Chapter 7

Nova opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out from it. She could not understand why.

She tried to pull her feet away, but he would not let her go. Then, when her gaze reverted to his face, she noticed the blood running down from his forehead. He also got bruises on his face and a few abrasions on his bare chest. The beard that covered his face made him look even more rugged, but his eyes have this genuine charm that seemed to captivate her. He reminded her of those homeless cats and dogs that they rescue. And with that thought, compassion once again rose on her chest. Nova felt the urge to help him out despite being a stranger. She knew he was a stranger, and he should not trust anybody she did not know, but the voice at the back of her head was stronger. Regardless of what happened to this man, he needed help, and she did not have the heart to say no. Her instinct told her that he was not a bad person. Perhaps he was a victim. And there was one way to find out. She heaved a deep sigh and crouched.

“I will help you. But first, let go of me,” she told him. Shrimp growled and hissed at him. “Stop it, Shrimp. Don’t be a bad kitty. I didn’t raise you like that.”

Nova stood up and took her cat and the frying pan back to the apartment. When she came back outside, the man was trying to stand, but sadly his body was too battered to do so. He must have been in so much pain. She immediately went to his side to attend to him.

As they walked to the apartment, she could hear his groans. She could only imagine the pain he was going through.

“We’re almost there,” she whispered as she opened the door.

She helped him sit on the couch when they got in. For a second, she just stood in front of him, thinking of what she should do first. He was a huge mess, covered with dirt and blood. Good thing she has a first-aid kit in the apartment. It was one of the essential needs of a pet owner and rescuer, not just for the pets but for herself also. Nova moved quickly and got the first-aid kit upstairs. She also got a clean towel and rushed down.

Nova headed to the kitchen and warmed up some water. As she waited for it to boil, she fished her phone from her pocket and called Gianna.

“Are you home now?” her friend asked in a lazy tone. Just like her, she must have been tired from delivering the pets to their foster homes.

“Yeah. How about you?” Nova fixed her eyes on the kettle above the stove.

“I just got home.”

She heard the door creaked on the other line.

“What’s the matter, Nova? Why won’t you speak about how your day was?” Gianna asked after seconds of silence.

“Gianna…”

“What?”

“If I don’t call nor answer your call early in the morning, you call the police, okay?” she whispered.

Her friend gasped. “Nova…What are you talking about? You’re scaring me!”

She heaved a sigh. “I helped a stranger. I don’t know what kind of person he is. I helped him because he’s wounded.”

“Nova…” Gianna said in a stern tone.

“Yeah, I know I should be wary towards strangers, but I can’t help it, Gianna. He badly needs help. I gave him the benefit of the doubt.”

“I’m not feeling good about this.”

“That’s why you should keep in mind what I told you earlier.” The kettle started to whistle. Nova turned off the stove. “I’m hanging up now. I have something to do. Bye.”

She mixed hot and cold water in a basin and threw the towel into it before heading to the couch where the man she helped was lying down like a wounded cat. Well, he was technically wounded and bruised at that moment.

The man kept groaning and flinching as she wiped the dirt and blood out of his body. Nova could not help but pity him. Whoever did it to him, whatever the circumstances it may be, they were terrible people. For sure, he has a family who surely worries about him and waiting for him to come home.

After she finished cleaning him, she started to nurse his wounds. They were just abrasions, but still, they hurt since they were all fresh.

Nova sighed as she plopped down on the floor after she finished nursing him.

“I’d like to change your underwear, but…” She cleared her throat and shook her head when she suddenly thought of something obscene. “Ah, me and my—”

Shrimp suddenly cut her train of thoughts when he went to her side and rubbed his cheeks on her leg. She picked him up and bumped her nose against his. Now that the man she helped was inside her apartment, her cat no longer growls at him. She did not know if it grew familiar with the stranger already or her cat pities him just like she did.

“Shrimp…” She kissed her cat’s forehead. “I know you are a good judge of character. Do you think he is a good person?” Her gaze reverted to the stranger sleeping on her couch. Now, his face looks calmer than earlier. Perhaps he found comfort.

Her cat chirped, which was very unusual because a cat only does that when they wanted to hunt.

“Wait…You opened the door again, don’t you?” And just when she was about to stand to bring him up, her other cats were already going down the stairs. Nova suddenly realized that she has not fed them dinner yet. “Oh, right! You guys must be starving.”

She rose from the floor with Shrimp and headed to the kitchen. The rest of her cats followed.

Nova got the container of cat food under the sink and filled their bowls one by one. She watched them eat for a few seconds and then glanced back to the couch to check on the man she saved.

She did not know his name yet, so there was nothing to call him for now.