While Nikola had been making the run up to Jacksonville, Selena and Agent Dwyer were busy removing Gareth from the private hospital. This was not as easy as they had hoped. Dr Charles Bryson, Selena's second husband and chief psychiatrist at the hospital was convinced that Ruby need to stay under medical supervision and that she had somehow developed a severe case of 'Dissociated identity disorder'. Initially he wouldn't even let them have access to the girl "She needs a calm environment and your house with the Russian mafia coming and going is not an appropriate place for her at the moment" That raised an eyebrow for Agent Dwyer, who had not informed the doctor that she was FBI. The Doctor thought she was just a friend of Selena's he had not met.
"Surely the best place for Ruby is back home in her own bed with her mother" pleaded Selena
"Selena I know you well enough to say that you are not a typical 'Loving mother'. However there is a case that can be made for being back in her own room with her own possessions"
"Then you will release her?"
"I would not recommend it. Give me a few days to get her symptoms under control and let the medications take effect. I visited her when I first arrived this morning. She is still totally convinced that she is a teenage boy called Gareth, turned into a girl by a witch"
"She would be much better off at home surely. A hospital is no place for a teenage girl"
"I will only release her when her delusions subside. Only when she thinks she is herself once more and then only if you hire a trained nurse to supervise her for a period"
"Well can I at least visit my daughter. I want to see how she is"
"Only you Selena. The wards are in lockdown for the moment. There was an incident last night. Evidently some people were trying to get in last night claiming their son was in here. They threatened to break in and retrieve him. Your friend can stay in the waiting room"
Selena was able to visit Gareth. The girl recognised her as the woman who had bought her to the hospital. She shied away when Selena approached. However she was restrained on the bed. Selena turned to Charles and asked "Could I have several minutes alone with my daughter"
Charles replied. "I will wait outside"
Once the door was closed. Selena approached the girl again and spoke quietly "It's okay Gareth, I now know who you are. I am here to get you out of the hospital. However to do so you have to pretend to be Ruby. I'm Ruby's Mom by the way. I apologise about yesterday. I thought you were Ruby, but now I know better"
"She changed me into a girl. All I did was kiss her"
"It wasn't Ruby who changed you. It's quite complicated actually. I can't explain now. But you just have to trust me. When the doctor comes in you have to pretend to be Ruby. He won't release you until he no longer thinks you are delusional. And you need to know he is my ex-husband and a stepfather of Ruby's so call him Daddy C. Talk to him about school. Do you share any classes with Ruby? If so talk about them and Ruby's friends. Do you think you can do that?"
"I pretend I'm Ruby and call the doctor 'Daddy C'. I can do that if it gets me out of here. Will you then turn me back into myself?"
"Hopefully. In theory we should be able to....... I'll tell Daddy C that you seem to be yourself again"
.........
Charles gave the girl he thought was his stepdaughter another mental examination. Gareth must have answered them correctly as 30 minutes later Charles told Selena that he would release the girl, provided they did hire a nurse and maintained her medication. He went to sign the paperwork, while Selena was allowed to return to Gareth and help her dress. With a bit more effort Selena was able to convince Gareth to wear the skirt and top of Ruby's that she had bought to the hospital and maintain the Ruby personality until they were out of the hospital. Gareth conceded, the clothes were no more feminine than the pink nightgown she had been wearing overnight.
Agent Dwyer met the latest doppelganger of Ruby Donaldson in the waiting room. The girl was giving a convincing performance of being a blonde bimbo. It was only once they were in the car that she addressed the girl as Gareth and told her she was an FBI agent. She began to explain about the artefact that Gareth must have come in contact with that had caused her to change bodies.
They took Gareth back to the Fedorov mansion to meet her sisters and question her further.