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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Dec 6, 2011 1:03:25 GMT -5
"Oh, good!" Nadine said, but she frowned as she turned back to prepare the roast. She could tell by the tone of Ilsa's voice that there had already been an incident, and she didn't want to seem like she was mad at Ilsa for it. She didn't know what had happened, after all, and she didn't want to make it seem like she automatically blamed Ilsa for it. The fact was that the two sisters never really seemed to get along, and Nadine just couldn't understand it. She had always hoped and wished for a sister when she was younger, and she was proud of her two beautiful girls. Yes, she had more issues with Ilsa than with Lorelei, but she loved them both fiercely and would defend them both with her life if necessary. So why did it seem like they were always competing with each other?
"Why don't you help make a salad?" she said, nodding toward the lettuce that was sitting in a colander in the sink.
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Dec 7, 2011 0:22:10 GMT -5
Ilsa nodded. "Sure thing." She hadn't asked out loud if there was anything she could do, but she assumed the question was pretty much implied. Moving over to the sink, she ran her hands under the cold water, and rinsed the greens off as well.
Quietly, she pulled the cutting board out of it's place and started in on a tomato. Never one to keep her thoughts to herself for long, Ilsa cast a sidelong look at her mother before turning her eyes back to the tomato she was chopping and sighed. It was killing her not to mention Ramon to her mother- how much she wished she was with him. Or even that he was here.
"How's work?" she finally settled on.
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Post by Joseph Richmond on Dec 13, 2011 15:26:47 GMT -5
Joseph knew very well how the night could progress. It could be a peaceful dinner, or it would end up with one of the girls leaving the dinner table. "Hello Lorelei," he said with a smile and stretching out his arms to hug his eldest daughter.
After pulling away from her, he watched Ilsa walk into the kitchen and he sighed very softly. "That was just her way of saying hello," he said looking back to Lorelei. Joseph loved both of his daughters dearly. He wasn't exactly sure why there was a competition between them like it was.
He put a smile on his face as he looked back to Lorelei. "How's everything sweetheart? You didn't bring that boy of yours with you?"
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Post by Lorelei Richmond on Dec 16, 2011 3:15:06 GMT -5
Lorelei hugged her father back, wishing she could go home for a hug from her father every day. She may be getting older now, but she knew she would always be her father's little girl. Lorelei couldn't see that ever changing.
"I know. I'll play nice, papa. It's been a long week, I'd rather everything just be nice tonight." Lorelei said with a smile. At her father's comment, she rolled her eyes but kept the smile on her face to let him know she was joking.
"He has a name, papa. No, Duncan was busy tonight, but I left him a message and told him to come if he finds himself with some extra time tonight." She said. She was upset he couldn't make it, and was hoping later tonight he would show up.
"And as for me, I've been great! I'm learning so much at the Ministry, just when I thought I knew everything about muggles there was to learn. Duncan's been helping me understand things I can't quite grasp, but I'm picking things up quickly." Lorelei said, her smile widening at the thought of her job. The paperwork she had to do didn't bother her, and spending all day reading about muggles was only made better with her trips to muggle London to watch them. "How has everything been at home? Is Isla giving you more trouble than before?"
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Dec 17, 2011 1:35:54 GMT -5
Ilsa nodded. "Sure thing." She hadn't asked out loud if there was anything she could do, but she assumed the question was pretty much implied. Moving over to the sink, she ran her hands under the cold water, and rinsed the greens off as well. Quietly, she pulled the cutting board out of it's place and started in on a tomato. Never one to keep her thoughts to herself for long, Ilsa cast a sidelong look at her mother before turning her eyes back to the tomato she was chopping and sighed. It was killing her not to mention Ramon to her mother- how much she wished she was with him. Or even that he was here. "How's work?" she finally settled on. Nadine knew her daughter well enough to know when she was keeping something from her. Unfortunately, however, this was nothing new. Ilsa, for as loud and outspoken as she could be, seemed to be rather quiet when it came to talking about her life. Nadine didn't know the name of even one of Ilsa's friends, or if she had a boyfriend, or anything. She sensed that Ilsa wanted to tell her something, but she wasn't surprised when she instead chose to ask about work. It was small talk, meant to distract her. "Work was... interesting. Two patients escaped last night. Both of them were Dr. Burkhardt's patients, and he wouldn't let us report it to the Daily Prophet. It's like he doesn't want them found." |
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Dec 17, 2011 21:39:03 GMT -5
"Oh good," Ilsa replied, that ever present sarcasm thick in her tone. "So now there are two psychopaths running around London?" It was brash, and Ilsa was well aware that the psych ward where her mother worked was nothing like the muggle horror films she was now picturing. But still, pyshco killers or not, they had obviously been admitted for a reason.
