Page 33 of We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat

Although it was daytime, the alley remained dark. The building at its far end was indeed identical to the one where Nikké had been trapped.

He didn’t believe in mysterious phenomena, but when he opened the door to the clinic and saw the nurse at the reception window, he recognized there were many enigmas in the world still unknown to him.

This woman.

He’d met her a few times at Suda Animal Hospital. She was the owner of the calico that was rescued alongside Nikké.

The nurse gave Tomoya a fleeting glance and let out a coquettish sigh.

“Mr. Kajiwara, you must have run out of your prescribed cat.”

I’m sure it’s her. Though not flashy, she had the air of an entertainer, and her eyes carried a hint of sorrow. He had exchanged only a few words with her two or three times in the vet’s waiting room, but even then, he had felt a jolt when he saw her.

What’s she doing here?

As he stood in a daze, the nurse called out to him, “Mr. Kajiwara?”

“So, like I said before, I think we’ve…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say we’ve met before.

What is this? Are you hitting on me? He blushed at the memory of the nurse’s mocking laugh.

“…Nothing. Again, I don’t have an appointment, but is that okay?”

“The doctor has been expecting you, Mr. Kajiwara. But personally, I hoped you wouldn’t come back. That man is a fool, so he’ll chuckle and prescribe you an effective cat. After giving up on himself, that is.”

The nurse looked a bit sad and even pained. Tomoya was confused by the nurse’s remark when she said she had hoped he “wouldn’t come back.”

“If this isn’t a good time, I can always come back a different day…”

“That chair is reserved for patients with appointments. Please take a seat and wait.”

“…All right.”

Tomoya did as he was told. What’s with this place? Everything about this clinic was odd, but the feeling of waiting to see the doctor was the same as anywhere else: a slight anxiety mixed with a glimmer of hope that maybe this time, they could help in some way. The fact that he found it unsettling not to have a pet carrier on his lap demonstrated how accustomed he was to visiting the vet.

“Mr. Kajiwara, please come in,”

called a voice from the examination room.

Tomoya was greeted by a smiling doctor in a lab coat. He took a seat, and they faced each other at a close distance.

“Hello, Mr. Kajiwara. How are you? Are you feeling better?”

Tomoya took a long, hard look at the smiling doctor. He had sensed something unusual the other day, too. What could it be? It felt as though he was observing himself. He felt dizzy.

“Excuse me, doctor?”

“Yes?”

“Have we met before?”

Tomoya knew it was absurd, but it felt as if he were talking to his reflection in the mirror. It was almost scary.

As Tomoya’s face tensed up, the doctor burst into bright laughter.

“A pickup line, Mr. Kajiwara? Seriously, please refrain from flirting during a medical exam.”

Tomoya’s face flushed crimson. He attempted to stand up, but he was so agitated that he struggled to push the chair back smoothly.

“I’m leaving.”

“Oh, no, no, no. I was just joking. Please don’t take me seriously.”

Tomoya reluctantly sat back down. Both the doctor and the nurse were not taking this seriously. He was known to be mild mannered, but he couldn’t help but show his displeasure on his face. Yet the doctor and nurse acted as if nothing was wrong.

“It doesn’t matter how you meet, whether it’s through a pickup line or if you’re set up on a date, even though humans like to imbue encounters with meaning. They enjoy discussing fate and once-in-a-lifetime moments, but these are narratives created after the fact. A simple coincidence or whim on that day, at that moment—that’s all it takes. After all, there are plenty of people and cats in this world. Really, there are. Mr. Kajiwara, there really are a ton.”

Tomoya began to feel unsettled by this doctor’s ongoing claim that he had been flirting.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I want you to figure out the meaning for yourself. So, how did it go? Do you feel like you got everything off your chest and felt heard?”

“What?”

Tomoya felt exhausted from how much the conversation jumped from topic to topic.

The doctor, however, was grinning from ear to ear.

“You said you’ve been absent-minded and that you are making mistakes. Is that still the case? Did talking about it make you feel better?”

“…Do you mean at Dr. Kokoro’s?”

“Ultimately, it’s not me who has healed you but you and the people around you. I’m so glad you’re feeling better. It’s about time the eternally sleeping cat moved on, don’t you think?”

“How do you know about my cat?”

Nikké, still in a deep sleep, had been left in the care of Suda Animal Hospital. Tomoya had work tomorrow. Should he leave Nikké so he could be closely observed by Dr. Suda, or should he bring him home and spend his days worrying again? He was afraid he’d regret whichever option he chose.

This doctor knew about Nikké and was also aware of Dr. Suda. The nurse was likely the same woman he’d seen come and go from the vet. They shared a close relationship with Suda Animal Hospital. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he’d come here. Something had drawn him in. Tomoya tried to calm himself down.

