A faint mew reached Roberts ears. Glancing down, he spotted a tiny kitten, its mother desperately shielding it from a snarling dog.
He stumbled on the slick autumn pavement, his legs unsteady, his mind blurred by drink. The gloom inside him mirrored the dreary eveningas if someone had shattered the lanterns in his soul.
Clutching a freshly opened bottle, he raised it to his lips, hoping the alcohol might numb even a fraction of the pain choking him. The same question haunted him: *Why me?* But he had no strength left to search for answers.
Robert had been a brilliant surgeon. His golden hands had saved countless lives, even in the most hopeless cases. He worked himself ragged, fighting for every patient. Each operation was a battlefor health, for fate, for hope.
Newspapers praised him; the telly featured him. The whole city knew his face. Yet none of it mattered. He didnt want famejust the chance to help. He turned down offers from prestigious London hospitals, refused hefty paychecks, staying loyal to his hometown. His wife despised him for it. She screamed, accused, berated, but Robert held his ground.
Then came the day she learned hed rejected another London position. Another phone-row erupted. She shrieked that he was ruining their family. Their son was in the car, but even his presence didnt stop her tirade. She never saw the lorry pulling out.
Impact. Skid. Court. Funeral. Emptiness.
Robert tightened his grip on the bottle, about to take a swig, when a bark cut through the wind. Frowning, he scanned the dim street. Under an archway nearby, a lad with a pit bull was tormenting a cat.
The tabby hissed, pressed against the wall, while the boy egged the dog on.
*”Get her, Max!”*
The dog lunged, barking wildlyclearly enjoying the cruel game. But the cat, despite its terror, swiped the beasts nose. Robert squinted. Something was off. Then he saw itthe cat was shielding a tiny shape. A kitten.
*”Have you lost your mind?!”* Robert hurled the bottle aside, slipping through puddles as he charged forward.
The boy spun around. Spotting the furious man, he yanked the leash and backed off. Robert scooped up the trembling cat, cradling it against his chest. It struggled, then he heard another feeble mewthe kitten was at his feet.
Gently, he lifted the little one and placed it beside its mother. The tabby instantly stilled.
*”Whats wrong with you? Setting a dog on a helpless mother and her kitten?!”* Robert glared. *”If you were mine, Id tan your hide so hard you couldnt sit for a week! Wheres your father? Did he teach you this?”*
The lads gaze dropped. *”Aint got one,”* he muttered.
Something in his voice made Robert pause. In the dim light, he caught the glint of a tear.
*”You know what you did was wrong, yeah?”* Robert asked, quieter now.
The boy nodded, sniffing. *”Mum just got Max. Wanted to see what commands he knew. Wont do it again.”* He turned to leave.
*”Whats your name?”* Robert called.
*”Oliver,”* the boy answered, glancing back.
*”Dont make mistakes like that again, Oliver. Understand?”*
A silent nod, and the lad vanished around the corner.
Shaking his head, Robert hurried homejust minutes away. Still clutching his rescued pair, he climbed to his third-floor flat, kicked off his shoes, and settled them on the sofa.
The tabby had no wounds, but one paw was clearly hurt. Robert stroked her head. She leaned into his touch.
*”Youre a beauty. And this little chap takes after you,”* he murmured, smiling.
He grabbed a tin of pâté from the fridge, spooned it onto a saucer, and set it before them. They devoured it. Afterward, the mother began grooming her kitten, and Robert chuckled.
*”Youre a sweetheart Sweetie. Thats your name now.”*
Carefully packing them into a gym bag, he rushed to the 24-hour vet clinic down the road.
*”We need a vet, now!”* he burst in, breathless.
*”Hello! Whats happened?”* A young woman stepped forward.
*”Here!”* Robert set the bag on the counter, lifting out Sweetie. *”Think her paws broken. Found her defending her kitten.”*
*”Lets have a look,”* the vet said, taking the cat. *”Well need X-rays and tests. You can wait here.”*
*”A shelter? No chanceshes mine now. Both of them!”*
*”Alright, alright,”* she soothed. *”Take a seat.”*
She vanished with Sweetie. Moments later, an assistant carried the kitten off for checks. An hour passed before the kitten was returned.
*”Hes healthy, just slight eye inflammation. Drops for a few days,”* the assistant said, handing him the tiny bundle. *”Thank you.”*
*”For what?”*
*”For not walking past. For saving them.”*
Two hours later, the vet reappeared with Sweetie.
*”Surgery went well. The fracture was tricky, but shell heal.”* She studied Robert. *”You look familiar Oh! Youre Robert Alexanderthe surgeon from St. Marys.”*
*”Will she be alright?”* he asked, eyeing the drowsy cat.
*”Yes. Bones set. You saved her life.”*
*”Couldnt just leave her. That lads dog nearly tore her apart, and she still shielded her kitten,”* he muttered, stroking Sweeties striped head.
*”A lad?”* The vet paled. *”With a pit bull?”*
*”Yeah You know him?”*
*”Hes my son,”* she whispered. *”After his dad died, he fell in with the wrong crowd”*
*”Sorry, I didnt know,”* Robert said softly. *”You got him the dog?”*
*”He begged for years. After the accident, I thought itd help”* She forced a smile. *”Come back tomorrow. Youve got a proper calico nowlucky charm.”*
For weeks, Robert doted on Sweetie: feedings, check-ups. The kittennamed Dukesoon ruled the flat. By night two, both cats curled up beside him. Robert started rushing home post-shift, even buying treats.
Sweetie greeted him with loud meows at the door.
Colleagues noticed the changehe smiled more, even showed off Dukes antics.
Each vet visit became a chance to chat with Veronica, Sweeties vet. Soon, it was just “Vera.” She confided in him: the struggles of single motherhood, 14-hour shifts. She adored animals but couldnt keep themher late husband had allergies.
Max, their pit bull, was a handful. Robert found a dog trainer, and soon, Max behaved. Oliver started visiting, even joining Robert to pick Vera up after work. Weekends were spent at Roberts cottage.
Three months later, he proposed. She said yes.
They married at home, just family. Sweetie and Duke eyed Max warily, but the dog stayed calm, letting the kitten nuzzle his side.
*”Dukes won him over,”* Vera laughed, radiant.
*”No,”* Robert corrected, stroking Sweeties belly as she purred. *”They brought me back to life and now weve got a proper family.”*
The tabby cracked one eye, whiskers twitchingas if smiling. Her job was done. Shed brought them happiness.
