*****

Téa's heart was bursting with joy. She held Todd to her tightly. Her fingers ran through his hair. "Querido, I love you more than anything in the universe. You and Starr."

"Not as much as I love you. You're it for me, Téa. You're what I've been waiting for my whole life. You're the reward for having to go through everything else." He kissed her again.

She felt his passion. "Todd," Téa whispered to him. She closed her eyes. She opened them again and felt herself kissing Todd.

Then her eyes came into focus. "KEVIN! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" Téa pushed him away from her.

"Hey, take it easy! I just sat down here to see how you were doing. You looked like you were having a nice dream. Then you pulled me to you and started kissing me."

Téa looked down and realized where she was. Her dream came back to her. She realized that the healthy, strong Todd standing there, holding Starr and kissing her, was just a dream. Tears escaped from her eyes. Téa got up off the bed. Kevin remained seated on it. She walked a few steps from the bed and faced Kevin. "What the Hell were you doing watching me sleep anyway? I came here for a little rest and privacy!" Téa was angry and she wanted to hurt someone. She succeeded. She saw the hurt look on Kevin's face.

"I wanted to fill you on what's going on with Todd. I saw you were sleeping and I . . . I . . ." Kevin didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to say that he was mesmerized by how beautiful Téa looked and by the peace and happiness in her face, as she slept.

It suddenly hit Téa. "Todd! Did something more happen to Todd? What happened to Todd!"

Kevin heard terror in Téa's voice. "He's all right. Shhh. He's all right. He woke up . . . sort of."

"What do you mean sort off?" Téa didn't like the sound of that. "He woke up and spoke, but he's still really out of it. They call it postictal. I didn't go in to see him. Mom and Sam did. Mom said his speech is very slurred and it's hard to understand him and he's very confused. He thinks he's back home in Chicago and Sam is his dad and mom is his mother. He's also very nauseous and keeps throwing up. He's weak."

"Is all that because of the seizures?" Téa asked. She was so afraid for Todd.

"They say it's more from the medicine. Mom is really upset because of the potential side effects of the Dilantin." Kevin saw the fear in Téa's eyes.

"Are there even more dangerous side effects than the ones Doctor Ascher told us about?" Téa asked Kevin.

"It has some real serious side effects, but most of them are not likely to happen. It still freaked mom out. One of them is lupus and my older sister Megan died from it."

Téa was shocked. She had no idea Viki had another child. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had another sister."

"Yeah . . . didn't have her very long though. My mom never got a chance to raise her because my grandfather had my mom and the alter who gave birth to Megan hypnotized and brainwashed into forgetting about ever having her. Megan was in her twenties before she and my mom found each other and then she got lupus. Her kidneys failed and she died. My mom even gave her one of her own kidneys, but it didn't help."

Téa couldn't believe Todd had never told her about any of this. "My God! Todd's real father was almost as much a monster as Peter."

"In many ways he was," Kevin agreed. Kevin hated to think of Victor and was terrified of discovering ways that he was like his grandfather.

"Does Todd know about all this?" Téa questioned.

"I'm not sure. I guess my mom told him some. I have a feeling he doesn't know too much. Mom doesn't like to talk about it. I don't think she ever really got over losing Megan. She really freaked when Doctor Anderson mentioned that getting lupus is a very rare side effect of taking Dilantin. She was refusing to let them medicate Todd."

Téa had heard of lupus. She knew nothing about it. "Maybe Viki's right? If Todd can get a fatal disease from the drugs. . . "

"No! Téa, first of all, lupus isn't usually fatal. Then it is mostly women who get it. It is a rare side effect." Kevin emphasized the word rare. "Todd is in much more danger from the seizures than from the medicine."

Kevin didn't want Téa to end up as terrified as his mother. "Téa, Susannah told me a little bit about epilepsy. She said it shouldn't be debilitating. She said Todd will be able to function as well as anyone and do just about anything he wants once the seizures are controlled. They said this drug has been around for a long time and millions of people have taken it. It may make Todd feel really lousy at the beginning, but once he gets used to it he shouldn't feel so bad. They have to get it up to a certain level to be therapeutic. In the meantime it's possible he could still have some seizures."

"He can still have seizures?" Téa was upset.

"He may not. In case he does, they wanted us to know that it's . . . normal . . . I guess you could say." Kevin shrugged and continued. "Most likely the anticonvulsant will control the seizures so that he stops having them completely or not as often."

Téa began to pace. "Even with a medication, that may be dangerous, he might still have seizures!" Téa could not believe it. "I hate this! Why is this happening to Todd? Didn't he have enough problems without this! Damn it!" Téa cried out angrily.

Kevin thought it best to save telling Téa that the medication may worsen Todd's mental problems.

"Is he still awake? Can I see him?" Téa asked hopefully.

"He's in and out. He mostly wakes up from the nausea. They are taking him for a CT scan soon. There probably won't be much time to see him anyway."

Téa wanted the CT scan done and over with. However she was also terrified that it would show something horrible, like a tumor. "Waiting for the results of medical tests has to be the hardest and most frightening thing in the world!" Téa exclaimed.

"You got that right," Kevin agreed. He was a frightened about the results too. "Doctor Anderson said he really doesn't think it's anything like a tumor or an aneurysm. They have to be sure."

"Todd will freak out in one of those tunnels," Téa stated.

"They'll make sure he's knocked out. Susannah promised. They'll take him to ICU after the test. We can go see him there." Kevin ran his hand through his hair. "Téa. I'm sorry about before. I-I didn't mean to infringe on your dream."

Téa shrugged. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Looked like you were having a nice dream," Kevin observed.

Téa smiled. "I was. I was dreaming Todd was healthy and strong and he was home with Starr and me."

Kevin realized Téa had probably been dreaming she was kissing Todd. He made no reference to it. "Well, at least you'll get to see Starr tomorrow," Kevin pointed out encouragingly.

"Yes, unless something happ . . ." Téa cut herself off mid-sentence.

Kevin walked up to where she stood. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Nothing is going to happen to Todd. He will take this medication and it will help and he'll get back on the other medications that were helping him and he will be okay." Kevin was emphatic. He desperately wanted to believe what he said. He didn't want to say it out loud, however he was terrified Timmy would be out and have a seizure. Not that he wanted to see that happen to any of them, but the thought of his Timmy going through that killed him.

Kevin looked at his watch. It was nearly nine o'clock at night. "How about we go back to the ER and wait for them to take him for the test and then go get something to eat? Maybe we'll have some answers by the time we get back."

"I'm not leaving the hospital," Téa firmly declared.

