Maneki 2

Maneki 2 disappears and sometime later, the man and woman see it at their void deck. they go up to it and discover a huge growth on the side of his face. it has a massive jawline before but it is now twice the size on one side. when he yawns, yellow pus drips from his mouth. the stench is unbearable.

woman and man pack Maneki 2 off to the night clinic. they apologise to the cab driver for the overwhelming smell and are grateful he does not mention it.

they leave Maneki 2 at the clinic overnight for a check-up and go home to wait for the results.

the next day, the vet calls and they have a difficult choice to make. it costs another $200 on top of the $300 they already paid as a deposit to clean out the decay and pus. that's a staggering amount they could not afford. more importantly, Maneki 2 tests positive for feline virus. he would require constant medication for the rest of his life.

the man and woman feel helpless and a little more. the cat was fine just a month before, how did it get so bad? if they had taken him home with them on that first night.

the situation now stands that they have no resources to care for him in this state and putting him back on the streets would mean passing the virus on to the other cats in the neighbourhood. SPCA? the decision is likely the same. they make the choice to put him to sleep.

the woman goes back to the clinic after work. the vet isn't there so she pesters the staff on duty for explanation of the test results. 'what's felv, fiv?' 'is the cat in pain?' 'will the cat survive without treatment?' all useless words of course. the staff is patient as the woman breaks down. she decides not to witness the deed and then decides she would.

the woman visits Maneki 2 in his alloted cage. he is eating! the woman starts to have a change of heart and has more questions for the staff. but it comes back to the virus, it is not going away.

the philipino male assistant places Maneki 2 on the stainless steel table and he sits there quietly. the woman strokes him as she tells the assistant how much Maneki 2 resembles the cat she has at home (me). She tells Maneki 2 that everything is alright and that she loves him. more useless words. the assistant rubs a little alcohol on Maneki 2's right paw and injects him with a green liquid. he does not flinch but slumps down instantaneously as the woman continues to stroke it. the assistant places his hand over the eyes and its over.