Frances frustrated that all her attempts to contact Martin Stovall go straight to voicemail; sighs as she puts her cell phone away. Leaving a few messages for him to not only call back but to get to the hospital; Frances feels she has done all she can at the moment. Wanting to call her life partner Samantha Twist; Frances chooses to not to add to Samantha’s already overfilled plate. Acting as a deputy mayor as well as the town’s chancellor; Samantha would by now be pulling her fur out in clumps, in having to deal with a were-alert on top of everything else.
Taking a final moment to try and wake Melissa Stovall up; Frances gets out of the chair in her hospital room and leaves. Deciding to check on her mother Angelica Carter; Frances heads to a different part of the hospital; After Angelica’s attempt to commit suicide the other evening; the hospital moved her to a more secure ward to recover from surgery, pending a psych evaluation from doctor Abigail Robinson. Frances being let into the ward and escorted by a were-grizzly in a white trousers and a white shirt; Frances sighs as she see her father Joseph Carter sitting at her bedside.
“And here I was hoping you would be out helping with the were-alert,” Frances staring at her father.
“Angelica shouldn’t be alone right now,” Joseph answering; “not after… not after last night.”
Frances Twist; originally born Frances nee Carter, had an estranged relationship to her parents. After being outed as a lesbian by becoming a were-cat; her father Joseph threw her out when she was only fourteen, effectively disowning her. With her mother forced to follow suit; the only family that would stay in contact with her was her older brother Samson.
“I thought I gave the hospital staff instructions,” Frances glaring at her father; “not to let you near mother.”
“As Angelica’s husband,” Joseph getting up; “I have every right to be here. Question is why you are here?”
“I had a patient pass out in my office,” Frances staring at her mother sleeping peacefully; “after transporting her here and finding out she and her unborn child are fine for the time being-“
“Angelica is sleeping,” Joseph interrupting; “If you’re here to try and talk to her-“
“You better not try and stop me,” Frances growling; “I’m in an ill mood to deal with your religious zeal.”
Joseph sighs as he knows an argument here would only bring the were-grizzly to drag both of them out. Instead he just steps out to the hallway and lets Frances be alone with Angelica.
“Why mother,” Frances sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed; “why did you try to overdose on morphine? Is it because of the cancer you had? Having a hysterectomy? Or did you want to see me one last time?”
Staring at Angelica and not getting an answer; Frances gets up.
“You know Samson wanted us to get back together for Christmas diner. For us to be a family once again, but how will that happen if we are unable to say more than two civil words before baring our teeth and claws?”
Frances leaves the room to see her father waiting outside.
“I take it you heard,” Frances glaring at Joseph.
“It will take more than a turkey and dinner rolls for us to be a family,” Joseph speaks; “and I’m not talking about stuffing, gravy and the usual fixings.”
“Than what is it you want,” Frances glaring; “if it’s for me to renounce being a lesbian, then you can forget it. I love Samantha and Samantha loves me; we are a couple and intend to stay that way.”
Before Joseph could answer; Frances turns heel and walks to towards the door of the secure wing. Watching her daughter leave, Joseph tears up as he fights to break down from crying. “I want my daughter back,” Joseph mutters as he walks back into Angelica’s room.
Frances out of the ward her mother was placed in returns to see Melissa still unconscious and still alone. Frustrated that Martin is still not here; she gets her phone and tries to call him again. Receiving his voicemail gain, Frances leaves another message for him; “Martin get your ass over here to the hospital now! Melissa has passed out from the message you gave her and she has yet to wake up. Forget your duties while the Were-Alert is on, get over here!”
Hanging up Frances sits back down frustrated.
“Please wake up Melissa,” Frances looking worried; “for the sake of the child growing in you, please wake up.”
Meanwhile Melissa dreams. Being led down a silent corridor by a reddish brown furred werewolf wearing a leather harness holding a night stick and a large set of keys; the corridor full of grey steel doors each with a set of numbers. Each door housing an occupant behind them; a were that has broken laws in Moon Lake or some other secret were community. The Luna brotherhood who manages the prison being tight lipped as to what they know and who they house. The werewolf stops at a door marked ML47, places a large metal key into the lock and opens the door. Melissa stepping forward sees her daughter in a dull orange jumpsuit. With her blond hair in a frightful state; knotted and matted an in a desperate need of a comb and bottle of conditioner.
“Your father couldn’t be here,” Melissa staring at Julie; “Council business.”
Julie doesn’t answer; she stares at the small table between the concrete bed and stainless steel toilet/sink in her cell.
“I would have been here sooner,” Melissa shifting the bundle she was cradling in her arms; “but your brother was a little stubborn in coming into this world.”
Julie suddenly lunges towards the door but stopped short by the bars blocking her way; she snarls and screams, “I’ll kill you! I kill you all!”
This causes the child in Melissa’s arms to wake and cry in distress. The werewolf who escorted Melissa quickly closes the steel door silencing Julie’s screams and gently helps to quite the child back down. Melissa staring at the werewolf sees now the strange man who has been visiting the dreams of many were’s in Moon Lake.
“Who are you,” Melissa asking; “where are we?”
“My name is not important,” the strange man speaking; “only the message I bring is. As for where we are; it’s a dream, yours to be specific.”
“Was that Julie,” Melissa looking concerned; “what happened to her?”
“Your daughter is about to face a cold truth in what you and Martin have been trying to tell her,” the strange man changing the dream to the Stovall kitchen; “that actions have consequences. What you saw is where she will soon be sent to; a secret were prison.”
“So she has been declared guilty of Statue 1A then,” Melissa looking sad.
“It was a forgone conclusion,” the strange man answers; “your daughter doing what she did to evade punishment, placed her in that particular cell. It’s also the reason why you fainted.”
“I fainted,” Melissa asking; “I remember being in Frances’s office and then here?”
“I’m sorry to have to do this,” the strange man speaking; “but your daughter committed murder in escaping the elder council building. It’s the reason why you fainted.”
Melissa looking despondent tries to flee but feels rooted to the stool she is sitting on.
“Please calm down Mrs Stovall,” the strange man doing his best to comfort her; “its not my intention to keep you here against your will, but I need to tell you this.”
“What,” Melissa truly scared; “what is it you want?”
“To help,” the man answers; “I tried to talk to Julie earlier in her dreams. Twice; each time she refused to accept what I told her. Please for the sake of the child growing in your womb, listen to me.”
“You Know I’m pregnant,” Melissa looking shocked. Apart from Frances, I have never told anyone other than Martin and Julie.”
“The dream I showed you,” the man smiling; “you were holding your new born son.”
“I’m going to have a son,” Melissa looking surprised.
“Well,” the man shrugging his shoulders; “it is a fifty percent chance, I did take a few liberties with your prophecy dream. You could give birth to a daughter nine months from now.”
“But Martin and I-“ Melissa looking at the strange man before her.
“Will have a second chance,” the man looking serious; “but in order for the fetus in you to successfully come to term you both must let Julie go. But before then, wake up!”
Melissa gasps as she sits up in the hospital bed; Frances who was sitting in the chair waiting, is spooked as Melissa breathes hard; gasping and hyperventilating, Frances immediately feels relieved as she gets up to hold the terrified wer-mer’s hand.