“It’s nothing. We just . . .” He didn’t know how to finish his sentence or why he was even responding. He didn’t want to get into what was going on with him and Lily. It was too complicated.
Henry and Yolanda stared at him expectantly. Nick prayed for a subject change. Then his phone vibrated in his hand, and Lily’s name flashed across his screen. Nick blinked, wondering if he was seeing things. But no. Lily was calling him. His heart pounded as he quickly answered. He barely had a chance to say hello before Lily started talking.
“Hey, I’m so sorry to be calling you if you’re busy,” she said. “Are you home?”
“Yeah.” Nick immediately stood and walked across the room for his shoes. He didn’t like the slightly frantic edge to her voice. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Tomcat. Twenty minutes ago, I fed him and got showered and dressed and he was fine. But when I came back into the kitchen to look for my earring, he was lying on the floor moaning. I’ve never seen him like this before. And I don’t know if I should take him to the hospital or if he’ll be fine. The internet says so many different things. I don’t know what I’m doing, and Violet isn’t here, and I didn’t know who else to call.”
He slid on his sneakers. “I’m coming over now. Don’t worry, okay?”
“Okay,” she said weakly.
He ended his call with Lily and quickly turned to Henry and Yolanda. “I’m so sorry, I have to go. Lily’s having an emergency with her cat.”
“Lily?” Yolanda said. “Oh yes, that was the young lady’s name, wasn’t it?” She turned to Henry and nodded, like his assessment of Nick’s situation had been correct after all.
Nick didn’t answer, already halfway out the door, but he heard Henry say, “Yes, that’s her.”
Nick sprinted down the three flights of stairs to Lily’s apartment, unwilling to chance waiting for the elevator. He knocked on Lily’s door and she answered right away, looking distressed.
“He ate his normal mix of wet and dry food,” she explained, leading Nick inside. “And now he’s lying here like he’s in pain. He won’t let me touch him.”
Nick followed her into the kitchen. Tomcat was lying on the floor, watching Lily and Nick alertly. He didn’t look like he was in pain, but when Nick crouched down closer to him, he let out a weird moan.
Nick glanced up at Lily, who was wringing her hands together. He noticed then how beautiful she looked. She was wearing dark red lipstick and a black short-sleeved minidress. She obviously had plans. He wondered what they were, but he forced himself to focus on why she’d called him over.
“Could he be allergic to anything in the food?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It’s the same thing he eats every day. Should I take him to the animal hospital? I’m afraid to move him because what if it’s something wrong with one of his organs? You know that’s why they didn’t move Princess Diana’s body after her accident? They have this rule in France that after someone is injured in a car accident you shouldn’t move their body in case you make things worse.”
She was blabbering. Her brown cheeks took on a slightly pinkish hue. Nick returned his attention to Tomcat, who was moaning weirdly again. Nick didn’t know shit about cats—other than the fact that some liked to bite ankles—but Tomcat looked wretched, and Nick knew that if they didn’t do something, Lily might regret it.
“Let’s take him to the animal hospital,” he said. “I’ll move him.”
Lily bit her lip, uncertain.
“It’s okay,” Nick assured her. “I’ll be careful.”
“All right,” she finally said. “I’ll get his carrier.”
While she raced down the hall, Nick stared at Tomcat, who continued to groan.
“Fuck me,” he whispered to himself. His old fear of cats was nearly causing him to break out in stress hives. “Tomcat, please don’t scratch, bite or attack me, all right? I just want to help you.”
Tomcat’s alert gaze turned slightly wary when Nick gently slipped his hands around Tomcat’s torso. The cat moaned louder, and Nick froze, but Tomcat didn’t swipe at him. He lay motionless in Nick’s hands as Nick picked him up and cradled him to his chest. He was terrified to hold the heavy cat so closely to him, but Tomcat was more or less docile in Nick’s arms.
Lily hurried over to them. Tomcat took one look at the carrier and started squirming.
“Fuck, what’s he doing?” Nick said, trying to keep a hold on the cat.
“He hates his carrier.” Lily tenderly stroked Tomcat’s head and he stilled. She looked up at Nick. “Do you think you could hold him instead? He seems so comfortable with you. That might be better.”
Nick gulped. “I’ll hold him.”
They hurried to the animal hospital on 16th Street. During the harried walk, Tomcat was completely calm as Nick held him, but once they reached the hospital, he became skittish again, wriggling and groaning. Nick held on to Tomcat tighter. He had no experience with soothing a cat, but he could reassure him with his embrace.
“Shh, it’s okay, buddy,” Lily said, trying to placate him.
They took Tomcat inside and Lily told the front-desk receptionist that she was worried Tomcat might be having a bad reaction to his food. The receptionist, a short white woman with purple hair braided into pigtails, suggested an X-ray, and a veterinary nurse appeared and gently took Tomcat out of Nick’s arms. His meow became low and guttural, but he didn’t try to attack the nurse.
“It’s okay, buddy, don’t be upset,” Lily murmured. “I’m going to be right here. They just want to make sure you’re healthy.”
“We’ll call you back after his X-ray, okay?” the nurse said, glancing between Nick and Lily. Nick realized the nurse probably thought that Tomcat belonged to both of them. “Why don’t you take a seat? It won’t be long.”
Nick and Lily found seats in the nearly empty waiting room. Beside him, Lily stared down at the clipboard with intake paperwork. She bounced her knees, hastily wiping tears from her eyes.
“He’s gonna be okay,” Nick said softly. “They’re gonna take care of him.”
“But what if he isn’t all right?” she said, emitting a sob. “Tomcat is my responsibility. I’m supposed to take care of him. And I failed. Just like I fail at everything else. I’m a big fucking failure. If something bad happens to him I will never forgive myself.”
“Hey.” Nick put his arms around Lily and pulled her close. He hated seeing her like this. She cried into his shirt as he rubbed her back. “You’re not a failure. How can you even say that? You’re the most capable person I know, and Tomcat is lucky to have you.”
She fell quiet, resting her face in the crook of Nick’s neck while he continued to rub her back. Slowly, her sniffling and tears stopped. He thought she might pull away, but she remained there in his embrace. This feeling of being needed was unfamiliar to him, but it felt good. She’d called him when she could have called anyone. That meant something, right?
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for crying all over your shirt.”
He shook his head. His chin brushed against her hair. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“Thank you for coming with me.”