Once off the drugs and with a psychiatrist that actually believed what she was saying, Janine began to make rapid progress. She began to take an interest in her surroundings, she stopped carrying the bear with her everywhere she went, and she was finally able to truly grieve over the death of her child.

Peter was in touch with Roger every day, talking about Janine's case. He didn't tell the other three much, instead taking a more personal interest. Egon went to see her almost every day anyway, and Ray and Winston seemed satisfied with the answers they got from both Peter and Egon. In fact, they even got permission to visit her and take her outside of the hospital. It was in the fenced in back park, but it was still outside. Peter was the only one who didn't visit. He'd seen enough the last time he was there. He couldn't understand how Egon could stand to visit her, even before. Yet the blond scientist went every chance he could, never complaining or saying a word when Peter knew it killed him to see Janine like that. He'd changed so much since he finally came out and admitted he loved her.

Yet Peter felt guilty every time he got around Janine. Like some unspoken guilt by association that Michael, the aristocrat who carried his face, had actually beat her, and God knows what else in her time there. Every time he looked at her, he felt he was responsible of breaking the redheaded receptionist. So when at the end of two months of therapy, Roger called him, asking him to come down to the hospital, he almost refused.
"I'm going to release her into her parents care," Roger had told him. "Rog, you've been with her a little over two months." Peter had answered. "I know, and I'm still recommend therapy three times a week, but she's no longer suicidal, nor is she despondent. I want you to come down here and see for yourself."
Peter sighed. "All right, I'll be there in a while.

The other three had gone on an easy call, with Peter staying behind to help Aggie with the bills. He told Aggie where he was going, then left to the hospital.
When he got there, he found Roger waiting for him at the front desk, grinning .
"I know you don't believe me Pete, but you have to see for yourself."
"Where is she?" Peter asked.
"Outside playing chess with one of the other patients." Roger said, opening a door. Peter stepped outside, staring in amazement when he caught sight of Janine. She was sitting at a covered table with another patient playing chess, like Roger had told him. She was no longer in her robe and gown, there was no bear to be seen, her hair had been trimmed, and was neatly up in a ponytail. She almost looked like her normal self. Roger grinned at him.
"See, I told you. Now the test." he turned his attention to Janine. "Janine, could you come over here please?"
Janine looked over at Roger, startled to find Peter standing there. She excuse herself and walked over to them, smiling at Peter.
"Afternoon, Dr. V." she said approaching them.
Peter looked at her. "Janine, you've changed."
She laughed. "I know. I looked a mess the last time you saw me." She glanced over at Roger. "Are my parents here yet? Are you coming with us?"
Peter frowned. "Where are you going?"
Janine looked back over at him. "Mom and dad are coming to pick me up. I got a pass to leave for a couple of hours and visit Mellie."
"Mellie?' Peter looked confused. Janine frowned over at Roger.
"Didn't you tell him?" She glanced back over at Peter. "I can still go can't I?"
"Janine had stated that she never had a chance to grieve over the loss of her child." Roger explained to Peter. "So her parents and I chipped in to buy a small memorial site. The name on the site is Mellie; short for Melnitz, since noone even knew the sex of the child. Janine's final step is to be able to visit the site."
Peter looked over at the anxious face of his ex-receptionist. "I think that's a great idea. I'm excited you're a part of it."
Janine's face lit up, and she hugged him. "Thank you Dr. V. I have to go finish my game."
She rushed off, back to the table, as Roger led him back inside.
"So, what do you think?" he asked.
Peter shook his head. "I wouldn't have believed it. Send her home."

When Peter returned home, he found Ray and Winston waiting for him.
"Aggie told us where you went," Ray told him. Peter nodded slightly, telling them what Roger had told him.
"She's better?" Ray asked, hopefully. Peter shook his head.
"Not quite. Roger recommended that she still go through therapy three times a week, but at least she'll be out of the hospital."
But she isn't coming back, is she?" Winston asked. Peter shook his head again.
"No, she isn't. We're stuck with Aggie for a while." He smiled at Ray's dirty look, then noticed there was one person missing.
"Where's Spengs?"
"You didn't see him?" Winston asked. "He went to the hospital to visit Janine."
Peter frowned. "She isn't there. She got a pass to leave the hospital with her parents."
Shrugging, he walked into the kitchen. "He'll figure it out. So, what's for dinner? Can we order out?"

Egon was sitting in the privacy of the lab, talking to Mrs. Melnitz. It'd been a week since Janine had gone home, and he hadn't gone to visit her. She'd asked for time to think, and he'd given it to her. But it didn't mean he still didn't keep in touch with her family to see how she was doing. Since her disappearance, he'd unwittingly been drug into the Melnitz family, until now it felt like an extended family. Even his own mother had been accepted into the family, which made it worse, because now he had two sets of mothers to avoid at times.
"The therapy seems to help," Mrs. Melnitz was telling him. "Dr. Whittman is doing wonders for her. She only woke up screaming once this week, and it didn't take that long to calm her down after she woke up."
Egon nodded, doodling calculations as he talked. "Has she been outside the apartment yet?" Roger had told them it was necessary for her to start getting back out into society.
"Doris and I took her shopping yesterday." Mrs. Melnitz told him. "Only for about two hours though. Do you know how hard it is to only shop for two hours?" Egon smiled into the phone. "When are you taking her back out for driving?" he joked.
"Please," she scoffed. "Don't we have enough bad drivers in New York as it is?"
He chuckled, listening to the new voices in the background on the other end of the phone.
"Janine and her father are back, dear. I'll have to let you go. I'll call you tomorrow."
"All right." Egon hung up the phone, looking at the calculations on the paper, frowning. Most were gibberish, but some could be actual working theories. Before he could contemplate any further, the door opened to the lab, and Peter walked in.
"Finished with the daily report?" he asked. Peter knew he talked daily with Janine's mother.
Peter, really," Egon said, standing up. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Yeah. We're going out for pizza. You want to come?"
Egon shook his head. "Not tonight. I have some things I need to finish."
Peter looked at his friend. "Egon, you know that even if she gets better, she probably isn't coming back."
Egon nodded. "I understand that Peter. Just give me a while to accept it."
Peter nodded, leaving Egon to his work.