CHAPTER 50

Regina had just put the last of the breakfast dishes away. She and Granny were waiting on Tink to get there so that the three of them could do some shopping when her phone rang.

She answered it after glancing at the caller ID and seeing it was a blocked number. Normally she didn't answer them but for the moment she was free. The kids were all out back keeping one another occupied with Snow and David standing guard over them.

"Hello?"

"May I speak with Mrs Regina Jax?"

"This is she."

"Ah, hello Mrs. Jax. My name is Missy Watson. I'm a therapist at your son's psychiatric facility." She paused to give this a moment to settle in.

Regina's gut clenched. She closed her eyes and willed down the tide of nausea boiling within her. She grabbed a seat on a nearby stool. "Yes?" Regina prompted.

"As you know your son's purpose here is to be rehabilitated. And family is key to that rehabilitation. You've been referenced multiple times and I was wondering if the two of us could get together today to sit and discuss the situation."

"Well Emma is responsible for Henry. You should speak with her."

"I have spoken with Emma and with Henry and with Snow and David. I've witnessed Emma's pain and really believe that I could help. But you are also an integral part of the situation. Emma showed me the aftermath of Henry's attack against you. I want to say that I completely sympathize and respect your decision to limit contact with him. For your safety and your girls. But my job is to help heal the pain that is left behind in the wake of tragedies. And your family dynamic has been a tragedy. In order for me to understand it better, I would really love to have your input into the situation. I am more than willing to meet you off campus if you'd prefer. And anything we talk about is 100% confidential. But I really do believe that it could be beneficial to your family."

Regina wanted nothing to do with the situation or anything to do with Henry. That was a chapter in her life that she had firmly shut the door to. She had no want or care to put herself out there for Henry in any way. "I'm sorry. That's just not possible. I'd really prefer to be kept out of it. Thank you." Regina quickly hung up the phone.

She sat at the counter thinking about how her life had ended up this way. She had no complaints. Jax and her children were her life. And she was grateful for every moment she spent with them. Still, when and how did Henry become this monster. He used to be such a sweet child. She was still there when Emma found her minutes later.

"What's going on?" The look on Regina's face made her want to take her in her arms and kiss away her pain. Whatever it was, it was obviously not good.

Regina slightly started. "I got a call from Missy. She wants to meet with me to discuss some things."

Emma pulled out the stool beside her. "Yeah I forgot all about that. So much happened yesterday. She had us sign papers about what we'd talked about and asked if she could speak with you. I figured I'd leave that up to you. Sorry I didn't warn you in advance."

Regina waved her away. "It's not a problem."

"Are you?"

"Going to meet with her? No. That's just not my life anymore."

Emma nodded while chewing on her lower lip. She reached out and grabbed Regina's hand. The two of them sat like that for a while.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOOXO

Emma and her parents drove together for their session with Henry and Missy. All three of them looked like they were on their way to the electric chair.

They were shown into the usual den room. A few minutes later, Missy walked in. After everyone was seated, Missy began, "Henry was brought in under an involuntary emergency hold. But in order for him to stay here he has two options. The first is where he must either submit to being held voluntarily. I think we can all agree that's not likely. The second is with him being placed on medical involuntary commitment."

"In order for that to happen, an application must be made by someone close to him. And then with the documentation from myself and the staff, he'll be held for up to 60 more days."

"Give me the paperwork. I'll sign it," Emma told her with no hesitation.

Missy looked over at Emma. "I watched the video that you gave me. It was extremely brutal and vicious just like you said. And he did that at 12 years of age. You brought him here because he recently just assaulted you and his two sisters. His legs were crushed by a machine that he had rigged to crush them."

"His insistence on believing that they're not even real human beings has me extremely concerned. I have no doubt that he has zero regard for their lives. And his goal is to get to his Mother. I've tried contacting her. She wants absolutely nothing to do with this situation."

Emma just stared at her waiting for her to get to her point. She just knew that there was no way that Henry was leaving this place. Unless it was in a set of handcuffs. And he was definitely stubborn enough to force them to do it too.

