// Oi!  What exactly do you think you are playing at? //

The bag opens slightly and Sam peers in.  "Shhh!  I’m about to take you in where you really aren’t meant to be and would prefer that as few people as possible knew about it."

// Oh.  Fair enough.  Why didn’t you just say so? //

I settle down in the bag and pretend that I’m in a Tie Fighter (go the dark side!) in an attempt to keep my mind off the claustrophobia (I’ve never been the same since I was accidentally locked in the stereo cabinet for a day…).

Eventually the bag gets a bit much for me and I stretch a little, pushing my tail through a gap in the zip.

"Excuse me, Sir…" An unknown female voice suddenly penetrates through the silence.  "Er…  Your bag appears to have a tail…"

"Um… Er…  I can explain."  Sam sounds flustered.

"Let me have a look!  What’s in there?"

The zipper is suddenly pulled back a bit and a pretty female face peers at me.  "Oh!  A Siamese, isn’t she delightful.  My sister’s got one.  They’re wonderful, aren’t they?  Love their owners to death though…  Hey!  You’re with the assault victim in the private room, aren’t you?  Thank God you’re back, he’s been getting crabby.  And you’ve bought her in to cheer him up? Nice one.  I’ll see if I can rustle up some milk for her…"

All this pours out of her mouth without her even seeming to have to draw breath.  Sam doesn’t even have time to respond before she’s off, bouncing down the corridor.

// I like her!  Slow down her speech pattern and she’d be lovely. //

Sam stares at her retreating form for a moment before shaking his head slowly and continuing down the corridor.  "Only for a second more," he whispers, zipping the bag back up.

"There you are!  What took you so long?"

The nurse was right.  Chris does sound tetchy.

"Delighted to see you too.  What’s the matter?  Pain-killers wearing off or is it that time of the month?"

"Ha ha…  Very funny.  Gimme the bag so I can get out of this blasted nightdress.  I’m freezing my butt off here."

"Say ‘please’."

"Fuck off."

"Charming, aren’t you?"

"I’m always charming when I’m in pain."  Chris is speaking through clenched teeth.  "Now, would you *please* give me the bag?"

"With pleasure...  Manners never hurt anyone, you know."

I sense the bag get placed on the bed and then the zipper is pulled back and I’m whiskers to face with Chris.

"Mishy!"

// Chris! //

Not waiting for assistance, I bound out of the bag and rub around Chris. Grinning, he picks me up and hugs me close. I purr with immense happiness and lick his cheek.

"Thank you, Sam…  I never would have expected you to…" His voice trails off.

"That makes two of us, but I knew you’d miss her and I also knew what she’d do to me if I didn’t bring her in.  What can I say?  I’m afraid of her…"

They both laugh for a moment before Chris winces.  "Ow! That hurts!"

Sam immediately looks concerned.  "Come on, we’ll get you changed and then you can get some sleep."  He pulls the pyjamas out of the bag and waves them at Chris, who immediately looks utterly horrified.

"I’ll look like a clown!"

"You’ll look *sweet*," Sam says with a smirk.

"I’d forgotten I had those *monstrosities*!  I’ll look like I’m six!"

"Well, you can either put them on or you can continue to wear that rather spiffy, backless number that you are currently sporting."

Chris sighs resignedly.  "*Fine*.  I’d be delighted to wear them.  Just *delighted*.  Excuse me, Mishy," he places me gently on the bed and gingerly raises himself off it, "Childhood awaits."

// I agree with Sam.  You’ll look cute. //

Sam helps Chris change and I’m mortified to see all the injuries on his body.  Poor Chris.  He looks like a tortoiseshell cat - all different patches of colour.  No wonder he’s having an enforced stay in hospital.

Pyjamas on, I think the only thing that stops Chris from having hysterics is the threat of more pain.  Nothing, on the other paw, stops Sam from snickering.

