Midnight Dawn (Ch. 15) Sequel to SOTM

[§ilvercell]

NOOOOO!

[fosforito]

Oh sh++!!!!!!!!!

Azina I have to say it again!!!

Maaan..

Jon - a murderer?? Well, he could be - in his own way.
But the emotions you put in for Syler are so real, so human and because of this - totally believable!!

*exalt for you, Azina*

And I´m sure it was Syler who fell on the floor, I don´t think, Jon is dead.

He may be injured due the shot but I think he´s not dead!!

But anyway: Azina is teasing us again, haha

I can´t wait what happens in the next chapter...

[azina]

Thanks for the exalt and the feedback! And you're right I am being a tease. I'll answer what just happened in the second part of this chapter. Hopefully I'll have it up later to tonight after I finish my homework.

[scotsrockgod]

Playing catch up here, finally had time to give this a read.

I posted comments on the first 2 chapters on ff.net (under ACleverName).

All of this very well-written and the pacing is good. Keeping us on our toes!

As for Ch. 3: I like the fact that Scarecrow is trying to get Crane to use the toxin on Emily-- that it would be the key to having her "mind, body, and soul." Scarecrow is zeroing in on Crane's need to possess her, and it makes for very good reading.

Also, I don't know if anyone has yet postulated the schizophrenia, but I really like that idea. It makes a lot of sense, especially with the way you've written this. Another layer, and it's awesome.

As for Ch. 4: For a thug, Jimmy is awfully observant -- assuming Emily is Crane's girlfriend and that he wants to "get her in the sack." I had to chuckle a bit at that part.

I maintain, in my own twisted mind, that the Crane we are constructing (we, being the BB screenwriter and the fan fic writers) has a lot in common with one of my favorite characters, the Phantom of the Opera. Case in point: "It had been so long since Crane had been touched by anyone lovingly." This tugged at my heartstrings. The lack of genuine love in Crane's life hasn't helped his mental condition at all. Same for Erik. I love it!!

Oh, and the kiss was just hawt.

Ch. 5: All I can say is, oh, what a wicked tease you are!

I really enjoyed reading this, Azina, and I'm looking forward to more.

[azina]

Please excuse typos. I made the mistake of taking anti-migraine meds before writing this so I was a little doped.

Dr. Steven Westmeyer stood by the nurses’ station and watched as the morning routine was busily underway at Arkham Asylum. As much as he admired what his longtime colleague and former roommate Dr. Jonathan Crane was doing at the asylum, it was far too hectic for his taste. He had a cozy and well-run private psychiatry practice catering to the elite of Gotham City. Crane often didn’t mince words with Westmeyer that he was helping those who needed help the least – the wealthy. Westmeyer, on the other hand, was quick to point out Crane had his own private practice, which also had a few wealthy clients.

“That is for personal reasons,” Crane would quickly add.

“You mean for money,” Westmeyer would say. “What you’re doing at Arkham is great and noble, Jonathan. But you have to pay the bills, just like me.”

Now Westmeyer was observing Jonathan’s ‘great and noble’ intentions first hand this morning as nurses guided patients through the hallways, some with severe dementia, other with vacant eyes, others trembling and with erratic behavior.

No, I’m glad I’m not working here, Westmeyer thought.

He turned back to the nurse filling out paperwork at the desk.

“Do you know how much longer Dr. Crane will be busy with his patient?”

“It’s not a patient, it’s a visitor,” said the nurse. “And I really don’t know, Dr. Westmeyer. I suggest you take a seat.”

Westmeyer looked at his gold watch and observed the ticking second’s hand. He had hoped to catch his old friend early in the day before the first of his morning appointments; he didn’t have much time to spare in his busy schedule. But if he missed him today, so be it. Truly it was Westmeyer’s fault making this surprise visit; he should have called to let him know he was coming.

Westmeyer picked up his leather briefcase and began to turn to walk not for the long row of waiting area seats, but the exit when a sharp gunshot rang out. Nurses, doctors and orderlies in that moment froze in shock, not knowing where the gunshot came from or – worse – if the gun was in the hands of a lunatic patient. Westmeyer suddenly, without even thinking, ran in the direction opposite of the exit.

“No, Dr. Westmeyer! You are not authorized,” screamed the nurse from the station.

But he didn’t care. If there was one thing he remembered clearly from his time at school with Jonathan was that danger somehow always found him. Jonathan drew perilous situations to himself like a magnet and he never seemed to care. He always remained cool and collected, even flaunted it somehow. There was a saying that circulated in the psychiatric department at Gotham University while Jonathan was there:

Jonathan Crane, the man without fear.

Westmeyer always added something else to that slogan:

Jonathan Crane, the idiot I had to keep getting out of trouble because he was too much of a fool to be getting into dangerous situations!

