A NeverEnding Story...

why experience matters

"Oh look at him...chantik! Ahhhh...." Mr Brown stared grouchily at the woman making all kinds of "oo-ing" sounds with nothing more than bored interest.
Flan grinned because it was funny. The plump Malay woman, who had with her a stray kitten she had picked up from the street for its first vaccination, clearly could not get enough of Mr Brown.
If anything, it was love at first sight. She has been all bent over, her face mere inches from the rattan carrier, and making gurgling "baby talk". Now, she is clapping her hands, as if all ready to pick up the baby...
Mr Brown curled himself up even tighter.

Moments later, it was Mr Brown's turn. "Oops, we forgot to weigh him," Flan greeted the resident vet, so familiar are they with the vet that they have dispensed with the formalities. In fact, the vet seemed a trifle brusque today. Must be because Mr Brown is seeing her again because she has failed to cure him previously? Now, Flan was very careful not to impose such an implication as this, speaking very carefully, "Yeah, it's his tail. Could be the same thing. Or not. The brown scabs never quite disappeared though... The tail's thinning out, so we figured we better bring him in again."

"Oh. Hmmm. Very weird. Let's check," the vet's brow furrowed. And it remained that way for the rest of the consultation. They've heard it before - could be fungal infection, a return (!), would need to conduct a fungal culture (again!)...
"Sure...Yup. No problem..." Flan replied, all but suppressing a groan.

She wanted to shout - it's not funny! She looked up at D, and gave him a "look": you know what that means right? That means 42 days of pill-feeding! That means 84 pills to cut up (into quarters), 84 x 4 quarters to smear with butter and 84 x 4 quarters to stuff into nail-size cat treats...that's right, 42 days of nightmare.
D saw the look, got the message, and grinned. He was speechless. They paid the bill; the vet will call in ten days' time with the results. If it's really positive, if it's really fungus again, at least they have experienced it before, and they can always console themselves that the second time is always easier.

Flan thought it's a pity the Malay woman has left, she might have liked a present...

posted by Flaneur @ 9:16 PM