Thanks for the reviews!
Chapter Three
"Excuse me, Miss?"
Lauren turned toward the nurse, "Yes?"
"You're friends with Ms. Newman. You must care about her a lot to drive 3 hours just come see her once a week." The timid nurse asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I care about Phyllis a lot."
"Well, mind you, I'm not saying anything about her treatment, but there's something funny about her medication…" The nurse looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone.
Lauren was instantly concerned. Everything from the day Phyllis had tried to commit suicide to the four days it took to find her at this out of the way facility was odd. Why they didn't just move her to a local psychiatric facility no one could figure out.
"Her medications? Is she not taking them?"
"No… that's not it, I'm not saying there's anything wrong, I just wonder about them that's all. You being a concerned friend, well you might want to find out just what she's taking… and why." The nurse looked Lauren straight in the eye to emphasize that last point and then quickly turned and walked away.
Lauren stood frozen for a moment. Could someone be purposely making Phyllis crazy and disoriented? Would the Newman's sink that low just to keep Summer? But, then Michael had also brought up an interesting point the other night. If Phyllis chose to fight for her rights as Nick's widow she or more to the point Summer's guardian would control Nick's piece of the Newman pie.
Pulling out her cell phone she quickly dialed her husband's number and started walking to her car.
"Hey honey, how's Fen? Yeah, I'm just leaving, she seemed even less lucid this visit than she was last time. I'm really worried… Just out of curiosity, who would have the authority to have her moved? Could Daniel get her moved to a different place, maybe even get her a different Doctor? Just think about it and I'll call you back when I'm on the road."
"I want to speak to Victor and I want to speak with him now!" Michael pushed past the housekeeper and into the house.
"He's not here." Nikki said standing in the living room doorway.
"Where is she?" Michael demanded angrily.
"She? Who? Victoria?" Nikki turned and walked back into the room.
"Don't play stupid with me, Nikki. What game are you playing with Phyllis?"
"Phyllis? Isn't she still in the hospital? Such a sad…" Nikki walked over to a decanter and was pouring herself a glass of bourbon as if drinking in the middle of the day was normal.
"Cut the crap!" Michael interrupted rudely, "You and Victor should be ashamed…Nick would never approve of how you are treating his wife… his widow, no less. First to take Summer from her, then this commitment crap… this needs to stop."
"What, it's my fault she tried to kill herself? People call me selfish, but say what you want, but I would never put my children through the shame of it."
"You mean the shame of committing suicide as opposed to drowning yourself in a bottle of booze?" Michael sneered and then knocked the half-empty glass out of Nikki's hand.
"I suggest you sober up because I am not through here… when I come back, and I will be back soon you and Victor better have answers for me."
Nikki broke down in tears the minute she heard the front door slam. Was she really hiding behind the bottle? Victor had accused her of that last night before he's walked out of their bed room to sleep in a guest room. Making the decision to take a shower and pull herself together, Nikki decided that tomorrow she would go see Phyllis for herself, maybe this was all just an act to avoid jail…
"Victor?" Nikki knocked softly on the study door.
"Yes, oh, you're looking much better today." Victor stood up and walked over to his wife placing a kiss on her cheek.
Taking his hand in hers, she smiled a teary smile, "I don't want to hide from it anymore… Nick is dead… and I can't get through this without you. I am so, so sorry."
"Ah, sweetheart, we're all hurting right now. There's nothing to be sorry for." Victor wrapped his arms around Nikki and held her tight.
Pulling away Nikki looked her husband straight in the eye, "Victor, I have to ask you something… please don't be angry with me… I just need to ask…"
"What is it? You know you can ask me anything." Victor walked Nikki over to the couch and they sat down facing each other.
"I was so angry… and I said some mean things… horrible things… I treated Phyllis so horribly." Nikki stood up and paced the floor.
"The thing is I went to see her today… at that place…" Nikki shivered in remembered horror, "I may not have liked the woman all that much, but to see her like that…"
"Honey, you are not responsible for Phyllis…" Victor began patiently.
"No, I may not be… but are you? When they came to us and told us that we needed to help take Summer away from her, we didn't hesitate to do it… we didn't even bother to try and talk to her."
"But, they were right… look at what happened, not even a full day later…Phyllis was a loose cannon and we couldn't risk our granddaughter's… Nick's daughter… her life and welfare were our main concern."
"Maybe taking Summer away was what pushed her over the edge… it had to be… But, what I want to know is… Did you have her committed? Are you keeping her at that place? I thought maybe she was faking, but that place... "
"That place? Is it so bad? Phyllis' doctor was highly recommended." Victor replied standing up to face Nikki.
"She thinks Nick is alive… Oh, Victor, when I spoke with her I could almost believe he was alive too… When Michael was here yesterday, he told me that Nick would be ashamed out how we've treated her since he died and he's right. I am ashamed. She may have had her faults, but she loved our son."
"I promise you that I had nothing to do with Phyllis being committed. I was assured it was in her best interest and I gave my opinion, that's all. But, if you want to make other arrangements I'll do whatever I can. What do you want to do, Nikki?"
"All the way home I thought about it. The nurse says that she's not violent and that she hasn't made any further attempts to harm herself… I want to bring her home, here… hire whoever we have to… let Daniel and Summer visit her…"
"Hi, mom… dad. What's going on? You guys look so serious." Victoria asked as she pushed the stroller into the room.
Nikki jumped up to take Summer out of the stroller, "Hey sweet girl."
"Your mom and I were just discussing Phyllis." Victor smiled and kissed his daughter on the cheek.
"Oh, how's she doing?"
"Well, your father and I were discussing bringing her home… of course, we'd hire a nurse… but, maybe seeing Daniel and Summer, and maybe Noah… maybe it would help. What do you think little one, do you miss your momma?" Nikki cooed at her granddaughter.
"Of course she doesn't… Summer doesn't even remember her." Victoria snapped snatching the baby from her mother's arms.
"That's a silly thing to say… she's only been away from her mother for a few weeks…" Nikki began with a concerned look on her face.
"I am her mother now… we all agreed… Nick will always be her father, but she will call me her mother. I will not let that crazy woman hurt this innocent child."
"Sweetheart, what's wrong with you? Your custody is only temporary… until Phyllis gets well…" Victor stepped forward to confront his emotional daughter.
"And if she doesn't then what? You bring her home, she hurts Summer or someone else… hell, she manages to kill herself, then what?"
"The people at Harthaven say she isn't a danger…" Nikki began, trying to reason with Victoria.
"I think it's a bad idea. Summer would have been better off if her mother had done something right and killed herself." Victoria was busy strapping Summer back in the stroller and didn't see her parents stricken expressions as they looked at each other.
"Ms. Walpole, you and that doctor are being paid good money… if you can't handle it."
Ms. Walpole gulped at the sinister voice on the other end of the phone. "I don't know how I'll do it… but she'll stay here… you have my word on that. But, it's not me you should worry about, that day nurse is too nosey if you ask me."
"I didn't, but thanks for the warning… I'll handle the day nurse, you handle Ms. Newman… because if you can't there are a lot of other people that will…" The phone went dead. Staring at the sleeping woman on the bed, the nurse formed a plan.