Kaden's Journal [Guardian is Aaron Arrikanez]

[Juridian Soul]

Saturday, May 15, 2006

It's been an interesting week to say the least of it. Monday was one of the busiest days of the year for Rockhaven, so after much debate, I wound up there all morning - and most of the rest of the day as well. We had patients flocking in, and I was in charge of the prelim. exams. Something I'm not overly fond of, but then again... At any rate, that went by without a hitch, then I was able to sit down with the new kids individualy, and talk to them about habits and such and soforth. Monday wasn't a particularly exciting day - just busy.

Tuesday, we had a guest speaker in for the entire crowd. I didn't know the woman's name, but she was one of the motivational type - and thus, it was all things that I'd heard ten-dozen times before. Not like I wasn't prepared to sit through it. And even if she was saying the same old things as everyone else I've ever heard in that situation, she seemed quite able to captivate everyone's attention. Including mine - and that's a hard thing to acheive. Since there was no more call for me after that point, I just went home, and relaxed for the rest of the day.

I ALMOST forgot it was my birthday on Wednesday. The tenth has always snuck up on me, and it's hard to believe that I'm an entire year older as of now. But still, I just had so much bitterness for my life up until now. And I suppose I still do. I've never been able to do anything for anyone. Not significant, anyway. Age twenty-five already, and I still don't have a job that's paying near enough to live off of. But at any rate. I happily blew out the candles on a cake some of my patients made for me, and mumbled my wish beneath my breath. Maybe a selfish one, I don't know. But after the party, they let me go home, as I really wasn't feeling very well.

Thursday came and went - but something interesting happened in that course of time. On my way back from work, some strange person sold me a moonstone. Now, I know I shouldn't be taking deals from strangers, and the price was far too low for such a gem... but it seemed like the right thing to do. It almost seemed fated to occur. Anyway - I tucked the gem into a pocket of my labcoat, and went about my daily business. I think that gem is something of a good luck charm. Nothing bad happened to me the rest of that day. Or the beginning of today - it being now Friday.

I wonder just why that man sold me this gem? And I wonder why it seems to... like... me? That's an odd way to put it, but I think it's the truth. It just 'feels' happy. On the other hand, I HAVE been working far too hard as of late to make ends meet. It could just be exhaustion. Or I could finally be losing my mind. At any rate, I wished on it last night. Stupid, I suppose, but then again... It was a pretty stupid wish. But I do. I wish I could actually DO something for someone. instead of just sitting here and letting the others do the real work, while I supervise, or labor away at meaningless tasks...

That's all for this week's report - Next week I'm supposed to start evaluating one of the blasted Arrikanez boys that got himself roped into a drug ring. Wonderful. I don't even know the kid's name yet - and I'm already being cynnical.  

[Juridian Soul]

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Another interesting week here for me. I don't know exactly where to start. Something very odd is happening with my patients - or rather, a group of them in particular. As I had said last week, it was my job this week to evaluate a group of boys from the family Arrikanez who had gotten themselves tangled up in the drug trade of the big city. What I actually discovered was something of a secret. A secret that people would kill for. But let me go through my week first.

Monday, I recieved the boys with police escorts, then sent the Force away to talk to them each privately. There were three that claimed to be from that family. Onyx, Garnet, and Jade. Now, not for a moment did I believe that these were the real names of these boys, and it turned out that I was right. I drew them each aside, and wrestled their names out of them. The one going by the name of Onyx is a certain Tai Arrikanez. Garnet is Danyel. And Jade is Rori. On Monday, that was all I was able to get out of them. Though all three showed extreme, and perhaps obsessive, interest in the surroundings of the place. ... And my moonstone.

Tuesday, I met with Danyel. The other two had opted to stay in their rooms, and Danyel seemed to be forthcoming with information he thought I needed to know. Boy was he right. If any of what he said - and what is written here - even got out to the public of Juridia.... Chaos. He'd been working with a gang that called themselves Shine. Their leader is a woman named Jewel, and her daughter Gem is the second-in-command. They are working to erradicate the entirety of Juridian government, and expose issues to the public eye that have long since been dropped as hoaxes, or false evidence. They are part of a sect of seven such groups that guard the interdimensional gateways - something I had thought a hoax a long time ago. Danyel seemed insistant that I watch my back as he left my office. The moonstone reacted strangely to this one... it kept 'jumping' out of my hand. Either that, or I was just incredibly clumsy.

Wednesday was hectic. I had Rori in for evaluation, and I swear that kid has more going on inside his head than a 12-ring circus, if there ever was such a thing. I don't think he's entirely sane, which is probably why it's a good thing he was sent here. Danyel seems more in control of himself, but Rori was all over the place. I could barely keep him on one topic, before he'd stray to another. He kept mentioning 'the keys of the past' in odd ways. I'm not sure exactly what he meant. I gathered from him that he is the so-called 'Guardian of the Keys" - and that's all I could intelligably make out. The boy talks so fast, I swear his mouth must catch fire at least once a week. I didn't get much accomplished before I had to let him go back to his room. I'm going to want a thorough workup on his brain when it comes time for the physical evaluation. I have a feeling that he's a lot more intelligent than he acts. And something about that scares me witless.

