Surgery in the Land of the Flowered Bed

Several little faces were crowded at the doorway as they watched the proceedings. Struck by an extreme pain in his back, Pumble had gone in for surgery. Ben was the attending surgeon.

"They say he's the best," Hairy whispered, trying to comfort the quivering seals. "I'm sure Pumble will be just fine."

"You know, I bet his seams split because he's so fat," Cookies smirked. "That's what he gets for having an ice cream sundae every night."

The animals looked at him in shock.

"That's unkind!" the first duck cried.

"How rude!" the second duck sniffed.

The third duck could not think of a response at all. His mouth hung open in shock. They all sat in silence for a moment, watching Ben stitch away.

"Did they give him something?" Ladybug asked. She wrung her hands and fretted as she watched Ben slide the needle through Pumble's soft covering. "Anesthesia, anything?"

"They doped him up pretty good," Cookies said. He was cowering in the doorway, still ashamed from his previous comment. "He was snoring earlier."

They watched as Ben handed Pumble over to the nurse for inspection. She turned Pumble over in her hands, carefully examining him for any tears or scrapes.

"Oh no!" she cried. The animals froze in terror. "He has a spot on his leg that needs mending!" she said, handing Pumble back to Ben. The animals quivered with anxiety as Ben began to mend Pumble's leg.

"Emergency surgery!" Ladybug gasped. She slapped her hand to her forehead and fainted. The seals quickly moved out of the way, letting Hairy catch her. Gently lowering her to the floor, he bit his lip. "Do you think she'll be all right?"

"She'll be fine," Cookies said, inspecting his feathers. He was obviously bored. "She's just being dramatic. There's not even any blood." The seals glared at him.

"There, good as new!" Ben said, tying off the end of Pumble's stitches. "He'll be wonderful in an hour or two and able to fly in a few days." He set Pumble carefully on the bed and went to his office, taking the nurse with him. The animals all rushed to Pumble's side. They crowded around him, peering down to watch for the slightest movement. Even Ladybug woke up from her faint and hovered over him.

"Is he asleep?" Hairy asked, lifting one of his arms gently. "He's breathing, but I don't see any movement."

"How could you tell?" Cookies sneered. "His belly is so big you can't see anything else." The animals ignored him. Ladybug clutched his hand as the seals crept up to his face. They were curious to see if Pumble had whiskers. He had never let them close enough to tell. They had whiskers, so why shouldn't he have whiskers? Just as the seals peered closely at Pumble's face, his eyes flew open.

"Excuse me?" he bellowed. "What are you two doing in my face?" The seals barked in an effort to explain, quickly scurrying backwards.

"Oh darling, we're so glad you're all right!" Ladybug exclaimed. "How do you feel?"

"Do you need anything?" Hairy asked, always eager to help. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"He's always hungry," Cookies muttered. The ducks from the Spa waddled forward, eager to investigate.

"Does it hurt?" the first duck asked, thrusting his face in Pumble's view.

"Do you have a scar?" the second duck stuck his bill directly in Pumble's vision.

"The Flying Pigs send their well-wishes that you'll recover soon," the third duck said, politely remaining some distance away.

They all stared at Pumble expectantly.

"I"-- Pumble wheezed, hiding the twinkle in his eye.

"Yes?" Ladybug stepped forward.

"If it's not too much trouble," he croaked, batting his eyelashes demurely. Cookies rolled his eyes.

"Anything for you, old pal," Hairy said, taking his other hand.

"Well, I'd like some biscuits and honey for breakfast," Pumble said, working very hard to appear pale and weak. He fluttered one wing, then drooped from the effort. "And if it's not too much trouble, I'd like some pie right now. A large piece, please, no skimping. With ice cream. And French fries. And a Coke if you don't mind. Perhaps some waffles to go along with it. I saw some in the freezer the other day."

Hairy and Ladybug rushed off to fill his order. The seals hopped along to see if there was any salmon in the freezer. The ducks scurried off to tell the Flying Pigs all the latest gossip. Only Cookies remained. He looked down at Pumble.

"It doesn't hurt at all, does it?"

Pumble's plump cheeks spread out into a wide smile. "I expect it will hurt for a week, at least," he smiled. He rubbed his large belly. "Plenty of time to snack on biscuits and honey."

All flowers, pies and exotic honeys can be sent to Room 1B in the Land of the Flowered Bed Recovery Center. It's directly across from the nightstand and before the closet.