A Matter of Causality

Good morning everybody!

Are you ready for my challenge today?

Today, I have an unusual case study

that I'd like to introduce to you.

Ah, Ms Digby, I'm glad you could join us.

What are you doing with Addington's specials?

Ladies!

Don't be so surprised, I have skills!

Do you mind if we... get stuck in?

Excellent.

Causality...

being the relationship between cause and effect

has been studied not just within the arena of psychiatry

but, it also forms part of the discussion in physics

philosophy... statistics.

Causality states

that an effect cannot occur if the cause is not in the past.

That an event in the future cannot impact the past, or the present.

In 2010...

a paper was released by Cornell University attempting to gain...

new attention to the area.

With weak, but statistically significant accuracy

er, they conducted a series of experiments

involving a thousand test subjects

to determine the human capacity to perceive the future.

You're talking about precognition Professor

hasn't that been widely debunked as pseudoscience?

There is a body of evidence

in support of your opinion-- -Are you OK?

Yeah-- - I'd like to turn to a case

I've been leading for the last decade.

Er, can we commence with a review of the case details as per your notes?

Thank you!

The patient is female...

currently 14 years of age

and has been institutionalised since the age of 5.

Jeez, are you sure you're OK?

Yeah!

May I introduce you to Patient 117... Lai.

Lai was delivered by her mother

after a serious of escalating episodes left the family unable to cope with her care.

She was abandoned to our care

and even if we managed some breakthrough

in her treatment, there is no- one to release her to.

To date... very few people

have the tolerance necessary for continued contact with Lai.

This is a complex, young patient.

As we progress-- - Keep watching!

You will understand why-- - Keep watching!

she needs special care.

Are there any questions at this stage?

Er, yes Miss Read?-- - You must watch!

How old did you say that video was Professor?

About 7 years, why?-- - I've been waiting!

I've been waiting!

I've been waiting!

Well that's all for today then folks.

You coming?

Madison? -Yeah, I'll be right there.

You must watch!

You must watch!

I've been waiting!

I've been waiting!

You must watch!

I've been waiting!--

You must watch!

How old would you say that video was Professor?--

Time to see! About seven years, why?

I've been waiting!

You must watch!-- - I've been waiting!

Time to see-- I've been waiting!

About seven years-- You must watch!--

I've been waiting!--

Time to see!

You must watch!-- I've been waiting!

Time to see!--

I've been waiting!-- - About seven years

- I've been waiting!

You must watch! -

-

Are you OK?

Are you stuck?

Do you need help?

Nn, nn, no -

Are you sure honey?

Yeah, just give me a minute

Are you OK?

Professor?

Fine... fine.

Yes, Miss Digby?

Yesterday you mentioned...

the effect Lai has on the people around her.

Would you be so kind to elaborate?

I mean... what could be so bad about a 14 year old girl?

It's not what's so bad about her.

It's more the effect...

of contact with her mind.

This is why I've not introduced you...

to... the patient yet.

I feel it's necessary...

for everyone to be very certain

about what they're signing up for.

This is sounding like a recruitment drive!

Actually, that's exactly what it is.

Nothing we have tried has any effect

on Lai... or her psychosis.

And, we have the greatest minds in the country working on reviewing her case details

So now you're turning to the least able minds of the country?!

This is not a joke, or a farce

or an April fool's prank Mr Carter

a young woman's life is hanging in the balance.

Professor, you keep...

referencing precognition...

Is Lai a... seer?

Shall we resume tomorrow?

Professor?

What's going on?

This is what she does.

She creates a connection.

An almost unbreakable thread

linking your mind to hers.

Lai?

It's almost impossible to break out

unless she lets you!

You were discussing precognition.

Is Lai a...

pre-cog?

Is that why you, you're nervous to introduce her to us?

Lionel... Are you alright?

Yeah, fine... fine

It's just been a tense morning.

The professor over exerted himself and he got a little dizzy.

Think he's fine now.

Well... seeing as you're sitting down already

do you mind if I have a moment of your time?

Of course, er, thank you Miss Digby

I'll see you in class tomorrow.

Is anyone else finding it difficult to cope with the excessive

redactions on the case notes here?

It's like wading through the CIA's private document cabinet!

There you go! -Our hero, Thank You!

From what I'm reading here I'm not at all surprised they're

keeping her so heavily medicated

Her symptomatic delusionary responses are off the charts

and when she comes out of sedation she's often in an embedded catatonic state

or, in one case, quite literally ripping the walls apart.

I can see why the Professor brought us all on board.

There is just too much work here!

So... what happened with the Professor after we left?

Not much. Dr Rivers arrived and...

pretty much banished me from the room.

What are you looking for?

Hmm, er... I'm trying to find the patient observation videos.

But... cannot seem to locate anything.

I can't find anything either!

Now isn't that interesting...

our, ever placid, Professor loses his cool

the minute he introduces us to this case

and, for the first time...

there's no observational video attached to the case file.

Always watching!

Always watching!

Watching!

Watchi--- -

Hey!

You OK?

Madison... What's going on?

I think I heard something!

No-one should be up here.

It's nothing, just my overactive imagination.

How was you day?

Did you find anything?

I've been through the archive

checked in with the Professors research assistant

and even hunted down the elusive Dr Rivers.

And?

No-one is willing to let us access the observationals

without a fully qualified clinician present.

I did, however, find some interesting things along the way.

The good Professor has not lodged any restriction notification

for case related materials for patient 117

What makes this even more interesting is that the hospitals archivist says

there is no documentation on record for any patient 117

or anyone named Lai.

Now considering, she has been with them for so many years...

shouldn't they know she's there!

That's what, 24 hour a day, 7 days a week

365 days a year for... 9 years!

A heck of a lot of material

to be drip fed to us

in no particular chronological order

from some unofficial hoard.