Part 2

"Yeah, who is it now?"

"Your friendly neighborhood shoulder to cry on and audience if you need to vent." David says. "Or how bout going out for ice cream? Dinner, a movie maybe?"

"It's dinner time already?" Joannie asks as she gets up to open the door.

"Just about. Want to talk about it?"

"You paying?"

He nods.

"Get lost," Joannie says.

"Joannie I meant paying for dinner."

"I know. Now get lost so I can get dressed. I'm not going out in my grubbies."

He goes to wait downstairs.

Meanwhile in the kitchen.

"Hey Susan how was the party?" Elizabeth asks.

"It was a blast." Susan says "How was your evening?"

"It was very fun."

"Well, give me details."

"My date and I had a fight and called it quits but there was this other guy there. He was very cute and smart too but his older brother came to pick him up and take him home. I still had fun though. Your turn."

"I don't know where to begin." Susan says "There was great music and dancing. I met a lot of cute guys."

"And which one took you home?"

"Michael." Susan says dreamily

"Tell me about him."

"He's tall and blonde, smart, funny and he loves sports." Susan says "He  plays on his college football team."

"Cool." Elizabeth says.

"How did everyone else's evening turn out? Did anything exciting happen?" asks Susan

She tells her about Joannie and Mary, and Nancy getting to drive the MG.

"Sounds like they didn't have such a good evening."

"Yeah I know. Maybe we should cheer them up?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Any suggestions?"

"Well not really do you have any?"

"Why don't we have a girls night out." Susan says "Maybe see a movie and then get a pizza or something afterwards."

"Yeah maybe this coming up weekend."

"Okay. We'll have to check with the others though." Susan says

"Ok, you check with Joannie and I'll check with Nancy and Mary."

"OK"

Fifteen minutes later Joannie comes down. "Let's go before one of them grabs you, too."

"Ok." They go to the local pizza place. "So what's going on?"

"Which saga do you want? The Incredible Bickering Newlyweds or Miss Sacramento Angst 1977? Wait--that should be 1978 by now."

"I know all about the incredible bickering newlyweds what's this about Miss Sacramento Angst?"

"Nancy. Look, I know she's going through a rough time, but she's not the only one. She's just the only one who gets any attention."

"Ahh, so beat her up." He says. "No bad idea. Look Joannie from what I've seen she's not the only who gets attention around the house. I know it feels that way sometimes. I remember when I lived at home sometimes I got the feeling like one of my siblings was getting all the attention and everyone else was getting the short end of the stick."

"So all I have to do is move out, right?"

"No, all that will cause is more worry. Have you tried talking to them about this?"

"Right. 'Hey, Dad, Nancy, happy to hear you're going for that two-for-one deal down at the local head shrinker. Think they'll throw in a third for free'?"

"They're not going to the same one anyway. And it would probably help to talk to them rather than worry them to death about what's going on with you. Make Nancy return the favor. She's told me plenty of times that she wouldn't have made it through the past year without you. I'll
deny it if you told her I told you this but she looks up to you."

"Nancy's got enough going on in her life right now, she doesn't need to hear my troubles. And it's not her I'm upset with, not really. I mean, she did come and get me last night. Dad, of course, barely asked how I was; he was too busy chewing Nancy out for taking Abby's car."

"Sometimes hearing about someone else’s troubles gets your mind off of your own. Now Dad, I don't know what to tell you about him. Did he even try to make it up to you?"

"Yeah, today. Don't you know? He always comes around sooner or later. Like Nicholas--no, Nicholas isn't thoughtless in the first place."

"Yeah Dad is very tough to raise."

"Tell me about it. Some times I wonder who are the parents and who are the kids in that house."

"Maybe counseling will change that?"

"Maybe. I hope so. But in the meantime I just don't want to deal with him."

"Believe me I know that feeling."

"Is that why you haven't been around the house much lately?"

"No, I've been busy. If I had known what you were going through I would have been by more often."

"Hey, don't come by just on my account."

"Why not?"

