“Hmm? Oh, of course I did. Yes, yes, you work at a call center. Seems stressful. So, what’s the matter?”
The doctor’s flippant tone made Koga lose his temper.
“I can’t sleep! That woman’s voice haunts my dreams. I haven’t slept properly in weeks! I find myself zoning out at work more and more. If this carries on, I’m going to lose my mind.”
Koga’s face was scarlet, and his breath was ragged from his outburst. The doctor remained unperturbed, detached.
“I see. It’s tough, not being able to sleep.” The doctor turned to his desk and began tapping away on his computer keyboard. “We’ll prescribe you a cat, and let’s monitor how you feel for a while. Oh, you’re in luck. We just got back a particularly effective cat.” He spun around in his chair, turning his back to Koga.
“Chitose, can you bring me the cat?”
“Yes,” came the answer, and the nurse from earlier came into the room. In one arm was a cat with a black and reddish-brown coat. In the other arm was a pet carrier, which she placed on the desk. Then she handed the cat to the doctor.
The doctor took the cat in his arms and began giving it long strokes from head to tail.
“This is a highly effective cat,” he said. “It’s already booked for another patient after you, so I can only give you a ten-day prescription. But that should be enough. Here you go.”
The doctor thrust the cat at Koga. Koga was so startled that he instinctively slid his chair back. But there was nowhere to go in the small room. He was forced to accept the cat in his arms.
“Hey, hey, hey. What is this?”
“A cat. Works really well for insomnia,” said the doctor. “Here, I’ll write you a prescription, so please take it to reception. Now, take care.”
“Is this a joke? Treat my insomnia with a cat? What’s that going to do? It’s not worth a fart in a windstorm!”
“Please don’t fart. Even cats can’t stand bad odors. Don’t worry. Cats can solve most problems. Oh, and if you see a patient in the waiting room, will you tell them to come in?”
The doctor handed Koga a small piece of paper and pressed the pet carrier into his hands.
Koga fled the room as if chased. There was no one in the waiting room. At the reception window, the nurse gave him a paper bag. With some effort, Koga managed to push the cat into the carrier. He had interacted with the creature only briefly, but his clothes were already covered in hair.
Insomnia after the age of fifty. An outcast at work and at home. He was responsible for looking out for his team’s mental health, yet he was concealing his own struggles. With the intention to address all that, he had visited the clinic in secret, and now he found himself peering down at his cat fur–covered self.
“What in heaven’s name?” he muttered.
Koga’s home was located along a major train line, a short distance from Kyoto City. His house was a twenty-minute walk from the station. The house came with a garage that could barely accommodate one car, and he still had fifteen years left on his mortgage. Still, he considered himself the king of his castle. His wife was a homemaker. His only daughter was in college. The addition of a cat to the household was nothing to him.
And yet, he couldn’t help glancing around cautiously as he entered his house.
“I’m home,” he called softly as the hum of the television in the living room reached his ears. His wife, Natsue, was likely lounging on the sofa.
He looked at the pet carrier in his arms and felt at a loss. While he had grumbled internally the entire time since he’d left the clinic, he had now brought the cat all the way home. Having no experience caring for animals, he knew he would need his family’s cooperation.
How do I explain this to them? I have trouble sleeping—so I was prescribed a cat? Apparently, cats can solve most problems?
While he was debating what to say, Natsue emerged from the living room.
“Home already?”
“Uh, yeah.” Koga hid the large carrier behind him.
“You need to let me know if you’re coming home early. I haven’t started the rice cooker yet.”
“I’m sorry. There’s no need to rush to make dinner.”
He had already managed to put Natsue in a bad mood. To get his daughter on his side seemed like the smart move now.
“Where’s Emiri?” he asked. “As I’m home early, maybe we’ll eat dinner together for a change.”
“What are you talking about? Emiri left yesterday for that overnight trip with her friends from some college club. I’ve mentioned this to you quite a few times already.”
“Oh, really?”
“Seriously, you never listen to anything I say.”
Natsue let out a sigh, unable to conceal her displeasure. Not wanting to upset her further, Koga attempted to sneak his bags upstairs, but he was immediately caught.
“What’s in that big bag?” asked Natsue. “You didn’t buy more plastic model kits, did you? I told you we don’t have room for them anymore!”
“No, I didn’t. I got this from the company. It’s not anything impor—”
Natsue let out a string of explosive sneezes. Startled by the unexpected outburst, the cat caused the pet carrier to rattle and shake.
“Hey, behave!” hissed Koga.
“Wait, don’t tell me.” Natsue looked into the case and sneezed again. “No! It’s a cat!”
