"Usually, it's more dogs or cats that are victims of chocolate poisoning, but other small animals such as rodents can sometimes fall in the trap too." Declared Arun calmly.

"And is it... serious?" The worried look on Tajiro's face hurt.

"Unfortunately, yes. As much for humans, chocolate is totally innocuous, as much for animals... It's a deadly poison, especially for small animals such as rodents."

"Does that mean I'm going to die? Oh no, no, I don't want to die, I have kids to make and females to find!" The squirrel was holding his head screaming like crazy, totally panicked.

"Calm down, it doesn't mean that you're going to die. It depends on how much you have eaten, especially the cocoa content of the chocolate. If it was milk chocolate, it's less serious than if it was dark chocolate. " Despite the seriousness of the situation, the veterinarian was trying to keep his calm so as not to worry the squirrel more than necessary.

"It was brown. Brown, not black. I remember it clearly!" Claimed the pet.

"So it was probably milk chocolate. It's already that, and how big was the piece?"

"Uh..." Kast spread his arms to show more easily. "Pretty much like that, I could hold it between my hands, so it was not very big, even less than an acorn."

Arun breathed relief. The squirrel was not out of the woods, but his situation was less serious than he imagined.

"So veterinarian, is there anything to be done to cure Kast ? Please, I can not lose him..." Tajiro implored the help of the young man, who stepped back a bit.

"I'll explain what happens when an animal ingests chocolate."

His role as a veterinarian was to care for pets, but also to warn their owners of the dangers and risks of certain things. If everyone was more careful, then he would hardly need to heal the animals.

"The cocoa contains a molecule called theobromine. As I told you, for humans it is harmless, but for some animals like cats, dogs, or rodents, it's a cardiac poison. All over the body, causing abdominal pains, an abnormal rise or fall in blood pressure, and sometimes death if it's too much present." Arun detailed, his finger raised like a schoolmaster. Tajiro and Kast listened attentively.

"I understand... I should have been more careful ! I do not know where he could eat chocolate, I do not have any at home..." complained the man in a suit. If only he had paid more attention...

"It's not your fault, Mr. Tajiro, it's up to him to be careful not to eat everything he finds." Arun pointed to the little squirrel, who prostrated himself to the vet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it would be so dangerous ! I promise not to eat anything I'm offered, I don't want to die!

"Don't worry, you shouldn't die, if you do what I tell you." Replied Arun kindly.

He sat up to continue his explanations.

"In the case of a cat or a dog, if the ingestion is recent, inducing the pet to vomit may be useful to try to bring out the toxic substance before it goes into the blood. But rodents like squirrels can not vomit, it's a physiological peculiarity. "

Tajiro's eyes were wide open as he listened carefully to the veterinarian's words. Even if the first impression he had had in front of the clinic was not very good, he was forced to admit that he was talented. Arun took the time to explain the situation, and to make sure it did not happen again.

"The second treatment to stop intoxication, that's it."

The vet went to a drawer that he opened. He fumbled in a few seconds, and took out a small jar containing about thirty capsules.

"Active plant charcoal is a known natural remedy for absorbing poison and toxins from the body, and is often recommended for use in humans and pets."

The squirrel got up with difficulty and approached the jar, curiously inspecting it. Arun opened the container and took out a capsule, a little too big for Kast.

"I could never swallow it! I know how to store big acorns in my mouth, but I can't swallow them..."

"Isn't it the hamsters who do that normally?" Arun laughed.

"Yes, but you know, hamster or squirrel... Hamster females are pretty good, even if they have no tail, and that's clearly a flaw." The criteria of beauty in squirrels were special to say the least... Or it was just Kast who was.

Tajiro had got up, approaching the operating table to inspect the capsules. He made the same remark as his pet.

"What can I do to make him swallow that?" He asked with interest. He wanted to do everything he could so that Kast gets better as quickly as possible.

"It's not the capsule that's important, it's what's inside!" The veterinarian opened the capsule in half, and poured the black powder it contained into his palm.

"Just open it and mix the charcoal in one of its meals, it will be much easier to swallow, and just as effective." Explained the veterinarian by replacing the powder in the capsule to avoid wasting care material.

"Okay, I'll do that." The man nodded, taking the jar of capsules.

"Give it two a day for a few days, and it should get better soon. And most importantly, don't eat chocolate!" Arun spoke to Kast to warn him once more. Better be safe than sorry!

"I swear on my squirrel honor that I would never get over this poisoned horror. It was good, but it was not worth it to almost die for it..." Kast sighed with relief as he learned that his life was not in danger. He still had a very bad stomachache, but it was still bearable.

"I'm going to be paying a lot more attention to what he's eating from now." Mr. Tajiro said, extending his hand to the little squirrel, who climbed up his arm to perch on his shoulder.

"Thanks a lot, veterinarian, I did well to come see you soon. Good luck for the rest of your day!"

Obviously, the client was satisfied. And that was all that mattered to Arun. Let his customers leave with relief and a smile as much as possible. And especially with the assurance of healing and staying healthy.

The veterinarian accompanied Tajiro and Kast to the reception, where many people were still waiting.

"I let you see with my assistant to pay for your consultation. Good day!" He greeted the squirrel and the man one last time, still with a smile, and turned back to the hall to pick up his next customer.

"Mrs. Shantura?"

At the call of his name, an elegant young woman stood up. She was dressed in a rather original way : a purple veil covered her face, and other pieces of silk and transparent and shiny fabrics covered the rest of her body, yet revealing her tanned skin in some places.

Her turquoise eyes landed on the vet as she approached quietly. Arun watched around her, seeing no pets follow her.

"Hello, are you alone?"

"No, let's say I need the consultation done outside rather than in your office. Is that possible ?" She asked in a confident, masculine voice that cut with the more feminine look of her body.

Arun was a little taken aback, not knowing what to expect. But it was possible. He just had to pack a few things with him.

"Yes, of course, we just have to go on the roof, then."

The vet guided his customer to the office, where he took only a first-aid kit of the same type he had taken when he went to look after Cha-cha on the outside. He then continued to a staircase that rose on the roof of the building, fortunately not very high.

Once they had both arrived, Arun closed the door to make sure no one would come up after them. He was curious to see why Mrs. Shantura wanted him to come outside.

And he soon understood why. The woman put her hands around her mouth as if to make a loudspeaker, and whistled a big blow to the sky. A few seconds later, a huge black bird with long feathers appeared, coming to rest on the roof of the clinic, causing a squall that nearly made the vet fly.

"Well... if I expected that..."

The huge bird leaned heavily on the clinic. It must have been four or five meters tall. Its piercing eyes stared at the veterinarian, who was a little afraid that the weight of the pet would crumble the building...

"If your clinic collapses because I landed on it, it would mean that it was poorly constructed." A clear, powerful, and feminine voice echoed in Arun's head. It was the bird that was addressing him, as if she could read in his thoughts...

"It is for her that I will need your help, veterinarian. I introduce you to Astera, my pet, a giant black female vulture." Said Mrs. Shantura, placing a hand on the feathers of the bird.

He knew that in the world in which he had been reincarnated, there were animals he had never seen in his own. And Astera was a very good example.

Decidedly, the veterinary work in another world was still full of surprises.