Operation: Sprinkles

One morning, Blue and Sprinkles were still asleep. That soon changed when Tickety Tock rang her alarm bells.

"Time to wake up, Blue and Sprinkles!" she said.

Blue sat up in her bed and yawned, then looked over at Sprinkles, who didn't seem to be stirring.

"Come on, Sprinkles, it's time to get up." she prodded gently.

All Sprinkles could do was moan.

"I don't feel so good..." he whined in a scratchy voice.

Right away, Blue could tell something was wrong.

"Steve!" she called.

In a matter of seconds, Steve came into the room.

"What's up, Blue?" he asked.

"It's Sprinkles." said Blue. "I think he's sick."

"Sick, huh?" replied Steve. "We'll soon sort that out."

Steve then went over to Sprinkles.

"Hey, Sprinkles." he said. "Are you feeling okay, buddy?"

Sprinkles just shook his head. Steve felt Sprinkles' forehead and found it to be very warm.

"Golly, Sprinkles." said Steve. "You feel pretty hot. We better take your temperature."

Steve then looked at Blue.

"You go ahead and get your breakfast, Blue." he said. "I'll take care of your brother."

"Okay." nodded Blue.

With that, Blue went to the kitchen table to have breakfast while Steve got a thermometer out of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom to take Sprinkles' temperature. When he did, the thermometer read Sprinkles' temperature to be a whopping 99.9 degrees.

"Uh-oh." said Steve. "Looks like you've got a fever, Sprinkles. I don't think you should go to school today."

Sprinkles just nodded in agreement. At that moment, Joe, who was wearing his yellow shirt, came over.

"What's up with Sprinkles?" asked Joe.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." replied his brother. "Sprinkles, what all is wrong?"

"Well, my throat feels scratchy and my head hurts." the poorly pup replied.

"Hmm...this sounds serious." said Steve. "I better call Dr. Mya."

With that, Steve took out his phone and dialed Dr. Mya's number. Dr. Mya answered immediately.

"Dr. Mya speaking." she said.

Steve explained the situation to the doctor.

"You're right to call me." said Dr. Mya. "This does sound serious. Bring him to my office and I'll see him immediately."

"Thank you, Dr. Mya." said Steve. "See you soon."

And with that, Steve ended the call, then went over to the kitchen, where Blue was finishing her breakfast.

"I'm taking Sprinkles to the doctor." he said. "And I'll ask Miranda to take you to school."

"Okay, Steve." nodded Blue.

And so, Steve got Sprinkles and drove to the doctor's office in the Thing. They soon arrived and found Dr. Mya waiting for them in the waiting room.

"Thanks for agreeing to see him, doc." said Steve.

"My pleasure, Steve." replied Dr. Mya. "This way, please."

Dr. Mya escorted Steve and Sprinkles to the exam room, where Steve placed Sprinkles on the bed. Dr. Mya then grabbed a tongue depressor.

"Okay, Sprinkles, open wide." she said.

Sprinkles opened his mouth as wide as he could, and Dr. Mya looked inside his mouth, and found something alarming.

"I think I see the problem." Dr. Mya said.

"What is it?" asked Steve.

"It's Sprinkles' tonsils." replied Dr. Mya as she removed the tongue depressor. "They've swelled up."

"Oh, wow." gasped Steve. "That doesn't sound good. What should I do?"

"Have him take some antibiotics to help with the pain." replied Dr. Mya. "And be sure he drinks enough fluids to remain hydrated. And if he gets hungry, feed him some broth or a popsicle to help relax his throat. If his condition improves or worsens within at least a week, give me another call, because if it improves, keep at it until he makes a full recovery, but if it worsens, he'll have to go to the hospital to have them removed."

"How would we know if his condition worsens?" asked Steve.

"You'll know if the pain in his throat doesn't go away between within one or two days, he begins having difficulty breathing or swallowing, begins drooling excessively, or loses his appetite." said Dr. Mya.

"Got it." agreed Steve.

Sprinkles just nodded. Soon, it was time to go home, and when they returned home, Steve put Sprinkles back in his bed, then went to the kitchen. On his way to the kitchen, he passed by Joe (who was wearing his yellow shirt) and Josh, who were engaged in a game of checkers.

"How's Sprinkles?" asked Joe.

Steve explained what Dr. Mya had said to his brother and cousin.

"Boy, that sounds rough." said Josh.

"It sure does." agreed Joe. "Here's to hoping he feels better."

"Amen, brother." said Steve.

The next day, Joe, now wearing his green shirt, brought Sprinkles a bowl of broth and a mug of tea, per Dr. Mya's instructions. However, when he gave Sprinkles the bowl, Sprinkles gave it back immediately.

"No thank you, Joe." Sprinkles said in a much scratchier voice now. "I'm not hungry."

"Well, okay." said Joe. "I'll just put it in the fridge and re-heat it later."

Sprinkles just nodded as Joe went back to the kitchen. When Joe came back to the kitchen, he found Steve sitting at the table having some coffee while playing a game on his phone. Josh had taken Blue to school, and he had some errands to do afterwards.

"So, how is he?" asked Steve.

