Animal Café Ch. 31

Lucy didn't judge her. She couldn't. She didn't know this woman's story, so she kept listening.

"I... I didn't see Vicky yet... but they told me it was not good... She should live... but how... She will need treatments and ... How am I going to pay? I don't even have insurance."

INSURANCE!

At the articulation of that last word, a lightning bolt shot down Lucy's spine, smoldering the remainder of her already overtaxed nervous system.

Was this a bad joke? Was this a message? Was this Sammie's way of trying to tell her mother something from wherever she was? Did she send her giant fox to lead her to that woman?

No matter what it was, no matter if this was real or not, Lucy's heart started pulsing again. Her blood got warmer and was pumped with a painful strength throughout her body, providing an unexpected influx of life. Her lungs filled with fresh hair, allowing her to exhale the stench of death for the first time since Sammie's death. Fresh oxygen was now reaching her brain, and all her synapses began sparkling like the milky way on a clear night sky.

Her lips parted ever so slightly, just enough to let out the first words that came to her mind... A mix of sarcasm and resolve.

"I hope Vicky likes foxes..."

"... uh? I'm sorry?"

Such a bizarre sentence snapped the miserable mother out of her distressed state. But Lucy didn't acknowledge her puzzled gaze. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled a business card out of it. She placed it between her two fingers and flicked her wrist toward the woman for her to grab.

"Listen. Call this number tomorrow."

"... What... What is it?"

"You are the new owner of the best insurance policy in the world. Also, you are going to be rent-free for a while. I hope you will like living in a penthouse."

"... What... What are you saying?"

Lucy stood up, placed her two hands in her pockets. For the first time, she looked at the woman.

"Vicky will get the care she deserves. You must call this number tomorrow, and we will explain everything. Trust me."

"But... Who... Who are you?"

"You know... I'm not even sure myself. Let's say I'm just a friend."

***

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Shane. It's the right thing to do."

"But it's my home too. Where are we going to go if you let those people live here?"

"I'm going to find a small apartment nearby."

"You? Do you mean..."

"Yes... Me... Alone."

"Are you... leaving me?"

"... No. I don't think I am... But I'm broken, Shane. I'm so very broken. I need some time."

"Yeah... I am too... Maybe you are right... Are we still a family without Sammie?"

"I don't know..."

"... When are they moving in?"

"I'm not sure. Her daughter Vicky is not out of the woods yet. She has many surgeries to come."

"It's terrible."

"Shane, let's sue the crap out of that fucking dog owner."

"I'm on it. The mother won't have to lift a finger. I'll make sure the penthouse is ready too."

"Shane..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't change anything in Sammie's room. I get the feeling Vicky won't mind the foxes."

"Okay."

***

Two months later...

"AAAAH! AAAAH! THE DOOOG! AAAAH!"

"Shhhh shhh! It's okay, Vicky. It's okay. The dog is not there."

"Moooom! Mom!Aaaah!"

"I'm here... I'm here... It's okay... I'm here."

Another night, another series of nightmares. Neverending nightmares. For Vicky, the wounds weren't only physical but were also deeply engraved inside her memory as if someone had scored her brain with a sharp razor blade. For the past couple of months, the poor girl went through hell and back, underwent surgeries, and received a lot of psychological help, which had been barely enough for her to be capable of returning home.

And her home wasn't her home anymore. For some inexplicable reason, her house had changed during her stay at the hospital, and her usual bedroom had changed. Her mother told her that she would now be living in a castle overlooking the city and had the best bedroom in the world.

After this latest nightmare, when she received her discharge from the hospital this morning, Vicky wore her most concealing hoodie to make sure nobody would see how much of a monstrosity she had become. It was her own perception, of course. The fresh scars on the side of her upper cheek and head were still very sensitive and bright red. She wasn't able to look at them without crying. Nobody would call her adorable anymore. Nobody would ever call her cute anymore. Nobody would want to play baseball with her anymore. In Vicky's mind, a barely ten years old child, her life was already over before it even had a chance to start.

Clinging to her mom's arm tightly, they both walked toward the hospital exit where a big black car waited for them to make sure Vicky wouldn't have to stay exposed to the public stares for too long. The small girl crawled on the back seat, followed by her mother, and when she sat, she noticed a stranger sitting in front of her. She had never been in a car where people could face each other. But still... Who was that woman, and why was she there? It was so confusing. Her mom had sworn to her that nobody would be able to look at her today. So why was this person there?

