A few hours prior to Frieda getting home after her shopping trip and a Thai food takeout dinner with her uncle; Benton was in his kitchen looking at the various warnings on his medication.
“Consumption of alcohol with this medication may have adverse effects,” Looking at another bottle; “take with food.” Benton sees that notice on a few other bottles.
Finding some of his daughters pop tarts, Benton chews on one of the sugary pastries as he pops a few of the pill he was prescribed for his bi-polar disorder. He looks at the suits his daughter got for him at Awareness. Taking one out of its special bag he strips down to his underwear; the only garment he ever bought at Awareness, he tries out one of the suits. While it doesn’t look like his custom tailored Armani’s; Benton can’t help deny that the suit does make him look dashing. Taking a chance he shifts while wearing the suit; looking in a nearby mirror, he can’t help but chuckle as he sees a black furred were-panther in a suit, his tail swishing behind as it pushed through the hidden seem at the back of his trousers.
“Now this would definitely turn heads at the annual shareholders meeting,” Benton smiling.
While Benton has no socks and shoes that would survive his shifting if he wore this while in his Fursona; Benton figured that would be a far better and cheaper alternative then having to spend a few grand on a new suit. Flexing the talons in his paws as he continues modelling; Benton can’t help but think about his daughter. She knew how to diffuse an argument before it he had a chance to spring one on her.
“I guess I owe her an apology for my text to her outrageous spending today,” Benton smirks as he shifts back and removes the suit; “I might just have to buy a few more.” Putting it and the second one away in his dressing room; he puts on a bathrobe and heads back downstairs to the kitchen. Putting on a pot of coffee; Benton grabs his address book and looks up his father’s number.
******
“Look dad,” Benton munching on another pop-tart and drinking a strong cup of coffee; “This is important.”
“The spit it out son,” Anton Knight clearly grumpy from being woken up while snuggled with Esmerelda; his wife while both are somewhere in the Caribbean. “What’s so important that you have to wake me and your mother up?”
“First,” Benton chugging his coffee in one gulp; “I’m sorry for not keeping in touch all these years. You know how much of a prick I can be.”
“Fourteen years without a word,” Anton states; “fourteen years and no contact. You know we only know of Frieda through Lance. You didn’t even have the courtesy about telling us we have a granddaughter?”
“Well we did have that argument,” Benton sighing.
“Well that’s one way of putting it,” Anton snorting; “you force my friend out of the company he and I founded. To this day, Joseph Crawford won’t even talk to me. And he’s my next door neighbor on our little island community.”
“Dad,” Benton not interested in continuing this old argument; “Can we go back to the reason why I called you?”
“Fine,” Anton grumbling; “but don’t think we won’t be hashing this out.”
“When you stepped down from the elder council,” Benton speaks; “why did you not tell me about the feral ward in the town’s hospital sub-basement.”
“Why are you asking me that Benton,” Anton sounding worried; “did Tachibana or the other members not tell you?”
“Doctor Tora Tachibana showed it to me,” Benton answers. Benton goes on to explain to his father how he got kick off the elder council for his assault at Tachibana’s office. How the council put Lance in his place until Frieda turns twenty one and can assume the seat as were-panther rep. He also explains how he heard from Lance that the only council members that knew of the feral ward were Tachibana and Andrew Curry.
“Well that doesn’t explain why you are asking me about the feral ward,” Anton trying his best to hug his wife while talking on the phone.
“I was just diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder this morning,” Benton answering; “dad is there any history in our family of bi-polar affecting the Knights?”
Anton is silent for a moment as he gets up, waking Esmeralda in the process. “Not in the Knight family son. But there is on your mother’s side. But are you certain with what you were diagnosed?”
“I wouldn’t be calling you if I wasn’t,” Benton quickly answering.
Looking at Esmeralda, Anton responds; “Benton I think its best we continue this chat in person. Your mother and I will be in Moon Lake in a few days. Wednesday evening or Thursday morning; and try not to be an ass, we also want to see our granddaughter.” Anton hangs up and looks at his wife; “Looks like we are heading back to the state of Washington darling.”
“What’s wrong,” Esmeralda asking as she gets out of bed and stretches. The were-panthress with a silver grey coat of fur stretches as her husband a black furred were-panther with streaks of grey fur running throughout shifts to his human form and puts on shorts and a t-shirt; turning around to look at his wife.
“Benton is in a spot of trouble,” Anton hugging his wife; “I suspect it has to do with your family’s medical history.”
“Oh dear,” Esmeralda starting to cry; “I don’t want him to be put down like my father was.”
“Let’s also hope this doesn’t affect Lance and our granddaughter Frieda,” Anton answering while doing his best to dry his wife’s tears. “Now dry those eyes,” Anton smiling; “The sooner you shift and get dressed the sooner we can head back to Moon Lake and deal with this emergency.”
*****
Benton hears his father hang up on his end of the call; Unsure where the two are currently; Benton just sighs as the thought of seeing his parents for the first time in twenty years and Frieda seeing her grandparent for the first time both excite him and fill him with dread. Finishing the last of the coffee he brewed; he hears both his daughter Frieda and Lance talking as they just get into the door. After apologizing to Frieda as best as he could and sending her off to bed; Benton looks at his brother.
For what could be described as a first; Benton is glad his brother is here; looking at him, Lance can’t help but be concerned.
“What’s on your mind Benton, Lance looking at his brother; “Your never this melancholy.”
“I called mom and dad,” Benton looking at Frieda’s purchases; “They are coming to Moon Lake, either this Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.”