Inspired by the episode Needlepoint.

4: An Apple A Day...

It was getting close to "that time" of the year. And I'm not talking about the Holidays. No, "that time" of the year is in reference to when animals of the zoo go to the vet to get their yearly vaccination shots. The days are staggered so the vet isn't worked into exhaustion trying to inoculate every single animal in one day before closing.

On this particular day, it was the lemurs' turn. Julien seemed to have forgotten it, but Maurice and Mort hadn't. And they were dreading it. Mort had been whimpering off and on all morning, enough to get on the royal ring tail's nerves. Needless to say, the little lemur was punted like a football for annoying his monarch.

Julien eventually noticed that Maurice was distracted and wasn't paying close enough attention to his kingly needs. Finally he decided to ask what the trouble was. He still fully intended to eat his lunch, which was an apple on that day, but he would ask.

"Maurice, you are failing your king. WHY are you failing your king?"

The aye-aye lemur's eyes darted around nervously. It took him a few minutes to answer, which further annoyed his liege lord.

"Well...it's just that...it's Shot Day Your Majesty."

Julien was puzzled by this pronouncement.

"Shot Day? What it this Shot Day?"

"You remember last year. We're taken to the doctor and he gives us a shot."

The lemur waved his hand, the one holding the apple by the way, in a dismissive gesture.

"Oh silly Maurice. We, and by that I mean me, are not getting the shots."

"And why not?"

"Because I am eating the apples. They keeps the doctors away."

It was the portly primate's turn to look confused.

"And how do apples keep doctors away?"

"You eat the apples, like so," here Julien finished his apple, "and then you throw the apple core at the doctor to keep him away."

"Uh...I don't think that's going to work."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Before Maurice could answer, a cage dropped over him. A similar cage dropped over Mort, who had just returned from being kicked, and Julien making him loose his grip on the apple core.

"No! The apple! How will I be keeping the doctors away now?!"

The three lower primates were hauled off to the vet's office where they were then tagged. They each waited in terror in their respective cages. The doctor came for Mort first.

"What? Why should the king not be going first?"

There was a muffled scream from the next room. Then the doctor returned for Maurice.

"And now Maurice too? Why is the king being the last?!"

Another muffled scream. And then it was finally Julien's turn. His ears drooped down as his eyes went wide with fear upon seeing the needle. He tried to make a break for it as he was being taken away, but he failed. The shot was administered, and of course he screamed.

Later all three lemurs were back in their habitat rubbing their sore bottoms. Julien looked sternly at Maurice.

"Next year, we shall be getting plenty of the apples. No one is to be doing this to the royal booty! No one! Oww..."

Apples for everyone! *gives out apples* And those sodas from last chapter too. *hands out sodas* Please review.