“If by some miracle,” Jennifer speaking to her worried mother; “dad pulls through and somehow gets his way. You can be assure that I will have child protective services on his ass; keeping dad on a short leash so as not to do too John and Janice, he tried to do to myself and James.”
Elizabeth already in an emotional state after the argument James Senior had with Jennifer. Being his belligerent self in thinking he can bully and cajole everyone in getting his way; already enraged that Jennifer opted to defy him in getting married to someone other than Dieter. James was even more livid when Dieter was hauled away in a devious and clever trap set up by Moon Lake’s police force. His mood soured even further when his oldest son started back talking to him; defending the local minister and announcing his plans to marry a person he considered nothing more than an animal. But what drove him over the edge, was the revelation that not only Jennifer did get married; but that she made it clear through words and an unexpected feat of strength that she was never coming back to Alabama.
Now sitting in the hospital waiting room, the entire Harper family, along with the Jenkins that attended the wedding, waited for news regarding James Senior. Also included was Samantha and France Twist, as well as Yamato Tachibana. Staying a discreet distance from the Harper family; despite the threat of Dieter now in jail and Jennifer’s father fighting for his life, the were-fox security consultant felt it was best to stay close by, in case things got out of hand.
“Why would you say such things,” Elizabeth looking at her daughter; finally seeing her voluptuous frame up close for the first time, her ample bosom and wide child bearing hips. Elizabeth was unsure if this was the result of plastic surgery or what James would consider as devil worship. Not realizing her eldest daughter was now a were-vixen; nor did she know of Moon Lake is a sanctuary to weres.
“Because it needs to be said,” Jennifer answering back; “just as it needs to be said that father is what James and I said earlier. Have him wear a white hood and robe,” Jennifer furthering her point; “and he would look exactly like the rest of the Ku-Klux-Klan bigots in and around Alabama.”
“The Klan has not been in Alabama for decades,” Elizabeth none to amused with Jennifer’s metaphor; “not since the days of Martin Luther King and the civil rights march.”
“For once mom,” James Junior getting up from his chair; “take of the blinders off and look around. The Klan is still active in Alabama; hell I wouldn’t be surprised if Dieter is the grand wizard or a close personal friend to one. How else do you think the prick has managed to evade arrest and criminal prosecution?”
“And how would you know,” Elizabeth glaring at her oldest son; “what would you know about the Klan?”
“You think I didn’t find those pictures in the library archives,” James Junior shaking his head in disgust; “of gramps without the trademark pointed hood, holding your hand at a cross burning rally. What do you think I was doing there, when trying to escape dad’s daily drunken rages or hate filled rants? Studying,” James looking at his mother; “partly, but the other reason was to find out about my past. Dad’s side of the family; well finding out he is a descendant of slavers and cattle rustlers that was to be expected. But finding out what gramps did in the sixties; let’s just say that blew my mind."
Elizabeth’s turns red with embarrassment as she slaps James’s face with her hand.
“Your great grandfather was a good man,” Elizabeth shaking; “who fell in with the wrong group of people.”
“That explains why there are no photos of mom’s side of the family,” Jennifer sighing; “you are ashamed of your past. Aren’t you mom?”
“First you attack your father,” Elizabeth genuinely weeping; “now you go after me? Your own mother? The one who bore you, brought you into this world?”
“It wasn’t my intention to bring that up mom,” James doing his best to comfort his mother; “but it needed to be said. And keeping the past hidden will only hurt in the long run. Especially with your loved ones.”
“Were you aware of this Frances,” Samantha quietly sitting next to her life partner; the two of in a corner offering moral support to Jennifer and her husband Harry Jenkins. Both listening into the conversation thanks to their enhanced were-hearing.
“This is news to me,” Frances whispering back; “Jennifer never revealed any of this during her therapy sessions with me. But to be honest,” Frances sighing; “I’m not surprised.” Frances quickly closed her mouth afterwards; taking her doctor patient confidentiality very seriously, Frances wasn’t about to mention to Samantha about Jennifer revealing that despite her mother caring for her and doing her best to shield her from James senior’s abuse; Jennifer’s mother was tight lipped about her side of the family.
