"I'm fine," Viki answered and then stated, "How much more can he take? How long before his body gives out or before he does serious damage to himself?"

Viki turned to look at Tom. He was still sitting on the floor. He was playing with penlight Susannah had handed him to distract him while she finished examining him. Susannah looked up at Viki. She saw the distraught look on Viki's face. Susannah stood up and walked over to her.

"Tom's not seriously hurt, just some bruises."

Viki looked at her and wondered out loud, "Is there any point in putting him through additional torture?" Susannah realized Viki did not only doubt her decision to let Susannah take Todd to the lodge, she doubted if her brother could be helped at all.

*************************************************************************************************************

As promised, Bo had the keys to Asa's lodge delivered to Susannah's office first thing in the morning. Susannah had finally gone home sometime after midnight. However, she had not gotten much sleep. She decided that she would take Todd to the lodge the day after tomorrow. She realized it was already tomorrow, so it would actually be the next day. Hopefully both Viki and Sam would be there. She would also ask one of the nurses and two of the techs to follow them just in case she needed any assistance. She realized that Pete would also be making the trip with them.

Susannah got to the hospital about ten in the morning. She headed for Todd's room. She smiled when she saw Tom sitting in his bed reading a comic book and Sam fast asleep in a reclining chair.

"We have to be real quiet. Coach is sleeping," Tom whispered.

"Was Sam here all night?" Susannah whispered back.

"I think so. We got to play with my new game! It's really neat. Thank you for buying it for me. Then Sam got them to bring me ice cream. Maybe he can get you some when he wakes up?"

"Yeah, how about that? Would you like some ice cream?" Sam joked as he stretched in the chair.

Smiling, Susannah apologized, "I'm sorry if we woke you. I hear you had a pretty busy night."

"We had fun," Tom interrupted.

"I'm glad you did," Susannah said, as she smoothed his hair back from his face and checked his bruises. "Does your head still hurt?" Susannah lightly touched the now purple bump on Tom's head.

"A little," Tom answered, "I got hurt cause I'm clumsy and I fell down. I always fall down a lot. I'm real clumsy. My dad didn't hurt me. I just fall down a lot."

Susannah remembered the story a hypnotized Tom told her about what happens if you tell how you got hurt. She knew that Peter, in a sadistic stroke of genius, had found a way to keep them from ever telling. It was a way that was much more effective then hurting them. She knew that any one of those children would have much rather been beaten than to have had their precious Randy killed the way he was.

"That's okay Tom, I don't think your dad hurt you. You had a bad dream and accidentally banged into some things. Tom, would you mind if Sam came to my office for a little while? I need to talk to him."

Looking at Susannah, Tom shook his head. "Would you like to go the playroom for a while, or draw some pictures?"

"The playroom!" Tom answered excitedly.

"Tom is going to stay here for a little while. Tom, you remember Alan, don't you?" Susannah pointed to the therapist who ran the playroom. Tom nodded and went to check out some new toys that had come in. "I'll be back for him in about an hour," Susannah said, patting Alan on the arm.

"Sam," Susannah began once they had gotten back to her office. "I know you think taking Todd to the lodge is a bad idea, but I am hoping that you will come along when I do it."

"Of course I'll come along. Do you think I would leave Todd to face that and not be there?"

"Thank you," Susannah looked at him gratefully, then she asked, "Would you be able to go to Todd's apartment and get him some warm clothes? Sam, are you all right?"

Sam seemed to be staring off into space. "Yeah, it just hit me, when you mentioned the warm clothes. Here it is the end of November. Todd has been here since the summer. I remember telling him he would only be here for a little while. Does he have any idea how long he's been here?"

Susannah could see the sadness in his eyes. "Sam I really don't think any of them do. Well maybe Miss Perkins. Jimmy, Tom and Timmy don't even know what year it is. They are stuck in the year they came out. Did I ever explain to you that they see Todd as the same age as they are? Jimmy and perhaps even Pete see Todd as a fourteen-year-old. Tom sees him as a seven year old, and Timmy . . ."

"A four year old," Sam finished Susannah's sentence. Sam sighed. "Susannah, I know Viki recovered but my God! Do you still believe that you can help Todd? Do you believe that you can ever make him whole, that you can make him forget about all the pain and suffering he's been through?"

