He looked at her blankly, and she realized it was no longer Danny. It was the keeper of the pain. “David?” she asked.

He nodded. “It hurts, Miss Juay. It hurts bad. I don’t want to live anymore.”

She pulled him toward her and cradled him in her arms. “You mustn’t say that, David. You have a lot to live for. A lot of people believe in you, and you’re going to get help.”

“I’m afraid of going to prison.”

“They’re not going to send you to prison. We’re going to fight it, David.”

“I didn’t do nothing bad.”

“I know, David. I believe you.”

“When is Dorothy Turner coming back to see me?”

“I told …” And then she realized it was Danny she had told. “Tomorrow, David. With another psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Wilbur.”

“You’re not going to tell her the secret, are you?”

She shook her head. “No, David. In Dr Wilburs case, I’m sure we won’t have to.”

(7)

March 12 was a bright, cold Sunday morning. Bemie Yavitch stepped out of his car and went into the Franklin County Jail, feeling very strange about it all. It would be the first time, as a prosecutor, that he had ever been present while the defendant was being examined by psychiatrists. He had gone through the report from Southwest and over the police reports again and again, but he had no idea what to expect.

He just couldn’t believe that all these eminent doctors were taking the multiple personality thing seriously. Cornelia Wilbur coming down to examine Milligan didn’t impress him. She believed in it, and she’d be looking for it. It was Dr. George Harding’s face he had to watch. As far as Yavitch was concerned, there was no more highly respected psychiatrist in the state of Ohio. He knew no one would pull anything on Dr. Harding. Many of the leading prosecutors, who had little or no respect for psychiatrists testifying in insanity cases, said the one exception would be George Harding, Jr.

Chapter Three

(1)

Billy Milligan was transferred from the Franklin County Jail to Harding Hospital two days ahead of schedule, on the morning of March 16. Dr. George Harding had assembled and briefed a therapy team for Milligan, but when he arrived unexpectedly, Dr. Harding was away at a psychiatric meeting in Chicago.

Judy Stevenson and Dorothy Turner, who had followed the police car to Harding Hospital, knew what a terrible blow it would be to Danny to be taken back to jail. Dr. Shoemaker, a staff physician, agreed to take personal charge of the patient until Dr. Harding returned, and the sheriff’s deputy signed his prisoner over.

Judy and Dorothy walked with Danny to Wakefield Cottage, a locked psychiatric unit with facilities for fourteen difficult patients requiring constant observation and personal attention. A bed was found and prepared, and Danny was assigned to one of two “special care” rooms whose heavy oak doors had peepholes for around-the-clock observation. A psychiatric aide (called "psych-tech” at Harding Hospital) brought him a lunch tray, and both women stayed with him while he ate.