Paradise Problems

River pressed her face against the villa's massive window, watching palm trees sway in the ocean breeze. The marble floors gleamed beneath crystal chandeliers, and silk curtains framed views of endless blue water.

"This place is incredible!" she called to her best friend Maya, who was already sprawled across a velvet couch, scrolling through her phone.

Maya looked up with sparkling brown eyes. "Look at all these food delivery apps! Pizza Palace, Burger Bonanza, Taco Town—they deliver here!"

River's stomach rumbled. The villa's fancy kitchen intimidated her with its gleaming appliances and intimidating gadgets. "My parents won't be back for a month. We could order whatever we want."

"Every day?" Maya grinned, her dark ponytail bouncing as she sat up.

"Why not? We're on vacation!"

Maya's fingers flew across her phone screen. "I'm ordering three different pizzas right now."

River flopped beside her friend on the plush sofa, already imagining the feast ahead.

The House Call

Two weeks into their vacation, River clutched her stomach as she sat on the villa's marble steps. The ocean breeze that once felt refreshing now made her queasy.

"Ugh, my belly hurts so bad," Maya groaned from the couch inside, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and burger wrappers.

River stumbled back through the silk curtains. "Mine too. We've been eating delivery food every single day."

"Maybe we should call a doctor?" Maya suggested, scrolling through her phone with one hand while holding her aching stomach with the other.

River nodded weakly. The villa's fancy kitchen still intimidated them, but now their bellies were paying the price for avoiding it. "There's a Dr. Wellness listed here. He makes house calls."

Within an hour, a tall man with wild gray hair arrived carrying a peculiar silver briefcase. His lab coat was wrinkled and stained with mysterious purple spots.

"Don't worry, girls! I have just the thing," Dr. Wellness announced cheerfully, pulling out a bizarre contraption that looked like a vacuum cleaner crossed with a trumpet. "My Digestion Enhancer 3000 will fix you right up!"

The machine began humming ominously as he plugged it in.