Susannah realized Sam didn't really understand. "Sam, forgetting the pain won't help Todd, remembering it will. Todd has branched off most of his painful memories to his alters. They have been saving Todd's memories for him. If he can remember what happened to him. If he can feel those feelings that the memories create and accept them, without disassociating, the alters will eventually become a part of him. He'll be the one in control. I'm sorry but there is no way to spare Todd the pain of remembering. I wish with all my heart that there was. That's just not the way it works."

"You really believe remembering the night he tried to kill Peter is the key to making him remember everything?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm not saying that once Todd remembers or is able to just talk about that night that he will suddenly remember everything and be miraculously integrated. He can remember it and then suppress it again, only it may be a little closer to the surface than it was before. I am saying that I think it will open the door, maybe just a crack. The alters have been able to tell me many of the things Peter and Barbara did to them or let happen to them. They have had what we call spontaneous abreactions. In abreaction the compartment where the trauma lies breaks open and the person is flooded with raw trauma. Vivid flashbacks are usually a result. As painful as some of those memories and flashbacks were for them, they all stabilized right afterward. They were finally able to talk about some of those things. I feel encouraged by this and I believe they and Todd are at the point where they can be questioned about that night."

"Do you really believe Todd is strong enough to handle that?" Susannah could see that Sam was terrified for Todd.

"Usually I would wait for there to more communication within the system and therapeutic alliance across most of the alters. I would also have preferred for Todd and the alters to have some coping techniques they could utilize, maybe some self-hypnotic skills in place and for Todd know exactly what would be involved in this."

Susannah paused, took a deep breath and continued. "Sam, I'm not trying to frighten you. The problem is Todd is regressing rapidly. He is nearly catatonic. I'm afraid we are losing him. His physical health is starting to be compromised. He asked me to help him go inside forever. I think he is about to do that for himself. I'm convinced that one of the major traumas of his life happened on the night of his fourteenth birthday. None of them will discuss that night. I don't believe Tom and Timmy know too much about it, but I believe Miss Perkins does and I know Pete does. I am sure Pete was 'born' that night."

"Pete," Sam repeated after Susannah. "What are you planning on doing if Pete comes out while we're at the lodge?"

"As I told you, Todd will be mildly sedated. I will bring a nurse and two techs along just in case. If I can, I will also calm him with hypnosis. Sam, I am not out to torture Todd. I will try to make it as painless for him as possible."

Susannah tried her best to calm Sam's fears. Susannah could hear his voice tremble as he said, "I'm sorry. I know that. I just wish . . . I don't know what I wish, except for Todd to be whole, to be healthy. He never was you know. Ever since I first saw that runty little kid waiting to be on the football team. Ever since I knew him, he's just been this huge open wound that nothing could heal. I should have tried to take him away from Peter. I should have protected him. I know a lot of damage had already been done to him in those first eleven years. I also know I could have made a difference."

Susannah could see how much pain Sam was in. "Sam you did make a difference. For so many years you were the only positive influence in Todd's life. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been for him if he had never met you?"

Sam took little comfort from Susannah's words. "I just wish I had done more," Sam admitted, sadly.

"So what time tomorrow are we doing this?" Sam inquired. He did not wanting to talk about the guilt he felt anymore.

"I would like to leave around eleven in the morning. I want to have a chance to examine Todd before we go. I need to tell him what's going to happen, that he will be leaving the hospital for a while. That in itself could be quite traumatic for him. He has not been outside in months," Susannah explained.

"Are you going to tell him you're taking him to Asa's lodge?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I don't think the lodge will have much meaning to Timmy or to Tom or Jimmy or Rodd. If Todd or Pete or Miss Perkins is out, I'm sure they will be aware of the lodge's significance. As withdrawn as Todd has been of late, I'm not even sure he would understand what I am saying. I'm hoping that being back there will cause him to react." Susannah realized no matter what she said ,she could not wipe that worried expression off of Sam's face.

"Have you spoken with Viki this morning? Do you know what time she's coming here? I would like to have a chance to speak with her about tomorrow." Susannah asked.

"She should be here about noon. She had to take care of some things at the paper," Sam informed Susannah. Looking at her watch, Susannah said, "It's time to go the playroom for Tom."

Tom had been playing with two remote controlled cars. He seemed to be controlling one with each hand. Alan realized that this patient seemed to be ambidextrous. He also noticed that he was talking to himself in two different childlike voices. He then realized that what he was witnessing was two little boys playing together. Timmy's attention span was much shorter than Tom's and he tired of the playing with the cars.

