‘All right. He has his biscuits and half a packet of Whiskas every morning.’
‘And no change recently?’
I was about to shake my head but, actually, in the past couple of weeks, I’d found a small mound of biscuits left in his bowl every morning. I’d assumed he’d been filling up on snacks in the garden, and I’d been so distracted with the petition, and Rory, that I hadn’t worried. ‘He’s been leaving more recently. Not a huge amount. Just a few biscuits.’
Dr Pennyworth frowned at Marmalade then lifted him back into his basket. ‘I think the best way forward is a couple of tests.’
‘What kind of tests?’
‘Blood tests to check thyroid and liver function. It may be that he’s just dehydrated. But he is thin. And, at his age, it depends on how far you’re willing to go.’
‘To go for what?’ A note of panic had crept into my voice.
Dr Pennyworth pressed his lips together before answering. ‘It tends to be a matter of cost at this age.’
‘What do you mean?’ My voice had become strangely shrill.
‘Well, there’s a cost to all this and at a certain stage, I advise people to try and weigh up the quality of life.’
‘Can we do the blood tests?’ I said, as the first tears slipped down my cheeks.
‘Of course.’
‘And can I wait?’
‘Sure, it only takes a couple of minutes and then we should have the results back…’ he paused and looked at his watch, ‘probably after lunch.’
I nodded and wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. ‘Sorry.’
‘Not at all. Here, have one of these.’ Dr Pennyworth reached for a box of tissues next to his computer. I took a handful and blew my nose as he opened a cupboard behind him and pulled out an electric razor.
‘If you could keep hold, I’m going to shave a small patch of fur. Got him?’
I nodded and he flicked the razor on. Marmalade barely flinched as the blades ran over his neck.
‘Keep him there and I’ll take his blood.’ Dr Pennyworth opened a different cupboard and retrieved a syringe in a plastic packet. I stared at Marmalade’s back. He tensed under my fingers but it only took a few seconds.
‘There we go. All done,’ said Dr Pennyworth, dropping the little tube into a silver dish.
‘So will you call me or…’ I trailed off.
‘Alison will give you a ring when we have the results.’
I blew my nose again before stuffing the tissues into my pocket and scooping up his basket. ‘Thank you’ I said, as he opened the door for me. Brutus and his owner were still sitting there but I was beyond caring what I looked like and wailed the whole walk home, my tears dropping on to Marmalade’s back. Poor cat. He hated the rain and refused to go out in it, but he didn’t even seem to notice, which only made me cry harder. It had been a bad twenty-four hours.
At home, I poured a can of condensed milk into a ramekin and laid Marmalade’s basket down next to it, but he wasn’t interested. Then I texted Eugene saying I wouldn’t be in and sent one line to Rory: Vet taken some blood tests but not sure how hopeful he is xxx. That was also the evening I was supposed to be seeing Gwendolyn for my last session, so I emailed her and asked to postpone it.
‘So there’s one good thing about all this,’ I said to him, putting my phone down on the kitchen counter and staring at the basket, willing him to get up and snake his way around my legs or nose through the cat flap to menace the sparrows outside. He didn’t, so I carried him to the living room where we sat on the sofa watching Eamonn Holmes interview a real-life ghostbuster.
I kept my phone on the cushion beside me, my eyes flicking to it every few seconds. Eugene replied with a string of heart emojis.
Is Zach in? I messaged back, curious about whether he was in the shop or lying somewhere with Ruby.
Yeah, downstairs, want me to tell him?
Could you?
Eugene sent back several thumbs up emojis.
There was no reply from Rory so I texted Jaz explaining the situation instead. She called instantly, the roar of a hairdryer in the background.
‘You all right, love?’ she bellowed down the phone.