Top Cat woke up the next morning and exited his trash can, stretching. He began thinking about the gang's next moneymaking scheme. He also wondered what to do about Sunshine. She was a decent kid, but he knew she couldn't keep hiding in the alley.
As he got ready for the day, he saw a wrapper laying around in plain sight, and it had writing on it. "Hm? What's this?" He picked up the wrapper and read the words out loud. "Top Cat, I've decided to leave and go my own way. Thanks for everything. -Sunshine."
The leader lowered the wrapper. "Well, that solves that problem," he said out loud. "The kid couldn't stay much longer, anyway."
Top Cat put the wrapper down and tried to go on about his day. He had places to go and things to do.
A thought suddenly entered his mind. Sunshine was just a kid, and she was out there in the city, all alone.
Top Cat shook his head, rapidly. She had obviously gotten along fine before. Surely, it wouldn't be any different now.
What if it would be, though? What if her luck would change? What would she do during the winter?
Why should he care? She was just some random kid.
Some random kid who ran into his alley.
Some random kid who took part in a few of the gang's schemes.
Some random kid who trusted him enough to not turn her in to the police or make fun of her fears.
He thought of the way she had interacted with him and the other cats when they did the musical and the way her eyes had lit up when she had been given the toys at the carnival. None of the members of the gang had gone out of their way to do anything for her, yet it took so little to make her happy.
She was a sweet kid.
And she was out there, all by herself.
Top Cat's guilt quickly turned into fear. Who knows what could happen to her! He ran to some trash cans and banged two lids together as loud as he could. Once all the others showed up, he told them, frantically, "Sunshine's gone!" He handed Benny the wrapper, and it got passed around while everyone read the note.
"We've gotta find her! Who knows what trouble she could be in! Everybody, split up! She couldn't have gone that far...I hope."
Without question or hesitation, all the cats ran out of the alley and separated so they could look for Sunshine.
Top Cat ran straight into Officer Dibble. "Hey!" the cop started.
Top Cat immediately interrupted him. "No time, Dibble!"
"Hold it, Top Cat. Where are you going in such a hurry?"
At first, Dibble was angry, but he became concerned once he got a good look at Top Cat. He had never seen the feline filled with so much terror before.
"Sunshine is gone! I've gotta find her!"
"Who? You mean that kid? She's-"
"Out there, all alone. Something might happen to her!"
Seeing how important this was to Top Cat, Dibble spoke, softer. "Take it easy, T.C. How about I get a search party rounded up?"
"Would you do that? Oh, that would be great!" Top Cat told him, relieved.
"I don't want the kid getting hurt. I'll have some of the guys look for her, and I'll let you know if she gets found."
"Thanks, Dibble. I owe you one," Top Cat told him, then ran off.
It felt like Top Cat looked all over the city for Sunshine, with no luck. He began getting discouraged but couldn't give up. At last, he saw a sign of her whereabouts near a dock. Laying on the ground was the picture taken at the carnival. He picked it up and looked around for the teenager, shouting her name.
He happened to look down at the water.
His heart stopped.
Sunshine was floating on the water, as still as a board.
Top Cat jumped off the dock and desperately grabbed onto her and pulled her to shore. He performed CPR and checked her pulse. She was alive, but just barely. He screamed for someone to call an ambulance. Soon, one arrived and took them both to the hospital.