"If you don't want to be there, don't. No need for all of us to suffer."

"Is Dad the reason for Nancy seeking a shrink? Are all of you going to be needing one soon?"

"Who knows Nancy's reasons? She's had a tough year, but sure, Dad's not helping any. And no, I'm not going to any head shrinker. And if Elizabeth or Tommy needs their heads shrunk, they should try cutting off some of that hair first."

"Yeah that would help." He laughs.
 

"Look, you're a guy. What's gotten into Dad that he's acting like this?"

"I don't know maybe he's wearing down."

"What do you mean?"

"He has eight kids, a dog, a newspaper column, and he isn't getting any younger."

"He was always old. And except for the dog, none of its new."

David shrugs.

"So you're saying it won't get any better?"

"No I'm saying we should give counseling a chance to work on him."

"By the time it does we may all be married and out of the house."

"Yeah really so do you want to head home or go to a movie?"

"I'm not ready to be recommitted. Let's do the movie."

"Ok" they go and see the movie.

Afterwards. "Do I have to go home? Can't I stay at your place, just for tonight?" Joannie asks.

"Joannie it won't be that bad. Besides I can't do that tonight."

"You double booked? I've been keeping you from a girl?"

"Well yes."

"Well, then take me home, mister. Never let it be said I interfered with a sibling's love life."

He takes her home. "Call me if you need me."

Currently at home. Sam gets out of the house and starts roaming around. When Nancy finds him her eyes grow wide with fear when he sees the predicament he's in. She dashes out to the road and grabs him before he is struck by a car the driver swerves to avoid hitting her and comes out
of the car swearing.

"Sheesh lady what's your problem?" He gripes. "I nearly hit you?!"

"No you nearly hit this poor innocent animal you jerk!!"

"I'm a jerk!! You're the one who!!..." He gets a good look at her and smiles. "Are you ok?"

She avoids smiling back. "I'm fine." She says and heads back to the house.

He goes after her. "Let me make it up to you."

She goes inside and shuts the door. "Ok Sam he is cute but I've sworn off men for now, remember?"

Meanwhile outside.

~She's beautiful. Slow down Noah you're not looking for another heart
break. The last one almost did you in.~ Noah continues to stare at the door and to try in vain to get his mind off this girl. He finally turns, goes back to his car, and goes home.

Nancy watches him leave from the window. ~I hope he comes back. Shut up Nancy Bradford.
You don't need another heart break. She then fusses over Sam. "Don't you ever do that again young man you scared me." She pets him and gives him a hug.

Five minutes later Noah makes it home. His little sister meets him at the door and pouts.

"Where you have you been? You were supposed to play tea party with me."

He kneels down so he's at eye level with her. "I'm sorry. I'll be on time tomorrow kid I promise."

Their mom comes in. "I saw you out there with that girl."

"Mom it was nothing all right." He tries to avoid the subject.

"Just be careful honey don't go jumping into anything." She worries.

"I won't. Is dinner ready yet?"

"Almost."

He goes upstairs and winds up staring out the window at the Bradford house. ~You idiot you didn't even get her name how are you going to go knock on the door and ask for her now?~

Moments later at the Bradford's during dinner.

"Earth to Nancy, are you there?" Elizabeth asks.

Nancy blinks out of her daydreaming about Noah. "Huh what?"

Elizabeth laughs. "What's his name?"

"I don't know his name and nothing is going to come out of it anyway."

"How did you meet him?"

"Outside before dinner. He almost hit Sam." She sees Nick's eyes go wide. "Don't worry Nicholas Sam is fine."

"Maybe I should go check on him." Nicholas says and starts to leave the table.

"Don't forget to bring him some scraps." Nancy whispers.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Tom says.

Nicholas goes outside and checks on Sam.

Later after the NA meeting. Tom goes upstairs to bed after picking Nancy up from the meeting and she goes to make a snack and turns on the late show. She hears the front door open and close and figures it's Joannie. She considers going to talk to her but doesn't know how she'll be received.

