A Sickly Situation

**A Sickly Situation** is the eighth episode of the first season of Veggie Animals.

## Plot

Aristotle is resting up in a sycamore tree, when he hears the sound of wheels rolling through the forest, looking down to see that the sound of a van, which belongs to the local animal doctor, Dr. Jonas K. Carmichael. Aristotle is curious about what Dr. Carmichael is doing in the forest, so decides to find out for himself. Inside his van, Dr. Carmichael receives a call, explaining to the caller that he has made it to the forest, hearing about how there's a case of Animaleosis in the forest and that he has to treat all of the local animals that live in the forest so that none of them will catch Animaleosis. Aristotle has heard everything that Dr. Carmichael said, so goes to warn the others about what he heard about what Dr. Carmichael said about Animaleosis in the forest. Aristotle meets with Bob, Larry, Archibald, and Junior about what he heard about there being Animaleosis, and when Archibald asks what it is, Aristotle explains that Animaleosis is a serious disease that only animals can catch, further explaining that Dr. Carmichael has created a vaccine that can cure Animaleosis and that he has come to the forest to administer the vaccine to the animals that live in the forest. Because of that, the group decide to let the rest of their friends know to be ready so that they can be vaccinated, before splitting up to do so.

Meanwhile, Jimmy and Jerry are singing about what they like to do and not have a care in the world, until Larry knocks on their door, wondering if they're home. Jimmy and Jerry come out of their home and greet Larry, wondering why he's come to their part of the forest. Larry explains to the two brothers that Aristotle told them about Animaleosis being in the forest, and when Jimmy and Jerry ask about it, Larry also explains that Animaleosis is a disease that affects only animals, before he also explains to them that Dr. Carmichael is coming to give them the vaccine. Of course, Jimmy and Jerry immediately become nervous at the prospect of getting vaccinated, Larry asking them if they're alright, but they immediately act like they're not one bit afraid of getting Animaleosis. Because of that, Larry then leads Jimmy and Jerry towards the main part of the forest to get vaccinated. However, Jimmy and Jerry quietly discuss their plans to get out of getting vaccinated, due to the fact that they both don't want to be punctured by a shot. Larry, Jimmy, and Jerry meet up with Bob, Larry, Junior, Archibald, and Aristotle again, just as Dr. Carmichael's van has arrived in the middle of the forest, now that they've warned everyone else to get ready to get vaccinated for Animaleosis. When Aristotle asks Jimmy and Jerry if they're ready to be vaccinated, he notices that they're nervous, but the two jackal brothers immediately tell him that they're just excited, and that they need to calm down a while, so decide to go take a walk for a while until it's their turn to be vaccinated.

After the two brothers have left, Dr. Carmichael comes out from his van and asks who's first, so Larry decides to go first in getting vaccinated. After Dr. Carmichael finds out Larry's species by consulting his computer, he gives Larry the vaccine, and decides to reward Larry with a banana and some apples for behaving during the vaccination. After Larry rejoins the others, Bob decides to take his turn as well, where Dr. Carmichael also consults his computer to find out Bob's species. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Jerry continue further within the foliage of the forest, certain that they have gotten out of having to get vaccinated for Animaleosis. However, Jerry suddenly starts to feel a bit tired, as does Jimmy, who surmises that all the running they've done must have tired them out. The two brothers feel better after a little bit, though the weariness still remains, while Jimmy states that he feels another feeling yet can't figure out what it is, before realizing that he's hungry, which Jerry agrees with as well. Jimmy and Jerry look to see an apple tree in the distance, which they are excited about as they approach the tree, becoming even more excited when they see how many apples there are and how big the apples are. Jimmy tries to climb the tree to get to the apples, but realizes that he is not strong enough to climb the tree, wondering why his muscles have become so weak all of the sudden, before asking Jerry to give him a boost. Jimmy climbs onto Jerry's back to try and reach the apples, but Jerry has also become weak as he falls over, his muscles having become weak as well. Jimmy comes up with another idea to get the apples without having to climb the tree, using a fallen branch to push some of the apples off their branches. Jimmy and Jerry are eager to eat the apples, but when they bite into them, they realize that the apples taste awful, Jimmy tasting rubber and Jerry tasting sand and rocks. Confused about what's going on, the two jackals suddenly discover that their tongues have now become purple.

