Everything Will Be Alright.

Everything is going to be alright...everything is going to be alright...

Do you ever get annoyed hearing those words ring over and over in your head? My Chinchilla is in the hospital. He's sick. And I keep telling myself everything is going to be alright. But what if it's not true? What am I going to do if everything doesn't turn out alright?

It's hard for him to breathe. The Vet has him in a small cage and he's huddled in a corner, resting on a blanket. He's hunched over because he's trying to find comfort in his predicament--gas has collected in his intestines and only medicine can help relieve it.

Everything is going to be alright...

Earlier he rested on my shoulder. I was wearing a collared shirt and he stuck his little Chinchilla head under one of the collars to help shield himself from the light. It's hard for him to be around loud noises and bright lights right now. I just take my hand and hold him close to me.

The Vets don't know what to do so they're keeping him overnight. They'll take good care of him, I say to myself. He's been X-Rayed, shot-up with meds, given plenty of love and certainly a ton of attention. I keep holding him expecting him to burst back to his usual bouncy self.

Everything is going to be alright...

When I first adopted him he was sitting in my car when I said,"Theodore, you're going to grow old with me! You know you chinchillas live like 15 years, right?" I remember taking him home and telling him, "Theodore, I hope you like cold weather, because in just a few years we'll be going to grad school up north!" I dreamed about how he would be with me for all of it--undergrad, grad school and then my grand life living and working in the city. I remember telling him, "Theodore, no matter what guys I meet, no matter who comes and goes along the way...I'll always have you".

Everything is going to be alright...

Usually he scampers all over the place, exploring every little inch he can get his little paws on. Normally he sniffs my hand searching it out for a treat. But today he's lifeless, lethargic, reluctant, motionless...just laying in my arms. He normally likes snuggling up to me.

But why not anymore? Why is he just laying there? Can't he wake up? Why won't he wake up?

Everything is going to be alright...everything is going to be alright...

Theodore died this evening. He was such a good Chinchilla.