{"id":22172,"date":"2021-05-26T18:04:21","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T23:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/?p=22172"},"modified":"2023-01-19T11:55:10","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T17:55:10","slug":"chapter-7-baby-noddins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/2021\/05\/26\/chapter-7-baby-noddins\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 7: Take Your Daughter to Work Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was the beginning of another day of operations at the vet clinic. Tabby was at the front desk, going over schedule changes with Strawberry. \u201cSo since Moonglow canceled, we have a whole hour here to–\u201d She paused, tapping her hoof on the counter. She didn’t really have any plans; she was just posturing in case Thomas was listening. It was a relief when the door chime sounded, ending the exchange. Both mares looked up expectantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

A diminutive lavender filly strolled in, a backpack strapped around her midsection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi!\u201d said the foal, approaching the desk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby drew herself up; she had never been at ease around baby ponies. In that respect, she may have been more like her mother than she cared to admit. Youths were wild and unpredictable, and beyond understanding as far as Tabby was concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, hello there,\u201d Strawberry said, smiling. \u201cWhat can we do for you today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here for Take Your Daughter to Work Day!\u201d the filly stated, smiling broadly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d said Strawberry, looking confused. \u201cIs that today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby attempted to process this statement. \u201cWell, neither of <\/span>us<\/span><\/i> has a brat,\u201d she thought out loud, frowning. But just how much did they know about <\/span>Thomas<\/span><\/i>\u2019 personal life?<\/span><\/p>\n

A door opened, and Thomas entered. \u201cTabby, I need you to–\u201d he started, but cut himself off when their glances met. Perhaps there was some censure apparent in her face, as he looked at her quizzically and asked, \u201cWhat did I do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The filly giggled. \u201cIt\u2019s a symbolic relationship, of course,\u201d she piped-up. \u201cI\u2019m Baby Bobbin. I sent you an e-mail,\u201d she said, addressing the pink unicorn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cE-mail? Me? What?\u201d Tabby spluttered, at a loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d the filly affirmed. \u201cLast month I wrote–\u201d She pulled out a phone; really, she was too young for that! Tabby thought–and held the screen up. \u201cSee here–\u2018I will take no reply to indicate your acquiescence.\u2019 \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWait\u2026 you\u2019re that blogger that\u2019s been harassing me,\u201d Tabby said, realization dawning. Not that it made this exchange any more comfortable. “I\u2019ve just been ignoring all your messages and hoped you\u2019d go away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you are hard to get a hold of!\u201d Baby Bobbin chattered. \u201cThat\u2019s why I had to take preemptive action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand why you\u2019re stalking me,\u201d Tabby said, a bit petulantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been following your career since you tranquilized that water panther,\u201d Baby Bobbin shared with alacrity. \u201cIt was running amok in the streets and everyone was like \u2018OMG, panic, get rid of it\u2019 but you were like \u2018shut up, I got this.\u2019 I wrote a post about it on my blog, and I\u2019ve been following your career ever since.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 great,\u201d mumbled Tabby. She hadn\u2019t thought that her line of work would lead to her having a fan base.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be just like you!\u201d Baby Bobbin continued emphatically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAww,\u201d crooned Strawberry, evidently won over. Thomas looked amused by his assistant\u2019s discomfiture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t you be at school?\u201d Tabby snapped, acutely uncomfortable at the attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my day\u2019s assignment. I have a permission slip.\u201d She dug into her backpack and slapped a paper down on the desk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby grimaced and stepped back, so Strawberry picked it up and studied it. \u201cBaby Bobbin, sixth grade, Misty Hollow Middle School, permission for Take Your Daughter to Work Day activities,\u201d she read. \u201cWell, she <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> have the credentials,\u201d she chided Tabby.