Visiting Insanity [Open]

[Cain]

St Mungo’s had taken him off suicide watch officially last week, but still tried unobtrusively to keep an eye on their patient. His case was rather strange, and his actions were even more so. Cain Elias Pierce was one of their stranger occupants, he swung alarmingly between the appearance of sanity and actions that led many of the nurses to refuse entering his room.

Today was a good day. He sat on the bed, which was bolted to the floor near the only window, bars running across its sill to keep the occupants from trying to either break the glass or jump out-- neither of which was an option, as he could barely get two fingers between bars. Cain had tried, several times. He sat in the single, long patch of sunshine in the room, the bars leaving shadows over the pages of the book he was reading.

He wasn’t so emaciated as he had been two months ago, and it even seemed as color was returning to him. He had lost most of the grey tint to his skin, and his eyes were slowly brightening, returning to their original clear, bright blue. He was so absorbed in the book, grey and blond head bent over his book, that he failed to notice as a nurse let in a visitor.

[Max Kameren]

"Max, don't turn around."

"What?" Max Kameren was about to turn his head over his shoulder when his father put a hand on him and kept him straight forward. Curse's hands were shaking, he noticed; It had been a long morning for the Kameren household. Curse had woken Max up at 6:30 am, telling him to pack a bag for the hospital. There were too many people talking to him last night, he'd told him.

"Eden's been following us since we took the portkey out of Hogsmeade. I need you to make sure she doesn't follow me all the way to therapy, okay?"

Max nodded solemnly, meeting his father's worried eyes. Max knew his father was very self-conscious about letting the students know about his treatments; as much as the potions master joked about being 'insane', his condition really scared him sometimes. And though it was normally Curse that took care of Max, every now and then Max knew his father needed him just as much as Max needed his father.

The two Kamerens pushed through the doors into St. Mungo's. Curse carried on towards the elevator up to the psychiatric ward, the fifth. Max stayed behind. He turned around towards the door, crossing his arms. His dark green eyes glared out at the door, looking for the Gryffindor first year. Though he was two years younger, Max had quite a few inches on the young seer already.

"You shouldn't be here, Eden." He did his best impression of his father's own overprotective, stern demeanor. It would seem almost comical to anyone older and bigger than him, with his child's voice and round face. But, perhaps to someone his age, the words rang through. His emerald eyes met the young girl stubbornly.

ooc: Just assumed you'd be there to pick up off of this, Eden. Don't worry Cain, we'll get to you in the next post! I just wanted to make sure Eden and Max were together before they came to visit. ^^

[Eden Fletcher]

Once again, Eden had woke up in the middle of the night, and half asleep wondered the castle. This time she did not dream of blood sucking demons but of voices. Random images, she didn't quite understand flowed through her mind. Suddenly she found herself wide awake standing in the middle of a hall leading to the ground floor. Whispered voices scared her and she quickly slid behind a very large, old and quite musty suit of armor.

'please don't wake up man of steel, I have far too many warnings for the month...' she thought as she huddled behind the cold giant. Carefully she peered out from between the statue's legs to see two sets of feet, one large and one small. There was something familiar about the leg. Eden had seen it before, but it had been trapped in a stair. It was Curse and Max and they were leaving Hogwarts without her.

As soon as they passed her Eden ran after them, quietly as she could, her night robe clutched in her hands. Curse did not look well and at some points he was even leaning a hand on Max. Their conversation about how many years he had left rushed through her mind. This couldn't be the time. She had seen him older. Surely he wouldn't die early, not now at least. So, Eden followed taking a port key after them, and tried to follow as far back as she could. Pride nearly knocked her over as she followed to St. Mungo's. She waited a minute to make sure they couldn't see her if they were stopped at the welcome desk. Eden then slipped in before skidding to a halt in front of Max Kameren. He did not look happy to see her.

"You shouldn't be here, Eden."[/d]

"Duh, Captain Obvious," she blurted out, trying to hide her fear behind bravado. She detested the fact that she had to tilt her head back to stare at the imperious Max Kameren. It wasn't fair! She was nearly two entire years older than him and was in school too. She should be the taller one.

"Is Curse okay?" She asked her bottom lip trembling. Eden didn't like hospitals. She had a fear that one day they wouldn't allow her out. She'd be trapped there with the other loonies.

"Where is he?" She demanded worried as her eyes searched behind him. She wasn't going to leave until she knew he was safe. Besides she had promised to take care of Max and despite him being taller she would.

[Max Kameren]

"Duh, Captain Obvious," Max's frown deepened and the taller wizard kept his stance. He took pride in the fact that she had to look up to him; this must be what his dad and Uncle Alex felt like all the time. "Is Curse okay?"

"Are you scared?" Max arched a brow at the Gryffindor girl curiously. Deep down, Max was just as scared as she was; every time his father had some sort of episode, it reminded him of how little time they had left. That was why Max had made Curse promise to take him when he went to the hospital; he was never totally sure that his father would be coming back to Hogwarts. "He'll be fine, its just a check-up." It was a lie, but a fairly good one. Eden couldn't read minds, she could just see into the future. Right?

