Page 60 of Second Act
Her running commentary as she worked made Hugh forget about his earlier squeamishness. She handled the cat with a fascinating combination of confidence and gentleness. He couldn’t take his eyes off her gloved hands, even as she began pushing the needle through the cat’sskin. “Could you blot up that blood for me?” she asked as fresh bleeding began to obscure the skin. “There’s gauze on the surgical tray. Just don’t touch anything else.”
He pinched up the gauze and carefully pressed it against the wound, soaking up the blood so Jessica could see where to place the needle next. An emotion he couldn’t name welled up inside him. Maybe they weren’t exactly saving the cat’s life, but they were giving her a chance to heal and be healthy and happy. It seemed so much more real and important than anything he did.
“Since Cornell says Zora’s a high-energy kitty, this time I’m going to set six simple interrupted sutures and tie off each one separately. That way if she pulls one out, the other five should still hold.” She did something to the thread and snipped it off. He could see the neat purple stitch with a small knot on one side.
The next time the blood accumulated, Hugh blotted it up without Jessica having to ask. He fell into the rhythm of the stitching and knotting, anticipating how to help her. When she finished up the last suture, regret rolled through him. He wanted to keep working side by side with her, their bodies touching in a way that had nothing to do with sex but made him feel necessary to her. It reminded him of how a scene could flow when all the actors were in the zone, drawing energy from one another to feed the emotions they were portraying. When was the last time he’d felt that way?
“Roll her over on her side now.” Jessica interrupted his thoughts. “Hit the two-minute button on the microwave.”
“Are we feeding Zora a meal right after her surgery?” he asked, following her instructions.
Jessica chuckled as she spread out a towel beside the cat. “No, we’re warming up a rice bag to make her cozy as she comes out of the anesthesia.”
Hugh helped her shift the limp little body onto the towel. Jessica stood stroking the cat while they waited for the microwave to ding.“Lay it along her back,” she said when Hugh retrieved the toasty fabric cushion. He held the rice bag in place while Jessica wrapped the towel snugly around Zora.
“Okay, take the iso to zero,” Jessica said. “But we’ll keep the oxygen flowing to help her recover.”
Hugh did his job while Jessica untied the gauze bow behind the cat’s head. “As soon as she starts to stir, I’ll deflate the balloon and take the tube out.”
“How long does it take for her to wake up?”
“Somewhere between two and five minutes.”
“I feel like she’ll be mad at me for getting her into this,” Hugh said, watching the still, white bundle with just a small furry head protruding.
“She may be, but she’ll forget quickly, especially if you pet her. Animals tend to be quite forgiving. It’s both a strength and a weakness.”
The cat’s throat moved, and Jessica became a blur of motion as she deflated and removed the tube before Zora became aware enough to be uncomfortable. “Now we just wait for her to wake up fully,” Jessica said, stripping off her gloves and untying her surgical mask to let it hang down around her neck.
Hugh removed his gloves and leaned his hip against the counter, watching Jess while she watched the cat. “Thank you for trusting me to help you,” he said. “That was one of the more fascinating experiences of my life.”
Jessica gave him a startled glance. “It wasn’t rocket science.”
“It was...important.”
Her gray eyes went luminous. “That’s a nice thing to say. Not enough people feel that way about spaying a rescue cat.”
“We helped another living being.”
Zora let out a hoarse mew and began to struggle within the towel. Jessica loosened the fabric so the cat could move. She met Hugh’s gaze again. “Now you know why I work long hours.”
“Now Iunderstandwhy you work long hours.” Guilt raked through him. “I’m sorry I didn’t get it eight years ago.”
“Neither one of us understood what the other wanted,” she said, her voice soft.
It was the wrong place and time, but the need to know overwhelmed him. “Jess, why did you leave me?”
“What?” She jerked her head up to give him an angry glare. “I told you when I gave back the ring, and it was hard enough then.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck, hating to admit the truth. “I didn’t hear a word you said after you handed the ring back to me. I was too...upset.” Devastated. Angry. Hurt.
Abandoned.
The cat rolled onto her stomach and looked around woozily. Jessica petted Zora’s head. “I need to care for Zora right now,” she said.
“Of course. I shouldn’t have asked.” He straightened. “What can I do to help?”
She continued to stroke the cat. “Nothing. I’ll take it from here.”