"I've never liked him, you know. He always gives me that creepy smile." Ilsa was probably one of a very small handful of people that didn't like Dr. Burkhart. She was told he was charming and intelligent, and maybe he was, but she couldn't help but want to avoid him, even if she wasnt entirely sure why.
"I mean, it's weird, right? That they both just happen to be his patients?"
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Dec 19, 2011 1:59:08 GMT -5
Actually, it might have been one of the few things that Ilsa and Nadine ever agreed on. Although she was always diplomatic and professional toward the man when she was at work, Nadine did not like Walter Burkhardt, and frequently questioned his methods. This latest incident was just another issue on which she disagreed with Walter.
"Honestly, Ilsa, I don't like him, either. He's very cold and unfeeling... I warned him against putting a patient who constantly sings showtunes in the same room with a young woman who tends to have violent outbursts, and he did it anyway. Yesterday, she snapped and attacked the woman. The poor old lady wasn't hurt too badly, but the girl was one of the patients who escaped. And Walter... Dr. Burkhardt... wasn't even concerned about it. It's very suspicious, I have to agree."
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Dec 19, 2011 3:21:28 GMT -5
"Violent outbursts? Oh my God," Ilsa said, using the muggle phrase she had picked up from a couple of her friends. By now, she had stopped what she was doing and was looking at her mother in almost total disbelief. "I knew it! What about the other patient? Is that one a psychopath too?"
Inside, she was kind of glad the showtune lady, as Ilsa called her, hadn't been hurt too bad. She had a heart, after all. "What song finally set her off?" she asked as an afterthought, half kidding but half genuinely interested, too. "If it were me, it would be The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music."
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Dec 19, 2011 23:57:53 GMT -5
"We don't know about the other one. He originally came to the main part of the hospital, bruised and bleeding, and he wouldn't speak or anything. He was eventually transferred to the psychiatric ward, but he was pretty much catatonic until today. Apparently, he pulled the girl off the old woman and calmed her down. Then they escaped together. It really is the strangest thing... but Dr. Burkhardt doesn't even seem surprised."
The whole business had Nadine worried. While she didn't think Siobhan O'Hurley posed a great danger to the general public, the other was a complete mystery. Why had he suddenly come out of it to help the girl? It was all very odd.
Having finished seasoning the roast, Nadine slipped it into the oven and turned back to face Ilsa. She actually even smiled in spite of herself. Honestly, just about anyone would probably have snapped on poor Mrs. Rockham eventually. Even Nadine had her limits. "No, it was 'Anything Goes,' apparently." She shrugged and sat down to rest for a moment. "I still think we should contact the Ministry and the press... people should know that these two are out there. I don't know if they're really dangerous... but isn't it better not to take the chance in case they are?"
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Dec 20, 2011 1:07:57 GMT -5
Something about that little story struck a chord in Ilsa, and she stopped what she was doing, glancing at her mother for a moment.
But then, it was as if she realized she was about to get sentimental, and she finally started tossing the salad with everything she'd cut for it. "That's actually kind of romantic." She shrugged, not giving it much more thought than that, though part of her was still at least somewhat convinced they were both killers. "Like Bunny and Clyde," she added, unaware that she butchered the girl's name.
At the name of the song, Ilsa let out a short bubble of a laugh. "Well, that's just a little ironic, isn't it?" But she grew serious, which was rare for her, and put a wet hand on her hip. "No, that's really weird. And seems totally planned. Not by Burkhardt, I mean, but the two of them. Or the mysterious one, at least. And even if it's just her that's dangerous... why haven't you gone to the Ministry yet?"
