You Will Be Found

Chapter Thirteen

Something bad happened to me yesterday. Well, not me but Rubee. She fell into the bath tub while I was having my very first bath ever. I had wanted to try out the large, freestanding tub. It looked amazing! I didn't actually have any soap or body cleaning products to use, so I snuck in some dish was liquid that I found in the kitchen. Don't judge me. I didn't know how else to make bubbles. Every image I've seen of someone in a bath tub, they were covered with bubbles.

But then the cats got curious, jumped up onto the low side-table, which lead onto the bathroom bench – next thing I know, Rubee had fallen in. I quickly scooped her up and dashed out of the tub, only to slip on the bathroom tiled floor and we both went for a tumble. That bruise on my left hip that never went away is now throbbing again. But enough about me, Rubee is now sick.

I got her cleaned and dried off as quickly as I could, but last night she didn't eat much. I thought this was normal, as she was slightly smaller than her big brother. But when she crawled into bed and lay on my neck purring in the middle of the night, I knew something wasn't right with her. She didn't eat anything this morning and is super clingy which was totally opposite of our first meeting.

That's why I'm now sitting on the bus, Bura in my backpack and Rubee tucked into the front pocket of my hoodie jumper. I didn't think to buy a cat carrier or crate for the kitten's when I was the pet shop yesterday. I was standing on the bus in the space by the disabled or elderly seating was and the bus isn't crowded anyway. Everything was going well until Bura pocked his little furry head out of the bag on my back and let out a little "mewl!" It felt like everyone within a mile was looking my direction.

"Oh, so cute." "It's so small." "Why does she have it in her bag? What is she trying to do, get attention using animals?"

Murmurs and words sounded around me, some moved away from me sneezing (sorry!) and others moved to tickle the little Ragdoll on my back. I felt a little uncomfortable having someone get that close to me and my kitties. I decided to get off at the next stop. Totally illegal to carry pets without carriers on public transport anyway.

As soon as I got off the bus, I pulled Bura out of my bag and tucked him into the front pocket so the twins could be together. They were content to cuddle while I walked the rest of the way. I was a few stops short of the shopping centre. Never mind that I looked quite pregnant with a full front pouch, and strangely so. I let Bura dangle a tail and foot out so I didn't feel so conspicuous.

When I had called the vet clinic early this morning, I was told there were no spaces left on their appointment books for today, but if I was happy to wait, there might be an opening if someone cancelled or didn't turn up. I agreed to come and wait, no matter how long the wait was. I was worried about Rubee.

The clinic was busy when I arrived. I called in at the reception desk then sat for about an hour before a cancellation called in.

"Rubee? Is a Ragdoll cat named Rubee ready?" A vet assistant arrived in the waiting room and it was finally our turn. I stood up and waved a little wave at the tall young man. He looked confused when didn't see any animals or carry cage. I carefully pulled out the little lethargic kitten and held her close. She woke up, blearily looked at me as if to ask why was I disturbing her, then began a little pitiful purr as I tucked her under my chin. Bura wanted to come out to play as well, I carefully pulled him out.

"Come this way. You really should buy a carry case for cats so you can transport them safely." Said the man.

"I'll buy one after this appointment from next door at the pet shop." I whispered as I followed him into an examination room. He left me with a smile and a promise that the vet would arrive shortly.

"Hi, I'm Veterinarian Margo Nelson, how can I help you today? Just to let you know that I am still under supervision as a trainee here at the clinic but I am a fully qualified Veterinarian and have about a month before I complete my Masters in Veterinarian science. You have the right to refuse my services today, but I can assure you... Oh hello there!" A woman had walked in wearing a uniform much like what the nurses wore at the children's hospital. She had her dark brown hair in twin braids down over the front of her shoulders and wore the cutest pair of cats-eye vintage classes that I've ever seen.

She took one look at me with two kittens tucked in my hoodie around my neck and stopped halfway through her spiel and gave me a genuine wide grin.

"What's your name, cutie?" She was asking me, not my cats. I wasn't sure if I should feel offended on their behalf or not. She didn't make sense to me. When I nervously went to push my glasses up onto my nose, I realised that I wasn't wearing them. Oh no! I forgot my disguise.

"Hey, don't fret. I'm a professional. So, how can I help you today?" I felt unbalanced all of a sudden. Like she was... flirting with me? I didn't get that. She was a woman. I was a woman... girl. I was still trying to figure this out when she stepped into my personal bubble and collected the two kittens right out of my clothing.

"Hey, look at these two babies. I haven't see such an identical pair of Ragdolls in years. Oh, little baby, you don't look so good. How come your big brother hasn't been looking after you very well." Vet Nelson prattled off. When Rubee gave a little sneeze on the examination table, I unfroze and went over to rescue her.

"She has a little cold. Let's check her temperature. When was the last time these little cuties were vaccinated?" Vet Nelson asked as I helped her out by holding Bura down on the table top.

"I don't know. I've just inherited them with the apartment I have just moved into. Will she be OK? She accidentality fell into the bath tub last night but I dried her up straight away and..." I tried to explain, but guilt at letting that happen to her made me trail off my words.

Vey Nelson left Bura and Rubee in my care, then turned to the computer on the desk at the side of the room. "Let me check if they are on file. What is the address you are living in, please?" I gave her the address and she found them in their client database.

"They are about due for their first set of vaccinations, but because Rubee isn't well, you'll need to come back for this. Let me give them a check up and take her temperature." She did. It went OK, until she had to take each of the kittens' temperatures. That wasn't pleasant. For anyone.

"It looks like Rubee has a cold. She should be alright. If she doesn't begin to perk up or show signs of eating and drinking normally by day four – three days from now, then you will need to bring her back in. If she gets worse, bring her in. If she starts displaying any other symptoms like vomiting, bring her in. Would you like me to vaccinate Bura today?" She kinda just shot all of that off in one sentence without taking a breath.

I had to translate it into Lina-speak before I nodded in agreement for Bura's vaccine. She went ahead and did that for him. Thankfully she also handed me two brochures to read as well. One on managing cats with colds and what to look out for, and another on vaccination schedules for young cats. Then she suggested I might need another brochure on small animal neutering.

Then things went from bad to worse when Vet Nelson stepped back from the table, looked Rubee over and said: "Wait a moment, I think Rubee might have something wrong with her eye sight."