It was another day in Brisbane, Chilli just dropped off Bluey and Bingo at The Glasshouse Primary School. Bluey was looking for someone hoping that they would be there.
"Biscuits," Bluey said unhappy.
"What's wrong?" Bingo asked.
"Mackenzie is not here. This is the third day this week he has been absent," Bluey said.
Soon enough the class came and sat on the circle rug as their teacher came in front of them.
"Class, there is something I want to tell you about Mackenzie," Calypso said. She is an Australian Shepard who wears a blue scarf around her neck, a brown jacket with the sleeves rolled up, a tan shirt, jeans and brown flat like slipper shoes.
"Is he on holiday?" asked Winton, who is an English Bulldog who wears a blue superman like shirt instead of an "S" it is a "W", black shorts, black socks and red velcro sneakers.
"Mackenzie is in hospital, he had his appendix removed," Calypso said.
The class gasped as Bluey's expression looked a mixture of sadness and concern.
"Calypso, what's an appendix?" Coco asked.
"Well I'm glad you asked, this is why we have a guest speaker today to learn about more of the human and dog body," Calypso said.
Soon enough, a figure came into the classroom.
"Is that one of Rose's younger sisters, Aurora?" Rusty asked, he is a Red Kelpie who wears an army top and shorts with socks and black sneakers.
"I think so," Jack said, he is a Jack Russell Terrier who has ADHD and wears a gray short sleeve shirt with light blue sleeves, jean shorts, socks and sneakers.
The figure was in fact Aurora wearing a salmon colored blazer with orange, yellow, coral, and pink gradients, a white collared shirt and tie, matching bell bottom pants, and high heels with a sun shaped necklace. She removed her sunglasses in a minute as everybody gasped at the sight of Aurora.
"Aurora!" The class minus Bluey cheered.
"I am glad your here, one of my students asked me what an appendix is," Calypso said.
"Well I have an answer for that, The appendix is a small, finger-shaped organ that comes out of the first part of the large intestine. It needs to be removed when it becomes swollen or infected. If the appendix is not removed, it can leak bacteria and infect your entire belly, which can be very life threatening." Aurora said.
When Bluey heard that she started to feel scared and sad and thought about what would happen to Mackenzie.
"Do you know that my sister, Twilight, had her appendix removed?" She informed them.
Later when the class started doing a science project on the human body while Bluey is sitting at a table by herself with her head down.
"Bluey, are you feeling okay?" Aurora asked.
"I guess, I'm just worried about Mackenzie," Bluey said.
"I'm sure she is okay, the doctors caught it just in time," Aurora said.
"Umm... Mackenzie is a boy, Not to correct you or anything," Bluey said.
Aurora had a shocked look on her face when Bluey told her that. A few hours later Chilli came and picked up Bluey and Bingo from Glasshouse Primary School. Chilli noticed from the rear view mirror of Bluey feeling sad and scared in the back seat of the Heeler 4x4 car.
"Bluey, everything alright?" Chilli asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Bluey fibbed.
Once they got home Bluey raced upstairs to her and Bingo's room and closed the door.
"What's going on with Bluey?" Bandit asked.
"She's been that way all day at school today," Bingo said.
"I'm going to check on Bluey," Chilli said.
"I'll come too," Bingo agreed.
Soon Chilli and Bingo went upstairs to check on Bluey as Chilli knocked on the door.
"Bluey can I come in?" Chilli asked.
"Yes," Bluey's voice was heard behind the door.
Once Chilli opened the door she saw Bluey is laying on her side on top of her bed.
"What's wrong? Did something happen at school today?" Chilli asked.
"I found out that Mackenzie is in hospital," Bluey said.
"Oh," Chilli said.
"He had this thing in his belly removed. I haven't been this sad since we almost sold the house," Bluey said.
"I understand that feeling pretty well," Chilli nodded as she sat down on Bluey's bed.
"You have?" Bluey asked, sitting up on her bed.
"Yeah, in fact I was around your age when your aunt Brandy had her appendix removed." Chilli said.
"Aunt Brandy had that thing removed too?" Bingo asked as she sat on Bluey's bed next to Chilli.
"Yes, Would you like to hear what I did to cope with my fear of seeing someone I love in trouble?" Chilli asked.
"Yes!" Bingo cheered.
"I guess," Bluey said.
"Well, it happened in the 80's on a Saturday morning," Chilli said.
A flashback starts to play as a younger version of Chilli is sitting at the dinner table with her mom, Mort Cattle and Brandy who is about ten years old. Everyone finished their meal except for Brandy whose plate still has food on it.
"Brandy, you haven't ate anything off your plate," said Chilli's mum.
"You will miss on family game night," the younger version of Chilli said.
"Family game night?" Bluey asked.
"It is a thing we do every Friday night after dinner," Chilli narrated.
"What happens when grandad has to deploy in the army?" Bluey asked.
"We just don't do family game night when my dad or I should say your grandad is away," Chilli explained.
"I'm sorry mum, I do want to eat, don't get me wrong. it's just that something inside of me is telling me not to," Brandy said.
"If you are feeling not up for family game night you can always miss out," Mort said.
"No! Please Brandy join us for family game night," the younger version of Chilli pleaded.
"No no I'll be fine, I can participate in family game night," Brandy said.
"Are you sure?" Mort asked.
"I can't say no to my little sister," Brandy giggled.
The scene changes to the Cattle family were playing some board games.
