Dan, the Director of the lab at the FBI, hidden, headquarters, called Baudelaire this morning. “They have found an antidote to reverse the horn growth on Rocky, and I apologize for the mix-up,” said Dan. “Rocky will need to come back to the lab so we can give him the antidote. Can you bring him up here today? The sooner we get rid of the horns the better for all concerned. On a side note, Nurse Blissful has been fired. We looked at the tapes and discovered she was hurting Rocky at night. I’m truly sorry for all of this,” said Dan.”Thank you for the apology. I’ll get Rocky up there this morning. Shadow will be so happy,” said Baudelaire. “I’ll see you shortly, ” he continued. “Goodbye.”

Meanwhile, back at Shadow’s home, Rocky is throwing a fit because Shadow won’t’ feed him beyond what she already has. “I’m hungry,” meowed-cried Rocky. “You just ate, NO!” said Shadow. Rocky began to meow loudly. “I’m hungry!”. “That’s it. I’m taking you to a therapist. There is something behind your eating constantly. You’re only nine months old, and already you look like a bowling ball and getting bigger every day,” said Shadow in response to Rocky’s cries. Just then Shadow’s fake diamond-encrusted cell phone rang.

“Hello,” Said Shadow. “Hi Shadow, I have good news for you and Rocky. They have found an antidote that will shrink Rocky’s horns,” said Baudelaire. “I’ll be there in an hour,” said Baudelaire. Please prepare Rocky for the appointment,” concluded Baudelaire…

Rocky and Shadow waited outside for Bauldel Asa iire

Upon reaching the hidden lab, Baudelaire and Shadow dropped off Rocky.  Shadow insisted she stay, so that wretched Nurse Blissful could not harm Rocky again. Baudelaire followed suit and said he, “was staying also.”  Rocky was brought into a lab where more blood was taken from him and they removed a piece of his horn. It all took a total of 30 minutes.  Rocky was moved from the lab room to the waiting room where Baudelaire and Shadow were waiting. 

“You can take him home now.  Here are some pain pills for him. We had to remove more of his horn, so he may be in pain. “Rocky, you are free to go now,” said the orderly  “You don’t have to tell us twice. Come on Bauelaire let’s blow this popsicle stand,” said Shadow as she stood up and started heading to the elevator.  Rocky and Bauldelaire followed suit. 

Once in the car, Baudelaire had Rocky and Shadow put the black hoods on their heads.  As Rocky was putting his on, he started to meow and complain that he was hungry. “You just ate breakfast,” said Shadow exasperated with Rocky’s eating disorder. Rocky threw a temper tantrum, started kicking and screaming he wanted to be fed.  “No, Rocky. You already look like a bowling ball. NO,” said Shadow. Rocky began crying.  “I’m hungry,” said Rocky.  “Tell yourself you just ate, and you don’t need to eat,  Mind over matter,” said Baudelaire. 

When they got to Shadow and Thom’s apartment,  Bauldlair removed the hoods.  “Welcome home,” said Baudelaire.  “I have to go to a modeling job.  I’ll check up on you later,” continued Baudelaire as he started to drive away.. Rocky threw himself down on the ground, crying he wanted food.  “Get up and go to bed.  I’m not feeding you.  You already ate.  I will not be responsible for you getting fat and dying from it.,” said Shadow. Rocky continued to cry and kick and scream on the ground.  “Enough,  get inside.  Rocky refused.  Shadow grabbed his paw and started dragging him into the house.  Shadow thought, “how embarrassing.” as neighbors watched the show…

“Morning, Rocky. We have to take you back to the lab for further testing,” said Shadow. “I don’t want to go. Can we please not go. They hurt me there,” whined Rocky. “Nurse Blissful has been removed from her care over you. You’ll be safe now. I think they just want more blood and samples of your horns,” said Shadow. “Now, go groom yourself. We don’t want you smelling dirty,” Shadow said. Rocky began grooming himself, starting with his head.

Baudelaire showed up on time. “Are you ready,” asked Baudelaire as Shadow opened the front door to let him in. “Yes, I just have Rocky grooming. I’ll see if he’s done. I’ll be right back,” said Shadow as she headed toward the living room. Rocky was manically cleaning himself. “Baudelaire is here. We need to go now,” said Shadow as she entered the family room. Rocky reluctantly stopped cleaning and made his way to Shadow.

Baudelaire was waiting outside, the back door to his Volvo was opened. Shadow and Rocky got in the back seat. “Please put these on,” said Baudelaire, handing Shadow and Rocky black hoods to place over their heads. Baudelaire got in the driver’s seat, started up the car, and starting making his way to the secret FBI headquarters up in the Los Angeles mountains.