Tom was sleepy and went inside leaving Timmy out by himself. Timmy became frightened and pulled himself into a little ball. He began to cry. Alan came over to him. He kneeled next to him and rubbed Timmy's back. "Tom, can you tell me why you're crying?"

"Tom went away. I'm Timmy," he answered, without lifting his head from his knees.

"I'm sorry, Timmy. Can you tell me what's upsetting you?" Alan pressed.

"My mommy's far away and now my Doctor Hanen is too," Timmy whimpered. He lifted his tear-stained face slightly.

Alan patted Timmy's back. "Timmy, nooo, Doctor Hanen is right down the hall. She's in her office talking to Sam. She'll be back any minute. Would you like to play with something other than the cars until she comes back?"

Timmy lifted his head and looked around and pointed to some blocks and stuffed animals that were in the corner of the room.

"That's fine. You can go over there and play with those things if you like."

Timmy walked over to the toys. He got down on his knees, resting back on his heels. He picked up a stuffed dog and hugged it to him. He then started to look at the blocks. They had letters of the alphabet on them. Alan watched as he arranged the blocks all the while holding on to the stuffed dog.

Susannah and Sam came in at this point. Timmy did not seem to be aware of their presence or Alan's for that matter. He finally added one last block to the row he was working on. He looked at them and then suddenly inched his way to the wall and went back into his "little ball" position. He was trembling this time.

Susannah and Sam looked at the blocks Timmy had put together and noticed the words he spelled out. "DADDY," "HURT," "BOY," "BAD." Sam bent down and took the trembling child in his arms. He rocked him back and forth swore to him, "No one is ever going to let your daddy hurt you again."

Timmy looked up at Sam. "Can you be my daddy?"

Sam kissed the top of Timmy's head. "I would be very, very, proud to be your daddy."

All of a sudden, "Timmy" pulled away. He crawled under a table in the room.

"Timmy? What's the matter buddy? What happened?" Sam called out to as he bent down to where "Timmy" sat huddled under the table.

He just stared at Sam and then said, "Mommy said if I was good I wouldn't have to let you touch me."

Not only were Sam and Susannah taken back by what he had said, but by the fact that this voice was not one they had heard before. Sam stood up and looked at Susannah as she approached the table.

Kneeling down, Susannah said, "Hi," and then carefully asked, "Can you tell us your name?"

"No! You lied to me. I don't have to do anything you ask!" This new voice said, defiantly.

"In what way did I lie to you? Can you tell me?" Susannah pressed.

Susannah noticed that even though this alter seemed to be around Timmy's age, he was not docile like Timmy. He was angry.

"You promised if I didn't tell the doctor how I got hurt you'd stay in my room last night and not let daddy in. You lied to me! You left after I fell asleep and daddy came in. I don't like it when daddy touches me and makes me touch him. I don't like the stuff daddy makes me do. You lied to me again. You always lie to me. I'm gonna run away and then no one can lie to me."

"Sweetheart, I'm not your mommy. Look at me."

This "new" child looked up at Susannah and then crawled out from under the table.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Doctor Susannah Hanen."

"I got hurt cause I fell out of a tree." This alter responded in the way he'd been taught, as soon as he heard Susannah say she was a doctor.

He looked around and took in his surroundings. "I don't belong here." He once again looked defiantly at Susannah as he spoke.

"Where is here? Where are we?" Susannah asked.

"You can't fool me. I know this is the kindergarten room," he declared, looking around the playroom. "I'm in first grade now. I'm not a baby. I don't belong in kindergarten. I can read and write. My mommy taught me a long time ago, and I know all my numbers and colors. I want to go back to my own classroom!"

Susannah realized that he was mistaking the playroom for a kindergarten classroom.

"How old are you?" Susannah inquired.

"Six. Is my mommy coming for me? She'll tell you I'm in first grade now."

"Sweetheart, this isn't a classroom. It's a playroom in a hospital."

"Do I have amatic fever again?"

"No, you don't have rheumatic fever. Did you once have that?" Susannah knew nothing of this. It wasn't in Todd's chart.

"I think so. They lied to me then too. They said the hospital wouldn't hurt but it did. They always lie to me," he exclaimed, knocking some toys off the table. "I hate them! I'm gonna run far away!"

