Overheard

Dr Bellen liked watching the residents of the Cosy Apartment Feline Sanitarium. Sometimes he simply walked through the rooms and corridors and saw them sleeping and playing. It made him feel good. Now and then, he overheard conversations. He didn’t try to eavesdrop, but if he made out a discussion here and there, they often told him how things were faring at the sanitarium.

Very recently, he stopped to pass the time with some of the residents and, before he started on his way again, he heard, from around a corner, the distinctive voices of the two youngest cats in the institution, Hector and Auric.

“Noe, ai don’t wan’ to play rite now, Auric. Stop pooshin’ me.”

“Peep pip whrrrr oop.”

“Yes, ai still lyke yoo... Ai didn’t at ferst... Yer too pooshie.”

“Pip eep wip mrrrrrrr.”

“Ai think yoo tryd too hard. Yoo get inta trubble.”

“Whrrrp ip peep oooo.”

“Yeh, lyke wen yoo get on the mikrowayv ovven stand. That’s ware Dr Bellen keeps the stuf he duzn’t want cats t’get in too. Yoo nokked things off.”

“Peep poo ip crrrrrrr...”

“Haha, yeh, it wuz funny. All the paipurrs fline everyware. Hahahaha.”

“Pip woop pip pip pip unhh ooooo.”

“Noe, nawt reely?! The lawndree? Yor nawt s’posse t’bee thare. Wut did ya doo?”

“Reep ip whrrrt mip mip!”

“Hahaha! Thae cot yoo with th’ sawk? Hahaha! ‘Yoo don’t hav enuf toys?’ thae sed. Hahaha. An’ ai thawt ai cauzed trubble by aluss been underfut! Hahaha.”

“Eep mip putt putt wheeeee.”

“Awl rite, let’s go play. Last wun ta th’nylawn tunnel’s a rawtten fish!”

There was a sound of scurrying, and of eight feet skidding on linoleum. Dr Bellen smiled. He recalled, not so long ago, that Hector didn’t care for little Auric. Hec was right: Auric had been quite pushy. But it wasn’t long before Hector realised that the new arrival didn’t mean any ill by it. He was just young and eager for fun. Now, those two were the best of friends.

Then Dr Bellen frowned. Auric amid the laundry... That explains why the doctor’s socks hadn’t been coming back from the laundry in pairs lately...