The night came and went, and sadly, Harry only seemed to be getting worse. Minette was tending to his fever, trying to help get him over it, but the next morning, he was essentially confined to his bed. Nadia remained by his side, trying to be a comforting presence to him. But he was just sick...
"Aw geez, kitten... Guess it's reaching its apex, huh?" Harry looked at her, confused. "Well... Never mind that. The important thing right now is that we keep you comfy so you can rest it off." Harry opened his mouth to reply, but ended up coughing instead. Letting out a discontent mewl, Nadia grabbed a nearby spoon and poured some medicine into it."All right, kit... Open up for the airplane!" The Feral woman made airplane noises as she moved the spoon down to the little boy. Harry would have giggled if he wasn't feeling sick.
Harry tiredly ate the medicine, moaning slightly as it was clear he didn't like the taste of it, and Nadia couldn't blame him. "I know it's gross, but itI'll help you get feeling better." She said softly, gently taking Harry's hands. "Poor little guy..." Harry mumbled something inaudible, and Nadia simply kissed his head in response.
"Minette will be up with the soup any second now." The cat burglar cooed softly. "I'll let ya have a bowl of ice cream after that too, that sound good, buddy?" Harry smiled tiredly and nodded his head. Nadia smiled and stroked his cheek gently, then turned with a smile as Minette entered the room, a steaming bowl of soup on a tray in her hands.
"Here it is, Nadia. It's an old family recipe. My biggest sister made it for the rest of us when we were sick, and I say it helped quite a bit. Here..." She took a spoonful, blew on it, then gently put it in Harry's mouth.
"Mmm..." Harry mumbled, a small smile clear on his face.
"Thanks, Minette." Nadia smiled. "I think it'll help."
"Well, I certainly hope so." Minette nodded. "I hate seeing the little cutie like this."
"So do I." Nadia nodded.
Both women looked down at Harry with sad smiles, and Minette sighed deeply. "Well, it's a good thing I came before this place got snowed in..."
Nadia chuckled softly. "Yeah... I doubt I could deal with this if I was alone. I really appreciate the help, Minette." Nadia said softly as Minette fed Harry more soup.
"Oh, it's no problem, Nadia. You know I'd do anything to help you out." The dagonian replied, smiling as the little boy in bed enjoyed his warm meal.
"Well, getting him fed is the first step to getting him feeling better." Nadia sighed, gently patting the sick boy's head. "Little guy clearly spent too much time out in the snow..."
"M'swory..." Harry mumbled, feeling like he had done something wrong. Nadia paused, then smiled warmly at him.
"Hey, it's not your fault kiddo." She said with a grin.
She gave him a kiss, then stood back as Minette continued feeding him the soup. When she saw that the soup was nearly gone, she turned to leave to get Harry his ice cream. "Be right back, guys!" She called out. Minette smiled after her, then sighed softly and gently grabbed Harry's hand, giving it a soft squeeze.
"I'm so glad you're off the streets... A lot of people were super worried about you you know." Harry looked surprised, and Minette smiled. "Lots of people wanted to help you, Harry... Even if you thought you were alone... You never were."
"Thank you." Harry said quietly, looking away bashfully. Minette grinned and kissed the top of his tiny head.
"You're so cute!" She softly cooed, earning another smile from Harry. Sitting on the bed next to Harry, she gently took one of his hands and patted it. "You just rest easy, sweetie. Me and Nadia will take good care of you."
At that moment, Nadia stepped into the room, holding three large bowls of ice cream in her arms. "That ee will, kitten, that we will." Chuckling, she handed Minette a bowl.
"Ooooh, thank you!" The young Dagonian squealed, accepting the bowl of ice cream and taking a spoonful. "Mmm... Cookie dough..."
"Yep, I know your favourites, Minette." Nadia chuckled before turning her attention to her charge. "All right, kit, ya ate your soup like a good boy, so here's your dessert." Then she put a spoonful in his mouth.
"So good..." Harry mumbled as he tasted the food, then suddenly coughed, mixed with a bit of heavy breathing. Nadia frowned, unsure if Harry was coughing, or was having a bit of a brain freeze.
