“Relax? How do I do that? If I take a break, this small store will go out of business in no time.”
“Instead of taking a break, what if you talked to someone? You seem under the weather, too, so you should do something about it. The owner of the store in Gion, the one who placed that special order in three colors, told me something. A nightclub proprietress—the one who wants our bags in different designs—said one of her regulars, a manicurist, told her about an interesting doctor. It might be good for you to see this doctor for a change of pace.”
“What’s with the whole ‘someone knows someone who knows someone’? And when you say ‘doctor,’ do you mean, like, a mental health professional?”
“Yup. If I remember correctly, the practice is close to our store. It might make you feel better just to have someone listen to your problems.”
Tomoka felt she was being accused of being neurotic, which she didn’t appreciate. But the reality was that her stomach hurt and three employees had quit. It was Junko who had to find their replacements, and considering the trouble Junko had to go through, Tomoka couldn’t disregard her opinions.
“Fine,” said Tomoka. “Where do I need to go?”
“So, that’s why I’m here.”
Tomoka looked up. She had been looking at her feet not because she was nervous about speaking to a psychiatrist but because she was furious.
In the cramped examination room, the doctor, seated only an arm’s length away, was swaying back and forth. And he was hiccupping repeatedly.
Hic! “I see.” Hic! “That’s how”—hic!—“it is.”
The doctor’s eyes glistened, and his face beamed with a sloppy grin. Is this really the reputable mental health clinic? Tomoka wondered. The doctor was clearly drunk.
“Have you been drinking alcohol, doctor? Are you drunk?”
“No, no, no.” The doctor chuckled. “Not alcohol. Tea. Catnip tea. I only had a sip, but man, it’s pretty strong. And, who are you again?”
“Tomoka Takamine. Were you listening to anything I said?”
“Yes, of course. Would you like some catnip tea, Ms. Takamine?”
“No, thank you. I try not to consume anything I’m not used to.”
“Don’t be that way. It’s delicious. It’ll make you feel warm and fuzzy. Chitose, can you bring us some tea?” the doctor called out toward the curtains.
A moment later, the nurse entered. She placed a teacup on the desk, but it was empty. Tomoka’s expression twisted into a scowl. It wasn’t that she wanted to drink the tea, but she wondered what was going on.
“Um…where’s the tea?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It looked delicious, so I drank it.” The nurse let out a high-pitched giggle and disappeared into the back again.
What’s up with this clinic? Is this a joke?
The doctor, perhaps regaining a bit of sobriety, smiled. “I beg your pardon…Ms. Takamine, was it? So, what was your issue again?”
The doctor had not heard a single word she’d said after all. She hardened her expression, determined to make him do his job since she was there.
“I want to know how I can be more tolerant of other people’s sloppiness. I don’t want to be constantly infuriated by careless, indifferent people—for instance, doctors who don’t pay attention to their patients. Oh, I’m not referring to you, doctor. What can I do to stop caring about those kinds of people? I know that I should only care that I’m doing things the right way.”
“You say strange things,” the doctor said, tilting his head. He chuckled somewhat mockingly.
Tomoka felt her irritation flare. “What do you mean?” she snapped.
“Because you’re not at all doing things the right way. If anything, you’re doing everything in the wrong way.” He burst into laughter.
Tomoka’s mouth fell open. She’d received negative feedback before, but this was the first time anyone had said she was not doing things the right way. She found it hard to find the words to respond.
“So,” continued the doctor, “let’s go for an aggressive treatment and prescribe you a strong cat. I’ll give you a two-week dose, so make sure you take it regularly. Chitose, please bring the cat,” he called out toward the curtains, but there was no reply.
“Chitose?”
“Yes, yes.” The nurse came back into the room. She had seemed quite unfriendly at the reception desk earlier, but now she was all smiles. The pet carrier swung gently in her hands. “A cat? Again?” she asked.
“How much catnip tea have you had, Chitose?”
Chitose giggled. “How much? Who knows? There are so many cats. Everywhere. Just ignore them!” She let out another high-pitched laugh, placed the carrier on the desk, and left.
“Good grief. Sorry about that. Since our scheduled patients have showed no signs of ever arriving, we thought we’d have a quick drink…Well, and then along came a new patient. Humans, I tell you, get worked up over the silliest things.”
“Excuse me?” Tomoka’s eyes widened in outrage. “Did you just say ‘the silliest things’?”
“No, no. I said no such thing. Oh, boy, no more catnip tea for a while. Just wait here for a moment. I’ll get the supplies for you,” said the doctor, and he left the room.
Sitting alone, Tomoka, still unable to make heads or tails of what was happening, peered into the pet carrier. She gasped. There really was a cat inside.
It had clear blue eyes like gems. Its delicate coat was white with some dark brown around its ears and eyes.
How elegant. How lovely. The cat’s looking right at me.