Joannie walks in and starts heading straight upstairs to her room.

Nancy decides to give it one more try the suspense was killing her. "Hey Joannie want to watch a movie?"

"No thanks, I just saw one."

"Yeah well um goodnight." Nancy goes back downstairs.

"Good night, Nance."

Nancy drives herself half crazy trying to figure out what she did wrong with Joannie. She finally gives up and writes the family a note that she's going out for coffee and will be back in a little while.

She leaves the house not knowing that Noah is taking one last peek out of his window. "What is she crazy? It's dangerous for a girl to walk alone this late at night." He puts his street clothes on and runs to catch up with her.

"What do you want?" Nancy asks through her tears.

"Whoa slow down. I just want to make sure you're not attacked or
anything. They're rapists, killers, and weirdos that come out at night."

"Are you one of them?"

"Of course not. When I see a woman walking at night I hang out with
her so one of them doesn't get to her. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, going for coffee are you coming?"

"Sure." They wind up in the coffee shop.

He tells her about his family, about his Dad losing his job and them moving to Sacramento when he found work there about his mom and his three year old sister and she tells him about her family and about her mom dying and her dad remarrying.

"So what had you walking the streets crying in the middle of the night." He asks.

"Family trouble."

They continue to talk and then a few hours later he walks her home and makes sure she gets in ok before heading home himself.

Tom is walking down the stairs when he sees Nancy coming in "Nancy where were you?"

"I went out for coffee. Don't worry I didn't go alone. The new guy from down the street went with me."

"New Guy but you don't know anything about him." Tom says worriedly.

"Dad he's a good guy. He saw me walking alone and came after me to protect me." ~Besides it's better than hanging around here and getting the cold shoulder.~

"I don't know Nancy, I still don't like it. What if he wasn't a nice fellow? At least you can do is tell one of us you were going out." Tom says with a little more anger in his voice.

Nancy goes over to the phone table, picks up the note, and hands it to Tom.

Tom doesn't know what to say. "At least you had the good sense to leave a note."

"Thanks and please don't go into shock." She jokes.

"I am sorry Nancy. I only act like this because I love you. Maybe my going to a psychologist isn't such a bad idea."

"It's ok Dad I love you too, and it won't be bad. Remember I'm going to and if I can do it you can do it." She says and gives him a kiss before going upstairs. She stops to knock on Joannie and Susan's door but changes her mind. ~No she'll just say she doesn't want to talk to you and you'll get upset again. Time to go to sleep.~ She goes to bed and finally falls asleep.

The next morning in the kitchen. Nancy wakes up and finds that Joannie is the only one in there. She approaches with caution. "Morning."

"Morning. There's half a grapefruit cut up in the fridge if you want it, and the coffee's almost ready," Joannie says, not coming out from behind the newspaper.

"I'm not hungry but thanks anyway."

"OK."

"Are you mad that I showed up at the hospital instead of Dad?"

"No."

"Did I forget to return a blouse of yours?"
 

"What is this, 20 questions? Can't I read a newspaper around here in peace?"

"Fine I'll leave you alone." She goes outside.

Joannie shakes her head and continues reading the paper.

Elizabeth had heard the whole thing. She goes after Nancy but she's already long gone and the station wagon is too. She shakes her head and goes to the kitchen. "What's going on with you two it's like the dawning of a new ice age."

"Us two who?" Joannie asks.

"You and Nancy. You could've cut the tension in here with a knife."

"What tension?" Joannie says. "I offered her breakfast, she said no, she asked if I was angry at her and I said no, and then she left. Want some coffee?"

"She asked if you were angry at her because she went to pick you up at the hospital instead of Dad or whether it was she forgot to return a blouse. She didn't come straight out and ask you. She might have been getting to that I don't know." Elizabeth says skating on very thin ice. "All I know is that you two haven't been acting as close as you used to. Whatever it is you two need to make up. You'll either leave this house whenever one of you does finally leave. Either Strangers or Sisters. It's your choice."