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not happening,\u201d Tabby said resolutely, turning her back on the small assembly and flipping through a file drawer with no particular aim in mind other than to look occupied. \u201cI don\u2019t have time for this sort of thing. And my boss will <\/span>never<\/span><\/i> allow–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s a great idea, Tabby,\u201d Thomas broke in, a wicked grin on his face. Drat him! \u201cYou’re inspiring the next generation of mares to take up a career in science. Ponies love that sort of thing, and it\u2019ll be great PR for the clinic,\u201d he pointed out. \u201cBaby Bobbin is welcome to spend the day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe won\u2019t have the stomach for it,\u201d Tabby complained, glaring at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I have a very strong stomach,\u201d Baby Bobbin assured her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, then, it\u2019s settled,\u201d Thomas said cheerfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a terrible idea,\u201d Tabby said, shaking her head.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I supposed to do with you?\u201d Tabby sighed, entering the exam room with Baby Bobbin close at her heels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust what you usually do–I\u2019ll be observing,\u201d Baby Bobbin explained. \u201cAnd,\u201d she amended, \u201cmaybe you can answer a few questions for me, as time permits.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby rolled her eyes, rummaging through the supply cabinet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to trace your biographical details pretty well since college,\u201d Baby Bobbin continued. Tabby was moodily silent. \u201cSo what I\u2019d really like to hear more about is your foalhood.\u201d She looked at Tabby expectantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby gave her a pained look. \u201cFine. What do you want to know?\u201d If the young pony got enough information early on, maybe she would cut out early. \u201cBe specific,\u201d she amended. \u201cI\u2019m not giving you my life story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat first inspired your interest in medicine?\u201d Baby Bobbin watched her every move like a hawk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy father,\u201d Tabby begrudgingly disclosed, wiping down the exam table with disinfectant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWas he a doctor?\u201d Baby Bobbin asked, pen poised over her notebook.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot the medical kind; he was a hippologist.\u201d Tabby relaxed a little, memories of another time washing over her. \u201cHe always brought me, er, <\/span>souvenirs<\/span><\/i> of places he visited.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, like little spoons or snow globes or–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEmbalmed Yeti hands,\u201d Tabby explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Even better!\u201d Baby Bobbin said, scribbling frantically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Tabby said, softening. \u201cI took them apart and reassembled them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did that work out?\u201d the filly asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot very well,\u201d Tabby admitted, \u201cbut I suppose it developed an interest in anatomy,\u201d she mused, her mind drifting to the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby Tabby lay on her back, staring up at the pink canopy of her bed. Her sister, Baby Tamara, was sound asleep on the other side of the room, but Baby Tabby couldn\u2019t sleep on account of the raised voices that carried from the living room through an air vent in the twins\u2019 room. Her parents weren\u2019t aware of that feature in the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly until I get this new office up and running–then things will settle down!\u201d her mother was saying, exasperation evident in her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Office<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>business<\/span><\/i> were all her mother talked about. Baby Tabby wasn\u2019t clear on what they consisted of, but she thought she would have liked a mother who paid some of that attention to <\/span>her<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you say, but there\u2019s always one more thing on the horizon,\u201d her father argued. Some further dialogue was muffled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t talk to me about never being home!\u201d her mother cried out, voice rising again. \u201cI <\/span>am<\/span><\/i> home, more than you think, but then <\/span>you’re<\/span><\/i> the one that\u2019s away!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was true that Baby Tabby didn\u2019t see her father as much as she would like, but at least he was actively interested in her life–her attempts at gardening, her kittens, even her hoofkerchief collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur work takes us in opposite directions,\u201d her father said ruefully.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s why it’s so important to plan time together,\u201d her mother said, calming for the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