Baudelaire and Shadow got Rocky home and into bed the minute they walked in the door. Rocky was complaining about being hungry, Since he moved in with Shadow and Thom, Rocky was constantly eating. Shadow even videotaped him eating to show Thom how he just swallowed the food whole. Tonight, he was crying and complaining he was hungry even though he just ate. Rocky no longer was looking like a cat, but a bowling ball. Shadow felt guilty that she didn’t feed him again. When she was a kitten, she didn’t get much love or properly fed. Both her and Thom were always given in to Rocky’s hunger pleas as a result. Rocky’s eating disorder brought into question Shadows’ lack of love as a kitten. She realized she was trying to make up to Rocky what she did not receive. “Meow, I need to make an appointment with a therapist,” she said aloud…

Nurse Blissful returned with the Director of Infectious Diseases. “Hello, Baudelaire and Shadow. I hear we are having a miscommunication over the needs of Rocky. I understand you want to take him home; however, we would like a chance to find an antidote to reverse the horns growth process,” said the Director. “He is not staying another night. We are taking him home today. Nurse Blissful here has hurt him during her watch over him,” said Shadow. “Now, now that’s a disturbing accusation. Nurse Blissful is one of the most trustful and reliable nurses we have here,” said the Director.

“I don’t care what you say. Rocky is coming home with us tonight. Nurse Blissful will no longer be able to hurt him,” said Baudelaire. “Baudelaire, aren’t you being unreasonable. I just told you Nurse Blissful is our most trustful nurse,” said the Director. “Look, Rocky told us she is hurting him at night. Rocky doesn’t lie. Come on Rocky we are leaving,” “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Rocky is a threat to national security. We need to figure out why he grew the horns,” flatly said the Director. “She is hurting me. She’s a liar,” said Rocky.

“If he has to stay here, then I insist Nurse Blissful be removed from watching over him,” said Baudelaire. “OK, we can compromise on that. Nurse Blissful I’m reassigning you to another patient. You are not to come near Rocky,” said the Director. “That’s not good enough,” said Shadow. He’s coming home with us tonight. Rocky would not hurt a fly. National security risk, are you serious?” continued Shadow. Shadow took hold of Rocky’s hand and started to get him off the bed. “Alright, he can go home with you. But, you must bring him back tomorrow, so we can conduct more tests,” said the Director. “Deal,” said Baudelaire. With that the three of them started walking toward the elevator…

Forty-eight hours have passed. The doctors determined the horns Rocky grew were not contagious and the vaccine they gave him was not the COVID-19 vaccine but an experimental drug called Heffer-29.

They released shadow and Baudelaire, and they allowed them to see Rocky. “Rocky, I’m so sorry we abandoned you. They wouldn’t let us see you. They put us in quarantine rooms until they knew your horns weren’t contagious. Apparently, some idiot gave you the wrong shot, and you got an experimental shot instead. It’s why you grew horns,” said Baudelaire. “hopefully, they have an antidote to reverse the process,” said Shadow. “Shadow, I need to tell you something. Nurse Blissful is hurting me at night. She comes into my room at night and digs her fingers into my wounds.

“What!” said Baudelaire and Shadow in unison. “I’ll scratch her eyes out,” hissed Shadow. Just then Miss Blissful came into the room. “Ah, I see the happy family is reunited,” said Nurse Blissful. Nurse Blissful made her way toward Rocky, and Rocky flinched. “We know you have been hurting him at night. His reaction to you getting close to him proves that,” said Baudelaire. “Plus, Rocky doesn’t lie,” hissed Shadow. “This is preposterous. I never laid a hand on him,” forcibly said Nurse Blissful. “We are taking him home today,” said Baudelaire. “You’re not taking him anywhere,” snapped back Nurse Blissful. “We still need to conduct tests on him to determine how to remove the horns,” said Nurse Blissful in an authoritative voice. “You’re not conducting any more tests on him. He goes home with us today,” said Shadow. “We’ll see about that,” said Nurse Blissful as she stormed out of the room headed toward the Director of the Infectious Disease Department…

The two chaperones led Baudelaire and Shadow to their own quarantine room. The men took blood and tissue samples from each.

They told them they needed to wait 48 hours to determine if the strain of COVID-19 exposed them. Baudelaire and Shadow were not happy upon hearing the news. The rooms were small and felt confining. Shadow nervously chased after her tail in circles as the hours went by. Baudelaire licked his paws non-stop as the tension built in him.