He was now running at full speed as he rounded the corner, knocking a few of the stunned nurses and some doctors out of the way. He knew where Jonathan’s office was by heart after visiting it several times over the last couple of years.

At last, panting, his lungs burning, he skidded to a halt as he saw the thick maple door with a brass plaque emblazoned with the engraved name of Dr. Jonathan Crane, Head Psychiatric Physician. Westmeyer briefly knocked, but when there was no response, he grabbed the door handle and shoved it open.

The room was dark in contrast to the bright, fluorescently lit hallway outside. The thick curtains had been drawn over the windows and for a moment Westmeyer thought he saw nothing in the darkness as he took a few tentative steps inside, but then he saw the faint outline of a crouching figure looming over a prostrate man. The figure seemed to slip something off its head and to smooth back its rough, scraggly hair.

“Who are you,” the figure demanded.

“Westmeyer, I’m Dr. Westmeyer. Jonathan, is that – you?”

“I am Scare- NO! I’m sorry, Steven. I just was almost shot at. I am not in my right mind.”

“Jonathan, how horrible. Let me call the police.”

“No, I’ll be fine in a moment. Just give me a moment.”

In the darkness Westmeyer strained to see what Crane was doing. Whatever he pulled from his head and was holding in his hand he now hid somewhere in the shadows. Slowly, from the faint outline in the darkness, Crane stood up and flicked on the lights. What Westmeyer saw in the glaring lights shocked him. On the floor was the man he clearly remembered as the troublemaker from the psychiatry symposium. His eyes were closed and for all purposes he looked dead. A gun lay upon the floor, just a few inches from his lifeless fingers.

“Is he dead, Jonathan,” Westmeyer asked.

“No, unconscious.”

“And you, Jonathan? Are you wounded?”

Jonathan Crane’s face was ashen, his normally bright eyes were dull and pale.

“No, the shot was close, but not close enough. The bullet hole is in the window frame. I closed the curtains – not wishing to look at it.”

“Jonathan, we should get both of you to the hospital and call the police.”

Crane shook his head, his eyes fixed on the unconscious Syler.

“No, I will be fine and he will be too. He’s sick, Steven, sick, just like his brother, but sick in another way. I can cure him too. I will cure him. I won’t fail like I failed with his brother.”

“Jonathan, you need medical attention and most importantly you need rest! You nearly were killed today!”

“Mental illness doesn’t stop for ‘rest,’ Steven. You should know that by now.”

Gently Westmeyer took his old friend by the hand and began to lead him out of the room.

“First I think we need to get you out of this place,” said Westmeyer.

“There were some things he did say that were true though, Syler. About my failure. I am a failure in some respects, Steven, I am.”

“We need to get you some help, Jonathan. First let’s get you some help.”

They both entered the corridor and nurses and doctors alike started pushing into them with questions. Dr. Crane suddenly changed in appearance, adopting a cool, in control appearance for them all.

“Do not panic anyone. It was not a gunshot, just a high-pressure oxygen tank that exploded. Nothing to worry about please. Return your normal routines everyone ladies and gentlemen.”

Almost in disappointment the curious crowd departed. Now the two doctors were left alone again and Crane began walking with Westmeyer. Only when they were halfway there did Westmeyer realize they were not heading for the exit.

“Jonathan, where are we going? I thought we were going to the hospital and that you were going to call the police on Syler?”

“I told you I was a failure, Westmeyer, and this proves it.”

Westmeyer was about to insist that they abandon this ridiculous adventure when Jonathan clearly was a success in many respects, but somehow curiosity was preventing him being the good friend. He wanted to see what Crane’s dirty secret was if he truly was a failure in at least one case.

Crane stopped at Room 221 and paused before unclipping his ID card and slipping it through the key lock. Crane opened the door for his friend and then entered himself. The room and the patient was such a familiar sight to him now; and every time he entered it seemed his heart grew heavier.

Crane turned toward the patient and sat in the chair opposite her, gently taking her hand.

“It’s been three years now,” Crane sighed. “Three years since she’s spoken anything to me.”

“You can’t blame this on yourself, Jonathan. It’s not your fault what happened to your mother.”

“It’s my fault I can’t cure her. For all my so-called genius and ‘miracle cures’ what good is it if I can’t cure her?”

Jonathan gazed at his mother staring blankly back at him, not acknowledging her son now sat before her, not realizing her son’s life nearly had been snuffed out just a moment before. He gazed at her nearly white, tangled hair, which once was such a rich brown and at the haphazard scratch mark scars that marked her cheek as she imagined phantoms coming and tearing at her face in the dark hours of the night. Jonathan fought back the tears in his eyes.

“Jonathan, it’s not your fault,” Westmeyer whispered. “Now it’s time to get you some help.”

