CHAPTER SIXTEEN – ISAAC

Cats Everywhere

“Stop looking at me like I’m going to hurt him.”

Hannah pouted, clutching Lucifer to her chest. “You’re holding a needle. That’s going to hurt.”

I sighed, setting the capped vaccination down. “I’ve told you this. It’s like a human getting a vaccination. It’s sore for all of two seconds and then it’s over.”

She looked down at the kitten before she put him back on the exam table. “If you hurt him, you’re in trouble.”

“Duly noted. Can you hold him? One hand at the front, the other at the back. Bum down, make sure he doesn’t move.”

I could swear she whimpered, but she did as I asked.

“Hey, buddy,” I said, pinching the scruff of his neck gently. “Such a good boy.”

I pushed the needle into his skin. Lucifer cried out, but by the time Hannah was done gasping, I’d already injected him and was removing the needle from him.

“You said it would be like a human!” She glared at me.

“That was like a human,” I said, capping the needle and disposing of it safely. “You inject a ten-week-old baby and they cry, too.”

“I’m mad at you now.”

“I’ll survive. It’s a necessary evil.” I washed my hands and fetched two treats from my jar before putting them down in front of Lucifer. I already knew he was a fan of these, and I wasn’t shocked at all when he hoovered them up in seconds. “See?” I said to Hannah. “He doesn’t care.”

“Mmph,” she responded.

I ignored her. “Now, he might get a little lump where he’s been injected. Some cats have a mild allergic reaction to it. It’s nothing to worry about. If you’re concerned, I’ll just come take a look at him.”

“Are you kidding? After what you just did?”

“One week ago he wasn’t even your cat, now you’re mad at me?”

She blinked. “You’re right. It’s slightly irrational when you say it like that.”

“Slightly?” I fought a smile and turned to my computer. “I’ll book him in for three weeks for his next set, that way there’s a little time if you need to cancel. Ten-thirty on the twentieth okay?”

“Fine.” She was still pouting.

I booked him in and printed off the appointment card. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” She put it in her pocket and bent down to see Lucifer. “Poor baby.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine once you’ve fed him that salmon in your fridge you’ve been telling me is yours,” I said dryly.

“It is mine. I never said I was eating it.” She sniffed and put Lucifer back in his carrier. “Anything else I should know?”

“Yes.” I grinned and rested on the exam table on my forearms. “I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Oh, God. Is it me? What did Grandma do now?”

“Yes, but not specifically, and nothing,” I answered. “I think I want a cat.”

“Why are you asking me? I’m hardly the best judge of such a thing.”