“And why not?”

“You are doctor, no? Let me put it this way. Is impossible because if Billy wakes, he will kill himself.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

He shrugged. “Each time Billy comes on spot, he thinks he is do something bad and he tries to kill himself. Is my responsibility. I say no.”

“What are your responsibilities?”

“To protect all, especially the young ones.”

“I see. And you have never foiled in your duties? The young ones have never been hurt or felt pain, because you’ve protected them from it?”

“Not exactly true. David feels pain.”

“And you let David take the pain?”

“Is his purpose.”

“A big, strong man like you, letting a child bear all that pain and suffering?”

“Dr. Wilbur, I am not one to—”

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Ragen. Now, I don’t think you should set yourself up as an authority. I am a medical doctor, and I have treated cases like this before. I think / should be the one to decide if Billy can come out—certainly not someone who lets a defenseless child bear the pain when he is around to take some of it on his own shoulders.”

Ragen shifted in his seat, looking embarrassed and guilty. He mumbled that she didn’t understand the situation at all, but her voice went on, softly but sharply persuasive.

“All right!” he said. “You are responsible. But all men must first leave room. Billy is afraid of men because of vat his father did to him.”

Gary, Bernie Yavitch and Dr. Harding rose to leave the room, but Judy spoke up.

“Ragen, it’s very important that Dr. Harding be allowed to stay and see Billy. You have to trust me. Dr. Harding is very interested in the medical aspects of this case, and he’s got to be allowed to stay.”

“We’ll go out,” Gary said, pointing to himself and Yavitch. Ragen looked around the room, evaluating the situation. “I permit,” he said, pointing to a chair in the far comer of the large room. “But he must sit back there. And stay.”

George Harding, looking uncomfortable, smiled weakly. He nodded and sat down in the comer.

“And not move!” Ragen said.

“I won’t.”

Gary and Bernie Yavitch went out into the corridor, and Gary said, “I’ve never met the core personality, Billy. I don’t know if he’ll come out. But what’s your reaction to what you’ve seen and heard?”

Yavitch sighed. “I started out very skeptical. Now I don’t know what to think. But I don’t think it’s an act.”

Those who remained in the room watched closely as Milligan’s face paled. His gaze seemed to turn inward. His lips twitched as if he were talking in his sleep.

Suddenly his eyes opened wide.

“Oh my God!” he cried. “I thought I was dead!”

He jerked around in his seat. Seeing people looking at him, he jumped out of the chair onto the floor on all fours and scuttled crablike to the opposite wall, as far from them as he could get, squeezing between the writing arm rests of two chairs, cowering and sobbing.