Hello, I uploaded this chapter because of the rattlesnake roundups taking place again this weekend in the US. It may also be the last chapter for a while, as there are no OC's of the previous stories here yet. This story, as I described in Chapter 1, will be part of a book series. (See info at my profile: "Rango Project"). Perhaps Chapter 5 will be added next year, but I'm still not sure. Despite the sad reason, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

4. An Emergency

There weren't many doctors Jake trusted implicitly. One of those few was the university doctor Dr. Richard Goodwin, who had a small hospital in a western town. He was also familiar with the mechanism of Jake's gun, which is why Jake consulted him whenever he had problems with his weapon. Fortunately, he wasn't an amateur doctor, but an expert in his field. Therefore, Jake had no concerns about his ability to help. As long as there was anything left to save.

As soon as Jake reached the town, he slowed down and crawled along the outer edge. The hospital was at the far end, so he didn't have to crawl through the city center. It would be unthinkable if a passerby ran into him and raised the alarm.

Jake breathed a sigh of relief when he finally arrived at the hospital. It was a large, white wooden building with a large entrance at the front. Jake looked around carefully. Although it was late at night, the emergency service was still active, which Jake could see from the light in the building. He felt the three small tied rattlesnakes moving on his neck.

"Shhh," he hissed at them. Then he slithered to the hospital entrance, which consisted of two large doors. Jake peered through the small window in the door. In the large anteroom, an oil lamp burned on the ceiling, and a desk stood against the wall. Behind it sat the receptionist, a squirrel lady in a white shirt, tiredly leafing through a magazine. It would be an advantage if he could rush in now without risking her fainting. Without knocking, Jake pushed open the doors and crawled into the room. The squirrel lady was so startled at first that she stood bolt upright, trembling as she adjusted her glasses.

"Señjor Jake?" she managed to say.

Jake didn't answer at first, but swung the small, tied rattlesnakes from his neck, as they were slowly becoming restless again, and placed them on the table in front of the secretary, who stared at the little rattlesnakes in alarm.

"What…Good Lord," she gasped.

"Get the doctor, immediately!" Jake interrupted her stammering.

The squirrel hurriedly pressed a button. It only took a few seconds, and a side door opened. A plump honey badger with disheveled fur and a doctor's coat stepped out. Apparently, he had slept and he had jumped up shortly after the bell rang.

Dr. Goodwin adjusted his glasses and recognized Jake immediately. "Mr. Jake. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Let's skip the big talk, Doctor," Jake interrupted. "This time it's not about me, it's about this." He arched his long, belt-clad back and put the wounded little rattlesnake on the ground.

For a second, the doctor was speechless. Then he hastily knelt down next to the little rattlesnake and examined the body. His attention first fell on the head. The mouth was half-open, and blood was caked on the gunshot wound to the head. He took out a little pocket lamp and shone it into the eyes, then he touched the body where he found the bullet had penetrated.

"I see two gunshot wounds," he commented, mostly to himself, before his gaze wandered back up to Jake. "Any other important clues?"

Jake shook his head. "As far as I can tell, there were only two shots."

"Will he survive, Señor Doctor?" the receptionist asked worriedly.

The doctor narrowed his eyes. "I can't say for sure until I've taken an X-ray." He put the little pocket lamp back in his jacket pocket. "In case there's anything else I can do." He didn't look at Jake, but turned to the receptionist. "Get the assistant. Tell her she should prepare for surgery and she should bring a trolley."

"And what about the others?"

"The others?"

The squirrel lady pointed to the three tightly bound little rattlesnake on the desk.

"They're fine so far," Jake chimed in. "Just focus on him."

The doctor thought it best not to ask questions and nodded.

"Bring Lizzy in."

The squirrel lady pressed another button, then she spoke into a speaking trumpet. "Hello, Lizzy. Yes, an emergency. Surgery, please come to the lobby with a stretcher."

It only took a minute for a vixen in white nurse's uniform to enter the room, pushing a small cart in front of her. The doctor carefully lifted the wounded rattlesnake and placed it on the cart.

"One more thing, Doctor," Jake said, pushing the doctor aside. "He probably doesn't have any venom glands anymore. Check that."

The doctor nodded and turned back to the assistant Lizzy. "Nurse. Take him to the X-ray room. And you..." he said to the receptionist, "take care of them." He pointed to the three tied-up snakes.

"Should I put them in one of the rooms for now?" the receptionist asked before Dr. Goodwin left the anteroom.

"That would probably be best."

She nodded. "All right. Come on, Señjor Jake."

The lady pointed to another corridor. When Jake turned back to the small rattlesnakes, he was glad they had been quiet so far. Only when he re-coiled them, they emitted murmuring, whimpering sounds. He held them up to his face and looked at them seriously, but also somehow reassuringly.

"It'll be over soon," he whispered to them. Then he placed them back on his neck and followed the receptionist into a room with a few beds. Jake gently pushed his large body through the doorway. At least the doors and rooms were large enough for the beds to fit easily through the doorways. Once there, Jake laid the three snakes down on one of the beds. Their muscles trembled and tensed.

The receptionist leaned over them and examined the ropes. "Well, unfortunately, scissors won't do anything. I'll have to use a knife. Or better a scalpel."

She walked away and returned a short time later with a scalpel. As she bent down over the little snakes with the knife, they became nervous.

Jake hissed loudly, then he pushed part of his body forward and covered their eyes. "Now you can do."

The receptionist nodded obediently, and when she finally cut the first rope, the little snakes audibly sucked air through their noses. Jake held them tightly as a precaution while the squirrel continued with the ropes and cloths that were stretched around their mouths. As soon as she had removed the bulky items from the first one, it spat a piece of cloth out of its mouth in disgust, gasping loudly.

Jake's body tensed. He was disgusted to see this and would have preferred to rid Ramirez's dead body with bullets.

Finally, the lady had freed the others from their gags. And as soon as she was finished, Jake loosened his grip. Immediately, the little snakes jumped up and scattered. The squirrel lady backed away in alarm, while the terrified rattlesnake children hid somewhere in the room. One snake hid under the bed, the other one into another bed under the covers, the third one disappeared behind a closet.

Jake looked around in surprise.

"Señjor Jake," the squirrel lady began hesitantly. "I suggest leaving them alone for a while. Would that be okay with you?"

Jake nodded. He also wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible, afraid he'd smash everything in his anger.

But before they left, the squirrel lady was making sure the windows were securely closed so the snakes couldn't escape. Then she locked the room.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Señjor Jake?" she asked.

Jake's dark glare hit her hard. "Do you have a stiff drink the house?"