But suddenly a cell phone rang in Crane’s breast pocket. He slipped it out and held it to his ear, finally ending his call with:

“No problem, I’ll be there.”

Crane turned his eyes to Westmeyer with a bitter smile upon his lips.

“I’m afraid my ‘help’ will have to come at another time, Steven. It turns out that she-devil Rachel Dawes also is coming to pay me a visit today and I must be ready.”

[scotsrockgod]

Niiiice.

I really like the imagery of the dark room and Scarecrow almost being 'caught' by Steven.

"I am a failure in some respects, Steven I am."

Enter Rachel. Oooh.

[fosforito]

Oh Azina, this was a great chapter again!

I was really expecting Jonathan would be hurt by the gunshot like being grazed by the bullet
(*sighs after knowing that he didn´t get hurt*)
but I knew Jon wouldn´t be dead (yesssss )

Good how you bring Westmeyer in now (hey: he amlost catched Scarecrow - wow!) and a fantastic tie to Jon´s mom!!

I wondered after reading SOTM and now Midnight Dawn what happened to his mother in the meantime.

Ohhh, Jonathan must feel so much guilt for not being able to help his mom. Poor Jonathan

Oh, and now Rachel comes in... I´m curious what will happen now.

Azina, will you tie your story with the plot of BB somehow?

Are we somewhere in the movie now, especially when the scenes are dealing with Rachel and Crane at the same time?

Anyway: very good chapter!!!!

[azina]

fosforito said:

Oh Azina, this was a great chapter again!

I was really expecting Jonathan would be hurt by the gunshot like being grazed by the bullet
(*sighs after knowing that he didn´t get hurt*)
but I knew Jon wouldn´t be dead (yesssss )

I was thinking about him being grazed, but for what I have planned coming up, that wouldn't work, so I decided that when the gas hit him in the face, Syler flinched when he shot at Crane so his aim was off.

I wondered after reading SOTM and now Midnight Dawn what happened to his mother in the meantime.

I thought it was important to bring her back up again and also to show where she was in her mental health because of course this will undermine Jonathan's confidence in himself. He can't say any longer it's Gooding's fault anymore.

Are we somewhere in the movie now, especially when the scenes are dealing with Rachel and Crane at the same time?

To be answered in the next chapter ...

Anyway: very good chapter!!!!

Thanks! I worried it was rushed. Did you get that impression?

[azina]

scotsrockgod said:

Playing catch up here, finally had time to give this a read.

I posted comments on the first 2 chapters on ff.net (under ACleverName).

Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them.

Also, I don't know if anyone has yet postulated the schizophrenia, but I really like that idea. It makes a lot of sense, especially with the way you've written this. Another layer, and it's awesome.

I was a little stunned at some of the similaries Crane has to some classic symptoms schizophrenics have and when they first develop these symptoms ... and I wrote some of this before I visited their website.

I maintain, in my own twisted mind, that the Crane we are constructing (we, being the BB screenwriter and the fan fic writers) has a lot in common with one of my favorite characters, the Phantom of the Opera. Case in point: "It had been so long since Crane had been touched by anyone lovingly." This tugged at my heartstrings. The lack of genuine love in Crane's life hasn't helped his mental condition at all. Same for Erik. I love it!!

I formulated early on that Crane is physically and emotionally starved for love and he refocusses the normal sexual energy to deviant behaviors (i.e. getting gratification/enjoyment from fear via Scarecrow). And yes, I wouldn't mind making some Music of the Night with Jonathan Crane or the recent Phantom of the Opera Erik ... very nice.

[scotsrockgod]

azina said:

And yes, I wouldn't mind making some Music of the Night with Jonathan Crane or the recent Phantom of the Opera Erik ... very nice.

You rock, Azina!

And ditto, on all counts. *dissipates into puddle of goo*

Now I have a question for you: when I read wikipedia's definition of sadism, it stipulated that it began as a condition in which the sadist was getting sexual pleasure from others' pain. Now it says that such a definition is not strictly true, that it can be any kind of gratification and not necessarily sexual. Are you saying here that for your Crane, he's a sadist in the original sense?

Please keep those chapters coming.

[azina]

scotsrockgod said:

azina said:

And yes, I wouldn't mind making some Music of the Night with Jonathan Crane or the recent Phantom of the Opera Erik ... very nice.

You rock, Azina!

And ditto, on all counts. *dissipates into puddle of goo*

Now I have a question for you: when I read wikipedia's definition of sadism, it stipulated that it began as a condition in which the sadist was getting sexual pleasure from others' pain. Now it says that such a definition is not strictly true, that it can be any kind of gratification and not necessarily sexual. Are you saying here that for your Crane, he's a sadist in the original sense?

Please keep those chapters coming.

And the actor who played Erik was Scottish! Mmmmm. What is it with me and the Scots and Irish?

