Kats

(Kats) The Fifth Night

June 24, B 990 0130

The first thing Kai thought to do was turn around and run back up the tunnel. But as she backed away nervously, one of the kats stepped forward: a little boy maybe her age with light brown hair and pale gray ears and tail.

"Hi," he said, smiling shyly.

"Hi," Kai said in a small voice. A boy was talking to her! He had ears, too! Did that mean that lady would call him a "foolish brat", too? Or a "beast", like she had called Kai? "Are you a beast?" she asked.

One of the older kats laughed quietly and she wished she hadn't said anything.

The kat boy looked confused. "No," he said. "I'm a kat, like you."

"A kat?" Now Kai was confused. She'd never heard that before.

"You're not a kat?" the kat boy asked, tilting his head. "But you look like one."

"I do?" Kai thought about this. 'Kat' sounded better than what that lady had called her. "I'm a kat?"

"Yes!" The little boy nodded in firm confirmation. "Did your mommy be not your mommy anymore?"

"She's that lady now," Kai said sadly, thinking about her old mommy.

"My 'that lady', too." The boy sighed. "I'm Scott. What's your name?"

"My name?" Kai thought about this. "Kai. I'm three." She splayed her fingers to prove it.

"I'm four!" Scott said happily, showing her his age with his fingers.

"Do all you live here?" Kai asked suddenly, staring around at the rock walls and blanketed floors and all the kats around.

"All of us live here," Scott replied triumphantly. "And now you do, too!"

"Really?"

"Do you think that lady will ever let you back in?" he asked. "So many of us can't go back home."

"I can't go back home?" The thought struck Kai like the cold rain outside.

"She's not your mommy anymore," Scott said gravely.

This was all too much for poor Kai. She sat down and started to cry some more. Scott watched her for a little bit, then gave her a hug.

"You can stay in my room," he suggested.

"I can?" Kai perked up, just a little.

"I think so." Scott frowned. "Jack shouldn't say no."

"Who's J - um, Jack?" Kai found that she couldn't say the name quite right. Her nose was stuffed. She sneezed.

"You're sick!" Scott said, alarmed.

"I'm not!" she said defiantly.

"Don't worry!" Scott tried to comfort her more. "Keiji is a nice doctor."

"I'm not going," she said stoutly.

"I don't want to share with a sick person." Scott stood, crossed his arms, and pouted. Kai pouted, too, but she didn't last as long.

"You're a pro," she complained, quoting something she'd heard on TV.

"I know I am." Scott looked rather proud of himself. "Come see Keiji and Jack." He tugged on her arm. "Please?"

"My leg hurts," she said, stalling. She really didn't like the idea of going to the doctor.

"Keiji will give you a band aid," Scott said persuasively.

"... a red one?"

"Keiji's got sooo many!"

"Okay," Kai said at last, standing up and following Scott down a tunnel. The room was empty now, she noticed.

On the way to Keiji the doctor, they met another kat: a girl this time. She had really pretty yellow hair, Kai noticed, and soft-looking white ears and a fluffy tail.

"I'm Kathryn!" she announced. "Who is this dirty thing?" She frowned at an annoyed Kai.

"I'm Kai," she snapped. "I'm not a dirty thing, or a beast, or a foolish brat, or anything! So leave me alone!"

Kathryn was taken aback. "But you're dirty."

"Kai doesn't have a mommy," Scott explained.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Kathryn said dramatically. "How old are you?"

"Three." Kai showed her the fingers.

"I'm four," Kathryn said importantly. "But I'm almost five. In July!"

"I'm almost four, too!" Kai said, wanting to sound like Kathryn. "In December!"

"That's a long time," Scott put in, tugging on Kai's hand. "We're going to Keiji now. Bye, Kathryn."

"I'm coming with," she said instantly, grabbing Kai's other hand. "Let's go!"

"No!" Scott pulled Kai to him. "I'm taking her!"

"I am, too!" Kathryn pulled Kai the other way.

"No, you're not!"

"Am, too!"

Kai's arms were hurting, so she made her point by starting to cry again. Both the four-year-olds dropped her immediately. The ground hurt her.

"You guys are mean," she sniffed.

"I'm sorry!" Scott looked near tears. "I didn't mean to!"

"Me, too!" Kathryn added.

"I'm tired!" Kai wailed.

"Don't be a baby," Kathryn snapped.

"I'm not being a baby!" Kai glared at her.

"What's going on?" A tall boy joined them from the other end of the hallway. He was clearly a big boy, Kai thought, with striped gray ears and tail. He looked at Kai curiously. "And who is this?"

"Kai," Scott beat Kathryn to it and cast her a triumphant look.

"She's three and she's dirty!" she added quickly, sticking her tongue out at Scott.

"Am not!" Kai retorted.

"Well, Kai," the tall boy said gently, "I'm Keiji, the doctor here. You look very cold. You could get sick, you know. Come with me and we'll warm you up, okay? And welcome to our home."

Kai nodded quietly and followed him down the hall, with Scott and Kathryn in tow.