Jemima sat alone on the tire thinking about her mate. Why didn't he tell her what was troubling him, whatever it was? She was sure that she could help him if he'd only trust her.
He did trust her, didn't he?
Perhaps he didn't.
Maybe that's why he hadn't told her anything.
He didn't trust her.
What was a relationship without trust?
He never had a problem trusting her before.
Or had he?
The jellicle queen couldn't help but wonder if he was holding anything else back. How many secrets did he hide from her under that aloof personality? Why did he think he had to keep them from her?
That lead her right back to the first question.
Did he trust her?
The more she thought about it, the surer she was that their relationship was falling apart.
"Jemima," she heard a voice say.
She looked up to see a white queen coming toward her.
"Hello Victoria."
"How are you doing?" asked the queen as she joined her friend on the tire.
"Okay, I suppose."
"Has Misto talked to you yet?"
Jemima shook her head.
"Why? Was he going to? I wish he would. I need to say something to him."
Jemima turned to her friend.
"Victoria, I've decided to tell him that we shouldn't be mates anymore."
The white queen gasped.
"Oh no Jem, please don't do that! It would break his heart!"
"I think it's the only wise thing to do."
Victoria took her friend's paws in hers.
"Jemima listen to me. A little while ago, I talked to Misto myself. He's sorry that he upset you. He told me that he could never be angry at you. He told me that you have done absolutely nothing wrong. He told me that he loves you more than the whole world times a million!"
"He told you that?"
"Yes, he told me that and, any minute now, he's going to come and tell you himself. You and him have a beautiful relationship Jem. He loves you and you love him. How often does that happen? Please don't throw it away. Give him a chance."
Jemima smiled. There were tears in her eyes.
"All right, I will. Thank you Vic."
The white queen hugged her friend. Then, she left the clearing and the junkyard and headed to her human's house for dinner.
Jemima couldn't help but laugh. She was so easily persuaded. It was like she was just waiting for someone to come and talk some sense into her.
Perhaps, she never wanted to leave Mistoffelees in the first place. She only thought she did. How silly she had been.
Now, everything would be fine. She and Misto would talk about the problem, find a way to fix it, and it would be as though it had never happened. That's what they had always done before, that's what they would do now. Part of the reason that their love was so strong. She just needed to be reminded about it. She would never again forget. She would never doubt Mistoffelees again till death do them part.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a shout.
"Jellyorum, help!"
It was the Rum Tum Tugger!
Why was he calling for Jellyorum? Why did he sound so frantic?
She looked up to see a crowd of jellicle cats in one section of the clearing. In the center of them, she could see the head of the Maine coon yelling at them to get out of the way. She stood up on the tire to get a better look, but had no luck at all.
Jellyorum jumped up from her seat on the car bumper with Jennyanydots when she heard her name.
"Tugger? What's wrong?" she called.
She knew that the Rum Tum Tugger only called for help if there was a serious emergency.
"For goodness sake, give him some room!"
The jellicles parted so that the Maine coon could get to Jellyorum.
"Oh my word!" she gasped.
Jemima strained to see what was going on, but she couldn't. She knew that something horrible had happened. A few of the jellicles shot worried glances in her direction.
"Get him inside the car quickly!" ordered Jellyorum.
Jemima watched as Tugger followed the calico into the car. It was her first clear view of them.
He was carrying something in his arms.
It was another cat.
Jemima's heart seemed to stop beating. The color drained from her face.
It was Mistoffelees!
=^.".^=
Munkustrap was just dozing off on the blanket when he heard a shout. The next thing he knew, Jellyorum had entered the car.
"Move Munkustrap! We need the blanket!"
Confused and annoyed, the gray tabby got to his feet and stepped away.
"Lay him down!" ordered the calico.
Munkustrap saw his brother, Rum Tum Tugger, enter the car with something in his arms.
"What the Heavyside is going. . ."
"Shut up Munkustrap!"
"Tugger!" snapped Jellyorum. "Watch your mouth!"
The Maine coon started to argue, then thought better of it.
"Sorry bro," he muttered.
Munkustrap had not heard him. He had just now realized what his brother was holding. He stared at the scene going on in front of him with wide eyes. Tugger laid the limp, bloody figure of Mistoffelees down on the blanket.
The magical cat was barely breathing.
