Saturday, October 16, 2004

Crippled Rat (true story)

I don't know why the rat was in the ambulance bay, but it was. I even know less why (grammar?) an ambulance was able to run over its two back legs (as if it had three). So this poor daughter of a rat was apparently crawling back and forth for at least an hour, pulling itself around with its front legs (two. not broken.) Nurses were trying to call animal control and the ortho techs were joking about splinting the rat. I was trying to work, but the commotion of the rat was building to a point of serious distraction. It was when the nurses were considering calling the police that I grabbed a paper bag, padded it with paper towels, and went out and put the poor rat into the bag between the paper towels. I walked the bag over to my old Volvo wagon and placed the bag behind the rear wheel. I got into the driver's seat and said "I'm sorry, rat. Bless you and yours." I then backed over the bagged rat. I then rolled forward over the bagged rat. I once again backed over the rat, then again pulled forward. The bag was flat and the paper towels controlled most of the seepage. I threw the bag away and went back to work. I work with savaged people every day, but today I am seriously upset about having to put down that goddamned crippled rat.

People are good! Pray to rats!

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