Vikki the Vet Nurses Nadia the Newt
This is the story of Nadia the Newt.
Nadia the Newt ingested some Mandrake root.
Nadia was near her nadir, and she probably would have died if Vikki the Vet hadn’t taken the appropriate action.
Mandrakes are a type of nightshade.
There are a lot of nightshades.
But not all nightshades are equal.
Deadly Nightshade is one of the different types of nightshade.
It is the deadliest of all the nightshades.
But Nadia the Newt did not ingest Deadly Nightshade.
Mandrake is the nightshade that Nadia ingested.
And while not as poisonous as the Deadly Nightshade Mandrakes are still plenty poisonous.
Especially the fruit and the root.
And it is the root that nearly killed Nadia the Newt.
So, in the end this story turns out to be a cautionary tale.
Narration! Narration! Narration!
“Show! Don’t tell!” the naysayers natter.
“More dialogue you dummy!” is what the ill-bred blurt.
What do I think?
I think rudeness is the rude person’s problem.
And it only becomes your problem if you pick that problem up.
So ignore injurious insults and refrain from retaliating.
In other words: turn the other cheek
So as I was saying, this is the story of Nadia the Newt.
One day a man named Naphtali hurried his son into Vikki the Vet’s Veterinary Clinic.
Aidan is Naphtali’s son.
And under Aidan’s arm was a box packed with wet paper towel.
“What’s in the box?” asked Vikki the Vet.
Aidan opened the box.
And inside the box was a newt named Nadia.
Aidan owns Nadia the Newt.
She is his pet.
Nadia the Newt is a fire-bellied newt.
And fire-bellied newts make good pets.
Coincidentally, Aidan’s name means fire in Celtic.
But none of these three know that.
“Aidan’s newt, Nadia, has eaten some Mandrake root,” said Naphtali.
“Are you sure?” asked Vikki the Vet.
“I am,” answered Naphtali.
“Has Nadia been nauseous?” asked Vikki the Vet.
“Not that I know of,” answered Naphtali.
“And how about you, Aidan,” asked Vikki the Vet.
“Have you seen Nadia throw up?”
“No, I have not,” Aidan answered.
“I do not mean to upset you,” said Vikki the Vet.
“But this is quite serious.”
“How serious?” asked Naphtali.
“Mandrakes can kill a person, never mind a newt,” Vikki the Vet said seriously.
“Nightshade is a nasty plant.”
“It’s a narcotic.”
“It can induce narcosis.”
“And it can put you to sleep permanently.”
“So, what do we do?” Naphtali continued.
“There are medications that can neutralize nightshade,” answered Vikki the Vet.
“But these are dangerous drugs.”
“So I’d like to be sure how you know that your newt ate some Mandrake root.”
Naphtali explained that his father – Aidan’s grandfather – grew Mandrakes in the garden because he believed they brought him good luck.
“I know what Mandrakes smell like,” said Naphtali.
“So when I smelt the root’s rusty notes on Nadia’s breath I knew she had eaten some nightshade.”
“Mandrakes contain a chemical called atropine,” said Vikki the Vet.
“And atropine can cause you to stop breathing.”
“Luckily, I have an antidote for atropine,” said Vikki the Vet.
After administering the antidote to Nadia the Newt, Vikki the Vet talked to Aidan and his father.
“Nadia is going to be fine,” said Vikki the Vet.
“But I’d like to keep her overnight for observation.”
“Is that okay with you, Aidan?” asked Vikki the Vet.
“Whatever is best for Nadia,” answered Aidan.
“And I also think its time to lose the nightshade,” said Vikki the Vet while looking at Naphtali.
“Don’t worry,” said an angry Naphtali.
“Aidan’s grandfather will hear all about what happened here.”
“Nadia nearly died.”
“And so could Aidan if he incidentally ingests some,” said Vikki the Vet.
“Rest assured.”
“No more nightshades.”
Or, to put it another way:
Grandpa won’t be growing any more Mandrakes.