As Frank Tucker hurriedly dressed and came back outside, he saw his niece Diane was now back in her human form, wearing sandals, along with a skimpy shirt and matching shorts that barely covered any of her feminine charms. Where she had the clothes hidden was unknown, but her taste in wardrobe was definitely something else her big brother and legal guardian planned to talk to the teenager about later.
There were more important matters to attend to as Frank heard the approaching sirens in the distance grow louder.
"How is he?" Frank asked her, inquiring about cryptozoologist Rick Plunkett, who Diane had accidentally scratched.
"Personally, I think he's nuts," admitted Frank's younger sister. "Even if you're right about that scientific stuff like extra chromosomes and a successful male to female were transformation, he keeps talking about were-gorillas and Sasquatches. Neither of which have ever lived or been seen in Moon Lake."
"But I am right," swore Rick, as he stared at them with a happy smile on his face. "See? The cut has healed and my fur is starting to grow!" he shouted, showing the Tuckers his arm below the cuff of his short sleeve shirt. Both stared in amazement that he was right, as blonde cheetah fur began to spread outward from the now nonexistent wound. "Whatever your brother took a picture of, as a were-cheetah, I'm destined to become its mate. I can feel it! My body is changing as the cheetah growls within, longing to be released, along with my femininity. Soon I'll be Rikki Plunkett, as I should have been from birth!"
"Okay Rick, calm down. The ambulance is pulling in now," observed Frank, as the emergency vehicle approached, but Tucker didn't understand why a police car was accompanying it.
The paramedic came out as the ambulance stopped, and rushed over to Rick and started checking the man's vital signs, as the driver stopped at the back of the vehicle long enough to get their gurney.
Meanwhile, the two Moon Lake police officers walked over. "We got a call to accompany the medics and investigate a possible Statute 1-A violation," announced one of the cops.
"Yes. After the recent mess with that rogue were-vixen, some folks are on edge about exposing another normal against their will," added the second officer. "So, can anyone tell us what happened?"
"It's okay gentlemen. It was a happy accident and I'm not pressing any charges," said Rick. "Soon I'll be a were-cheetah and all my dreams will come true."
"Is he all right?" the first cop asked, as much to the paramedic as the Tuckers, not knowing about Plunkett's earlier visit to the hospital, let alone meeting Samantha Twist, the Town Chancellor.
"It's a long story gentlemen," replied Frank Tucker, "but the hospital and the Town Chancellor can verify everything."
"His blood pressure is falling and this man is starting to run a serious fever. 103 and climbing," announced the paramedic. "We've got to get him to the hospital, STAT!"
"But that can't be!" said Rick in disbelief, as he looked at his arm again. The cut was now open and bleeding once more, with any fur that might have sprouted shed and gone.
"It can't be! I was—" began Rick, but with the euphoria of the moment now past and the medical reality of the situation sinking in, Plunkett fainted.
The ambulance driver and the paramedic managed to catch their patient before he hit the ground. Then once they secured him to the gurney, they wheeled Punkett to the back of the ambulance to be put inside.
Once the paramedic announced they were good to go, the driver secured the ambulance doors and rushed to his position behind the wheel, starting the vehicle before driving off on its race to the hospital.
"Okay folks. While my partner tries to contact the hospital and the Town Chancellor to check this out, why don't we take this from the top and tell me everything from the beginning," said the first cop, as he pulled out his notebook and pen.
MEANWHILE...
Unbeknownst to anyone on the Tucker horse ranch, recent events were not unobserved.
In the distance, at the far edge of the treeline surrounding the Tucker property, a large furry shadow had watched everything.
Seeing the ambulance drive off with Rick Plunkett, the shadow issued a low, but menacing growl, before it disappeared into the woods.