Bob and Lisa's divorce has an adverse effect on Tom's psyche. Tom, mostly blaming his father for the breakup, acts out his resentment by breaking toy soldier dolls.
Lisa's solution to Tom's problems is to send him to a military school in Los Angeles over Bob's objections. As you might expect, Lisa defends her actions by claiming that Bob is too busy at the hospital to attend to Tom's needs. Tom doesn't like it at military school and runs away.
When Lisa goes looking for Tom, she ends up in a bizarre misadventure as she is kidnapped and raped by a group of thugs. Lisa is so traumatized that she has to be institutionalized in Chicago. Bob, in a show of concern for his ex-wife, offers to remarry Lisa, but she refuses because she knows his heart is still with Sylvia Hill.
In addition to problems with Tom and Lisa, Bob would become preoccupied with a new patient. Her name is Helene Suker, daughter of Dr. Al Suker and a drama student at the local university. Helene is admitted to Memorial Hospital for treatment of a spinal injury suffered in a backstage fall. Bob learned that Helene would be paralyzed for life as a result of the injuries and told her father, Al, so. Al, not wanting to upset Helene, tires to keep the dire prognosis a secret from Helene, but Al's wife, Martha Suker, ends up telling Helene everything. Helene becomes first angry, then depressed, and Bob would take it on himself to try to improve Helene's emotional state. Al is grateful to Bob for his helps and invites him to work in his medical practice. Eventually, Helene Suker would die.
Franny Brennan, the Stewarts' housekeeper, develops a neurotic attachment to David and his boys. She feels particularly threatened by David's growing relationship with Ellen.
Judith Wade moves from New York to Oakdale to be near her son, Neil. She also gets in touch with friend and former lover Dr. Doug Cassen. (The two harbor a secret: Neil is Doug's biological son via a one-night stand he had years ago with Judith.) Judith persuades Doug to give Neil a job at Oakdale Memorial Hospital. Dr. Jerry Stevens, by now Judith's fiancée, objects to Judith's interference in Neil's affairs, but Judith insists, believing Doug can help Neil become a great doctor. When Doug gives Neil an important hospital position over Bob, David and Bob demand to know why, and Doug is forced to admit to them that Neil is his son and he feels some responsibility toward him.
Sometime in 1964 or 1965, Neil Wade would marry Penny Hughes. The early days of their marriage would be marred by conflicts over Neil's desire to get out of medicine and pressure from just about everyone to become a great doctor.