Reckless Entitlement

Chapter 21: Maya

"God, please, stop licking me your breath smells horrible." Nick complained as the stray cat we had found gave him wet kisses all over his face. I'd wrapped him in an old blanket that I'd found and now it poked it's little head out of the gray fabric.

I'd volunteered to drive us to an animal clinic I found on Google, it was inside a pet store fifteen minutes away. We were almost there and the orange fur ball was none the wiser. When I saw it sitting in my living room, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

Not only was it malnourished, but it looked like it had been attacked. By other stray cats or dogs, humans, I'm not sure.  And it's little nubby tail made me want to cry.  I don't cry.

"Maya," Nick groaned. "His breath smells like tuna and garbage, I think I'm going to be sick." He held him away from his body turning his face away.

"Please, try not to throw up, we're almost there." And if he throws up this is his car and I'm not cleaning it up.

I pulled into the parking spot in front of the pet store, and as soon as I parked Nick handed him over.

I took him from him. "Stop being such a baby," I told him. Then I got a whiff of the rancid smell he was talking about, and I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from getting sick.

"See, I told you."

I dropped my hand. "He can't help it." I tried to hold my breath until we got inside not breathing through my nose to avoid the smell, and not breathing through my mouth to avoid getting sick.

"Hi, welcome to the Paws Animal Clinic! How can I help you?" The peppy nurse said from behind the counter.

"This cat wandered into my apartment, and it's really skinny and has all these scratches I'm worried they might be infected." The cat looked up at me like it knew we were talking about him.

"Let's see," she said gesturing for us to follow her back into a room.

Nick and I followed her back into a small room with a large padded table in the center. Containers of supplies and treats lined the wall. She gestured for me to put him on the table as she put on some blue rubber gloves.

Gently, I set it on the table, where it padded around reluctantly. I handed Nick the blanket. I was thankful that he came with me.

"Hi, cutie," the woman smiled down at him. It sniffed at her glove covered hands as she tried to examine it. I'm guessing he didn't like it very much because he quickly turned his head away. She checked the large scratches and his missing tail.

"Well, if I had to guess he's about six months old," she said. "And these scratches do seem to be close to infection."

I knew it.

"It's hard to determine where he got them from, but it's a good thing you found him."

"More like he found us," Nick said from behind me.

She smiled. "They have a way of doing that don't they. But he's going to need some shots and care for these cuts. Are you planning to adopt him?"

I looked down at his orange and white body with his clumps of dirt and missing tail. And his big eyes pulled at my heart, he came over and rubbed his small head against my hands that rested in the edge of the table. I couldn't say no.

"Yes," I said after a minute. "Yes, we'll adopt him." I don't know where the we came from, but Nick didn't rush to correct me.

"Great, he does need some health things but would you like to get him groomed as well?"

Nick took this time to jump in. "Yes! And if you could do something about his breath while you're doing that, that would be great."

She laughed. "We sure can. I'll go get the paperwork started for you."