THE MUPPETS BELONG TO JIM HENSON COMPANY

Floyd had always been the charismatic member of the group. He was more active in the backstage and dealt with Kermit more than Doctor Teeth himself. He was used to get whatever he wanted. Everyone admired him for his determined personality and his sharp sincerity, maybe except Sam. No one ever saw him down or afraid.
But things change.
Janice looked at her boyfriend and couldn't believe that the guy who was sitting next to her without his shades, showing his reddened eyes, pale and difficulty breathing had been once that person.
For the first time, Floyd was devastated.
"No...No...You can't..."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Pepper. The law is the law", the lawyer, a gray-haired man with glasses, said.
"But...But Animal's not a monster...You can't take him like that!"
"I did not say your friend is a monster. But it is evident that he has a very violent behavior. We have his case history and it is not the first time he attacks someone. He is too dangerous to be free"
"I told you! He's not dangerous! He..."
Floyd look at his arm. It was bandaged but he could still see the dry bloodstains.
"Floyd...", Janice whispered, taking his hand.
"...That was just an accident, OK?", Floyd continued, swallowing with difficulty. "He just...Had a bad day and...It was kinda my fault...", he looked at his friends. "Please, fellas, tell him that it was an accident..."
No one replied. Zoot turned his head sighing.
"Please..."
"I am so sorry, but think that he will be in a safe place with qualified personal looking after him. And you can visit him whenever you plea-", the lawyer said.
"I don't care! I want to be with my friend like always! He's not sick, he's not mad, and he's not a vicious monster, you understand?!"
"Floyd, please, calm down...", Doctor Teeth asked him.
"Don't tell me you are going to let them take Animal away! After all we have gone through!"
"Ehem...Sir...I have to tell you that your friend has already signed for his entry. The psychologists explained him his situation when he recovered the sense and agreed with them that he had to be put into therapy", the lawyer explained.
"That's a lie!"
"Floyd, like...Stop it, please...", Janice begged.
"I am sorry, Mr. Pepper. I know this is hard for you, but you have to consider what is better to Animal"
Floyd took breath deeply and exhaled with his eyes closed.
"...OK...Right..."
"Think that this will not be forever"
"Yeah...Can we...Say goodbye to him?"
"He's already in Betty Ford"
"Oh...Okay..."
Without saying anything else, Floyd got up and got out of the office.
"...Sorry about that...", Doctor Teeth apologized to the lawyer. "And thank you"
When the rest of the band followed Floyd, he was not there. He didn't wait for them. He left the building and walked.
Nowhere.
"...Sigh...Poor Floyd...", Janice sighed.
"And poor Animal...I can't believe he won't stay with us...", Zoot muttered, looking at the floor.
They remained silent, with their heads down.
"...What are we gonna do now?", Janice asked.
"...Survive, I suppose...", Doctor Teeth replied. "I know it will be difficult to have the opportunity the Muppet Show gave us, but...We have to go on...All together..."
Not even himself believed in his own words. They were not together. Animal was not there. Floyd didn't either.
Everything seemed to be hopeless.
"...Floyd will get better...Animal will be allright, won't he? There's nothing to worry about. He will understand..."
"Yeah...", Janice and Zoot said in a low voice.
Doctor Teeth put his hand into his pocket looking for some money. But it was empty.
"...Well, I don't know you, but for me, I'm hungry. Let's go to eat", he proposed.
The other two nodded and they started walking towards the exit.
Doctor Teeth discretly took his ring out of his middle finger, the one made of gold that someone gave him once as a birthday gift.