<<<18 Feb 2057, 16:02—Divided Assets>>>

It's over. And not a moment too soon. This has been without doubt the worst run we have undertaken in a very long time. This despite the fact that we were actually relatively successful in completing it, and I think the decisions we made will result in the best possible outcome for all concerned.

Looking back, I'm quite embarrassed by my behaviour during the course of the run. I thought I could handle the situation, but apparently I was in error. The longer we spent with the boy, the more trouble I had being around him. Things culminated for me when Ocelot decided to go out to get some supplies, and I volunteered to go with him just to get out of the house for awhile. When we returned, I most uncharacteristically made off with the bottle of whiskey he had bought, took it down to the basement (the only place that Joe hadn't booby-trapped with grenades or that wasn't currently occupied), and proceeded to drink far too much of it. As I look back on my actions, I find it hard to believe that I did this; first, I despise cheap alcohol, and second, I'm not prone to more than getting a bit buzzed at the pubs with friends from University. This time, though, I was more than a bit buzzed. 'Wraith managed to penetrate my haze enough to ask me to do an astral scan of the area at one point, whereupon I discovered that Ocelot, who'd gone out again to do some reconnaissance (I think he was as uncomfortable with our charge as I was), had picked a fight with two of the local denizens. He does this sometimes when he's angry--this of course was not the best time for it. I informed 'Wraith, and I think he left with Joe to go straighten out the situation. I don't remember. The next thing I recall was waking up upstairs with a splitting headache, feeling like I'd been run over by a truck.

There was no doubt about it--the team was falling apart. For that matter, so was the boy. He was becoming more and more convinced that no one wanted him, and we were all beginning to believe that it was true. Oddly, it was Joe who did the best job of holding things together, using his storytelling skills (surprisingly, he's quite good at it) to keep the boy entertained while I, Ocelot, and to a lesser extent 'Wraith, quietly went to pieces by degrees. I kept myself going with the continued assurance that we'd get a call soon and could turn the boy over to whomever was going to take him.

When word finally came, all of us were more than a bit stunned. Although I was hoping all along that the job would be a quick one and our charge would be turned over to someone else in short order, I could no more allow myself to simply abandon the boy than could any of the rest of my teammates. Fortunately we were able to come up with a suitable backup plan and see to it that our charge was placed with someone who could take proper care of him, as well as ensuring to the best of our abilities that the legalities of the situation were adequately handled.

A sad case all around. Not something we could deal with, as we usually do, with firepower, magic, and sheer luck. I'm glad it's over, to be sure, and am hoping sincerely that our next run is of a more straightforward variety.