"It makes you very angry to be lied to." Susannah stated. He nodded. "Does it make you want to hurt the people who lie to you?" Susannah continued to press.

He thought for a minute and said, "It makes me want to run away. I don't want mommy hurt. I just don't want to be there."

"What about daddy? Do you want daddy hurt?"

Without answering, he walked over to the blocks Timmy had been playing with. He bent down and looked at them and then knocked them over. "I wanna go outside and play. I want my tree!"

"Do you have a special tree you like to climb?" Susannah asked. She remembered what Mrs. Richards, the Manning's neighbor back in Chicago, told her about Todd sitting in a tree talking to "himself." This "new" little boy again nodded yes.

"Will you please tell us your name?" Susannah requested.

"I'm supposed to say Todd," he responded

"Isn't that your name?" He smiled coyly and shook his head no.

"It's a secret," he replied mischievously. His hands were clasped behind his back. He playfully twisted his shoulders from left to right.

"Can I look at the trains over there?" He looked towards some electric trains.

"Sure you can," Susannah answered.

Sam and Alan walked over to Susannah, both giving her the same, "not another one" look. Susannah shrugged her shoulders and motioned for Sam to try his luck with this child.

"I really like trains. Is it all right if I play with the trains with you?" Sam asked.

"Todd" nodded and announced, "I get to make the train run and stop." "Okay," Sam agreed. He put his arm around the boy's shoulders. The child pulled away and scrambled off to the corner of the room.

"I DON'T WANT TO!" He shouted angrily, looking at Sam.

"What is it you don't want Sam to do?" Susannah asked. She walked over and knelt down to where he sat.

"I don't want him to do stuff to me. I can be mad at her if I want to!"

"Mad at whom? Who are you mad at?" Susannah pressed forward.

"Mommy!" he replied. He was still angry.

This is the one, Susannah thought. This is the one who has kept the anger Todd felt for his mother. This is the one who can be angry at both his parents and not act out violently like Pete.

"Why are you angry with mommy?" Susannah continued her questions.

"I'm not supposed to tell. Daddy will hear. He says he can see me and hear me wherever I am. Daddy knows whatever I say no matter where I am and he'll always know if I tell," he answered.

Susannah thought for a minute and then asked him, "Do you want to know a secret?" He nodded yes. "This room has special walls. No matter what you say here, no one outside this room can hear it. Not even your daddy."

"Are they magic walls?" He asked in wide-eyed astonishment.

"Kind of," Susannah replied, "Whatever you say in here stays in here and no one can hear you. Even if you shout as loud as you can, no one can hear you." Susannah gave him a moment to think about what she just told him. Then she asked, "Sweetheart, can you tell me why you're mad at mommy?"

"She lies to me. I don't like being lied to."

"I don't blame you. No one likes being lied to," Susannah stated and then asked, "What does mommy lie to you about?"

"All kinds of stuff." The anger was apparent in his voice.

"Can you tell me some of the stuff she lies about?" He looked around the room, and towards the door. He was making sure his daddy wasn't there. "Mommy says it won't hurt when the doctor fixes me up but it does."

"Do you have to let the doctor fix you up a lot?" He nodded. "What parts of your body have to get fixed up?"

"All over, I get broked a lot."

Susannah turned away for a moment as tears stung her eyes. Sam and Alan stood silently each shaking their heads at what they had just heard. Composing herself, Susannah continued. "Are there any other reasons why you are mad at mommy?"

Whispering, the child answered, "She lets daddy hurt me and do stuff to me."

"What kind of stuff does daddy do to you? It's okay to say it. No one but the three of us can hear you, I promise."

This little boy's chin started to quiver. Then he started to look angry again. "I hate daddy a lot! I'm gonna run away forever and no one will ever find me! I'm gonna take Randy and run away to the moon. I'll make my bicycle go real fast until it can fly."

"Maybe if you talk about the stuff daddy does you might not want to run away," Susannah suggested.

Susannah reached out and stroked his head. She noticed he didn't pull away from her touch as he had Sam's. "Can you tell me what daddy does?"

