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It was a Saturday morning like any other.
Solar was idly playing with Cleo, as per Sun's request.
Sun had to bring Muffin to the vet for a procedure that the vet assured him would take no longer than an hour.
All Solar knew is that Muffin's lack of intelligence wasn't because of the cat's inherent biology. Sun had confided in Solar once that he'd rescued the cat from a dog attack and Muffin has always been a little unusual since.
It may have been brain damage, seeing as the dog had been shaking the poor thing like a ragdoll and had dropped him to the floor when Sun yelled.
He was only 4 or 5 months old at the time.
Solar, Moon and Sun were also the only ones that knew poor Muffin's health had slowly been on the decline, ever since.
Moon mentioned something about a tumor.
Solar whispered "Can't we heal him?"
In the end, the damage turned out to be too severe.
But Muffin was responding so well to the medication he was receiving, after so much trial and error with the dosages.
He made it to 10 months as of date even.
Still, the vet had recommended to check Muffin's blood, to see if his liver was handling the medications okay.
So that's what Sun was doing now, and had been doing for the last hour and a half or so...
Wasn't it taking a little long at this point ?
It wasn't until he heard a flurry of movement downstairs that he went to look.
Cleo would be alright alone for a bit.
"Moon, he's not breathing, he's not breathing, we have to go back!"
"Uh, let me listen-- I can't hear a heartbeat. I can't-- Sun, start the car. We're going back. NOW!"
Solar's circuits buzzed with dread as he ran downstairs.
What was happening ?
Moon had quickly realized a portal would be quicker and Solar managed to just miss it.
He sat there on pins and needles, waiting and anxiously petting Cleo.
Cleo, sensing Solar's distress, licked his hand in an uncharacteristic gesture of kindness.
Cleo was anything but kind, usually.
He tolerated the stoic mechanic fairly well though, almost liking him better than Sun on occasion.
Such a haughty thing, he was.
...
When he heard Sun's voice again, it was wracked with hopeless screaming.
"Muffin, no.. Muffin!-- Moon, Moon how could she?!"
Moon sounded distraught as well, his voice shaking as he tried to calm Sun.
"I'm sorry, Sun. I'm.. I'm so sorry."
Sun's tearless wails were terrifying.
Solar had never seen Sun like this before.
Sun eventually hugged himself and started to walk to his room in a daze.
"Cleo, Cleo is okay, right? Oh stars, Cleo.. how do I tell him?"
Moon initially followed Sun, but patted Sun's shoulder when he saw that Solar was with Cleo.
"Sun, I'll be right back. I'm going to give that vet a piece of my mind--"
Sun couldn't do anything but nod.
He didn't condone Moon's violence usually but... maybe he could trust Moon to handle this for just this once.
Sun was sad, Sun was incensed.
Sun just broke down on the floor, screaming quietly into his hands.
Cleo meowed.
Solar stood up and approached Sun
"Sun, could you.. get up for a moment, I--"
Sun looked up at Solar, who sorrowfully held out his hand to Sun.
Sun took it and let Solar slowly pull him to his chest.
Solar squeezed Sun hard.
Losing someone you loved felt like falling apart; Solar was going to do his damnest to hold Sun's pieces in place.
"I'm sorry, Sun."
Solar murmured close to his faceplate.
Sun continued to whimper and shiver against Solar.
"It's not fair. It's not fair.. she said it wouldn't harm Muffin. She said she would even give a lower dose than normal of anesthetics. She said.. she said he would be under for a while so I-- so I went to pick up his prescription for his medication real quick, I didn't.. I didn't know he wasn't breathing until I was already home."
Sun said between hiccups.
Solar winced.
"Fuck... and that's what you came home to find? And.. she couldn't save him?"
Sun shook his head and spit out his following words.
"No! She gave him adrenalin and then adrenalin straight to his heart and compressions and -- oh stars, Muffin.. Muffin started bleeding from his nose. His tongue was purple. He.. he didn't respond. He.. she killed him, Solar. She didn't--"
Sun heaved, as if unable to get any air.
"She didn't follow protocol. She knew Muffin was on sedatives but didn't monitor his vitals after the anesthetics and just sent Sun home. She apparently even said she shouldn't administer the anesthetics but did it anyways without explaining the risks to Sun. He didn't have any time to consent."
Moon said softly from the doorway.
"She is liable in this case. But Sun already told me he doesn't want a lawsuit. He just.. wants to not taint the memory of Muffin further with anything else."
Sun looked over his shoulder at Moon, who beckoned him over for a hug as well.
Sun flew into Moon's arms.
"I told her off for you, Sun. She'll never harm another animal again. Told her to study properly if she ever wanted to work in the field again."
Sun nodded, and gently pushed himself away from Moon's embrace.
He stood there awkwardly.
"How do I.. how do I move on from here. How do I go on?"
