The upside down lampshade on the bird's neck looked chewed on to some extent, and a small patches of him looked liked the chickens you bought from the grocery store. Larry gently came close to the bird after getting the medicine, but the bird, upon seeing it, flew to the other side of the office before Larry could do anything.

"If only he could react the same way he does when I bring him food" he complained with a frown.

This gave me an idea. "Why don't you put it on his food"

"The form of the medicine doesn't allow me to do that" he said and showed it to me.

"oh..."

"Natalie said to be firm, but gentle. Sounds like a paradox, doesn't it?" he began to muse.

"Come towards him with food, grab him, then I'll bring you the medicine."

"okay" he agreed, got out the food, and lured the bird back with it after I hid the medicine.

."Grab him" I said, and Larry did so. Then, he handed him to me. My friend tried to give Red the medicine.

"Gaw!" the bird squawked, flapped his wings furiously, and bit him.

"Ow!" Larry yelped. I could barely contain the bird.

"Try it again!" I gritted, as the bird bit and scratched me.

After some more struggling, I just let the bird go.

"What are we going to do?" Larry lamented.

"Let's call Don?" I suggested. "He knows how to handle violent humans. A parrot shouldn't be a problem

"Maybe I could make an appointment with Natalie, so that she can do it and show me again?"

"Natalie is probably in the middle of an operation" I said quickly, as I preferred to deal with Don than her. Besides it would be funny to see Don try to give medicine to that parrot.

"Go ahead" he nodded his head.

So, I called my brother's cell.

"Eppes?" he answered.

"Hey bro! Larry needs a favor"

"What kinda favor?" he asked without hesitation. My brother liked Larry.

"Natalie prescribed an antidepressant for the bird, but we're having a hard time administrating it. Could you help?"

"Has Larry called Natalie?" he asked neutrally. I knew that he didn't want to do this.

"No..."

"Wouldn't she be better qualified to help him?"

"Well...I figured since you're uh...trained to tackle violent people...you could help us?"

"The perps I arrest don't have talons, wings and beaks" Don pointed out. "I'm not gonna be much help to you, buddy. Call Natalie" With that, my brother hung up.

"What did he say?" Larry asked.

"That he doesn't think he could be much help."

"Let's go see Natalie at her clinic" Larry said. He lured the bird back into his cage using food, which was covered as soon as it got back in, and we went. Soon we arrived. It was full of people and their pets. The sounds of birds, cats, dogs, and other animals permeated, not to mention the smells.

"Can I help you?" A pretty receptionist asked.

"I'd like to uh...see Dr. Core. It's rather urgent." Larry said.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"She said I could call or come by anytime" Larry said.

the redhead looked at her computer "I'm afraid she's with another patient, and is backed up in her appointments."

"it's just that I need to give my bird his medicine, and it's proving difficult" Larry explained.

"Are any of the other vets available?" I asked.

Just then, I heard Dad's voice.

"Charlie!Larry! " he smiled at us. "What's wrong with the bird?"

"I can't give him his medicine, and Natalie seems busy" Larry explained.

"Maybe you can help us Dad? I mean….you used to give me and Don medicine when we were babies" I said.

"Those were the days!" dad laughed. "But you two didn't have beaks and talons. Look, let me take him to Nat. The people at the front desk know me"

"Thanks Dad!"

"I'll come along" Larry said. "Maybe she could show me again?"

"Sure!" dad agreed, we all went to Natalie's office.

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I had come to see Nat, as I was closeby, and just because. Soon enough, she hurridly came into her office.

"hey guys!" she greeted us cheerfully and kissed me. "Is there something wrong with the bird?"

"I can't seem to give him his medicine" Larry explained with a frown.

"Parrots aren't easy to give meds too" Natalie said in a comforting voice. "Let me see" She uncovered the cage, cooed at the parrot. and then, gave the medicine to the very reluctant bird, while explaining things to Larry.

"The Vet tech is probably done with the patient by now, so I gotta go" she said apologetically, while putting a hand on my right shoulder.

"We've got to get back to our own jobs...but Thank you for your help!" Larry said with a smile.

"No problem." she gave me a kiss and was on her way.

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Some days later,I went to see Dad around eight at his place. Natalie, while there, spent the entire evening on the computer. It looked like she was chatting online with someone. But who? She usually communicated with her family via the telephone.

Curiously, I tried to see who she was chatting with. Something told me that it was another one of her investigations. Since they had given her problems before by exposing her to crazies, I discretly tried to check it out, but each time, her cat, who was sitting on the moniter, would look up and betray my presence, causing me to lamely ask where something was and Natalie to quickly minimize it.