“My cat has been in a sort of semicomatose state for almost a year, and we don’t know why. But since I’ve come here, he’s begun to wake up. Then, he lost consciousness again. If you have any insights that might help, please tell me. How can my cat capture his lively spirit again?”

“Your cat will not wake up again,”

the doctor said with a faint smile.

“It’s his time.”

A silence descended. Tomoya could hear the beating of his own heart. In that instant, he realized he had the answer. Keeping his gaze fixed on the doctor, he declared, “If that’s the case, I’ll stay by his side.”

“You can’t do that.”

The doctor shook his head.

“Everyone is alone when they die. Just as you can’t choose the moment you meet someone, you also can’t choose the moment you die—people, animals, everyone. Please don’t cling to your need to avoid regret.”

“But my cat has gone through a lot of hardship. I don’t want him to feel alone when he dies.”

“If that’s the case, let me share something that might ease your mind.”

The doctor erupted in laughter, his face breaking into a broad smile that swept away all prior solemnity.

“Cats are much stronger than you realize. When they close their eyes, they enter a realm of delightful fantasies. Even if they’re completely alone, cats possess the strength to pass away while dreaming of happy things. After all, cats can solve all problems. Well, maybe ‘all’ is a bit of an overstatement. Lately, I find myself in hot water when I make exaggerated claims.”

As Tomoya sat in confusion, the doctor kept nodding as though his words were entirely logical.

“I actually wanted to prescribe you a very effective, cute cat to help remind you of the joy of spending time with cats. I thought it would be good for you to have a cheerful one that would make you laugh. But I’m glad to hear your cat at home seemed to have a little bit of effectiveness left.”

He paused and steepled his fingers.

“Hmm, so how are you feeling? Since your symptoms are improving, what do you think about trying a different cat next?”

“No way!”

The curtains in the back whipped apart, revealing the nurse, who stood there, tall and imposing.

“Why do you give up so easily, doctor? Why not be more persistent, throw a fit, and stand your ground? Fight for your owner’s attention! Fight for your life! You can do that, can’t you? You’re still here, aren’t you?”

When she was done, she yanked the curtains closed.

It all took place in the blink of an eye.

As Tomoya and the doctor sat frozen in place, the curtains parted again. The nurse had reappeared, anger in her eyes.

“Aren’t you a man? If you have balls, show some guts!”

And then, the curtains swiftly shut again.

The two of them stared silently at the curtains, waiting for them to part again. Eventually, the doctor swiveled his chair around to face Tomoya.

“Well, that was quite the jab. She must have had a cup of extra-strong catnip tea if she’s asking if I have balls…”

“Uh, did she? I didn’t quite hear,”

Tomoya stammered, burying his face in his hands, trying not to crack up. He had actually heard everything clearly, but he hesitated to burst out laughing since the nurse was likely listening.

“Balls,”

the doctor said thoughtfully.

“Guts. Man, Chitose doesn’t pull any punches. It always feels like I’m getting a good smack on the head. Wakes me right up, though, so I appreciate it.”

“She’s…bold.”

Tomoya couldn’t think of any other word he could say out loud without landing himself in trouble. Perfect expressions like “willful”

or “arrogant”

seemed likely to earn him a whack on the head, too.

“She’s like a younger sister to me,”

the doctor said with a carefree laugh.

“We’ve known each other for a long time. By fate, we’d become neighbors for a while. There were many of us in the group, but she’s the only one who stuck by me, never giving up until the very end. She’s kind and strong, and she’s also beautiful.”

The doctor glanced at the curtains. Although it had initially looked like the doctor was receiving a one-sided scolding, it seemed like the two had a strong bond. The mention of “younger sister”

made Tomoya think of his own.

“Now, what should we do, Mr. Kajiwara?”

“Huh?”

“There are many cats in this world, and every cat is just a cat. But when you care for one, that cat becomes more than ‘just a cat.’ It becomes therapeutic. When you’re having a hard time or you see difficulties on the horizon, you don’t have to tough it out. Getting treatment early can prevent things from getting worse. That’s not a bad thing at all.”

The doctor smiled.

I’ve seen that face somewhere.

The affable yet teasing irreverence. He knew he recognized that face, but not that smile. The reflection he usually saw in the mirror was far more somber.

Reflection in the mirror?

Tomoya shook his head. Impossible. What am I thinking?

It seemed he had been swept up in the strange atmosphere of this clinic. This was a mental health clinic. Its methods and the doctor were unconventional, but they healed the soul’s aches.

He’d come here by his own choosing, for his own benefit, and opened the door himself.

“What would you like to do? Should we prescribe you a cat?”

The doctor giggled.

Tomoya furrowed his brow. As always, the doctor’s smile was flippant.