"During family game night, I noticed something was up with Brandy. Whenever we played Chutes And Ladders or Monopoly we always fought over who was going to be the red game piece or the dog game piece," Chilli narrated.
"You and Brandy fought over game pieces?" Bingo asked.
"It's what sisters do," Chilli chuckled.
"But this time Brandy let me be the red game piece and the dog game piece, I found it unusual that it was the only time we didn't fight over the pieces, When I went to bed I was in the happy mood that I got to be the two pieces I wanted that I didn't think much of what was going on with Brandy," Chilli narrated.
Chilli climbed happily into her bed smiling and fell asleep.
"The next morning I was still fast asleep but I woke up to some noise outside my room, I didn't know where it was coming from so I left my room and looked for the source of the sound," Chilli narrated.
Chilli went out of her bedroom and was looking around as she noticed a light in Brandy's bedroom was on and the sound was coming inside the room.
"I found where the noise was coming from and it came from Brandy's bedroom," Chilli narrated.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" The younger version of Chilli asked as she entered Brandy's bedroom.
"Ow! My stomach, it really hurts!" Brandy cried.
"I didn't know what to do, I was scared," Chilli narrated.
"MUM, DAD HELP! BRANDY IS IN PAIN!" The younger version of Chilli screamed as she raced out of Brandy's bedroom.
The scene changes to Chilli leading her mom and Mort to Brandy's bedroom where they find Brandy lying on her bed crying in pain.
"Poor Brandy was in so much pain that neither my mum nor dad could sit her upright," Chilli narrated.
"Mort, you should take Brandy to hospital while I stay at home with Chilli," Chilli's mum said.
"Good idea," Mort agreed.
"Hospital?" The younger version of Chilli asked.
"Don't worry everything will be okay," Mort said carrying Brandy in his arms.
"Wow, Grandad was pretty strong!" Bluey exclaimed.
The scene changes to Chilli drawing a horse and her mom was on the phone.
"Okay, talk to you later. Bye," Chilli's mum said as she hung up the phone.
"I am so proud of you," Chilli's mum said, putting the phone down.
"Why?" The younger version of Chilli asked, looking up at her mom.
"It seems that Brandy has appendicitis," Chilli's mum said.
"What's that?" The younger version of Chilli asked.
"Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix," Chilli's mum explained as Chilli had a confused look on her face.
"I knew about the liver and the kidney but this was the first time I ever heard another thing that is in the area of the body," Chilli narrated.
"The appendix is a finger-shaped pouch that sticks out from the colon on the lower right side of the belly," Chilli's mum explained, touching the right side of Chilli's belly.
"That is the apandex?" The younger version of Chilli asked, looking down at her belly.
"Yes, If it weren't for you getting us in the knick of time, Brandy's appendix would have burst, which can be very life threatening," Chilli's mum explained.
"When I heard the words life threatening, I felt scared and even my face went pale," Chilli narrated.
"Just like me!" Bluey exclaimed.
"Yeah, just like you Bluey," Bingo agreed.
"While Brandy was in hospital, I played hooky for the entire week," Chilli narrated.
"What's hooky?" Bingo asked.
"I didn't go to school, but when Brandy felt better and was released from hospital I still felt scared and not to mention my schoolwork was piling up," Chilli narrated.
"Chilli, time for school," Chilli's mum said.
"No, I don't want to go!" The younger version of Chilli shouted.
"Sweetie, Brandy has been out of hospital a week ago and she is ready to go to school," Chilli's mum said.
"I'm not going!" The younger version of Chilli shouted.
"Chilli, what's wrong? You love going to school," Chilli's mum asked.
Chilli started to cry.
"What if something bad happens to Brandy again and she goes back into hospital?" The younger version of Chilli sobbed.
"My mum didn't know what to do, it was for the best for Brandy to solve the problem," Chilli narrated.
Brandy enters Chilli's bedroom holding something as she sits down next to her on Chilli's bed.
"You are worried about something bad happening to me while you are at school?" Brandy asked.
"Yes," The younger version of Chilli sniffled.
"I may have a solution to your problem," Brandy said.
Brandy hands a golden heart shaped locket to Chilli.
"What is it?" The younger version of Chilli asked.
"It is a locket," Brandy said.
Brandy opens the locket and it is revealed a tiny picture of herself in the locket.
"Whenever you feel sad or scared just open the locket, it will know that I am there with you in your heart," Brandy said.
Brandy put the locket around Chilli's neck as Chilli hugged Brandy as the flashback ended and it was cut back to the present day.
"Wow! That was a good story!" Bingo squealed.
"That taught me how to cope with my fear of seeing someone I love in trouble," Chilli said.
"I have a question, do you still have the locket?" Bluey asked.
"As matter of fact I do, I kept it with me all the time. Even when I met your dad, when we got married, and even when I went into hospital to give birth to you and Bingo. Since then I put it somewhere safe so I won't lose it," Chilli said.
"Woah, this gives me an idea," Bluey said.
"What?" Chilli asked.
"I can have my very own locket and put a picture of Mackenzie inside the locket," Bluey said.
Soon enough Chilli and Bluey went to the store and purchased a light blue heart shaped locket, once they got home Bluey placed a small school photo of Mackenzie in the locket. Everyday Bluey wore the locket to school and opened it whenever she felt sad or scared for Mackenzie. Once Mackenzie came back to school, Bluey put the locket in safe place at home so it wouldn't be lost.