"He didn't want the broth." said Joe as he poured the broth into a plastic container. "And he sounds much worse than he did yesterday."

"Then I guess we better call Dr. Mya again and tell her." said Steve as he opened his contacts.

Steve soon found Dr. Mya's number and called her. When the doctor answered, Steve readily updated her on Sprinkles' condition.

"Then there's only one thing to do." said Dr. Mya. "We'll have to send him to the hospital for a tonsillectomy. I'll talk to my colleagues at the hospital about scheduling a day for him to go in and get back to you."

"Alright, Dr. Mya." said Steve. "Goodbye."

After Steve ended the call, he relaid the news to Joe.

"Should we tell Sprinkles?" asked Joe.

"Not right now." said Steve. "Let's wait until Blue gets home, then we can tell them both at the same time."

"Good idea." agreed Joe.

Later, when Blue came home from school, Steve, Joe, and Josh (who had been made aware of Sprinkles' upcoming surgery by this point), told the two pups about the procedure.

"Steve, can I ask a question?" asked Sprinkles.

"Sure, Sprinkles." replied Steve. "What is it?"

"Will the surgery hurt?" Sprinkles questioned.

Steve laughed.

"Of course not." he said. "The doctor will give you special medicine that makes you fall asleep, so you won't feel a thing."

"And when you wake up, the surgery will be all over." added Joe.

"Yeah, Sprinkles, you've got nothing to worry about." finished Josh. "You'll be fine."

Sprinkles did feel a little better after hearing this. Just then, Steve's cell phone rang. When he answered, it turned out to be Dr. Mya calling him. She was calling to let him know that the date of Sprinkles' surgery had been scheduled for Saturday morning.

"And be sure that he doesn't eat anything after midnight before the procedure." said Dr. Mya. "Otherwise, the anesthetic won't work the way it should."

"I will, Dr. Mya." said Steve. "Thanks."

"No worries." replied Dr. Mya as she hung up.

Steve then relaid the information to the two pups, and passed on Dr. Mya's orders about not eating anything before the procedure to Sprinkles.

"Okay, Steve." Sprinkles nodded.

Just then, Joe had an idea.

"Hey, Sprinkles, I know of something that could help you understand more about your surgery." he said.

"You do?" asked Sprinkles. "What is it?"

"I'll be right back." said Joe.

Joe then left, and soon came back with his laptop, on which he pulled up an online tonsillectomy simulation game. He gave the laptop to Sprinkles, and they all watched as Sprinkles played the game with fascination-induced enthusiasm.

"Good move, bro." said Steve. "It sure looks like he's having fun playing that."

Soon, Sprinkles was finished and gave the laptop back to Joe.

"Thanks, Joe." he said. "That helped a lot."

"Glad to hear it." smiled Joe.

Soon, it was the day of the surgery, and Steve, Joe (who was now wearing his orange shirt), and Sprinkles were driving to the hospital in the Thing. Joe was driving, with Steve riding shotgun and Sprinkles behind Joe.

"You didn't eat anything before we left, did you?" asked Steve.

"Nope." said Sprinkles. "Not even a nibble."

"Good." said Steve.

Soon, they arrived at the hospital and checked into the waiting area. It wasn't long before a female nurse came over to them.

"Hello." greeted the nurse. "I'm Nurse Angela. You must be Sprinkles."

"Hi." said Sprinkles shyly.

"He's a little nervous." Steve whispered. "He's never been to the hospital before."

"Ah, I understand." said Nurse Angela.

Nurse Angela then looked at Sprinkles again.

"Don't worry, Sprinkles." she said reassuringly. "We'll take good care of you here."

"Yeah, Sprinkles, and me and Joe will be right here waiting for you." said Steve.

"Speaking of, we should probably get going." said Nurse Angela. "Follow me."

Nurse Angela took Sprinkles, Steve, and Joe to a patient room and placed Sprinkles on the bed after putting him in a hospital gown and placing a special bracelet with Sprinkles' name on it around his wrist.

"There you go." said Nurse Angela. "Now, just get nice and comfy and I'll go get the doctor."

"Okay." said Sprinkles.

With that, Nurse Angela left, and she soon came back with the doctor, a man who Nurse Angela introduced as Dr. Todd.

"Ready for your surgery, Sprinkles?" asked Dr. Todd.

"Yep." nodded Sprinkles.

"Okay, then." smiled Dr. Todd. "Let's get you to the O.R."

With that, Dr. Todd and Nurse Angela began wheeling Sprinkles' hospital bed out of the room.

"We'll see you soon, little buddy." Steve said to Sprinkles.

Sprinkles just waved to Steve and Joe as he was wheeled to the operating room. Soon, they arrived, and Dr. Todd and Nurse Angela changed into hospital scrubs, and Dr. Todd prepared the anesthetic.

"Okay, Sprinkles, do you know how to count to one hundred?" he asked.

"I think so." said Sprinkles.

"Good." said Dr. Todd as he placed the mask over Sprinkles' nose and mouth. "Can you start counting to one hundred for me?"

"Sure." agreed Sprinkles. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten..."

