Tachibana No Akane was enjoying her tea in her garden; taking in the sights of the various flora and fauna she had planted and cultivated at great expense. Always finding a serene beauty for the traditional trees and bushes native to Japan; the were-vixen was in her fursona, sitting cross legged under a cherry blossom tree when her grandson Tora Tachibana approached her.
“Honored Grandmother,” Tora seeing his grandmother in her fursona and approaching her with a formal greeting; “you are well I take it?”
“I am my dear grandson,” Tachibana returning; “yet why do you approach me with stiffness I am accustomed to seeing from Diasuke?”
“Because I have some disturbing news to bring you,” Tora sighing as he sees his grandmother beckoning him to sit down with her; “news that both affects Tachibana Enterprises and the Skulk.”
“Then you better tell me as you drink some tea,” Tachibana pouring a cup; “it will help calm you.”
Tora looks at the warm liquid in the small ceramic container. Never much of a tea drinker, always preferring coffee; Tora knew to refuse to drink would be an insult to his grandmother as he can see she prepared the tea to ancient Japanese traditions. Bowing in thanks he consume the entire beverage in one gulp and gets right to business.
“I must inform you,” Tora sighing; “I have a patient that is undergoing a severe heat cycle. She is a were-rabbit and a doctor under the hospital’s employ.”
Tora pauses as he watches his grandmother pour him some more tea before continuing.
“Recently she was prescribe her were-birth control pills,” Tora sipping his second cup; “yet the pills she received were that for a were-lion. Not a were-rabbit.”
“And you suspect it was a manufacturing mistake,” Tachibana answering calmly.
“I know for a fact it was a manufacturing mistake,” Tora putting his tea down; “yet it wasn’t Tachibana Enterprises doing.”
“Explain.” Tachibana looking at her grandson.
Tora goes into describing Helen Thompkins heat cycle; describing that it shows all the same symptoms of an incomplete transformation. Tachibana now listening very intently at the conditions; she was somewhat shocked when Tora told her his solution. Let the doctor rut with her patient that she started desiring.
“That is a most unusual form of treatment,” Tachibana looking at her grandson; “why do this?”
“To save the doctor’s life and to prevent a very pissed off were-lion from tearing up the hospital,” Tora grabbing his tea and gulping it down; “the patient the doctor was treating was Peter Talbot.”
“And Leon was okay with this,” Tachibana looking stunned.
“After I explained everything to him,” Tora sighing; “it was Regina who was wanting none of it though. She wanted to speak to the doctor.”
“What is the doctor’s name,” Tachibana looking at her grandson; “tell me, since you already violated a half dozen of the hospital’s rules and possibly your oath.”
“Helen Thompkins,” Tora Tachibana shaking his head; “right now she and Peter Talbot are locked in a hospital safe room rutting like mad.”
“You said she was given the wrong batch of were-birth control pills,” Tachibana pouring more tea; “how so?”
“I tested the ones she was prescribed and purchased,” Tora answering; “they were the wrong kind. What is worse,” Tora sounding angry; "they came from a pharmacy here in town that has figured out how to make were-birth control pills.”
“WHAT,” Tachibana now shocked; “how did they do that?”
“I don’t know,” Tora sighing; “I have skulk members pouring over there books, computers everything. What I also found surprising is the reason as to why they were making their own were-birth control pills.”
“Tell me,” Tachibana looking serious.
“They were providing a generic and cheaper version,” Tora shaking his head; “because a lot of people have found the pills we make very expensive to purchase.”
“Manufacturing them isn’t cheap,” Tachibana answering.
“Yet when you have to take a pill that costs anywhere from $10-15 dollars a day,” Tora looking at his grandmother; “you are going to shop around for a cheaper alternative, regardless of the consequences.”
Tachibana was silent for a moment; sipping her tea as she mulled on what her grandson spoke of.
“I can’t promise anything,” Tachibana staring off in the distance; “but I’ll look into seeing if we can lower the price of the were-birth control pills.”
“Perhaps offer rebates,” Tora chiming in; “for struggling families or for minors?”
“Not a bad idea,” Tachibana nodding; “anything else to add?”
“We should color differentiate the pills,” Tora thinking; “as of now they are all white. Who is to say this might not happen again?”
“That we can do,” Tachibana nodding; “I’ll have manufacturing get on that.”
“There is one other thing,” Tora speaking; “before I let Peter help Helen through her heat cycle, I gave her an extra strong dose of the were-rabbit contraceptive via injection. There is a chance she could still become pregnant, despite the fact.”
“Because her body is swimming with the were-lion contraceptive,“ Tachibana mulling; “are you sure?”
“While I have not had a chance to study this,” Tora looking at his tea; “there is a theory that some of the were-birth control pills for certain were’s can act as a fertility aid to other’s. Making them want to seek out a mate if they don’t have on and get pregnant as it were. Hence Helen's extreme heat cycle.”
“I see,” Tachibana sipping her tea; “If Helen does become pregnant as a result of this, how do you want me to proceed?”
“That is the other matter,” Tora responding; “the pharmacist that made the were-birth control pills that Helen was taking, he is a were-fox and a member of the skulk. This could be a matter of honor for the skulk. If the doctor gets pregnant as a result…”
“I’ll deal with that,” Tachibana looking pensive; “is there anything else?”
“Just this thought,” Tora getting up; “if the pharmacist here in town was able to crack the formula for making were-birth control pills, what about the other pharmacy's that discreetly provide to the other were-communities? Could they have they figured out a way as well?”
Tachibana No Akane lets that last group of questions from her grandson dance in her head as she watches him leave. Taking the cell phone she had next to her, Tachibana deftly dials up a number with her paw.
“It's me,” Tachibana speaking; “I want a meeting with all the manufacturing heads in charge of the W-pills for Tuesday morning at the earliest. We need to make a few changes. This is not a request; make it happen. Daisuke and I will be present. Also the local pharmacy here in town was just caught trying to make there own version of the W-pills; see to it that all their assets are seized and placed in an escrow account. I will handle things on that front afterwards.”
Tachibana disconnects the call and goes back to sipping her tea under the cherry blossom tree.