As if that would happen! Baby Tabby scowled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour time together is only to forward your business goals,\u201d her father retorted. \u201cMeeting clients–wining and dining–putting on a show.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don’t see why we can’t multitask!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re driven, and you know I love that about you, but you have to know when to take a break!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the one gone for months at a time!\u201d her mother snapped. \u201cYou only just returned, and now you\u2019re running off again. I, at least, am here at regular intervals!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t study a culture over a weekend,\u201d her father reasoned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby Tabby wondered if, one day, she would be allowed to go along on an expedition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it sounds like you want me to give up my career!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never said that!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby Tabby knew she was never getting to sleep if they kept going on this track. She slipped out of bed and trotted down the hall, down the stairs, and toward the arched doorway to the living room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her mother noticed her first. \u201cSee, now you’ve gone and woken the girls!\u201d she fussed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby Tabby frowned. It was just like her mother to throw the blame on him. \u201cIt’s just me,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cPapa, are you going away again?\u201d She pinned him with her gaze.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, munchkin, but it won’t be for long,\u201d he said, softening his voice from its earlier agitated state. He crouched down next to her. \u201cI’ll bring you back a Yeti hand for your collection; how does that sound?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay!\u201d Baby Tabby brightened. \u201cBut come back soon, okay?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, let’s get you back to bed,\u201d he said, swinging her up in his forelegs and carrying her out of the room. She noted that he hadn\u2019t responded to her entreaty.<\/span><\/p>\n

After being tucked back in, and appreciating the new quiet that settled over the house, Baby Tabby still couldn\u2019t fall asleep, a sense of unease tickling at her mind. What if he <\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span><\/i> come back? What if, tired of fighting with her mother, he decided to stay away? They were heavy thoughts for one so young.<\/span><\/p>\n

As it turned out, her premonition had proven correct, and Tabby\u2019s father never had returned–whether dead, unable, or willfully staying away, no one really knew; though everyone was willing to speculate. Tabby held out hope, but as the years stretched out, her youthful optimism had begun to fade…<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby snapped back to the present. \u201cLet\u2019s see if the 8:00 appointment is here,\u201d she said abruptly, grabbing a file folder from the holder on the wall; and Baby Bobbin witnessed her first examination of a turtle.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Baby Bobbin and Tabby were alone again, the filly resumed her line of questioning. \u201cYour mom, she\u2019s an event planner, isn\u2019t she?\u201d she forged ahead. \u201cWhat impact did she have on your formation?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing beneficial,\u201d Tabby said, scowling. Baby Bobbin kept pace with her as she led the way to the back of the clinic. \u201cAnyway,\u201d she said, changing the subject, \u201cnow we\u2019re going to check this fecal sample for parasites.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCool!\u201d Baby Bobbin said enthusiastically.<\/span><\/p>\n

But thinking of her mother inevitably led to further visions of the past, and her mother\u2019s inability to understand her daughter\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby stormed into the kitchen where her mother was fixing a cup of tea. \u201cMom, what happened to my experimental garden?\u201d she said, trembling with barely-contained rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour what, dear?\u201d Her mother, Agatha, turned to look at her, and consternation spread across her face. \u201cOh, my, your hair is a mess,\u201d she fussed, setting down her cup and pushing some wayward red strands into place. \u201cYou must learn some decorum, Tabitha! You\u2019re fifteen, and it\u2019s time to put your hoydenish ways behind you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t change the subject!\u201d Tabby wailed. \u201cI told you all about the violets I was inducing mutations in! They\u2019ve been replaced with <\/span>sod<\/span><\/i>!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I did send the grounds crew out to remove weeds from the lawn,\u201d Agatha recalled, returning to her tea. \u201cI suppose they may have seen fit to remove your little experiment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was mine! They were unique!\u201d Tabby cried out, stomping her hoof.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTabitha, they were just weeds,\u201d her mother chided, looking at her critically. \u201cIf you want to experiment, I\u2019ll get you something more tasteful, like orchids, and you can grow them in the greenhouse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hate orchids! They\u2019re stupid!\u201d Tabby shouted. \u201cOf course you don\u2019t understand! You never do!