I pretended not to notice what she was doing.

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Recently, one of my Vet techs, that at a veterinarian hospital his cousin worked at, the Rimadyl, a medicine used to treat canine pain and inflammation for aritis, tended to run out kinda fast. Said cousin suspected one of the vets, but had no proof. She was giving me info, online. What she had told me had been convincing enough.

"Why the hell would someone steal Rimadyl?" she asked at one pioint. "I doubt it would have the same street value as morphine, or whatever else you can get at a human hospital."

She was right. Usually the people who stole vet meds were desperate junkies, who broke into vet clinics. Or you go the occasion nut, who liked tranquilizers that were made for animals.

Then, I had a thought and shared it with her "What if...it's an ingredient for something? Like the cold meds?"

"That would make sense" she replied, as Layla betrayed Don's presence yet again.

The next day, I, and Rocko, took him to see the guy, figuring I could gain the man's trust that way. It was probably not the best, idea, but that was the only way I had. In the waiting room, I put fake info on the form, .

After a while, it was finally my turn. I was lead by a Vet tech into a room. As soon as he was gone, I did some snooping. The other two patient rooms had other patients and their caregivers. The vet's office was closed, and to my annoyance, locked. Hmmmm I thought I kept my office open, only locking up drawers that held sample medications, and my prescription pads. That seemed suspicious to me. When caught by the same vet tech who led me in. I blamed ADHD, and went back to where Rocko, who seemed restless, was.

Eventually, the Vet came to see me. He was Don's age with brown hair and blue eyes.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Well...like...little Gigi is totally not eating!" I did my best over protective owner wail. "And he just like barks all night!"

"Is he alone all the time?"

"He's got Zola to keep him company"

"Zola?"

"My husband's Dalmatian!"

""oh..."

He gave me some reassurances, and a few recommendations, that were pretty good. Then, after saying goodbye, and paying in cash, started to leave. Seeing a man waiting, I sat down, and asked.

"You've been here before?" I asked idly..

"Yeah a few times"

"Dr. Henderson seems like a good vet, doesn't he?"

"Yeah...he gives it to ya straight!" the man, who was in his twenties replied; his german sheperd sat nearby. "He comes to my pizza place all the time!"

"I just love pizza!" I cooed. "Where is your place?"

"Here's a card" he gave it to me.

"Thank you!" With that, I left after getting Henderson's business card from the front desk.

That night, while channel surfing, I stopped upon seeing an anchor talk about a possible new street drug called 'y' available in clubs, and through dealers.

"Why the interest?" Alan asked me.

"The cousin of one of my vet techs suspects that a vet at the hospital she works at steals canine arthitis medicine. It could be an ingredient for this new drug" I explained as he put an arm around my shoulder.

"Would it have a similar effect on humans?" he asked.

"I don't know..." I shrugged. "The body chemistries are so different."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

With the help of a PI, I got Dr. Henderson's address, and some other info. When I got it, I went to snoop around. The guy had no beefs either legal or professionally. I carried my medical bag in case someone started to ask questions. That way , I could say that I was on my way to a house call, but was lost. As I tried to look through the window, which was half opened, I heard a familiar voice say

"Natalie?"

I turned, and to my dread, it was Don.

"What are you doing here?" he asked straight out.

I dramatically slapped my forehead. "I seem to be at the wrong house!"

"Really?"

I made a point of looking at the small piece of paper the PI gave me. "Look! I'm like a block off! Damn! Guess that's bound to happen now that I don't do as many house calls as I used to"

"It is far from your clinic" Don told me neutrally. Megan soon was beside him. They both wore professional clothes, and had their guns on their waists.

"I missed you at the last session, Natalie" she said casually. As I remembered that was when I went to see the PI for the first time. Why did she have to say it in front of Don? Damn!

"Sorry..." I said lamely. "So…..uh...you guys are on duty?"

"Yeah...we were following a lead next door" Don said vaguely, "when we saw you"

"Well...uh...little Bibi isn't gonna give herself antibiotics, so I'd uh...better go..."

"I'll see ya tonight?" he said in the form of a question.

"Of course ..." It wasn't gonna be evening, though at least he wouldn't ask questions in front of Alan.

So, I casually went into my car, and left.

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Megan raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. What the hell was Natalie up to? House call...yeah sure...! Hasn't that woman learnt her lesson? Damn it!

Something told me, that whatever she was up to, I wasn't gonna like it.

TBC

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