Barrel stopped laughing long enough to try to locate the tools the doctor needed. Jewel, knowing the lab like the tip of her fingers, retrieved them first. Lock and Shock settled down so the doctor could work, though Shock tantalizingly tossed a bottle of something particularly volatile in her hand as further incentive for the doctor to start working.

On the work table, Loki scooped up a bolt with the top of his tail, skittered to the edge, and flung it in Finklestein's direction. It missed its target by several feet and clattered along the floor. Shock reached over and gently stroked Loki's shell. The scorpion chittered at her touch and gently poked at her hand with his tail. Reward given, Shock set her focus back on Finklestein.

All three of the trio snickered at Carver's comment. Jack assisted by taking the chest plate and setting it aside so the doctor could work. His subtle amusement quickly became concern when the doctor started wheezing. Jack turned to Carver.

"What did you [i]eat[/i]?"

Lock, Shock, and Barrel already started another round of laughter at the doctor's misery, only to double over at the rats. Shock barely managed to put the chemical bottle on the table before falling to the floor with her brothers. Jack ignored the trio and quickly tried to grab one of the rats.

Barrel's laughter got even louder.

"Oh, yeah!" he cried. "We went rat-catching yesterday!"

Which reminded him of the cage of rats in the kitchen that would probably become tonight's dinner. That thought immediately went out the window as Jack tried to pry the agitated rats off the doctor's face and sent him into another fit of giggles.

Lock accidentally slammed the machine again in his own throes of laughter. It sputtered and came to life. He jolted out of his amusement at the sudden sputtering, then looked at the machine. Whatever it was, it seemed to be working despite his prior abuse of it. Lock only grinned and tightened his hold on the wrench. It would just make it more fun when he [i]actually[/i] wrecked it.

Shock got ahold of herself long enough to use the work table to hoist herself up. She noticed Loki had tossed himself on his back, kicked his legs up, and thrashed his tail to mimic the trio, with hisses and chitters as he clicked his pinchers. She grinned and helped her scorpion back upright.

"You're getting a beetle when we get home," Shock said, as she pet him again.

Loki let out a soft chirp.