"Sheesh. And I thought I was the drama queen. Look, I'm just not interested in getting involved whatever TV movie of the week Dad and Nancy are playing out right now, OK? I'm not angry with anyone. I'm not fighting with anyone. I just want to be left alone. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Now, do you want that cup of coffee or not?"

"I guess." ~She says wondering if she should tell her about the conversation she heard between their Dad and Nancy yesterday morning.

Joannie brings two cups of coffee to the table and picks the paper up again.

Meanwhile Nancy returns the station wagon and retrieves a backpack she had hidden in the backyard and then leaves for the bus station. She then makes a phone call.

"Hello." David answers half asleep.

"David will you tell Abby that I'm sorry but I just can't do it. Goodbye, I love you." She hangs up.

"What the.... Nancy wait don't hang up!! Damn it!!" He calls the Bradford house. "Damn it someone pick up."

Joannie waits for Elizabeth to answer, but Elizabeth seems too concerned with her own thoughts to do so. Joannie sighs, puts down the paper, and answers the phone.

"Joannie please tell me that Nancy just called from home." David says frantically.

"No, she left after breakfast. Why?"

He tells her what Nancy had told him before hanging up. "Are Dad and Abby awake?"

"Don't know. I'll go check," Joannie says. She puts the phone down and goes upstairs to knock on her parents' door. "Dad! Abby! Telephone!"

"Hello?" Tom asks

"Dad, Nancy's in trouble." He tells him what Nancy had told her.

"How fast can you get over here?" Tom asks frantically.

"I'm on my way now." David hangs up the phone quickly dresses and heads  for the house.

After Tom hangs up. He turns to Abby. "We have a big problem here."

"So what else is new? Which one is it today?"

"Nancy." He tells her what David told him. "It's all my fault." Tom says

"I don't think you can take sole credit," Abby consoles him. "Nancy's been having a really rough time of it. So what do we do now? Go searching for her?"

"Yes." Tom says getting his emotions together. "Maybe we can each take a category. Hospitals, Restaurants, Theaters, Hotels etc. What do you think?"

"We've got enough manpower in this house to do that. Why don't you do the hospitals; I'll do the hotels. I wish we had more than one phone line--we could call around, but then if Nancy called, she'd get a busy signal."

"After this is over, remind me to put another line in here." Tom says "You get the girls together and David and Tommy can search somewhere and I'll take Nicholas. Maybe we should leave Elizabeth by the phone, that way when we do find her they can call home and we can touch bases." Tom says in one breath, trying to keep his mind off what could really be happening.

"The right person for the right job. Why not let her watch Nicholas, too? No point in waking him up early."

"Good idea." Tom says. "You ready to go?"

"I think we should both get dressed first," Abby points out.

Tom looks at himself. "I can't believe this."

Abby smiles at him. "You're worried. It's understandable."

"That's an understatement." Tom says while getting some clothes on.

Currently at the bus station.

"Can I help you?" The ticket seller says.

"Where can I go for thirty dollars?" Nancy asks her.

"No where today kid. All our routes are booked and what isn't booked is broken down. You might want to try again tomorrow."

"Great, thanks anyway." ~Now what.~

She leaves the station and checks into a hotel. Later after she's been given a room.

"Hey isn't that one of Tom Bradford's kids?"

"Yes, why would she be checking into a hotel?"

"Who knows with kids these days." They get back to work.

Currently in the hotel room. Nancy starts to second guess her decision. ~I should go back. Joannie isn't my only sibling. I'll just ignore her. Yeah right you can't ignore her. I just wish she'd tell me why she doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore so we can fight about it, yell and then work things out.~ Nancy shakes her head and takes out the sleeping pills she had stolen from Tom and Abby's medicine cabinet when they weren't home a few days ago. They had belonged to her mother. ~I guess Dad never throws anything away.~

She puts them on the nightstand and flops down on the bed. ~Wait what am I thinking what about Noah? If I do this he might wind up with some barracuda instead. No, he barely knows me he wouldn't be that affected.~ She then starts thinking about her family. The good times and the bad times. What kind of example would she be setting for Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas if she did this. How would her older siblings react. Joannie she wasn't sure about anymore. But David, Susan, and Mary. And what about her Dad and Abby.

