A Mad Tea Party (Max)

[alice]

It was near the full moon. You didn't have to be a preternatural for the pull of the moon to affect you. Even mortal humans seemed to become 'lit' by the power of the full glow that descended down upon the city.

The psych floor was fully staffed, as usual for such occasions. Already, rooms were beginning to fill up.

Alice found herself down in the ER, weeding through the patients. Not everyone was 'certifiable'. Some were homeless, just wanting a warm bed for the night. Some were just plain annoying, and the ER staff tried to pawn them off on the psych ward.

Taking a break at the center counter, Alice plucked a pencil from her ear and began to scribble on her clip board. There were only three rooms left upstairs. And it was only 1am. She sighed and whispered a little prayer, taking a quick glance over her shoulder as another ambulance wheeled someone in, "God help us."

[Deleted]

The moon did wondrously obscene things to him. It had always been so for the child that would grow into Max. While he was so much more than a lycanthrope he seemed to always suffer much as they. It was as if his body craved all the more what it could not have. he had even looked into the idea of skin dancing. It had been a waste of time. If not for having prolonged his torture of the shaman it would have been a completely wasted trip out to the desert. As it was he used the trip for a chance to nearly perfect his form. He'd been sloppy before. But after he could wield a blade to carve the Mona Lisa into flesh. Smiling at the thought he realized he was growing to calm. The EMT's weren't rocket scientist but they'd notice something if he didn't struggle a bit.

So to that end he thrashed just enough so that they would feel they'd accomplished something. It was always the same. It was one of the reasons he liked his little sojourns here. His mini vacations. Three hot meals a cot and all the tender care and conversation he could wish. It would also give the cops time to find bigger fish to fry besides him. Hopefully one they were done chasing their tales they'd go and put a few bullets into Toren. He couldn't figure out why it was taking them so long to do his work for him. Guess the saying was true you could never find a cop when you needed one.

As the EMTs passed him off to the orderlies Max took his moment. The second of their lapsed concentration was so small that most would never notice it. But he had always had an eye for where to strike to instill the most chaos. It was as if he had a connection to it. That along with his other gifts would always mark him as different. As a child he had prayed to be normal only to have his family swallowed whole by a monster from make believe.

Shuddering at the image he seized the opportunity and tore free from their grasping hands. Bounding across the emergency room he shoved a wheelchair over. Scream singing at the top of his lungs "Remember when you ran away
And I got on my knees
And begged you not to leave
Because I'd go berserk?
Well. . .

You left me anyhow
And then the days got worse and worse
And now you see I've gone
Completely out of my mind
And. . .

They're coming to take me away, HA HA
They're coming to take me away, HO HO HEE HEE HA HA
To the funny farm
Where life is beautiful all the time
And I'll be happy to see
Those nice, young men
In their clean, white coats
And they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!"

It was an act that if Max was the least bit introspectional he'd realize was the true him. As it stood Max evaded the orderlies long enough for them to work up a sweat. If they were cops they'd have tried tazing him already. As it stood they could do no more than chase him. He was careful to keep his speed within the 'normal' range of possibility, even doing so he easily evaded them. He could have done so for hours more.

However he smelled something that intrigued him. Skidding to a halt in front of the blonde doctor he leaned in taking a deep whiff of her. Yes she was definitely the source. he couldn't tell why her scent made him curious. But he would find out. Memorizing her name tag he looked back to her eyes. there was something there something almost touchable. As his hand rose he was blindsided by one of the orderlies. He had all but forgotten his little game. From the mans violent collision it was obvious that he hadn't.

Laying on the ground as the orderlies closed offering apologies to the doctor Max didn't resist he merely allowed the drugs they were pumping into him to seem to take effect. He was safe here. His true prints weren't on record. He could stay here indefinitely lost in the system. He knew that he wouldn't there were so many treats to pluck. For now however he would rest and hide right beneath their noses. It was a shame that o complete his role he'd have to pretend sleep instead of talking to the doctor for a few hours but he wouldn't risk setting off any alarms just yet, maybe later...

[alice]

A loud crash behind her caused Alice to quickly spin about where she stood. A wheelchair had toppled over, skidding as if something great and strong had shoved it aside. There were people running, and suddenly orderlies were dashing from all corners of the ER. She heard someone singing at the top of their voice. As if they wanted all the world to hear the words.

Alice quickly put her clipboard down, tossing the pencil into a drawer. She was ever cautious in moments like this. A pencil was a weapon. She had seen one go through a shoulder before. Alice wasn't a fool to let it happen again.

She moved swiftly about the nurses station, and headed towards the same direction as the orderlies and other doctors. A man suddenly ran between them and seemed to slide to a stop before her. He studied her in the briefest of moments that was allowed, as an orderlie took him to the floor. Before Alice knew it, there was a dogpile of sorts. Bodies holding the one man down, and quickly injecting him with a sedative agent. A straight jacket was found, and with quick studied movements they had the man settled as they wanted him. He was being carried to a bed, where a doctor rushed over to check for injuries.

