True Heart sighed as she had to pass word for all Care Bears and Cousins to stand fast if on an Earth bound Caring Mission. She signaled all to stand fast. Be ready to stand tall. A pandemic was sweeping many lands on Earth. It was unknown if Care Bears or Cousins could be affected. Care Bears and such are less prone to deadly diseases than Humans. However they are not invulnerable to all of Mother Nature's ailments for Earthly life forms.
Care Bears got their start as Earth bound creatures. Though now different from their Ursine ancestors they were Bears. It is the same for the Care Cousins. They got their start from Earthly animals. Bears on Earth are known to get arthritis. True Heart was one Care Bear who had the same ailment. Thinking of all those ill Humans made her think of something similar happening in Care a Lot. Time to make sure she had proper medications for herself and Oopsy. True Heart looked into her medicine cabinet. She grinned as she spotted a pack of a popular Care Bear/Cousin remedy. The name of the product always made her grin.
Then her grin faded as she listened to news about Earth. Now a horrible virus was ravaging Humanity. It was best for a stand down of Caring Missions. So Bears and Cousins now on Earth hunkered down for protection. Discretely their Human contacts helped supply them as safely as possible. No Human wanted to send an Earth born illness to Care a Lot, and vice versa.
True Heart realized the irony as she sent word to Bright Heart that his Caring Mission was to be temporarily halted. It was best he stay hunkered down where he was on Earth. At least for a few weeks or more. Yes, the irony of it all. For he had once been stranded while on an Earthly Caring Mission. Due to another Earthly pandemic. As had Grumpy Bear.
True Heart thought of how a life lost meant the end of many future possibilities. While once stranded Grumpy had gotten very ill. Now so many years later he was mated with Share. Their daughter Sulky was such a sweet little Cub. If Grumpy had perished during his illness a little family would not now exist. Luckily the right Care Cousin was on scene when Grumpy needed him most.
It was the 1980's by some Earth calendars. True Heart had heard through Human sources something called Swine Flu was causing problems among Humans. Because Treat Heart Pig was descended of Earthly Porcine, Swine that is, it was deemed unsafe for her to do an assigned Caring Mission. So Grumpy Bear was sent in her stead.
Grumpy and Bright Heart first visited Canada then The U.S.A. It appeared as if the Swine Flu may not be as catastrophic as feared. So the Caring Team were instructed to help deliver Care Packages to famine stricken Humans in Africa. A great drought was affecting food supplies.
Quietly Humans in the know met up with the intrepid caring duo. Precautions taken by all seemed to have worked. All had gone well until the day the Caring Team was scheduled to return to Care a Lot. Their Human friends showed no signs of illness as all said their goodbyes. Indeed time would prove those caring Humans had nothing to fear from their interactions with Grumpy and Bright Heart. Nor Care Bear and Cousin from Human contact.
Grumpy had seemed fine to Bright Heart that fine African morning. The last of the Care Packages were now in Human hands. Bright Heart paid little attention as Grumpy grumbled about the heat. Bright Heart was anxious to get back home. The day before their Caring Mission had started Bright Heart lost a Checkers match to Treat Heart. He now itched for a re-match. Then suddenly Grumpy had gone silent. "Good, he finally shut up" thought Bright Heart.
Bright Heart turned toward Grumpy. The intelligent Care Cousin had always been interested in many things. He was now well read and well trained in many areas. One thing Bright Heart had studied was Emergency Medical techniques. He quickly noticed how pale Grumpy's nose was.
"Hey, are you feeling ill Grumps" asked Bright Heart. He suddenly realized Grumpy's earlier complaints about the heat may have been a sign of fever. Grumpy put his hand paws up to his face.
"I feel really warm. I also feel a bit dizzy." Grumpy was barely able to drag himself into the back seat of the Cloud Car. He knew he was most likely unable to safely operate a Cloud Car. "I think you had better drive this cloud thingy. Wait, what if I got something from the Humans?"
Bright Heart was stumped for a moment. Which was very unusual for him. He sighed and went to the back of the Cloud Car. Knowing they would be in a drought stricken area the Caring Duo had stored three large tins of water in the car's small trunk. One of the large tins had been used up. After retrieving the remaining two Bright Heart reached under the front seat. He withdrew his personal Caring Pack. Then Grumpy's. Caring Packs were not standardized. Their owner had some discretion as what to carry. Cousins tended to prefer certain basic canned food items a Bear may not like. Some ration packs differed as to the owner of the C.P. However every pack was mandated to carry the same basic medical kit.