"Mommy says 'Tom, you have to be a good boy and behave yourself. You don't want daddy to hurt you. I love you so much Tom. I don't want to see you hurt.' She says I shouldn't try to stop daddy when he holds and licks my boy parts. She says that I should just close my eyes and think of something else when daddy touches me. She says daddy won't hurt me so much if I'm a good boy and I don't pull away. But he holds them too tight and he bites me and he hurts me!"

Susannah fought to control her voice. She swallowed hard and continued. "Does daddy ask you to touch his boy parts?" He nodded. "Does daddy make you do anything else?"

"He puts his boy part in my mouth and it makes me throw up and then he gets mad at me and pushes my face in it and makes me lick it up. If I don't, he gets the belt. He rubs his boy parts on me and he makes noises and gets me all gooey. I'm a good boy! I don't get tied up like the others. Daddy likes me best. I can hit a baseball real far. Daddy smiled at me once when I hit the ball real far. Daddy smiled at me!" he announced in amazement. His face lit up for a second. Then he once again lowered his head and became angry.

"Mommy lies! She said I won't get hurt if I'm good but I get hurt anyway. Mommy lies to me. I'm gonna run away. Just Randy and me. I hate them! I'm gonna run away!" He stood up and headed for the door. Susannah blocked his path. She knew Frank and Carl were outside the door, but she didn't want to call them unless she had no other choice. She realized this child was afraid of men.

"Wait! You can't run away yet. You have to show me how the trains work. Will you do that?" Susannah asked, hoping to distract him.

"Okay, but then I'm going to run away."

After about ten minutes his mood seemed greatly improved. He even started to laugh when Susannah caused the train to go off the track. This alter seemed to have a stronger grip on reality than Timmy or Tom. He could also speak about what happened without going into a flashback. Susannah thought this might be a good opportunity to ask a few more questions.

"Sweetheart, you still haven't told me your name. Do you think you can tell it to me now?"

He looked at Susannah closely. "Are you a mommy? Do you have any little kids?" He surprised her by asking.

Susannah decided to answer his question. She wanted to see where he was going with it. "No, I'm not a mommy. I don't have any little kids."

He seemed relieved to hear this. "Then you won't lie to me?" He responded. Susannah realized he was equating being a mother with being a liar.

"No, sweetheart, I won't lie to you."

"My name is Andy but I have to pretend to be Todd. Even mommy and daddy don't know I'm not Todd. They don't know any of us are not Todd. We fooled 'em!" he confided, smiling mischievously again.

"Well, I am very happy that you came out and said hello to us today, Andy."

He looked over at Sam and asked, "Are you mad at me because I didn't let you do stuff to me?" Apparently, Andy associated any man's touch as a prelude to sexual abuse, Susannah theorized.

"Andy, I know this may be hard for you to understand, but not all men do the stuff your daddy does. Sam would never, ever, touch you that way. Are you ever able to see Tom or Timmy with Sam?"

"No," Andy answered. Susannah could see that Andy's assumption upset Sam.

Susannah was beginning to wonder if this alter had been dormant for many years. She thought back and realized Miss Perkins had never mentioned Andy when she told Susannah about the various alters she knew and none of the others ever mentioned him, not even Tom or Timmy, whom he supposedly knows.

"Andy, do you know Miss Perkins." He shook his head. He must have "gone to sleep" before Todd was nine years old," Susannah reasoned to herself, He knows Tom and Timmy, but not Miss Perkins and she didn't seem to know him. Susannah wondered, what "woke him up" now? Why did he suddenly surface? Was he sent forward to somehow protect Todd's system?

Andy interrupted Susannah's thoughts by tugging on her sleeve and asking, "If Sam promises not to be mad at me, I won't pull away or cry or make noise. I'll be good and hold still. Daddy likes me best."

Andy's last statement left them all with an overwhelming sadness. He had learned that being a good boy meant not fighting off Peter's abuse, and that submitting to sexual abuse was a way to not only get his father not to beat him so severely, but to like him. Timmy, with his babyish manner and meek and frightened personality, enraged Peter. Perhaps Andy, with his outgoing and slightly mischievous demeanor, kept Peter from hating him quite so much. Susannah looked at Sam. She could see the things Andy had said devastated him. She would have to have a long talk with him later.

"I'm hungry," Andy announced. This surprised Susannah and Sam. It was not something they heard any of the alters say very often.

"Well, what would you like to eat?" Susannah asked. She tucked his hair in behind his ears. "Cap'n Crunch," he replied, with a smile on his face.

