A Leopard Cannot Change Her Spots
Author: Dela26
Rating: PG-13 for language, sexual content, and the dark, psychotic mind that is Elle Bishop
Summary: Or, The Lost Bishop Files… Elle-centric. Prequel to Electric Firefly and Just Another Day on the Job, though you don't necessarily need to read them for this fic.
Author's Note. This storyline has been stuck in my head all freaking summer long. I tried to get this up in time for the big boom challenge, but am only half way done and real life got in the way. Experimental piece of mine, trying out different writing styles and this is the perfect opportunity to play around. Un-betaed. Reviews=love.
Elle used to envision gathering all of the diagnostic books, throwing them into a large pile, towering high in the air, and rolling around in the paper manuals. Using her special ability, she would spark the paper, covering the books with brilliant, hot flames as she burned with them. Elle always figured that this diagnosis is going to be the death of her anyways. Might as well go out with one glorious act of rebellion.
Mother, mother, I feel sick
Send for the doctor, quick, quick, quick,
Doctor, doctor, shall I die?
Yes, my dear, and so shall I.
How many carriages shall I have?
One, two, three, four…"
Psychiatry Note. Medical Record 00287.
Integrated Summary:
Client is a nine year old girl referred for psychiatry assessment by the Executive Operations department. Upon interview, client presented with flat affect, uncooperative, and had to be sedated after utilizing her mutation towards one of the medical workers. Client recently moved into the Company after the manifestation of her evolved human ability of electricity manipulation. She is the youngest documented individual to demonstrate a genetic evolved ability, other cases typically manifest power during puberty or adulthood in the face of a stressor. Client's father reports that she had lost control of her ability, setting fire to her home and the client's mother and grandmother died in the fire accident. Client is unable to recall the incident and lacks memory of the loss of her family members. Client needs to find regular validation through her father and becomes extremely agitated after separation or disappointment from him. Patient demonstrates immature social skills and inappropriate play ability for her age. In play therapy sessions, she shows very violent themes throughout her play that typically revolve around harming others with her ability, specifically "sparking" other animals, prisoners, and Company agents. During her stay at the program, client has tortured and killed laboratory animals with no evident signs of remorse, she reports that "I wanted to hear what it sounded like when they spark." It is unclear if client's psychological instability has been impacted by her genetic condition. Patient's strengths include her high level of intelligence, language ability, and creativity. Initial plans include for client to live at the facility with her father, continue gathering data via regular psychological and medical tests, begin daily play therapy to help cope with recent trauma of the loss of mother and grandmother as well as develop appropriate social, behavioral, and healthy coping skills. Client to begin genetic test experimentation against the psychiatry team's clinical advice, team to continue to monitor patient's psychological, behavioral, and social responses to anticipated stressor.
Initial Diagnosis:
AXIS I diagnosis: 312.81 Conduct Disorder, Childhood-Onset, Severe
R/O Separation Anxiety Disorder
R/O Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
AXIS II diagnosis: 799.9 Diagnosis Deferred on Axis II
AXIS III diagnosis: Genetic mutation (electric manipulation)
AXIS IV diagnosis: Problems with primary support group, problems related to social environment, educational problems, recent loss of mother and grandmother
AXIS V diagnosis (GAF): 21-30
I am moving when my eyes open…I see the other inmates in their cold, gray cells. They are all talking, but I am too groggy to decipher their speech. In a mirror window, I catch a glimpse of someone in a wheel chair escorted by bruised guards. I glide down through a new hall. Traveling effortlessly. Like an out-of-body experience. I recognize the inmates. They see me too…but don't seem to recognize me. Then I see my reflection in the door window. And I hardly recognize myself. The image of the wheel-chaired person. It was me.
I am here… in motion…unstoppable…inevitable…like time.
All the kings horses and all the kings men… the emperor's surgeons… put me together again.