"No. We'll just go to the cafeteria. They don't have much at this hour. We can get some sandwiches and coffee. You want to be in good shape to see Starr tomorrow don't you?"

A tear slid down Téa's cheek. "Oh God, Kevin. What am I going to say to Starr if she starts asking about her father?"

"You'll first have to find out what Blair told her. Then just tell her the same thing. I think Starr will be so excited to see you that she may not ask too many questions."

Téa hoped he was right. She didn't think so though. She knew that thoughts of Todd would never be far from his daughter's mind.

*****

Téa and Kevin saw Susannah sitting calmly at the nurses station talking to one of the nurses. They didn't see Sam and Viki. They assumed they were in with Todd. They figured nothing too bad was happening or things would have been more chaotic. They approached the nurses station.

"Hi, Viki and Sam are in with Todd. He'll be going for the CT scan in about fifteen minutes," Susannah informed them.

"How has he been? Any changes?" Téa asked.

"His pressure and heart rate have come up and that's good. His nausea has ebbed a little. He's still disoriented. He doesn't realize he's in the hospital."

"Is he still thinking mom and Sam are his parents?" Kevin inquired.

"Yes," Susannah nodded. "He becomes very agitated if they're not around during one of his waking states."

"I can understand him wanting mom to be his mother . . . why does he want his father around?" Kevin couldn't imagine.

"Todd wants his father's love and approval. He's hearing Sam's voice say the things he always wanted his dad to say to him. He's very vulnerable right now. Between the medication and the seizures his defenses are way down. His unconscious and conscious wishes for what he always hoped his dad would say to him are coming through," Susannah explained.

"Is all right if I go in and see how he's doing?" Téa asked.

Susannah thought about it for a minute. "All right, but if he's awake and he doesn't want you to see him, I want you to leave right away."

"Yes, of course," Téa agreed.

Kevin realized that if it were Todd who was out, he had better wait outside the cubicle and be there for his mother. He had no idea how Todd would react to him. Todd still did not know Kevin was involved in his therapy or that he cared deeply about some parts of him. Kevin realized that as far as Todd was concerned he was his enemy. He also realized, sadly, that Todd probably still hated him along with the rest of the Buchanans.

*****

Susannah walked Téa to the cubicle. They quietly stepped inside. Todd was awake and talking to Sam and Viki. They were doting on him and didn't even notice that Téa and Susannah had entered. Susannah and Téa stood with their backs against the curtain. They stayed quiet and did not say a word. Téa was surprised to see that Todd appeared relatively calm. Every now and then Todd's hand would reach for the oxygen mask on his face. Téa remembered how Todd hated to have anything cover his face. Either Sam or Viki would gently pull Todd's hand away from the mask. Téa was upset by how slurred Todd's speech was. She was having a hard time understanding what he was saying. Although she was able to understand the bulk of it.

"Dad, I got a B plus on that history test. I'm sorry. I'll try to get an A next time."

"B plus an excellent grade. I'm very proud of you," Sam went along with it.

"Mama, my head still hurts," Todd whimpered.

Viki stroked his head and kissed it. "I know, baby. It will stop shortly"

"Mama, when the lights come back on will you read to me?"

"Yes, sweetheart. I'll read you anything you like."

"I like that book about the lion who gets raised by people and then gets to go free at the end of the story. You know, the one you always read to me."

Viki thought for a moment. "Do you mean 'Born Free?'"

Todd looked puzzled and then he smiled. "Don't tease me Mama. You know that's my favorite book." Todd looked suddenly panicked. "Dad! Dad! Are you still here?"

He tried to sit up and reach out. "I'm here Todd. Shhhh, I'm right here." Sam put his hands on Todd's shoulders and gently pushed him back against the pillow.

"Please don't leave me, Dad. I'm being good."

"Yes. You're being very good. I'll never leave you," Sam promised.

Todd calmed down. Viki looked up and noticed Téa and Susannah standing there.

Susannah approached the gurney. "Todd, it's Doctor Hanen. Do you know who I am?" Todd looked confused. "Can you tell me where you are?" Susannah tried.

"In the living room." Todd's expression let Susannah know that he was wondering why she would be asking such a question to what he thought was obvious. If it weren't for the blindness, Susannah would have strongly suspected this was another alter. She still wasn't a 100 percent sure it wasn't.

"Todd, do you know who Téa is?" Susannah posed.

Todd continued to look confused. He didn't answer. Tears stung Téa's eyes.

"Téa would like to say hello to you. Is that all right?" Susannah asked.

"I don't want my mom and dad to leave." Todd sounded frightened.

"That's okay. They can stay if Téa says hello to you. Is it all right if she does?" Susannah pressed.

He nodded. This surprised everyone, especially Téa.

Téa approached the gurney. She felt suddenly awkward and did not know what to say to him. She finally came out with . . . "Hello, Todd. I'm sorry you're not feeling well."

"My head hurts and I feel sick to my stomach," Todd complained.

Téa had listened very hard to what Todd was saying. She was able to make out most of it. "Doctor Hanen told me you'll feel better soon." Téa tried to sound encouraging. She couldn't believe that Todd was talking to her so calmly. She wondered if he remembered any of the things she had said to him while he was sleeping. A part of her hoped he did and a part hoped he didn't.

"Mama's gonna let me stay home from school tomorrow because I don't feel good and she's gonna read to me when the lights come back on. Dad's gonna come to my game because he's proud of me."

Téa noticed a small smile on Todd's face as he said that. "They love you very much, Todd. They want to be with you more than anything." Téa hesitated for a minute. "I love being with you too," Téa cautiously admitted.

"How come?" Todd asked calmly.

Téa looked at Susannah and then at Sam and Viki. She was thrown by Todd's question. "I like being with you because I love you."

Todd smiled and reached out for a hug. Téa was completely taken back. She lovingly took him in her arms and hugged him.

"You're a nice lady. Are you a friend of my mom or my dad?" Todd inquired.

Téa was crushed. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes. She didn't know how to respond.

"Téa came here especially to see you, Todd," Susannah quickly told him. She saw that Téa had was too upset to answer.

Todd looked frightened. He let go of Téa and reached out for his father. "Dad is it all right if the lady came to see me. I didn't ask her to. I didn't mean to disobey you. Dad, honest I didn't."

"It's okay, Todd. It's okay. It's fine that Téa's here. I want you to have friends."

Todd calmed down. "Téa," he called out.

Téa wiped her tears away and cleared her voice. "I'm right here, Todd." She took his hand.

"My dad says it's okay for you to come to especially see me." Todd reached up and tried to pull the oxygen off his face again.

