Spotlight |h.s|

Ninety Six

Harry Styles

It's been a week since Aubrey and I made the drive to the vet to help the bunny we found in front of our house, making her nearly six weeks old today.

Once we arrived, we were told she had a broken femur which had to be treated with surgery. Aubrey and I didn't even ask about the cost of said surgery, simply nodding and allowing the professionals to do whatever they pleased to help her.

She didn't have any infections that put us in danger when handling her on our way to the clinic, thankfully. She also didn't have fleas or any other type of parasite that could be a burden to Charlie. She's clean, meaning our house didn't need any sort of deep cleaning after her arrival.

She has to be in recovery for at least four weeks post-surgery and will have to go to a veterinary check-in before we're able to safely release her. She's currently on antibiotics to help with her pain that we mix with whatever food she's eating at that time of the day to make things easier. Her back left leg is wrapped to hold the fragile bone in place as it heals, meaning everyone in the house has to be incredibly gentle when holding her to ensure her safety.

While we were gone, Niall went on a shopping trip for her. He got an expensive hutch which is now placed in Aubrey and I's room due to our paranoia of something happening to her at night. The hutch has two floors, having enough space for a litter box, hay, water dispensers, and a ramp between the floors. Along with those things, he got bottles, syringes, formula, leafy green vegetables, and even a few toys for her.

If any of us get her out of the cage to hold her so she doesn't feel lonely or neglected, which is apparently a big problem for rabbits living without any siblings or partners in their cage with them, we have to make sure to shut the door to prevent Charlie from coming in. She's too small for us to risk him hurting her, especially in the fragile state she's in now.

Right now, I'm making use of that rule, laying on my bed as she sits on my stomach. I'm laying on my back, being perpendicular to the typical way that you'd lay on it with my legs dangling off of the left edge, which is Aubrey's side. Niall is laying in the correct way on top of the comforter covering the large mattress, my head being close to his hip as he's in the center of the bed.

What turned into a few-day stay has now been over a week, and I couldn't be happier about it. I don't remember the last time we were together for this long at one time. Sure, he has visited for this length of time before, but we haven't always spent each and every day together of that visit. This time is different, though.

He surprisingly loves it here. He says the change in scenery gives him inspiration to write more, making him thankful that he brought his laptop and work journal along with him when he came. Aubrey has given him some of her research about flower fields and other scenic areas nearby, causing him to visit a couple in his free time and write for a few hours in peace when our backyard isn't inspiring enough for him.

I have the bunny on my chest, her peacefully laying on me with her eyes opened as she admires her surroundings silently like she always seems to. For the first few days after her surgery, she was crying a lot, which is a sound I haven't heard in years. Only when bunnies have been in severe pain. She's calmer now, but I know she's still hurting.

I feel terribly for her, especially since it's been made obvious that her family abandoned her. She's too young to be out on her own without feeding from her mother at some point during the day, and the vet made sure to remind us that we did the right thing by taking her since she was both injured and alone.

Bunnies are able to leave their nest at three weeks old, but they still require feeding from their mothers until they're six to eight weeks old. That number depends on the weaning process, which is different for each bunny. We've been told that she still needs formula, explaining the bottles and other things Niall bought for her.