Xyla

Bill goes back into the living room and Brooke immediately says, "I've never seen her like that. Not even after her heart attacks. She needs help." Bill says, "Which she's getting. She spent the entire morning with therapists, and I'm here for her for whatever else she needs. Brooke, you can't imagine how badly I feel about this. If I'd been home, none of this would have happened, but I wasn't, and now Katie…" And Bill actually breaks down and Brooke's initial suspicions start to fade. She says, "I have to admit, when I got here, I thought maybe you'd done something…and then when she said she'd been hurt…but I guess I was wrong." Bills says, "Yes, you were. But I don't need your apologies. I need your help." Brooke responds, "For Katie, anything." Bill replies, "You've seen how she is. She's not strong enough to handle any questions now. Her psychiatrist thinks she will be, eventually, but for right now, she needs quiet and a little time to heal, emotionally, mentally, and physically. You can't say anything to anyone about what's happened to her until she's ready to tell people herself. No one. That includes Ridge." Brooke says, "But I can help her. I know what she's going through. I know." Bill replies, "I know you do, and I appreciate your concern. But you saw what happened when you just tried to touch her arm. She needs professional help right now. So far, the doctors think it's alright to treat her on an outpatient basis, but if anything happens to upset her further, if she's asked to do or say too much too soon, before she can handle it, then she may need…residential treatment." Bill breaks down slightly again as he makes that admission, and Brooke says, "You mean commitment?" Bill nods and says, "Not permanently, of course, just until she's better able to deal with what's happened, but I can't stand the idea of her being… being put away…even for a day. That's why I need you to keep quiet about this and not drop by again without letting me know, so I can be here with her when she sees you. Or anyone." Brooke considers his request and says, "She does seem calmer when she's with you." Bill says, "Yes. And according to her psychiatrist that's acceptable for now. Perhaps even necessary. But it's difficult, what with my work and needing to be in the office at least some of the time…" Brooke says, "But if she's just resting, maybe I could stay with her while you run in and handle whatever it is you need to do."


But before Bill can respond to that, Katie comes flying around the corner, crying, "Bill! No! Don't leave! If you have to leave, take me with you! I'll be good! I promise! Just…please…don't leave…" And then she starts to crumble dramatically to the floor again, and Bill catches her. He says, "Katie, I don't think you're in any shape to leave the house anymore today. It's okay. I can wait to go into the office until you're up to me leaving. You're what's most important." Katie replies tearfully, "No, I don't want to be a burden. I don't want you to start hating me because I'm so weak." Bill says, "You're not weak, Katie. You're strong. And you'll get stronger. And I could never hate you. Not ever." Katie whimpers, "Because you love me?" Bill replies, "How can you even ask that?" Katie, not about to let him off the hook, says, "Please say it. Say you love me." Bill says, "I love you." Katie starts weeping again and says, "Then I can do anything. I can do anything if you love me. I'll…I'll pull myself together. I promise. I can go into work with you and no one will know anything is even wrong." Bill says, "Katie, I don't think that's a good idea." Brooke even agrees with him, saying, "Katie, Bill's right. Wait until tomorrow and then see how you feel." Katie, however, now pulls herself out of Bill's arms and to her feet and says, bravely, "No. Dr. Sanders said I have to try a little more every day. And today I want to try going into the office. It will be just a short trip, right, Bill? If it's not long, I think I can do it. And.. and I want to try. I need to try. Please?" Bill says, "Alright. But then you need to get ready. Can you make it back to the bedroom on your own this time?" Katie says, "Yes, I think I can" and she exits bravely to the bedroom.


Brooke says, "Bill, do you really think this is such a good idea?' Bill says, "Maybe not, but if I tell her she can't come, it may do just as much harm. I'll make it fast, under thirty minutes if I can manage it, and I'll keep her with me the whole time. The office shouldn't be very busy this time of the day, and if she starts to have problems, I can get her out of there quickly. On the other hand, if she can manage the trip, think about how much it will build her confidence, confidence she needs before we can go public." Brooke says, "What do you mean, go public? Do you know who attacked her?" Bill tells her, "I can't tell you that. Legally, it would be problematic if I did. And it would be better if Katie's privacy and her emotional health are protected until she's ready to tell everyone herself exactly what happened."


And then the light dawns for Brooke again, and she says, "Wait a minute…it's Dr. Jon, isn't it? His arrest has been everywhere, but the victim hasn't been identified. Is it Katie he attacked? " Bill says, "Brooke, I told you, I can't tell you that." Brooke says, "But you would have denied it if it weren't true, so it must be him. I can't believe it. He saved Liam's life and then he attacks Katie? How is that possible?" Bill says, "Well, appearances can be deceiving, and people can hide secrets that are hard even to begin to understand." Brooke says, "I don't care about appearances or secrets. I care about my sister. And he's going to pay for doing this to her." Bill replies, "Brooke, don't do anything rash. We have to proceed carefully and legally here, for Katie's sake. If you go after him, she could get dragged into the middle of it, even if we try to protect her, and if she is, and she breaks down further….I just don't want to think about what could happen if I can't take care of her at home anymore. So, please, just promise me, you won't say or do anything. For Katie. When she's ready to go public, then I'll be happy to have you stand by her side, and I'm sure she'll be glad to have you there too. But until then, this has to be between the two of us, because I don't know what it will do to your sister if it's not." Bill manages this speech so dramatically and beautifully that even Brooke is impressed. So impressed that she agrees. She also agrees to go, so that Bill can help Katie prepare for their trip to the office. He walks her to the door and before she leaves, she even thanks him for taking care of her sister and he tells her not to thank him, that it's his privilege. And then she leaves.


As soon as she's gone, Bill calls out, "You can come out now. She's gone." Katie practically prances into the living room and says smugly, "Impressive, huh? If I can fool Brooke that easily, imagine how well my act went over at Contemplations and how well it's going to go over when we do go public. My first press conference is going to be an Oscar worthy performance." Bill virtually snarls, "It was impressively stupid is what it was. I told you--the more people who know, the harder it is to control the story. Your big-mouthed big sister agreed to keep quiet, but we both know how likely that is. Now I have to rethink exactly how we're going to handle this, all because you decided to audition for Camille! " Katie protests, "Brooke won't talk. I heard what you told her about having to commit me if anything came out about what happened before I was ready to tell my story myself. That scared her." Bill threatens, "It should have scared you. Because it could just as easily be a fact as a story." Katie replies surprisingly calmly, "No, you won't do that, because if you do, I won't be available to cry prettily for the cameras. Before, you said I need you. Well, guess what? You need me too. You won't be able to sell your story anywhere near as well if I'm not around to play the timid yet brave victim for the press and the jury. You want Dr. Jon gone? You need me as much as I need you. And now, I'm ready to go to the office."


A furious Bill says, "You're not going anywhere." Katie says coolly, "Oh, yes I am. You know as well as I do that Brooke could be waiting around the corner to make sure we leave together. Or she could show up at Spencer Publications just to make sure you really are taking care of me. She's very devoted, my sister." Bill snaps, "She's very nosy, your sister." Katie laughs and says, "It doesn't matter. Either way, we're both going. So lets go."


With that, Katie heads toward the door and Bill follows her, looking as if he'd rather push her in front of a car than help her into one, but just as Katie reaches the door and starts to open it, she falls right back into her poor little victim act and Bill has to slip back into the role of her protective husband, just in case Brooke, or anyone else, should see them.