Reginald Bushroot stood there and stared at Eric. He could hardly believe the simple acceptance Eric had made of his plant-like body.

"You...this dosen't bother you?" he asked, indicating his figure. "Take a good look at me."

"I am." replied Eric. "What about it?"

Bushroot shook his head. Eric spoke as if he saw plant-ducks every day. "You're not the least bit surprised?" he asked.

"Well," said Eric, "I knew something funny was happening, the way you wore that disguise every time you visited me. Not to mention I saw you fix that cactus just by touching it. I had a feeling there was more to you than meets the eye."

"There's a lot more you don't know." said Reggie. Just thinking about his criminal past made him nervous. Eric seemed to accept that he was half duck, half plant. Would he accept the rest?

Eric walked over to the doorway to the living room. Sweeping an arm towards the room, he said simply, "Tell me."

They sat in the living room, Eric in his favorite easy chair, Bushroot on the couch. And then Reginald told him the whole story. How his love of plants alienated him from his parents and other kids. How he had been ridiculed at the university. How his project had been terminated, and how he used the only option left-experimenting on himself.

Bushroot went on to explain how he tried to create friends and even brides, with the only real success being Spike. He explained how he joined the Fearsome Five in a desperate bid for companionship, only to find more abuse. He told Eric how he finally quit the Five, and how he had resigned himself to a life of loneliness. He told him everything...right up until he had been jolted out of bed by a telepathic cry of pain and a tremendous crash.

Eric sat there for a minute and looked Bushroot in the eye. Finally he spoke: "Wow. I can't believe you made it without going nuts. That speaks volumes about what kind of inner strength you have."

"I think I did go insane for a while." Bushroot thought about how he had once been bent on revenge at all costs...to try to destroy anyone he even thought might spoil his plans. The memory made him very uncomfortable, and he tried to shut it out.

"Well, you're not insane now. You're okay."

"But I was once a criminal. Dosen't that bother you? Do you want to be friends with a former criminal?"

"Reggie," said Eric, "you're forgetting something. I moved here from Canada. Until the other day, I had no idea you existed. I didn't know what you did in the past, and I don't care, because as far as I'm concerned, you're only partly responsible. All I know is that you're the guy who saved my life. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. That's the only thing that matters. That, and the fact that I think you're just a really nice guy. You don't have to ask me for friendship. I'm asking for yours."

Bushroot had tears in his eyes. Eric's uncompromising acceptance of who he was, after a lifetime of unacceptance, overwhelmed him. He grasped Eric's left hand with both of his. "You have it. And thank you...so much."

Eric nodded. "Thank you. For saving my life so I could become friends with you."

They sat for a moment. Eric was the first to break the silence.

"So tell me about the plant thing. You really can control plants?"

"Sure." A big smile broke out on Reggie's beak.

"You've got guts." said Eric. "You took the risk of experimenting on yourself for what you believed in. That's dedication."

"And look at me." said Reggie, but he was still smiling.

"Yeah. One of a kind. That's why I'm lucky you're my friend. I'd like to hear about everything you can do."

Bushroot nodded. Finally, someone else was interested in his work. "Okay..." They talked far into the night.

The following morning, Eric woke up feeling good, considering his broken arm. He heard a knock on the door.

When he answered, a policeman was standing there.

"Mr. Smith?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm afraid I have to place you under arrest, sir."

Eric was shocked. "Why? For what?"

"Samples of your blood taken after the accident show a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. You're charged with DUI."

Only then did it come to him. He had been drinking in Duckburg. He had forgotten all about that. "But the accident happened hours after I was drinking." Eric said. "I wasn't drunk."

"Maybe not obviously. But your judgement could have been impaired. I'm sorry, sir. I'll have to ask you to come with me." Humiliated, Eric did as he was told, standing there as his rights were read, then being escorted out to the police car and being taken to the local precinct.

There, he was questioned and formally charged with DUI. He was released a while later, with a summons to appear in court to answer the charges in a few days. He was forbidden to drive.

As Eric walked home, he felt miserable, mostly because he knew he had only himself to blame. But he had no criminal record, so he might escape conviction. The thought didn't make him feel any less guilty. At least he should be able to keep it a secret from Reggie. He was ashamed enough of himself.

At home, he placed the summons on a table, making a mental note to put it away later. He had made plans with Bushroot to go to a baseball game, then return to the apartment and watch TV. He didn't want Reggie to see the summons.

Bushroot came by early that evening. He thought Eric was acting a bit unusual, but put it out of his mind. After what he had experienced, he had a right to get moody. So do I, thought Reggie, but that was another matter. They had a great time at the ball game, returning to the apartment around 8.

"See what's on." called Eric from the kitchen as he started making snacks.

"Right." Bushroot picked up the remote and started flipping through channels, but that wasn't a good way to find out exactly what was on. He started searching for a TV Guide or a newspaper. He checked the coffee table in the middle of the room. Nothing. He started looking on the other table in the room...and his glance fell on the court summons.

Eric poured some Snooky Doodles into a bowl and grabbed two cans of Kookoo Cola. "Hey, Reggie, what's on?" he called. No answer.

Eric walked into the living room. "Reggie, didn't you..." His voice stopped dead. Bushroot was standing by the table, staring at him, the summons in his hand. Eric felt like falling through the floor. He had forgotten to put it away...and it was too late.

"Eric, what does this mean?" asked Bushroot, holding up the summons. His voice was flat.

Eric sighed. Might as well tell the truth. "Okay...the night of the accident, I drove to Duckburg and had a few drinks. Then I slept it off. My blood alcohol level was illegal in the blood samples they took after the accident. I was arrested, and I have to appear in court. Reggie, I know it was a terrible mistake..."

"A mistake." said Bushroot in that same flat voice. "So when you ran into that tree and injured it, you were drunk."

"I wasn't drunk." said Eric. "It had worn off. I was sober, Reggie, I swear. The blood alcohol level was just barely above legal."

Bushroot paid no attention. "But if there had been no alcohol involved, you wouldn't have been driving fast. You might have seen that animal in time to stop and not lost control of the car. You wouldn't have hurt that tree unneccesarily."

"Reggie, I was angry. That's why I was driving fast. I'd just lost my job. I mean, I understand how you feel about plants, but it was only a tree. It wasn't even damaged that badly."

"Is that so." replied Bushroot. "It cried out in pain in my mind when you hit it. It was as if Megavolt had run 1000 volts through my head." His voice was rising. "It might not matter so much to you, but it damn well matters to me."

Eric tried desperately to find the right thing to say. "Reggie, I'm sorry. That's all I can say. I admit I don't understand how you..."

"That's because you're not me!" shouted Bushroot. "What do you know about suffering?"

Eric covered his face with his hands. "Reggie...please..."

"How could you do this to me." said Bushroot. "Just when I thought everything was perfect...I find out your accident wasn't an accident at all." He threw the paper down and made for the door, grabbing his coat and hat as he went.

"Reggie, wait!" cried Eric. He was close to tears.

"Just...leave me alone!" yelled Bushroot as he slammed the door behind him, leaving Eric standing there, for one terrible instant wishing Reginald had never found him. Wishing he were dead.

END OF PART 3

Reginald Bushroot, Megavolt, and Duckburg are the property of Disney. Eric Smith is my own character. This story was written for entertainment purposes only. (C)2000 Eric Smith.
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