This time Téa took his hand. "That's helping you breath. You have to leave it on."

Todd reached up to Téa's hand and held it for a minute. "You have on a married people's ring. Are you married?"

Téa swallowed hard. "Yes. I'm married to someone very special and wonderful."

Téa's answer didn't seem to have any emotional impact on him. "Do you have any kids?" he questioned.

Téa hesitated for a moment. "My husband has a little girl from his first wife. Her name is Starr. I consider her my little girl."

They all watched Todd as Téa mentioned Starr. He didn't flinch. "My dad likes that I'm a boy. He plays catch with me and tosses the football around with me. You can't do that with a girl." Todd nervously reached out for Sam again. "Dad! Dad!"

"I'm here, Todd. I've been right here by you all along," Sam comforted.

"Dad, I catch the ball good, don't I? Even when you throw a long pass I catch it. Right? And when we play baseball in the summer . . . I can hit and catch the ball real good. Right Dad?"

"Yes," Sam stroked Todd's head. "Téa, Todd is the best ball player I have ever seen. I'm very proud of him." Sam praised.

Todd reached out to Sam for a hug. Sam happily took him in his arms and held him tightly. None of them could get used to this very affectionate Todd. If it was Todd. They were all having their doubts. Todd yawned. Sam carefully laid him back down. Susannah noticed the medication had finished. She went to call the nurse in and then asked her to please call Doctor Anderson and let him know that Todd was ready to go up for the CT scan. Susannah knew that even though he was calm now, he would still have to be heavily sedated for the test. He didn't even realize he was in a hospital. His agitation would quickly escalated if he thought he was being separated from his mom and dad. She would wait for Doctor Anderson to assess him and decide how much sedation he would require.

*****

"Hello, Todd. It's Doctor Anderson. Do you remember my being here a little while ago?"

"Mama!" Todd reached out for Viki. "Mama, I don't wanna doctor. I wanna go to my room." Todd tried to get up.

"Sweetheart, shhhh. Relax. Doctor Anderson won't hurt you."

"How come Doctor Evans isn't here?" Viki didn't know what to say to him.

"Doctor Anderson is taking care of you tonight, pal. It'll be all right. Just lie back and let the doctor examine you," Sam coaxed.

"Dad! Dad! Please don't be mad at me. I won't talk to the doctor. I won't. Please. Dad, don't leave." Todd's breathing was becoming erratic.

"Todd, listen to me . . ."

Todd cut Sam off. "I won't talk to him dad. Please! Dad, don't leave me!" Todd was starting to cry. He felt the warm tears drip down his cheeks. He reached up and pulled the oxygen mask off his face before they could stop him. "I'm sorry. I know I'm acting like a little girl. I'm sorry, Dad. I'll stop crying. I'm sorry. Don't leave! DON'T LEAVE! MAMA! DON'T LEAVE. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Hearing Todd's plaintive cries, Téa and Viki started crying. Sam and Kevin, who heard Todd's cries from the waiting area, both had tears in their eyes.

"Let's give it another minute and see if we can get him calmed down. I would really like to assess him before we sedated him for the CT scan," Doctor Anderson whispered to Susannah.

Sam hugged Todd as tightly as he could. "Todd. I'm here. I'm here."

Viki joined in the hug. "I'm here too, baby. Shhhh, we're not leaving you. No one is leaving you. You don't ever, ever have to be afraid of that."

"Mama, make the doctor go away."

"Sweetheart, I promise you Doctor Anderson won't hurt you."

"I don't want any shots," Todd whispered to Viki.

"No shots, Todd. I won't give you any shots. I promise," Doctor Anderson assured him.

"Dad? Is it okay?"

"Yes, Boomer. I want you to let the doctor examine you."

"Okay," Todd agreed, "But no shots."

Todd was still fearful. However with tender words of persuasion from Sam and Viki and lots of hand holding, he tolerated the exam. He even giggled, at one point, when Doctor Anderson ran a broken off wooden Q-tip across the soles of his feet.

"You are doing very well, Todd," Doctor Anderson praised. "We're almost finished here." About eight minutes had gone by since anyone mentioned Doctor Anderson by name. "Todd, do you remember my name?"

Todd thought. They could tell he was confused. "Doctor," Todd answered.

"That's right. I'm a doctor. Do you remember my name?"

"Mama, I'm tired. Can I go to my room?" Todd's chin started to tremble. He was afraid he was in trouble for not remembering Doctor Anderson's name.

"You can rest right here, baby. "Is it all right if he lies back now?" Viki asked.

"Sure," Doctor Anderson answered. He could see Todd was still very confused. He helped Viki lower the back of the gurney a little. "Todd, I just want to ask you a couple more questions, okay?" Doctor Anderson pressed.

"Dad?" Todd turned in the direction Sam's voice had come from.

"It's okay, Boomer. You can answer the questions," Sam stroked Todd's head.

Either Todd's speech was improving or they were getting used to it. Although it was still quite slurred, they didn't have as much trouble understanding him. "Todd, can you tell me who Viki and Sam are?" Doctor Anderson asked.

Todd rolled over on his side and pulled his knees to his chest. "My head hurts," he whimpered.

Susannah and Doctor Anderson both theorized that if this were Todd, he either was too confused to know who Sam and Viki were or he was blocking out the present so he could give himself the parents he always dreamed of.

"Okay, Todd. I'm going to let you rest." Doctor Anderson patted Todd's shoulder and stepped out of the cubicle. Susannah joined him. Viki and Sam stayed behind. Sam was stroking Todd's head and Viki was rubbing his back. Téa stepped out behind Doctor Anderson and Susannah, Kevin joined them.

"His responses are improved. I'm not sure how much of his confusion is medication related and how much is due to mental illness. Are you sure this isn't another alter?" Doctor Anderson asked Susannah.

"No, I'm not sure. He's acting nothing like Todd," Susannah frowned in frustration. "But he is blind. If it weren't for that I would be convinced it was another alter." Susannah sighed. "I'm beginning to think it very well may be a handicapped alter . . . a blind alter. I don't know," Susannah confessed.

"Could there be a physical reason for his blindness this time?" A frightened Téa asked.

"No. His pupils are reacting normally, given the situation. His retina looks okay. I see no physiological reason for his blindness."

"It may be that Todd, himself, has regressed to a more childlike state," Susannah remarked.

"He doesn't remember any of us, not even Starr. You saw him. I mentioned Starr and he didn't even blink. Todd would never not react to Starr!" Téa exclaimed. She was very upset.

"If this isn't an alter, then is Todd still in that postictal state? Is that why he's so confused?" Kevin inquired.