The psychiatrist moved in, placing a gentle hand upon one of his wrapped arms, "Who is he? Is he ok?" No one knew the man's name. But, they had recognized him. He had been here before. A constant visitor to the psych ward, Alice was told. Her lips pursed, and she looked down at the sedated patient. "I need a name..for his file."

"Oh, you don't want this one, Dr. Carroll. He's a real wack job."

"I don't ever want to hear you say that again," her voice almost seemed a growl. Alice wasn't one to play with games about her patients. She didn't care for the nicknames and jabs. Anyone could become one of her patients. It was merely fate, and a bit of chemistry that could bring you to her care. But, not everyone seemed to think about that.

"When you are done checking him out..I want to be alerted when he is brought up to the psych ward. Do you understand?" Her voice was firm, and demanding. She was given simple nods. Alice gave them a quick once over look, then headed back to get her clipboard. She would see this patient upstairs. But, maybe before then, she might find out who he was. If he was a frequent visitor, surely someone knew him.

[metatron]

Richard watched as Alice took charge of the situation. He made it a habit to happen near the ER as often as possible. He hoped that a constant proximity might spark a beneficial response from her. Seeing her display an interest in patient zero He moved to the records room. He could maybe win her more to his side by playing hero. Maybe if she saw the file she might not take the case.

As she was fairly new he was aware that she hadn't known of this particular patient. They couldn't turn him away as he was deeply troubled yet they couldn't keep him either. Not that they didn't try. Richard thought back to when he'd had the dubious honor of being assigned the case. He'd been summoned in early to speak with the director personally. He'd erroneously thought that it might be in regards to a promotion. Lo and behold it was n regards to patient Zero.

Reading the notes he was intrigued. The mystery of cracking the patient was a challenge he'd thought he was up to. Every thing progressed as par for course. The evaluation went as most did with the patient sitting silently as Richard attempted to make a connection. This patient was different as he sat and looked at Richard as if he was an oddity in the zoo. It was obvious that the patient was cognizant of Richard and was paying rapt attention. Richard thought he was truly making headway. Only to have the patient burst out laughing when Richard attempted to obtain his name.

Richard worked the case for months only to have the patient neither open up nor make any progress at all. After months of running headlong into the same wall Richard was ready to throw in the towel and walk away. The patient disappeared from the ward. No trace no hide nor hair of his existence. There was no trace that he'd ever been in the ward save his file. There was no sign as to how he escaped either. Richard looked over the file again.

The patient had done his disappearing act like clock work ever few months through the intervening years.

[alice]

Alice had made it up to the psych ward. A quick check over a couple patients, and she wondered if her new patient had been brought up yet. He seemed a very striking patient. And had certainly thrown the ER into a full uproar. She was warned that he was dangerous. But, Alice knew that most anyone could be dangerous. Somehow, she felt a bit in control when she was in the hospital. It wasn't the anxious Alice that she was outside in the 'real' world. However gentle a woman she was out 'there', inside Alice knew she had to be tough.

She walked around the corridor and went to the front desk of the ward. Alice went through the files, checking to see who had been brought up recently. But, she didn't see the man that she had asked be brought up to her. She turned to one of the nurses, "I'm sorry, has an 'unknown' been brought up in the last hour?"

[Deleted]

Max heard the approach of the doctor like a coming storm. He could have yelled a reply to her question but that would have given far too much away.Instead he drove his head into the table almost hard enough to dent it. He was careful to not struggle to hard as he didn't want to pop the seams on the nice new straight jacket they'd provided him. He was getting preferential treatment he didn't want to ruin it too much.

Slamming his head again he made sure to strike a different area of the table as they just didn't make these as strong as they once did. He was sure they did so on purpose to insure that the hospitals and such had to reorder more often. He rifled through which persona would he adopt. He would have to dazzle her, at least long enough to find out why she smelled like Christmas and New years all rolled into one.

Max was accustomed to having urges to hunt but he had no true inclination to turn her into one of his works of art. He wouldn't kick her off the slab but he also wouldn't slide her into the restraints in a hurry either. It was weird to him to consider one of them as anything more than an outlet for his creative impulses. They one and all were disposable tools of the moment. Yet she struck something in him. If he had any illusions that he was normal he'd have assumed that he had a crush. As he knew that wasn't possible he would have to find what exactly she stirred in him...

[alice]

"If your talking about the one they had to slid into a straight jacket, he's in room three," the nurse frowned. She was new to the psych ward, and had felt that somehow she got the shaft. Maybe she had ticked of the wrong person, because these people were getting on her every last nerve. She picked up his chart and handed it to Alice, "I would be careful in their Dr. Carroll. He seems very violent."

