The man in the black suit kicked off his shoes and set them to one side, before knocking hesitantly on the door.
"Come in," requested a voice inside.
He started to walk in, saying, "Grandma-san. I hate to interrupt your meditations, but was told you wanted to see me?"
"Yes Taro. Please enter," bid Tachibana no Akane. She was in her werevixen fursona, sitting on a floor mat in the middle of the room, wearing an over sized kimono. Except for the soft electric lighting and the stereo hidden behind a screen in the far corner that currently played soft, relaxing, instrumental Japanese music; the room looked like any that could have been found amongst a peasant's dwelling of old Japan.
Taro closed the door behind him before walking over to where his grandmother sat. After a short, polite bow, he accepted her silent invitation to sit in front of her on the opposite side of the mat. There were several folders spread out on the floor between them.
"As my most experienced offspring in regards to medical matters—" began Akane.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, but thank you for asking. While there is much more gray within my pelt than there used to be," she said, indicating the dominant gray fur the werevixen displayed, "it will still be many more years before I see my beloved husband once more. Now then, what we discuss cannot leave this room, but some matters have developed that I would like your opinion on."
"Certainly grandmother," said Doctor Taro Tachibana. After graduating with honors and earning his medical certification to treat normal humans, Taro had returned to Moon Lake to become a general practitioner, until he completed his education locally and now specialized in the treatment of weres.
"You are familiar with the situation involving the dishonorable rogue Yvette Smith?" asked Akane, to which Taro simply nodded again. "I had spread them out from my point of view, but the first file on your far right concerns the initial medical tests conducted on her."
Taro read the report carefully, then said, "If accurate, I must concur with these findings. While a chemical imbalance exists within the patient, this alone cannot explain the rogue's actions."
"Your opinion concurs with the majority," revealed Akane. "New information is being discovered that sheds more light on Smith's past, but is not germane to the present discussion. Now please read the report in the next folder to your right."
Taro did as requested, even going back to cross reference some data from the first report. Then he said, "Although there is no medical explanation present, this examination reveals that while the imbalances still exist, they are not as drastic as before. In fact, some of the levels are now closer to what many consider standard normal, even for a werevixen. If I may ask, what happened within the time between these two rounds of tests?"
"That is what I am still trying to determine. The only event of any significance known to me that occurred is Yvette Smith finally completed the initiation of Jennifer Harper into were society," answered Akane.
"I was part of the team that examined Harper afterward. From what we could determine, there were no ill effects, short or long term, from such a delayed completion. At least, no physical ones."
"That is true. Harper is now seeing Doctor Frances Twist for some stress and emotional issues, although not all of those are a direct result of the delayed completion."
"I have had the honor of working with Doctor Twist before. She is quite capable," replied Taro.
"Doctor Twist ordered the second round of tests on Yvette Smith after her initial visit with the rogue. At Smith's request, I might add," said Akane. "I have recently found out that Smith is now claiming that since completing Harper, she has seen the error of her ways. Smith is now apologetic and willing to do whatever necessary to make amends for her past actions, and also now says she is a lesbian who hopes to find her willing soul mate someday."
When Taro's only response was to go over the second report again, Akane added, "I can see by the expression on your face that you doubt Smith's words. So does Doctor Twist. Yet Twist is duty bound to check out such a claim as part of the court ordered psychological examination of the rogue. Meanwhile, please read the last report. The one on your far left," requested his grandmother.
Doctor Tachibana started to do so, then looked up at Akane and asked, "Where did you get this information?"
"The tests were conducted by the medical division of Tachibana Industries, independently of any performed by the hospital, using... specimens left behind in the safe room after Harper's completion and Jennifer's night with her fiance before that."
Taro took far longer to read this report, compared to the other two. When he finished, Doctor Tachibana thought long and hard about what he read before speaking. "According to this, despite the fact that the Sahara Desert Fox is rare to Northern America at best, Jennifer Harper for all intents and purposes is hale and healthy, physically. Yet there was an... extra element within her samples no one could identify or account for. We found no such evidence of—"
"That is because I believe Jennifer Harper is just at the beginning of her journey," said Akane, cutting her grandson off. "If you were to reexamine her now..."
"Is that what you wish?"
"No. Your grandfather and his ancestors believed in an ancient prophecy," revealed Akane, as she pulled a couple of sheets of paper out from within the right sleeve of her kimono and handed them to Taro. "This is a copy of the original scroll. If you cannot read the ancient text, there is a translation afterward."
Taro studied the handmade drawing of a nude, blonde haired woman turning into a blonde furred werevixen. Then, after taking a glance at the original transcription, he found the translation.
"A HEALER?" he said in disbelief.
"I am not claiming Jennifer Harper is one in fact, but under the circumstances, we cannot rule out the possibility," explained his grandmother.
"Well, it does say that the woman would be yellowed haired like the rays of the sun, transformed against her will," replied Taro, going over the translation again, "and that her first act would be to heal the wounds of her transgressor."
"Which Harper has apparently done if Smith's claims are true."
"This goes against all known scientific fact, including that specific to weres. When did the last healer walk the earth? And why has there been no others before now?"
"To answer the first part of your question, in the time of your grandfather's great-great-grandfather. Unfortunately, most records at that time were only handed down by word of mouth, since most people couldn't read or write. The scroll is the only real documentation of this person. As to the presence of other healers or the lack thereof, who can truly say? Besides the fact that the scroll indicates that the normal would have to be a natural blonde before her transformation, which would be rare in Japan even today; perhaps history never recorded their presence, or they preferred to stay in the background, unnoticed. Can you imagine the demands on such a person if their talents were discovered, especially by less than honest people?" asked Akane.
"I see your point in that scenario," conceded Taro, "and the scroll also says that the one person the healer will never be able to treat is herself."
"Hence Harper needing the hospital, and now the services of Doctor Twist. But Frances has had her influence upon Jennifer as well. According to a Skulk member in the administration department at the college, Harper went to the career counselor today and declared her desire to become a therapist like Doctor Twist," revealed his grandmother.
"A noble profession, and in accord with this mention of the healer's desire to help others in any capacity," agreed Taro, looking at the folders on the floor again, before turning his attention back to the copy of the scroll he held. "So, what do you wish of me?"
"Only to keep an open mind, and if the prophecy is true, to help protect Jennifer Harper and not let her become overwhelmed. If she does become a healer, she can be a great asset for Moon Lake and shouldn't be taken advantage of by anyone. Not even us. But she will have many trials ahead of her, especially when her family arrives for Jennifer's wedding to Harold Jenkins."
"And in the end, if she is not the healer mentioned?" asked Taro, while giving his grandmother back the copy of the translation he read.
"Then, we simply treat her as any other respected sister of the Skulk and never mention any of this, let alone to her, ever again," replied Akane.