In his mind, Shuta saw the faces of Jinnai and Satsuki, gazing at Bee with mesmerized expressions.
“I’m feeling better for sure. And the new company I’m at isn’t a bad place to work, but it’s not the kind of place that can offer job security in the long run. If possible, I’d like to work for a bigger, more stable corporation. So I’d like to keep the cat for a little longer.”
“Didn’t you work for such a company?” asked the doctor brightly. “You said yourself, Mr. Kagawa, that you were employed by a major brokerage firm—the kind you see in commercials. You’ve worked at a big, stable corporation.”
The doctor’s smile caught Shuta off guard. Shuta realized he’d gone round and round, and he was back in the same place. It was as if he were wandering the grid of Kyoto streets and couldn’t find the exit.
Without waiting for a response, the doctor smiled bitterly and said, “The kind of place that can offer job security in the long run…Well, I suppose it’s fine for you to keep the cat. There seem to be no side effects. But you can only keep her for five more days, as she’s scheduled to be euthanized at the pound.”
“Euthanized?”
“Yes, once her adoption deadline passes, she’ll be put down.”
What?
The doctor gave another smile and continued in his friendly Kyoto dialect.
“This cat, along with its two siblings, was trapped in a house for days after their elderly owner passed away, until a neighbor reported it. There were three of them, and they were named A, Bee, and Cee. Isn’t that fun?”
Bee. What a cute name. Bee.
Bee had just been complimented on her name not too long ago.
In his mind’s eye, Shuta could see Satsuki and the part-time office staff greeting him so joyously. Shuta felt something hot surge and fill his chest. It was so intense that he found it hard to breathe.
“But Bee is a therapy cat for this clinic, right? Why not keep her here instead of returning her to the pound? Honestly, she was instrumental in my healing process.”
“We’re not a shelter. Once cats complete their service, they’ll be returned to their rightful place.”
The doctor’s thin smile showed no emotion. If anything, it was Shuta’s emotions that were in turmoil. Bee is right here on my lap now.
“Isn’t there anything else you can do to find her a new owner? You can contact old patients or list her for adoption. Maybe you could find someone interested in adopting her online. After all, Bee is such a cutie.”
It was all so sudden. Shuta struggled to gather his thoughts. He knew he was in no position to criticize the doctor, recognized that his knowledge of animal welfare was pretty basic. Still, the doctor’s calm demeanor infuriated him. He glanced down at the carrier in his arms.
“If we all work together, we might be able to find someone who wants to adopt her. We just need to try harder,” said Shuta.
“If we tried harder, you say?” said the doctor.
“That’s right.” Shuta looked up and, just as he expected, saw the doctor smiling.
“But it’s not just this cat,” continued Dr. Nikké. “Pet stores and shelters are actively trying to find homes for cats. Even the pounds are doing what they can. Despite all this, there seems to be no end to the number of cats with nowhere to go. It’s not about meeting the conditions. A cat will only be adopted if it’s able to have an emotional connection with its potential owner.”
Emotional connection? Shuta didn’t quite understand what that meant. If it was the answer to finding Bee a home, though, he wanted to know how to make it happen.
“So, how do you have an emotional connection?” Shuta asked.
“You’re here because you don’t know the answer to that. Come on; don’t look so upset. Don’t worry. You’ll be cured in your remaining time with the cat. You’ve got just five more days left, so make sure you finish it all up.”
Five more days, and that’s it.
He couldn’t accept the brutal truth that awaited the cat that had once been rescued. How could a life that had been spared be taken away once more?
“What about Bee’s siblings? Are they here, too?” he asked, trembling.
The curtains behind the doctor were drawn closed. Chitose always brought the pet carrier through there. He didn’t know what went on behind them.
“Bee’s siblings passed soon after they were admitted. They died of starvation. That’s the harsh reality.”
Urged by the look in the doctor’s eyes, Shuta picked up Bee’s carrier and left the examination room. He passed the reception window, and Chitose didn’t even look up. “Take care of yourself,” she said, sounding cold and curt, like an unfriendly cat.
Two, then three days passed and Shuta still didn’t know what to do. He took Bee to the construction office every day. Each day, more things that didn’t belong in an office, such as a laser pointer and an electric fish-shaped cushion, appeared. Each new item made Shuta’s stomach sink. Today was the fourth day of the latest prescription. Tomorrow, he would have to return Bee to the clinic.
The doctor had told him flatly that he would return Bee to her “rightful place.” Did he mean he would send her back to the pound, knowing what her fate would be?
“Hey, kid!”
Shuta was startled by a loud voice. The team’s most senior member, an older man with a dark tan, was staring at him. In his arms were bags of sand.
“Shouldn’t you young folks be doing the heavy lifting, not leaving it to an old man? You thoughtless brat!”
“I’m sorry,” Shuta said, rushing to help.
He was always getting yelled at for being absentminded. He was used to it by now. Today, he was especially distracted and had been reprimanded several times, eventually even receiving a smack on the head.
On their way back to the office, Kōsuke discreetly consoled Shuta in the van.
