 However, an unexpected break occurs when a young patient tells Amanda (who works as a candy striper at the hospital) that she saw Monica in Eric's room the night before, thus violating the restraining order against her.The next day in court, the prosecution drops a bombshell with the revelation that between 1989 and 1994, while he and his mother lived in Seattle, Eric had been admitted to various hospitals with unexplained abdominal cramps a total of "twenty-six times", which was eventually diagnosed as laxative abuse.Furthermore, it is revealed that back in 1982, Monica had a child out of wedlock, who also died of laxative abuse when he was only 18 months old.