Also included were matches, thermal blankets and a light weight waterproof tarp. Bright Heart now formed an action plan in his head. "Alright Grumpy. Sit tight and rest. I have a plan."
At that time in Care Bear history their Cloud Cars had crude radios. Even so Bright Heart got a message through to Care a Lot. Then set out with his plan of action. Using the tarps and tree branches he fashioned a crude shelter. It would provide shade and make the daytime heat a bit more bearable. Leafy branches were used to soften up the flooring a bit. Then each thermal blanket was laid over more leaves. Bright Heart now had a bed for himself and one for Grumpy.
Just outside the intrepid raccoon made a circle of stones over the ground. Then gathered wood for a cooking fire. "Maybe I can help you" said Grumpy as he tried to get out of the Cloud Car. Then he leaned out to vomit. Luckily none got in the Cloud Car. "Just sit tight Grumpy" said Bright Heart. As the day turned to dusk a familiar sound was heard from over head.
As a Cloud Car banked away over head a small package could be seen under a parachute. "Best of Luck" they heard as Funshine yelled down to them. "Wish I was allowed to land!" For health reasons Funshine had been told only to drop the package. Inside the package were more supplies. Bright Heart cut up the parachute. Two pieces were used as sheets to place over the bedding leaves. The other piece re-enforced the shelter's roof.
Finally Bright Heart helped Grumpy to stagger into the shelter. "Thanks Brighto" mumbled Grumpy as he settled down in his crude bed. Grumpy was rather pleased to find the bed quite comfortable. Then as the dusk deepened Bright Heart prepared supper over the fire pit. He made some tea to drink.
Grumpy crawled out of his rustic bed. He tried to hold steady the can of tea handed to him. It was the only thing Grumpy had for supper. The usually hungry Bear wanted nothing else. That worried Bright Heart. He felt guilty as he ate beans out of a can he had heated over the fire. His can of tea turned out to be one of the best he had ever had.
"Roughing it isn't so bad" he thought to himself. "I just may try camping when I get back to Care a Lot." Then he helped Grumpy stagger outside to Pee. After giving Grumpy some medicine from the Caring Packs Bright Heart watched Grumpy crawl under his thermal blanket. Then Bright Heart nestled into his own crude bed. Feeling secure knowing the fire pit should help ward off any wild animals. Soon he was blissfully asleep.
Bright Heart awoke as he heard a strange sound. He went outside to throw some more wood onto the fire. Then just as he started to pee another animal sound startled him. Then he had to laugh at himself after he nearly peed into the fire as he flinched from the sound. "Calm down" he muttered to himself. "I nearly drowned the campfire with urine!" After admiring the stars of an African sky he went back into the shelter. Soon he was snoring louder than Grumpy.
Bright Heart awoke to a dry African dawn. As he stared at the tarp roof he sighed. If only it would rain a bit. It would be a fine way to see how weather proof the shelter really was. Also the drought stricken area needed rain. Despite the drought there was living vegetation and trees. Bright Heart stared at a shrub. For some reason it looked familiar. But he just could not remember why.
After preparing breakfast he could get Grumpy to eat just one cold biscuit. Grumpy was barely able to swallow some aspirin. His hand paws were shaking. Despite the medication there were no signs of Grumpy's fever breaking. This so worried Bright Heart he went outside to think. As he stared at the surrounding brush he once again locked eyes on a certain bush. Why did it look familiar to him? Had it something top do with the time he and Treat Heart had met the Fruit Bat, Stella Luna? "No" he thought to himself.
Then he thought if only there was some place local he dared seek help. What if a local medication was available. Again he looked at the bush. Then a thought hit him like a thunder strike. "Violet Tree" he yelled to himself. "That's it!"
Bright Heart had remembered a book he had read several years before. One where natives of Africa used some local plants and shrubs as sources of medicine. One of the most widely found and used was the Violet Tree. He was looking at one! He ducked into the shelter. Bright Heart grabbed the jackknife which had been in his Caring Pack. He also grabbed a small sack. "Grumpy, hold fast, I need to gather some things outside."
He heard Grumpy mutter "okay". Bright Heart feared a wild animal may be prowling nearby. However he was able to safely get leaves, bark and even some roots from the Violet tree. Thanks to the heat and dry conditions there were naturally dried leaves perfect for making a tea. Despite the drought the immediate vegetation was doing rather well. Perhaps there was groundwater under this place.
