Page 101 of Vetted for Vengeance
“Poppy had an operation to remove a mass from her urinary system, but I was too busy to watch.” I inform Whittle. “This will be very useful presenting the follow-up episode.”
“Surgery is used to remove what is wrong with the body. Organs are organs, regardless of the body. It doesn't matter if it's a human, cat, or horse; the organs are in the same place and they do the same thing. Once you realize that, you can treat any animal.”
“Cool.”
With the abdomen emptied, Rhys points his scalpel to the back of the body.
“Wow, I had no idea kidneys were so far back.” It's fascinating to see in real life without the distraction of other staff or responsibilities like monitoring the patient. “And that's the bladder?”
“Touch it if you want.”
I swallow my nerves and reach forward towards a balloon at the bottom of the abdomen. I give it a jab, knowing exactly what I'm doing. And that might be the worst part.
Moments later, a dark patch spreads across Whittle's pants.
“Sorry about that,” I lie.
“That's common,” Rhys doesn't react to the wet spreading down the legs. Even after I pull my finger away, it keeps flowing. “That's why we don't let animals drink the morning before surgery.”
“What do you normally do here when there is no one to talk to?”
“There is always someone to talk to,” Rhys frowns, glancing at Whittle. “But it's more fun talking to you.”
Yay. I'm his favorite murder buddy.
“I didn't think I'd actually enjoy this,” I confess. “But next time, I'll do it without puppies in my pockets.”
He steps back and stares at me. Unmoving, just taking in my frame struggling to fill his spare murder scrubs.
“What?” I ask finally.
“I'm trying to imagine you not having puppies in your pockets.”
“We'll run out of pregnant dogs one day.” I protest, turning to Whittle. “I used to run a twenty-four bitch puppy farm until he kidnapped me.”
Whittle just stares, wide-eyed between me, Rhys, and his own intestines.
“I don't think he cares about your puppy farm.”
“He cared about the money.” I correct.
“He cared about the arrangement. I expect the debt was cleared a long time ago, but the arrangement suited everyone.”
“Yeah, true. But I won't have puppies forever.”
“Meh,” Rhys shrugs. “Wait until fledgling season. Pigeons in your pockets.” He turns back to the anatomy lesson and carefully removes a kidney. “Sparrows in your scrubs. Bunnies in your boxers.”
“I was surprisingly excited by that idea, until you got to the bunnies, anyway.”
“You'll have me convert the stables into a wildlife hospital by the end of the year.” The second kidney comes out. “Follow the Nutty Nurse will overtake me in the rankings by the end of next year; everyone will be crazy for the cute nurse with baby animals in every pocket.”
“Only if you promise not to be jealous.”
“Never. I'll make a fortune off the film crew and added clients coming to see me… us.” He hands me a kidney and a scalpel. “Go ahead, see the inside.”
The lesson continues until my tired eyes blur and the puppies start stirring. My knowledge of the body has increased exponentially. There is nothing like holding the organs in your hands to help me learn.
And I am officially an accessory to murder.
