If you think the food on an airplane, or in a medical hospital, or in a jailhouse, is the absolute worst cuisine you've ever had to endure, then you've obviously never been committed. All they basically feed you is rice cakes and water through a tube.

It had been almost a whole day since they had imprisoned us in the ward. The orderlies opened my cell, forced me into a pair of scrubs (not that I minded; they were a lot better than the jacket), and led me down the corridor to another room where the doctor and, thank goodness, my brothers were waiting around a table.

"Jenny! We were so worried!" exclaimed Ray.

"Are you alright?" asked Egon.

I nodded. "I'm fine now." I took a seat between the two of them, across the table from the doctor. There was no way I was sitting anywhere near him.

"Alright. What has you nice people all upset?" asked the doctor, as if he were speaking to six year-olds.

"As I explained before," said Ray exasperatedly. "We think the spirit of a 17th century Moldavian tyrant is alive and well in a painting at the Manhattan Museum of Art."

Yeah, doc, I thought. It's just that simple.

"Uh huh, and are there any other paintings in the museum with bad spirits in them?"

"You're wasting valuable time." Egon rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He's drawing strength from a psychomagnotheric slime flow that's been collecting under the city."

This is not helping our case at all.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, tell me about the slime."

"It's very potent stuff," Winston reported. "We made a toaster dance with it," he gestured to Peter, "and a bathtub tried to eat his friend's baby."

We're doomed.

"A bathtub?" The doctor stared at Peter expectantly.

Peter shrugged. "Don't look at me, I think these people are completely nuts."

I groaned. The doctor looked up at the noise. "You've been awfully quiet, little one. What do you have to say?"

I gritted. "Sir, I am twenty six years old. I am not little."

"I apologize. So, do you have an opinion?"

Suddenly, an orderly opened the door. "Sir, someone's just come and signed the girl out."

"What?" said the doctor. "Who?"

"Uh…" The orderly fumbled for his clipboard. "The name signed is Wendy D. Colby."

I gasped. "But…that's impossible. What's she doing here?"

"Who is Wendy D. Colby, Jenny?" asked Ray.

I didn't answer. I just followed the nurse out, my mind reeling.

In the front of the building, after I'd been released, a woman was standing there. She was older than I remembered. But she still had that proud, rich woman posture, and those blue eyes were unmistakable. I knew them well because I saw them every time I looked in a mirror. "Mother?"

A smile crossed her face. She held out her arms and I immediately rushed into them. "God, Mom. It's… it's been forever."

"Yes," she agreed. "Nearly eight years."

"I missed you," I whispered. "What are you doing here?"

She stared at me blankly. "I came to get you out of this horrible place, of course. Why else would I be here?"

"Well, I…I thought you never wanted to see me again after I came to New York."

She laughed. "Oh, darling. Just because a child rebels a little doesn't mean that her mother is going to disown her. What made you think that?"

"You never wrote…you never called."

She shook her head. "Jennifer Ruth Colby, you are such a silly little girl."

"I'm not really a little girl, Mother," I said. "I'm twenty six and I've almost graduated college."

"Yes, well, you've grown into a fine young girl." She smiled, her eyes appraising me. "So, where are your things? We need to pack them up."

The smile dropped from my face. "Huh? Why do we need to pack?"

"Well, dear, I told I was here to get you out of this horrible place and that exactly what I intend to do," she replied.

"And now I'm out." I was starting to get a bad feeling.

She laughed. "You thought I meant the ward? I meant I was bringing you home."

I was stunned. "But why? I've still got to graduate-"

"They'll mail you your diploma."

"-I've got the choir-"

"There's church choir back home."

"But…but what about my job? My friends?" I asked. "I can't leave them behind."

Mother shook her head. "I've been meaning to speak to you about that whole ghost blasting witch voodoo stuff. For one thing, it's sinful-"

"Mom," I cut in. "It's Ghostbusting, and there aren't any witches or voodoo involved."

"And these people you've been hanging around with, Jennifer…I just don't know. They seem like a bunch of weirdos to me."

Oh, no she didn't. "Mother. Egon and Ray and Winston, and yes, even Peter; they're the best friends I've ever had. They understand and they love me for who I am. They accept my flaws. Don't you understand? They're my family."

Mother closed her eyes. "Jennifer, this is silly. Let's just go and get your things."

I shook my head. "No. I'm sorry, but no."

Her eyes flashed. "Jennifer, you are my daughter-"

"And I'm also an adult. My whole life, people have been telling me what to do and have been trying to protect me. You, Daddy, even my friends now. I'm tired of not being able to make my own decisions…you know was the only one who ever respected me, treated me like an equal?" I hated playing this card, but I felt it was my last move left. "Theodore."

Mother's eyes widened at the sound of her dead son's name. She grew quiet. Seeing her like that was like taking a sock to the gut. But I had had to do it.

I turned and walked away.

At first, I went to the firehouse. It was empty, except for a note on the secretarial desk: Sitting at Doctor Vee's. –Janine and Louis

I gave the cabbie a whopper of a tip, then dashed into the apartment building. I took the elevator to the fifth floor, then raced down the hall to the last apartment on the left.

I turned the knob and burst into Peter's apartment. Louis and Janine were sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. They looked up as I came in.

I couldn't help but note that Louis had lipstick smudges all over his face. Really, Janine? I thought to myself. Then I remembered why I was here.

"Louis! Janine!" I exclaimed. "The boys are in the ward!"

They gasped.

After dropping off Janine at the firehouse, Louis and I sped to the hospital in Ecto-1. "So…you and Janine, huh?" I asked. Louis blushed.

"Hey, you don't have to be embarrassed," I said, smiling. "I think it's great…it's just that…well, I thought that Janine liked Egon."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Louis said. "I asked her about it. She said something like 'Egon's always had his sights set on someone else' or something."

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean…Egon likes someone?"

"I guess so," replied Louis.

I shook my head. "This has been one crazy day…yet I have a feeling it's about to get even crazier."