Both Susannah and Doctor Anderson shook their heads. Susannah spoke first. "Todd is still postictal, however this is not confusion. He has regressed. This is more of a dissociative amnesia. If I were to speculate, I'd say Todd was acting as a nine or ten year old right now. He wants the kind of nurturing Sam and Viki are providing, only he wants it from his parents," Susannah theorized.

"So, he turned mom and Sam into his parents," Kevin commented. He nodded slightly. He was starting to understand a little.

"Yes. They are giving him the responses he needs to hear Peter and Barbara say. He needs that level of affection and caring from them."

"You're saying it's Todd . . . he has blocked out everything after he was about ten years old . . . he's believing that his parents just suddenly turned into these kind, loving people?" Téa looked confused. She was still trying to grasp this.

"Basically, yes," Susannah responded.

"Then why does he still want to be blind?" Téa was having a hard time with this.

Susannah did her best to explain. "I'm not sure at this point. If it is Todd, it may simply be that just hearing and not seeing Sam and Viki, make it more believable for him. In any case, hopefully, it is a temporary situation brought on by the trauma of the seizure and the medication."

A nurse interrupted. "Excuse me. Doctor Anderson, radiology is on the phone."

"I need to take this," Doctor Anderson told them.

"Kevin, Téa, will you excuse me for a few minutes too. I want to let Sam and Viki know that we'll soon be sedating Todd and taking him up to radiology for the CT scan." Susannah told them and headed into the cubicle.

Téa and Kevin listened as Doctor Anderson spoke to radiology.

"In about ten minutes . . . Multiple seizures . . . No, he never came to full recovery . . . With contrast . . . Not that we know of . . . He's been loaded with Cerebyx . . . Two milligrams lorazepam . . . No. He's going to need more than that . . . Right handed. Actually ambidextrous . . .Yes, the left temporal lobe . . . There's a history of brain trauma . . . Okay. Thanks we'll be there in ten." Doctor Anderson hung up and began writing in Todd's chart.

The words, "a history of brain trauma," went through Téa like a knife. Despite Todd's long history of brain injury, Téa was convinced that her hitting Todd with the shovel was the cause of his seizures. Guilt washed over her. She wanted to run to him and tell him how sorry she was.

Kevin saw the distraught look on Téa's face. "We'll know soon. They seem pretty sure it's not a tumor or anything like that."

"I know. They believe it's an old injury to his brain. Like someone hitting him on the head with a shovel!" Téa said bitterly.

"Téa, you did not do this to him."

"Oh how do you know that! Did you crawl inside Todd's brain and see a sign that said Téa didn't do this? I hit him Kevin! I knocked him out and tied him up and threatened to burn him." Téa's face was etched in horror. "I threatened to burn him. Just like his father did. My God! What was I thinking?"

Kevin knew what Téa and the rest of them had been put through in those months following Georgie's death. Yes, the one who had been most severely traumatized and put through hell by Georgie's death had been Todd. That didn't lessen Téa's suffering.

"Téa, he held you hostage. He kidnapped you. He abused you. You had every right to be furious with him. You had every right to want to get back at him." Kevin hated that he still felt rage towards Todd when he thought about being locked in the wine cellar with Barbara Graham that night. He knew that had been the beginning of the problems he and Cassie now had. Of course when he was being completely honest with himself, he admitted he had been attracted to Barbara before Todd ever came near them and his life had been spinning out of control since the fire. Kevin could still see Todd holding a knife to Viki's throat. Kevin knew now that Todd would never have hurt Viki. Nevertheless, his behavior to her was still abusive. Kevin couldn't face the negative feelings he still had for Todd. They terrified him. He was still so afraid that he was capable of hurting Todd and thus hurting his beloved Timmy. Kevin quickly put all those thoughts out of his mind.

Téa had been over and over that night in her mind. Yes. There was truth in what Kevin said. Téa told herself the same things many times. Right now all she could think of was that she might be responsible for causing Todd to have these seizures. "Kevin, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want to hear them say that Todd doesn't have something like a tumor or an aneurysm."

Kevin backed down. He knew Téa needed some time to herself. Kevin pointed to some chairs in a waiting area. "I'll be over there if anyone needs me."

"Okay, I'll let Viki and Sam know," Téa responded wearily.

Todd had fallen into a fitful sleep. Every few minutes he would wake up in a panic and call for his mom and dad. Once Sam and Viki verbally assured him and offered some physical assurance as well, he would drift off again.

Susannah motioned them off to the side. "The nurse will be coming in to sedated him in a couple of minutes. The test takes about an hour but with the prep and all Todd will be upstairs for about ninety minutes, possibly two hours. When it's done he'll be going directly to ICU. I think this would be a good time for you and Sam to get something to eat and then some rest. I'll get you as soon as he's settled in the ICU."

"Susannah, you'll be there with him the whole time?" Viki needed reassurance.

"Yes. Both Doctor Anderson and I will not leave his side," Susannah promised. "Relax. He'll be fine. He won't even know he's been through it."

A nurse came in and did vitals on him and hung another bag of normal saline.

"How is he?" Viki asked anxiously.

"He's doing good. BP's one ten over seventy. His pulse is seventy and regular." Viki and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mama! Dad!" Todd had woken up with a start and reached out for them.

"We're right here, sweetheart," Viki comforted.

"Todd, it's Doctor Hanen. How are you feeling?"

Todd rolled over on his back. He tried to sit up. "Mama." He reached out for Viki. Once he felt her arms around him he snuggled into her.

"Sweetheart, did you hear Doctor Hanen's question?"

"She's not the same doctor. The other one was a man doctor. He promised no shots"

"Apparently his short term memory is fine," Susannah commented and smiled. "I won't stick you with a needle either Todd. I won't do anything to hurt you." The nurse returned with a syringe full of sedation. "Todd, do you know what an IV is?" He shook his head. "It's a line that's attached to a needle that's in the back of your arm." Todd immediately started to feel for it. Sam and Viki each took one of his hands. "It doesn't hurt Todd. "You've had it in all along. As long as you don't tug on it, it won't hurt," Susannah assured him. "It's a way to give you medication so that you don't have to get stuck every time we do."

Todd started to panic. "Mama! I wanna go upstairs to my room. I don't want any medicine!"

"Shhhh, baby. It's all right. It won't hurt you," Viki comforted.

"Dad, I don't want medicine," Todd cried out.

"We're right here with you, Boomer. We won't let anything hurt you," Sam assured him as well.