Knowing they would not have this cereal in the hospital, Sam volunteered to go get some. He also welcomed the opportunity to get some air. The idea that this child thought Sam wanted to sexually abuse him sickened him. He wished Peter were alive so he could personally have the pleasure of seeing to it that he spent the rest of his life in prison.

"Andy, I'll be right back. There's a grocery store about a block from here and I can get your cereal for you," Sam offered.

"Can I come with you? I'll be good." Andy asked, apparently over his fear of Sam.

"Andy, have you ever seen Todd's room here?" Susannah asked. He shook his head. "Todd has a very nice room. There are lots of toys and games and puzzles and we can bring a television in if you like. Or you can go to the day room and play or watch TV. Would you like to go see Todd's room or the day room? They will be your rooms too whenever you are out."

"Can I watch the Flintstone's? That's my favorite! I like Dino the dinosaur."

Susannah smiled at this delightful child. "Well sure, if the Flintstone's are on now you can watch it. Do you want to go to your room or the playroom?" Andy thought for a few seconds.

"My room. Will I still get my Cap'n Crunch?"

"You bet you will Andy," Sam promised. "I'll bring it to your room."

"You will? Just for me!" Andy asked, incredulously.

"Just for you," Sam reassured him, "And maybe I'll get you a surprise too."

To their shock Andy rushed at Sam and threw his arms around him and gave him a big hug. "I'm glad you're not mad at me daddy."

"Andy," Sam said, cautiously, "I'm Sam. I'm not your daddy. Andy, I was never mad at you and I promise I never will be. I also promise that I will never, never touch you in any way you don't want to be touched."

Andy pulled back and looked at Sam. He hung his head down dejectedly and admitted, "I thought you were my daddy. I thought maybe you forgived me."

Sam and Susannah looked at each other. He wanted his father's forgiveness?

"What does Daddy have to forgive you for?" Sam asked.

"Cause I was a mistake. Daddy said my being born was a big mistake and I shouldn't be here. Mommy says she's glad I'm here but she lies to me," Andy answered sadly, his head still hanging down.

"Andy," Sam began, gently lifting Andy's head up by the chin, "Do you know how many people are very, very happy that you were born, that you are here with us?" Andy shook his head. "A lot of people pal. I am and Doctor Hanen, and Viki and . . . "

"Who's Viki?" Andy interrupted. He had a confused look on his face. It never occurred to Sam that this alter wouldn't know Viki.

"Viki is Todd's sister," Susannah informed him.

"No silly, Todd don't have a sister," Andy said with an amused smile on his face.

"Sweetheart, he does. Viki is Todd's sister," Susannah informed him.

Andy thought about it for a few seconds.

"Do mommy and daddy like her better than me?"

"Viki is a grown up, Andy. She's not a little girl." Sam explained. Andy seemed confused but didn't ask any further questions.

"Why don't we go to your room now and Sam can get your cereal for you," Susannah suggested.

Once they were back in Todd's room, Andy asked, "Are there magic walls in here too?" Susannah realized he was asking if Peter, in his self-proclaimed omnipresence, was once again able to hear and see everything he did.

"Yes, Andy. These are magic walls too. Every room in this building has magic walls, no matter where you are no one can hear or see you if you don't want them to."

Andy smiled happily and asked, "Can I look at the toys now? "Sure you can," Susannah answered.

As Susannah watched him playing with one of Tom's toy cars she wondered how Andy would react to going to the lodge if he were the one out tomorrow. She was sure that the lodge would have no meaning to him. She was also reasonably sure that Andy knew the least about anything that happened to Todd after he was about six years old. Susannah was even more certain that Andy had probably not been around since Todd was very young. She wished she knew what had triggered his reemergence. Perhaps it was the need to feel angry with mommy. Susannah knew that Andy was able to get in touch with and verbalize his feelings in a way the others couldn't and that was good, but why had it taken till now. Susannah felt uneasy. Todd's severe depression and the sudden appearance of a previously unseen alter gave Susannah the feeling that something was going on with Todd that she just didn't know about. Susannah hated this feeling.

Sam came back carrying a bag with a box of Cap'n Crunch and some toy dinosaurs that he had remembered seeing in the gift shop. Andy once again threw his arms around Sam and said, "Thank you, Daddy!" Then, Andy remembered what he had been told. He looked up at Sam and corrected himself, "Thank you, Sam."

