The Cat Who Spent Nine Lives Saving Me Chapter 04
[Cat has a home and canned food and even raised a human. But Cat’s little brother isn’t going to last much longer.]
“Do you know where he is? We can take him some food.”
Domino’s eyes lit up at once.
[Cat can eat a little less. Ten cans of tuna and two bags of jerky will be enough.]
He led me to an abandoned warehouse behind the railroad bridge. Quite a few abandoned cats had gathered there, and the wind poured through the broken windows.
The sight of so many frightened animals hiding from the cold stirred something I had spent years trying to bury.
A cardboard box beneath my childhood bed. A tiny body curled inside my blanket. My mother’s voice outside the door.
I forced the memory back down.
Domino meowed twice. Several cats emerged from behind the wooden crates.
[Boss is back!]
[You said you’d bring us good food. How come you’re the one who got fat first?]
[That human behind you called you baby. Boss, did the humans domesticate you?]
Domino puffed out his chest.
[Nonsense. Cat adopted her. She’s weak and needs protection.]
A tabby suddenly let out a piercing cry.
[Boss, Sunny is dying!]
Deep inside the warehouse, an elderly golden retriever, little more than skin and bones, lay curled on a blanket. Domino ran over and licked his ear.
[Sunny?]
The dog struggled to open his eyes.
[Has my owner come back?]
[Eleanor saved every animal here. After she collapsed, she never came back. If I’d called for someone sooner that day, would she still be here?]
The cats crowded around me and pleaded. For the first time, Domino lowered his proud head.
[Human, save Cat’s little brother.]
I scooped Sunny into my arms and rushed him to the nearest emergency vet.
One look at Sunny, and the receptionist called for a gurney. The medical team disappeared with him behind a pair of swinging doors.
Minutes later, the veterinarian rushed back out.
“He’s crashing. We need your authorization to treat him now.”
Before I could sign, my phone lit up with another voicemail from Mom.
“Nolan’s wedding deposit is due tonight. Send the money, Elara. For once in your life, don’t be selfish.”
Behind the doors, a heart monitor began to shriek.