"Todd, I promise this won't hurt. The medicine is going to make you feel very sleepy. You may start to feel a little dizzy. It's nothing to be afraid of. I don't want you to fight it. I want you to relax and go with it," Susannah kept her voice soft and soothing.

"Mama!" Todd held on to Viki tightly.

Viki rocked him and rubbed his back. Sam held his hand and stroked his head. The nurse injected the medication into the IV. Viki and Sam continued to speak reassuringly to Todd and continued to comfort him with touch. As the sedation began to put him to sleep, Todd's grip on Sam's hand loosened. Viki felt his body start to relax and then go limp in her arms. Gently, she laid him back down. She kissed his forehead.

Doctor Anderson came in. He checked Todd's eyes. "Okay, let's go," he said to the nurse and Susannah. Viki brushed Todd's hair back from his face as they wheeled him out.

Téa and Kevin watched as they wheeled Todd down the hallway. Sam and Viki joined them. "We're going to the lounge to try to get some rest," Sam informed them.

"Kevin, Téa, you don't have to stay. I'll let you know as soon as we get the results," Viki told them.

"No. I want to stay," Téa insisted.

"So do I mom." Kevin turned to Téa. "So, are you ready to take me up on that sandwich and coffee in the cafeteria?"

"I'm not sure about the sandwich. I sure could use some coffee," Téa agreed. They all headed for the elevators.

Out of pure exhaustion, both Viki and Sam had fallen asleep. Susannah and Doctor Anderson walked into the lounge. They hated to disturb them. However they had promised to let them know the test results immediately. "Viki, Sam," Susannah called out softly.

Their sleep was light and they both responded quickly. "Susannah, is it over? How's Todd? What did they find?" both Sam and Viki started asking at the same time.

"There's no evidence of pathologic conditions. No tumor and no aneurysm. There was no sign of any lesion," Doctor Anderson confirmed.

Viki and Sam were flooded with relief. They hugged each other. Then they both realized that the problem was still there. "So, are you back to thinking the seizures are being caused by the medication?" Sam asked.

"That has always been a possibility," Doctor Anderson admitted. "I still believe there is a lesion deep in Todd's brain that we're just not seeing. As soon as he's off the cardiac monitor I want to send him for an MRI. We'll do one without and with a contrast medium called gadolinium. It's very safe and has no side effects. It's one study done at the same time."

"Does that mean you still suspect a tumor?" The fear had returning to her voice.

"No. I don't . . . not at all. We want to be 100 percent sure in a case of a new onset seizure disorder. The MRI can show us some things the CT scan couldn't. I know it's easy to say, but please try to relax. There is absolutely no indication that anything more than an old lesion is going on with Todd. The MRI is just a precaution."

Sam and Viki felt like they were trapped in a never-ending nightmare. "Is he awake?" Sam asked.

"No. He slept through without any problems. He had no problem with the contrast. His vitals remain stable. He's doing okay," Susannah assured them. She then told them, "Todd should be settled into his bed in the ICU by now. You can see him whenever you wish."

"They know to let us stay overnight with him?" Viki pressed. She knew about the strict visitation rules in the ICU.

"Yes. Doctor Anderson and I have already spoken with the charge nurse on the unit and she knows that Todd needs to have you both by his bedside. I hope you will take turns and each of you will get some more sleep. I can see you're both exhausted. There is a lounge area near the ICU," Susannah reminded them.

"Yes. We know all too well. I had hoped to never have to go near that part of the hospital again," Viki said, bitterly.

"When do you think he'll be waking up?" Sam inquired.

"Not for a couple of hours and then he'll very groggy and sluggish," Doctor Anderson informed them and added. "I suggest you see him for a few minutes and then go get some rest while you can. Someone will get you the moment he wakes up. I promise you."

Sam and Viki thanked Doctor Anderson and Susannah. Viki asked, "Do Kevin and Téa know?"

"I'm heading to the cafeteria now, to tell them. They will not allow four visitors in the ICU at the same time. Why don't you and Sam go ahead and I will tell Téa and Kevin to wait about fifteen minutes and then go see Todd while you and Sam get some rest," Susannah suggested.

Sam looked at his watch. It was almost midnight. "I promised Blair I would call her as soon as we learned something."

"I'm sure she's still awake. Do you want me to do it?" Viki offered.

"No. That's all right. Why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you in the ICU," Sam suggested. Viki agreed and walked out with Susannah and Doctor Anderson.

*****

Like Sam and Viki, Téa and Kevin were relieved to hear that nothing serious had been found on the CT scan. Also like Sam and Viki, they were still frightened that something could show up on the MRI. They too wanted this latest nightmare to be over. Téa agreed to go home after she saw Todd, but only after she was promised that they would get her immediately if there were any problems. Susannah assured her that she would be spending the night at the hospital and would call her if there were any problem at all. Kevin also agreed to go home, under the same conditions.

Viki looked down at her sleeping brother. He was off oxygen. He was still hooked up to a cardiac monitor. He was still on an IV.

"He needs lots of fluids to wash the dye out of his system," one of the ICU nurses explained.

Viki noticed that the side rails on this bed were padded too. Todd was still on seizure precautions. It concerned her that they thought he might have another seizure. Todd had been sleeping on his back. "I want him in coma position," the charge nurse said to the other two.

Viki started to panic. "They told me he was just asleep."

"Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Carpenter. He is. That only means we want to keep him on his side when he is sleeping. It's a safety precaution. In case he seizes. We don't want him to aspirate saliva or vomit. It's all right. Todd is only sleeping off the sedation." Viki breathed a sigh of relief. The ICU was a terrifying place to Viki.

After a while Sam showed up. He kissed Todd and told Viki, "Blair was relieved that the CT scan showed nothing. She is nervous about the MRI."

"She can join the club. I'm sorry." Viki apologized for her sarcasm. "I know Blair is worried sick. Oh God, Sam. I just want Todd back to the way he was before this whole nightmare started. Damn Georgie Phillips. She triggered this whole thing." Viki immediately felt guilty. "Dear Lord! I didn't mean to say that about that poor girl. She was not much more than a child herself. It's Peter . . . Peter and Barbara and Father . . . They did this to Todd . . . even Irene. Why didn't she fight Father? What was different between Todd and Tina? Why didn't she insist on keeping her son the way she did her daughter? What had changed by then?"

Sam took Viki's face in his hands. "Viki, don't torture yourself. We will never know the answers to those questions. We can't undo the damage that was done to Todd. All we can do is help him cope with what his past has done to him and with his memories of it, and be there for him in every way possible as he tries to overcome all of it." Viki rested her head on Sam's shoulder for a while.

"I wonder if Todd will be more himself, whomever that is, when he wakes up?" Sam commented.

