Back Together Again (Or Medic's Big Adventure)

Medic was completely dry, yet really stinky on Monday morning. I put Medic in Ivan's crib. "Osusio," he told me. Medic was dry. Medic was also really stinky. He didn't dry fast enough in the bathroom so that damp, modly smell really clung on. Ivan didn't care. It was as if Medic didn't exist.

It was time for intervention number 2. I decided to give Medic another quick Woolite bath before heading off to work. The day was supposed to be gorgeous. Medic would have the whole day to dry out in the sun in the yard. We squeezed and wrought him well before heading off to work. My mom agreed to squeeze him during the day.

By the evening, he was almost dry, still a bit damp, and again stinky. Not as bad as the first time, but still stinky.

Still I took Medic for Ivan to play with before bedtime. He seemed interested again. He hugged and kissed Medic, like before. Were they going to be best buddies again? I was elated, despite the smell? Did Ivan notice the smell?

Once Ivan went to bed, it was time to continue with the intervention.

"Put him in the dryer," Andy argued. Medic's tag said to air dry, but since he was so stinky I decided to give it a try. He eventually dried. But it was too late. The smell had already permeated him and clung to him.

"Febreeze him," Andy said. "It will take out the smell." So he took Medic to the bathroom, grabbed the Febreeze bottle and sprayed him well. Medic now stank even more. Febreezing would've been a good option, had we actually had the fabric Febreeze. Instead Medic got Febreezed with the air refreshener.

"Oh, it will eventually air out," Andy optimistically commented. The smell was now even worse. Febreeze didn't mask the moldy smell, it just added another nasty layer to it.

But Tuesday morning and evening, Ivan was back to hugging Medic and carrying him around the house. Did he notice the foul stench now surrounding Medic, did he care? I don't know. The smell was overwhelming. I had left Medic overnight with Ivan on Tuesday night; by the morning, Ivan and the crib smelled like stinky Febreeze.

Wednesday morning Ivan and Medic were back together, like before the intervention. Panda who was still around seemed to become oblivious again. But the stench wasn't easing up.

It was time for a third, and hopefully final intervention. Originally, I was going to wait for the weekend so that Medic could air dry in the sun, but then the weekend was too far off. What if Ivan rejects the Medic because of the stench, or something else.

So this evening, Medic was immersed for the third time in a cool gentle Woolite bath. After he soaked for a while to take the stench out, we wrung him really well and put him in the dryer. He's almost dry. And not at stinky. He even faintly smells of Woolite.

And he'll be back in Ivan's crib when he wakes up in the morning.