DON'T GIVE IT A NAME // OPEN

[PEPPINO]

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"Progressive deterioration of articular cartilage in..." Oh. He didn't know how to read that word. A small furrow formed between his eyes, and he exhaled frustratedly, small paws resting on salt-curled pages. "Die...Die-uh. Die-arthro-dee-al. Diarthrodial." Was that right? The book didn't say how to pronounce it, and he didn't want to go ask for help, either, so his lips firmed and he hunched over the words again. "Diarthrodial joints is characterized by...hiyaleen. Hyaline. Hyaline cartilage thinning." That was just the cushion between the joints, wasn't it? If it was thinning, and this was arthritis, then it had to be that. "Joint effusion, and perry...peri-art-ticular. Periarticular ost-eo-phyte. Periarticular osteophyte." Peri meant around, or surrounding, articular meant joint, osteo was bone, and phyte was...He knew what it meant, he did. Phyte. P-h-y-t-e. Osteophyte. Arthrophyte. That had to do with plants, and arthro wasn't plant, so phyte had to mean something like that.

What was a bone plant? A growing bone? Did bone grow on the joints? That sounded like it would hurt, so his eyes jumped down over the rest of the text to the treatment section, nose nearly pressed into the book. "Nonsurgical therapies include weight reduction, controlled exercise on soft surfaces, and therapeutic application of warm compresses to affected joints." That wasn't all of it, was it? Another book had oil remedies, and Pip sat up from the textbook, frowning.

How was he supposed to remember everything?
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