Back in Todd's room, Viki, Susannah and Sam waited for Jeff and Frank to finish washing and dressing Timmy. Frank was still washing him in bed because Timmy was not yet strong enough to stand in the bathroom. She wanted him to save his strength for the walk she promised him. Finally, Timmy was washed and dressed and ready to try to stand and hopefully walk, with assistance.

When Frank and Jeff each started to help Timmy up, Timmy looked at Sam and begged, "Noooo! You hold me!"

Sam looked to Susannah for approval.

Susannah nodded. She turned to Jeff. "Will you bring a wheelchair around, just in case he has trouble getting back." Susannah was afraid after going one way, coming back might be too strenuous.

Sam turned to Viki and whispered, "I've been waiting for the day he'd be able to walk again. I wouldn't miss this for the world.

"Okay sweetie, are you ready to try to take a walk?" Susannah asked as she stroked Timmy's cheek.

Timmy nodded and asked, "Can Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Panda come too?"

"Sure, but why don't you let Viki carry them for you," Susannah suggested, knowing that carrying the toys might impede his ability to balance and that Frank and Sam would have to be holding him by the arms.

Timmy thought about it for a minute and the said "Okay, they love Viki."

"All right then, Timmy, I want you to swing your legs over the side of the bed and just let them dangle for a few minutes. I don't want you to try to get off the bed yet. Okay?"

Timmy nodded and with a little effort swung his legs over. Sam started to help him, but Susannah put her hand out to stop him. She wanted Timmy to do as much for himself as he could. After a couple of minutes, Susannah asked, "Sweetie do you feel dizzy or funny in anyway?"

Timmy shook his head.

"Good! Are you ready to try to stand up now?"

Timmy nodded and again requested, "Can I go to the playroom?"

Alan had visited him and told him about the new toys and games that had come in.

"That's kind of a far way down the hallway. I'm not sure if you will be able to get that far," Susannah gently cautioned him. She saw how disappointed he looked. "If we don't make it to the playroom today we will in the next day or two and you know what? I'll bet if you don't get that far Alan can come visit you and bring you some of the new toys they got in to play with in your own room. How about that!" Susannah tried to put as cheerful a spin as possible on it. She saw Timmy's face light up a little. "So, are we ready?" Susannah asked, looking around the room?"

Viki looked a little nervous as she stood there holding Mr. Panda and Mr. Rabbit. Frank came over to Timmy's right side as Sam stood on his left.

"Timmy, Sam and I are going to hold on to your arms and when you hear me count to three you try to stand up and we will help you. Okay buddy?" Frank instructed.

Timmy looked up at Frank and nodded.

Sam and Frank each took one of Timmy's thin arms and on three Timmy stood up. They felt his legs give way and held him.

"You all right, sweetie?" Susannah asked.

"My legs fell down," Timmy whimpered as he tried again. This time he was able to stand on his shaky legs.

"Okay Timmy, why don't you just stand for a few seconds before we take a step," Frank suggested.

Sam and Viki both looked so concerned for him. He was weaker than either of them had suspected.

"Do you think you can try a step or two now, sweetie?" Susannah suggested gently.

Timmy could only think about getting to the playroom. He nodded.

Dorian was sitting in the waiting area right outside Todd's room. She heard Viki's voice coming out of Todd's room. She peered over the newspaper in front of her, watching for Viki to leave the room. She did not know Sam, Susannah and Frank were also in the room. Dorian, in her usual way, had not really thought this through. She just assumed if she could somehow get to Todd when he was in a more vulnerable position she might just walk out of there with full custody for Blair.

Inside Todd's room, Timmy was taking little baby steps toward the door. His legs were hurting a little and tears came to his eyes, but he really wanted to go to the playroom.

"How ya doin' buddy?" Frank asked, realizing that he and Sam were carrying Timmy more than he was walking. They felt his legs start to give way if they lessened their grip.

