Max, their cat, came in. He hopped onto the bed and curled up by Eric.
Susan suddenly remembered when Max moved in many years before. Eric went out late one night to get a package of printer paper. He returned with the most scraggly looking cat Susan had ever seen.
“I saw this cat running about the shopping center. Obviously lost. It nearly got hit by a car. I don’t like cats, but I don’t want to see a cat run over. It can stay here until we find the owner.”
They never found the owner. Eric said: “Well, I don’t like cats, but this one doesn’t seem too bad, so it can stay. It will be your cat.”
Actually, it ended up being his pet, too. Eric even admitted he’d become fond of Max.
Susan suddenly wondered something. When Eric came home from the hospital, Max began spending almost his entire day with Eric. Did Max remember being rescued by Eric all those years ago? Was he now trying to repay his rescue? Or was it just that he sensed one of his people wasn’t well?
Eric woke up a moment. “Is Max still here?” he groggily asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” Eric fell asleep again.