The Big Bang Theory (Doolittle, Casual!) -FIN-

[OSRIC YOUNG]

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,"[/b] Osric explained, staring at the kitten he'd found yesterday. "Shit, tell me you aren't dead!"[/b]

Sheldon - he'd named him Sheldon, he found her right after he'd watched an episode of Big Bang Theory, and the poor baby was cold and homeless and Osric just had to take him home. It wasn't really that he had the room or the money to keep a cat, but cats weren't that expensive, were they? And Osric loved animals. This one was so cute!! He might be more of a dog person, but this kitty was cuddly.

But he was also sick, and so when Osric found him lying in the middle of his kitchen floor (well, hallway, his kitchen was a hallway really) and not really moving or seeming to breathe, it was quite natural that he flipped out. He couldn't take care of a dead cat, what was he supposed to do with it?! It felt like a crime to kill an animal this early into its life, too.

Thankfully, after further inspection, Osric realized that Sheldon was actually breathing and wasn't quite dead, not yet, but still, he needed to do something. He spend a good half hour debating if he really had the means to bring the poor thing to a vet, and then, after realizing he could pop over to the free volunteer pet clinic, he chastised himself the whole way over, for endangering the animal's life that much longer.

He burst through the doors and went up to the first doctor he saw that wasn't already talking to some one - "Hey! Um, ummm, I don't mean to bother you, but, uh, help!"[/b] It wasn't the most eloquently cry of help, but eloquence could wait when a life was on the line. What Osric didn't know was that the cat was most likely just dehydrated and a bit malnourished, but how could he?

[JOHN "DOOLITTLE" MOREAU]

Doolittle was having a hectic morning, as usual. His "way with animals" often made him end up with some of the most difficult cases. With the exception of spaying, but the clinic only did that on certain days, and John made a point not to volunteer then. He understood the logic behind the "Neuter Your Pets" Campaign, but he saw even an alteration that minor as a violation of his promise.

In fact he had been enjoying his first lull with a cup of tea when a young man rushed up to him and asked for help.

"Well it is what I'm here for. Let's take a look at who we have here." He set down his thermos and gestured to a nearby exam table. The kitten looked too young to express itself through the intricate mixture of body cues and sounds that made up the majority of zoolinguistics. Before he even got near her he relaxed and gently moved near, making low and gentle meowing noises.

As he expected the kitten mewed weakly and relaxed. It turned out he didn't even need to ask what was wrong even if the cat was old enough to express itself. It needed nutrition and hydration.

He made a quick estimate of what it could handle based on its apparent age and looked up towards a nearby shelf.

"Polynesia, please go back and let the pharmacy know I need a milliliter of Nutrisaline."

"Yes Doctor." Polynesia jumped off the shelf and flew out of the room, practically radiating snarkiness.

John turned back to the young man. "Don't mind her. She's just snitty on days when I volunteer."

[OSRIC YOUNG]

"Well it is what I'm here for. Let's take a look at who we have here," the man said pleasantly, and he was kind, and Osric was glad he was kind. He set down his mug of tea, which Osric saw was hot, and maybe he was a little guilty about that but not when his poor dear cat might die at any moment. Maybe he ought to change its name. Name changes were good when you almost-died.

Osric followed the man into an exam room and watched anxiously as the doctor examined him. He was confused when the guy started meowing at it, but hey, whatever worked. He seemed to know just what was wrong right away anyways.

Though, to hear him say, "Polynesia, please go back and let the pharmacy know I need a milliliter of Nutrisaline," and for the parrot, to - well, parrot - back, "Yes Doctor."

"Don't mind her. She's just snitty on days when I volunteer."

"Tha... that's okay,"[/b] Osric said, mildly shocked and a teensy big afraid. That was freaky. Parrots could copy, not... make sentences. But it was only two words, perhaps it was all it knew. That, and milliliter, and pharmacy, and whatever medicine the guy just said. Yeah, that was a bit too much.

