THE PREDEP WORKLOAD OF A CAPT WAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY WITH OTHER THAN ACFT RELATED TASKS INVOLVING A PAX WHO HAD BOARDED AND THEN QUICKLY AND MYSTERIOUSLY DEPLANED; AND A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS EMOTIONALLY UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH DUTIES. THE FLT DEPARTED WITH THE INCAPACITATED FLT ATTENDANT OCCUPYING A CREW MEMBER POS.

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I WAS THE CAPT ON A FLT THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART PHOENIX TO PITTSBURGH. DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS; THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME OF TWO THINGS. THE FIRST WAS THAT A PAX CARRYING A CHILD HAD BOARDED; BUT TURNED AROUND ABRUPTLY AND GOT OFF THE ACFT. MY AND THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT'S CONCERN WAS OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE PERSON'S BAGGAGE. ALSO; SHE TOLD ME ABOUT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT 'B' WHO WAS STILL IN THE TERMINAL HAVING PERSONAL PROBS WITH A BOYFRIEND. I LEFT THE COCKPIT AND ADDRESSED THE FIRST PROB WITH THE AGENT. THEY ASSURED ME THEY HAD THE BAGGAGE AND THERE WAS NOT A PROB. I THEN TURNED TO THE PROB AT HAND WITH THE DISTRAUGHT FLT ATTENDANT. SHE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET TO SAY THE LEAST. I SAT WITH HER BRIEFLY TO CALM HER DOWN; WHICH AT LEAST GOT HER COMPOSURE BACK; AND LISTENED. THEN I TOLD HER TO PROCEED TO HER POS (THE BACK OF THE PLANE) AND JUST STAY THERE. I TOOK HER BAGS AND STOWED THEM AS I WATCHED HER DO AS I ASKED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; SHE APPEARED IN THE FORWARD GALLEY AREA; LOOKING TOWARD MY DIRECTION AS I WAS IN MY SEAT. SHE WAS; AGAIN; MOST UPSET; IN TEARS; SHAKING; AND CERTAINLY UNABLE TO DO HER DUTIES. AT THIS TIME; I REALIZED TWO THINGS: ONE; LEAVING HER AT THE TERMINAL WAS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE CHOICE. SECONDLY; LEAVING HER IN THE CABIN WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE; EITHER. THEREFORE; I TOLD HER TO SIT DOWN IN THE JUMP SEAT FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. THIS SHE DID; WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOING TO THE BATHROOM ENRTE. THIS WOMAN WAS NEVER IN A POS TO PERFORM HER DUTIES; IN MY JUDGEMENT; DURING THE FLT. WE ARRIVED IN PITTSBURGH AND SHE LEFT AFTER ALL THE PAX DEPLANED.