But on to the serious stuff ... I never saw my Crane as a sadist ... Scarecrow is the sadist in that definition. If you notice he's always the one clamoring and craving the pain and fear. Crane at this stage is trying to cure and is very misguided in his treatments and as you see he is becoming very unbalanced himself. So I guess I gave you two answers, one for each of Jonathan's personalities.

[fosforito]

I have to second that !!

I never saw your Crane as a sadist either..

same thing for my Crane ;-)

It´s just the thing thet Scarecrow has such a big influence on Jon, he´s manipulating him all the time and somehow he can manage to get control over him in the most important moments of Jonathan´s life, what is sometimes positive (e.g. the "treatment of Snake Marciano in SOTM or now Syler) but also negative (e.g. the treatment of Jon´s mom)

So it´s always a fight between Scarecrow and Jon and depends on what happens in his life either the one or the other has "control" then.

azina said:

But on to the serious stuff ... I never saw my Crane as a sadist ... Scarecrow is the sadist in that definition. If you notice he's always the one clamoring and craving the pain and fear. Crane at this stage is trying to cure and is very misguided in his treatments and as you see he is becoming very unbalanced himself. So I guess I gave you two answers, one for each of Jonathan's personalities.

[scotsrockgod]

azina said:

And the actor who played Erik was Scottish! Mmmmm. What is it with me and the Scots and Irish?

Yup, Gerard Butler ... *points to sig* His accent is teh sex.

Anyway ...

Well, thank you for answering my question. I like that you say he's misguided and becoming very unbalanced, rather than sadistic. Definitely lending more depth to the character.

Now, here's another thing that was floating around in my head.

Yesterday in my Milton class we were discussing the fact that Milton had an obsession with the theme of maturation. He was fixated on the act of growing up. He got called "the Lady of Christ College" at Cambridge because he was "preserving his chastity." My teacher seems to think it probable that he was a virgin up until his marriage at age 34.

Now, in terms of Crane ... in your fic, Azina, he doesn't get his first kiss until ... well, I'm not sure how old he is, but he's definitely into adulthood. I know in others it happens a bit earlier (Fosforito's for example). So do you think your Crane is, by virtue of all the abuse he suffered as a child, having a hard time growing up? The general idea we all seem to be getting to in our fics is that while, on the outside, he seems to be a very successful man--the job, the wealth, the high profile--inside he has not yet quite matured. Matured, in the sense that my Milton teacher was talking about--one of the rites of maturation is losing virginity.

Did that make any sense? I was trying to decipher my notes because I was sitting in class thinking, "ooh, ooh, this fits Crane."

[azina]

scotsrockgod said:

azina said:

And the actor who played Erik was Scottish! Mmmmm. What is it with me and the Scots and Irish?

Yup, Gerard Butler ... *points to sig* His accent is teh sex.

Anyway ...

Well, thank you for answering my question. I like that you say he's misguided and becoming very unbalanced, rather than sadistic. Definitely lending more depth to the character.

Now, here's another thing that was floating around in my head.

Yesterday in my Milton class we were discussing the fact that Milton had an obsession with the theme of maturation. He was fixated on the act of growing up. He got called "the Lady of Christ College" at Cambridge because he was "preserving his chastity." My teacher seems to think it probable that he was a virgin up until his marriage at age 34.

Now, in terms of Crane ... in your fic, Azina, he doesn't get his first kiss until ... well, I'm not sure how old he is, but he's definitely into adulthood. I know in others it happens a bit earlier (Fosforito's for example). So do you think your Crane is, by virtue of all the abuse he suffered as a child, having a hard time growing up? The general idea we all seem to be getting to in our fics is that while, on the outside, he seems to be a very successful man--the job, the wealth, the high profile--inside he has not yet quite matured. Matured, in the sense that my Milton teacher was talking about--one of the rites of maturation is losing virginity.

Did that make any sense? I was trying to decipher my notes because I was sitting in class thinking, "ooh, ooh, this fits Crane."

Wow, that's a very interesting interpretation! I never thought of that. I get so much out of getting reader's input into this story.

Well, I leave this always to interpretation, but remember, Crane may or may not have had sexual relationships before Emily. He just was probably pining for her in some way as his first crush and idealized her in some way in his mind. So Crane might be a virgin or he might not ... again, I leave that to your interpretation. But he is maturing and growing. Emily is opening a newer and in some ways a more painful side to himself.

[scotsrockgod]

azina said:

He just was probably pining for her in some way as his first crush and idealized her in some way in his mind. So Crane might be a virgin or he might not ... again, I leave that to your interpretation. But he is maturing and growing. Emily is opening a newer and in some ways a more painful side to himself.

Ah yes, I was jumping to conclusions in my desire to bring in Milton. I guess I am too quick to equate Crane with Erik. In any case, I can't wait to read the next chapter.