The sudden quiet was my first clue, followed by that heartbreaking noise she'd made during her rescue. Everything was wet; the chair, my pets clothes, my pet. Even more liquid was coming down her face. “Shh. Shh. Good girl.” I picked her up, getting my front wet, but not caring. It wasn't normal, I cursed myself for not talking to the vet about this, but there were so many other bad things that were a distraction.

It was too late to call the vet, they closed hours ago, but I had Yellow's number. I took out my phone, calling with one hand while rocking Piper like a hatchling.

“Blue,” Came the happy voice, followed by barks of Mr. Fluffykins. There was a quick hiss of, “Go fetch,” followed by the noise of running feet.

“What's up? Is Piper settling ok?” Blue couldn't blame her for the worry in her voice, Piper was his first exotic, and would he be calling with good news?

“She's leaking,” he whispered, ashamed as Piper pulled at her clothes. “Shh,” he whispered, running up the stairs and into the bathroom, “I'm putting her into the bath so she can absorb more.”

There was laughter on the line, “This isn't funny, she's leaking! What if she gets dehydrated and dïes!”

“Sorry for laughing,” Yellow apologized, still struggling with giggles that had Blue considering hanging up. Then who would help his pet? “Humans don't leak.”

The bath was full of slightly warm water, and he'd already stripped his pet. She didn't react, besides leaking more from her face, even when he dumped her in. “She's leaking right now!” He yelled, “Good girl. Good girl,” he coo'd when Piper only leaked harder.

“Where is she “leaking?” Came an soothing voice.

“A lot came from below, and now from her eyes.” Was he just as bad as the other owner?

“Relax, that's norm-”

“How is that normal?” He wanted to scream in frustration, but he didn't want to scare Piper. “That's a lot of liquid, if I lose that much-” More stifled giggles cut him off.

“I'm sorry,” she gasped, “But they aren't the same species as us.” He frowned, looking at his pet, he'd just said those words this morning. “You need to read your books.”

“How do you know-?”

“I'm the one who asked the vet to give them to you. Now,” there was a rustling and the word,”fetch,” and more running steps. “Clean Piper, and make her comfortable, and read the chapter about humans and their liquids first. I promise she is fine.” There was a whining through the phone, “I've got to go, Fluffykins lost his ball.”

There was a sharp click and Blue slammed the phone on the sink. Taking a few deep breaths, he reminded himself that she said Piper was ok. And if his pet was sick, Yellow of all people would know.

I turned to my pet, making soft sounds, and getting on my knees. "It's ok, Piper, we'll get you clean." I wiped some of the leakage from her face before grabbing a cloth, and picking up a bottle of human body wash. It was supposed to smell like the blue treats she had loved. I'd have to remember to put the bottle out of her reach so she didn't try to eat it.

She squeaked, looking at the cloth, I lathered the soap, and started to efficiently wash her. But, as I got close to the area between her legs, where she had leaked the most, she pulled the cloth away. I wondered if she was sore.

He ran the cloth over my head, and face, avoiding my eyes and mouth, and then over my upper body, and legs.

When she was done, she handed me the cloth, and I put it in a basket to be washed later. I picked up a cup, and started to rinse her off, careful not to get soap in her sensitive eyes.

I was sure she could do this too, and I needed to find her first owner and think them for training her so well. Piper just seemed content to let me rinse her.

Letting the water out, and refilling it, I waited for her to absorb more water, she would need it after whatever had happened. She just looked at me, eventually laying back so only her face was out. “Good girl,” I whispered.

Waiting was not one of my strong suits, but I only pulled her out when the water was going cold. She seemed upset, fighting to get back in, but relaxed as I wrapped her in a towel. That odd happy noise followed as she buried herself in the warmth.

Dressing her in something similar to what she had worn before, I decided to snuggle with her in my bed. She didn't seem to mind, relaxed from the bath and content to lay against my chest as I lay against the pillows with the book in my lap.

Piper muttered something, running a finger over the raised wording, and the characterized picture of a human. Opening it, I turned to the section about liquids just as Yellow had said.

My stomach fell at the drawings of the inside of humans, more info than I would ever need. Piper squeaked, and I flipped the page to another characterized human with a cup of water. “Huh?” My confusion got even worse as the next picture showed the water going into the human's mouth. I looked at Piper, “You drink water?” She just blinked at me. “Weird.” I shook my head, and turned the page. “Here we go,” I chuckled, settling back into the pillows smuggly.

The chapter was titled leaking, and gave me false hope that Yellow was wrong. But the first sentence proved her right. “Humans can not leak water, but they do lose it in many natural ways.” I frowned, knowing Yellow had been right to laugh.

Falling silent, the reading went fast, but I slammed the book shut. Weeing, sweating, crying, spitting; and so many other ways. Humans lost so much water daily, and this was all natural! It was crazy! “You're so weird,” I said, looking at my little pet, she only yawned at me.

“I know that one,” I said, getting up with my pet in my arms. “You're tired, let's get you to bed.” She didn't even fight when I picked her up, she started to drift off. When I set her in her soft carrier kennel, on a special bed, she snuggled into the fabric. (I would build her permanent kennel in the morning.)

“Sleep well, Piper.” I whispered, shutting the door, and turning off the lights, and turning on the heaters before returning to my bed.

*Thanks for reading!*