The rest of the night was oddly quiet. I spent it in the nursery trying to contact Leon but the network had been disabled. Tucking Trevor in his crib, I sank down onto my own bed and tried to read and fell asleep. About midnight I heard screaming and rushing around outside in the hallway.

"I WAAAANT MY BABY!!" shouted Betsy. "Get out of the way, Richard."

"Laura, open the door! Please, open the door," pleaded Betsy pounding on the oak door. Her voice was desperate and oddly slurred. "I'm your friend."

"Do not open that door, Laura!" ordered Doctor Samuel. "Betsy, you must come away from there."

Trevor began sobbing quietly. I always wondered that there was something wrong with him and these tensions seemed to amplify his disorder. I tried to comfort him and he clung to me like a baby monkey, wide eyes and trembling.

"I want to see my son. I told you outside, I'm getting out of this jail."

"Betsy, what did you take?" Doctor Samuel had his voice low but I could hear him.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she replied. I heard a noise like someone falling down. A curse word and weird laugh.

"If you don't calm down, I'm calling Cousin Arthur. We're going to put you into Pleasantville Retreat again." Doctor Samuel didn't sound hard or angry, just very sad and worried.

"I just want to see my baby," insisted Betsy.

"No, my dear, your can't--"

"Just let me see him!" she squealed in a demented voice.

"Laura, open the door," directed Doctor Samuel. I turned the lock and he stepped inside holding Betsy by the arm.

Betsy rushed in. Trevor clung to me and she grew angry.



"Of course you're on his side now," she snarled. "Trevor come to your Mama."

"No, Betsy, you're not in any state to hold the baby." Richard was adamant.

"I HATE you all!" she shouted. Then she turned to Richard. "John is coming tonight. I'm leaving with my baby. I emailed him just now."

Doctor Samuel shook his head slowly. "Why do you do this, Betsy? I've tried and tried to help you. I thought if we just got away from Vermont, found you a purpose you'd be all right."

"So I owe you for all this?" She waved her hand around the room and I could see her hand shaking. "I was just trash you picked up and experimented with and tried to redeem. Well, John likes me the way I am!" She whirled around and nearly fell over but Doctor Samuel caught her.

Trevor was crying again. Betsy laughed her strange laugh and then muttered, "I'm so tired."

He took her from the room and gestured to me the lock the door. Trevor fell asleep, exhausted. I stayed up for hours worrying about what I had just heard and seen. What was wrong with Betsy? What was Pleasantville Retreat?