MADMAN'S DEMISE

9

Suddenly I noticed how the door to the office opened behind me, and in an instant, swift move, I wiped the tears off my cheeks, adjusted my position on the wooden chair, and pretended to be peacefully reading in my loneliness. I heard the steps of the person coming up behind me, and I prepared to interact with whoever it was.

"Hi, Beverly."

Harriet's gentle voice.

I looked to my left where she was standing, granted her a friendly smile, and answered her.

"Hello, Harriet." The look in her eyes turned from sparkling gleefulness to worrying concern, and I understood that the lissom wipe over my face didn't rid me of my distressed countenance.

"Is everything alright?" She inquired with voice full of compassion.

"Yes," I sighed as I grinned, feeling foolish for being sentimental at work and once again being unveiled for it.

"Yes, thank you, Harriet, everything is just fine. I just can't seem to fully manage not to feel overwhelmed at certain points still." I explained in honesty. Harriet placed a hand on my shoulder, her big, brown eyes already comforting me.

"What's bothering you?"

I hesitated for a bit, not knowing whether I should tell Harriet that my careworn moment was regarding Brandon or not. I was still terribly afraid of getting exposed for my feelings towards him, although by now I could handle the discretion very ably and well. But within the moment it occurred to me that I was only human, capable of being emotional and falling into tears whenever my ambiance contained challenging elements. Therefore I knew Harriet would understand. There was nothing wrong with being upset at work, not least in a place like this. As long as I did not break in front of the patients, it was wholly acceptable.

Glancing at the documents scattered over the desk, I finally broke the hesitant silence.

"Did you know Brandon was not charged with murder?"

"Of course. There was no doubt his offences involved malice aforethought since he was so mentally unstable at the time. Even the judge rumbled that, which I remember was rather surprising. How come you wonder?"

"I am currently reading through the whole case and it just never occurred to me before. Now I am just worried about the upcoming trial and the matter of Joseph Acker. I know there is no lawsuit, but what if the authorities change their minds and make a case out of it now? Brandon could be sentenced to death for that offence, and that thought to me is unbearable somehow. Only being charged with manslaughter grants him a chance to be free someday if he ever gets declared healthy. But if he is charged for this murder, this trial could lead to his death instead of liberating him from the previous verdict which is the intended purpose."

Harriet nodded as she listened, and I could see the thoughts running through her head as I explained my concern.

"First of all, Brandon was a patient here during the unfortunate occasion with Joseph Acker, meaning he would probably be charged with manslaughter in that case as well since he would be claimed to have suffered from an abnormality of mind, if he would even be charged at all that said," Harriet suddenly stopped speaking, looked at the documents on the table before she gathered the pages of the public general acts.

"Let me see..." She sighed as she riffled through the papers. She was looking for something.

After a moment of searching, she finally put one of the documents in front of both of us on the desk.

"Here. Did you read this yet?" She asked as she pointed at one of the boldface headlines. I shook my head.

"No I haven't reached that part yet, I borrowed the file only this morning. What about it?"

Harriet nodded towards the paper, urging me to read the section myself. So I did.

"Provocation

Where on a charge of murder there is evidence on which the jury can find that the person charged was provoked (whether by things done or by things said or by both together) to lose his self-control, the question whether the provocation was enough to make a reasonable man do as he did shall be left to be determined by the jury; and in determining that question the jury shall take into account everything both done and said according to the effect which, in their opinion, it would have on a reasonable man."

Looking up at Harriet again, I felt speechless. If only I could recall judicial details like these, I would not have been forced to suffer through such anxiety. Even if the outcome of the trial would remain unknown no matter how much research I did, information like this granted me feelings of hope and forensic advantage which could also motivate Brandon and help him get into this with a rather positive approach.

Harriet pointed at the paper again.

"The authorities of London would not prefer a reputation of having caused a killing of provocation. Only bringing this up in court will most likely liberate Brandon from the offence since they do not want a lawsuit. The subject matter of the death penalty is always frightening when it comes to our patients, but this, Beverly... I can nearly assure you that Brandon will not be charged for the death of Joseph Acker. Nonetheless is it needed to worry about a death sentence. The rest, regarding Arthur and whether he is guilty or not, is up to the jury to decide. All we can do is trust the system of justice in the errand of that." Harriet's wise words were so soothing I was almost brought into tears again. This time of relief.

It was so clear she was taught and trained by Ms. Schwartz. The wisdom and persuasion in her speech reminded me so much of the strict, formal woman a couple of walls away, only Harriet had a rather gentler way of speaking. Not only was I liberated from the horrifying imaginary outcomes of the trial because I trusted her, I also got to read myself what she based her contention on.

Doubtlessly it did feel good to expectorate in front of her. She didn't judge me or suspect romantic involvement just because I shed a couple of tears in compassion for my patient, on the contrary, she understood, told me herself about the frightful mentioning of death sentences regarding the patients we cared for. Just like me she served a purpose and was here for a reason, and that was not hoping for the deaths of our patients. Rather the opposite we hoped for good health, favourable psychiatric development and a bright future for all our inmates, including the criminally insane. The oath of our profession was to give every person a second chance, no matter what wrongful action they might have had performed in the past due to their labile state of mind.