Thursday morning was terrifying. I went to gather Tai from his room to find him unconscious. A quick runthrough of his vital signs placed him in a coma. Danyel said that he had warned the older Arrikanez, but the boy apparently hadn't listened. I would have no problem believing that someone in this facility did this to him to cover up what he had to say. And that in itself was what kept me up much of the night this week. If Tai had regained consciousness that day, I wonder what he would have told me of his attacker. There were signs of struggle in the room, and the woodwork on the floor was scarred with the marks of some sort of blade. The investigator I hired - as luck would have it, also an Arrikanez - believes that this was a setup, and that Tai was drugged and/or knocked unconscious in another place, and dragged to the room afterwards. The dragmarks on the rug outside the rooms seem to support this hypothesis. I only hope I haven't landed in the middle of what I think I've landed in the middle of.

Not much to say for Friday - short and sweet. To the point. Danyel approached me with a bit of old parchment, and pressed on me the importance of reading it as soon as I got a free moment. I did so, not wanting to take any more risks here than I had to, and found the strangest symbol I've ever seen, staring me right in the face. It looked a little something like a man standing on his head with a hula hoop around his waist. I tucked it away for later. I've never really been the slueth in my family. That's always been Tyrian. Who - oddly enough - I recieved a call from that very evening. Simple conversation, but it was an odd coincidence to be sure.

Saturday, I wasn't feeling well, so I stayed at home, and tried to figure out what that figure Danyel handed me might mean. Without luck, I might add. Nothing jumped into my head, and nothing at all that would be any use. I hadn't seen it anywhere before, and I hadn't known anyone who had. At least, to the very best of my knowledge. It was an odd thing... and it still worries me. What is it that those boys want me to see? To do? What do they want from me? Who attacked Tai? What is Rori hiding? ... Usually, this sort of evaluation is supposed to SOLVE puzzles. This one... is just giving rise to new ones...  

[Juridian Soul]

Tuesday, August 15th, 2006

It has been a hectic few months. I have decided to write in this again, more to keep updates on Kaden than to bore myself with my work notes. I made that decision after the small vacation I took with him earlier on in the week. For starters, Kaden is a Krystal - I found this myself after much extensive research, and a good deal of curiousity as to where my moonstone had gone. As it turns out, said moonstone was what Kaden had sprung from. At first, the boy was surly and rude, almost downright ugly in personality. Soon enough, however, he started to change, to show his true persona. I'll get to that in a moment. He is kind and intelligent - moreso than many children his age. I can only assume that he is interested in the field of medicine, for he is currently obsessed with heartbeats, watches a medical drama anime called 'Black Jack', and hasn't missed an episode of ER since he first realized that it was a show about things he liked. I caved, and splurged. He now has a little doctor's kit that he totes around everywhere, and uses to give checkups to his stuffed bear - whom he's dubbed 'Taddy'. He speaks in sentences, but not all of them are coherrent. I'm beginning to suspect Disassociative Identity Disorder, and will be having him tested for it. One of the main concerns that he may be developing this is the constant referral to things he's done as being done by a person named 'Jake'. When I asked to meet this Jake, he became defensive, and told me that Jake didn't like me. The tests for the disorder will be done soon. Before he starts school. If he has this disorder, I need to deal with it via medication.

On the bright side, however, he is progressing remarkably well through the reading excercises. He seems to enjoy the written page, and practically devours one book after another. His current favorite author is Anne McCaffrey, and he looks forward to each new Pern book I manage to pick up. His current favorite is Moreta's Ride. I believe this is for the simple fact that it deals with something resembling a plague taking over Pern. I've often heard him verbally roleplaying at having his own dragon. I think it's cute, and as long as he knows the difference between fantasy and reality, I'll allow that sort of play. He favors fantasy over most any other genre.

His favorites are varied, and far between. There are times when he seems like a completely different person. Which is something I'll have to watch out for, if it turns out to be the true disorder. HE himself prefers the color blue, and wears it almost all the time. The person he calls 'Jake' makes requests for red and black items. Kaden's favorite toys are his stuffed bear, and the doctor's kit. 'Jake' likes the toy cars, and the drum set. So far, that's all I've been able to gather. I'm sure I'll have much more to write when the time comes to make another entry.  

[Juridian Soul]

Thursday, August 17th

Today, I dropped off Kaden at a sleepover. I used to go to many of those when I was a child, and I wouldn't deny him the pleasure of it for the world. Plus, I have a meeting to go to, and some things to attend. Nothing against spending time with Kae mind, it's just that sleepovers are best gone to without the parental figure. If father were here, he would scold me for saying that.
At any rate, yes. I dropped him off, and I'm hoping he'll be alright without me for the time being. I'd assume he will be. He's showing enough strength of mind to be well able to handle spending a night without his father. And besides - if he needs anything, I've given the other parents my number. Also, should anything go wrong, my cellphone is always on, and the building I'm attending the meeting in is not far away at all from the house Kae's staying in. It should be an interesting experience - for both of us.