New Beginnings by Laurie Halse Anderson

Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

I convince Sophie to stay home and decorate a cardboard box for Cuddles.

“When I get back,” I tell her, “I’ll cut out some windows and doors. I saw some cardboard tubes in the store we could use for tunnels. But you can draw the door and window lines and color some parts in while I’m gone. Use these water-based markers because they’re nontoxic. Don’t use anything else. It might not be safe for Cuddles to chew.”

Sophie reluctantly agrees, tells Cuddles good-bye, and starts to decorate the box.

I carefully scoop up Cuddles, put her in her cage, and latch the door. Then I head down the street to Dr. Mac, Sunita, David, Josh, those adorable tiny kittens, and hopefully not Maggie.

The bell jangles when I enter, and there is Sunita, smiling behind the desk with the big old orange tabby seemingly on guard duty next to her.

“Hi, Jules,” she says to me, and then she gently pets and lifts the big cat. “Down you go, Socrates,” she says as she puts him on the floor. “Now we have room for Cuddles.” Sunita pats the counter for the cage.

“Okay, if you could just check over Cuddles’s new file I set up and make sure all the info is correct, I’ll tell Dr. Mac you’re here,” Sunita says. “And then do you want to see the kittens?”

“Yes, please.” I check over the file, then I follow Sunita. The kittens are in the Dolittle Room again, and so are Josh, David, and a handsome man whose name tag says DR. GABE. Each of them is feeding a tiny towel-wrapped kitten from a little bottle. Three kittens suck their bottles, and two are in the box, mewing.

Everyone says hi. Sunita introduces me to Dr. Gabe, who looks right at me, steps forward, and shakes my hand. I was expecting Dr. Gabe to be an older man, not this tall, cute guy, much younger than Dr. Mac. Dr. Gabe’s hand is warm and strong, and I just keep shaking it, staring at his blue, blue eyes. He smiles at me, and I can’t seem to let go or stop shaking hands.

Luckily, one of the kittens mews and that brings me back to my senses. I drop my hands and hold them behind my back. I can’t believe Josh gets to feed one of the kittens. Of course he is good with animals, but I can’t help feeling jealous. I don’t know if he’s an official Vet Volunteer, but I know I’m not. And here he is, looking totally at home, like he’s having a good time with David.

David’s kitten is done with the bottle now and after he holds it up to burp it, he shows Josh how to swab at its rear end with a wet cotton ball to “help it learn how to pee and poop. The mother cat usually does this, really,” he says, making a goofy face.

David’s making jokes about how he’s an “elimination expert” now. “Just call me the Prince of Poop.

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