"So, um, that... he's gonna be okay?"[/b] The doctor didn't look too worried, that was Osric's hint. He was trying not to seem more shocked at the parrot's apparent literacy than at his kitten's current state.

[JOHN "DOOLITTLE" MOREAU]

"Yes, he is going to be just fine provided you allow him plenty of food and water." It was a shame to see the kitten in such a state and John was tempted to ask the young man how it had happened, but it was unlikely that the ailments were the young man's fault. After all he had cared about the kitten enough to bring it here. "

It was then that Polynesia arrived bearing a vial and a capped needle. She always hated John's volunteer days. First of all she spent the entire day surrounded by people who treated her as if she was just another dumb animal. Secondly she spent the day fetching and carrying and delivering messages, often returning home with wings too sore to really move. John always assured her that it wasn't as bad as all that, but it how could he know it wasn't happening to him. and thirdly he acted as if this actually counted as social interaction. She swore if she heard 'remember I volunteered yesterday now listen to this bla di bla bla bla absolutely fascinating' again she wasn't sure what exactly she would do but it wouldn't be pleasant. She dropped them in The doctor's hand.

"Thank you Polynesia."

"Your welcome." She landed near the man who had brought in the kitten. "Tell me, Mr., is one day of volunteer work a week adequate time for socializing?"

John sighed to himself and quickly prepared the needle. He actually detested them now and it was best to get it over with as soon as possible.

"Please sir, if you could hold your kitten and keep him calm this will only take a second." He had added that last part mostly for his own benefit but it was true and he hoped that the man wouldn't pick up on the slight undertone of discomfort in his voice.

[OSRIC YOUNG]

"Yes, he is going to be just fine provided you allow him plenty of food and water," said the doctor kindly. Osric nodded, buzzing with worry, and now relief. He had fed the kitten, and given him water last night, but he supposed it hardly made up for the near-death state he'd found him in yesterday.

Suddenly the parrot came down, swooping onto a surface in front of him and spooking him so that he started. "Tell me Mister, is one day of volunteer work a week adequate time for socializing?" Osric blinked at the parrot, once again disturbed at its ability to speak with human precision and unable to answer before the doctor asked him to hold Sheldon. No - not Sheldon anymore. That wasn't an ok name now. How about... Harry?

"Yeah, sure,"[/b] Osric complied, taking the little one tenderly in his arms and rubbing the top of its head gently while the doctor went about his business. "So. Um... your parrot. It, er, you can talk?"[/b] His focus changed from the doctor to the parrot, confused.

[JOHN "DOOLITTLE" MOREAU]

John held his breath and injected the solution into the kitten. Finally after the horrible thing was disposed of he sighed with relief and turned back towards the boy.

"Yes she can. In fact she's as intelligent as you or I. But she can be a bit touchy about it."

Polynesia shook her head. "Well how would you like to be treated like some birdbrain? Perhaps I should mention that book that you freeze up all the time about?"

Doolittle just washed his hands and began writing on a piece of paper. Once he was finished he handed the slip to the man. "Here. Take this to the grocery store across the street it will enable you to get the ingredients listed at the clinic's expense. Then you just have to feed him the mixture once every two hours take him back here in a week to be certain but he should be fine then."

[OSRIC YOUNG]

"Yes she can. In fact she's as intelligent as you or I. But she can be a bit touchy about it," said the doctor, withdrawing the needle. Osric cuddled Sheldon - no, no, that wasn't good anymore, um... Charlie. Yes, its name was Charlie now. He vaguely thought, he hadn't known birds could get that smart.

"Well how would you like to be treated like some birdbrain? Perhaps I should mention that book that you freeze up all the time about?" Osric had no idea what the bird was talking about it, but he could understand her point of view. The whole fake-ADHD thing in middle school, after all; he'd hated being treated like an idiot when he wasn't, and he'd known he wasn't.