Solar and Moon looked at one another, before Solar spoke.
"We'll.. we'll look after you, Sun, and.. so will Cleo. No matter how much of a little shit he is.. he loves you."
Cleo meowed in protest, but Sun knew he didn't understand what just happened.
Sun looked over at Moon, who sighed.
He flipped a switch at the back of his head and crouched.
"Hiss! It's the ugly one!"
Cleo said, as Moon approached.
"Shut it you-- ugh, wait. Wait, this is important."
Cleo went into a defensive position and narrowed his eyes.
"Why do you smell... like-- no."
He stood normally on all fours.
"It's my idiot, isn't it..? Did he get injured, did he--"
Moon closed his eyes in a pained manner.
"Cleo, Muffin is dead."
Cleo backed up.
"No, please tell me that's not true. It must have been your incompetence, it must have been -- !!"
Cleo glared at Sun.
"How could you let my Muffin die!"
Sun only saw the hissing and snarling.
Moon shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Cleo."
He then relayed the entire story to Cleo, who laid on the floor, folding up his legs under him.
"I knew Muffin was not well, but that strange liquid was making him better... why.. why did Muffin have to go in such a .. such a stupid way! It's just like him!!"
But there was no venom in Cleo's voice.
Moon turned off the switch as Sun picked up his cat.
Moon left.
"Gotta take care of something. I'll be right back."
His voice cracked and Solar hesitated whether to stay or leave.
He put a hand on Sun's shoulder.
"Sun, I don't have any words to make it all better. But Muffin was family. We will honor his memory in every way we can, okay? I promise you that."
Sun turned to him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen since... since the simulation of his Sun saying goodbye to him.
...
The days that followed were a haze to Sun.
Solar kept himself within earshot of Sun, at the very least.
However, it was Moon, actually, who fussed most over Sun.
But while the rest of the family was also doing their efforts, sometimes Sun did find himself alone and unable to express his feelings.
Cleo saw that; he wasn't stupid. And although he wasn't the best with emotions, he knew that something needed to be done.
He went over to Moon when Sun was taking a nap out of depression, and pawed at his pantsleg.
Moon, understanding the request, crouched and turned on his communicator.
"What's up, Cleo?"
The cat bristled, pouted but didn't offer a retort.
"You need to get Sun another Muffin."
Moon blinked at the request.
"Uh.. isn't it too soon?"
Cleo bristled.
"You idiot! Sun was deeply bonded with that cat. He saw Muffin as his responsibility, his child, especially since Muffin needed so much care. Sun feels like he failed his own child and killed him."
Moon was taken aback for a moment.
"Is that what he.. tells you?"
Cleo meowed and sighed.
"Yes. Now, I am not very skillful with love-giving and whatnot, but Muffin was and Sun desperately needs someone to care for. He has no idea what to do with all the love he has inside of him cause none of you emotionless creatures will accept the extent he has to give. What he needs to give. And what he needs himself, including me.. unfortunately."
Moon was slowly starting to understand, though the truth hurt.
"Alright. I'll go to the shelter with him."
Cleo grumbled his approval and nodded at Solar.
"Take that fellow with you. He cares a lot about Sun but he's unsure how to show it. Maybe this little.. bonding trip will do all of you some good."
Moon quipped a smile.
"Hey you are pretty smart, and maybe not half bad."
Cleo hissed.
"Don't test me, blue one!"
With a chuckle, Moon patted Cleo's head, and narrowly avoided a swipe, before going off to relay this plan to Solar.
...
Sun was hesitant, at first, but when he saw all the cute kitties in the well-kept shelter, he couldn't help but feel ... joy.
Maybe this was okay.
Maybe this was going to be okay.
He could care for another kitty who needed him, in honor of Muffin.
He could... give another creature a good home.
Stepping into the enclosure, he spotted so many interesting cats, with so many interesting personalities.
He wanted the older ones, who needed the least care but were harder to befriend and probably last to adopt out.
He wanted the little ones who needed care the most, who desperately needed a parent.
He wanted the shy ones who needed loving patience.
But it was one peculiar cat.. just one, who seemed to want him the most.
She was about a year old and Sun was told she was the most loving and most affectionate out of all of them.
She had a bit of a tragic backstory, but Sun fell in love right then and there.
"And your name will be Madeline."
He said softly as he hugged the cat, who seemed to be hugging him back.
It was a happy affair and for the sake of the journey, they had taken the car.
Moon was pretending to drive, though he just put the car in autopilot.
Solar and Sun were fussing over little Madeline in the back seat.
They would soon discover that she had a personality that could eclipse even grief.
She had enough of Muffin and of Cleo, and quirks of her own, that Sun's soul felt full.
He still missed Muffin dearly, and mourned the way he departed.
But maybe pain has a little room for love as well.
Solar looked at Sun's brightened demeanour and smiled.
He and Moon were going to miss Muffin too.