Patient File 005: Key Lareby

Patient File #005

Name : Key Lareby (2: Locke, 3: Kno)
Age : 19
Height : 5' 10"
Weight : 147 lbs
Physical Description : Slender; toned but not athletic

Condition : Multiple Personality Disorder

Symptoms :

* circumstances dictate the surfacing of alternate personalities; usually brought on by deep inquiries into the past, trauma, mistreatment, or the need to express desires that the main personality (Key) is unable to acknowledge.

* he is unaware of the personalities when they surface; he experiences a time lapse during which he cannot remember his actions. (The other personalities, however, are always well aware of what the main one (Key) has been doing)

* his second personality (Locke) tends to produce itself almost exclusively at night unless provoked by a doctor or an external incident.

* main personality (Key) expresses deep anxiety when confronted with the idea of intimate contact or relationships. These situations are often followed by an appearance of the second personality (Locke) within 24 hours.

* after a personality switch, Key is often confused and a little fearful as he worries about what he might have done. Returning him to his proper equilibrium often takes much reassurance from those around him.

*may go long periods of time without having another personality surface. Reasons for this are unknown, but evidence points to a level of comfort and security with his surroundings.

Patient History: Until the age of 13, Key was part of a loving, nurturing family. He grew up good-natured and well-behaved, making friends easily and as helpful to his family as any parent could ask. His brother was two years older than him and had a somewhat more serious personality, but they got along well enough and rarely had reason to fight beyond the usual sibling rivalry.

Just before his 14th birthday, Key's father was killed in an accident, and his mother found herself in difficult straits. Her job did not make enough money to support them, so when she met a new man not too long after her husband's death, it seemed a godsend.

They married, but it turned out to be a poor decision. While he supported them easily enough, he was physically and emotionally abusive. Key, who had known nothing but love up until then (and who had been somewhat sheltered as well), didn't know how to respond to this. Particularly when his stepfather began singling him out as the 'weak' one in the family. He was constantly dogging Key, ridiculing and hurting him. If Key expressed a desire for something, his stepfather would often turn it into an opportunity to make the boy feel shame and guilt, or even to beat him.

The stepfather also used the older brother against him. More than once, he set the brother to physically striking or verbally assaulting Key. Key himself claims that his brother only participated in order to prevent thier stepfather from becoming more angry and doing something worse. Still, it had the effect of causing Key to become completely isolated within the family.

The multiple personalities first began to surface around 15 years old, after Key witnessed a violent fight and the brutal rape of his mother. Forced to witness it, he withdrew into his mind for some time, until his second personality finally emerged. In this way he was able to be more vocal and stand up for himself, though he had no memory of doing so when his true personality resurfaced.

This did nothing to improve his home life, and though his mother attempted to get him medical help, his stepfather prevented any extensive measures from being implemented.

There is further evidence that Key was also sexually abused by his stepfather, however, he is unable or unwilling to speak of it. Locke is also reluctant to discuss incidents which might, then, be mentioned to Key. He claims his silence is best for Key's well-being, though he does, apparently, know the answers to some of the questions.

Key was finally sent to an institution early in his 18th year after an incident which resulted in the near death of his stepfather. Circumstances surrounding the incident aren't entirely clear.

What is known is that Key's mother had planned to take her sons away from their house and go in search of refuge elsewhere. However, her husband returned home as she was readying their bags, and a fight broke out downstairs in which the stepfather, who was already quite drunk, became extremely violent. Key's brother came upstairs and tried to get him out of the house, but as they were leaving, a new personality surfaced. Rather than escape, Key went downstairs and confronted his stepfather. His mother was unconscious, and his brother didn't make it downstairs in time to see what happened (the brother reported that Key, who was behaving quite unlike himself, locked him in one of the upstairs rooms).

When the authorities arrived at the house, Key was unconscious beside his stepfather, who had been stabbed and beaten. The three of them were taken to the hospital, and his brother was questioned by the police. The stepfather was sentenced to time in prison while it was determined that Key would be better cared for in a mental institution.

He spent a year at the Amberly Mental Management Clinic during which very little progress was made except to establish some of his history and become more familiar with the second personality, Locke. However, toward the end of that year, an incident occurred which resulted in the resignation of his assigned psychiatrist. Records about the incident have been sealed, and, so far, Key has offered no enlightenment on the matter. His inability to remember what happened suggests that another personality was involved. Locke has, as of this time, refused to shed any light on the situation.


Personality: Key, when his usual self, is a kind, compassionate young man who feels the pain of others very deeply. He is very passive and usually ignores negative behavior, but when confronted too strongly, he becomes defensive and fearful. He is quite benign and harmless toward others, presenting a sunny exterior which often draws people to him. He enjoys helping people and has strong inclinations toward eventually working in the medical profession. Because of his history, however, he does shrink from intimate contact. In most other interaction, however, he seems to have no problem. In fact, he's very good at setting aside his own problems in order to help others, especially to comfort someone in distress.

Locke: This personality is, by comparison to Key, extremely aggressive. He is forward and highly sexual, possessing none of Key's inhibitions, and none of his tender, thoughtful ways. He has no concept of personal boundaries and is adept at pushing the limits of what might be deemed acceptable. However, on the whole, he has never proven himself to be dangerous in any way. Pushy, reckless, and occasionally frightening, yes, but he has never made any attempts at physically harming those with whom he comes into contact.

Kno: The third personality has never been observed by a doctor. Information about him has been given almost exclusively by the second personality, Locke (who was uncharacteristically nervous about discussing it). By Locke's account, Kno is stoic in the extreme and perfectly balanced in his assertiveness. His purpose is, exclusively, the protection of Key and he will accomplish that end by any means necessary. His demeanor is serious and quiet, and he is capable of conversing with anyone without fear or interest in them. He has no need of things such as compassion or friendliness, and any matter which does not relate directly to Key's well-being is considered immediately trivial. Locke's anxiety about discussing the third personality suggests that it is quite formidable.


Doctor's Notes :

[at 19, from clinic supervisor, 3 weeks before transfer to M-C Institute] "The patient is beyond the help of this clinic. Far more attention needs to be paid to his problem than we can possibly provide. And, after the unfortunate incident involving the patient's main psychiatrist, we have no choice but to locate a more specialized institution in which to place him."

[at 19, from clinical psychiatrist, 3 months before transfer to M-C Institute] "Though a third personality has been reported, I have not yet seen evidence of it. This disturbs me as it suggests that the third personality only surfaces when Key's trauma has reached a level that cannot be managed by the main and second personalities. I cannot help but wonder how the third personality chooses to protect the others. It is my opinion that anyone who encounters it should be extremely cautious. It also causes me to question the circumstances surrounding the brutalization of Key's stepfather.