Then Bright Heart spotted some African Worm Wood. Another known Medicinal Plant. Bright Heart gathered more of Nature's medicinal bounty. Soon a strange brew was bubbling in a tin can suspended with wire over the fire.
Grumpy awoke from a feverish sleep to the smell of wood burning. But what was that other smell? He dizzily sat up. There was Bright Heart holding out tin can. A bit of aromatic steam arose from it. "See if you can drink some of this herbal tea, Grumpy" said the Raccoon. With shaky hand paws Grumpy took a sip.
"Hey, this tea is a bit bitter but I kind of like it" Grumpy said in a shaky voice. As he sipped some more of the brew his queasy tummy seemed to settle down a bit. Soon he had drunk it all. "Thanks Brighto" mumbled Grumpy as he then put his head back down. Bright Heart watched as Grumpy soon drifted off to sleep. Then the Raccoon grinned as he carefully felt Grumpy's nose. Hopefully that nose would soon be moist, not hot and dry.
Within an hour Grumpy's nose felt cooler and moister to Bright Heart. "By golly I just may have done it" thought the Raccoon. Who soon fell asleep from exhaustion. He was totally oblivious to the sounds of wild life. Curious eyes occasionally glowed as they perused the shelter and the fire protecting it. Yet no creature attempted to intrude. It was almost as if they were quietly standing guard.
Bright Heart woke to another dry day. He carefully touched Grumpy's nose. It was no longer hot and dry. "Ew" said the Raccoon as he wiped his hand paw on his leg. Soon Bright Heart had more of the medicinal tea brewing in a tin can. His own tea was in the bean can he had emptied the evening before. He was startled as something came up behind him.
Bright Heart spun on his heels only to see Grumpy trying to stand steady on his feet. "Grumpy" gasped the surprised Raccoon. "How are you feeling?"
Grumpy flashed a quick half smile. "I feel like I have been Foot Ball tackled by Treat Heart Pig after eating some of Shreeky's cooking." He then produced something he had grabbed from his Caring Pack. "I do feel well enough to go behind a bush and then using this." Bright Heart laughed. Grumpy was holding some toilet paper.
Soon Grumpy and Bright Heart were sitting away from the fire pit. Bright Heart was eating some more beans and sipping tea. Grumpy was eating a warmed up biscuit topped with honey. After having some Medicinal Tea he ate another biscuit. Then Grumpy nearly laughed as Bright Heart jumped up and grabbed some of his own toilet paper. "I think those beans are really stimulating my Colon" yelled Bright Heart as he squatted behind a bush.
He and Grumpy would spend one more day hunkered down in their shelter. Bright Heart did go outside to forage for more African Violet and Wormwood. The book he had read about African Native Medicines had been correct. Now he was collecting the plants for all of Care a Lot. He realized that if put into the correct hand paws they may help others. Namely citizens of Care a Lot and The Forest of Feelings. Surely Take Care Bear could make use of them.
Finally it was time for Grumpy and Bright Heart to pack up and leave. Bright Heart felt sad as he disassembled the shelter. He had been proud of his creation. He made sure to get photos of it. Then he looked around. He sure wish he had time to try to locate certain Dusky Flycatchers. Then he looked proudly into a sack which now contained African Violet and Wormwood. Then as Grumpy sat in the back seat Bright Heart set the Cloud Car in motion.
He gazed over the side of the Cloud Car to admire the view of Africa below them. He hoped to soon get another chance to visit one of his favorite Earthly continents. Bright Heart sighed as the Cloud Car jumped into the Fifth Dimension.
Little could he know he would soon be making future trips to Africa with Take Care Bear. Bright Heart had stood fast to help Grumpy. He would soon stand tall when awarded for finding a medication for Care Bears and Care Cousins. Everyone agreed Bright Heart truly deserved a Merit of Caring award. In time what became known as Grumpy's Brew became a standard treatment for upset tummies and high fever. It has become a well known remedy through out Care a Lot. Packages containing the dry ingredients needed are found in nearly every Bear's and Cousin's Medicine Cabinet. The name of the brew was started by Bright Heart. As sort of a joke between he and Grumpy. However its medicinal value is no joke. Over time the name has become known throughout the land of Care a Lot. Grumpy was embarrassed about having it named after him. Or so he said.