No Sunshine When She's Gone
(A Cat Confederation Story)
Published By Maureen O'Danu
©2011 Maureen O'Danu
Smashwords edition
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The day Lien stopped petting Sunshine, the little orange tabby tried to shove her nose under the little girl's pale, cool hand to get her attention, but Lien still didn't play. She didn't even smile. Lien's long black hair had been shaven, and her tiny body grew even thinner under the thick blankets. She hardly woke at all any more, and no longer sat up, even for food.
Sunshine curled up next to her, waiting for her to wake up so she could chase the little black feather Lien kept for her on the shelf next to the bed. The big humans grew quiet too, and sat in chairs near the bed, taking turn holding Lien's hand. They made human sounds that Sunshine didn’t recognize – 'cancer', and 'almost over' – leaking water from their eyes sometimes like humans do.
Lien just slept, with Sunshine at her hip, or on her feet. The big humans remembered to feed Sunshine, but they didn’t pet her, or even talk to her much, not like Lien had, and the feather stayed on its shelf, unmoving. Sunshine lent her warmth to Lien, hoping to wake her up. It didn’t work.
One day, a week after Lien stopped petting her, when Sunshine woke up from her nap, Lien was cold, and her chest no longer rose and fell. Sunshine knew what that meant – Lien wouldn't be playing with her again, not ever.