"Daw... there, there." Nadia said softly, patting his back. "Sorry kit. Guess you're really feeling rough, huh?"
"mmhmm..."
The cat woman sighed sadly. "Well... That's what we're here for. Heh... Nurse Nadia and Nurse Minette reporting for duty, sir!" She joked.
Minette giggled softly. "That's right. We're here to nurse you back to health. You're at the highest point of it now, so it's only gonna get better from here. You'll see."
"Thank you." Harry said again, his tone sincere and genuine. Nadia smiled and kissed the top of his head once again.
"You're welcome, kit. Now you just relax and enjoy your treat." She instructed, scooping up another spoonful of ice cream for Harry.
The boy laid still in his bed and opened his mouth periodically to let the frozen treat in. Nadia's tail swished about merrily as she fed him. When the ice cream was finished, Harry closed his eyes. "Thank you..." He said again before the soft sound of his snores filled Nadia's bedroom.
Nadia smiled and sat next to the sleeping boy, resting a hand on his chest to try and keep him comfortable, and to provide some sort of safe presence. The tiny boy kept sleeping peacefully and Nadia grinned. "You're so cute when you sleep." She said quietly.
She chuckled softly, knowing he couldn't hear her, but she just... wanted to say it. She turned to Minette with a warm smile. "Seriously... Thank you SO much for helping me out."
"Of course! It's my job as a godmother." Minette said proudly.
"Heh, and you're doing fantastic. I genuinely don't know what I'd do if you weren't around... I honestly have no idea how to treat a sickness like this..."
"Well, for a first-timer you're doing... passable." Minette replied, and Nadia's ears went rigid.
"Wh...What?" She finally got out.
"Whoa, Nadia, I was kidding!" Minette exclaimed.
"Oh... Okay." Nadia relaxed. "Heh... I just... Wanna feel like I'm doing a good job... The kid needs me, y'know? If I'm not up to scratch, then..." She trailed off and Minette hugged her.
"You're fine, Nadia. Really. You're taking great care of him. You know what you're doing. I can't imagine anyone else better for the job."
"Thanks." Nadia nodded, looking back down at Harry and patting his head. The tiny boy cooed softly in his sleep and seemed to turn over. Nadia turned back and looked at her friend. "I think I know why the kid was out in the snow now, and I don't like it."
Minette tilted her head in confusion. "Nadia... We know he was abandoned. He told us so himself..." Nadia nodded her head, an uncharacteristically grim expression on her face.
"Yeah, but think about it though... Why would they abandon him? Why would they just leave him out on the street like that? Why would he be constantly afraid, like someone's gonna hurt him?"
Minette thought about it. "Well, I guess the most logical conclusion is..." Her eyes widened in shock and horror. "Nadia... You don't think they... physically abused him...?"
"...Yeah. I'm pretty sure they did." Nadia replied, her tone unnaturally cold, her eyes narrowed and her head lowered. She didn't seem angry, she seemed beyond furious. Minette had only ever seen her friend this angry once or twice, and she never knew what could cause her to be so upset. But this time... well, she felt the same way.
The cat feral took a kneeling position by the sleeping child and gently cupped his cheek with her hand, giving him a sad frown as she looked him over. "They hurt him so much... And I just can't understand why... Just imagining what they did to him, I just..." She gritted her teeth with fury and looked at Minette. "They're gonna pay, Minette... I promise you that. They are going to SUFFER THE DAMN CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THEY DID TO THIS KID." Nadia hissed through gritted teeth.
"Hey, you're gonna wake him up." Minette said quietly, noting Harry squirming uncomfortably in the bed. Nadia seemed to realize what had happened and quickly calmed herself, gently placing a hand on Harry's cheek as he slept.
Nadia sighed softly and looked at the ceiling. "I hope he talks to me soon..." She said softly. "I just... really want him to know that everything's okay..." Minette nodded in agreement and clasped her hands together, looking down at the floor. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind biting these people's fingers off herself...
Still, they could figure out revenge later. Right now, getting Harry feeling better was the main goal for the women. Minette, seeing her friend had this under control, decided to give them some space, leaving the cat-woman with the sleeping boy, who was breathing peacefully once again.