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Post by Joseph Richmond on Dec 21, 2011 21:49:10 GMT -5
Lorelei hugged her father back, wishing she could go home for a hug from her father every day. She may be getting older now, but she knew she would always be her father's little girl. Lorelei couldn't see that ever changing. "I know. I'll play nice, papa. It's been a long week, I'd rather everything just be nice tonight." Lorelei said with a smile. At her father's comment, she rolled her eyes but kept the smile on her face to let him know she was joking. "He has a name, papa. No, Duncan was busy tonight, but I left him a message and told him to come if he finds himself with some extra time tonight." She said. She was upset he couldn't make it, and was hoping later tonight he would show up. "And as for me, I've been great! I'm learning so much at the Ministry, just when I thought I knew everything about muggles there was to learn. Duncan's been helping me understand things I can't quite grasp, but I'm picking things up quickly." Lorelei said, her smile widening at the thought of her job. The paperwork she had to do didn't bother her, and spending all day reading about muggles was only made better with her trips to muggle London to watch them. "How has everything been at home? Is Isla giving you more trouble than before?" "Duncan, yes. I keep forgetting your boyfriend's name," Joseph said with a teasing twinkle in his eye. "I'm pretty sure he'll show up tonight. He follows you around everywhere." There was a smile on Joseph's face as Lorelei mentioned Duncan again. It was fairly obvious Lorelei had a thing for Duncan and vice versa, even Joseph noticed it. It wasn't his place however to really do anything about it, but he could tease both of them. "Things at home are great. Your mother and I are keeping things as normal as they always are." At the mention of Isla being any more trouble, he shook his head. "No, she's not," he said. "She's a teenager and teenagers do certain things. Things are the same, nothing to worry about." Joseph didn't want to really have anything going so he changed the subject. "Muggles are quite fascinating. There are a wide range of things that you probably don't even realize exist. I'm glad you have help. Has he asked you a dinner date yet?" |
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Jan 1, 2012 1:59:38 GMT -5
Something about that little story struck a chord in Ilsa, and she stopped what she was doing, glancing at her mother for a moment. But then, it was as if she realized she was about to get sentimental, and she finally started tossing the salad with everything she'd cut for it. "That's actually kind of romantic." She shrugged, not giving it much more thought than that, though part of her was still at least somewhat convinced they were both killers. "Like Bunny and Clyde," she added, unaware that she butchered the girl's name. At the name of the song, Ilsa let out a short bubble of a laugh. "Well, that's just a little ironic, isn't it?" But she grew serious, which was rare for her, and put a wet hand on her hip. "No, that's really weird. And seems totally planned. Not by Burkhardt, I mean, but the two of them. Or the mysterious one, at least. And even if it's just her that's dangerous... why haven't you gone to the Ministry yet?" "Walter's my superior," Nadine said with a sigh. "He said we weren't to go to the Ministry about it, so we have to keep our mouths shut... at least officially. He claims he's hired a private security team to look for them on an undercover basis... that if we sent the full strength of the Ministry after them, that they might do something violent. I don't know, though... that sounds dodgy to me, don't you think? I'm sort of thinking of dropping an anonymous tip to the Ministry, anyway. It seems to me that the more people that are looking for them, the better." In a way, she supposed it was sort of romantic. But it was odd. Siobhan had been in the hospital for years, and the other, John Doe, had only been there for a week or so. He'd been practically catatonic, and Siobhan was known for being particularly chatty. What was it about the girl that made the silent John Doe risk everything by bringing her with him when he broke out? |
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Jan 1, 2012 12:53:38 GMT -5
"Yeah, a little. I mean, some of the MLE work undercover, so it's not like they'd know anyone was after them. And besides, if they escaped, they have to know someone is after them anyway." Ilsa sighed, thinking it over.
"How'd they even escape? Especially from your ward of the hospital? There are always people everywhere and they had to have run into someone on the way out. It's just not logical that they wouldn't."
She finished with the salad and started collecting napkins and silverware to set the table. "I could tip of the Ministry, if you didn't want to risk it."