But the higher Sprinkles counter, the sleepier he became. It wasn't long before he was completely asleep. Quite some time later, when Sprinkles woke up, Steve and Joe, as well as Josh and Blue, were by the bed.

"Hey, little brother." said Blue. "Welcome back to the world."

"Thanks, Blue." said Sprinkles groggily.

"So, how do you feel?" asked Steve.

"Well, my head feels a little funny, but other than that, I'm okay." said Sprinkles. "My throat doesn't feel as scratchy anymore."

"Good to hear." said Steve.

Just then, Dr. Todd came back in.

"How are you feeling, Sprinkles?" he asked.

"A little better." replied Sprinkles. "Thanks."

"My pleasure." smiled Dr. Todd. "And now, I have another question for you."

Dr. Todd then held up three popsicles that were each a different color and flavor.

"Cherry, orange, or grape?" he asked.

"Grape, please." replied Sprinkles.

"Grape it is." nodded Dr. Todd as he gave Sprinkles the grape popsicle.

Sprinkles carefully unwrapped the popsicle and began to suck on it. As he was enjoying his frozen treat, Dr. Todd spoke to Steve, Joe, and Josh.

"Be sure he drinks plenty of fluids and gets plenty of rest, just like you were already doing prior to the procedure." he instructed. "And he might feel a little nauseous for a few days and might feel like there's something stuck in his throat. In addition, he might also feel pain in his ears, neck, or jaw. These are common issues in patients who have tonsillectomies, so there's no need for concern. However, call your regular doctor immediately if he suddenly developes difficulties breathing or begins running a fever of 102 degrees or higher. And I'm gonna prescribe him some pain medications for him to take every morning and night."

"Got it, doctor." nodded Josh. "When can he go home?"

"Actually, he'll be able to go home today." said Dr. Todd. "Since there seems to have been no complications from the surgery."

"Sounds great." said Steve.

"I'm just gonna go put the discharge papers together." said Dr. Todd. "I'll be right back."

And with that, he left.

"You hear that, Sprinkles?" Blue asked excitedly. "You're gonna go home!"

"I can't wait to see Sidetable, Shovel, Pail, Tickety, Mailbox, and all the other guys back home." said Sprinkles. "And Periwinkle too."

"Well, you don't have much longer to wait." said Steve. "Because Dr. Todd should be coming back with the release forms soon."

Right as Steve said that, Dr. Todd came back in with a big smile on his face.

"Everything's all set, Sprinkles." said Dr. Todd. "You can go home."

"Okay." nodded Sprinkles. "But can I finish my popsicle first?"

Dr. Todd laughed.

"Of course you can." he said.

With that, Sprinkles ate the last of his popsicle and gave the stick and wrapper to Dr. Todd, who immediately chucked them into a trash can, then helped Sprinkles out of the hospital gown. Then, Blue, Sprinkles, Steve, Joe, and Josh left the room, with Steve carrying Sprinkles. It wasn't long before they made it back to the Thing and began driving home, with Steve at the wheel, Joe riding shotgun, and Josh sitting between Blue and Sprinkles in the back seat, with Blue behind Steve and Sprinkles behind Joe. Sprinkles had fallen asleep in his seat. That soon changed when Josh nudged Sprinkles awake after the Thing came to a stop somewhere.

"Where are we?" asked Sprinkles. "Are we home yet?"

Sprinkles then looked out the window and saw they were in the drive-thru at Culver's.

"Why are we here?" asked Sprinkles.

"Well, Sprinkles, I know you already had a popsicle, but since you were very brave before and after your surgery, we decided to stop here on the way home as a treat." Steve explained. "So, what would you like?"

"I'll just have a small vanilla shake, please." said Sprinkles.

"Good choice." said Steve.

Steve then placed Sprinkles' order. He also ordered a medium mint shake for himself, two medium chocolate shakes for Joe and Josh, and a small strawberry shake for Blue. It wasn't long before they got their orders and were back on the road home. When they got home, Joe carried Sprinkles to bed and tucked him in.

"There you go, buddy." said Joe. "You just stay there and rest some more, okay?"

"Okay." nodded Sprinkles.

Joe then left, and Sprinkles settled in to get nice and comfy. It wasn't long before he was asleep again.

"Boy, I already feel a lot better." Sprinkles said to himself. "And hopefully, I'll continue to feel more better every day."

I'm pleased to say that Sprinkles did continue to feel better over the course of the next few days. Eventually, the day came where Sprinkles was declared well enough by Dr. Mya to go back to school and resume a more regular lifestyle at one of his post-surgery follow-up appointments. The day after said appointment, Sprinkles, with Blue at his side, made a triumph return to Mister Marigold's class at Trey Whitney K-12 school. Mister Marigold smiled when he saw the two pups walk in.

"Welcome back, Sprinkles." said Mister Marigold. "Feeling better, are we?"

"You bet!" grinned Sprinkles.

"Good." said Mister Marigold. "Now, why don't you sit down? The morning announcements will come on soon."

"Okay." nodded Sprinkles.

With that being said, the two pups took their seats, and soon, the school day began, and as it went on, Sprinkles felt very happy to not be suffering from his infected tonsils anymore.

The End