"This is stupid." She shakes her head. ~And to consider it just because of my sister.~ But she knew it wasn't only because of Joannie it was because of everything. She tosses the pills in the waste basket and picks up the phone. She dials the number to the house but then just hangs up the phone. ~Naah, they'd be better off without me. They'd get over it and move on eventually.~

During the search, Tom calls the house and waits for someone to answer.

Elizabeth answers the phone. "Hello."

"Hi Sweetheart; any news?" Tom asks.

"No." She says worriedly. "Dad I'm really worried."

"Don't worry, we will find her." ~I just hope it isn't too late.~ Tom thinks to himself. "Look I am getting a bite at this diner. If you hear anything give me a ring." Tom gives her the number.

"Will do Dad." They talk a little while longer and then hangup.

Nancy's still going back and forth between what to do next when a family member starts pounding on the door.

"Nancy. Nancy!" Abby calls out. "Come on, I know you're in there!"

Nancy gets out of the bed opens the door and lets her in. "How did you find me?"

"David said you called him. We split the town up, and I was the one searching the hotels."

"So you basically got to see every hotel in Sacramento eh?" Nancy sits back down on the bed.

"No, I'm a little more organized than that. After the first hotel I sat at a pay phone with a phone book and asked the desk clerks if they'd registered a beautiful young lady. After about a dozen, I found you. You're pretty memorable, it seems."

"I was going to call home. In fact I picked up the phone a couple of times, but.."

"Speaking of which, maybe you'd better call home now and let everyone know you're safe; they're all out frantically looking for you. Then we can talk."

Nancy calls home and talks to Elizabeth. Elizabeth in turn tries to get a hold of the others to call off the search.

"I can't go back home Abby." Nancy tells her.

"Sure you can, but maybe you don't want to--why not?"

"It would probably be best for a certain sister if I didn't."

"Elizabeth? She's not that desperate for her own room."

"No Joannie."

"First you go running off without asking permission to get her, now you're running away because of her?"

"She's not the only reason I left. I didn't want you guys to be the one who found me. So I figured it'd be better to leave town or hide out here if I couldn't. But I guess if you're a Bradford there is no place to hide out in Sacramento."

"No place to hide out, period. Don't you know that, Nancy? You had us all so worried--we would have kept looking until we found you. Your father was so frantic he almost went searching for you in his pajamas," she says, trying to make Nancy laugh.

She manages a smile. "His Pajamas?"

Abby nods. "Have you had anything to eat yet today? I don't know about you, but I haven't, and I'm starving."

"No I haven't. And I guess I'm hungry. I haven't really thought about food much today."

"Well, then, let's talk about it over breakfast, OK? Things always look better after coffee."

"Ok." She retrieves the pill bottle from the waste basket. "Can you get rid of these for me. Dad never throws things away."

"Nancy," Abby begins, but decides it will be better over breakfast. "Sure." She pockets the pills, intending to show them to Tom before throwing them away.

"Thanks," they check her out of the hotel and go to eat breakfast.

Elizabeth is trying her best not to stare at the phone. ~It never rings if you just stare at it. Come on Nancy call home you know you want to. I hope you want to.~ She continues to worry about her roommate when the door bell rings. She opens the door. "Can I help you?"

"Yes I'm here for Nancy." Noah says. "She's not expecting me but I thought I'd drop by."

"She's not here right now, but I'll tell her you came by uh um."

"Noah, and thank you." He leaves the house. Elizabeth watches him leave.

~Where did Nancy find him?~

After their food is served Abby asks, "Were you really thinking about using those pills? I thought you were going to try talking to someone. I thought you were getting a little hopeful."

"I was, but then things started building up again and I couldn't handle it. Yes I was going to take them but I couldn't even make up my mind about that."

