4. Bad News

Chapter 4 Bad News As soon as Bradley woke up Saturday morning, he peered into the cage. Douglas was sitting in a corner. He wasn't moving. "Douglas," Bradley whispered, "are you all right?" Bradley reached into the cage and put his hand on Douglas's back. The rabbit felt warm, and Bradley could tell that he was breathing. But that was all he was doing. Bradley started to get dressed. "What's going on?" Brian asked from his bed. "Doc Henry told Mom to bring Douglas in if he didn't get better," Bradley reminded him. "And he didn't."

Brian sat up and blinked. "I'm coming, too," he said. The boys got dressed, woke their mother, and made themselves cereal for breakfast. Between spoonfuls, Brian called Nate. "We're taking Douglas to the vet," he said. "You want to come? Get Lucy, too." When Nate and Lucy arrived, Mrs. Pinto drove them all to the vet's office on East Green Street. The four kids crowded into the office with the cage. Dr. Henry was waiting. "So here's the mystery bunny," he said. "Let's take a look." Dr. Henry gently lifted Douglas out of the cage. He placed the rabbit on his examination table. Bradley noticed that Douglas was trembling. "Why is he shaking?" he asked. "He's scared," Dr. Henry said. The vet ran his hands all over Douglas's body. He looked inside his ears, eyes, and mouth. He

weighed Douglas on a small scale and took his temperature. He parted Douglas's fur and studied his skin. "Well, I'd say this is a very healthy rabbit," Dr. Henry stated. "His eyes are clear, and his teeth are perfect." Bradley showed Dr. Henry the pellets he had in his pocket. "These are a fine brand of rabbit food," the vet said. "Someone took very good care of this fellow."

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"So what could be wrong with him?" Bradley asked. "He won't move or anything." "I've seen this before," the vet said. "Dogs, cats, even monkeys, sometimes stop eating when they feel lonely. I think your rabbit misses his owner. He feels abandoned, confused. He may be in shock, and that's why he won't eat or drink." The kids looked at Douglas on the table. Dr. Henry put the rabbit back into his cage. "I'm afraid Douglas will become very sick if he doesn't start eating and taking water," he said. "He could die." "But what can we do?" Bradley asked. Dr. Henry stroked the rabbit's soft ears. "If this were my rabbit, I'd return him to his real owner," he said. "And soon."

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