After finding a lawyer to take Katelyn's case, Madeline rushes to the hospital. She knows Stan won't be happy to see her, but she wants to make sure Katie is alright, before heading to the jail. It'll be quicker if I go through here. She nervously walks through the ambulance bay.

"You can't go through there, lady." A paramedic says, popping his head out of the vehicle.

Madeline jumps from the sudden noise. Try and stop me, she thinks, stepping through the doors. She sees Stan standing in front of a small room in the corner when she scans the halls. Taking a deep breath for courage, she hesitantly walks towards him. Let the fighting begin, she sighs, as she draws nearer.

"You have some nerve showing up here, Madeline," Stan says in a tiff.

"She's my daughter too, Stan," she argues bravely. She sees him ball up his fists. Hit me in public, Stan, do it, I dare you. She glares into his eyes.

Noticing a large group walking around, he reluctantly drops his hands to his side. "You sure didn't act like a loving mother at my house, letting Katelyn beat Katie to a pulp."

"I didn't let her do anything."

"You sure as hell didn't try to stop her, now did you?"

He's right, I didn't do anything, she downheartedly concludes. She's been replaying that horrid scene over and over in her mind, trying to figure out why she did what she did. The only thing she can come up with is that she let her own fears get the best of her. "I...I was scared, Stan I..."

"So you let Katelyn pound on our baby to save your own ass? Some mother you turned out to be. Mom was right about you, you are a poor excuse for a wife and a mother." Stan's mom hated her from the moment they first met, she let Madeline know as much every chance she got.

"Well, no thanks to you, Katie is going to be alright."

"Oh, thank god," she says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I still expect you and Katelyn out of my house when I take Katie home in the morning."

"Surely, you don't mean that Stan," she cries, glancing up at his reddened face. 

"Damn right I do, I want you both gone by morning."

"Daddy?" a frightened voice murmurs from the room.

"I'll be right there, Princess."

"Hi Katie, honey, I'm so glad you're alright," Madeline says, trying to move around Stan.

"I never want to see you again, mom, ever," Katie tearfully screams.

"Please don't do this to me, Honey," Madeline begs.

"You did this to yourself, Mom, when you chose her over me."

"I didn't choose her over you, I..."

"You heard her, Madeline she doesn't want to see you."

"Please, Honey, let me explain."

"You let Katelyn beat me up, Mom, you let her beat me up," she bawls.

"I think it's best if you leave now, Madeline."

"I want to see my baby," she yells, pushing Stan out of the way. His rounded body stumbles sideways, knocking a tray over as he tries to regain his footing. He tumbles to the shiny white tiled floor, the reciprocal contents clank beside him.

"Is there a problem here?" a security guard questions, stepping up beside them.

"Yes, my daughter doesn't want to see her and she's refusing to leave," Stan says, trying to get off of the floor.

"Is that true, Miss?" he asks, peeking in the doorway.

"I never want to see her again," Katie tearfully blurts out.

The officer turns towards Madeline. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Ma'am."

"I want to see my daughter; I want to see my daughter," Madeline cries.

***

Joe, the Berryville Police Captain is walking back and forth in a cold, cement interrogation room, strategically planning his next question. A fluorescent light flickers dimly above him, adding to this unnerving setting. In all of his years on the force, he's found this strategy quickly breaks a suspect. Rachel, the sergeant, and Joe's wife is standing off to the side.

Katelyn watches as a brawny officer paces briskly in front of her. Tears are running down her blood-streaked face as she tries to explain.

"All I wanted was for her to leave me alone, but she wouldn't go away, she wouldn't go away," Katelyn bawls.

"So you threatened her with a ball bat and when that didn't work, you lost your temper and started hitting her with it," Joe says, leaning across the table.

"I didn't use a bat, I used my fists, see." She shows Joe her bloody knuckles.

"Then why did we find a bat in the hallway with her blood and your fingerprints on it?"

"I don't know."

"Why does your dad claim you were hitting Katie with a bat?"

"Dad is lying; he always lies about me, always. To my doctors, my teachers, and everyone else he talks to."

"Why do you think he does that, Katelyn?" Rachel questions. Sitting down beside her, she places her hands on top of Katelyn's shaky ones.

"He hates me. He's hated me from the moment I was born," she bawls. Stan frequently tells her what a huge disappointment she is.

"Does your mom hate you too?" Joe asks.

"No."

"Then why did she say she saw you with a bat?"

"Mom wouldn't do that to me."

"I have her statement right here." holding up a piece of paper he continues, "It says here that you were hitting Katie with a bat when she ran upstairs and that you threatened to hit her with it if she came any closer."

"No, I'd never say that to mom, ever."

"Read it for yourself." He lays the paper down beside her. "I think you started hitting Katie with your fists, she said something that really pissed you off and you grabbed a bat out of the closet and started hitting her with it."

"No, that's not what happened, it's not, it's not." Katelyn bawls.

"Then explain to me how the bat ended up a few feet from where Katie was lying.

"I don't know how it got there, honest," she cries.

"Don't say another word, Katelyn." A well-dressed gentleman says, stepping through the door.

