Page 9 of The Cat's Mausy

“Do you feel safe with him,” she asked.

Issac hesitated, frowning as he tried to remind himself that the man in the waiting room probably killed someone last night before hunting him down in the stacks. “I don’t… feel less safe with him,” he admitted finally, not really sure how else to put it. “If that makes any sense?”

Najjar squeezed his knee again and he looked up to see her give him an uneasy smile. “Unfortunately, in situations like yours, it does.” She took a step back, looking him up and down. “Issac, I am very concerned about what you have told me here. Without running any tests I can already tell you that what is wrong with you is a complete lack of basic human needs being met. When was the last time you ate anything?”

He glanced at the plate of cookies and back at her.

“Before that,” she sighed.

Sighing he rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling the bones on his spine pressing against his skin. “I had a latte this morning, but before that was… two days ago at a shelter where they have snacks for people who show up too late for dinner. It had already been picked over so there was just a granola bar left.”

Najjar sighed again. “You need a support system,” she said firmly. “People to help you, a steady roof over your head, and five square meals a day to even start getting to a better place. At the rate you are going, you will not make it to the new year. Not with the winter shaping up to what they are predicting.” She hesitated. “The man who brought you here… Do you trust him?”

Issac raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know him well enough to answer that,” he said finally. “He wasn’t supposed to show back up again after last night.”

“But he did,” she said, frowning, “and he brought you here? Why?”

He shrugged. “Something about not wanting me to die. I don’t really know what his planning. I was just promised dinner at some point to talk about it.”

“You don’t think he is trying to bring you into sex trafficking?”

That made Issac pause. He hadn’t considered that particular angle of intentions. In a way, it made sense. The sex couldn’t have been that good for Felinus but maybe it was good enough to think he’d be good to sell off. But… no. Felinus didn’t strike him as a person who shared and there was something… personal about his request to take him out to dinner. He didn’t think Felinus was actually that hurt about Issac leaving without a kiss goodbye but there was a bit of truth to his comment about running out before Felinus had a chance to talk to him. Besides, if he planned on selling Issac to someone’s bed, Felinus wouldn’t have bothered waiting until Issac’s classes were done. He shook his head. “No. That’s not what he’s after.”

“Then… with your permission,” Najjar said, almost like she wasn’t sure of the right answer, “I’d like for him to be part of the discussion for getting you on a treatment plan to get you back on a path to health. Is that okay?”

Issac sighed slowly and nodded. It wasn’t as if he had any other options. Felinus didn’t strike him as a person who would be left in the dark for long. Better to let him hear it directly from the professional.

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