Chapter 51: Standoff at the Stairwell
David and Leonard returned from the shelter to the base of their apartment building, parked the car, and carried the puppy into the ground floor lobby.
They saw someone descending the stairs, and both men stopped simultaneously—they had run right into Sheldon, who was coming down to take out the trash.
Leonard felt an inexplicable surge of tension, and David also felt the timing was incredibly unfortunate. Naturally, the puppy, which had suddenly reappeared in David's arms, also caught Sheldon completely off guard.
Time seemed to freeze for a second.
Immediately afterward, Sheldon, holding the trash bag with a gloved hand, looked as if he'd seen something utterly horrifying, recoiling as if electrocuted and stepping back up several stairs.
"David Zhou! Leonard Hofstadter! I thought you had already delivered this mobile pathogen vector to an official facility with proper bio-containment protocols! Why is it here again?!"
David exchanged a helpless look with Leonard.
"Sheldon, calm down. We went to the shelter, and..."
"Calm down?!" Sheldon interrupted him, demanding angrily, "A contagion source that could be carrying dozens of known and unknown pathogens, which you are attempting to bring back into our shared living space! David Zhou, are you trying to launch a biological attack on this building?"
"Sheldon!" David raised his voice. "Let me finish! We got an official health certificate!"
As he spoke, he pulled the Animal Health Record from his jacket pocket. "Look! The shelter's veterinarian performed a complete examination, vaccinated him, and dewormed him. He's healthy! There are none of the infectious disease risks you're worried about! So, you don't need to maintain any safety distance from us, or from him, anymore!"
Sheldon stared warily at the paper, as if it too were contaminated with pathogens.
He didn't step forward. Instead, he pointed at the floor and commanded, "Put it on the ground! And you two, step back three meters—no, five meters!"
David rolled his eyes but complied, gently placing the form on the ground, then retreating several steps with Leonard.
Only then did Sheldon cautiously descend the stairs, bending over to quickly snatch up the paper, like a bomb disposal expert approaching a suspicious package.
He quickly scanned the contents of the form, occasionally emitting skeptical sounds from his nose.
"Ha!" He looked up, his eyes showing the smugness of "just as I suspected." "I knew it! Superficial! Extremely superficial examination!"
He pointed at the form with his finger: "Look! Only the most basic vitals, temperature, external parasite screening, and the so-called 'basic vaccination' and 'broad-spectrum deworming'! This only proves that it didn't have a noticeable fever or fleas at the moment of inspection! Can it completely rule out rabies in the incubation period? No! Can it detect all intestinal parasite eggs? Can it guarantee the absence of Brucellosis, Lyme disease, or certain zoonotic fungal infections? Absolutely not!"
He demonstratively waved the form toward David (though without actually letting go). "The credibility of this paper is roughly equivalent to a doodle on a Cheesecake Factory napkin! It possesses no efficacy whatsoever in making me lift the highest level of biosafety alert! If you, and that... that creature, want to enter this building—especially Apartment 4A—a more detailed, comprehensive examination report issued by an accredited veterinary facility must be provided!"
David looked at the unusually stubborn Sheldon, then turned his head to ask Leonard, "If we just ignore him and go upstairs with the puppy anyway, what happens?"
Leonard displayed a look of resignation and weary familiarity, replying, "David, trust me, if you want to raise this dog peacefully in this building, or even on this block, it's best to do what he says."
"Why? The lease doesn't prohibit pets." David frowned, trying to find legal grounds.
"True, it doesn't." Leonard sighed. "But never underestimate Sheldon. If you don't meet his 'safety standards,' he will unleash a campaign of 'Continuous Corrective Measures' you can't even imagine. He'll start by filing endless, meticulously footnoted complaints with the building management. Sure, the lease doesn't prohibit pets, but Sheldon will absolutely dig through every municipal ordinance, public health regulation, and even federal-level statute to find something—anything—we've never heard of, and then, through his 'Cooper-esque' logical gymnastics, he'll stretch the argument until he ultimately 'proves' that while the lease doesn't prohibit pets, it definitely doesn't include 'specific canine specimens that may pose a potential threat to community public health and safety'—meaning, specifically, the one in your arms."
Leonard paused, a look of post-traumatic stress on his face: "That's just the beginning. Next, he might file complaints with the landlord, appeal to the homeowners association, or even write letters to the CDC... He'll use endless complaints, debates, and various 'scientific justifications' that give you no peace, until you feel like adopting this dog was the stupidest, most exhausting decision you've ever made, and you voluntarily send him somewhere out of Sheldon's sight. I've seen him harass people to the point of complete breakdown over much smaller issues."
David imagined the scenario—having to deal with complex scientific research data while simultaneously coping with Sheldon's never-ending "biosafety campaign"—and immediately felt a headache coming on.
"Alright," David rubbed his forehead, weighing the pros and cons before making a decision. "Fine. Our 3D scanning paper isn't finished yet, and the data and models are waiting to be analyzed. We really don't have the time or energy to fight a protracted war with Sheldon over this. It's just one more detailed exam, right? I'll do it."
Just then, Sheldon, growing impatient, interrupted their quiet discussion: "Hey! You two! What conspiracy are you muttering about over there? Are you plotting how to smuggle a biohazard past security? I warn you, my eyes are like high-precision particle detectors—they won't miss any anomalies!"
David turned around, faced Sheldon, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender: "Fine, Sheldon, you win. I'll take him right now for the more comprehensive health screening you want. Satisfied?"
Sheldon's tense shoulders seemed to relax by a millimeter, but he immediately pressed further: "The specific tests must include..."
"Zoonotic disease screening, right?"
David quickly answered. He remembered Anna and the veterinarian mentioning some of them.
"Like Brucella, Leptospira, and also Canine Distemper, Parvovirus screening, complete blood count, chemistry panel... I'll ask them to do a full 'New Pet Wellness Package.' Will that finally be enough?"
"That's just the bare minimum!" Sheldon stressed. "Pay special attention to Toxoplasma and Rabies titer testing! Also, for external parasites, don't just look for adults—check for eggs! Fungal cultures are mandatory too! And don't forget..."
"Alright, alright, Sheldon," Leonard quickly cut him off, afraid he'd list a three-day testing schedule. "David knows what needs to be checked—the vets at the animal hospital are professionals."
As David and Leonard turned and walked away about thirty feet, Sheldon's anxious voice followed them: "David! Don't forget to verify the results of all tests when you pick up the report! Especially those that require incubation time! I need to see the official report with the hospital's stamp and the veterinarian's signature!"
David didn't look back, merely raised his hand and waved, indicating he'd heard.
Leonard started the car, heading for a nearby upscale veterinary hospital.
Upon arriving at the vet hospital, the process was surprisingly smooth.
The receptionist smiled knowingly after hearing David's request—clearly, they weren't the first clients "forced" to come in by a family member like Sheldon. She quickly scheduled the appointment and assigned them a veterinarian.
A vet named Dr. Sanchez received them.
"Is this a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog?" the doctor asked while examining the puppy.
"No, the vet at the shelter said he's a Husky!"
"Oh, a Husky with this coat color is much rarer and more expensive than the common gray and white ones. It's hard to believe you found him at a shelter!"
"I found him on Sepulveda Boulevard, and after taking him to the shelter, I changed my mind and decided to adopt him. Doctor, is he generally healthy? Does he have any infectious diseases?"
Enjoyed the chapter?
Unlock More Content:
500 Power Stones → 1 Extra Chapter
10 Reviews → 1 Extra Chapter
Read 20+ chapters early on P2treon (DarkFoxx)