My poor little rat. Helga has some sort of injury, and it seems to have gotten infected. When I checked on her yesterday, it had grown to be a centimetre and a half high and around� that�s like me having a big, gross thing the size of a cantaloupe (full of green pus) in my armpit. Talked it over with W.O.V. and we decided to try to help her- it was obvious she was suffering from it and we were convinced that if we didn�t try to do something she would die anyway. We drained it, and the stink of the stuff that came out! Ugh. Both of us nearly threw up, how nasty. Copious amounts of green rat pus. Just what everyone wants after dinner!

What amazes me most is that she let us do it. She didn�t try to bite or even struggle- she did squirm a little, but I�d imagine it hurt a lot when we opened it, and it probably hurt even more when I put the antibacterial ointment on. That stuff stings. You know, I always thought she was a nice, gentle little thing� but now I think she�s really remarkable.

She looked poorly this morning, was breathing heavy and just kind of lying there� I was terrified we�d made a big mistake trying to help� but she seems much improved now. The injury is visibly smaller and less swollen, and she�s eating again. That�s a good sign. I�m hoping she recovers, I�ve grown rather attached the little girl. If she doesn�t make it, I�ll be very sad, but at least I will know I tried and didn�t just stand there and do nothing.

In other news� I was on the FBI website last night looking at the Ten Most Wanted list. I know why they haven�t caught Bin Laden yet!

See, the FBI site says they�re looking for �Usama�, but everyone else in the world spells it as �Osama. They�re looking for the wrong guy!

Picture this� a knock on the hovel door� an Al-Qaida aide answers.

FBI agent: �is Usama in?�

Aide: �who??�

FBI agent: �Usama. Is Usama here?�

Aide: �sorry, wrong hovel.�

FBI agent: �oh, sorry.�

Osama Bin Laden: �who was at the door?�

Aide: �oh, just some guys from the FBI looking for some guy named Usama. I told them he doesn�t live here.�

That�s why they haven�t caught him yet.