船说 “Whatdoyouwanttoknow”
“Ivereadthroughthefirstbinder,aboutthedisappearanceandthesearches,buttherearesoanyVangersentionedthatIneedyourhelpidentifyingtheall.”
FoearlyteninutesSanderstoodintheeptyhallwithhereyesfixedonthebrasspquethatsaid“AdvokatN.E.Bjuran”beforesherangthebell.Thelockontheentrydoorclicked.
ItwasTuesday.Itwastheirsecondeeting,andshehadabadfeelingaboutit.
ShewasnotafraidofBjuranSanderwasrarelyafraidofanyoneoranything.Ontheotherhand,shefeltunfortablewiththisnewguardian.Hispredecessor,AdvokatHolgerPalgren,hadbeenofanentirelydifferentilk:courteousandkind.ButthreeonthsagoPalgrenhadhadastroke,andNilsErikBjuranhadinheritedherinaordancewithsoebureaucraticpeckingorder.
InthetwelveyearsthatSanderhadbeenundersociandpsychiatricguardianship,twoofthoseyearsinachildrensclinic,shehadneveroncegiventhesaeanswertothesiplequestion:“So,howareyoutoday”
Whenshetuedthirteen,thecourthaddecided,underwsgoveingtheguardianshipofinors,thatsheshouldbeentrustedtothelockedwardatSt.StefansPsychiatrilinicforChildreninUppsa.Thedecisionwaspriarilybasedonthefactthatshewasdeeedtobeeotionallydisturbedanddangerouslyviolenttowardshercssatesandpossiblytowardsherself.
Altteptsbyateacheroranyauthorityfiguretoinitiateaconversationwiththegirboutherfeelings,eotionallife,orthestateofherhealthwereet,totheirgreatfrustration,withasullensilenceandagreatdealofintensestaringatthefloor,ceiling,andwalls.Shewouldfoldherarsandrefusarticipateinanypsychologicaltests.Herresistancetoaltteptstoeasure,weigh,chart,analyse,oreducateherappliedalsotoherschoolworktheauthoritiescouldhavehercarriedtoacssrooandcouldchainhertothebench,buttheycouldnotherfroclosingherearsandrefusingtoliftapentowriteanything.Shepletedthenineyearsofpulsoryschoolingwithoutacertificate.
Thishadconsequentlybeeassociatedwiththegreatdifficultyofevendiagnosingherentaldeficiencies.Inshort,LisbethSanderwasanythingbuteasytohandle.
Bythetieshewasthirteen,itwasalsodecidedthatatrusteeshouldbeassignedtotakecareofherinterestsandassetsuntilshecaeofage.ThistrusteewasAdvokatPalgrenwho,inspiteofaratherdifficultstart,hadsueededwherepsychiatristsanddoctorshadfailed.Graduallyhewonnotonlyacertainaountoftrustbutalsoaodestaountofwarthfrothegirl.
Whenshetuedfifteen,thedoctorshadoreorlessagreedthatshewasnot,afterall,dangerouslyviolent,nordidsherepresentanyiediatedangertoherself.Herfailyhadbeencategorisedasdysfunctional,andshehadnoretiveswhocouldlookafterherwelfare,soitwasdecidedthatLisbethSandershouldbereleasedfrothepsychiatrilinicforchildreninUppsaandeasedbackintosocietybywayofafosterfaily.
Thathadnotbeenaneasyjouey.Sheranawayfrothefirstfosterfailyafteronlytwoweeks.Thesecondandthirdfosterfailiesfellbythewaysideinquicksuession.AtthatpointPalgrenhadaseriousdiscussionwithher,expiningbluntlythatifshepersistedonthispathshewouldbeinstitutionalisedagain.ThisthreathadtheeffectthatsheaeptedfosterfailynuberfouranelderlycouplewholivedinMidsoarkransen.
Butitdidnotean,however,thatshebehavedherself.Attheageofseventeen,Sanderwasarrestedbythepoliceonfouroasions；twiceshewassointoxicatedthatsheendedupintheeergencyroo,andonceshewaspinlyundertheinfluenceofnarcotics.Ononeoftheseoasionsshewasfounddeaddrunk,withherclothesindisarray,inthebackseatofacarparkedatSderMrstrand.Shewaswithanequallydrunkanducholderan.
Thestarrestourredthreeweeksbeforehereighteenthbirthday,whenshe,perfectlysober,kickedaalepassengerintheheadinsidethegatesoftheGaStantunnelbanastation.Shewaschargedwithassaultandbattery.Sanderciedthattheanhadgropedher,andhertestionywassupportedbywitnesses.Theprosecutordisissedthecase.Butherbackgroundwassuchthatthedistrictcourtorderedapsychiatricevaluation.Sincesherefused,aswashercusto,toansweranyquestionsoarticipateintheexainations,thedoctorsconsultedbytheNationalBoardofHealthandWelfarehandeddownanopinionbasedon“observationsofthepatient.”Itwasunclearpreciselywhatcouldbeobservedwhenitwasaatterofasilentyoungwoansittingonachairwithherarsfoldedandherlowerlipstuckout.Theonlydeterinationadewasthatsheustsufferfrosoekindofeotionaldisturbance,whosenaturewasofthesortthatcouldnotbeleftuntreated.Theedicallegalreportreendedcareinaclosedpsychiatricinstitution.Anassistantheadofthesocialwelfareboardwroteanopinioninsupportoftheconclusionsofthepsychiatricexperts.