"For once, indecision was a good thing. What things were building up?"

"Guilt, wondering why Joannie is all of the sudden giving me the cold shoulder. I can't make heads or tails of it. The NA meetings are helping me stay clean but they're also making me feel worse at times. What I really don't understand is how I can be happy one minute and want
to cry the next. I've never had so many mood swings in my life. And the situations with Ray and Cassie. And with Brad didn't help much either. Brad and I practically grew up together I thought he'd always be there you know."

"Whoa. Let's take this one thing at a time. This past year--your mom died, your father got remarried, your boy friend and your best friend betrayed you, a guy you grew up with blew you off when you were counting on him, and now your sister's acting strange. Let's not forget the appendicitis, that whole thing with Alan, the police stakeout, school--why wouldn't you be
having mood swings?"

"My dad marrying you Abby was a good thing, and are you saying these mood swings are normal?"

"I'm no psychologist, so I wouldn't swear to it, but I think I'd be a lot more scared if everything you've been going through didn't have you a little off balance."

Nancy laughs. "I think I would be too."

"Maybe we can get one of those doctors to see you, maybe even today. I'll bet he'd tell you the same thing--that you're not so far off track that you can't make your way back."

"You don't think he or she will try to put me in the hospital or anything like that?"

"No," Abby says. "Maybe. If you tell them about the pills, maybe. I don't know. But I do know you need some help."

"And if I don't tell them about the pills I'll only be hindering my recovery and I don't want to do that. I want counseling to work."

Abby leans over and gives her a hug. "Do you want to call or shall I?"

Nancy returns the hug. "Can you do it?"

"You won't go anywhere or do anything but eat while I'm gone?"

"I'll stay right here I promise."

"OK." Abby goes off to make the phone calls and to call home, looking for Tom.

Elizabeth answer the phone. Talks to Abby for a second and then covers the receiver. "Hey Dad it's Abby!!"

Tom runs downstairs "Abby, is she all right?"

"Barely," Abby says. "I'm going to see if I can get anyone to see her today." She considers saying what Nancy had taken from the medicine cabinet, but decides that's not the sort of thing one says over the phone.

"Where are you at, I'll meet you." Tom says

"It's probably better if you don't. She's going along with everything right now, but I'm afraid to do anything that will spook her."

"If you think that’s best. Just tell her I love her." Tom says.

"She knows that. But I'll remind her."

"Abby, thanks for finding her." Tom says choke up.

"I love you. We'll be home as soon as we're finished with the doctor."

"I love you, too." Tom says and then hangs up.

After Tom takes the phone Elizabeth goes to the kitchen where some of her siblings are gathered. David looks up as she enters.

"Who was on the phone?" He asks.

"Abby."

"Did she sound worried or relieved?" He asks.

"She tried to hide it from me, but she sounded a little bit of both." She sits down.

"Well at least Nancy has been found. Things could've been worse." He says. "I thought she was going to by the sound of her voice..." He lets the thought hang.

"I thought she was too." Elizabeth says.

After talking to Tom Abby finds someone who will see Nancy that day. Later at the psychologists office. Abby is waiting in the waiting area while the psychologist talks to Nancy.

Abby tries reading the out of date magazines, gives up, studies the pictures on the wall, and paces.

The psychologist finally comes out and approaches Abby. "Mrs. Bradford can I talk to you for a minute?" He asks.

"Of course," Abby says, even more worried.

This time Nancy waits in the waiting room while he talks to Abby.

"Whenever a patient makes a suicide attempt or even comes close to it I'm required to have them committed for 48 hour psychiatric evaluation. I already called and talked to the head of a mental institution close to here. If you think she'll flee I can arrange transportation."

"No, I don't think she'd run off--talking to you was her idea. But I don't think she'll want to be hospitalized. I mean, she didn't actually take the pills--she threw them out."

"Which is a very good sign. However, if she considered it what's to stop her from considering it again. There's a chance that next time she won't be in doubt and will go through with it. The evaluation will give us a better idea of her mental stability."

