So I had to
cut off yesterday to check on what was up outside. You’ve all no doubt heard about it, or seen
it yourself. For those of you that didn’t,
here’s what happened: A rogue team of UAS soldiers was found dead. And not just dead but mutilated and impaled. A few of them were covered in bites,
signifying to me, at least, that they were kept alive to be eaten by
zombies. But not totally eaten. Just gnawed on a bit. Just enough to make it hurt. A lot. At least, I hope it was the zombies that gnawed on them and not the killers.
So what does
this mean? I don’t know as I’m not
really privy to any of the Important People Talk that goes on in Haven unless
it directly impacts my job. But, to me,
this doesn’t look like a vigilante killing.
A vigilante out to murder UAS splinter groups would have some malice and
sadism in it, but it would be masquerading as execution-style. Trying to pretend like it’s a legitimate
act. This, this was just nasty. This was done by people with a taste for
violence and domination. Personally, I
think this is the beginning signs of marauders shifting their old territories.
I really don’t
want to think about that, because marauders (particularly the really depraved
ones) make my stomach start to spasm. I’ll
let you know if I hear anything new about this.
I’m shifting topics back to the behavioral therapy from yesterday.
So I’d
mentioned our buddies Jeremy and Kingsley Pappington and how their punishments
never seemed to have an effect. So I
thought that maybe, in this harsh world, behavioral therapy might be a bit more
fitting. I drew up a proposal and it was
accepted and these two clowns were subjected to some discipline, Beckley-style.
So these two
guys wanted to act like children? Now
they are children. They are on not
half-rations, but child rations. These
two have been taken off work detail entirely.
Rather they spend their day sitting in classes with the young kids. They take part in rudimentary activities. Their physical exercise consists of the basic
defense training that all the Haven kids get.
This has become their world.
Kingsley
lasted all of half a day before he stormed out of class. He seemed pretty shaken, actually. For the record, it was the little snack time,
followed by recess that finally broke him, I think. He’s been confined to his house and is not
allowed to leave. It’s basically an
indefinite imprisonment for the time being.
He’ll be informed when it’s up, once the Council decides how long is
appropriate. There’s also mandatory
sessions with a licensed therapist (who I cannot confirm or deny is me, due to
confidentiality laws that are enforced by agencies that no longer exist). Hopefully this punishment sticks because the
next response would be banishment, which seems like a pretty severe punishment
for just being a dick. Still, if he can’t
acclimate to his new home, what can you do?
If he doesn’t want to be here, go somewhere else.
Jeremy,
though, has really surprised me. At
first he was really angry and sullen and disruptive, but the kids put him right
back in line before the teacher had the chance to say anything. It really humbled him. Now he’s actually thriving. He’s taken an interest in the kids and is
helping to tutor some of them. Although
to tell the truth, I think they’re helping to tutor him just as much. He hasn’t specifically said anything, but I
get the impression Jeremy never finished school. In fact, I think that if he made it to high
school, it’s only because teachers couldn’t be bothered with him and just
passed him on. I’d bet money that he’s
actually illiterate. But he’s learning
now and he’s actually really good with the kids. He’s less in punishment mode now and more an
unofficial teacher’s aide. It’s really
refreshing to see.
All of his
behaviors have started making sense.
When you’re a kid and not getting the care and attention you need, you
act out. Clearly Jeremy has been in this
mode his whole life. Now he’s getting
the attention and one-on-one care he needed as a kid in a childlike
environment. The healing from this second childhood is really
incredible to watch. Between that and
the meds he gets from the hospital to make his alcohol detox less dangerous,
Jeremy has really improved and is contributing.
So score one
for behavioral therapy, I guess. Yet
another harsh reality that seems to work in this harsh world.
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