didn't react how Jonathan hoped he would. Rather than being offend by the doctor's course of action, West chuckled and stood up to take his much needed leave. Jonathan swiftly walked to the door and held it open for him to walk through. As soon as he was out the door, Jonathan made a move to close it when West stopped him.

"Okay, okay Dr. Crane; no need to get so touchy. I was just wondering if that is the reason you have a request form to see her twice a week from now on." And with that, Jonathan closed the door in his face. He would have never resorted to such rudeness, however, he felt the situation called for it. West's remark did cause his mind to drift to a place of no return. He has never even thought of the opposite sex; his whole life has revolved around fear and his toxin. Now he was noticing the things he shouldn't; like the way her dress bunched up because of the way she sat; or how she had a habit of biting her bottom lip ever so gently; even the way her chest rose and fell slightly faster whenever they made eye contact with each other. No this was not supposed to happen; he was suppose to use this job as an easy access to medical supplies and human test subjects; not lust and romance with some nineteen year old patient with pale blue eyes that held innocence; an innocence he wanted to break.

As two o'clock approached, a light knock sounded though his door. He got up and sat in his session leather chair and forced a smile, despite earlier events. He reluctantly did a little research on the 'Wizard of Oz' so he would be prepared for Riley this time.

"Come in." Riley's thick and unruly blonde mane poked through the door again before she fully entered. The guard nodded off to him as some type of unspoken agreement indicating that he would be right outside the door incase anything happened. Riley stood just in front of the door, awkwardly, like she had done last week, as if, perhaps, she was expecting him to offer her a seat. So to oblige her request, Jonathon offered her the chair in front of him. "Please have a seat." He motioned with a gentle hand. She smiled and lingered there a little while longer before approaching the chair and taking a seat. Her attire was almost cruel. It flared the superfluous thoughts that he was now having about her. She wore a long-sleeved black hoodie that was long enough to reach just above the tops of her knees, that same oversized camouflage jacket and the same combat boots. She also wore a slouched beanie that read 'bad hair day' which was amusing because her hair is exactly the same every day. At his time of weakness the sight of her bare legs felt very cruel indeed. She didn't sit the same way she did last week, but the way she sat this time almost made him stiffen. She relaxed back and crossed her legs, causing her sweatshirt to drift up a little higher and showing a little more of her smooth, flawless legs. Luckily she didn't notice when he allowed himself the luxury of looking at them.

"I saw the Wicked Witch of the West today." She stated simply. The doctor couldn't help but think she was referring to the worst person he could think of at the facility.

"Could you be referring to Dr. West?" She smiled. "Yeah, I almost had to stop myself from throwing water on him to see if he'd melt." He almost let loose a chuckle. Almost. Instead he opted for a grin.

"I take it you're not fond of him." Something the both of them could mutually agree on.

"Let's just say, if he could melt by water; and I had the last of the water on earth in a glass, I would pour it on him." The doctor did not hold back the chuckle this time. His chuckle caused her smile to grow even more.

"How have you been since the last time we talked?" He really didn't care, but it was the standard procedure. She shrugged and got up.

"I would say I am faring well... Well, as well as a person in an asylum could fair." When their session was almost up she decided to strike up idle chit-chat for the last of their time. "Ya know," She started, "they say the people that make the best psychologist are the ones that were once patients." She said it almost out of nowhere while in the process of leaving. He smirked. Just another dose of irony.

"Who, might I ask, are 'they'?" She smiled and opened the door without a word. He decided to hold her up a few more seconds. "Well I can assure you that I am completely sane." Maybe his was were a little sadistic or evil, but he sane nonetheless. She turned around, now standing outside the door.

"Some people go both ways." Without waiting for him to respond, she closed the door and was escorted off. In the time it took him to make himself comfortable and travel back to the office chair he had realized that she used a scarecrow line on him.

Favorite line or quote? Tell me in the comments! - kiwi xoxo