Page 28 of We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat
The doctor cleared his throat.
“That’s weird. The patient from the other day found that joke really funny. Oh, well, it’s okay.”
The doctor spun around in his chair and called out toward the curtains.
“Chitose! Please bring the cat!”
Tomoya wondered if he was addressing the nurse from earlier. He felt tense, still somewhat uncomfortable about being misinterpreted as flirting with her. However, no one came.
“Chitose?”
the doctor repeated, but there was no answer and no indication that she might be coming.
“Huh? Did she really leave as soon as my scheduled patient got here? Wow, that’s so typical of her. How heartless. Do you think that’s heartless, Mr. Kajiwara?”
Tomoya wasn’t sure how to answer the question. The nurse disappeared during an examination?
The doctor crossed his arms and shook his head. Tomoya felt unsure about how to react to such theatrics. If the examination isn’t progressing, should I leave?
Then, the curtains suddenly whipped apart. The nurse stood with her eyes narrowed.
“Who are you calling heartless? If I were truly heartless, I’d have left you a long time ago!”
“It was a joke!”
The doctor chortled.
“I’m used to being told off by you at least once a day—it’s practically routine now. Ha! Oh, wait. Where’s the cat we’re prescribing to Mr. Kajiwara?”
The nurse had nothing if not an angry expression on her face.
“We don’t have any. You just prescribed the last cat.”
“Really?”
The doctor turned back to his computer.
“That’s strange. I thought there were plenty of cats available. Hmm. What about Tangerine?”
“She said tourist season is in full swing, and the cat café is busy, so she can’t make it.”
“What about Bibi?”
“He’s trying to compete in cat shows again. He wants to stick to his diet and not eat out.”
“Margot?”
“She’s expecting and currently on maternity leave. Kotetsu and Noelle have found forever homes. Tank is busy looking for his future wife: his schedule is packed with dates.”
“Dates, huh? That’s nice. Hmm, I never thought we’d run out of cats. What should we do?”
The doctor crossed his arms.
Tomoya didn’t fully understand what was going on, but it seemed like it was a good excuse to leave.
“Well, in that case, I can go home tonight and…”
“Mr. Kajiwara has already been prescribed a cat from this clinic,”
the nurse said firmly, looking down at them both.
“You need to check these things properly, doctor. There’s already a cat on standby at Mr. Kajiwara’s home. Until he finishes his current cat prescription, we can’t issue another.”
“But, Chitose…”
The doctor appeared flustered.
“…That cat’s not very effective anymore.”
“What are you saying? There’s no such thing as an ineffective cat!”
The nurse’s shrill voice echoed through the examination room.
Tomoya shrank back. This woman’s obstinacy is no joke. The doctor pursed his lips petulantly.
“Well, if we’re out of cats, it can’t be helped. Mr. Kajiwara, please try taking the cat you already have at home for one night. If that doesn’t work, please come back, and we’ll prescribe you a different cat…right, Chitose?”
“I suppose so,”
said the nurse coolly.
“But I’ll bet the cat will suit you. In fact, no other cat will work. You need to do everything to keep that frivolous, good-for-nothing sourpuss around no matter what. You need to dig your claws in and cling on.”
The sparkle in the nurse’s gaze was intense. It wasn’t just her gaze; her voice and facial expression also delivered a powerful punch. She was looking at Tomoya, yet it felt like she was exerting pressure on something else entirely.
“You will get better. Unlike me, your cat is by your side, fighting hard. I doubt you’ll need to come back here again. That concludes your checkup. Right, doctor?”
The nurse’s eyes suddenly lost their light. A subtle smile lingered, but the cold, distant air she had previously projected was gone, replaced by a striking fragility.
The doctor ignored the nurse’s change of demeanor.
“Now, Mr. Kajiwara, please give my regards to that sophisticated, cool, and handsome cat of yours.”
He fell into another fit of giggles.
What is up with these two? In the end, Tomoya left the clinic without receiving any treatment. Hovering outside the building, he looked up—it was indeed the place where he had found Nikké and the others.
He ambled out of the alley in confusion and immediately spotted his parked van. My sense of direction is off. He needed to get going. He was still on the clock but had spent quite a bit of time on a personal matter.
When he got back to the center, he kept himself busy to prevent any unsettling thoughts from creeping in. Apparently, Tomoya looked particularly grave as he worked—even a bit scary, according to Madoka.