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTabitha, I really can\u2019t deal with these theatrics right now,\u201d Agatha said, frowning at the clock. \u201cI do need to get to the office and confer with Gwen on matters of some importance.\u201d She tossed the undrunk tea into the sink drain. \u201cGo find Richards, and see where they put the lawn refuse, if it means that much to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tears streaming down her face, Tabby turned on her heel and ran.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTabby? Tabby!\u201d Baby Bobbin prodded. \u201cWhat did you find?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I dug through the compost pile and\u2026 oh,\u201d Tabby said, recollecting herself and focusing on the microscope slide. \u201cEr, yes. We definitely have some <\/span>Toxascaris leonina<\/span><\/i> activity going on here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I look?\u201d Baby Bobbin asked eagerly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Tabby said, shrugging and moving aside at the counter. Baby Bobbin was made of sterner stuff than she had originally anticipated.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, as the day went on, Tabby begrudgingly agreed that it wasn\u2019t so bad having a tagalong, because it was someone she could task with the really menial things, like cleaning litter boxes and sweeping the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

When they were taking a break in the afternoon, Baby Bobbin continued: \u201cBeauregard said you have an identical twin who hasn\u2019t been back to Misty Hollow in years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy were you talking about my family with Beauregard?\u201d Tabby asked, frowning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was interviewing him, of course,\u201d Baby Bobbin said. \u201cIt\u2019s how I get all my information.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Tabby sighed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, the twin\u2026\u201d Baby Bobbin held her pen poised over her notebook.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, Tamara,\u201d Tabby said impatiently. \u201cShe lives in Preubia and I\u2019m quite happy with her being far away from me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019s that?\u201d Baby Bobbin asked curiously.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a prima donna, always has to be the center of attention,\u201d Tabby burst out, scowling. \u201cShe was always nagging at me to be more like <\/span>her<\/span><\/i>\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTabby, I want you to look good for the picture today,\u201d Tamara said, eyeing her sister critically, in a manner learned from their mother. Tabby was sprawled on a couch with a book, and pretended not to hear. Tamara sighed. \u201cA little more <\/span>class<\/span><\/i> than usual,\u201d she continued fearlessly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTamara,\u201d said Tabby sternly, looking at her from over the top of the book, \u201cI am not some wild pony raised by wolves like you make me out to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just want us to make a good showing,\u201d Tamara said, her voice carrying a bit of a whine. \u201cIt\u2019s a scholarship in honor of our father, after all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and he\u2019d want me to be myself!\u201d Tabby snapped, setting her book down.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Hubert W. Fershund Scholarship was being awarded to a worthy recipient at the local university, and Tabby and Tamara were presenting it. Naturally, Tamara wanted to ruin the event for her twin by turning her into something she was not.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Tamara got her way; she always did. Tabby found herself thoroughly disguised by the foundation, blush, mascara, and eyeshadow that her sister applied. Now she looked just like Tamara. They were identical, of course, but Tabby liked having a style unique enough that they could be differentiated. Tamara found her twin’s carefree style intolerable, however.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ceremony went off without a hitch–except for the fly that took to buzzing around Tamara. She had to keep swatting at it, at one point slapping herself in the face. Tabby just smirked at Tamara\u2019s irritation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The following day at school, Tabby was walking down the hall, and noticed more stares and hoof pointing and laughter than usual. She was already singled out due to being an heiress of some repute–she tried to forget that, but her classmates had latched on to the idea, calling her Lady Tabitha and making mocking curtsies directed at her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby shook her head. \u201cWhat\u2019s gotten into them? They\u2019re all morons,\u201d she said under her breath. Her mother was threatening to send her to some private academy, like Tamara, but Tabby didn\u2019t think she\u2019d enjoy the other end of the spectrum any more. At least she knew her enemies here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey Tabby, nice picture in the paper,\u201d Beauregard chortled with a quick punch to her shoulder as he passed her in the hall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby glared after him but said nothing. What was the use? She was sure that the words were not genuine. At least now she had a reason for today\u2019s undue attention; it must have to do with an account of yesterday\u2019s ceremony published in the paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby took her seat next to Strawberry in homeroom. \u201cWhat is the deal with everyone today?