His eyes were closed.
"His wrists," said the Maine coon.
Jellyorum lifted one of the tuxedo's paws and examined his wrist. She shook her head.
"I don't know Tugger. It might be too late."
"You've got to do something!" said Rum Tum Tugger, practically shouting. "Your human is a Doctor for Heavyside sake! You know about this stuff! Tell me what to do!"
The calico thought for a second.
"Tugger," she said at last. "Bring me as many clean rags as you can get your leopard paws on! Munkustrap, stand outside and keep order. Tell the others to make room for Tugger. Don't let anyone else in!"
Tugger quickly rose to obey his orders, but the gray tabby seemed stunned and did not budge.
"Munkustrap!" snapped the queen. "Get moving!"
He nodded and ran out the door.
Jellyorum sighed deeply. She was three years the tabby's senior. She'd helped to raise him. She was the only one who ever dared give him orders, especially in a crisis situation like this.
She looked down at the magical cat. She had never seen anything this bad before. She had, on occasion, heard her owner talk about it. Of human patients who came to a place called the ER all ripped up and beaten. But, the calico had never seen it for herself. She wasn't entirely sure what to do. She never had to treat anything worse than a single cut.
She shook her head.
This was no time to worry. She had to think clearly and stay calm. Mistoffelees' life depended on it.
Jellyorum rolled up the blanket under the magical cat's feet so that they were elevated. She wasn't sure how much of a difference it would make at this point, but it couldn't hurt.
Misto suddenly began to cough.
His eyes opened and he looked around.
"W-where am I?" he asked weakly.
"You're in the car with Jellyorum."
"Jemima. . .where's Jemima?"
"She's outside, Mistoffelees."
The magical cat opened his mouth to say more, but no words came out.
"Don't try to speak," said Jellyorum gently. "You are going to be just fine."
As she said this, the tuxedo closed his eyes and slipped back into unconsciousness.
The calico bit her lip. Why did she just lie like that? She was not sure at all that he would be fine. In fact, she highly doubted it. She did not know how long his wrist had been open before the Tugger brought him there. He had lost so much blood already. Where was the Rum Tum Tugger with those rags?
As if in answer to her question, the Maine coon entered the car, his arms full of clean white rags which he dropped next to the calico. Jellyorum quickly wrapped two rags around each of the magical cat's wrists. She then bound them together.
"Hold his wrists above his chest," she said.
The Tugger obeyed. Jellyorum began to clean and wrap the rest of the magical cat's wounds. They seemed to be everywhere and the worse ones were still bleeding. The calico wished that she had more paws.
Just then the two jellicles heard a commotion from outside the car.
"Let me in!" demanded a desperate female voice.
"Who is that Munkustrap?" called Jellyorum.
The gray tabby leaned in with the news that Jemima was outside insisting that she be allowed to enter.
Jellyorum sighed. She knew that this was a site that Jemima probably shouldn't see, but the young queen always assisted her with medical emergencies and she needed her help.
"Let her in," she said at last.
Jemima rushed inside the car.
"Misto!" she gasped. "Tugger, what happened to him?"
"That's not important," answered Jellyorum. "Right now, we need to concentrate on saving his life."
The young queen nodded and got to work helping the calico bandage her mate's wounds. It went by faster with four paws working. And they worked hard. In no time at all, the queens had finished. Rum Tum Tugger gave Jemima his place and began to clean the blood off his own fur with one of the spare rags. No way was he going to lick the stuff.
"There," said Jellyorum. "Now all we can do is wait and pray."
Jemima gently kissed her mate's paws. Tears filled her glass green eyes.
"Don't worry Misto, you're gunna be okay."
"Jemima," said the calico in a serious voice. "He's lost quite a bit of blood and his wrists were cut. I don't know if. . ."
"No! Don't say it! He's going to live! I know it!"
Jellyorum shook her head.
"I sincerely hope so dear. Sometimes I wish that I had magical powers too. Then maybe I could magically heal him."
The Rum Tum Tugger's ears suddenly perked up.
"What did you say?"
"I said that I wish I could magically heal him," came the calico's puzzled reply.
The Tugger snapped his fingers.
"That's it!"
"What's it?" asked the queens.
"I'll explain later. If he wakes up, tell him I said he is going to be fine!"
"Tugger. . ."