Alice turned her gaze to the hallway and frowned when she took the clipboard. With a quick flip of a few pages, Alice read what little could be found on their unknown. She wouldn't comment on the nurses remarks. But, Alice would take note of them. If it continued, she would have to say something to her. Anymore, and the nurse would have to be transferred. Alice wanted her patients not to be treated like they were the worse of society. She believed everyone deserved a chance. Even if the pieces of themselves lay scattered forever, unattainable to make themselves a whole person again.

She slid the useless clipboard back to the nurse, "Thank you." Without ceremony, Alice headed to room three. She punched the security code, looking through the bonded wired glass to see her patient sitting in a straight jacket at the table. Alice carefully stepped inside, walking into the room with a calm and gentle smile, "Hello, I'm Dr. Carroll."

Walking over to the table, Alice moved slow and careful. Watching his every movement. He wasn't handcuffed to the table, but he was in a straight jacket. The room had an almost solid wall of glass, and a safety button should anything occur. Alice hoped it would not. Then again, she was always hopeful with her patients. Sitting down, Alice took a soft glance over him, looking for any signs that his muscles were tense. Her blue eyes found his gaze, and Alice slid a comfortable smile, "If you don't mind, I would like to know your name before we begin."

[Deleted]

As soon as he heard her footfall begin to near Max composed himself. Relaxing into a state of perfect calmness Max waited like an old english schoolboy on his lessons. As she entered he inhaled her scent. There was a certain sweet undertone and an iron tang as well. He knew that scent he bathed in it on more than one occasion. That was odd indeed. Most people were mildly unnerved by the scent of blood. To the point where they unconsciously avoided it if they could. Yet here she was with the scent all over her. Hmm curious indeed.

Max smiled putting on his best most unassuming of voices. "Pardon me for interrupting but is Carol your birth name or your family name. Its important because I like to give as good as I get. Its a small thing I do so as to be honest as I can be."

Shrugging as best as he was able without tearing the jacket Max continued holding her eye contact. He was careful to look away every few seconds. But eh went on as if they were two old friends meeting after some time apart.

"Forgive me Carol. I am called a lot of things. But I prefer Crazy. It has a nice ring to it and well it suits me. After all if I wasn't I would probably not be here. But then again you are here as well so what do I know. Let me be your Theodore. That works as well...or do you like another name I can go on if you like. My mother called me her own little private sin before she died. And my father must of thought I was a china man because all he ever said was Hei Yu ."

Shrugging again Max sat looking over the doctor running down the list of things that might leave such a subtle scent on her. She didn't look like an amateur taxidermist...

[alice]

He seemed to calm the moment that Alice sat down. As if the straight jacket were a cozy old blanket to which he took comfort in. Of course, Alice had seen patients feign a change in their demeanor swiftly. Well practiced ones could alter their very being, presence in order to get out of the psych ward. Then of course, some had the psych personality to quickly alter their moods. This meeting would be a simple test of that, depending on how well he took Alice and her questions.

Alice's head tilted slightly, when he told her he preferred to be called Crazy. As if it were not even a joke, but a simple nickname he enjoyed. She chewed slightly on the inside of her bottom lip, as he gave the name Theodore. It was false, that much was easily understood. And, he enjoyed the talk. He rambled quickly, spilling little bits of information as he had searched for a name to give her.

"I see. Well, Theodore. No, Carol is not my given name, but my family name," she paused, contemplating on wether to give him her first name or not. There was no harm in it. And one could certainly find it out by a quick look at her desk or the wall outside the psych ward doors. She watched as he seemed to find much of her fascinating. As if he were searching for something on her person, or wondered if he had seen her somewhere before. Her voice was calm, softly spoken as she continued, "Actually, my name is Alice. If you would feel more comfortable with calling me by that, I do not mind."

"Tell me, Theodore, what brought you to the ER tonight?" Alice had seen his file. But, she wanted to hear it from 'Theodore'. His perspective would enlighten her a bit more then the simple drab notes of a ER technician. And if he continued with his seeming open personality, Alice would find out even more answers then the question inquired of him.

[Deleted]

"Alice that is a nice name I think I like that even more than Carol. It suits you so much more." Max smiled earnestly as he mouth the name without speaking it. Realizing that he wasn't speaking he smiled brighter before speaking. "Oh my visit tonight well I really shouldn't say it could bring a lot of trouble your way. But I trust you so I was cutting mattress tags when it occurred tome that we are all mad here . And That I should be here as out there madness is signs of distress and here madness is normal."

Clearing his throat he looked into her eyes and spoke again. It was obvious that she was studying him as much if not more than he was studying her. It was her job after all. What sort of person would willingly associate with the insane and fractured. Why quite naturally someone who was insane themself. Could that be the flickering flame that attracted him to her. Maybe.

"Oh sorry I realize I was quiet. I don't mean to be rude but I am usually alone when dealing with guests. So I talk mostly in my own head. You can't hear me can you ? No of course not. You see 'I was wondering if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!' The great mystery indeed. Who in the world am I or what might be more apt. Especially as people define who they are by what they do these days."

Then realizing that the good doctor had gotten more out of him than a score before her he closed his lips and merely stared...