The patients of the Black Eagle Ward met every morning in the conference room for group. Today was no different. Edelgard sat flanked by the ever dour Hubert and smiling Dorothea. Ferdinand von Aeigr sat at the "head" of the table, twisting his fabulous hair between his fingers. Linhardt was asleep, head pillowed on his crossed arms. Bernadetta was sitting nervously in her chair, knees hugged tightly to her chest. Petra sat quietly, eyebrows wrinkled in deep concentration. If anything was said to be different, it would be the presence of Caspar and his attendant.
Caspar wasn't exactly new, he had been to group before. He had arrived again yesterday morning, and he and his attendant insisted that Caspar participate in everything the others were doing. This was not the first time Caspar had been admitted to Garreg Mach Mental Hospital. His visits were usually brief, and the time between them even more so. This time seemed different, however. There was some unusual energy passed between the nurses and doctors whenever Caspar was brought up. It seemed like this time he would be here to stay.
Caspar was wavering in his seat, as he was wont to do. Leaning backwards and forwards slowly, occasionally smiling and giggling to himself at inappropriate times. Every time he barked out a laugh, his attendant would shush him gently and Edelgard would jump out of her skin. Everything seemed perfectly ordinary, all following the well established routine of the Black Eagle Ward.
That was until a knock came at the door. No one ever knocked at the conference room door. The door wasn't even shut, you could just come in. Yet here was a worn looking nurse standing at the door, medical bag in one hand and bored expression on his face. Ms. Dr. Eisner stared at the man with an even more blank expression than normal.
"I'm here for Caspar's blood draw," he drawled, brandishing his medical bag.
A few confused glanes flicked across the room as everyone took in what the man said. Caspar clenched his skinny hands tight to his lean chest. His rocking sped up a little and he groaned, quietly by his standards. Ms. Dr. Eisner had fixed his attendant with a look, not nearly as blank as the one she had given the disrupting nurse. His attendant was still a little green, fidgeting before the watchful gaze of her superior.
"Um… Caspar," She said, uncertainty clear even in her calm tone. "Would it be ok if we left for a little bit?"
"NO!" Caspar said, the "o" extended and swallowed deep in his throat. He began rocking faster.
"I will let you play with your boxing gloves if you let us go do this now," she coaxed, giving him a reassuring smile that did not reach her eyes.
Caspar shook his head vehemently, dislodging a little bit of drool from his lips. His rocking increased and he wrinkled his nose.
The attendant looked like she was struggling with something, then she turned to Ms. Dr. Eisner. "Would it be ok if we did this after group?"
Ms. Dr. Eisner gave her a small smile, just a little up tick of her lips, before turning her attention to the waiting nurse. "You heard her. You will have to wait until we are finished here."
The nurse looked annoyed. "We can't just do it now, while he is sitting here."
Edelgard visibly paled, Hubert's fists clenched on the desk, and Bernadetta silently slid under the table.
"Absolutely not," Ms. Dr. Eisner said, and to the patients who knew her best, she sounded like she was scolding him.
"I don't exactly have time to wait around and do nothing," he grumbled, crossing his arms. He sounded as if Ms. Dr. Eisner should be glad he showed up at all.
"Then you should have come at the time you were scheduled to," She said, turning back to the white board and finishing the word she had been writing.
With such a clear dismissal, the nurse harrumphed, and left the doorway, presumably going to wait for Caspar in his and Ferdinand's room. The room breathed a sigh of relief, and Bernadetta crawled back out from under the table. Caspar hadn't quiet taken in what had happened yet, and was still rocking away in his chair.
"Don't worry Caspar," his attendant said quietly, all her confidence returned to her now that she felt she was doing the right thing. "You will have your blood draw just like we planned, when you usually go back to your room anyways. Remember us talking about that? And I will still let you play with your gloves, just like I promised."
Caspar eventually slowed down, and unclenched his hands from his chest. The attendant carefully wiped the drool away from his chin, and group resumed. Everything went back to the regular routine.