Jellyorum never got to finish her sentence.
The Maine coon had already dashed out of the car.
He did trust her, didn't he?
Perhaps he didn't.
Maybe that's why he hadn't told her anything.
He didn't trust her.
What was a relationship without trust?
He never had a problem trusting her before.
Or had he?
The jellicle queen couldn't help but wonder if he was holding anything else back. How many secrets did he hide from her under that aloof personality? Why did he think he had to keep them from her?
That lead her right back to the first question.
Did he trust her?
The more she thought about it, the surer she was that their relationship was falling apart.
"Jemima," she heard a voice say.
She looked up to see a white queen coming toward her.
"Hello Victoria."
"How are you doing?" asked the queen as she joined her friend on the tire.
"Okay, I suppose."
"Has Misto talked to you yet?"
Jemima shook her head.
"Why? Was he going to? I wish he would. I need to say something to him."
Jemima turned to her friend.
"Victoria, I've decided to tell him that we shouldn't be mates anymore."
The white queen gasped.
"Oh no Jem, please don't do that! It would break his heart!"
"I think it's the only wise thing to do."
Victoria took her friend's paws in hers.
"Jemima listen to me. A little while ago, I talked to Misto myself. He's sorry that he upset you. He told me that he could never be angry at you. He told me that you have done absolutely nothing wrong. He told me that he loves you more than the whole world times a million!"
"He told you that?"
"Yes, he told me that and, any minute now, he's going to come and tell you himself. You and him have a beautiful relationship Jem. He loves you and you love him. How often does that happen? Please don't throw it away. Give him a chance."
Jemima smiled. There were tears in her eyes.
"All right, I will. Thank you Vic."
The white queen hugged her friend. Then, she left the clearing and the junkyard and headed to her human's house for dinner.
Jemima couldn't help but laugh. She was so easily persuaded. It was like she was just waiting for someone to come and talk some sense into her.
Perhaps, she never wanted to leave Mistoffelees in the first place. She only thought she did. How silly she had been.
Now, everything would be fine. She and Misto would talk about the problem, find a way to fix it, and it would be as though it had never happened. That's what they had always done before, that's what they would do now. Part of the reason that their love was so strong. She just needed to be reminded about it. She would never again forget. She would never doubt Mistoffelees again till death do them part.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a shout.
"Jellyorum, help!"
It was the Rum Tum Tugger!
Why was he calling for Jellyorum? Why did he sound so frantic?
She looked up to see a crowd of jellicle cats in one section of the clearing. In the center of them, she could see the head of the Maine coon yelling at them to get out of the way. She stood up on the tire to get a better look, but had no luck at all.
Jellyorum jumped up from her seat on the car bumper with Jennyanydots when she heard her name.
"Tugger? What's wrong?" she called.
She knew that the Rum Tum Tugger only called for help if there was a serious emergency.
"For goodness sake, give him some room!"
The jellicles parted so that the Maine coon could get to Jellyorum.
"Oh my word!" she gasped.
Jemima strained to see what was going on, but she couldn't. She knew that something horrible had happened. A few of the jellicles shot worried glances in her direction.
"Get him inside the car quickly!" ordered Jellyorum.
Jemima watched as Tugger followed the calico into the car. It was her first clear view of them.
He was carrying something in his arms.
It was another cat.
Jemima's heart seemed to stop beating. The color drained from her face.
It was Mistoffelees!
=^.".^=
Munkustrap was just dozing off on the blanket when he heard a shout. The next thing he knew, Jellyorum had entered the car.
"Move Munkustrap! We need the blanket!"
Confused and annoyed, the gray tabby got to his feet and stepped away.
"Lay him down!" ordered the calico.
Munkustrap saw his brother, Rum Tum Tugger, enter the car with something in his arms.
"What the Heavyside is going. . ."
"Shut up Munkustrap!"
"Tugger!" snapped Jellyorum. "Watch your mouth!"
The Maine coon started to argue, then thought better of it.
"Sorry bro," he muttered.
Munkustrap had not heard him. He had just now realized what his brother was holding. He stared at the scene going on in front of him with wide eyes. Tugger laid the limp, bloody figure of Mistoffelees down on the blanket.
The magical cat was barely breathing.
His eyes were closed.
"His wrists," said the Maine coon.
