“What do you mean by that?” asked Aoba. She tilted her head in confusion.
The doctor chuckled. “Who knows what I mean? Now, how do you feel, Megumi? Any dizziness or nausea?”
“Huh? Uh, no.” This doctor was truly odd. He hadn’t done anything but smile.
“I see. That’s great. It seems like the cat worked well. Cats can solve most problems. But to get a prescription for one, you have to first come to this clinic and open the door yourself. I wish that those who, like you, find the door a tad heavy won’t let it bother them and come in anyway. Otherwise, we’ll be left waiting around forever.”
“Okay…” Megumi was still unclear what the doctor was talking about.
The doctor looked at Aoba. “You’re concerned about which clique to join; is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right!” replied Aoba cheerfully.
The doctor nodded. “It’s simple. Choose the clique with the stronger boss. A strong boss has a big face and prominent jaw.”
“Prominent jaw?” Aoba raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, it’s like everything’s squeezed tightly in the middle of the face—the eyes, nose, and mouth. So, which boss has the bigger face?”
Aoba let out a snort. “Well, Lena’s face is bigger.”
“In that case, you should go with Lena. Now, there seem to be no side effects, so you can go home now. Shall I take the cat?”
The doctor extended his arms, and Aoba reluctantly passed him the cat.
“Dr. Nikké, is this your cat?”
“No, this little one comes from a litter born to someone else’s cat. She had a lot of kittens, so they’re currently looking for people to adopt them. I think they’ll put an ad up on the Internet. They’re kittens, so I’m sure they’ll find homes quickly.”
The doctor placed the cat back in the carrier. The cat let out a meow.
“Now, take care,” said the doctor, flashing another smile. He seemed no longer interested.
Is this it? Megumi felt a desperate sense of loss, as if a hole had opened in her chest. Aoba looked up at her.
“Mom, do you think we can adopt this cat?”
Megumi’s throat tightened. Taking care of a kitten was no small task. What she didn’t know when she was a child, she knew now. Perhaps her mother’s decision had been correct. She, an elementary school kid, probably couldn’t have managed the responsibility of caring for a cat.
Am I making too abrupt a decision? If she didn’t make an effort to listen to her daughter, they would again be swept away by the busyness of everyday life. Just because she couldn’t care for a cat, she shouldn’t assume Aoba couldn’t either.
Megumi asked the doctor, “How much care does this cat need? Does it need to be hand-fed? Does someone need to watch it around the clock?”
“Well, this little one is about two and a half months old. It can eat some solid food, but we’re still in the process of weaning it, so it can’t eat without help quite yet. You’ll need to keep an eye on it while it eats its three meals. It’s docile right now, but it’s usually quite active. It’s definitely a handful, but there’s no such thing as a low-maintenance cat.”
“Three meals…”
Would she be able to feed it after she returned from her part-time job in the afternoon? Would she be able to take care of the cat in the morning rush? Would she be able to give it attention while tidying up in the evening? She pondered, but the answer eluded her. This required more knowledge and preparation. It wasn’t a simple decision.
Aoba gently took her hand.
“Mom, I’ll do my best to take care of the cat. I’ll come straight home from school. I’ll wake up early in the morning. I’ll look after the cat,” Aoba pleaded.
But no matter how serious she was, Megumi couldn’t allow it.
“It’s better not to have a cat. It’ll just be more work for you,” the doctor said with a faint smile.
He’s right. Megumi looked down and bit her lip. Yuki, I’m sorry I abandoned you back then. I’m really sorry.
After a pause, Megumi said, “Please let us adopt this cat. We’ll do our best to give it a loving home.”
“Yes, but—”
“Please. I’ll take care of the cat.” Megumi bowed deeply.
“They say cats are capricious, but human beings are much more unpredictable.”
Megumi couldn’t see the doctor’s expression, but from his voice, she sensed that he saw through everything.
Aoba got up and stood beside her mother.
“Dr. Nikké, I will be in charge of the cat. I’ll take good care of it, so please let us take it home.” She bowed like her mother.
“Is that so? In that case, please go to reception for a rundown on precautions and things to note. And if things don’t work out, please come back here.”
When the doctor leaned in close to the pet carrier, the prone cat lifted its nose. They held each other’s eyes. “You should go. You’ll be fine. And you have a place to come back to.”
It seemed that the cat and human understood each other. The doctor passed the cat carrier to Aoba. “Here you go.” Aoba accepted the carrier with both hands.