He took the slip of paper the doctor handed to him, and nodded at the instructions, listening carefully and making sure he knew exactly what to do. "Thank you, thanks so much,"[/b] Osric said hurriedly, relieved Shel - er, Charlie, was gonna be alright now. "Um - sorry, what's your name? I don't think I asked, sorry."[/b] He apologized twice, but it was alright because he really was sorry; it had been awfully rude of him not to ask, even if he was rightly preoccupied with poor Charlie's health.

[JOHN "DOOLITTLE" MOREAU]

"John Doolittle, previously at your service and possibly again if you ever happen to come in while I'm volunteering." A smile tugged at his lips for the briefest second then disappeared. It wasn't really a proper introduction after all but it was in fact the literal truth. "And This is Polynesia."

"As previously stated." Polynesia chuckled a bit and settled onto Doolittle's shoulder. "And you didn't ask. I know you were worried about that...that feline[/I], though for the life of me I can't understand why. Horrid vile creatures ought to be exterminated. just claws and a stomach that's-"[/color]
"Quite enough, Polynesia." Once again she was undermining her own efforts with her rants. It might have been amusing if he didn't have to deal with the repercussions of her untamable beak. "I apologize for her behavior... You know I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. You have my name but I don't have yours."

[OSRIC YOUNG]

"John Doolittle," came the answer, " Previously at your service and possibly again if you ever happen to come in while I'm volunteering." Osric giggled, liking the humor. "And This is Polynesia." Osric looked towards the parrot, who was steadying herself onto Dr. Doolittle's shoulder.

"As previously stated," said the parrot, and it was still jarring to hear her speaking in long, coherent sentences, though less so now. "And you didn't ask. I know you were worried about that...that feline, though for the life of me I can't understand why. Horrid vile creatures ought to be exterminated. just claws and a stomach that's-"

"-Quite enough, Polynesia."

Osric was a bit offended, confused, and all together not sure what to think. He didn't know whether or not to take that personally, and it seemed silly to get angry at a parrot. He let it go - supernatural things, this was spooky, he kind of wanted to leave now, even if the Doctor was very nice - and answered the Doctor's apology and subsequent question of identity with, "Oh, um, Osric Young, sir. Really nice to meet you, thank you so much for everything."[/b] He glanced at the parrot, gave it a nervous little nod as he stuck out his hand to shake Doolittle's as way of goodbye.

[JOHN "DOOLITTLE" MOREAU]

"You're quite welcome Mr. Young. If the kitten is still showing signs of malnutrition in a few days just," John wrote quickly and precisely before handing Osric a slip of paper. "call this number. We'll make an appointment to do tests for parasites. And I hope you'll excuse Polynesia's comment. After all you have to consider that she is a bird after all, and would have and understandable loathing of felines."

"Doctor I can speak for myself."

"Would you have apologized?" Doolittle merely nodded in the following pause. He knew he was right and the parrots silence as good as confirmed it. Another point won in the contest of wills between them. Polynesia may know something about social living, but that doesn't make her anything near an expert on human behavior. With all her intelligence she still lacked the one thing most humans had at least a sliver of, tact.

[OSRIC YOUNG]

[/b] said Dr. Doolittle, and Osric took the slip of paper he was given in hand with the prescription. "We'll make an appointment to do tests for parasites." Osric managed not to make a face, but he really hoped the kitten wouldn't have those. It was gross and, quite frankly, something he couldn't afford to get rid of on his salary.

"And I hope you'll excuse Polynesia's comment. After all you have to consider that she is a bird after all, and would have and understandable loathing of felines."

"Doctor I can speak for myself."

"Would you have apologized?"

Osric awkwardly looked back and forth between the strange sight of a grown man bickering with an apparently very comprehensive parrot. He stepped forward to shake the doctor's hand once more, giving a curt nod to the bird. "Thanks again, sir,"[/b] he said, and carried his little kitten out of the door gently, stroking between her ears with a thin fingers.

"They were odd characters, weren't they Harry?[/b] Osric mused as he exited the building and walked down the street. "Not that we can say much."[/b][/font][/ul]
((last doolittle post and then we end it, shall we?))