Charlie the Kitten Who Saved a Life

‘We’ll pack up and get away now, then. Thanks for everything,’ Andy said after they’d chatted for a while longer. It was a bit embarrassing, because I’d somehow got myself tangled up in some leads for the camera. At first I thought it was good fun, playing with their stuff while they weren’t looking, but when they wanted to start packing things away I couldn’t get myself out of the mess I’d made, and they had to unravel me. Andy wasn’t cross though.

‘He’s such a cute little cat,’ he laughed. I couldn’t help thinking about how I used to get told off if I got tangled up in Laura’s washing. Although that was before I went missing. She didn’t seem to get so stern with me these days.

‘This is going to be such a great little story,’ Andy said again as they finally headed for the door.

‘Good. And if the publicity helps the campaign in Mudditon – getting people to alter their behaviour with regard to the seagulls – it’ll be worth it,’ Julian said.

‘Yes. Nothing wrong with seagulls in their place, is there, but their place isn’t being fed human food and attacking people to get it,’ Andy agreed. ‘Well, Charlie, you’re already a hero to the people in Mudditon, and now you’re a hero to your family as well,’ he said, giving me a stroke. ‘They must be so proud of you, little kitten.’

‘Not a little kitten!’ I meowed crossly at him. ‘For mewing out loud, look at me, I’m a grown-up cat now.’

Although, to be fair, I suppose if I’d been so very grown up I might not have got tangled in the wires.

Nicky stayed for a while longer after the television people left. Caroline and Grace went off to play in her bedroom.

‘It was good to see Caroline looking happy and excited,’ Laura said after the three of them had sat in silence for a while.

‘You’re still worried about her, aren’t you?’ Nicky said. ‘I must admit, she does still look pale.’

‘Oh, Nicky, we just don’t know what to think!’ Laura sounded like she was almost mewing, and Julian, who was holding her paw now, was staring at the carpet. I’d been washing myself in a corner of the room, but as you can imagine, I sat up and listened again. ‘We keep telling ourselves it’s just tiredness, you know, because of the new school,’ she went on.

‘Or even the after-effects of the concussion,’ Julian put in. ‘They did warn us at the hospital that she might still suffer from headaches, dizziness and difficulty in concentrating – for as long as three months after the accident.’

‘And are those the sort of symptoms she’s complaining about?’ Nicky asked quietly.

‘Well, she’s not really complaining much at all, bless her,’ Laura said. ‘Not since Charlie came home, anyway – she’s so thrilled to have him back. But she does admit she’s really tired all the time. And you’ve seen how she’s looking, Nicky. You can understand why we’re finding it so difficult not to be worried still.’

‘Perhaps it’s only natural that you’ll always worry about her? After what she went through before,’ Nicky said.

‘Maybe. But … well, I’m thinking we should take her back to our own doctor. Just to make sure,’ Julian said, glancing at Laura as he said it.

‘It can’t hurt, can it? Just for your own peace of mind?’ Nicky said.

‘Julian’s worried they might have got the biopsy result wrong,’ Laura said, in such a soft little voice I almost missed it. She had her paw over her mouth, as if she didn’t really want the words to come out. ‘I keep telling him how unlikely that is, but …’

‘But we need to be sure,’ Julian said in a much louder, firmer voice. ‘I can’t go on like this, Laura, on edge all the time, wondering. If there’s been a mistake, we need to know.’

‘I’m sure there hasn’t,’ Nicky said, a little wobble in her voice. ‘But I agree, if you’re that worried, you should get her checked out again.’ She got up and gave them both a hug. ‘Please let me know, won’t you? Dan and I are worried too – about all of you.’

By now I was pacing the floor back and forth, mewing to myself, with all the excitement of the day forgotten. It was all very well being told I’d saved Caroline’s life – but if it still turned out that she was seriously ill, then perhaps I hadn’t done enough life-saving, after all.

*

I didn’t sleep very well that night, and when Oliver came to see me the next morning, to tell me that he’d actually managed to get some news about Caroline, at first I couldn’t quite take in what he was saying.

‘What do you mean?’ I asked, still thinking about what I’d heard the previous day. ‘You’re not a human doctor, all of a sudden, are you?’

‘Human doctor?’ He stared at me. ‘What are you talking about, and why are you being so tetchy? I promised you I’d listen in on Nicky and Daniel’s conversations, didn’t I?’

‘Oh. Yes, sorry. What have you heard?’

‘Well, please don’t get too upset. But I heard Nicky telling Daniel that your owners are going to take Caroline back to the doctors because they’re still worried she might be ill again.’

‘Oh, yes, I know that.’

‘You do?’