"At least you gave him some good times with his dad, for an hour or so." Viki remarked. She kissed Sam. They took one more look at Todd and then took turns kissing him goodnight and headed for the lounge near the ICU.

Téa and Kevin went in to see him next. Kevin looked at Todd's face. He didn't look like Todd. Kevin could tell it wasn't Timmy who was out either. Even in sleep, Kevin could recognize Timmy's soft face and youthful features. Kevin stroked Todd's head and said goodnight to Téa. He told her to call him if she just wanted to talk. He went to the nurses station to make sure they had his cell phone number and he left.

Téa leaned against the padded side rail and stared down at her husband. Tenderly, she rubbed his back and spoke softly to him. "Are you going to know me when you wake up or are you still going to think I'm this nice lady who came to see you? I'm going to see Starr after school tomorrow, Todd. She's going to ask me about you. What should I tell her?" Téa paused for a moment. "It's all right, querido. I know what to tell her. I will tell her daddy loves and misses her more than anything and wishes he gets well quickly so he could be with her again." Téa stroked Todd's head. "I know that is what is going on in there . . . even when you can't realize it. I know no matter who you are, Todd Manning, more than anything you love your little girl." Téa bent down and kissed Todd's cheek. "And I hope you also love me," Téa added and left the ICU.

*****

Doctor Anderson and Susannah both stayed at the hospital. They headed for their respective offices. Susannah called Bill to fill him in on what was going on. He was relieved to know it was very unlikely that Todd had a tumor or aneurysm. He asked how Sam and Viki were doing. "They are both being as strong as they usually are when they are with Todd and ready to fall apart as soon as they leave his side," Susannah informed him.

"Would you like me to come over and keep you company?" Bill offered.

Susannah was so appreciative of Bill. Just knowing she had someone there to lean on gave her comfort. She had never allowed herself to need anyone that way before. "No, but thank you. I am going to get some sleep in my office, while I can. Bill, I'm sorry about our dinner tonight. I was really looking forward to sampling your culinary skills again."

"Well, I suppose I can be talked into giving you a rain check?" Bill joked.

"Luckily I can very persuasive," Susannah kidded back.

"You get some rest Doctor Hanen. That young man really needs you. A lot of us need you, Susannah," Bill said seriously.

A lump formed in Susannah's throat. She missed being able to be with Bill tonight. "Maybe we can get together for a late breakfast tomorrow, after Todd goes for the MRI."

"This is the great part about being temporarily unemployed. You tell me when and I'll be there," Bill promised.

Susannah said goodnight to him. She curled up on her couch and drifted off to sleep.

*****

Todd woke up a few times during the night. As promised, Susannah, Sam and Viki were notified. He was very groggy and out of it. He’s not cognizant of much. He still called out for his mother, but not his dad. He did seem to take comfort in hearing Sam's voice and feeling Sam's hand, as he would stroke Todd's head or rub his back. Todd did not say enough for them to tell if he still thought he was a child or thought he was back in Chicago. Once comforted, he would sleep another couple of hours. This allowed Susannah, Viki and Sam to do the same. Todd's vitals remained stable and he was free of seizures.

Téa had called the nurses station several times during the night as she repeatedly woke from a restless sleep. Kevin and Blair had each called the ICU nurses station a couple of times as well.

"There are certainly a lot of people out there who care very much about you, Todd," one of the nurses said as she took his vitals.

*****

Viki and Sam took turns going upstairs to the family lounge on the psychiatric unit to shower and change. Todd was still asleep when they got to the ICU. The doctors were making their rounds. Viki and Sam spotted Doctor Anderson.

"Todd is doing very well. He's shown no signs of a rash. His vitals are good. He'll be getting a dose of Dilantin in about fifteen minutes. All and all I'm very pleased with his condition." Viki and Sam were relieved to hear that. "Doctor Williams will be in to check on Todd in a while. Then if he sees no problem, and I don't see that he will, we'll take Todd off the cardiac monitor, give him a little more sedation and take him for the MRI. He's doing fine. Please try not to worry." Doctor Anderson patted Viki's arm and went to join the other doctors. Sam and Viki had heard "he'll be fine" too many times before to be truly relieved by it.

Susannah came to the ICU and was happy to hear that Todd was doing well. Doctor Williams came in examined Todd and told them Todd's heart was doing okay. There was no sign of ventricular fibrillation and no sign of any kind of arrhythmia. He was in normal sinus rhythm. They took Todd off the monitor. He was still very sleepy and just required a small amount of sedation. They took him off for the MRI.

Viki was about to call Kevin when she saw him come into the lounge. "I thought you had a meeting with the advertising department this morning?" Viki asked.

"No, Mom. That was yesterday."

Viki shook her head. She was grateful to Kevin. The Banner was not really on her mind these days.

*****

Blair had dropped Starr off at school. She didn't tell her Téa was coming to see her at four. Just in case there were any problems with Todd, Blair didn't want Starr disappointed. She knew that if Téa were able to come it would be a pleasant surprise. Blair was torn by Starr's feelings for Téa. She was not too happy that her little girl loved and wanted to be with Téa. Yet she loved the idea of Starr being loved. Blair had no one to love her growing up. She knew a child could never have enough love his or her life. Blair showed up at the ICU lounge. She smiled encouragingly at Viki and Sam and coldly at Kevin.

"How much longer do you think it will be?" Blair asked when told Todd had already gone in for the MRI.

Sam looked at his watch. "Maybe another forty minutes."

Blair felt she had to try again. She prefaced her question by saying, "Viki, I'm not trying to cause problems for you or make things harder for you. Have you given any thought to taking Todd home for a while?"

"Blair, what the Hell is the matter with you? If Todd had been home when the status epilepticus started he probably would have died," Kevin stated angrily.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Blair responded just as angrily.

"Stop it! Both of you. Viki and I have enough on our minds without this constant squabbling," Sam snapped.

Blair genuinely had not meant to create problems. She knew that everyone had been through Hell in the past couple of days. She honestly believed that the hospital was harming Todd and she was so frightened for him. She knew that even if, by some miracle, she were able to get Todd out of the hospital and take him home with her and Starr, it would take time. She was afraid Todd didn't have time. She was afraid he would die in that hospital or that the drugs they were giving him would destroy his mind. She also didn't like him being in a place where Téa and Kevin had free access to him. So if she couldn't get him out of there right away, she wanted Viki to. "Viki, I'm sorry. Please. I am not trying to upset you. I'm not!" she turned to Sam and insisted. "Maybe you can just try it for a week or two? Stop the drugs and see if Todd gets back to himself."