Timmy didn't answer. They could see his chin and lower lip were trembling as he fought his tears.

"Okay sweetie, I think you had enough for today. Why don't we get you to the chair?" Susannah suggested.

"Noooo, I want to go outside. Please! Please!" Timmy begged. He looked up at Sam.

Sam looked at Susannah, who nodded. She would allow Timmy to walk a little further.

They finally got Timmy to the door. Viki walked with them. Her arms were aching to hold onto Timmy.

"I think you've walked enough for now, pal," Sam cautioned. He felt Timmy getting weaker as he held onto him.

"Noooo, I want to go out. Pleeeease!" Timmy whimpered as tears started down his cheeks.

"Sweetie do you feel any like you're breathing okay? Do you feel like it's hard to breathe?" Susannah checked.

"Just a real little," Timmy answered.

"All right, I'll tell you what. You can go outside the room and then take just three more steps and then we'll get you to the chair and I will call Alan and have him bring you some toys from the playroom. Okay?" Susannah suggested firmly.

Timmy looked so forlorn it broke their hearts. He couldn't understand why he was able to run and play just fine when he was inside and couldn't walk when he was out. It confused him.

Viki stepped out of the door first. She was facing Timmy, her hands at the ready. Even though she knew Sam and Frank were holding him up, her instinct was to catch him if he started to fall. Viki's back was to the woman sitting in the waiting area, peering over a copy of the Banner.

Finally, "Todd" emerged. A loud and involuntary gasp came from deep within Dorian's throat. Viki quickly turned around as Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Panda fell from her arms. Viki saw the look of horror on Dorian's face as she looked at Todd. The sound coming from Dorian also made Sam and Frank slightly loosen their grip on Timmy. Timmy, seeing his toys fall, tried to get to them and started to fall as his legs gave way and his arms pulled away from Sam and Frank's loosened grip. Frank and Sam lunged for him, but could not prevent Timmy from falling and hitting his forehead, hard, on the hallway floor. He also fell on his left wrist and his upper teeth cut deeply into his bottom lip.

They all forgot about Dorian and rushed to Timmy.

For a moment Timmy was stunned and didn't move. Then he started to shriek and cry. "Mommy! Mommyyyy!" Timmy cried out, reaching for Viki.

"Shhhh baby, I’m here! I'm here!" Viki comforted as she held him.

Frank and Sam both looked like they were in shock. They could not believe they let him fall. The unfortunate chain of events happened so quickly, that neither of them could have stopped it, but both felt just horrible.

A huge purple bump had already formed on Timmy's forehead. His bottom lip was bleeding and his wrist was starting to swell. "Mommyyyy, it hurrrrts," Timmy continued to shriek. He held onto Viki tightly with his uninjured hand.

"Sweetie, Timmy, Timmy! Look at me," Susannah tried to get his attention. "Timmy, come on sweetie. Look at me."

Finally Timmy looked at her. Some more of the staff rushed over. Nancy stabilized Timmy's head while Viki continued to hold him. Susannah checked his eyes with her penlight. His pupils were equal and reactive.

"Timmy, do you know who I am?" Susannah asked,

"My Doctor Hanen," Timmy cried.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Susannah held up two fingers.

"Four," Timmy whimpered. Terry came running over with some ice and tried to apply it to his lip and wrist, but he pulled away.

"Noooo! It huuurrrts," he cried out loudly. Then looking even more frightened he cried, "I don't feel good," and he threw up.

Both Dorian and Susannah knew Timmy probably had a concussion.

Timmy looked down and saw the mess on him and on the floor and started crying hysterically. "Daddy's gonna punish me. Daddy's gonna punish me. I have to clean it up." Timmy reached to clean the mess with his bare hand.

"No, Timmy don't do that, baby," Viki took his hand away.

"Noooo. Noooo! I gotta clean it up. If Daddy sees it, he's gonna make me lick it up and then he'll hit me. I gotta clean it up," Timmy continued to cry.