Meanwhile, Rocky was in pain and felt alone. He wondered why Shadow and Baudelaire left him. Nurse Blissful checked in on him often. She told Rocky they would soon move him to a quarantine room, now that he recovered from the operation. She also came in the middle of the night and dug her fingers into his wounds, making him wince with pain. Nurse Blissful disliked cats. She thought cats were evil…

“Shadow, I’m just angry as you are. I thought they were just going to draw blood from Rocky. If I knew they planned on operating on him, I wouldn’t have brought him here” said Baudelaire, still in shock that they operated on Rocky. Just as he finished his sentence, Nurse Blissful entered the room. “I need you two to follow me. Rocky may have exposed you. We don’t know if the horn growth is airborne. We need to draw your blood and then place you in quarantine until we know it’s not contagious,” said Nurse Blissful. “What about Rocky? We were told we could see him,” said Baudelaire now standing up and glaring at Nurse Blissful. “We are not going anywhere until we see Rocky. You must take us by force,” said Shadow. “I can arrange that, snapped Nurse Blissful. “Wait, wait, what harm would it be for us to see Rocky and then you do your tests on us?” said Baudelaire, trying to calm Nurse Blissful. “Very well, you can see Rocky then will draw the blood and you then will enter quarantine for 48 hours,” said Nurse Blissful. “Follow me. I’ll take you to him,” said Nurse Blissful.

Upon entering Rocky’s recovery room, Shadow saw from a distance that bandages were both on Rocky’s head and paw. Both Baudelaire and Shadow were deeply upset. “You have five minutes, so make the best of it,” said Nurse Blissful as Shadow and Baudelaire approached Rocky’s bed. “Rocky, can you hear me? It’s Shadow and Baudelaire. We’re here for you,” said shadow as she grasped his right paw. “Oh, oomph, groaned Rocky as the pain awoke him. “Ok, your five minutes are up. Time to go,” said Nurse Blissful as she grabbed Shadow’s arm. “Let go of my arm. I’m coming. Bye Rocky, I’ll be back soon. We have to go into quarantine for 48 hours. I love you,” said Shadow as two men chaperoned her and Baudelaire out of the room…

“Click, click, click,” Nurse Blissful was cutting the last of Rocky’s nails off. “All done, doctor, said Nurse Blissful. “Great, we didn’t want him scratching us to death when he wakes up,” said Dr. Pseudo. “Scalpel,” “Dr. Psuedo began to make cuts in Rocky’s head around the root of the horns. He then removed the skin and a piece of the horns. “Blood pressure is 130./90,” said Ms. Blissful. Next, he took the scalpel to Rocky’s paw and removed a claw.

Rocky was dreaming he was being tortured. He felt pain in his head and on his left paw. He was dreaming he was on an operating table, and parts of his body were being removed. He felt the pain. “Blood pressure is 140/80,” said Nurse Blissful. “Ahhh, oooH,” moaned Rocky. “Dr. he’s awake,” said Nurse Blissful. “I’m done for now. He can go to the recovery room,” said Dr. Pseudo.

Meanwhile, back in the waiting, hours have gone by and Shadow was getting concerned. “What is happening to him,” said Shadow to Baudelaire. “I don’t know,” said Baudelaire. “I swear Baudelaire if they hurt him in any way, I’ll never forgive you,” Just then a hazmat-suited orderly walked in and said, “Rocky is out of surgery and is recovering. You can see him in a half-hour.” “Surgery!” “What are you talking about. He didn’t need surgery. What have you done to him?” said Shadow in a very angry voice. “Baudelaire, you told me nothing would happen to him. Do something,” said Shadow…

Once through the door, A woman pushing a wheelchair in a blue hazmat suit greets the man and Rocky. When she reaches Rocky, the hazmat suit man placed Rocky in the wheelchair. “My gosh, look at his horns. I heard he had grown horns, but I just didn’t believe it,” said the woman as she began to push Rocky down the hallway to another secured door. This time, the nurse had to place her hand in a band. There was a clicking sound and the nurse said, “oomph.” The needle inside the band withdrew blood. “Welcome, Nurse Blissful. You are approved for entrance,” said the android-sounding voice over the speaker system. Ms. Blissful and Rocky went through the opening door. When the doors closed, Ms. Blissful said in an evil tone, “Now the fun begins.” Rocky felt shivers from his tail to his head. He was terrorized at what was coming next.

Ms. Blissful pushed rocky down a long institutionalize looking hallway to an operating room. She leaned down and picked up rocky and placed him on the operating table. She then removed the blue blanket he was wrapped in and placed an IV in his arm. “Good afternoon, Ms. Blissful,” said Dr. Psudeo as he made his way to Rocky. “Hey there young man, we are just going to conduct and take samples from you, so we can figure out what happened and how to get you back to normal. I know you must be scared. You’ll be under anesthesia while we do our tests, You won’t feel a thing. I promise,” said Dr. Psuedeo. Nurse Blissful stepped to the IV and injected the liquid into it. Within moments, Rocky was in deep sleep. “Why did you lie to him?” said Nurse Blissful. “I didn’t want him attacking us in trying to escape,” said Dr. Psudeo. “Did you see those nails?” “Yes,” said Nurse Blissful. “I’ll cut then now just in case,” she said…