"Andy absolutely seemed to have a better grip on reality than the others, Susannah thought.

Susannah went to get him some milk and a bowl and spoon. On her way back she told Connie, the nurse on duty, to notify her as soon as Viki arrived and to ask her to wait outside before going in to see Todd. She needed to tell Viki about Andy before Viki approached him.

Andy had happily eaten his cereal without any complaints about an upset or nervous stomach. He was now sitting on his knees on the bed. Sam was sitting next to him. He was telling Sam all about dinosaurs. He used his new toys to demonstrate some of what he was saying. Connie stuck her head in the door to tell Susannah that Viki was outside.

Viki was devastated to hear about the details of sexual abuse that Andy reveled, but was relieved to hear that this alter was not prone to flashbacks and that he seemed to be able to experience joy. She was also very happy to hear that he had not only eaten the cereal but also asked for it.

"Andy, this is Viki," Susannah walked over to the bed and introduced Viki.

Andy looked up at Viki and asked, "Are you really Todd's sister?"

"Yes, I am," Viki answered.

"Are you my sister too?"

"Would you like Viki to be your sister too?" Susannah asked, before Viki could answer.

Andy thought about it for a minute and asked Viki, "If you're my sister too, do you live with mommy and daddy?"

"No Andy, I have my own house."

"You do?! Is it a big house?"

"Pretty big," Viki answered.

"If you're my sister, can I live with you instead of mommy and daddy?"

"Sweetheart, when you get out of here you can live with me for as long as you want to. Forever, if you want to."

"I can! Really?!"

"For as long as you want," Viki repeated.

"I never have to live with mommy and daddy again?" Andy asked, with surprised happiness in his voice.

"Never! You never have to go back there, not ever," Viki, reassured him.

Andy threw his arms around Viki and hugged her so hard she could hardly breath, and exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're my sister!" He let go and pointed to Sam. "Do you know Sam?"

"Yes, I know Sam," Viki answered, smiling.

"Can Sam live with us too?" Sam and Viki looked directly into each other's eyes.

"Yes, if Sam wants to live with us, that would be fine with me," Viki answered, still looking at Sam.

"That would be fine with me too, pal," Sam replied as he continued to look into Viki's eyes.

"Can we go there now?" Andy asked, hopefully.

"Andy, Todd hasn't been feeling very well lately. He needs to be here, in the hospital. I'm going to have to ask you a very big favor and ask you to stay here for a while, so Todd's body can be in the hospital. Will you do that for me?" Susannah asked.

"Are you sure Todd don't have amatic fever?"

"Yes, I'm sure, but he is sick and he needs to be in the hospital."

"Daddy don't like for us to be in a hospital. When we get hurt he don't want mommy to take us to a hospital. We have to go see Doctor Evans. He lies to me too! He says it won't hurt, but it does. Everyone lies to me!" Andy was getting angry again. Turning to Viki, he asked angrily, "Are you gonna lie to me too?"

"No, sweetheart. I promise, I'll never lie to you," Viki answered, leaning in to kiss his forehead. She was careful to avoid the bruises left by Tom's nightmare, the day before.

Andy seemed to take her word for it and went back to his dinosaurs. He played with his new toys for a little while longer. He pretended he was the voice of one of the dinosaurs and he got Sam and Susannah to pretend to be the voices of the other two. Viki got to be the audience. After about fifteen minutes they could see Andy was getting tired. All that happened today was a little too much for Todd's weakened body.

"Andy, I think you need a nap. Would you like to take a nap now?" Susannah asked, patting the pillow.

"I don't feel so good. Is it okay, if I go back inside?"

"Sure it is sweetheart," Susannah answered as she felt his forehead.

"Tom and Timmy can play with my toys if they want."

"Thank you Andy, I'm sure they'll like that," Susannah said.

Andy then turned to Viki and asked, "You won't forget you said I can live with you, will you?"

"No, Andy, I promise I won't forget," Viki replied. Andy's head lowered slightly. He closed his eyes for a second.

"We're not in the playroom anymore?" Timmy asked.

"No, sweetie, we're back in your room. "It's nap time," Susannah told Timmy.

She wondering if Andy, with his funny mischievous smile and outgoing personality, who had probably been inside for many years and who could be angry with mommy would ever come back again?

TO BE CONTINUED

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