Bijou hurried along the pavement, turning the corner into Hamtaro's road. She slipped up the drainpipe and up onto the Windowsill. Peering in to the dimly lit room, she could just see Hamtaro sat in the middle of his cage, his back to the window
"Hamtaro!" She called, knocking on the window.
"Go away…" Came the reply from inside. Bijou was shocked, and she felt a tear roll down here cheek.
"Hamtaro, why would you say such a thing?" She sniffed, fighting back another tear.
"I just don't want to come out today, Bijou."
"Well you will at least come out here and talk to me, or I will have to come in there." She said firmly. There was a long pause. Hamtaro's shoulders drooped in the darkness.
"I'm coming." He said. There was the sound of the cage door sliding upwards, and then scrabbling inside the wall. Hamtaro appeared round the corner of the roof, looking down at his feet. Tears fell from his eyes, and bijou noticed a patch of fur on his arm that was stained a dark red colour. "Just go back to the clubhouse, Bijou." He whispered.
"Hamtaro, what happened to you!" Bijou cried, looking at him with concern. He did not answer her. "Hamtaro, what are you hiding? Look at me!" She continued, tears now falling down her face. Hamtaro looked up, and Bijou saw his right eye, blackened and bruised, with dried blood matted into the fur. She looked horrified. "How?" She asked, and Hamtaro's face fell again, looking down at the ledge the pair stood on. Realisation dawned on Bijou's face, and, slightly horrified, she tried to confirm her fears. "Boss did this, didn't he?" She whispered, hoarsely. Hamtaro looked up at her, and simply nodded. Then he collapsed on the windowsill, tears flowing freely from his eyes. Bijou ran over, and hugged him, crying herself.
……
Bijou licked a small area of her ribbon not yet stained, and carefully rubbed away more of the matted blood around Hamtaro's eye.
"Ow," he winced, as she wiped a particularly sore area.
"Sorry, Hamtaro, but it needs to be cleaned off." She put down her ribbon and looked at him. "I think that is most of it." She smiled, her eyes bloodshot from crying too much. Hamtaro managed a smile as well.
"Thanks." He said. "But that was one of your best ribbons, Bijou."
"I can get more ribbons," she said, "But I can't get another you, Hamtaro." He laughed, and wiped his eyes with his paw.
"Thanks for coming over Bijou. You helped so much." She smiled at him.
"I know you would do the same for me, Hamtaro."
"Yes, Bijou. I would." Movement at the end of the street made him jump. "Oh, it's Laura. We'll be off to the vets' place!" Exclaimed Hamtaro.
"Then you'd best get back inside." Said Bijou. "Good luck." She added. Hamtaro dashed over to the hole in the roof, then looked back and smiled.
"Thanks." He said, before darting inside. Bijou watched as a concerned Laura brought down Hamtaro's cage to the car. Hamtaro was stood, looking out at her. She waved.
"Please be all right." She said to herself, as the car drove off towards town.