"Have you talked to Nancy about this? What did she say?"

"Yes I have and she was very resistant at first, but she's willing to let them evaluate her if it'll help her. She's pretty fed up with feeling bad most of the time."

"All right, then," Abby agrees. "Can we visit her while she's there? I guess she'll want to tell the family what's going on."

"No one under 18 during the evaluation period. They'll let you know visiting hours while she's being admitted."

"Would it be all right if I took her home first? Most of the family is under 18, and I really would rather Nancy explained things. I don't think I should."

"Sure." He nods.

"Thanks." Abby takes down the information about the hospital. "You said that this was for an evaluation--does that mean they might keep her longer?"

"That's always a possibility."

"I knew things weren't going well for her, but I hadn't thought it was this bad... OK, I'll take her home, pack her a suitcase and get her to the hospital," Abby says. "Is that all?"

"For now. I'll meet you at the hospital when you bring her in."

"All right." Abby goes back out to the waiting room and Nancy. "Hey. How are you doing?" she asks.

"I've been better." Nancy says honestly. "Do we have to go now?"

"The doctor said we could go home first."

"Good I want to see everyone before I go in and hopefully all of them will want to see me."

"They will. I'm sure of it."
A little while later at home. David hugs her as soon as he sees her. "Please don't ever scare me like that again sweetheart."

Elizabeth hugs her also. "Are you ok?"

Nancy shakes her head. "Guys I'm going to be gone for awhile. They want to admit me for 48 hour psychiatric evaluation, and I think that would be best too."

After talking to David and Elizabeth and before talking to her other siblings Nancy goes to make sure Sam has food and water. She runs into Joannie on the way back in.

"Hey, Nancy," Joannie says. "Look, if you want to borrow something nice to take along with you..."

"I guess news around here spreads quickly. I should have got everyone together at once." She says. "Um, is your yellow blouse free."

"Sure. It's in my closet--you want to get it or should I?"

"I'll get it I don't want to be any trouble."

Joannie sighs. "Let's not go there, OK. I'll get the blouse."

"Ok," Nancy says not wanting to have a fight or anything.

Joannie runs upstairs, punches the wall in her room, and comes back down with the blouse.

"Thanks Joannie, don't worry I'll bring it back in one piece."

"Hey, I've watched that loony bin movie with you often enough not to expect that," Joannie jokes. "Don't worry about it."

~Maybe we can be close again.~ She's about to tell Joannie that she misses that but decides against it. ~It's way too soon.~ "It's not really like, that was just Hollywood’s version, right?" She feigns fear.

"Don't forget that Hollywood's version always has cute orderlies, too."

"True, but I'm saving myself for when I get home for the boy down the street."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Joannie pretends to mock. "Look, you take care of yourself in there, OK?"

"I will."

"Good," Joannie says. "Abby's waiting for you, isn't she?"

"Yeah, and I have to talk to Dad, Susan, Mary, Tommy, and Nicholas."

"OK, then. I'll see you in a couple of days."

"See ya, you take care of yourself too." She goes to talk to her other siblings.

She finds all four of them in the living room and tells them that she'll be gone for a couple of days. She doesn't give them all the details since Nicholas and Tommy are there just that she needs a break.

Mary gives her a hug.

Nancy returns the hug.

"Why can't you rest here?" Nicholas asks.

Tommy doesn't say anything at the moment.

"Because there are some people who want to check me out and make sure everything's running right and they can't do that here. Will you feed Sam and take him for walks?"

Nicholas nods.

Tommy finally speaks "It's my fault isn't it."

"What?" Nancy looks at him stunned. "No, it is not your fault."

"I know apologoze before, but I am sorry I said those things to you." Tommy says.

"Tommy, if you had been the cause of this because of you fighting with Nancy, we would have all been in the hospital long time ago." Mary says.

