Fixed # 7

it's been almost 6 mths since i last updated my Fixed! oh goodness.. ok, here goes..

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KL, 26 December 2002

It was a sweet day indeed, Jack, he's back to my life, finally! Tassy smiled ear-to-ear all the way back to her home. She took out her photo album and held it close to her chest. Jack.. she smiled, how I missed you! She flipped the first page. It was her friends' convocation pictures. She smiled. Flipped.

Her heart sank suddenly. Staring straight at her was her little pet chick at his cutest points in life. The pictures of Kiki, from few-day to few-week-old were nicely cut and decorated in her album. Tears started pooling in her eyes. It was 2 years ago. Yet it was like yesterday.

Everyone had advised against her idea to relocate Kiki in her friend's horse ranch - a place where birds of all kinds get to roam and eat freely, in short, it was a heaven for chicken. At least in her eyes. The day she first brought Kiki to the ranch, all other chicken had isolated him. Poor Kiki was so terrified of his new environment, he kept running for safety under Tassy. Kiki had trailed after her everywhere in the ranch, longing for her to bring him back home - to her house. Though her heart was very heavy and sad, she had thought that that was the best decision for Kiki. All he needed is some time for adaptation. I'll visit him every evening.. he'll be fine.. How wrong was Tassy.

5 days later, she received a call from the ranch telling her that her chick was sick, very sick. Troubled, she rushed to the ranch , wishing for Kiki to be fine. She walked around the ranch calling out for Kiki in the dark, hoping to find him quickly. Then she heard the familiar peeps n chirps answering her calls. She followed the sound. Fast. Kiki? There he was, in a cat cage. "I've placed him in a cage... afraid that he'll be hurt.. injured.." she recalled her friend's voice.

Quickly she took Kiki out to the ranch office where the lights were on. To her horror, Kiki's right leg was very swollen, right up to the thigh. It was greenish (gangrenous) and smelt putrid. Dried muds stuck around and stained his once cute yellow feathers. Tears started streaming down Tassy's cheeks. Kiki.. I'm sorry.. u must have suffered.. I'm really sorry.. sorry... dun worry, I'm here now.

Kiki was not able to touch his right foot onto the ground. All he could do was to hop with his left foot. Tassy brought him home immediately, washed him clean with warm water and cleaned the wound. You're gonna be fine.. promise me you will.. All the while warm tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. Tassy's family members were unusually quiet that night. Her mom had quietly watched her clean Kiki's wound with tears making puddles on the floor.

Early next morning, Tassy had brought Kiki to her trusted vet, wanting only one answer, "He'll be fine." Lady luck was not on her side. "The leg can't be saved... septicemia.. chance of survival.. dogs may survive with 3 legs, but a chicken with only one?" Her heart felt a pang. Mind messed-up. Her lacrimal glands had stopped listening to the brain and poured out its content uncontrollably. Tassy had wished someone was there telling her what was the next best step. But she was Kiki's owner. Guardian. Parent. She decided to stop Kiki's pain.

The vet took out a syringe filled with pentobarb & looked at her. "I can do it for you if you wish. But ur going to be a vet one day... there are situations which you must learn how to handle..." She nodded. She knew it, understood, but there was no way she could accept it. How?

Her right hand took over the syringe. She had started sobbing, her entire body trembled. She took Kiki out of the box. His eyes were half closed, barely responded to her – too tired, or perhaps too much pain? She took a deep breath, held Kiki firm, and poked the needle into his peritoneum.

Suddenly, Kiki’s eyes opened wide and he gasped. Tassy gasped in shock. No! What happened?! She had almost screamed but at the instance Kiki’s eyes closed and laid still in her palm. She looked up at the vet, horrified. “He’s in peace now,” he gave her an empathic slow nod. Behind him, through the tinted glass she saw her senior who was already a vet then, standing there watching her - his eyes melancholy.

She closed her photo album. It was still like yesterday. I’m sorry Kiki, I am.. really… Kiki…