"Where is he?"

"Ah--" Max stopped mid lie, an idea coming to him "--I'll show you." He turned on his heel, cocking his head in the direction of the elevator to tell Eden to follow. Dad had already caught the elevator up, he noticed. Hopefully he was already in his emergency appointment before he and Eden got to the top. "He has to come here once a month so that he stays healthy. It's not even a big deal." He grumbled as the doors opened and the two half-size magicians stepped in. Max pressed 5, leaning against the wall as the elevator rose. He had been at the hospital so often in the last year, it was almost another home to him. A home, but at times, a playground.

"Hey Maude!" Max leaped out of the elevator after a robust nurse in purple robes who was shuffling past. He kept his voice low, making sure that Eden couldn't hear. He wasn't bringing her to Curse. "Where's Cain's room? We're visiting him today. Dad's on his way, he just had to do the monthly check-in thing..."

Max smiled through his blatant lie; he knew the nurse would let him in. Besides just Curse, Max had a way with the mental patients at St. Mungo's. They seemed to lighten up around him, cheer them and give them more hope to get better. With Cain's hopeless case (or so he'd overheard, as his dad had a phone discussion one night about his violent attacks.

Maude gave him a suspicious look. The nurses weren't supposed to let any minors into the rooms without their parents' supervision, but everyone at the hospital knew Max. "Fine. You know the rules, though. I have to stay in the room until Dr. Kameren comes to get you."

Max nodded, beckoning Eden along as he followed behind Maude. Maude opened the door, ushering the children inside. Maude went and stood in the corner. Max leaned on the bed, letting Eden take the only chair. He tilted his head sideways as Cain read, reading over his shoulder. He furrowed his brow in curiosity, smiling brightly as he spoke. "What are you reading?"

"Hi Cain, I'm Max and this is Eden. My dad'll be along soon I think, he's in treatment." Maude let out a slight gasp, shooting Max a dangerous look from the corner of the room when she realized he'd tricked her. Max made sure to let Cain know who they were and what they were doing: if he was anything like Curse was--which Curse seemed confident he was--then new faces visiting him may not be welcome. He smiled happily, meeting the wizard's cold blue-grey eyes. "You look better."

[Cain]

"What are you reading?"

Cain’s fingers tightened, wrinkling the page he was turning. He slowly released his hold on the corner, finger by finger. He took time to smooth the page with slightly trembly fingers. He looked up at the Kameren, the name coming easily to his mind. There was no mistaking the lad, no matter that Cain had never seen him before in his life. “Are the Kamerens incapable of producing female offspring?” He quested in return, his mind on the track of the thought at hand, and not on whatever the child had asked him.

"Hi Cain, I'm Max and this is Eden. My dad'll be along soon I think, he's in treatment."

His long fingers continued moving over the book, he couldn’t get enough of books since his arrival here. He devoured them as a starved man devoured a five-course meal, and treated them with as much reverence as some treated family heirlooms or religious artefacts. He held to them like a drowning man in his madness. His patchy blue eyes found Eden and the nurse in the corner of the room, observing them. He returned his attention to the Kameren.

"You look better."

“Thanks.” He said automatically.

[Caleigh Pierce]

Cal had finally gotten some time off at work. She'd been working full time on a case and trying to get the victims to talk was no easy feat. She'd finally told them to go home, get some rest, relax, and they could pick up tomorrow. But really, she'd just wanted to get out of there. Her frustration was growing. Didn't these people realize they could save lives if they'd talk? She knew it was traumatic, but in order to get over something fully and truly, you needed to talk about it. She was the professional, she would know, but of course they doubted her because she was 'too young to really know what she was doing'. Cal hated stereotypes.

After stopping off briefly at her house, she saw a stack of books and remembered she'd meant to visit Cain today. She picked them up and shoved them in her bag before apparating to outside of St. Mungo's. She didn't know why, but he'd taken a sudden liking to reading and that was all he did it seemed. However, he was recovering so she wasn't going to complain.

Cal entered the wizarding hospital and headed up to her brother's floor, nodding and smiling at familiar witches. While Cal had started to become happier again, she was no where near what she had been and doubted she'd ever be back to the original Cal. The one who hadn't seen her brother suffer. She knocked lightly on his door, surprised to hear voices, especially younger voices coming from the room. She opened the door and slipped in, her small frame setting her as the smallest in the room.

"Hello, I'm Cal." She said a small smile on her face before she dug around in her bag and pulled out the stack of books. "You're very lucky I have an extensive library in my house." She said smiling at her brother before walking over to him and giving him a light hug and fixing his hair. She then turned to the two children, smiling. "What brings you two here?" She asked kindly, waving at the nurse in the corner.

[Eden Fletcher]

(how tiny is call if she's the smallest in the room? Eden's barely past four feet. )



"Are you scared?"

It was the mocking eyebrow that did her in. Normally, Eden was far to mature for her age. It was hard to relate to her peers in their childlike ways when she saw so much destruction in her visions. But Max Kameren made Eden want to do the silliest things, like stick her tongue out at people or have temper tantrums. Of course she was scared. She had envisioned her favorite teacher's death. She wasn't sure when it was going to happen but she wasn't going to take any chances. Besides, Max needed a friend beside him when it happened, so she was his shadow.

