Snippet #1742645

Intervention: Dining Hall
0748-0750

Lauren halted a few steps from where Karissa had collapsed beside the locked doors. Though they had been briefed on each child’s needs, this was still a little unexpected. “Karissa,” she started to say, not approaching the hysterical girl, more than aware of the reaction her touch had instigated only minutes before. “It’s fine if you don’t want to go and get cleaned up.”

Reassuring and sounding remarkably wise, Lauren crouched down a few inches from where the crying girl had inelegantly placed herself, the hem of her uniform skimming the floor. “But you do need to eat something.”

There were a few noises behind her as another nurse tried to clear up the worse of the spills that the unstable patient had created through her dislike of porridge-based food. Efficiency and calm were key to the ideal environment for caring for these troubled children. Kindness equally balanced with control.

“If you don’t come and eat Karissa, we will have to take you elsewhere so we can calm you down. You know that we don’t like having to treat you that way, when we know you can be so agreeable.” It was not a warning; more of a gentle reminder that Karissa was generally well-behaved, and it saddened Lauren to see her acting out so badly.

Intervention: Outside Solitary Confinement
0907 - 0911

It was as the staff room door’s lock flashed ‘open’ that it swung open, revealing a woman who could have stood no more than five foot six, stoutly shaped and glaring down at the two boys who were directly in her path. There was a ‘click’ as she pulled the door behind her shut, closing off the brief glimpse of tables and chairs that had been awarded in her moment of surprise.

At first Janice did not speak, reaching out a hand to remove the card from Tori before he got over his surprise enough to stop her, pocketing it. “You are not supposed to have that Tori and you know it. How many times am I to remind you that breaking the rules is taken very seriously here?”

Despite her lack of height, the glare that she sent at them both was decidedly chilling. “And I suppose now you’re trying to rope another patient into your unruly ways?” A brief sigh, as if this was something she had known was going to happen but had been vainly wishing it did not. “Come with me you two, into the television room.”

If either boy showed any sign of resistance to move, or worse tried to get past her to the staff room, Janice would sternly advise them that that was not a good idea before escorting them through to where she intended to take them. She did not look like much but had been in this profession long enough to tackle two scrawny boys’ attempts to thwart her.