So I've been revisiting my all-time favourite show "ER" and have a borderline obsession with medical mysteries/dramas. So what do I do when I want to take break from writing things I need to write? I turn a 1000 word plot bunny into a 10,000 word... thing.

To keep myself from falling into the habit of starting and never completing a story I have finished the whole piece before posting. I recommend.


"Whoever thought a 'Clearance Cookout' was a good idea needs to be shot," sighed a raggedy silver tabby decked in vomit-stained orange scrubs and a permanently scrunched nose. The instant the lounge doors shut his shirt was a sour ball in the laundry hamper; partial nudity be damned, he just wanted to stop smelling like semi-digested Bjorn's veggie-dogs.

At the lounge table Alonzo stared at the same page he'd been scrupulously inspecting through dark sunglasses for the past fifteen minutes, coffee freezing over next to his Break-Fast bar. Though Munkustrap's love of cookouts had been shot down, trampled, kicked, and repeatedly vomitted on, his love of anything breakfast foods remained. As any good friend would he took the liberty of relieving Alonzo of the burden and scarfed it down on his way to the coffee pot.

From the locker room emerged a bottomless Electra; another unfortunate victim of last night's Hospital of Horrors. "Between the two of us we could make a fully clothed zombie," she noted between yawms. For his part Munkustrap frowned sympathetically and hoped she didn't steal the last backup-reserve-emergency pair of scrubs in the lounge. They may have been fellows in battle, but he would put her in the ground for a fresh shirt.

And then the world did a glorious somersault onto its head as the day staff- the heroes Munkustrap needed but not the ones he deserved for another four hours- started filing in. Among them was a five foot tall banana. Also known as Dr. Mistoffelees, the paediatric emergency physician.

"Happy beginning, middle, third quarter, and end of shift everyone!" he greeted, sipping from a carton of milk. "Electra I've brought those spares you asked for." Across the room a shining bag of home-washed salvation flew in the form of a tattered old denim backpack. Which Electra caught and immediately pulled out a peach set.

"You're a life saver, Misto-"

"I'll put it on your tab."

Too big for the tab was Munkustrap- though Mistoffelees did offer a Winnie the Pooh set he may be able to squeeze into. Munkustrap regretfully declined; most of his patients were grown cats. Also he'd have to put up with Alonzo for the rest of their shift. The ruddy brown emergency backup pair it would be for him.

Being rather new to the medical team, Mistoffelees had the luxury of having his locker out in the open-which he didn't seem to mind one bit as he twirled the lock and stuffed his things into an already overcrowded cubby.. "Let's start the day! Munkustrap, you look about ready to fall over. I can page you when I spot a trauma coming in."

"I'll be fine, thank you," he sighed, rubbing the crust from his eye as he slurped his own scalding black ambrosia. "I just don't know how you manage to stay so... awake."

The tux clipped his ID badge to the matching neon yellow scrub top, grinning cheekily; "A wise doctor once told me the keys to success as a doctor involves three Cs: Caffeine, Crack, and Crazy good sex." He shook his milk carton for good measure before downing the rest and tossing it into the trash.

Whichever of the two he had going Munkustrap would take ten. Coffee just wasn't cutting that kind of edge.

"It's definitely crack," Electra noted, following her eager colleague out onto the battlefield.

With a last gulp of coffee the sluggish tabby doctor pulled up his bootstraps and prepared to face the day. Or at least the rest of his shift. "5am. Let's do this. Come on, Lonz."

"I'm reading an article," the patched tom murmured groggily.