I scoop him up, afraid suddenly that it’s too late, and follow her quickly through to a room where she instructs me to lay him on the table. She’s called another vet, an older woman with hair like Leah’s, who listens to the first woman whilst doing her own quick assessment.

‘We’ve got it from here,’ she tells me. ‘But I’m not going to lie to you, it’ll be touch and go. Leave your details at reception and we’ll get back to you as soon as we know more.’

‘How long?’

‘It’s going to be hours before we really know anything.’

I reach out and stroke his head, smoothing his ears down. He twitches slightly. I follow her back to the reception where she takes my details. I write down my number, and what is now my old address, but stop when it comes to the credit card details.

‘I’ve got a bit of a problem. I came out without my wallet.’

She looks at me as if trying to make a decision.

‘Just bring the details with you when you come back tomorrow. You will be coming back for him, won’t you?’

‘If you can save him, I will.’

She puts a hand out onto my forearm. ‘If anyone can, she can.’

It’s only as I leave the building I catch sight of my reflection in a dark window.

Three smears of black right across my forehead.

DAY ZERO

Junk

The ginger and white cat freezes, tail shooting for the clear sky. Its back arches, fur rising like there’s a force field of static electricity. I follow the aim of its gaze along the roof’s spine and spot another feline, black with a white bib, holding the same pose. It’s like Goya, the two felines in an immortal stand-off. They’re so still now they might as well be statues.

Coffee’s brewing, toast’s in the toaster, radio hosts are still discussing the acid attack, and I’m sitting by the window at Joel’s getting my insides acquainted with a Red Bull. As soon as I woke I called the animal hospital and left a message. I’ve been checking my phone compulsively ever since, but I’m not exactly getting swamped with callbacks.

‘So you went there and she wasn’t in?’

Joel’s one of those annoying people who sleeps like a rock and then wakes full of positivity for the day ahead. Mind you, he’s flying to Berlin for a trade fair where his company has a stand for three days, and then he’s heading down to the farm in Spain. Maybe that has something to do with it. Contrast that with what I’ve got planned and I’m starting to see why he can whistle whilst preparing breakfast.