"No," She clipped out, arms crossed defiantly. Of course, they both knew she was lying, just as she knew he would. It was all part of the I'll make you feel better game. They wouldn't call each others bluffs not yet anyways.

"He'll be fine, its just a check-up."

Doubt creeped into Eden's thoughts. What if she was over reacting? Her vision did seem like he was older and he had told her he had several years left, not much but a few. Eden quickly followed the young Kameren when he beckoned, glad he was talking her to see Curse. Eden practically hid behind Max when he began talking to a nurse. She didn't like nurses. While they were talking, Eden's attention was riveted on the sign: Mental ward.

Would she be there was day? Trapped inside of it's walls because of her visions. A part of her was surprised she hadn't already been a patient. She shivered at the thought. It would be horrible to be trapped. Suddenly, she wanted very much to leave, to not see what this place was like. She couldn't help but think that one day someone would believe that she was crazy not gifted and lock her up.

Shaking her head, Eden slowly pulled herself away from the sign to follow Max and the nurse to where Curse was. When they entered someone else's room and Max introduced them, Eden glared at the back of his head. Liar! Her left foot began to tap impatiently, the urge to step on his foot very strong. But she would behave.

Eden said nothing, just watched. There was something familiar about the man in the bed. Something important about him. She didn't know what but she knew she'd find out soon. Before Eden could question him a very pretty lady walked in, spotted them and asked why they were there.

"Eden, and that's Max. We're just spreading...cheer." She said with a false bright smile that usually fooled adults. most expected her personality to match her golden curls, bright and sweet. Sometimes it was hard.

"Are you his sister?" She asked trying to keep the conversation off herself.

[Max Kameren]

“Are the Kamerens incapable of producing female offspring?”

Max's eyes rolled up towards the ceiling as he thought about it. "Dunno. I'll get back to you in a few years on that." He grinned; no amount of bluntness could scare the youngest Kameren. He had to deal with his dad and Alex on a daily basis. Cain was a bundle of nerves and hostility; Max remembered this phase. Curse had had it to, to the severity of having to charm his mouth closed once after he attacked a doctor. That was an ugly visit, the youngster remembered, but it had gotten better. He was sure, if he was patient and adamant, Cain would come through too. There wasn't a living soul who could out-wait Max Kameren.

The door behind them clicked open. Max froze. Busted. Was his father done with treatment so soon? No, it couldn't be; Max hadn't seen his father this disturbed since the night he nailed the windows shut. Coming to that conclusion, Max turned his head curiously to see who had stepped into the room. It was a blonde woman, nearer to Cain's age, though Max realized proudly that he had some height on her too.

"Hello, I'm Cal." Max observed the blonde witch's kindly nature towards Cain. This must be the Cal his dad had mentioned. "You're very lucky I have an extensive library in my house."

"What brings you two here?"

"Are you his sister?"

"Of course she's his sister," Max scoffed at the Gryffindor in their regular bullying banter before focussing his attention on Cal. "I'm Max, Curse's son. And that's Eden. She's a stalker." She smiled pointedly at Eden before glancing back at Cain. "We just came to visit." He smiled happily at the subject of their conversation. All he wanted was to find a way to help.

[Cain]

"You're very lucky I have an extensive library in my house

Cain mumbled something appreciative, his focus on the Kameren child. He was rather old, and he wondered whose child he was. Alex’s? Or that other Kameren? There was another, whatever his name was. Maybe. Sometimes he doubted this ‘other Kameren’ really existed. It might be some great hoax, or something. Alex could be humorous like that.

"Dunno. I'll get back to you in a few years on that."

"Of course she's his sister," Max scoffed at the Gryffindor in their regular bullying banter before focussing his attention on Cal. "I'm Max, Curse's son. And that's Eden. She's a stalker." She smiled pointedly at Eden before glancing back at Cain. "We just came to visit."

Cain refused to smile, not sharing Max’s sentiment towards the invasion in his room. He opened his book, running his hand across the page before he took a pen from behind his ear and started writing. His handwriting scrawled across the printed page, a diagram ran into the words and competed to push them from the space.

[Eden Fletcher]

Eden was not happy. The man laying in the bed was obvious not pleased to see two children in his room. She probably wouldn't be happy if she was his age and her reading time was disturbed by a cherub and a midget. But the woman seemed nice enough. Eden's ears burned and she narrowed her eyes at Max as he called her a stalker. She was not a stalker! She was worried and someone had to make sure that the Kamerens were alright. Eden had promised she'd watch over Max when Curse got sick the best she could. She knew that Curse was dying had seen it in her visions and she'd be watching for the signs. She'd be waiting to help.

"I had good reason to follow the Kamerens. I'm not a stalker." She said in her best serious, grown up voice. She even resisted the urge to pout and jab Max in the stomach. Really, he was quiet vexing sometimes.

"Do you want me to take him away from you, so you can read? He's quite annoyingly cheerful sometimes." She said to Cain as she noticed him trying to read again.