SECRETS - PART EIGHT

SECRETS - PART EIGHT

PREVIOUSLY

Todd put away the last of his things. Although he had been at Llanfair many times before and had even stayed there for a few days after he had returned from Ireland, he felt odd and uncomfortable actually living there. This was, after all, Victor's house. The house he should have grown up in. Which room, Todd wondered, would have been his? Would this house have gone to him? The Banner? After thinking about it for a minute Todd realized he would not want either of them. This house and Victor's newspaper are really better suited to Viki, he thought.

Then he thought how awful it must have been for Viki, growing up here, with Victor, and thought about what Victor had done to her. I would never, never let anyone do that to me. I would die before I would let anyone do that to me, thought Todd.

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Susannah Hanen arrived at her hotel in Llanview three days after she had spoken with Viki. It had not been easy to rearrange her schedule that quickly, but Viki sounded so desperate, and Susannah was not unfamiliar with Todd Manning. Her sister Nora had told her about Todd and Susannah knew this was a man who desperately needed help. She wondered how Nora would react to her becoming Todd's therapist. She loved Nora, and hoped she would accept the fact that to Susannah, Todd was a patient and not the man who stalked her sister. Before contacting Viki, and letting her know she was in town, Susannah decided to visit the local library and read up on Todd Manning.

Todd was in a fairly good mood as he came downstairs for lunch. Starr had been there all morning for a visit and everything had gone smoothly. Starr was as delighted to see her father as he was to see her. As Viki watched them playing together she had the feeling that it was not Todd she was seeing, but another alter, not Timmy, no this alter seemed older than Timmy, but yet childlike. It made Viki sad to think that if it was an alter, Todd would not even remember much of Starr's visit.

"Hey Sis," Todd called out, sitting down at the kitchen table, "What's for lunch? I hope your not making that salad thing again. I hate that."

Viki couldn't help but smile. Todd reminded her so much of Joey when he was a little boy. She wondered how her own children would have turned out if Peter Manning had raised them.

Still getting the feeling that the person sitting at the table was not Todd, Viki said, "No, were having spaghetti. Do you like that?"

"Cool," the young man answered.

Viki noticed that Todd was biting his nails. She had never seen him do that before. She also noticed how he was playing with the utensils she had set out.

"Where's coach, will he be coming to see me today?" Todd asked. Now Viki couldn't remember hearing Todd call or refer to Sam as anything but Sam. She was convinced this was not Todd, but an alter. She was about to take a chance and ask him who he was when the phone rang.

"Viki hi. It's Susannah. I'm here in Llanview. I was wondering if it would be all right to come over and meet Todd? Is he there now?"

"Of course, come right over. He's here." Viki answered.

As happy as Viki was that Todd's therapy would now begin, she was also apprehensive. She knew how painful this was going to be for Todd and she wished she could spare him that.

"Is someone coming to see me?" Todd asked, knowing he was the only "he" who was home at the time.

"Yes, Susannah Hanen is coming to meet you? Remember, I told you about her."

Todd looked puzzled. "Susannah Hanen?" He couldn't place the name. Viki notice that his eyes were wide and innocent as he looked directly into hers.

"She's a doctor, a psychiatrist. She was my therapist and I hope you will like her as much as I do. I know she can help you if you . . ."

Before Viki had a chance to finish her sentence Todd jumped up and declared, "I don't want to see a doctor. I hate doctors! You can't trust 'em and they always do stuff that hurts, like giving you shots and stuff. Uh, uh, I don't want to see a doctor," and with that Todd took off and headed upstairs to his room.

Viki thought it best not to follow him. Totally convinced now that this was another alter, she thought it best to wait for Susannah to arrive.

Ten minutes later the doorbell rang. Viki and Susannah hugged, as they had not seen each other in several years. Viki looked at Susannah's face. It had not changed over the years. She bore some resemblance to her sister, but Susannah's face was softer, rounder, her light brown hair framed a face that shown with kindness, her brown eyes, intelligent and warm. Viki told Susannah how grateful she was that Susannah dropped everything to come to help Todd.

Viki filled Susannah in, briefly, on Todd's behavior and the suspicions she had about the several alters she believed she witnessed, mentioning that she thought that Todd was; at this moment, a child alter who is afraid of doctors. Together the two women went upstairs to Todd's room.

When they walked in, Todd was sitting on the floor by the bed and playing with a video game that had belonged to Jessica.

"Todd," Viki began, "This is Doctor Hanen. She's come all the way from Switzerland to see you."

Todd stared up at Susannah and then backed away slightly.

"Hello Todd," Susannah said, kneeling down to be at eye level with him, "I've been looking forward to meeting you. I brought you something from Switzerland," Susannah reached into her bag for the box of chocolates she had brought with her and handed them to Todd.

"Don't you usually give out the candy after you give someone a shot?" Todd asked seriously, making both women laugh.

"Well, I don't have any shots on me today, only chocolates," Susannah replied, still smiling. "I would however like it very much if you would talk with me for a while. Why don't you hop up on the bed and we can get to know each other."

Obediently, Todd did what he was told, but both Susannah and Viki could see fear in his eyes.

Viki started to head out the door when Todd called after her. "You can stay here, can't you?"

Both women noticed it was more like a plea than a question.

"Of course Viki can stay if you want her to," Susannah said and with that Todd's first therapy session with Doctor Hanen was about to begin.

TO BE CONTINUED

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