Usuki Singing Stars #39: Are You a Doctor?

      "Scary! We have a medical emergency!” Sparkles shouted, bursting into her sister’s bedroom. The pink Bruce was gasping frantically as she struggled to continue. “We need…we have to…we must….”

      Cuddles entered the room and started ringing a Kau bell. “Emergency alert! Emergency alert!” shouted the snow Bruce. “Mayday! Tuesday! Fried eggs!”

      “Would you two STOP with the screaming and bell ringing!?!?” Scary exclaimed. The purple Bruce slammed her fashion magazine shut and glared at her siblings. “Now what in Neopia is going on with you freaks?”

      “It’s Sparklefrits! He’s not feeling well!” Sparkles gasped.

      “So?” asked Scary. “You interrupted my private time just because Sparklefrits has the flu?”

      “But he has a headache,” Sparkles insisted, “and he has fatigue!”

      “And he’s lost the ability to talk!” Cuddles countered.

      Scary sighed. “Cuddles, we all know what Sparklefrits never talks! And besides that, why are you two IDIOTS still in my room?”

      “We need your help,” said Sparkles. “It’ll take the pet-power of all three of us to nurse Sparklefrits back to health.” Before Scary could object, Sparkles grabbed her arm and led her and Cuddles down the stairs. When they approached the living room, Sparkles pointed to Sparklefrits, who was resting on the couch. “We need to find a doctor! And fast!” she proclaimed, watching as the brown Moehog shifted to his side.

      “Again, why did you need me??” Scary demanded, pulling her arm away from Sparkles’s grasp. “How about you go find a doctor and I retreat back to my room for some personal time away from you two clods”

      “What should I do?” asked Cuddles.

      “I’ll lock you in the broom closet so you can stay away from me,” said Scary.

      “Well I guess I can ask the neighbours if they know any good doctors,” Sparkles suggested. “Cuddles, you can stay with Scary and take care of Sparklefrits.”

      Scary placed her hands on her hips. “Do we honestly need to get a stranger we can just read one of Snaw’s medical books?” She looked around the living room. “Speaking of Snaw, where is that useless owner of ours?”

      “Snaw went on a shopping spree with Ms. Rabbit and Mr. Tomoe,” Sparkles explained. “So they won’t be home until dinner.”

      Cuddles clapped excitedly. “Dinner party!”

      “There is NO way I’m going to help taking care of a sick Moehog, and none of you can make me!” Scary declared.

      “If you help, then maybe Snaw would buy you those purple shoes at the NC Mall,” Sparkles insisted. “And we both know those shoes would look fabulous with you purple plaid skirt.”

      Scary raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds of thinking, however, she groaned loudly and said, “Oh alright!” She turned to Cuddles. “You, go get hot water and splash it on Sparklefrits’s face.”

      “Wouldn’t that make him melt?” gasped Cuddles.

      “He’s brown, not chocolate,” Scary hissed. She turned to Sparkles. “You, go find a medical book and stay out of my way!”

      Sparkles nodded. “And what will you do, Scare?”

      “Dictate,” said Scary. “You two can manage everything by yourselves, as long as I’m here giving you orders.”

      After Scary finished, Sparkles and Cuddles hurried to fulfill their tasks. Cuddles, not understand the concept of “hot water”, filled a glass of cold water and splashed it on Sparklefrits. “Is he better yet?” Cuddles asked Scary.

      Scary shook her head. “No. Go get more and make sure it’s scalding hot this time!”

      Sparkles shifted through the living room bookcases for any medical guides, then shifted to Snaw’s personal library. After rummaging through books about Usukis, beauty treatments, shoes, and red Elephantes, she was finally able to find the ‘N00b’s Guide to Neopian Medicine’ book. “I found something!” Sparkles declared as she ran back to the living room.

      “Then hurry up, shut your mouth and read the guide!” Scary dictated. “Oh, and tell Cuddles to stop splashing water on Sparklefrits; the hot water method was as ineffective as grooming products on Mutants.”

      “Hmm…let’s see…” Sparkles mumbled, flipping frantically through the book. “According to this, Sparklefrits may have an Achy Headache…though he could also be suffering from Neomonia. Or it could be Reptillioritus!”

      “So you can’t pin it to just one bothersome illness?” scoffed Scary.

      “Not yet,” said Sparkles, “but if I keep on flipping, I may be able to find the right one…eventually.”

      “What should we do now?” asked Cuddles. “Get Snaw?”

      “Snaw’s too stupid to do anything during an annoying crisis like this,” Scary insisted. “We need someone else to lend a hand: someone I know whose assistance will actually be affective.”