Terry cleaned off his face and hand.

Dorian could not believe what she was hearing and seeing. She took in Todd's skeletal frame and ghostly, pale skin. She saw the huge dark circles under his eyes and a feeding tube in his left nostril with its other end taped to his cheek. He was so weak that he had to be supported by two men just to stand. She could not believe that this pitiful child she saw before her was Todd Manning. She could not believe what he was saying about being punished for getting sick. As much as she couldn't believe it. Dorian knew it was no act. She knew enough about DID to know that Timmy was as much a child as Starr was, more so. She wondered if Blair had any idea how ill Todd really was?

Composing herself, Dorian stood up and walked over to where Timmy still sat on the floor covered with blood and vomit and said, "I'm a doctor. Can I help?"

"Get away from him Dorian! Haven't you done enough damage!" Viki accused through gritted teeth. She protectively held Timmy even tighter.

Knowing that her intentions had been honorable for once, Dorian said, "I won't hurt him." She then bent down and picked up the two stuffed toys that still lay on the floor. She looked at Timmy and said, "Hi sweetheart. My name is Dorian. Here are your friends. I think they're frightened and need you to take care of them."

Timmy looked at her. She looked blurred like everything else. "Everything looks crooked," Timmy whimpered and reached out for his toys. "My hand huuurrrts!"

"Sweetie, I know. We'll get you fixed up. Shhhh, it'll be okay," Susannah tried to soothe him. She stood up and gave orders for Doctor Anderson, Todd's neurologist, to be called and for Doctor Wolpen, an orthopedist. She also asked Frank to get a gurney. She told Terry to call down to x-ray and tell them a portable unit was needed.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry if I scared everyone. I was just surprised to see you," Dorian apologized. She stroked Timmy's head.

"Dorian, get away from him!" Viki declared loudly.

"Mommy, Mommy, don't be mad. Don't be mad," Timmy's crying increased. He was getting even more upset.

"It's all right baby. I'm not mad," Viki assured him and tightened her hold on him. She knew she had frightened him.

"All right Dorian, let's go. You've caused enough trouble here," Sam took her arm and pulled up slightly on it.

Dorian looked at Timmy and stood up. "I had no idea he was so ill," she whispered to Sam. "No one told me."

"So you just thought you would come to see for yourself! This isn't a sideshow, Dorian!" Viki proclaimed bitterly and then hearing Timmy whimper, Viki rested her chin gently on the top of Timmy's head and said, "I'm sorry, baby. It's all right. No one is angry. No one will hurt you."

Frank came with the gurney. He and Dan, a newly hired tech, carefully lifted the struggling Timmy onto the gurney.

"Noooo!" Timmy cried out, when they lifted him. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Shhhh baby it's all right. I'm right here. Viki's here."

Sam stood where Timmy could see him. "I'm here too pal. We're not going to leave you."

They all filed back into Todd's room, leaving Dorian standing outside. She was thoroughly shaken by what she had seen. Dorian, went back to the chair she had been sitting in and put her hand over her eyes. My God! she thought. What are they doing to him? He looks like he's dying.

Blair told Dorian that Todd's DID was caused mostly by abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. Dorian had felt little compassion at the time. Now she looked towards Todd's room and whispered to herself, "Oh Todd, what did he do to you? Something unspeakably horrible must have happened to you to cause this. Oh honey, I'm so sorry."

Dorian knew Viki would want her to leave, but she couldn't. She honestly wasn't staying out of spite or some kind of power play. She had to know if Timmy was going to be all right. She knew he had sustained, at the very least, a concussion and a possible broken wrist. She saw the pain and terror in those innocent eyes. She knew she could not leave. She was not even thinking about the fact that Viki had called her there in the first place or that Viki needed something from her. She was no longer thinking about the papers in her purse. Right now, Dorian just wanted to know one thing. She wanted to hear that, that sweet injured child was going to be all right.

TO BE CONTINUED

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