Subject's mental health greatly improved since our first session together, began typing Doctor Frances Twist into her computer, filing her latest report on Jennifer Harper after their Thursday session.
Miss Harper's initial trauma over suffering an incomplete transformation from normal human to werevixen at the claws of rogue werevixen Yvette Smith appears over and resolved, with the patient making a full recovery.
Then the trained therapist thought carefully before adding While I am scheduled for one visit with her post honeymoon, past family issues before subject moved to Moon Lake, let alone entered were society, may warrant additional sessions beyond what the Skulk is paying for. It will all come down to what happens Saturday morning when her family and Dieter Wilhelm arrive for her wedding to Harold Jenkins.
"That does sound like a pretty vivid dream*," said Doctor Twist, as Jenny finished recounting what she recalled before waking up.
"I know we've talked about this before," said Jenny, while sitting next to her fiance in Doctor Twist's office. "I want absolutely nothing but to live my life with Harry in peace from my father," she said, while holding his hand. "Even if my mother sides with me Saturday morning, she'll still probably stay with him because our religious background doesn't believe in divorce. Regardless of what my oldest brother's opinion is, he'll stay in Alabama between having a good job and believing he has an obligation to watch out for our parents because he is the oldest. My younger sister and brother are the unknowns here."
"Janice and John," replied Frances, recalling past sessions with Jenny.
"Yes. Janice turned 13 over the summer before I moved here to start college. Before I did that, we always had private girl talks about life and such. While she's totally in the dark concerning weres, Janice knows her life would be limited in Alabama if she stays with our parents and desperately wanted to come with me when I left."
"I see, and you've talked to Tachibana no Akane about this emancipated minor status?"
"Yes. It may take a while through the courts, especially if father puts up any kind of legal defense, but while the Skulk know that trying to save all my family is probably a lost cause, they're willing to do what they can for those they can help."
"I see," replied Frances, "but this situation with your younger brother is new, right?"
"Yes. John is 14 and your typically awkward teenager. I saw no signs before leaving that he might think he's gay, and I honestly don't know whether or not he truly is," admitted Jenny.
"Would it matter?" asked Frances in return.
"To me? No. As long as he was sure of himself and happy..." replied Jenny, thinking things over. "I know he wasn't having great luck with girls before I left, but then again, what boy does at that age? Yet I can just imagine what kind of pressure my father might be putting on him to be a man as he'd put it, and I shudder to think what might happen if he even suspected John might be gay."
Frances, recalling stories about 'deprogrammers' and worse, just simply nodded her head in agreement. "Have you talked to Akane about John yet?"
"No. But we're scheduled to have dinner with her, our wedding planner, and a few other members of the Skulk later tonight, so I will certainly bring it up then," promised Jenny.
Having no contact with the other members of the Harper family, for now I can only go by Jenny's recollections and opinions concerning them, typed Frances, and while this might be unprofessional of me, my heart goes out to all but her father. Yet as a therapist, a woman, and a mother, while I long to help all I can; my first priority after my patient must be to the safety of Moon Lake and my fellow weres.
"Samantha? It's Frances," she recalled saying, phoning her wife after Jenny and Harry left, Harper's session over for the day.
"What's up honey?" asked her mate, who was also Moon Lake's Town Chancellor.
"New developments I can share on the Harper-Jenkins' wedding," announced Frances.
"Do I dare ask?"
"You and the police are right to suspect another henchman," began Frances. "But according to Jenny's dream, this one will be arriving with Dieter Wilhelm Saturday morning, acting like a chauffeur, but will make sure at least he and Wilhelm are armed to the teeth!"
"GREAT!" Frances heard someone curse in the background.
"Did I call at a bad time?" wondered Frances.
"No. I'm sitting in Police Chief O'Hara's office discussing the final wedding arrangements with him and Akane," replied Samantha.
"That's good. Can I please speak to Tachibana for a moment?"
After the cellphone was exchanged, Frances explained to the leader of the Skulk what she knew concerning Jenny's siblings.
"I see," was Akane's comment when Frances finished. "We have already made preliminary preparations for Janice Harper, but all potential refugees will be welcomed," she added. "I shall discuss the matter with Jennifer in more detail at dinner tonight," promised Akane, before handing the phone back to Samantha.
Mrs. Twist exchanged a few more words with her wife, and then ended the call.
While much has been written in regards to the subject of dreams, typed Frances, the scientific accuracy of this knowledge has not been proven applicable to everyone she added, thinking of weres and what some referred to as "prophecy dreams".
"And while both sides agreed that Huck getting shot yesterday was a setback and not my fault, they, and me, are all getting stronger," said Jenny, recalling how both her new werevixen self and how she looked before being scratched by Yvette Smith were almost able to touch hands.
"Of course you are," said Frances as positively as possible. "The whole town's in your corner, and everyone who can will be at the church Saturday morning to support you. As soon as Dieter Wilhelm arrives and tries to stop the wedding, Chief O'Hara and the police will arrest him for what crimes they can prove."
"Then it will just be me versus my family," realized Jenny.
"Yes, and I know who everyone is rooting for," said Frances with a smile.
Dreams, therapeutic support, morale boosting friends and neighbors. Whatever is required Jenny Harper will have, but in the end, it still comes down to my patient finding the courage to face her fears head on. Especially her father, typed Frances, knowing that what she typed in her personal logs and what would later be transcribed into the official records were two different things.
"Everyone's doing what they can, and I know that the town's main concern is that no outsiders discover the existence of were society, especially because Jenny looks far different now than she did before moving here to start college since becoming a werevixen, but in the end it still all comes down to her," Frances told Samantha before their phone call ended.
"Is she ready to face Wilhelm, let alone her father?" asked Samantha, concerned not only about the patient but the town as well.
"Yes," replied Doctor Twist. But are we ready to face them in case this all goes south Saturday morning?