Kendall was waiting in the airport for his mother and Katie. He wasn't enthusiastic about seeing his mother, but he couldn't wait to see Katie. He was missing her too much and for some reason, he felt he needed his little sister more than ever. He was happy that Etta had agreed to wait with him because he wanted to spend more time with her. BTR's time in New York is almost up and he knew he wouldn't see her for long.
"Kendall…" Etta began as she looked over at him. His green eyes were focused on the floor until they turned to stare into her brown eyes. "There's something I have to tell you about your headaches, but I can't tell you, now."
"Well, why not?" Kendall asked with a curious stare on his face. It seemed as if his talks with Dr. Mulligan and Etta were going nowhere to him. He was starting to question whether something was wrong with him at all.
"I just can't…I'm sorry. I just want you to promise me that…" Etta trailed off before she saw Mrs. Knight walking towards them. "Kendall…I think that's your mom." she said and he turned around. He was smiling at first, but frowned as his eyes searched past his mother. Katie was nowhere to be found.
"Hi, honey…" Mrs. Knight said to him and he looked confused. "Kendall?"
"Where's Katie?" he asked and Mrs. Knight let out a sigh.
"She was sick and I took her to the doctor. He advised her not to travel, so she's staying in Los Angeles. Your father flew there to take care of her…"
"You mean her father." Kendall said in a calm and solemn tone, but Etta could sense he was getting angry. He was just repressing it and Etta feared the worst.
"Kendall…please, don't do this, now." Mrs. Knight begged and he rolled his eyes. Just then, she noticed Etta and stared at her in wonder. Kendall saw the look on his mother's face.
"Mom…this is Etta, Kelly's cousin. Etta, this is my mom." he introduced them, and Etta smiled at her as they shook hands.
"It's nice to meet you, Etta." Mrs. Knight said with a smile on her face.
"The same." Etta said before they left the airport in a cab and went to the hotel. Mrs. Knight was only staying a few floors above Kendall and the boys. She was curious about why Etta had been there, but figured it was another girl interested in Kendall. "I should be going. You guys need time catch up and whatever. I'll see you later, Kendall."
"Wait, what about you telling me about my talks with Dr. Mulligan. Has he found a way to help me with my headaches?" Kendall asked and Etta just bit her lip, nervously. Kendall didn't realize his mother was overhearing his conversation with Etta.
"I…I have to talk to Dr. Mulligan first. Please, be patient with me, Kendall. I don't want to screw anything up. I am just a student, after all." she joked and he laughed.
"Okay…I'll be patient. I'll see you later." Kendall said not noticing his mother pretending to be looking for something when she was eavesdropping on him and Etta.
"Kendall, sweetie." she began and he rolled his eyes. "Why don't you call Katie and check up on her? My phone is dead, anyway."
"Okay…" he said as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed Katie's number. Mrs. Knight went into the hall and caught Etta before she got onto the elevator.
"Etta?" she asked and Etta turned around to see Kendall's mother. "I'm not going to pretend I didn't hear your conversation with my son. What has he been seeing a doctor about?"
"We need to talk about his over coffee." Etta said as they rode the elevator down to the lobby and bought coffee from Starbucks. They sat down and Etta was nervous about what to say. She never had to tell someone that a person they knew had multiple personalities. "Okay…I'll start off by saying I'm a psychology/sociology major at NYU. I was only here to hang out with Kelly, but when I saw the guys…I invited them to this art show. To make a long story short, Kendall and I starting talking about this one piece I was in and it reminded him…of you." she said and Mrs. Knight was confused. "He told me that you and his dad divorced…as did my parents. I'm sorry for knowing so much about you, but…I need to put everything out on the table. My mother had an affair just like you did…" Etta said and Mrs. Knight grew sad.
"I suppose he also told you why me and his…father…" she said knowing she couldn't apply that label to him for Kendall. He was just Katie's father. "…divorced." she finally said and Etta nodded. She could see Mrs. Knights mistake had haunted her.
"Yes, and when I say this…you must remain calm. One day, I was hanging out with Kendall when you called. You two started arguing and when he returned he got a really bad headache. I assume you know about the headaches." Etta said and Mrs. Knight nodded. "Well, I gave him an aspirin and told him I would hang out with him the next day. I was halfway down the hall when I realized I left my purse and when I returned to his room…" Etta said with a pause feeling pressure that the next words out of her mouth had to be perfect. "…he wasn't Kendall. It was his alter personality, Keith. Kendall has dissociative identity disorder." Etta said and a shocked expression developed on the older woman's face.
"What? How? For how long? Do you know?" Mrs. Knight asked and Etta took in a deep breath before exhaling. She knew his mother was going to ask a million questions, now. Question only Dr. Mulligan could answer when he determined Kendall's case.
"I don't know for how long, but from what Kelly has told me…it's gotten worse since he found out the real reason you and your ex-husband divorced. I had contacted a professor that specializes in dissociative identity disorder and he's been talking to Kendall, but there hasn't been much progress. Keith always show up and…he's angry and mean and trying to protect Kendall from something. I don't know what repressed memory is haunting him, but Keith won't let Kendall remember it. And neither will his new alter…Kendra." Etta said before she saw Mrs. Knight crying. "Mrs. Knight?" Etta asked as she reached across the tiny table.
"I did this to my son. Oh god…" she said as she began to cry silent tears. "I ruined my baby. Do you know how to help him?"
"I try to do the best I can being that I'm still a student, but I can give you the number of the professor, Dr. Mulligan. He's been gracious in helping me help Kendall, and he can explain things more than I can, better than I can."
"Will he ever get better?" Mrs. Knight asked before she looked up with a shocked expression on her face. Etta was slow to realize the older woman's change in expression until she turned around as saw Kendall standing behind her.
"I don't know, bitch…" he said and Mrs. Knight looked shocked at what her son had called her. Etta narrowed her eyes at him knowing it was Keith.
"Kendall?!" Mrs. Knight said in shock and he merely rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"He's not Kendall…It's Keith." she said as she turned back to Keith smirking at her.
"Give me back my son…" Mrs. Knight pleaded and he laughed.
"You sound so fucking pathetic. Go fuck yourself, you cheating whore." he said as he walked away and the older woman was so stunned she didn't notice Etta running after him.
