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A meeting has been called by the Chief Resident, Dr. Hobbs, to announce that all the resident staff doctors will undergo a psychological evaluation in view of recent problems at the hospital. When it is announced that Matt Fielding will supervise these evaluations, Kimberly challenges his qualifications for such a job. Matt tells her of his Master's Degree in clinical psychology and she is forced to accept his appointment.
Jake grabs the morning papers and stops by Jo's apartment. She invites him in but he can see that she is in a down mood. He tells her how the recent events have made him realize how much he cares for her but Jo says she has a lot of grieving to do and is not ready for a deep relationship just now. She stresses, however, how much she appreciates all he has done for her.
In the locker room at the hospital, Kimberly tells Michael that she is concerned about the psychological testing but he makes light of the whole thing, saying no one really has much faith in those evaluations.
Amanda goes into work but is not feeling well. Her first meeting is with the staff about some of the lost accounts they have suffered because of the recent events. When Alison suggests that perhaps they should cancel the Charity Ball, Amanda says that she feels it is important to keep up appearances and assigns her and Billy to start with the preparations. Later, when Billy asks Amanda how she is feeling, she snaps back that she is fine.
Sydney has volunteered to help stuff envelopes with flyers promoting Martin Abbot's organization. She confesses to Nikki that she is still a bit skeptical. Most everything in her life has been a scam of some sort, she adds. Martin crosses to them to thank Sydney for coming in to help. His charm calms some of her suspicions.
Alison and Billy discuss how empty their work place seems with so many people having been fired. Alison then tells Billy how genuinely sorry she is for all the pain she has caused him and she has made up her mind to put all of her problems behind her. At that moment, Alison's sister, Meredith Parker, walks in. She tells Alison she is in town for a library science conference for a few days. She says that she feels badly about how she walked out of their confrontation with their father. She asks Alison to join her for dinner tonight, so they can talk.
Sydney tells Jake that she is beginning to see a lot of truth in what Martin says in his books. She tries to recruit Jake to come to one of their meetings. She says the discussions will probably help the relationship between them. Jake is wary of these new friends of Sydney's. Jo comes in, interrupting the conversation, saying that someone put something in her gas tank that has ruined the engine. Jake is sympathetic but Sydney walks away mumbling that she got what she deserved.
Alison and Meredith have a sisterly talk over dinner. Meredith confesses that she has been unable to have a sexual relationship with a man because of their father's sexual abuse. She says she wants to try and change things in her life. Alison suggests that they start by buying some new clothes with the help of Jane. Alison invites her sister to come and stay at her apartment.
As Sydney and Nikki are going out for the evening, they pass Jane coming home. Jane notices that Nikki is wearing a dress that she had lent to Sydney. She calls Sydney aside and tells her she wants the dress returned. Nikki proceeds to remove the dress right there in the courtyard and tosses the dress to Jane, saying that Sydney doesn't need negative people like Jane in her life anymore because she has a real, caring family now.
Kimberly visits Matt. At first, she is warm and pleasant to him, congratulating him on his new assignment. Then she asks if he will do her a favor by deleting her name from the roster of staff scheduled for psychological evaluation. When Matt says he cannot do that, Kimberly flies into a rage and threatens to get even with him and rushes out the door.
In a meeting with a client named Bob McGovern of Glorious Gowns, Alison makes a presentation to the client of a promotion idea she has for increasing his sales. McGovern is delighted with the idea but when he leaves, Amanda turns on Alison and accuses her of trying to take control of the meeting. She orders Alison to get busy on the invitation list for the Charity Ball and leave the sales presentations to her. When Billy questions Amanda's attitude, she tells him to mind his own business.
At Mancini Designs, Jane is helping Alison select a new wardrobe for Meredith. Jane says she has the perfect figure for her latest designs and goes to get the rack of dresses. When she returns and pulls back the covering, she is stunned to find that the dresses have been hacked to threads. Jane can only assume that Sydney's new friends had something to do with this.