      Patricia crossed her arms as Sparkles opened the front door. “So what was the big emergency Scary needed me for?” asked the faerie Shoyru.

      “Follow me,” Sparkles urged, grabbing her friend’s hand and pulling her towards the living room. She pointed to Sparklefrits, who was still lying on the couch. “We don’t know what to do! And Scary suggested that you should come over and lend us a hand.”

      “She really said that about me?” gasped Patricia. “Why?”

      “Because you actually know how to take demands,” Scary instructed as she exited the kitchen, “and right now, we need more hands on deck!” After sipping her glass of lemonade, she turned to Patricia and added, “You go make me a sandwich while Sparkles does whatever she’s supposed to be doing.”

      “Why don’t we get a doctor to come and check out Sparklefrits?” Patricia suggested. “He needs somebody to prescribe him some medicine.”

      “So you know any doctors?” asked Sparkles.

      “That can all wait after my sandwich has been made and I’ve eaten it,” Scary insisted. “Besides, we all know Snaw has a fear of medical professionals!”

      “Snaw’s not here right now,” Sparkles countered, “so I think we should go with Patricia’s suggestion.”

      Patricia nodded. She and Sparkles immediately ran towards Neopia Central, not stopping until they reached the Neopian Pharmacy. “We can talk with the shopkeeper and see if she knows Sparklefrits’ illness,” said Patricia.

      “Shouldn’t we go to the hospital instead?” Sparkles wondered.

      “Not if you want to drag Sparklefrits there in a wagon,” Patricia insisted. “Besides, I’m sure the shopkeeper is just as informed as the hospital doctors.”

      A blue Elephante in a white nurse’s uniform greeted the girls when they entered the shop. “How can I help you two little darlings today?” she asked endearingly.

      Sparkles quickly described Sparklefrits’ condition. She rambled on about the different illnesses she has thought could be the reason, though she wasn’t certain if her suspicions were correct. “Do you think you can give a more accurate diagnosis?” Sparkles pleaded. “It would mean ever-so-much if you could!”

      The shopkeeper tapped her chin as she thought. After a few moments she nodded and said, “It seems this Moehog may have a case of Neo Flu. She handed Sparkles a box of Neoflu Jelly Pills. “Give him two of these pills today, and his condition should improve. If not, then take him to the Hospital for further examinations.”

      “How much do I owe you?” Sparkles asked, opening her purse.

      “No charge,” said the shopkeeper, smiling. “Hurry on home, now.”

      “Thanks again!” said Patricia as she followed Sparkles out of the store. The girls ran all the way back and were panting heavily when they arrived in the living room, where Scary was lounging on a sofa chair and Cuddles banged a pot with a wooden spoon. “We’re…back…” Patricia huffed, staggering towards Sparklefrits.

      Scary rolled her eyes. “About time! Did you two go to Terror Mountain or someplace dumb?”

      Sparkles opened the box of jelly pills and handed two to Sparklefrits. “We went to the pharmacy. A very nice shopkeeper helped us by giving us these pills and–”

      “Bo-ring,” Scary scoffed. “Now go get me a sandwich!”

      “Now what?” Patricia asked.

      Sparkles shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose the only thing we can do is wait.” She watched Sparklefrits swallow the pills. “Hopefully the medicine will work,” she sighed wistfully.

      Snaw entered the living room and waved ten shopping bags in the air. “Who wants a brand new sweater!?!?”

      “I’ll take a pink one,” said Sparkles. “How was the shopping?”

      “It was great!” Snaw gushed. “I got lots of stuff and Rabbit bought hats!”

      Rabbit showed off a blue sun hat. “I’m giving this one to one of my pets,” she beamed.

      “Too bad Tomoe went home,” Snaw sighed. “Oh well. Who wants a dinner?”

      “I do!” Cuddles cheered.

      Sparklefrits entered the kitchen and reclined an armchair. Sparkles turned to him and asked, “Are you feeling better?” Sparklefrits nodded.

      “Thank goodness that’s all over,” Scary grumbled. “All thanks to my ingenious efforts, of course.”

      “It was actually because of Patricia and that pharmacy lady,” Sparkles countered. “I’m just relieved Sparklefrits is feeling better now.”

      “I can care less,” said Scary.

      Snaw danced. “Well what I care about is food! So let us go and have food now!”

      “I agree,” said Rabbit. “And I’m looking forward to talking with your pets, Snaw; they seem like they’ve had an interesting day!”

      "I have pets?" Snaw gasped. "Since when?"

      The End.