Vicky pulled on her hoodie a bit more to increase her stealth level.

"Hi, Vicky. I'm Lucy."

"..."

"Vicky, say hi to Lucy. You know. I told you about her. She helped us a lot."

"No! Tell her to leave!"

"Vicky... Don't be like that. It's not polite. Lucy is letting us borrow her nice car and..."

"No! She has to go away! You promised!"

Lucy shook her head and signaled Vicky's mother not to worry about it. The kid was traumatized, and it was entirely understandable that it would take her a long time to get comfortable after so many sudden and difficult changes in her life. Anyway, socializing with the kid wasn't Lucy's goal today.

Lucy handed a thick envelope to Vicky's mother and coldly gave her some information.

"This is the lawsuit resolution."

"... Resolution?"

"Yes. I spare you the details. But you'll never have to look the dog owner in the eyes, and I encourage you not to seek further actions against him. Believe me. He has his hands full with the criminal justice system already. It's unlikely that you'll ever have to be involved again. There is a solid monetary compensation for Vicky's care and future. Use it well. All you need to do is to sign and return the envelope to our lawyers. They will let you know if anything is missing."

"..."

"Also, this is your key to the Penthouse. It will be a comfortable environment to raise Vicky until she gets better. If you wish, we will offer you a job in the same building, so it's easier for you to balance work and family. Feel free to take it whenever you are ready to do so. When you arrive, a valet will explain to you what is included, like food and housekeeping. It should make Vicky's life easier and also allow you to spend more time with her."

"..."

"One more thing... Just make sure you do not change anything in the penthouse. We would like to keep it as is. Vicky's room is already well decorated, but if she doesn't like it, just let us know, and we will change it for you."

"... Lucy..."

"Yes?"

"... Why? Why are you doing all of this for us?"

"... Because I can. And because I need to..."

***

"Here, Vicky. Grab the card and swipe it on the reader. It's a very cool lock."

"No. I don't care."

"Okay... It's alright."

Making Vicky feel welcome in her new environment wouldn't be easy, but that was expected, so her mother wouldn't give her a hard time for that. If unlocking a door with a special magnetic card wasn't interesting to a child her age, it was a sign that there was a lot of hard work ahead.

Vicky's mother pushed the door open and walked in with her.

"Ghk...!"

"..."

"Woaaaaw... Vicky! Look! It's a real castle like I told you!"

"... mmph!"

"Ah, come on. Take that hoodie off and look around."

It was the perfect home with a large carpeted staircase, an open concept kitchen, and a luxurious living room facing a giant window wall overlooking the city. Wishing for her kid to savor the beauty of this place to the same extent as her own soul perceived it, Vicky's mother gently pulled on her hoodie to pull it back, but Vicky immediately pressed her hands on her head, which also sent a jolt of pain through her recovering skull.

"AAAAH! NOOO! STOP STOP!"

"I'm... I'm sorry... It's okay... It's okay... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

It was so heartbreaking. Vicky had nowhere to hide. Usually, she would have run to her bedroom and slid under a protective blanket, but she didn't know this place at all. It wasn't home. She had nowhere to escape. Her safest place was still next to her loving mother, but she didn't want her to pull on her hoodie like that.

Fortunately, a mother knew her kid.

"Let's try to find your bedroom, okay? Lucy said it was adorable and that you might like it a lot. Then you can have a nap and explore our new house whenever you are ready. Okay?"

"Mmm... Okay."

Hand in hand, the two of them climbed the giant stairs, looking for the special room. Vicky was so small that she had to put her two feet on each step before tackling the next one. From an outsider's perspective, this was very cute. From Vicky's perspective, it was strange and made her feel like she was two years old.

First, they quickly located the master bedroom, which caused Vicky's mother to slap a hand on her mouth. She had never dreamt that it would be possible for her to sleep in such a luxurious place. Since Vicky's birth, she had been renting cheap apartments barely big enough for the two of them. It had never prevented them from being happy, but a bit of special comfort wasn't something she could say not to after having slept on cheap mattresses all her life. Lucy's endless generosity felt like an ultimate reward for all the sacrifices she had made to raise Vicky well. She did her best to conceal the tears running down her cheeks. Even if she was overwhelmed by this change of fortune, she thought it would be better not to show Vicky that this was what a normal life should be.