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Jan 2, 2012 1:04:43 GMT -5
Nadine had her theories, but she wasn't even sure she dared voice them aloud. All of the rooms and hallways were monitored with muggle cameras, and also by portraits, like that of the Victorian ladies, that could easily report back to the staff in the event of an escape attempt. Yet somehow, they had walked out of the hospital unseen by cameras or portraits. It seemed to her like they had to have had help... help from someone on the inside. Help so subtle that even they didn't know about it. And Walter's refusal to go the Ministry seemed to cement it in her mind.
"I don't think they did it alone," she said slowly. "They might not even know it, but I think they had help. It sounds crazy... but I almost feel like Walter wanted them to escape. I... probably shouldn't say more."
It wasn't that she thought she would be monitored or something, and she didn't think Ilsa would tell anyone, but somehow she just felt like it wasn't a good idea to get her daughter involved in this. Nadine had a very bad feeling about the whole thing.
"No, I'd rather you weren't involved in it... Just in case something goes wrong. I should do it. I just need to make sure Walter doesn't find out it was me."
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Jan 3, 2012 1:03:25 GMT -5
Ilsa rolled her eyes. They were doing so good at this conversation thing for a little while, before her mother shut her out of it again. She almost felt like Nadine saw her as too much of a child to be involved with adult things. She was an adult, whether Nadine liked it or not. Wisely, though, she didn't comment on this.
"I'm not getting involved if it's an anonymous tip. Either way, you should say something, though. And you know, this whole thing just makes Dr. Burkhardt creepier. He gives me the chills whenever he looks at me and I don't know how you work with him."
She crossed her arms over her chest and just studied her mother for a moment. "I don't get it. Why would he want them to escape? It doesn't make a lot of sense, actually."
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Post by Lorelei Richmond on Jan 18, 2012 2:12:34 GMT -5
"Duncan, yes. I keep forgetting your boyfriend's name," Joseph said with a teasing twinkle in his eye. "I'm pretty sure he'll show up tonight. He follows you around everywhere." There was a smile on Joseph's face as Lorelei mentioned Duncan again. It was fairly obvious Lorelei had a thing for Duncan and vice versa, even Joseph noticed it. It wasn't his place however to really do anything about it, but he could tease both of them. "Things at home are great. Your mother and I are keeping things as normal as they always are." At the mention of Isla being any more trouble, he shook his head. "No, she's not," he said. "She's a teenager and teenagers do certain things. Things are the same, nothing to worry about." Joseph didn't want to really have anything going so he changed the subject. "Muggles are quite fascinating. There are a wide range of things that you probably don't even realize exist. I'm glad you have help. Has he asked you a dinner date yet?" Lorelei rolled her eyes playfully when her father called Duncan her boyfriend again. She smiled at the memory of her and Duncan always being together during breaks from school; her father was right, they usually did spend their time together. "I'm hoping he does show up. I feel like it's been forever since he's been here for dinner." Lorelei let herself go off into her head for a moment, wishing Duncan would show up then and there, but when her father started talking about things at home she brought herself back into reality. "Well, I hope she'll continue to be okay..." Lorelei mumbled. She was only worried about her sister, even if she didn't show it as well as she should most of the time. It usually came out in arguments where Lorelei almost always ended up saying something she knew she was going to regret. Lorelei noticed her father changing the subject, and she didn't comment further on Isla. She didn't want any of them upset at her. "Every time I'm with Duncan, he tells me something new, something that's so hard for me to believe. I just bough a vacuum for my apartment, in fact. I'm going to try cleaning the muggle way, but I have a feeling it won't last too long." She paused to laugh. She hadn't even known what to do with the vacuum when she got it home. Sometimes she thought she was starting to go a little crazy over muggles. At the mention of a dinner date, Lorelei froze. "Well, we've... we have lunch sometimes, but..." Merlin, why did she always get like this when the thought of her being with Duncan came up? She liked him, so why was it so hard for her to just act like herself about him? "But no dinner yet, no. Do you think he really likes me, papa, or is he just being nice because I'm the strange girl with the magic tricks?" |
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Jan 29, 2012 1:47:46 GMT -5
