BK 4 - Chapter 49 - Released
"What exactly do you mean you're giving her electric shock therapy?" Cat asked, crossing her arms and mindlinking Trey.
*"Text Thatcher and tell him it's time."* Trey quickly did as she said, while Shirley and the men were focused on Cat.
"It's part of our regular treatment for patients with severe psychiatric issues, and it's her turn. Come on, Adelma." Shirley took a step toward Adelma, but Cat, Melanie, and Lisa stood in her way.
"She's lying. They're just trying to get me away from you," Adelma said, standing against the wall, shaking. They had stopped the electric shock years ago when she learned to do what they wanted.
"You're not taking her anywhere. In about two minutes, someone is going to come to this room and tell you that she's leaving with us. Now, you can either let us walk out of here peacefully, or you can all be arrested," Cat said, glancing toward Trey and he nodded. Shirley and the three men looked at her in disbelief.
"No one leaves this place once they're here. I don't know who you think is coming, but Adelma will never leave here unless it's on a gurney when she dies." Shirley said smugly. She had never seen anyone leave in all the years she'd worked there.
"That's about to change today," Cat said, looking behind Shirley with a smile. Thatcher and three police officers were standing in the hallway.
"What's going on here?" One officer asked. Shirley turned toward them and shook her head.
"These people think they're going to remove one of our patients. That's not possible without a doctor's order saying we can discharge her." Shirley looked between Adelma and the officers. Thatcher handed her a piece of paper.
"I believe this is what you're talking about." He said with a smile. Everyone looked confused except Cat and Trey. Shirley read the paperwork and looked at Adelma in shock.
"You're being released." She said. Adelma looked at Shirley and then at Cat before falling to her knees, crying. She couldn't believe after all these years, she was finally leaving. Lisa and Jayce helped her to her feet.
"Let's go," Cat said, leading everyone out of the room. Shirley and the men moved out of the way as they left with Adelma. Thatcher and the officers followed them. Every staff member they passed watched them in astonishment. Lisa and Jayce held onto Adelma tightly while she shook with fear. She was terrified something would happen and they would make her stay. When they reached the door to the exit, she froze. She hadn't been outside in over two decades.
"It's okay. We're right here, and we're not going anywhere," Lisa said. Adelma nodded and took a deep breath. Trey held the door open for them, and she walked outside. She felt like she was blinded by the sunlight at first, but as her eyes adjusted, she looked around with tears streaming down her face. Fresh air was something she never thought she would experience again.
They slowly made their way to the vehicles. Once Adelma was settled, Lisa turned to Cat before getting in.
"How did you do that?" She asked, looking at Thatcher and the officers.
"Well, if they look closely at the discharge paperwork, then they'll see the doctor's name is Dr. Thatcher, and I think you know these men," Cat said, smiling at the officers. Lisa watched them remove their facial hair and realized it was three of the hunters. She looked at her grandmother, who shrugged. "I knew we wouldn't be able to get her out of there quickly going the legal route, but I wanted to see her condition first to make sure she was safe to be discharged."
"I love you, Grandma," Lisa said, throwing her arms around Cat.
"I love you too, sweetheart. Now, let's get out of here before they start to question the paperwork." They piled into two vehicles and headed home. Adelma looked out the window in fascination. She couldn't believe how everything had changed. Nothing was as she remembered it. When they pulled up to Valerie and Roger's house, Adelma was completely blown away.
"This is where you live?" She asked Lisa.
"Actually, this is where my great-grandparents live. We're all staying here right now because our family is in danger. Jayce and I are in law school in San Diego. There are a lot of people inside, but don't be scared. They're all family." Lisa said with a smile. She didn't want to get into the details about the house being hers and Alex's right now. She was still trying to deal with that herself.
"I'm so glad you had so many loving people around you growing up. I can tell that they took good care of you." She said as they made their way up the steps to the front door.
"When my brother Alex and I were adopted, it was the best day of my life. I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, let's get inside, and we'll get you comfortable." Lisa said as they walked into the house. Adelma looked around in disbelief. The inside of the house was, but all the people there shocked her even more. They had hung an enormous banner that said *Welcome To The Family*. She couldn't believe these people were so welcoming to someone like her.
"Hello, Adelma, my name is Valerie. I'm Lisa's great-grandmother. I know this is a lot, but I have a room for you already set up, and I made you something to eat." Valerie put her arm around Adelma and led her down the hallway. Lisa let them go. She understood that this was probably overwhelming, and Valerie was the perfect person to help put Adelma at ease and help her adjust to her new life.
"How are you feeling?" Melanie asked Lisa, giving her a hug.
"Numb. I can't believe she's here, or everything she's been through. Do you think she'll be alright?" She asked, looking at Cat.
"It may take time, but she'll get there. I asked Valerie to spend some time with her. I think it will do them both some good. Valerie's still a therapist at heart, and having her help Adelma will give her something to keep her busy." Cat answered, hugging Lisa.
"Thanks, Grandma." She said as they joined the rest of the family.
"What are you guys doing?" Lisa asked, looking over Alex's shoulder. He, Kiersten, Wesley, Mindy, Breanne, and Dustin were sitting at a table with their Native American guests, and they all looked excited.
"We've been working on the laws to protect us, and Breanne found something in the book that Atzi brought that may help us. It talks about not only shifters but witches and vampires. According to her book, we were all created as protectors of the human race for different reasons. The tribes had the majority of the shifters, while other parts of the world had vampires and witches. If what we've read is true, then we can use that along with Bill's idea about us being endangered species to make laws that will protect us," Alex said excitedly. Lisa couldn't believe they had gotten so much done. She glanced over at Jade sitting on Bill's lap and smiled.
"You've been busy. What are the next steps?" Lisa asked. She hadn't forgotten what their goal was. Roger's death would not be in vain. They would accomplish what he had worked so hard on.
"I'm working on that now. I have some people that can help us write a law. We have to make sure the wording is correct, and it says exactly what we need it to say." Wesley said as he gathered everything they had put together.
"Um, Alex, we need to go outside," Kiersten said suddenly. Everyone looked at her with concern when she started shaking.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked worriedly as he jumped up and helped her to her feet.
"Malia says I'm getting ready to shift for the first time, and it would be better to do it outside," Kiersten answered as Alex led her to the back door. Everyone went with them. They all hoped that she would be able to see when she was in bear form.
"I'm right here, but I'm going to step back to give you room to shift. Don't be scared." Alex said, as he walked a few feet away.
*"Take a deep breath, and we'll do this together. I know this is happening fast, but after this first shift it won't be so bad."* Malia mindlinked.
*"Okay, I'm ready."* Kiersten wanted to scream in pain, but she stopped herself. It felt like every bone in her body was breaking, and when she thought she couldn't take anymore, the pain suddenly stopped. She was breathing heavily, and felt strange, like she was having an out-of-body experience. When Malia mindlinked her again, she was startled.
*"Open your eyes, Kiersten."*