“I can’t speak more of this Samantha,” Frances shaking her head; “not without violation my patient’s confidence.”
“I was only four years old,” Elizabeth still teary eyed; “when that picture was taken James. I had no idea grandpa was a racist then.”
“Yet you couldn’t have remained ignorant for long,” James looking at his mother.
“It wasn’t ignorance,” Elizabeth sighing; “it was a different time. Such attitudes were accepted.”
“The sixties and eighties were twenty years apart,” James shaking his head; “plenty of time for tolerance and acceptance to take root.”
“Maybe everywhere else,” Elizabeth still teary eyed; “but not in Alabama. Plenty of people still pissed over desegregation and the abolishment of the Jim Crow laws.”
“Dad for one I guess,” James snorting in disgust; “I saw how red his face went when I told him I was seeing a black woman.”
“Now you see why we need to get John and Janice away from him,” Jennifer looking at her mother with a sympathetic look; “if dad gets his way, he will just fill them up with the same bigotry and fear mongering her tried with James and me.”
“Not only that,” James junior adding; “you want dad to try and force Janice to marry someone like Dieter. Like he tried with Jenny here; do you really want that to happen?”
Before Elizabeth could respond; the doors to the emergency waiting area opens up and out steps an Asian man in a neatly pressed grey suit underneath a white lab coat. With the entire Harper and Jenkin’s family looking at the man with a serious look on his face they await with nervous trepidation as to what will happen next.
“Can I speak to Elizabeth Jenkins,” the man announcing.
“That would be me,” Elizabeth getting up on shaky legs.
“Please sit back down,” the man approaching and taking a seat next to her; both James and Jennifer sitting across as they listen in.
“My name is Tora Tachibana,” the man speaking; “I’m a doctor here at this hospital, and I need to ask you some questions.”
“Questions about what,” Elizabeth looking concerned; “is this about my husband? Is he going to be alright?”
“I’m not going to sugar coat this,” Tora sighing; “James Senior Harper had a massive heart attack. We did a cholesterol count and found it extremely high for a man of his age.”
“Is he going to live,” Elizabeth chocking up.
“I’m not sure,” Tora shaking his head; “we managed to remove the blockage and you husband is on some powerful blood thinners. What I want to ask you is,” Tora looking serious; “is this your husband’s first heart attack?”
“What do you mean,” Elizabeth looking shocked; “are you saying he has had others? And not bothered to tell me?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t tell you,” James smirking; “dad has always been prideful and secretive of his health.”
“I can assure you,” Elizabeth ignoring James Junior’s remark; “if my husband had any prior heart attacks I would have been told. If not by him; then the doctor’s in Mobile.”
“I only ask,” Tora speaking slowly; “because the cursory examination after subjecting your husband to some chest x-rays and an MRI scan, shows that this isn’t James’s first cardiac arrest. My guess, is he has had few in the past;” Tora pausing. "The last one a mild heart attack prior to this one, happening a week ago.”
Elizabeth’s mind races; trying to think what James was doing last week. The only coming to her was watching James Sr chopping wood in the back yard and looking extremely tired and sweaty; breathing hard, Elizabeth just assumed James was exhausted with the hard work. Offering a rare smile when she gave him a six pack of cold beer after his sweaty chore and practically chugging the first can before sitting down in a nearby lawn chair to finish off the rest. This was a few hours before Jennifer called announcing that she was engaged to marry a man she met in Moon Lake.
“Can I see him,” Elizabeth getting up; “Can I see James?”
“He is unconscious at the moment,” Tora answering; “but I don’t see why you and your children can’t see him briefly.”
“No! Just me,” Elizabeth looking sternly at James and Jennifer; “you two keep an eye on your younger siblings. We are not done with our talk. Not by a long shot.”