What if I ain't no violinist?

73. Twoset Veterinarian

Brett moved his piping hot coffee mug away from his lips and looked across the table.

"Eddy."

Eddy, munching on cereal stopped chewing and hummed back.

"Mmm?"

"You mind having a look at Pag?"

Eddy swallowed and furrowed his brows.

"What's wrong with him? C'mere boy."

Eddy got up from his chair and went down on his knees as he pointed his finger and Pag (short for Paganini) trotted over to Eddy and sniffed it.

"He was limping before."

"Oooh you poor thing let's see which leg..."

Eddy gently picked up his cat but Pag must have sensed this was more of a clinical inspection than an affectionate cuddle and he was definitely not in the mood for such a thing and started to thrash around.

"Oh..sh*t...! Easy boy.."

"Oh my god Eddy, if you can't handle him, no other vet's gonna have a hope in hell."

"I've got this. C'mon nice pussy.."

Brett cringed.

Brett thought Pag was such an assh*le of a cat. But he was still Eddy's favourite and somehow the feeling seemed mutual. Astonishingly, Pag now appeared comfortably cuddled in Eddy's arms, purring and Eddy was having a field day checking each of his paws. If Brett tried to do the same thing, he would've been shredded into pieces by now.

"Oh no, Brett, he's got an infection on one of his paws where his claw snapped at the base. Gotta clean it and give him some antibiotics."

"Oh, that must have been from when he had that fight with Nini on the shelf and fell off."

Nini (again, short for Paganini) was Brett's favourite.

"Oh my god, Brett, that Nini of yours is such a b*tch of a cat. Pag was there first and she bullied him off that shelf y'know."

Brett rolled his eyes.

"Eddy, how about I bring Pag into work with you today? I can then bring Pag home after you treat him."

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Edwina the vet nurse and receptionist greeted Brett cheerfully as she always did.

"Hello, Brett!! What brings you in with Eddy this morning and ... oh my the whole family is here today?"

"Hi Edwina, no not quite the whole family. Nini is at home. It's Pag inside the carrier."

"Okay. Lemme get his file. What's Pag's surname?"

"Chen.  He's Pag Chen."

Brett couldn't help let out a chuckle.  He found it hilarious that Pag had Eddy's surname.  I suppose it made it easier for their filing system at the vet clinic.  He knew their cats had somewhat more unusual names but imagined there would be a lot of Milos and Kittys and the clinic had to implement a system to distinguish them.  Incidentally, their other cat, Nini, Brett's favourite,  her full name was Nini Yang.

Edwina guided Brett into examination room 1.

The examination rooms had two doors. One for the patients to enter from and the other for the veterinarians.

"Just wait here.  The vet.. I mean, Eddy will be with you shortly.. in the meantime can you get Pag out of the carrier and..."

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The door of examination room 1 opened and Eddy walked in with a lab coat on and a chart in his hand. He was reading something off the chart as he started to talk to Brett.

"..Hey Brett, looks here like Pag and Nini would be due for their flu shots... ...What the f*ck"

There in the examination room, was Pag the cat out of the carrier and on the examination table and Brett with an Elizabeth collar around his neck...!!

Eddy's roaring laughter resonated throughout the Vet Clinic for the next 5 minutes.

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"Brett, I'm so, so... s, sorry."

Brett didn't answer.

"Brett.. I'm really sorry I laughed..so... hard..."

"...You do realise you're still laughing Eddy."

"Like I said.. I'm so.. sorry..."

Eddy was in tears from the aftermath.

"F*ck Eddy, so I misunderstood Edwina's instructions. She said because Pag had a reputation for being feisty, they're now asking  the owners to put on a collar..."

"Brett... you've been going out with a veterinarian for... didn't we just have our 7th year anniversary?? ...and you put... the frickin' collar on..yourself...!!"

Eddy was in stitches again.

"F*ck Eddy, aren't you like due for surgery??"

"I am.. but I was shaking from all the laughing I begged Angus to swap with me and do his first,  otherwise I would've diced up that poor dog I was gonna operate on. Besides, I was worried I'd lose the love of my life."

"Well, you kinda came close when you humiliated me."

"What, in front of Pag ?"

Brett groaned.

"Look Brett, I do have to get back to work... I'm sorry I couldn't join you for a coffee but I knew I'd just spit it all out by laughing.... But you take your time, yeah?"

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'll just finish my coffee and go. I gotta take the feisty one home, don't I."

Brett tilted his head towards his feet to indicate the carrier placed by the foot of the table.

"Okay.. hey can I order and buy you some take away from here?  They do nice cafe meals here.  You could then take your time enjoying it once you get home?"

"It's okay Eddy, you don't have to brown-nose me. You're not gonna lose me, alright? Come to think of it..it's pretty frickin' funny.  I was wondering why they're trying to punish the owners by humiliating them for having feisty cats.  There I was thinking it should've been you wearing the frickin' collar because Pag is your cat.  His name is Pag Chen after all, y'know... f*ck Eddy, you can stop laughing now.  I'll see you when you get home."

Eddy wiped his tears then smiled.

"Okay, Brett. Love ya."

Eddy got up from his seat, gave Brett a peck on his cheek, poked his finger into the carrier and let Pag have a little sniff, then rushed off across the street from the café, back to the veterinarian clinic.