"A... alright, Vicky... This is my room. You can come in whenever you want. Let's try to find yours now."

"Okay."

Vicky's mother turned around and pulled on her hand to go toward the other bedroom. But with her hoodie so low on her face, Vicky bumped her head into the doorframe.

"OW!"

"Oh, sorry. Just lift your hoodie up a little so that you can at least see where you are going. I'm not going to look at your scars. I promise."

"Mmm... Okay..."

Cautiously and having no other options, Vicky pushed her hoodie up just enough to see something else than the thick carpet. After all, there was no one else around here, so it wouldn't be too risky. She followed her mother to the second bedroom.

When they pushed open this new door, both were assaulted by a wave of fiery red and white colors that left them speechless.

"..."

"..."

As they walked into this nicely decorated kid room, which was almost as big as the master bedroom, they gasped in their own little way. Vicky's mother had the most challenging time retaining her laughter, and Vicky almost got offended.

"Pffft..."

"MOM! There are foxes everywhere!"

"Pffftt..."

"MOM! It's not funny. Why are there foxes everywhere!?"

Vicky's mom, cheek hurting, walked inside and grabbed a very cuddly object from the nearby dresser. No matter what, she had to find a way to turn this day into a positive one, and this was such a perfect opportunity.

"It... it's okay, Vicky... It's not... that bad. Pfff... Look at this little fox plushie. It's adorable."

"Aaah! Don't give it to me. Why is this room filled up with fox stuff? Even the bedsheets have foxes on them."

"It's alright, Vicky. Don't make a fuss. Lucy did all of this for us, so you have to be very respectful. She told you. If you don't like it, she will change it for something else."

"Urrgh... So many foxes. Whyyy?"

It was indeed a bit over the top. Vicky didn't have anything against foxes per se, but all those pictures and stuffed animals were not really her age. Even the alarm clock had ears on it. She walked to the bed and sat on the corner of it.

"Mom, can we go back home?"

"No, Vicky. I explained this to you already. We are not renting that apartment anymore. Anyway, you told me that you didn't even like our old place."

"But I won't be able to see my friends."

"Oh, you'll see them again from time to time. We can invite them here. But yes, you'll have to go to a new school and make new friends too."

And that was when Vicky's head started to spin. In her mind, she had been disfigured, and nobody would want to spend time with her ever again. Maybe her existing friends would have had a chance to accept her even after what she became, but with a new school and new people, there was not a chance that it could happen. She felt ugly and didn't understand how she would ever be able to reintegrate into the normal world one day.

Instead of arguing with her mother, Vicky suddenly felt exhausted. Still medicated, she climbed on the bed some more. Even though there was a fox on it, this fuzzy blanket was actually very soft and smelled good. It was not a thought she would have shared with her mother, but it wasn't necessary as her body language had already said everything.

"Alright, Vicky, just close your eyes and take a little nap. You are very tired. We can talk about this later. Okay?"

"..."

It was too late already. Vicky had not heard half of what her mother had said. She was already deep asleep even though she knew the terrifying black dog would come back to wake her up soon, like every time her eyes closed since the incident.

And Vicky's mother began to cry, like every time Vicky closed her eyes.

The only moment when she could show weakness was when Vicky was asleep. When her child was asleep, nobody could protect her from the relentless black dog. When asleep, Vicky was vulnerable and lonely... so lonely...

Her little kid was so adorable, so cute. Why did this happen to her? Vicky didn't deserve that. All her short life, she had been a beacon of light and happiness. Since she got bit, her blood had been poisoned and turned into black goo. Why, why, why? Why Vicky?

Her mother looked at the stuffed animal she had picked up from the dresser earlier. With its little ears and tail, it was a bit cute. She brushed its cheeks with her thumbs and whispered some instructions to it.

"Okay, little one. Your job is to protect Vicky from the black dog, okay? Don't disappoint me, or I'll put you in the washing machine with some bleach."

She then forced him to nod cutely before placing it in Vicky's heavy arms.

