Disclaimer: Look, just read the first or second chapter for the disclaimer.
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It was early in the morning, about 8a.m. Laura just finished cleaning out Hamtaro's cage. She wanted to make sure the disease wouldn't occur again.
"Laura, are you up?" Kana called from outside.
"Yeah, come on in!" she replied. She moved the cage off to the side to air-dry. She would put it back together later. When Kana got in, Laura started to explain the situation about Hamtaro to Kana.
"So these mice can be hazardous to hamsters?" Kana asked.
"Yes, but they're easy to catch using special traps. I'll show you one of them when we go downstairs. Dad caught the mouse in one of them earlier." Laura said, digging under her bed. "I'm out of bedding. Want to go to the pet store with me to pick up more?"
"Sure!" Kana said.
Meanwhile…
Hamsters were coming out of the tunnel near Brandy's doghouse.
"Do you think he will hear us out?" Bijou asked.
"I'm sure he will," Boss reassured. "He's a great friend, and I won't lose him because of our stupidity." The other hamsters came out after them.
The front door started to open.
"Like, hide!" Sandy yelled. They all hid behind the doghouse.
"What did your dad do with it?" they heard Kana ask.
"I think he took it out back this morning and whacked it with a shovel." Laura answered.
"What's he talking about?" Howdy asked.
"That's not nice!" Kana said, surprised.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the little critter didn't feel any pain." Laura said.
"Little critter? You don't think she's referring to…" Dexter asked.
"I'm glad to finally have that stupid rodent out of my life!" Laura exclaimed. Both Bijou and Pashmina fainted at this.
"She didn't…" Stan stammered.
"No way!" Boss yelled, shaking his head. "Laura loves Hamtaro! He's probably up there in her room, running in his whiz-wheel." Bijou and Pashmina recovered and got up.
"I'd better try to get rid of mine soon, before it causes too much trouble." Kana said. Oxnard dropped his seed and nearly passed out.
"There's been lots of trouble with them. June has one. Kylie has a small one, I think. Even Maria, that girl that plays the piano so well, has a problem with them. It's like there's an infestation of them all through the city. Nobody wants them," said Laura as the two girls went down the street.
Pashmina and Bijou fainted again. Penelope quivered in fear. Maxwell felt like he was going to throw up.
"I don't want to hear any more!" Boss yelled. "I'm going to go make sure Hamtaro is still safely upstairs." They all went up the drainpipe, into Laura's room.
"Like, where's his cage?" Sandy asked.
"Over here!" Oxnard called. The gang went over to the cleaned out cage.
"There's nothing here!" Stan yelled. "There's no bedding, food, or water, and the cage isn't put together, man!" He sat down, his ears drooping. "He's...gone…forever."
"I feel terrible!" Maxwell started. "Hamtaro was having all these problems at home, and we only made his life worse at the clubhouse." He fought back a tear. "We turned our backs on him when he needed us the most."
"I don't want to lose any more of you," Boss announced. "It may be best if you all stay at the clubhouse before this happens again."
"Zank you, Boss. I don't want to die!" Bijou said.
At that time, in the animal hospital…
Hamtaro's fur coat was almost back to it's full color and shine. He was busy nibbling on a regular sunflower seed.
"You're looking a lot better!" Travis said. He petted the little hamster on the head.
Hey, wait a minute! Hamtaro thought, now that he head was clear thanks to the medicine. You're the boy Laura likes!
"You should be all better tonight, when I take you back to Laura. She'll be glad to see you all better," Travis said. "She's a great girl. I care for her…a lot…"
"Heke?" Hamtaro said.
"I've got to go to soccer practice," Travis said. "I'll see you later."
Hamtaro was left to reflect on the last few days. He thought about escaping to visit the Ham-Hams. I probably shouldn't. I don't know where I am, and besides, they're probably either mad at me, or think I'm crazy! He thought.
At the clubhouse, the place was busy with activity. Pashmina, Sandy, Cappy, and Bijou were setting up temporary beds. Boss and Panda were going over expansion of the clubhouse.
"If we dig out more areas here and here, and you build the walls and furniture, we can make large sleeping quarters and private areas for everyone. The girls can sleep here, and the guys here," boss said, indicating on a blueprint of the existing clubhouse.
"I'm rather surprised at you," Dexter said. "I would have thought you would set it up so Bijou would share your room with you."
"Dexter, this is no time to think of love!" Boss snapped. "This is a matter of survival! If I could, I'd let all of the Ham-Hams sleep in my room, but it's way too small. We've got to plan this carefully and seriously."
Chapter 4 will be up…sometime.