"Blair, you don't understand." Viki knew Blair was being genuine in her fear of what the hospital was doing to Todd. Nevertheless, she also knew how wrong Blair was.

"Viki, please. You didn't see the way my mother was when I first found her. The drugs they were giving her were making her so much worse. They kept her tied up just to keep her out of their hair. Please! Just think about it."

"Blair, honey," Viki's tone became tender. She could see how frightened for Todd Blair was. "I know you are afraid for Todd. Your mother was not being drugged or restrained therapeutically in the hospital you found her in. They were using the drugs as a chemical straight jacket and restraints as a punitive measure. They wanted to keep her from being a bother to them. It is horrible, but that's the way it was in some places and unfortunately still may be, especially in some nursing homes. The Banner did an exposé on that last year. Things are very different now, particularly in Pennsylvania. Many states are patterning the way patients in mental hospitals are treated after the standards the state of Pennsylvania follows. I know that Susannah carefully follows the guidelines set for the state hospitals here and they are very strict when it comes to chemical, physical and mechanical restraints. There are many kinds of restraints Susannah won't use with Todd or the alters because she feels they will not be therapeutic, given his situation. Even as we speak, the laws regarding restraints are changing. Todd's drugs are being carefully monitored and as soon as any problem appears the drug in question are discontinued. Todd was starting to do better on the last combination he was on. Honey, you know that." Viki took Blair's hand. "There is nothing in the world I want more than to be able to bring Todd home, but he is not ready for that. It would not be helping him. It might possibly be put his life in danger," Viki added.

Blair could see that Viki truly believed what she said and that they were at an impasse. She realized Viki would die before she would hurt Todd. The problem was, she suspected that Viki had been convinced by Susannah and, even more, by Kevin and Téa that this was the right thing for Todd. She believed that Téa and Kevin wanted to make sure Todd was kept out of the way and in a condition that would make any suspicions he might have about them seem like a paranoid delusion. Blair knew she had tried her very best to reason with Viki. "All right, Viki. You are Todd's guardian. I can't force you to take him home. I know things are tense now. I won't say another word about it. You don't have to worry about that." She could see they were all grateful for that.

They all sat quietly for about another ten minutes when Téa showed up. Blair and Téa glared at each other and then nodded cordially. Sam and Viki filled Téa in on the latest.

"Téa, if all is well, will you be coming to see Starr this afternoon?" Blair inquired.

"Yes. Of course I will," Téa responded. 'Will I!' she thought. The only two things that had been on Téa's mind all night were worries about Todd and excitement and happiness at the thought of seeing Starr again. Téa had a present for Starr in her bag. It was a little ring her father had given her when she was seven. It was the first ring she had ever had. She was already envisioning the tiny ring on Starr's finger.

Kevin and Sam went to get some coffee for everyone. They were pleased to find all was peaceful when they returned. In fact, Viki, Blair and Téa had all been sitting lost in their own thoughts. Time passed slowly.

Finally Doctor Anderson and Susannah showed up. "Okay. We think we found the problem," Doctor Anderson said encouragingly. "There is a small lesion in the left temporal lobe. It is scar tissue, as we suspected. There is no tumor, aneurysm or cyst. Todd will need to stay on anticonvulsant for the foreseeable future. That is not to say for the rest of his life"

They were all relieved that Todd had no life threatening condition. Yet they were still afraid for him. "So, you no longer suspect that the neuroleptic or the any of the other medications caused the seizure?" Sam wanted clarity on that. They had all been hoping it would just take stopping one of the drugs to make the seizures go away.

"No, I don't believe any of the medications Todd was taking caused this. What Todd has is called Post Traumatic Epilepsy. It is most likely being caused by the scar tissue we were able to see. That is not to say that the medications can't exacerbate the problem. Once they are reintroduced, Todd will have to be watched very carefully for seizure activity," Doctor Anderson informed them.

"I don't understand. If Todd had this from an old injury, why is it only now causing a problem?" Viki asked.

"At this point the lesion started to interrupt the normal flow of cells firing. When the neurons misfire, a seizure happens," Doctor Anderson explained.

"Can you tell how old this scar tissue is . . . I-I-I mean can you tell from which brain injury it came from?" Téa asked. Her voice was trembling.

"Yes, Doctor Anderson. Can you tell if it came from a recent blow to the head with a shovel!" Blair asked angrily.

Sam and Viki "looked daggers" at Blair.

"Blair! Why don't you just give it a rest!" Kevin exclaimed.

"Why don't I give it a rest? She's the one who probably did this to Todd!" Blair answered back.

Doctor Anderson was not familiar with the family dynamics. Nonetheless, he certainly sensed the hostility between Blair, Téa and Kevin.

"I'm only going to say this once," Susannah began. "If you can't control yourselves I want you out of here." She knew that it was nearly impossible for Téa, Blair and Kevin to be in a room together without it escalating into a shouting match.

"In answer to your question," Doctor Anderson began. "There is never 100 percent correlate between several different insults to the brain and the development of epilepsy. There is no way to tell which brain injury caused this lesion. It is possible it's from one of the recent blows to the head. The injury that caused his original seizure and the hearing loss in his right ear was a blow to the right side of the brain. It is possible that the swelling that occurred because of that could have caused some scarring on the left side. It is also possible that any of his childhood injuries can be to blame, but unlikely, because it is uncommon for it to take more than ten years for a trauma to the brain to cause seizures. Still, they can't be completely ruled out."

"So what you're saying is that the injuries you suspect the most are the most current ones?" Blair emphasized the last two words.

Before Doctor Anderson had a chance to respond Kevin interrupted. "Yes! And some of those current ones include Todd smashing his head into a wall at Statesville, smashing it into a door here at the hospital, getting into a car accident . . ." Kevin paused for a moment. His voice became choked as he continued. "Timmy falling down and hitting his head. Can't any of those be the injury that caused this?"

"Yes, any of them. There is no way to pinpoint which one and frankly, it doesn't matter. Knowing which one will not erase the lesion," Doctor Anderson declared.

"Can the lesion be removed?" Kevin asked.

"We would not even think of surgery until medication has been tried for at least a year. If Todd doesn't respond to Dilantin we would try other protocols before we would attempt surgery," Doctor Anderson replied. In a way, they were all relieved that Todd was not facing the prospect of brain surgery any time soon.

Téa had been quiet through all this. She was afraid if she tried to speak she would start to cry and not be able to stop. She didn't need Blair to try to make her feel responsible. She felt that all on her own. Téa was convinced that it was the blow from the shovel that did this to Todd.