***

Vicky cracked her eyes open...

It was odd.

She got a little wave of anxiety, conditioned by her recurring nightmares, but she quickly calmed down when she realized that she had not dreamt about the demon dog. It was the first time in two months that she didn't have nightmares about the black dog attacking her. Was it because of this soft fuzzy blanket?

"... uh?"

In her arms, she found a big and cuddly fox. What was it doing here? ... It was warm... and kind of cute. It was still not her age, but nobody else was in the room to judge her actions. There was no real reason to let it go just now.

She painfully rolled to her back and looked around. This room was definitely better than her previous one. Her mother was right; she didn't like her last apartment because the neighbors' food smelled funny, and the odors seeped through her bedroom walls. Also, there were a lot of ants. She didn't like ants.

But here, there were no unpleasant smells, no strange noises, and even though there were a bit too many fox things, she felt safe. Safe enough to pull her hoodie off her head, revealing the entirety of her fresh scars running on the side of her head. The air brushing against them was enough to remind her of her sensitive wounds. She slid her fingers on the scars, and it triggered some pain, which meant that it was probably time for her medication. But before going to her mother to get it, she lifted the stuffed fox above her face.

"How did you get here? Did you protect me from the black dog?"

"Yes. I'm your friend."

"You can talk?"

"Yes. Do you want to be my friend?"

"I don't know. I'm ugly now. Nobody wants to be my friend."

"I want to. I don't mind."

"Okay, then. You can stay. I'll tell my mom not to get rid of you."

"I would like to stay with you, Vicky."

"How do you know my name?"

"Your mother told me your name."

"Oh. You talked to her too."

"No. She just told me."

"That makes sense. Do you have a name?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"My name is Vix. I'm your friend. I want to stay with you forever, Vicky."

***

Sitting in front of the giant window wall in the living room, Vicky's mother was in the long process of reading all the lawyer paperwork provided by Lucy earlier. It was head-spinning. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the amount of money Vicky would get as compensation for the incident. The kid wouldn't know anything about this for the many years to come, but for the moment, it could be put to good use for her various upcoming medical treatments. As mysterious as she has been so far, Lucy has been a real blessing in their life, an angel sent by the Gods. That strong woman had used all her resources to save them and remove all pain from the heavy judiciary process. And, of course, letting her occupy this penthouse for free without asking anything in return was absolutely and incredibly generous.

Vicky's mother was a proud person who had always managed to survive by herself no matter how many times life circumstances had tried to push her down. Being a single mother certainly came with many challenges. But this time around, Lucy's help has been indispensable, and the way she had offered it didn't leave room for interpretation. It was crystal clear at this point that Lucy had a personal reason for doing all of this, and it had nothing to do with her or Vicky. Something else was hidden behind this generosity, something perhaps as dramatic, dark, and gut-wrenching, and having refused her help would have broken something inside this businesswoman. Maybe one day, the whole truth would come out, but somehow, at this point in time, this life-saving arrangement seemed to be highly beneficial to both of them.

"Mooom... It hurts..."

"Oh, Vicky. You are awake?"

"Yes. Can I have my medication?"

"In thirty minutes, yes. Come here. Sit next to me. You'll feel better."

"Okay."

Hoodie hiding her upper face, Vicky walked into the living room and climbed on the oversized leather couch. This small kid looked even smaller when sitting on it. After putting her documents aside, her mother couldn't help but notice that Vicky carried the fox plushie that she had placed in her arms before her nap.

"Oooh. Who is this?"

"That's Vix."

"Vix?"

"Yes. She is my friend. She protected me from the black dog."

"Really? You didn't have your nightmare?"

"No. Vix said she would not let him come close to me again."

"Oh? She said that?"

"Yes."

Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps it wasn't. Vicky's mother knew that the nightmare would eventually come back, fox or not, but for the moment, if this cute fox plushie could bring some peace to her child, there was no reason not to play this harmless game.

"So, do you still want to redecorate your room?"

"No. Vix said she likes it the way it is."

"Oh, okay then. I'll let Lucy know that you like your new room."

"No, mom! Not me... I told you! Foxes are for babies! It's Vix who likes it."

"Ah, of course. Then we will keep your room like that for Vix."