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[doctor_seward]

This is the Diary of Dr. John Seward, taken by Phonograph.

Should I be unavailable to attend to your needs please leave what message you will via recording and I shall respond promptly.


Should recording by phonograph fail to please, or in the case of urgency, hold over telegram immediately.

Comments

call;

[awakenings]

Yes, I am. I also need it for a potential case.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

Then you must be aware also of the physician-patient privilege. It extends protection over communications between a patient and his or her physician from being used against the patient in court.

I'm sure your prosecutor would agree that we are all obliged to keep a certain level of confidentiality, though within the medical community it is more so. If it were to compromise the trust I have with my patient then it could also compromise treatment.

Admittedly I am not as well-versed in judiciary matters in regards to Canada, but it would be grounds for a suit of malpractice if I were to divulge sensitive information without due cause. I'm sure you understand.

[He's just trying to do his job, as she is hers. He understands that but as a doctor specializing in psychiatric pursuits he didn't swear under a Hippocratic Oath for nothing.]

I also stand by the law, Miss Re-l. And I won't hinder it. But unless you can meet me on some middle ground then I cannot help you.

call;

[awakenings]

Doctor Seward, while I understand all of that - and I respect your dedication - you may have been unwillingly manipulated into allowing a killer to walk the streets as a police officer, free to do as he pleases.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

[That makes him give pause.]

..He's been convicted? If that were true I would've seen that in his file...

call;

[awakenings]

No, he has not been. But over a month ago, I oversaw a case where he sexually harassed a man that he manipulated into hurting others. A month prior to that, he was suspected of attacking another man in his office and hurting him. On the network, he publicly assisted a man in killing himself. I've reason to believe that he used the same manipulation to push that man to committing suicide.

The reason why you had him in your office was for the most recent case, the sexual harassment one. I have the video footage to prove it.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

...Manipulation? What do you mean by that?

[He's actually still rather sheltered when it comes to abilities, mind you.]

And if you really have as much evidence as you say then why isn't he already convicted?

call;

[awakenings]

His eyes. He can hypnotize someone, as far as I can believe. If you don't look directly into them-

[She sighs, rubbing at her forehead.]

Because it's all circumstantial. It's not enough to get him convicted further than being on probation and sent to your office, like he was.

call; 1/2

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

Versed in hypnotism? Really. And I thought he just claimed to be an elf from a mystical world of dragons and faeries.

[Still so skeptical, Seward?]

call; 2/2

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

And I was under the impression that he came to my office for psychological counsel in regards to the traumas that he'd undergone...Not that his position was in jeopardy on the account of his being in detention.

Some of the details were made known to me, but in a certainly different light. The suicide, in question.

He presented himself as a rather upstanding character who worked for the good of the police force. I saw nothing to the contrary.

call;

[awakenings]

[Yeah, she knows. Beyond "gods", the mystical thing is new to her, especially someone of Yaha's character.]

I'm being serious. How else do you explain a boy going from being his enemy to being in front of him and begging for his forgiveness because he loved him?

[The video still makes her sick.]

If you believe that's true of him...then that's fine. I'll trust your word.

[She'll be back for the transcription only after she has better evidence against him.]

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

I apologize. I did not mean to take what you have to say lightly. It seems unlikely that someone in a hypnotic state could be influenced so drastically unless there were illicit drugs involved.

[He's fortunate then that he hasn't seen what she's seen.]

No, I do not mean to discount your opinion.

I don't believe you'd seek to besmirch the Lieutenant without reason. I shall take care to be more wary from now on.

call;

[awakenings]

I would be skeptical too if I were you. Don't apologize.

[She pauses.]

Being careful would be best, please. That's all I can ask from you, I think.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

I shall. It's considerably different practising in a general medical setting than an asylum..

[It was challenging, yes. But actually considerably more lax. Seward actually has more free time that he doesn't know what to do with, considering his time spent as a Superintendent was a twenty-four hour job..]

My professor has taken an interest in helping me when he can as I've found this schedule to be quite an adjustment.

What is the opinion of the prosecutor on the matter?

call;

[awakenings]

How different is it? We never had an asylum back in Romdeau, I'm afraid. We had counseling psychologists but their patients would be briefly housed in the regular hospital.

[She pauses.]

On Yaha, you mean? I don't think it would be fair of me to voice his opinions but he's been threatened by him before.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

It would take me some time to explain, but the asylum is essentially a fortified institution or a facility designed to house the mentally afflicted. Once the affliction becomes too much for handling recovery is rarely expected, and as such the lunatic would then be handed over to me lest they prove to be a danger to themselves or others.

I find hostility in the brooding madman so often that perhaps I've grown numb to the signs in those of a more...tamer sort.

While there are varying degrees of madness I am still unused to seeing my patients leave without them having been formally discharged.

I see. I shall take that into consideration. I've been alone with him and have not been advanced upon in any way...But I've come to notice there are moments that I question his moral character.

call;

[awakenings]

You're a braver man than most to do something like that.

As I said, just...be careful. He's subtle and I can't in any good conscience just let someone help him without knowing the risks.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

[A soft sound at the compliment. He was flattered.]

To treat the diseases of the brain is heavier work than some might account for.

If...help is what is needed then perhaps his being committed may benefit him. I have been considering the possibility of opening my own practice once I've completed the rigorous requirements of the City..Even as lenient as they've been there's still certain things that have been demanded of me given my lapse in knowledge regarding internal medicines.

The Core granted me my desk from back home, so I've all my certification and the necessary papers to be proven as legitimate should that be needed.

call;

[awakenings]

They should understand that the mind is half of what makes us. Without it, we're nothing more than empty shells walking through life. To work with the diseases that might plague it is a field of work that is both admirable and strenuous, I imagine.

I think that would be best, personally. He needs help.

[There's a brief pause on her end.]

That's a lucky gift, then. It should help you get ahead of many people in your field, to have actual valid certification.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

Indeed..It is a connection that many fail to realize.

It has its merits.

[Not that there seemed to be many people in his field here. Which was considerably unfortunate, as this burgeoning workload was rather strenuous at times.]

I am certainly grateful.

I suppose because it is familiar that I...Feel that it brings me a degree of comfort.

call;

[awakenings]

And it's a shame on their part.

Hopefully something can be done for Yaha and any others that need the same sort of care in this city.

[Frankly, she just wants him away from where he can do harm.]

As well it should. After all that's happened in the past few months, I should think that it's a well-deserved gift, especially for all you've worked for so far.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

I imagine once negotiations are under way we may expect some progress, but those are tentative plans for the time being given my own situation.

[Seward would feel much the same if he knew the true extent of his madness.]

I've done very little in comparison to others here before me.

call;

[awakenings]

That's all we can hope for at the moment.

[There's a brief sigh.]

You put yourself down too much. Others may have done more but you've only been here a few months. Give it time. You've already made quite a bit of headway for the newcomers.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

[Was that pun intentional?]

I simply state what I know to be truth. I...I suppose that were I without my work it would be too much for a man like me to handle. I..have been told that I'm quite "normal" by City standards, but I'm not really sure what that's worth...As it seems I'm the minority.

Since late November, yes..Ah, Miss Re-l...I think that I've pulled the blinds over my own eyes in respect to whatever I consider "odd" or "unusual".

call;

[awakenings]

Take is a compliment. It just means you still hold some semblance of understanding and sanity in this place, which is remarkable at times considering the people who populate this city.

You haven't been out enough to see. It's a little much to handle if you expose yourself to it all at once.

call;

[psyd-seward.livejournal.com]

...Thank you.

I think I know what you mean.