On the Streets (part 3)
Title: On the Streets (part3)
Author: charisstoma
Word count: 502
(Part 1) (Part 2)
Aubergine had settled everyone down. All the water bowls were filled, a few kibbles sprinkled into clean bowls for midnight nibbling, and cat boxes freshly cleaned. He was just pulling on his coat before flicking off the overhead lighting when a tall lean man walked through the side door. The door wasn’t open, the man walked through the door, his brain told him.
Again his time at the Shelter moderated his normal response. The gasp was small. “Can I help you?”
The man smiled nicely, “The Prof called me and asked me to look in. I’ve been around skittish familiars before. Better to catch them off guard and sooner is better with a cold. Familiars don’t get colds often but when they do it can turn fatal fast if not treated as soon as possible.” Aubergine was already moving towards the quarantine room, “I assume you fed him a nice warm meal and he’s in a comfortable nest of some sort of bedding, so he should be deep asleep by now what with being sick on top of that.” The last words were said in a whisper.
There was a low wattage red bulb illuminating the area that gave the room an after dusk appearance. It allowed a human sight but the darkened room was more conducive to feelings of security for the inhabitant. Inside the blanket nest was a small furry curl, whose breathing was over loud for one so small.
The visitor leaned into the cage and held his hand over the kitten’s body, then leaned back and extracted a vial that glowed faintly from inside his coat. Reaching in again he grasped the nape of the kitten’s neck pulling him up and out of the cage. There was a wiggle and the kitten’s form seemed to go translucent.
“Oh no you don’t.” The man partially turned towards Aubergine smiling, “Yep, you’ve got yourself a familiar. Little guy tried apparating if I’m not wrong.” He gave a light tap to the kitten’s nose, “Stop that. I’ve got medicine for you.” The kitten went solid and sneezed. “Bless you. Now swallow this all down and you can go back to sleep and I’ll give you a second dose in the morning before you eat breakfast which should clear this cold of yours right up.” He looked sternly at the kitten, “All of it. Familiar kittens can die from what you’re sick with.”
Poof swallowed the vile stuff in the tube and made a face. It wasn’t all gone though, the man had stopped to let him breathe before the tube was upended once again. A finger stroked his throat encouraging him to swallow that last bit until he gave out another sneeze. Dimly he heard, “Bless you,” as he was cuddled close against a warm chest, the thumping within a soothing beat. The sound of another heart under his ear, he hadn’t had that since his mother had left him alone one night and never returned. Poof retreated back into sleep.
Part 4
Author: charisstoma
Word count: 502
(Part 1) (Part 2)
Aubergine had settled everyone down. All the water bowls were filled, a few kibbles sprinkled into clean bowls for midnight nibbling, and cat boxes freshly cleaned. He was just pulling on his coat before flicking off the overhead lighting when a tall lean man walked through the side door. The door wasn’t open, the man walked through the door, his brain told him.
Again his time at the Shelter moderated his normal response. The gasp was small. “Can I help you?”
The man smiled nicely, “The Prof called me and asked me to look in. I’ve been around skittish familiars before. Better to catch them off guard and sooner is better with a cold. Familiars don’t get colds often but when they do it can turn fatal fast if not treated as soon as possible.” Aubergine was already moving towards the quarantine room, “I assume you fed him a nice warm meal and he’s in a comfortable nest of some sort of bedding, so he should be deep asleep by now what with being sick on top of that.” The last words were said in a whisper.
There was a low wattage red bulb illuminating the area that gave the room an after dusk appearance. It allowed a human sight but the darkened room was more conducive to feelings of security for the inhabitant. Inside the blanket nest was a small furry curl, whose breathing was over loud for one so small.
The visitor leaned into the cage and held his hand over the kitten’s body, then leaned back and extracted a vial that glowed faintly from inside his coat. Reaching in again he grasped the nape of the kitten’s neck pulling him up and out of the cage. There was a wiggle and the kitten’s form seemed to go translucent.
“Oh no you don’t.” The man partially turned towards Aubergine smiling, “Yep, you’ve got yourself a familiar. Little guy tried apparating if I’m not wrong.” He gave a light tap to the kitten’s nose, “Stop that. I’ve got medicine for you.” The kitten went solid and sneezed. “Bless you. Now swallow this all down and you can go back to sleep and I’ll give you a second dose in the morning before you eat breakfast which should clear this cold of yours right up.” He looked sternly at the kitten, “All of it. Familiar kittens can die from what you’re sick with.”
Poof swallowed the vile stuff in the tube and made a face. It wasn’t all gone though, the man had stopped to let him breathe before the tube was upended once again. A finger stroked his throat encouraging him to swallow that last bit until he gave out another sneeze. Dimly he heard, “Bless you,” as he was cuddled close against a warm chest, the thumping within a soothing beat. The sound of another heart under his ear, he hadn’t had that since his mother had left him alone one night and never returned. Poof retreated back into sleep.
Part 4