Jane races to Sydney's apartment and accuses her of slashing the dresses. Her verbal attack surprises Sydney. Jane demands her key to the studio and dashes out saying she hopes she never sees her again. When Jane is gone, Nikki reminds Sydney that this is the kind of person that she does not need in her life. Just as Martin teaches, these are the negative vibrations that she must thrust out of her life.
Jane tells Jo how depressed she is about Sydney slashing her dress designs. Jo tells her about how somebody put sugar in her gas tank on her motorcycle. Jane says she feels she has to call Sydney's probation officer and report her behavior.
Matt gives Kimberly her psychological test results, telling her that she needs counseling and perhaps extended treatment for personality disorders. Kimberly angrily demands that he change the results, just like he altered the blood tests that time. Matt stands his ground. Kimberly leaves in a huff saying she'll have to give it some further thought.
Jo arrives home to find her apartment door ajar. Moving cautiously inside, she finds all of her camera equipment has been stolen.
Jo confronts Sydney about the missing camera equipment but she denies any knowledge of the incident. Nikki jumps into the fight but Jake rushes over to break it up.
At the Charity Ball, Alison has taken Meredith along to help her begin an active social life. Hesitantly, Meredith asks Billy to dance with her. She gains confidence when he compliments her on her gown. Because of their association with Mancini Designs, Michael and Kimberly have been invited. Billy asks Michael to talk to Amanda and see if he can find out if she is ill. While they dance, Michael asks Amanda but she resents his questions and walks away. A few minutes later Amanda collapses.
As Matt walks alone on a quiet street, he is attacked by two thugs, hurling bigoted remarks at him. They beat him severely.
In the middle of the night, Nikki takes the keys to Shooters from the mantle where Sydney left them and goes to the closed bar. After finding the cash register empty, she flares into a rage and smashes and slashes the interior like a woman possessed.
At the hospital, a cop quizzes Matt about the attack. Matt feels that the cop's attitude is indifferent but the policeman assures him that the case will be investigated. The cop says he does care because he is gay too.
Amanda has come in to the hospital to let Michael draw some blood for a series of tests.
Billy arrives back at the apartment after a jog, to find Meredith sprawled half-naked on his bed, waiting for him. Billy is shocked by her behavior and asks her to leave. At that moment, Alison shows up and finds the two of them as Billy is trying to pull Meredith off his bed and out of the room. Meredith yells that he is hurting her arm. Alison thinks the worst of what she sees.
At Martin's office, Nikki delivers the stolen camera equipment and he is very pleased with the expensive goods. He gives Nikki an affectionate hug and they go to the meeting room to join the others. Martin says that it is a special day because they are welcoming a new member and her name is Sydney Andrews. Sydney is overwhelmed by the love and affection that all the others extend to her.
Kimberly visits Matt's hospital room and tells him he must be in a lot of pain but she had told them to break his arms, too. Matt is not sure Kimberly is telling the truth but from the crazed look on her face, it is obvious that she was behind the attack.
Sydney arrives at Shooters to find Jake, Jo and Jane trying to straighten up the smashed furnishings. She is stunned at what she sees but they are convinced that she did it. Jake fires her. Hurt that they don't believe her, Sydney turns away and leaves.
Meredith confesses to Alison that she was the instigator of the whole scene with Billy. Alison tells her she forgives her ,but when she gets back to San Francisco, she must seek professional help.
Michael comes by to see Amanda and tells her the preliminary results of her blood tests. When he confides that the symptoms indicate that she has cancer of the lymphatic system, Amanda reacts with suspicion and anger, accusing Michael of being up to some trick. He leaves when he realizes that it is useless to talk to her at this time. Amanda slumps down on the couch, overwhelmed by this dreadful news.
Realvideo: Matt gets kicked around courtesy of Kimberly.
Realvideo: Rikki trashes Shooters.
Realvideo: Amanda's in need of just an aspirin.
Realvideo: Michael gives Amanda some bad news about her health.