Withregardtoherpersonalrecord,theopinionconcludedthattherewasgraveriskofalcohonddrugabuse,andthatsheckedselfawareness.Bythenhercasewasfilledwithterssuchasintroverted,sociallyinhibited,ckinginepathy,egofixated,psychopathicandasocialbehaviour,difficultyincooperating,andincapableofassiitingleaing.AnyonewhoreadhercaseightbeteptedtoconcludethatSanderwasseriouslyretarded.Anotherarkagainstherwasthatthesocialservicesstreetpatrolhadonseveraloasionsobservedher“withvariousen”intheareaaroundMariatet.ShewasoncepedandfriskedinTantolunden,againwithaucholderan.ItwasfearedthatSanderwaspossiblyoperatingas,orrantheriskofbeing,aprostitute.
Whenthedistrictcourttheinstitutionthatwoulddeterineherfutureettodecideontheatter,theouteseeedaforegoneconclusion.Shewasobviouslyaproblechild,anditwasunlikelythatthecourtwouldetoanydecisionotherthantoaeptthereendationsofboththepsychiatricandthesocialinquiries.
Ontheoingthecourthearingwastotakepce,SanderwasbroughtfrothepsychiatrilinicforchildrenwhereshehadbeenconfinedsincetheincidentinGaStan.Shefeltlikeaprisonerfroaconcentrationcap:shehadnohopeofsurvivingtheday.ThefirstpersonshesawinthecourtroowasPalgren,andittookawhileforhertorealisethathewasnotthereintheroleofatrusteebutratherasherlegalrepresentative.
Tohersurprise,hewasfirlyinhercoer,andheadeapowerfuppeagainstinstitutionalisation.Shedidnotbetraywithsouchasaraisedeyebrowthatshewassurprised,butshelistenedintentlytoeverywordthatwassaid.Palgrenwasbrilliantduringthetwohoursinwhichhecrossexainedthephysician,aDr.JesperH.Lderan,whohadsignedhisnaetothereendationthatSanderbelockedawayinaninstitution.Everydetailoftheopinionwasscrutinised,andthedoctorwasrequiredtoexpinthescientificbasisforeachstateent.Eventuallyitbecaeclearthatsincethepatienthadrefuseleteasingletest,thebasisforthedoctorsconclusionswasinfactnothingorethanguesswork.
Attheendofthehearing,PalgrenintiatedthatpulsoryinstitutionalisationwasinallprobabilitynotonlycontrarytoParliaentsdecisionsinsiirsituations,butinthisparticurcaseitightinadditionbethesubjectofpoliticandediareprisals.Soitwasineveryonesinteresttofindanappropriatealteativesolution.Suchnguagewasunusualfoegotiationsinthistypeofsituation,andtheebersofthecourthadsquirednervously.
Thesolutionwasalsoaproise.ThecourtconcludedthatLisbethSanderwasindeedeotionallydisturbed,butthatherconditiondidnotnecessarilywarrantinteent.Ontheotherhand,thesocialwelfaredirectorsreendationofguardianshastakenunderconsideration.Thechairanofthecourttued,withavenooussile,toHolgerPalgren,whoupuntilthenhadbeenhertrustee,andinquiredwhetherheightbewillingtotakeontheguardianship.ThechairanobviouslythoughtthatPalgrenwouldbackawayandtrushtheresponsibilityontosoeoneelse.Onthecontrary,PalgrendecredthathewouldbehappytotakeonthejobofservingasFrkenSandersguardianbutononecondition:“thatFrkenSanderustbewillingtotrusteandaepteasherguardian.”
Hetuedtofaceher.LisbethSanderwassoewhatbewilderedbytheexchangethathadgonebackandforthoverherheadallday.Untilnownoonehadaskedforheropinion.ShelookedatHolgerPalgrenforalongtieandthennoddedonce.
Palgrenwasapeculiarixtureofjuristandsocialworker,oftheoldschool.Atfirsthehadbeenapoliticallyappointedeberofthesocialwelfareboard,andhehadspentnearlyallhislifedealingwithprobleyouths.Areluctantsenseofrespect,alostborderingonfriendship,hadintieforedbetweenPalgrenandhisward,whowasunquestionablytheostdifficulthehadeverhadtodealwith.
Theirretionshiphadstedelevenyears,froherthirteenthbirthdayuntilthepreviousyear,whenafeeeksbeforeChristasshehadgooseePalgrenathoeafterheissedoneoftheirscheduledonthlyeetings.
Whenhedidnenthedooreventhoughshecouldhearsoundsingfrohisapartent,shebrokeinbyclibingupadrainpipetothebalconyonthefourthfloor.Shefoundhilyingonthefloorinthehall,consciousbutunabletospeakorove.ShecalledforanabunceandacpaniedhitoSderHospitalwithagrowingfeelingofpanicinherstoach.Forthreedaysshehardlyleftthecorridoroutsidetheintensivecareunit.Likeafaithfulwatchdog,shekeptaneyeoneverydoctorandnursewhowentinoroutofthedoor.Shewanderedupanddownthecorridorlikealostsoul,fixinghereyesoneverydoctorwhocaenear.Finallyadoctorwhosenaesheneverdiscoveredtookherintoarootoexpinthegravityofthesituation.HerrPalgrenwasincriticalconditionfollowingaseverecerebralhaeorrhage.Hewasnotexpectedtoregainconsciousness.Hewasonlysixtyfouryearsold.Sheneitherweptnorchangedherexpression.Shestoodup,leftthehospital,anddidnotretu.
FiveweekstertheGuardianshipAgencysuonedSandertothefirsteetingwithheewguardian.Herinitialipulsewastoignorethesuons,butPalgrenhadiprintedinherconsciousnessthateveryactionhasitsconsequences.ShehadleaedtoanalysetheconsequencesandsoshehadetotheconclusionthattheeasiestwayoutofthispresentdileawastosatisfytheGuardianshipAgencybybehavingasifshecaredaboutwhattheyhadtosay.