Like A Tiger...

1978-Part IV

"....I-I think she's awake! ....Oh! Tiger?...."

A familiar muffled human voice sounded in her ear as feeling and pain returned to her body, this time not as unbearable as it was once. She could feel a large, warm hand petting her head.

"Tiger?" The voice repeated gently, sounding a little less concerned than it did at first.

Her eyes fluttered open. But they didn't meet the Panther's. Her eyes met Freddie's.

"Oh Tiger..." Freddie tearfully stroked her. "I thought that I was going to lose you..."

Tiger ever so slightly lifted her head to see Joe standing behind her favourite human, with a bright ceiling light above them both flooded her vision. The disgusting, clean and unnatural smell of anaesthetic refilled her nostrils. She was no longer in the tropical paradise that she was in previously. No unlimited supply of prey such as birds and rodents, no endless possibilities or endless spaces to take up as her own territory, no liberty.

"I'm back, then..." she thought, slightly annoyed but relieved to be in the company of her favourite human.

"You should keep any pills and tablets out of reach like you would with a child." Dr Mahsood told Freddie as he rearranged some bottles of pills in his medicine cabinet across the room. "You're very lucky that I was able to save her. From several past experiences I have had with cats being poisoned by human medicine only two survived. They sure do have nine lives, those cats."

"I thought I did keep them out of reach," Freddie snivelled. "I'm sure I did."

"Uhm, Freddie?" Joe spoke up when the vet left the room.

"What, Liza?" He looked over.

"It's not possible that Paul deliberately gave her one?"

"Don't be so ridiculous, dear!" Freddie shot back in disgust. "Why would Paul do that?"

"Well, I was walking back into the kitchen after I brought you in a cup of coffee, and I saw him standing beside a packet of headache tablets on the counter," Joe explained. "...and Tiger was eating food from her bowl on the floor right below. He was last to feed her. In fact, he offered to do it and I thought that he was just being generous."

"So you're saying that my friend tried to poison my cat?"

"I've seen Paul kick her out of the way and tell her to shut up. It wasn't until later I thought that it was strange for him to take an interest so suddenly in her, considering that he treated her like crap before."

"Well, Tiger can get in amongst people's feet sometimes." Freddie suggested. "And apart from that she's a darling! Maybe Paul fell under her spell-"

"I'm just saying that Paul could be a little jealous." Joe said.

"Jealous?"

"Yeah... jealous that your time, and money, is invested into your cat-"

"You're saying this is about money, Liza?"

"Well, I don't know what Paul's intentions are, but I just, I just don't..."

"Just don't what, Liza?"

"I don't trust him." Joe finally let out.

Freddie hesitated, and sighed, "Listen, I know that you two are awkward with one another but can you at least try to be civil with him?"

"But... Freddie he just acted so weird and unnatural when I came in."

"Joseph, just..." Freddie was getting irritated; he didn't want to hear it.

Joe just rolled his eyes and walked out of the small operating theatre; he knew rightly that he and Prenter had issues with one another. And most of all, he strongly believed that Prenter was to blame.

As Tiger lay on the operating table, Freddie's hand petting her continuously and soothingly, she had never felt more safe and secure in a human's touch. He leaned down to kiss her on the head, relieved that his baby was alive. But still, he'd never felt so divided about what happened. He didn't want to believe Joe's theory unfortunately, but something bigger told him that it was the truth even though he didn't want to believe it.

"I'm afraid that you have to stay here for another night, darling," he whispered. "But when you're right as rain I'll be here to take you home, and Liza too."

Tiger couldn't be more confused as to what she'd just envisioned. She was in the jungle not long ago, but she was back to the frightful lair of The Man In The White coat, i.e the veterinary practise. Was it all a dream?

She looked up at him weakly, the breathing tube down her throat and wires connected to her here and there trapping her and weighing her down. The sight for Freddie was heartbreaking; she looked so helpless.

"You poor, poor thing," he shed a few tears. "You did absolutely nothing wrong to deserve this pain and suffering. Absolutely nothing. Well, maybe a few birds now and then... and that butterfly this morning," he giggled a little before continuing to blab. "But that's who you are and I can't blame you for that. I love you just the way you are; an irresistible, innocent little killing machine. You're a Tiger..."

The back of his hand brushed against her animal print collar that he had given her when she was a kitten as he continued to pet her, and he smiled.

"You're my little Tiger."

❤️