Despite the evidence, officials recommended permanent relocation. A controlled environment. A secure facility. They spoke of protocols and risk management, avoiding words like grief or damage or permanence. They said Betty could have monitored visits at a frequency they would decree.
They understood, even before Vanessa broke the news to Betty. Betty refused to release Scooby. When asked to step away, she clung to his fur with shaking hands, her breathing uneven, her body locked in place. No amount of reassurance moved her. She was inconsolable. She moaned with pain, rather than crying like a child.