"Can I go see Todd now?" Blair inquired.

"Wait about ten more minutes to make sure they have him settled in. He is still asleep. He will probably be out for another couple of hours," Susannah informed her.

"I know. I just want to see him and sit with him for a while. I won't disturb him," Blair promised. She turned to Téa. "Can Starr and I expect you at the penthouse at four?"

"Of course. You know I'll be there," Téa replied.

"Téa, just one thing . . . don't bring you new best friend." Blair pointed in Kevin's direction and left the room before anyone had a chance to reply.

Viki and Sam shook their heads. "Don't let Blair get you," Sam told Téa.

"Oh, don't worry. I have more on my mind than Blair." Téa faced Sam and Viki. "I did this to Todd and I'm sorry. If I could take it back I would."

Susannah spoke up. "Téa, I can't tell you that the specific injury you caused Todd isn't responsible, but even if it is, please try not to be so hard on yourself. You were under tremendous stress that night. You had every right to be angry. That you lashed out, physically, is understandable."

"Understandable, maybe, but forgivable . . ." Téa shook her head in disgust with herself.

"Honey. No one blames you," Viki comforted.

Téa looked Viki in the eye. "I blame me!" Téa's eyes welled with tears. "Please. I really don't want to discuss this anymore. It's not as if I can change things and keep Todd from having seizures." Téa turned to Susannah and Doctor Anderson. "Is it all right if I see Todd after Blair leaves? I want to make sure it's before he wakes up. If it's the kid Todd he will just think I'm this nice friend of the family and if Todd is himself he probably won't want me to see him." They could all tell Téa was depressed and morose. She was full of self-loathing for having hurt Todd, no matter what the circumstances. "I'm going for a short walk and then I'll check and see if it's all right to see Todd," Téa announced.

Kevin quickly stood up. "I'll keep you company," he offered.

Sam put his arm around Kevin's shoulder. "Hey, bud. I think Téa wants some time to herself."

"I do, Kevin. Thanks for the offer, but I really do want to be alone for a while," Téa confirmed.

Embarrassed, Kevin mumbled, "Sure . . . sorry." He turned to Viki. "Mom, how about I get you and Sam some breakfast? I know neither of you want to leave this area."

"Sure. Thank you Kevin. I could go for a danish and coffee." Sam took him up on it more because he knew Kevin needed to keep busy than because he was hungry.

"Mom?" Kevin waited for Viki to tell him what she wanted.

Viki really wasn't hungry. Still, she knew she needed to eat. " A bran muffin and some coffee and juice would be nice," Viki replied.

"Susannah? Doctor Anderson? Would either of you care for something?" Kevin offered. They both declined. Kevin took Viki's hand for a second and then headed for the cafeteria.

"Mrs. Carpenter, Mr. Rappaport, do either of you have any more questions?" Doctor Anderson wanted to know.

Sam spoke up. "How much longer will Todd be kept in ICU?"

"If he remains seizure free, I think he can go back to the psychiatric unit day after tomorrow. I'd like to keep a close eye on him for the first day or two on the Infatabs. He has responded well to the phenytoin so far. Any other questions?"

Viki and Sam knew there were many, many questions. Their minds were drawing a blank right now. "No, nothing," they answered.

Doctor Anderson looked at his watch. "Well, I have an eleven forty-five."

"Doctor Anderson, thank you so much for everything," Viki said. She took his hand.

"Yes, Doctor, Thank you. We love that kid in there more than anything," Sam admitted.

"I know you do," Doctor Anderson acknowledged. He patted Sam on the shoulder and then left.

"Susannah, are you planning on telling Todd he's developed epilepsy?" Viki asked anxiously.

"Yes. As soon as he's more alert. I plan on explaining it to all of them, with your permission."

"You even plan on telling Timmy and Andy, if they come out? Aren't they too young to understand?" Sam questioned.

"No. Very young children develop epilepsy all the time. It is important they understand what is happening to their body so it is not so terrifying to them. I also want each of them to start getting more in touch with what their body is telling them. Eventually, they may be able to let us know if they feel a seizure coming on and we can take the necessary precautions for their safety."

"Do you think all the alters have epilepsy?" Viki posed.

"I really don't know at this point. We may not know unless whoever is out has a seizure. Some of them can have a normal EEG and still end up having seizures. It's unpredictable."

"Do you think there is a chance that Thomas is the only one?" Sam pressed.

"That isn't likely, but it is possible. It is even possible that just before the full seizure started Thomas went inside and another alter came out. It may be a long time before we know which ones are epileptic and which ones are not."

*****

Susannah headed for her office. She planned on contacting the Epilepsy Foundation for a list of books that help to explain epilepsy to children. She needed to get different ones that were age appropriate for each alter.

Viki sat on the couch, next to Sam. He put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank God it isn't a tumor or anything like that," she stated. Sam nodded and pulled Viki in closer and kissed the top of her head. They sat that way, silently comforting each other, and waited for Kevin to return.

*****

Blair stayed with Todd for about twenty minutes. She too comforted in silence. She held his hand and stroked his hair. Blair took a long look at her ex-husband. "Todd Manning, even now, you are still the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on," she said to him softly. Blair gently kissed Todd on the lips. She gathered her things and left.

Téa stood down the end of the hallway, opposite the elevators. She watched as Blair got on one of the elevators and left. She headed for Todd's room. She peeked in the room and saw that Todd was still asleep. Téa headed for the nurses station first. She introduced herself to the day shift and asked one of the nurses how Todd was doing.

"He's doing well, Mrs. Manning. His vitals are good. He isn't having any negative reactions to the Dilantin. He should be waking up in a little while."

Téa approached Todd's bed. "Did you hear that, mi corazon? You're doing great. Everything is going to be all right. You just have to take this new medicine and you'll be fine." Téa burst into tears. "Oh, Todd. I'm so sorry. I did this to you. I gave you this additional problem. I wouldn't blame you if you never forgave me. I wish I had known how ill you were. I should have. We all should have. You have been screaming out for help for as long as everyone has known you and we never heard you. You frightened me so much that night. I didn't know what you were capable of. You frightened me! You hurt me. I wanted to stop you. You were so out of control . . ." Téa put her hand to her mouth to hold back a sob. "I was also so angry with you. You took away every dream I had for us that night and I wanted to hurt you too." This time it was Téa who kissed Todd on the lips. "I'm sorry, mi amor. I'm so sorry." Téa stroked Todd's head one more time and left to go tell Sam and Viki she was going to work. Téa was already out the door when Todd started to move slightly. Without making a sound, his lips formed the word, "Téa."

TO BE CONTINUED