DR. SMOCK PEEPED over the edge of a large cardboard box, his eyes shining with
joy. Inside the box there was a litter of teeny, tiny, newborn Cobralls.
"Look at you sweet little babies," said Dr.
Smock. "You're the most darling little guys ever."
Two Spotteds and a White Cobrall were curled
up in the most adorable little coils taking a nap in the corner of the box.
A tiny Robot Cobrall slithered tentatively across the bottom of the box, and
raised its delicate head up towards Dr. Smock. It squeaked out a tiny little
hiss.
"Oh!" shouted Dr. Smock as he reached out and
gently touched the tiny head with his flipper. "You are the cutest petpet ever,
you are so DEAR!" The Robot Cobrall rubbed its head against Dr. Smock{s flipper.
Doctor smiled lovingly, his eyes brimming with
tears. "And you're going to bring 20,000 NP at the Trading Post," he said.
Dr. Smock's reverie was suddenly cut short by
the sound of a siren. "That's the ambulance," he said as he hurried out to the
Emergency entrance.
The ambulance came careening around up to the
clinic and two burly Flotsam paramedics rushed around to throw open the back
door. They pulled out a gurney, on which a Buzzer lay unconscious.
A Fire Lupe named Vanze exited the ambulance
and began to howl at Dr. Smock as the patient was wheeled into the Petpet Clinic.
"Help him, Dr. Smock!" said the Lupe.
"Tell me what happened," said Dr. Smock.
"Well, uhm... we were in Faerieland," said the
Lupe abashedly. "And there was an accident."
"Let me guess. Faerie Cloud Racing."
Vanze the Lupe looked at the floor. "There might
have been a little racing involved."
The paramedics had wheeled the patient into
the operating room and now hoisted him onto the operating table.
"What is the patient's name?" asked the Doctor.
"Whizbang," replied Vanze.
Dr. Smock decided not to seek further help from
the owner. He quickly started an IV with healing potions and some Starlight
Potion to stabilise the patient. He placed an oxygen mask over Whizbang's mouth
and gently straightened a bent antenna. Suddenly the Buzzer sat bolt upright
on the operating table and began shouting.
"GO!!!" shouted the Buzzer. "Left, right, easy
victory. Round two, Miamouse beats himself. Fast box, turn, turn, turn! Win,
win, win! Up, left, NO!!! Suddenly it's DARK! So very DAAAAAAAARK!!!"
The patient fell back on the table, as a result
of the petpet tranquilliser that Dr. Smock had administered. After mumbling,
"Dweebles could have done better. . . " he drifted into a restful sleep.
Dr. Smock checked the patient's pulse and looked
into his eyes with a little light, to make sure that they were big and glassy
and totally unfocused as they should be.
Vanze the Lupe looked worriedly at the Doctor
and asked, "Is he going to be all right?"
"I believe he will recover," said Dr. Smock,
"But perhaps you should consider that Faerie Cloud Racing is too intense for
this petpet. He seems kind of high strung."
"But he loves it, Doc. How about a helmet?"
"Well, it's your decision. Why don't you come
up front and look at some of our catalogues. We handle several fine lines of
petpet protective gear."
Dr. Smock and Vanze went into the office to
look at the catalogues. "While we're talking commerce," said Doctor, "you wouldn't
happen to know of anyone who's looking for a Cobrall."
The End | 