\u201d she asked, her voice low.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Tabby, it’s nothing,\u201d Strawberry assured her, \u201cbut I heard–the photo from yesterday–\u201d She sighed. \u201cWell–it\u2019s a little less-than-flattering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we had some digital hoof-held communication device that could bring the news up instantaneously,\u201d Tabby complained, \u201cbut it’s the nineties, and we have to scrounge up a paper copy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUh, right,\u201d Strawberry said with some confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, Tabby wrangled the clipping in question from a classmate, Dusty Rose. Well, everything looked fine on her side of the photo, Tabby mused; though for whatever reason, the photo that had been chosen was one with Tamara scowling as she hit herself in the side of the head. It was an awkward moment caught in perpetuity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Tamara looks silly,\u201d Tabby admitted, studying it. \u201cBut I’m\u2026\u201d Her face clouded over as she read the caption. \u201cThey mixed up our names!\u201d she seethed. \u201cTamara’s the one smashing her own head, not me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure, sure,\u201d sneered Dusty Rose, reclaiming her property. \u201cI mean, if <\/span>I<\/span><\/i> had an identical twin, I would say that, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut we don’t all have the luxury of a built-in scapegoat,\u201d added Willow, Dusty Rose\u2019s BFF.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby almost wouldn’t put it past her sister to have orchestrated the whole thing. \u201cWell, have your laughs;<\/span> I<\/span><\/i> certainly don\u2019t care,\u201d she said, forelegs crossed, settling back in her desk chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you say, Lady Tabitha,\u201d giggled Dusty Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut are you really identical?\u201d Baby Bobbin wanted to know. \u201cLike, really, really identical?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Mom said my eyes were more purple,\u201d Tabby admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d said Baby Bobbin, mulling this over.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, it is past school hours,\u201d Tabby pointed out. \u201cYou can leave any time. Just sayin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot just yet!\u201d Baby Bobbin exclaimed. Lowering her voice, she asked, \u201cWhat is the status of your relationship with Dr. Collins?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh my gosh, what do you know about that?\u201d Tabby sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward. Talking about that part of her life was certainly not included in this bargain. \u201cWe\u2019re friends.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut you <\/span>were<\/span><\/i> dating, weren\u2019t you?\u201d Baby Bobbin pressed on. “That’s what my mom said.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I suppose maybe, years ago,\u201d Tabby said vaguely.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what do you think of Dr. Fairfax?\u201d Baby Bobbin asked with a saucy grin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, don\u2019t go there,\u201d Tabby said, putting her hooves up in front of her. \u201cI\u2019m not having that conversation with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you <\/span>do<\/span><\/i> have a thing for him!\u201d Baby Bobbin crowed. \u201cAre you trying to assuage your own insecurities caused by the loss of your father, by cultivating mentoring relationships with stallions of higher education?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby stared, slack-jawed. \u201cDon\u2019t try to psycho-analyze me,\u201d she snapped, not sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. And she was certainly not about to consider if there was any truth in what the filly theorized!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Baby Bobbin, did you collect enough information for your report?\u201d Thomas asked, walking by.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby jumped. Had he heard any of that nonsense?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll do,\u201d said Baby Bobbin, looking surreptitiously between the two. \u201cBut Dr. Fairfax, if you wouldn\u2019t mind answering a couple of questions–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re done for the day,\u201d Tabby interjected quickly, ushering the filly down the hall. \u201cI\u2019m going to need a week of vacation to recover from this,\u201d she muttered to herself.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was the beginning of another day of operations at the vet clinic. Tabby was at the front desk, going over schedule changes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22172"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31385,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22172\/revisions\/31385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}