"You look *adorable*!  I’d love to see that over-built male nurse’s reaction…"

Chris clambers back into bed and glares at Sam.  "You mean to tell me that you are making me look like a twit because you are *jealous* of that male nurse?  Sheesh, Sam, get a grip!  Not only does he look less attractive than Spencer after a hard session at the gym, but what exactly do you think I’m capable of at the moment?"

"Er… Um…  Maybe you have a point there…"

Sam’s saved from having to make further excuses by my new friend the nurse peering around the door.  She looks at Chris and beams.  "Love the pyjamas! What would you call the colour?  Magenta?  My son’s got a pair just like them!  He loves spots, mind you, he’s only six so I’m happy to indulge him." Ignoring the filthy look Chris shoots Sam, and the look of pure mirth on Sam’s face, she continues blithely.  "Just wanted to let you know that as soon as the Director of Nursing is off the ward I’ll bring your furry friend some milk.  Bye!"

Sam smirks again.  "Told you you’d look cute!"

"Yeah, yeah," Chris mutters and sinks further into the bed.  His movement upsets my position a little but I quickly resettle near his knees.  "Are you going to stay the night?"

"You mean am I going to spend the night in that antique looking armchair so I can be near you as opposed to being all alone in my nice, comfy bed?"  Sam pauses before smiling.  "Of *course* I’ll stay.  Mishy and I are here for the night."

"Good."  Chris yawns.  "Thank you…  I always feel better when you’re around."

// What about me? //

Reaching down the bed, Chris’ hand finds my head, and he scratches between my ears.  "And I’m really grateful for you risking your suave, sophisticated exterior to bring Mishy into visit."

Sam leans over the bed and kisses Chris softly on the cheek.  "Anything for you…"

"In that case, I forgive you for the pyjamas then."

Backing away from the bed, Sam sits down in the armchair.  "’Night."

"Mmm, ‘night."

Within a few minutes the room is silent and we all fall asleep.

After an undisclosed amount of time, I wake up and my rumbling stomach reminds me of the nurse’s promise of milk.  I’m torn between staying with Chris and hunting up the nurse.  Another hunger pang makes my mind up for me and I reluctantly hop off the bed and sneak out the door.

The bright, wide, corridor is empty and I meander slowly along it until I come to some sort of waiting room.

The only person in the room is a drunk in a filthy trench coat.  Idle curiosity compels me in his direction.

Noticing me, he croons, "What a pretty pussy cat!  Come ‘ere puss."

// No thank you.  I can smell you well enough from here. //

Not having anything better to do, I decide to sing as well.  I choose a different song though and run through ‘A Drinking Song’ - in honour of his obvious love for the nectar of the Gods - by The Divine Comedy.

// We’ll drink beyond the boundaries of sense! We’ll drink ‘til we see lovely pink elephants Inside our heads, inside our beds Inside the threads of our pyjama legs So don’t shot ‘til you see the reds of our eyes And an army of elephants marching behind! From the day I was born ‘til the night I will die All my lovers will be pink and elephantine //

I’ve just completed my favourite verse when the nurse suddenly appears and ‘tsk, tks’s’ me.  "There you are!  Come on you, I’ve put some milk in your room and you really need to stay there."  She picks me up and carries me out of the waiting area.

// Bye bye!  I’d lay off the booze if I were you…  That way you might be able to remember a few more of the words! //

Entering Chris’ room, the nurse places me on the floor near a saucer of milk.  She then smoothes the bedding around Chris, retrieves a spare blanket from the cupboard that she drapes over Sam before leaving the room and shutting the door quietly behind her.

// Thank you! //

After drinking the milk, I run through my options and, deciding that I’d hate to cause Chris any more pain by sleeping on him, so wander over to Sam and lightly hop up onto his lap. I have no idea how Sam will react when he wakes up and discovers me on his lap, but don’t really care.

Sam’s shown to me tonight what a nice person he can be and I want to prove to him how fond I am of him.  (And, how, just perhaps, I’ve been too harsh on him in the past…)  Subsequently I don’t indulge in any of my usual pre-sleep kneading, settle down and very happily prepare to go to sleep.