Archibald, Junior, and Aristotle have also taken their turns in being vaccinated as well, before the group then realize that Jimmy and Jerry have not come back from taking their walk. Larry thinks that they might have gotten lost, but Archibald hypothesizes that Jimmy and Jerry may have possibly run off to play hooky to get out of getting vaccinated, which Aristotle says is the most foolish thing that they have ever done, due to Animaleosis being in the area. Because of this, Bob, Larry, Junior, Archibald, and Aristotle go to find Jimmy and Jerry before anything else happens. Jimmy and Jerry are even more shocked about what is happening to them, asking how they could have let this happen. Jerry thinks that they got Animaleosis, though Jimmy isn't sure if they have it or not, wondering what next could happen to them. Jerry tells Jimmy that he has pink spots on his belly, which Jimmy is shocked to see, before informing Jerry that he also has pink spots on his belly, which also shocks Jerry. When Jimmy and Jerry see people coming, both jackal brothers hide in some bushes to avoid being seen in their condition. The people, a man and a woman, are taking a walk through the forest discussing about Animaleosis being in the forest, even explaining all of the symptoms of Animaleosis, which are constant weariness, muscle weakness, a purple tongue with inability to properly taste food, unusually-colored eyes, and breaking out in spots on the underbelly. After the people have left, Jimmy and Jerry realize that they have gotten the symptoms for Animaleosis, before Jimmy realizes that "unusually-colored eyes" is one of the symptoms that they haven't gotten yet, but when Jerry informs Jimmy that he has purple and green eyes, this shocks Jimmy even more, before he in turn informs Jerry that he has orange and blue eyes, which also shocks Jerry. When both brothers realize that they both have Animaleosis, they scream in terror, which catches Aristotle's attention, before flying off to inform the others that he found Jimmy and Jerry.

Bob, Larry, Junior, and Archibald are looking for Jimmy and Jerry, when they meet up with Aristotle again, who lets them know that he found where Jimmy and Jerry have gotten to. After the group arrives at the spot with the apple tree, they find that Jimmy and Jerry are hiding in the bushes to avoid letting the others see them in their condition. Jimmy and Jerry refuse to come out, because of what happened to them, until Bob convinces them to come out so that they can be vaccinated. When Jimmy and Jerry come out from the bushes, the others are surprised that both jackal brothers have indeed caught Animaleosis. Jimmy states that all he and Jerry wanted was to get out of getting punctured by the needle, before Aristotle lightly chastises them for not being truthful earlier, which Bob agrees with, explaining that God likes it when we stay true to the things that we do or say, saying that that's called Integrity. When Jimmy and Jerry question about it, Aristotle explains that Integrity means adhering to the principles and ethical codes that God embues us, before also telling that they showed a lack of Integrity just to get out of getting vaccinated, yet ending up catching Animaleosis regardless, which causes Jimmy and Jerry to regret their actions. The group realize that they have to get Jimmy and Jerry to Dr. Carmichael before he leaves, but not without Aristotle telling Jimmy and Jerry to pick up the apples they attempted to eat, in order to prevent Animaleosis from being transmitted to other animals. The group arrive back in the middle of the forest and become relieved to see that Dr. Carmichael's van is still parked in the forest. However, when it seems that Dr. Carmichael is preparing to leave after vaccinating the other animals, the group come up with a plan to keep Dr. Carmichael from leaving.

Dr. Carmichael is about to drive away, when he hears his door scratching, before it is revealed that Archibald was scratching on the door of the van to get Dr. Carmichael's attention. When Dr. Carmichael opens the door, he discovers Jimmy and Jerry while they still have Animaleosis, which he acknowledges. Both brothers enter the van, rather reluctantly, while Dr. Carmichael consults his computer to find out Jimmy and Jerry's species, while both brothers are saddened about their condition, but Dr. Carmichael assures them that everything will be okay, telling them to hop on the table while he gets the medicine ready. Jimmy and Jerry cannot get onto the table because they are still too weak, so Dr. Carmichael helps them onto the table. After helping the two jackal brothers onto the table, Dr. Carmichael gets the medicine and gives the vaccination to Jimmy, which causes him to howl in great pain, which the others hear from outside. It is now Jerry's turn as he also gets the vaccination, which also causes him to howl in great pain. The vaccination has caused both Jimmy and Jerry to become unconscious, before they start to wake up, and when they discover that they do not have Animaleosis anymore, they become happy, dancing around happily that they are cured, before they realize that they are still hungry from not having eaten anything all day. Fortunately for them, Dr. Carmichael re-enters the room again to see that the two jackals are cured, before he goes to the refrigerator and gives them some hams, which both brothers are happy about.

After Jimmy and Jerry leave the van after being vaccinated, the others are happy that their friends are cured from Animaleosis, before Dr. Carmichael leaves, now that he had vaccinated all of the animals for Animaleosis. When Jimmy and Jerry are asked how it felt getting vaccinated, they admit that it was scary but it wasn't all that bad, at the same time that they eat the hams they were given. Aristotle tells the two brothers that he hopes that they learned their lesson about Integrity, which Jimmy and Jerry say that they have. Because of that, Aristotle quotes, "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things". After Jimmy and Jerry have eaten the hams, they decide to go back into the forest again because of the apples in the tree that they still have to eat. After the two jackals have left, Larry asks if they'll be okay, before Bob assures him that should, now that they know about Integrity, which Archibald agrees with. Jimmy and Jerry have been eating a lot of the apples that were in the apple tree, having gotten their bellies filled with so many apples, but now realize how important it is to live humbly in Integrity.

## Fun Facts

* The verse quoted is "Hebrews 13:18".
* The song that Jimmy and Jerry sing is sung in the same tune as "Home on the Range".