BTW- The reason Jack hasn't been mentioned yet will be brought to light and Daniel isn't in to the whole "porn" thing. I know there are characters that should be included, so if you have suggestions, please let me know.

Chapter 4

"What do you mean she's in seclusion?"

"Ms. Newman tried to harm herself last night and when the night nurse tried to help her she attacked her." The doctor explained calmly.

Michael shook his head, "I don't believe this."

Lauren removed the hand that had been covering her mouth, "Hurt herself? Is she ok?"

"As I explained to her son a minute ago, she managed to get a hold of something sharp and tried to slit her wrists… Luckily she didn't get any arteries or require stitches, but the intent was still the same. I am afraid, Mrs. Newman, that I cannot recommend releasing her into your care."

Nikki took a deep breath and reached for Victor's hand, "Could we at least transfer her. Wouldn't it be better if she were closer to her family and the people that care about her?"

After talking it over with Michael, Lauren and Daniel, Victor and Nikki had met them at Harthaven to try and take Phyllis home. Michael had been skeptical about their offer, but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. If Phyllis was home then maybe she could recover…

"I don't recommend it. Ms. Newman, Phyllis, is unable to handle any form of change. To take her back to the place where her memories will only torment her would be cruel. She is unable to distinguish who's alive; who's dead… what's real and what's a figment of her imagination."

"Can I see her?" Daniel asked his frustration evident. He had ridden up here with Michael and Lauren since Lily was watching Fen for them, but at the moment he could have used her support.

"I am afraid that might upset her and I can't allow her visitors at the moment… maybe next weekend?" The doctor started to walk away, but Victor stopped him.

"I would like to see Phyllis for myself… I know she might get upset seeing her son, but she and I barely have a relationship of any kind… I don't think my presence would overly upset her." Victor gave the doctor his most intimidating look and as usual it worked it's magic.

"Well, I guess that would be ok then… just a few minutes…" The doctor led Victor away down a dim corridor.

"Barely knows her, huh?" Michael raised an eyebrow in question.

"Shhh, whatever Victor is trying worked. We've been here so often that they know us and know we are close with Phyllis. If something funny is going on and we aren't paranoid then maybe Victor will notice it too."

Michael looked over to where Nikki was standing and leaned closer to his wife and whispered, "Unless he's covering… I'm still not convinced that they aren't in on it."

Victor entered the tiny room with a frown. It looked very similar to a jail cell.

Across the room Phyllis lay strapped to a narrow bed. Her head was turned away from the door and he could see bandages around both wrists and part of her arm.

"Phyllis?"

Slowly her head turned and she looked at him in confusion, "Victor?"

She knows me, he thought, the doctor had said she wouldn't recognize anyone.

"Yes, it's me, Victor. How are you feeling?" He asked as he pulled a chair over to the bed.

Phyllis eyes filled with tears, "I am sorry… I am so sorry… you must hate me."

"Ssshh, it's ok. Of course I don't hate you… why would you think a thing like that?"

"I killed him." Phyllis whispered brokenly.

"Who? Who is it you think you killed?" Victor questioned gently.

"I killed Nick… I killed our baby…" Phyllis started to cry softly.

"No honey, you didn't kill Nick, it was an accident…" Victor tried to explain about the crash, but Phyllis interrupted.

"But, I was driving…" Phyllis closed her eyes for a moment and didn't see the look of shock on Victor's face. He didn't know how to respond to that comment. So he sat watching her for a moment, his mind racing with thoughts.

She was so still and quiet that he thought she had gone to sleep.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she smiled, "I talked to him."

Victor felt a lump growing in his throat, "Nick? You talked to Nick? That's wonderful, what did he say?"

"He told me he would come home… he said he would find me… I have to tell him…" Phyllis began to mumble, her eyes heavy and unfocused."

"What do you have to tell him?" Victor asked stroking the hair off of Phyllis forehead.

Opening her eyes again she, her forehead creased in a frown, "I have to tell him… I don't like…waffles… waffles hurt… Please help me…" Her voice faded into a whisper and Victor's heart constricted. Waffles?

Slowly he stood up and with one last glance he turned and left the solitary room.

"She might seem a little out of it, but we are having to keep her sedated a lot lately." The doctor explained.

Victor murmured something polite and headed back to the waiting area. His mind was troubled and it would take some thinking to sort it out.

Jack looked at his wife in surprise, "What could it hurt to let Noah visit with Phyllis? Nikki and Victor seem to think it would help."

"Absolutely not, Noah has been through enough because of that woman and frankly so have I." Sharon snapped as she pulled her hairbrush through her long blonde hair.

"Look, darling, I understood when you asked me to keep my distance… But, Phyllis loves… loved Noah… She would never do anything to hurt him."

"Oh quit being so naïve, Jack. As long as there is breath in her body that woman will hurt the people around her." Sharon slammed down her hairbrush and with a scowl stomped out of the bedroom.

Jack was really getting tired of her childish antics, sometimes he wished he would've let Brad have her.

Victor sat staring into the night; Zapato was sitting at his feet blissfully unaware of his master's tension and frustration.

"So, you've been sitting out here brooding for an hour now. Are you going to tell me why you haven't said a word about your visit with Phyllis?" Michael lean against the corral fence and waited for a reply.

"You still here? I thought you'd left already." Victor went on staring into the distance.

"We were leaving when Victoria showed up with Summer. Lauren couldn't resist the opportunity to see her. I'll probably have to talk her out of kidnapping her when we leave."

Victor smiled, "It's funny… that sweet little baby looks so much like Nick in the eyes, but the hair and the temper are as fiery as her mother… was."

"Was? So I take it you think we've lost her?" Michael asked as he turned and started to kick the dirt around with his shoe.

"I don't know… She knew me Michael. At first, I thought maybe she was ok, but then to think that she killed Nick and Summer in a car wreck. It just doesn't make sense."

"None of it does. Truthfully, I am tempted to break into that place and rescue her. That's what Nick would do." Michael laughed at the image in his head.

Victor laughed too, "God, I miss that boy. We used to argue… I mean, really argue, but in the end the arguments never seemed to matter. We just kept on going… He was so stubborn sometimes."

"Yeah, he was… just like you… only his own special version of you… He made Phyllis happy. I didn't think he would, but he did."

"If you would've asked me if those two had a chance… I'd have bet against them. But to hear her mention him, to see her light up like that even in her condition… I think I might've lost that one."

"Well, it's getting late. I guess I'd better go make sure Lauren hasn't locked Victoria up in a closet or something." Michael joked.

He didn't hear Victor's only half-serious reply, "It might be better for everyone if she did."