Ilsa rolled her eyes. They were doing so good at this conversation thing for a little while, before her mother shut her out of it again. She almost felt like Nadine saw her as too much of a child to be involved with adult things. She was an adult, whether Nadine liked it or not. Wisely, though, she didn't comment on this. "I'm not getting involved if it's an anonymous tip. Either way, you should say something, though. And you know, this whole thing just makes Dr. Burkhardt creepier. He gives me the chills whenever he looks at me and I don't know how you work with him." She crossed her arms over her chest and just studied her mother for a moment. "I don't get it. Why would he want them to escape? It doesn't make a lot of sense, actually." It wasn't that Nadine thought Ilsa was a child and couldn't be involved in "adult" things. She wouldn't have wanted Lorelei involved, either, or even Joseph. She rather wished she wasn't involved, because Walter Burkhardt made her uneasy. She'd never liked the man, but he seemed especially suspicious lately. Ever since John Doe had stumbled into the hospital, he'd somehow become even more strange and secretive. You couldn't be a psychiatrist without being able to read people, and Nadine didn't like what she saw when she "read" Walter Burkhardt. On the other hand, Ilsa did have a point. If she were the one to give the anonymous tip, instead of Nadine, then, if Walter did find out that the Ministry had been tipped, Nadine would have deniability. She was pretty convinced that Walter could generally tell when someone was lying, and Nadine was not a good liar. "Well, maybe you're right. But let me think it over, and we can decide in the morning. I should discuss it with your father." How did Nadine work with Walter? By avoiding him as much as possible. Yes, he was her superior, but Lindsay was ultimately in charge of the hospital, so Nadine didn't have to deal with Walter very much. She took her orders from Lindsay. The rest of the time, she just gave Walter a wide berth. "I don't deal with him very much. In fact, sometimes I go out of my way to avoid him. It suits him, actually, because he's not exactly the friendly sort. I just wonder how his patients can deal with him. I don't know why he'd want them to escape... it's just an odd feeling I get. When he mentioned it this morning, he seemed sort of... proud. I know it sounds crazy, but he sounded like he was talking about his children getting 12 OWLs or something. I can't explain it." |
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Feb 6, 2012 16:57:07 GMT -5
"Or have Dad do it. I don't think the Ministry would take me seriously. Although I guess they would never know if it was anonymous. Seriously mum, what if this guy is some sort of serial killer? Why on earth is it okay that he escaped, with another patient? Why aren't you freaking out about this?"
By now, she finished whatever tasks she had been put on and pulled herself up onto the counter, legs swinging as she looked at her mother. "I kinda want to see him. Dr. Burkhart, I mean. Like, go in for a therapy session. Oh jeez, this is brilliant, Mum. Not like I think he'd tell me anything, but I can read people too, you know. I could get a feel for it."
This sounded like a genius idea to Ilsa. She could bring it up conversationally, even, and then report back to Nadine to see if they wanted to tip off te ministry.
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Post by Dr. Nadine Richmond on Mar 2, 2012 0:55:06 GMT -5
"I don't think he's a serial killer," Nadine said, frowning. She was worried, though, and she didn't want Ilsa to see just how much. But again, she was more worried about Walter than about the two escapees. "I don't think he would have taken the girl with him if he was. He also stopped her from seriously injuring that poor old woman, so I don't know... I think they have a connection. It's strange, though."
Ilsa's suggestion did not sound brilliant to Nadine. She wanted her daughter as far away from that man as possible, if she was honest. She didn't even want to be near him herself.
"I don't think that's a good idea. That man... he has a way of manipulating people. He might get information out of you that you weren't even intending to reveal. And I know you think that means I don't trust you... but that's not it. I don't trust him, and I'd prefer you stayed away from him."
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Post by Ilsa Richmond on Mar 11, 2012 11:17:35 GMT -5
Ilsa sighed, rolling her eyes a little, though she'd known from the start that she was going to lose that fight. She wasn't too heartbroken over it, really.
"Fine," she said, letting Nadine know that she was dropping the issue. It was really weird, though- these two patients were in psych ward for a reason, so they should have been doing everything possible to get them back. But whatever, she would follow Nadine's lead.
"We look ready... she I get Lorelei and Dad?"
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