The next morning Rory came in late because he was still learning the art of performing an intravenous drip on himself. Honey met him at the door holding an orange cat. “Hey, Doc, how are you?” She asked. “Where’s Marol?” “I’m good. Marol’s shopping in Paso,” he chuckled, seeing the cat in Honey’s arms. “What do you have there?” “It’s Pumpkin. Steve Derks dropped him off. He’s taking Janice to a doctor in SLO for her back.” “What’s wrong with Pumpkin?” Rory asked. “He quit eating and is turning orange. He’s orange inside and outside.” “What do you mean?” “Look!” Honey exclaimed. Opening the cat’s mouth, Rory understood. The inside of the mouth was no longer pink. It was an orange color. “He’s jaundiced, Honey.” “Steve said nothing about that. He told me Pumpkin stopped eating and has soft stools. He thinks it’s some sort of stomach upset.” “Not if he’s jaundiced. The problem is more severe than he thinks. Let’s start some tests, then I’ll call him,” Rory decided. Rory followed Honey into the exam room, where they began an evaluation.