Emma moistened her lips. "Look, you've got no argument out of me concerning Henry staying here. Like I said, give me the paperwork and I'll fill it out now."

"I'm bound by confidentiality laws unless it involves child abuse or there's danger to someone else. Henry's complete disregard for your children's lives fall into that category. And with your admittance that he's never faced any consequences for his actions and his lack of remorse or even awareness of what he's done as being wrong, I felt compelled to act. I've spoken with my colleagues and they agree. With as much of a danger as Henry poses to himself, his siblings, and anyone who dares get in the way of what he wants we were confused as to why Henry's never faced any charges for such brutal crimes. Especially with you being the Sheriff of the town and all."

Emma colored. She didn't really know what to say. She glanced at her parents whose faces were completely zoned out. "I – I … well…," she stuttered.

She took a deep breath and tried to remember what it was like back in those days following the discovery of what Henry had done. Her first instinct had been to run and she had. She'd ran straight back home to look for Regina. Not finding her had almost crushed her. Emma had been awash in a fog of horror and disgust at her son and what he'd done, her anger at herself for her obliviousness and remorse over her actions, guilt over having allowed things to come to this without seeing, and the depression, anger, and confusion over knowing that Regina had left her willingly when her search for her body had turned up nothing.

Dealing with Henry had been the last thing she'd wanted to do. It wasn't until her parents came to her and told her to snap out of it that she'd realized she needed to step up. Regina was gone and Henry was now all she had left of her. She'd needed to take care of their son for Regina as much as for herself.

"I don't think Regina would've wanted that," was all she could safely say without getting bogged down on having to explain the world they came from wasn't the same one that existed here.

"What she wanted was irrelevant. He should've faced a judge and had him decide. And as the keeper of peace and order, that was your job to ensure."

Emma tightened her mouth. There was nothing she could say that these women would understand. "Look, just give me the damned forms already. I don't want Henry on the loose anymore than you all do. But we can can the lecture series."

"My point," Missy continued, "was that this is just a band aid on a much larger problem. Henry needs to be held accountable for his actions. That is the first step in ODD. According to everyone he's lived an entire life of zero discipline where the adults have allowed him to call the shots and do as he pleased with impunity."

"According to you all, Henry decided at the age of ten to track you down because he was angry at his Mother for not being his real Mother. Then he brought you back and guilt-tripped you into staying when you had signed papers relinquishing custody of him. He was angry with his adoptive Mother to the point of almost murdering her for existing in between what he wanted or believed he wanted at the time. He's now switched his focus to getting her back and you and your children are what's standing in his way now. You've admitted that he's attacked you and still he's been allowed to act as if he's the one who's the victim. This has got to stop."

"He's never known or been made to understand no. This is a dangerous situation for anyone. He's not going to be cured in 60 days, he probably won't be cured ever. But the first step does need to be a boundary being set for him that he doesn't get to walk around."

Emma was getting fed up. "Duly noted. Can I please have the forms now?"

Missy looked at Emma and shook her head. She reached behind her and picked up a clipboard with papers attached and a pen. "You still have time to do the right thing," she said as she handed the papers over to Emma.

Emma filled them out with her chest feeling like lead. She could feel the tears burning the back of her eyes. Her throat worked overtime and she swallowed repeatedly to hold her emotions at bay. She knew that she'd screwed up. She knew she'd probably lost the love of her life forever because of it.

"'Anything else?" she asked as she handed the papers back over.

"For now," Missy watched as the family rose to leave.

"And Henry stays in here, right?"

Missy nodded, "For now."

Emma stormed out and stomped over to the car. She climbed inside and waited for her parents. Once they were in the car, Emma immediately put it in drive. Before Snow could open her mouth she looked at her dead-on. "Not one word," she pushed through her tightened jaw. Snow looked at her husband and then turned to look out the window. Emma drove home and dropped her parents off. Once they were out of the car she took off needing to find some solace from the freak show her life had turned into.