Joe sees his long-time rival when he turns around. It was his enemy's mergers that put a lot of honest, hard-working town-folk out of work. "I'm surprised to see you here, Jack. Are the hostile takeovers a little slow this month?"

"I'm helping out a friend, pro bono, of course."

"How nice of you," Joe says, every syllable dripping with sarcasm.

"Unlike some, I still have a heart. Now if you'll excuse us, my client and I have a lot to discuss." He starts to face his client when a nettling comment comes to mind. "Why don't you be a good little boy and fetch me your DA. Oh, and bring a cup of coffee for my client and lots of sugar."

Joe sees his Detective in the hallway when he storms out of the room.

"Do you need something, Jerry?" he barks.

"I wanted to let you know that Katie Howard has a few minor cuts to her face, and a broken arm, but other than that she's fine."

"That's good."

"They still want to keep her overnight for observation."

"I imagine so."

"Katelyn was screaming about her condition when we arrested her, so I did a little digging and found out she was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was eight."

"This is turning out to be a lot like my cousin Emma's case," Rachel says. It was the first case she helped Joe and Jerry solve. Her cousin Emma went off her meds and started killing men who'd harmed her when she was little.

"Do you think that's what happened to Katelyn, Rachel, lack of medicine made her lose control?"

"That's what happened to Emma. She said she knew killing all those men was wrong, yet something inside her clicked when she saw them. She said it was an impulse, she just couldn't control." Watching their suspect from the mirror, Rachel continues, "But Katelyn acts differently than what Emma did."

"How's that?"

"Emma walked and talked really fast, barely taking a breath between sentences. She was always moving even when she was sitting and she had these strange, wild looking eyes. When you looked closer it was like no one was there, like she was in a trance, a hypnotic state or something. I didn't see any of that with Katelyn."

"You're right, she doesn't act that way at all. To me, she seems more like a defiant bully whose only remorse is not finishing the job."

Rachel sees Katelyn sobbing at the table. "I don't think she was trying to kill her, Joe. I really don't. I think she was just trying to shut her up like she said. Seeing an inquisitive look on Joe's face, she continues. "I know how annoying little sisters can be. How they seem to pester you at the worst possible times, won't leave you alone no matter what you say or do. It's very easy to lose your temper if you're not careful." Her mind flashes back to all of the time she threatened to pound her two sisters.

"So you think that's what happened, she got mad, and took it too far?"

"I'm not sure what to believe, Joe."

"I've gotten a fair share of whelps from my brothers." Jerry pipes in. He's the youngest of six.

"You and me both," Joe chuckles, feeling his jaw. It never healed right after getting clocked by his brother.

Hearing shuffling behind them, they turn to see who it is.

"Have you questioned our suspect yet, Captain?" the DA asks, stepping up beside them.

"I was trying to, Allen, but the hot-shot mouthpiece shows up and ruins my plan," Joe says.

Allen sees Jack Campbell sitting by their suspect when he glances in the room.

"Did she tell you anything?"

"She denies using a bat on her sister, said she only hit her with her fists."

"I have sworn affidavits from her father and sister that state differently."

"You have one from her mother, right Joe?" Rachel questions.

"A forged statement, no one's been able to locate her since Katelyn's arrest."

"She isn't at the hospital?"

"No, evidently Katie refused to see her. Madeline made such a commotion that she was escorted off the premises."

"Poor lady, she probably doesn't know which way to turn."

Hearing the interrogation door open, they glance towards it.

"My client is ready to give her statement now. You might want to hear this, Allen; it'll explain my rationale for this defense." Smiling, he walks back to his client. Seeing everyone piled in the room, he turns towards Katelyn. "Tell them what you told me."

Katelyn timidly glances up from the table. "I've been off my medication for over a month so I have no control over my thoughts, my actions."

"What medicine is that Katelyn?" Jack prompts.

"Antipsychotics, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in second grade."

"I have a signed statement from her doctor." Reaching in his briefcase, he pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Allen. "As you can see she's refused all treatments for nearly two months. This has caused a decline in her mental status which led up to Katie's attack." He hands him another piece of paper. "Judge Carlson wants to see us in her chambers first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I'm having her involuntary committed to a state hospital."

"Commit me, no, don't send me back there; please don't send me there," Katelyn tearfully begs, grabbing a hold of Allen's hands.

"Your mom and I agree that it's in your best interest."

"No, I won't go back, I won't, I won't," she screams, jumping up from her seat. Her chair clatters to the floor.

"I'm not going back there, I'm not, I'm not." She pushes the table over.

"You need to calm down, Katelyn," Jack warns.

"I'll calm down when you say you're not going to send me away."

"Boss, these men are here to pick up Katelyn," Jerry says, stepping into the room.

Katelyn runs towards the door. "Get out of here, get out, get out, get out," she yells, pounding on the EMT's chest.

Running over, Joe grabs a hold of her and drags her away.

"Let me go, let me go," she screams, squirming around, trying to break free of his hold.

Joe looks up to see two men running towards him.

"Hold her still, Sir," one man instructs, uncapping a needle.

"Be sure to get her and not me," Joe says, nervously eyeing the long, sharp object.

"I haven't got the wrong one yet." Smiling, the paramedic plunges it into Katelyn's leg.