Jellyorum lifted one of the tuxedo's paws and examined his wrist. She shook her head.
"I don't know Tugger. It might be too late."
"You've got to do something!" said Rum Tum Tugger, practically shouting. "Your human is a Doctor for Heavyside sake! You know about this stuff! Tell me what to do!"
The calico thought for a second.
"Tugger," she said at last. "Bring me as many clean rags as you can get your leopard paws on! Munkustrap, stand outside and keep order. Tell the others to make room for Tugger. Don't let anyone else in!"
Tugger quickly rose to obey his orders, but the gray tabby seemed stunned and did not budge.
"Munkustrap!" snapped the queen. "Get moving!"
He nodded and ran out the door.
Jellyorum sighed deeply. She was three years the tabby's senior. She'd helped to raise him. She was the only one who ever dared give him orders, especially in a crisis situation like this.
She looked down at the magical cat. She had never seen anything this bad before. She had, on occasion, heard her owner talk about it. Of human patients who came to a place called the ER all ripped up and beaten. But, the calico had never seen it for herself. She wasn't entirely sure what to do. She never had to treat anything worse than a single cut.
She shook her head.
This was no time to worry. She had to think clearly and stay calm. Mistoffelees' life depended on it.
Jellyorum rolled up the blanket under the magical cat's feet so that they were elevated. She wasn't sure how much of a difference it would make at this point, but it couldn't hurt.
Misto suddenly began to cough.
His eyes opened and he looked around.
"W-where am I?" he asked weakly.
"You're in the car with Jellyorum."
"Jemima. . .where's Jemima?"
"She's outside, Mistoffelees."
The magical cat opened his mouth to say more, but no words came out.
"Don't try to speak," said Jellyorum gently. "You are going to be just fine."
As she said this, the tuxedo closed his eyes and slipped back into unconsciousness.
The calico bit her lip. Why did she just lie like that? She was not sure at all that he would be fine. In fact, she highly doubted it. She did not know how long his wrist had been open before the Tugger brought him there. He had lost so much blood already. Where was the Rum Tum Tugger with those rags?
As if in answer to her question, the Maine coon entered the car, his arms full of clean white rags which he dropped next to the calico. Jellyorum quickly wrapped two rags around each of the magical cat's wrists. She then bound them together.
"Hold his wrists above his chest," she said.
The Tugger obeyed. Jellyorum began to clean and wrap the rest of the magical cat's wounds. They seemed to be everywhere and the worse ones were still bleeding. The calico wished that she had more paws.
Just then the two jellicles heard a commotion from outside the car.
"Let me in!" demanded a desperate female voice.
"Who is that Munkustrap?" called Jellyorum.
The gray tabby leaned in with the news that Jemima was outside insisting that she be allowed to enter.
Jellyorum sighed. She knew that this was a site that Jemima probably shouldn't see, but the young queen always assisted her with medical emergencies and she needed her help.
"Let her in," she said at last.
Jemima rushed inside the car.
"Misto!" she gasped. "Tugger, what happened to him?"
"That's not important," answered Jellyorum. "Right now, we need to concentrate on saving his life."
The young queen nodded and got to work helping the calico bandage her mate's wounds. It went by faster with four paws working. And they worked hard. In no time at all, the queens had finished. Rum Tum Tugger gave Jemima his place and began to clean the blood off his own fur with one of the spare rags. No way was he going to lick the stuff.
"There," said Jellyorum. "Now all we can do is wait and pray."
Jemima gently kissed her mate's paws. Tears filled her glass green eyes.
"Don't worry Misto, you're gunna be okay."
"Jemima," said the calico in a serious voice. "He's lost quite a bit of blood and his wrists were cut. I don't know if. . ."
"No! Don't say it! He's going to live! I know it!"
Jellyorum shook her head.
"I sincerely hope so dear. Sometimes I wish that I had magical powers too. Then maybe I could magically heal him."
The Rum Tum Tugger's ears suddenly perked up.
"What did you say?"
"I said that I wish I could magically heal him," came the calico's puzzled reply.
The Tugger snapped his fingers.
"That's it!"
"What's it?" asked the queens.
"I'll explain later. If he wakes up, tell him I said he is going to be fine!"
"Tugger. . ."
Jellyorum never got to finish her sentence.
The Maine coon had already dashed out of the car.