"Yeah really." Nancy says as she hugs him. "And I forgave you a long time ago anyway. I'm sure there have been times when I've done the same to you and I'm sorry for that, but you are not to blame for this kiddo. If anyone's to blame it's the Rick's, Alan's, Ray's, and Brad's of the world and fate for being cruel."

"They better not cross my path anytime soon." Tommy says.

Nancy hugs him again. "I appreciate but let it go they're not worth the trouble."

Tommy shakes his head in agreement.

Susan also nods her head in agreement before giving her sister a hug

Nancy returns the hug.

Abby goes to talk to Tom, hoping that he won't think she's usurped his parental role.

Tom gets off the bed after Abby walks in the room "Well, what happened?"

"The doctor says we have to commit her. Just for 48 hours, but maybe for more," Abby says.

"What?" Tom asks. "That can't be possible."

Abby reaches into her purse and pulls out Joan's pills. "Yes, it is. You should have thrown these out. Just be glad Nancy threw them out instead of taking them."

"Oh My..." Tom says not finishing his thoughts. "Have I had my head in the sand?"

"Maybe," Abby says, being very honest. "I told you I was afraid of this."

"And as usual, I am the bad guy in this." Tom replies.

"Oh, here we go again. Now I see where Nancy gets it from."

"I don't want to fight about this." Tom says "Is the doctor any good?"

"I think so. Max said he is. Look, one way or the other, Nancy was considering killing herself. She needs help that we can't give her."

Tom nods "Abby, I know its the right thing to do, but it doesn't make it any easier."

Abby gives Tom a hug.

Tom returns the hug and kisses her. "Thanks, I don't think I could go through this alone."

Later, before it's time for Nancy to go to the hospital.

"I'm sorry if I scared you guys today." Nancy says when everyone is gathered.

Mary gives her another hug.

Nicholas hands her Sam to say goodbye to.

Nancy takes Sam and kisses him on the forehead. "You be good little guy." She then hands him back to Nicholas.

Elizabeth hugs her. "I love you."

Nancy hugs her back. "I love you too."

David comes over. "Hey you take care of yourself while you're in there and concentrate on your own well being. Don't worry about anything else all right."

"I'll try." She says as they hug.

"Nancy, you ready?" Tom asks as he picks up her suitcase.

She sighs and takes a deep breath. ~Wait a minute what am I doing? I don't need to go.~ She ponders for a minute. ~Oh yes I do.~ She remembers why she has to go in the first place. "Yeah I'm ready."

Tom and Abby take Nancy to the hospital and she's admitted for 48 hour psychiatric evaluation. After she's settled in the psychologist approaches Tom and Abby.

"The nurse will let you know when you can come and see her tomorrow. Right now I think it's best if we started the evaluation."

"Can't we talk to her first?" Tom asks.

"Of course you can." She takes them to Nancy's room.

Tom hugs her. "Honey if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks Dad but I don't think they'll let me call anyone for the next couple of days."

"If you need us," Abby insists, "have one of the nurses or the doctors call us. They won't say no." ~I hope.~

The nurse nods that it'll be ok.

"Ok, look I know I already apologized but I'm sorry for all of this."
Nancy says.

"Honey, don't even worry about it. You're ok right now that's all that matters that and you getting better." Tom says.

"You just take care of yourself," Abby says and gives Nancy a hug.

Nancy returns the hug and her parents soon leave.

On the drive home. Tom stops at the city dump and tosses the pills into one of the dumpsters. He then gets back in the car and starts driving. "They should be crushed along with the other garbage by tomorrow."

"Too bad you didn't do that last week. Or last month."

"Yeah really. I have one daughter not speaking to me. Another one in the mental hospital. I'd say I'm batting zero."

"No, you'd have to tick a few more of them off to get down to zero. But you're certainly out of the running for that MVP award."

"I knew she was going through a rough time. I shouldn't have yelled at her. Maybe if I would've been more understanding..."

"Second guessing yourself now won't help anyone."

"I know, but I can't help it."

"Maybe the time to second guess yourself is before the damage is done."

"You're right." He pulls into the driveway.

Part 4