Withdrawal

The brown bear was on the verge of tears as he pleaded with a blue cat in a lab coat; the bear stared at the floor while he spoke. "I can't do it, Doc. I just can't do it. I'm weak, and I know I need help, but I just can't give it up. I'm sorry."

The doctor looked at him with sympathetic eyes as he tried to encourage his patient, placing a blue paw on his shoulder: "But you've been doing so well, Mr. Osoliz. I know you're having a hard time right now, but breaking an addiction is never easy. Are you sure you want to give up after all the progress you've made so far?"

The bear continued to stare at the floor, pausing after every few words to sniffle: "I-I don't really want to, Doc, but I just can't get through the day without it."

In a final attempt to change his patient's mind, the doctor asked, "And you're sure this is what you want? You realize its back to square one once..."

"PLEASE, DOCTOR! I'M BEGGING YOU!" The bear pleaded, tears beginning to come from his eyes.

The doctor let out a sigh before he walked over to a safe located on one side of the exam room. "Very well, then. If you don't want my help there is nothing I can do. Of course, if you want to try to quit again, you have my number."

The doctor punched in the safe's combination and opened its door. After searching for a few moments, he produced a black plastic bag with a yellow sticker on its side that said "OSOLIZ, E." He turned around and found his patient standing right behind him.

Before the doctor could react, Mr. Osoliz grabbed the bag from his paws and quickly started to walk out of the exam room, tearing it open in order to retrieve its contents.

You can't save them all, the doctor thought to himself as his patient exited the exam room, relieved to be reunited with his smartphone at last.