"Wanna take a nap, Minnie? The guest room's wide open for ya!" Minette called after her.
"Thank you, Nadia! Let me know if you need my help!" Minette called back. Chuckling, Nadia leaned down and gave the sleeping Harry a kiss on the forehead.
"Sleep well kit." She cooed. Lying next to him, she decided to rest for a few minutes, and gently pulled Harry closer, smiling when she felt the tiny. boy snuggle against her in his sleep. Maybe Minette was right, maybe she was a mother... If she was, she certainly didn't mind. Neither did Harry from what she could tell.
She exhaled softly through her nose and just held the boy close. Truth be told, she didn't feel particularly sleepy. She just wanted to hold the little boy. She smiled fondly as she looked him over. He was so... at peace in her embrace... In fact... he always seemed more peaceful when she was holding him... He really did love being around her... And that simple fact melted the cat feral's heart into a gooey puddle...
"Cutie..." She muttered before she started thinking again. If what she believed was true, and he had been physically abused and then thrown away... She'd make them pay. She'd track them down, and she'd make them suffer. There wasn't any reason why they did it, Harry was just a sweet, innocent little boy.
She tightened her hold on him and curled her body around him the best she could, enveloping him in her warmth. She felt him begin to stir, signifying a nightmare. "Shhh... Shhh shh shh shh shh..." She whispered softly into his ear, seeming to calm him into relaxing in her embrace. Her ear twitched and she smiled warmly. "Hope those nasty dreams stop buggin' ya sooner than later, kitten..." She whispered. Then he spoke in his sleep.
"Love you... Ms... Fortune..."
Nadia's eyes widened, and a wide grin formed as she rested a hand on Harry's side.
"Love you too, kit." She smiled down at the sleeping boy, gently rubbing his back to keep him calm and happy. It seemed to work, as Harry squirmed slightly in his sleep, then smiled and continued sleeping without any nightmares.
Nadia spent about three hours laying with him in bed before he woke up with a soft groan and began coughing again, though she was glad to note that it was slightly less violent. "Hey, kit... Sleep good?" Nadia asked, lightly bumping her forehead against his. He looked up at her and nodded his head slowly in affirmation.
"Mm-hmm... Thank you, Miss Nadia... For... For being so nice to me and... and letting me into your house, and... and... and taking care of me..."
Nadia chuckled and picked up the tiny bundle, holding him close to her chest once again. "Don't worry, kit." She smiled. "It's nice having someone as cute as you around." Harry seemed like he wanted to say something, but coughed instead, before moaning slightly, clearly not too happy with how he was feeling.
Nadia cooed and hugged Harry tightly, lying on her back as she hugged him close against her bosom, essentially taking over the mattress' role. "There ya go, kit... There ya go... Just take it easy... Just relax..." Nadia whispered softly, rubbing his back gently, smiling warmly when she felt him snuggle in closer. "Heh... You're such a cute little guy..." Nadia cooed softly. "You're like...an adorable teddy bear that can walk and talk... Heh... So glad you let me bring ya home..."
Harry didn't reply, simply enjoying the warmth of being held by Miss Nadia. She really was like his mommy, but he didn't know if he could tell her that... he was nervous, still somewhat fearful he may overstep his boundaries. But after all he had been through, Miss Fortune had done nothing but care for him like a mother would her child... He didn't know what to do, so he decided not to worry about it.
Nadia just held him for several minutes before speaking up. "Why don't I tell ya some more stories, kitten? I got tons of 'em... Some really funny ones too." Harry smiled brightly. Nice, warm blankets, cuddles with Miss Fortune and storytime... If it weren't for his illness, it would be perfect for him...
"Yes please, Miss..." Harry had to stop to cough. "F-Fortune..." Nadia smiled sadly and kissed his heaf.
"All right... This is the story of the Abominable Snow Minette."
Nadia spent the next bit telling Harry stories about how her and Minette had met, and how Minette somehow always seemed to be finding herself in snow banks. And how one time, Minette had accidentally disturbed a 'Yeti' as they were called, and how Nadia had to dig her friend out of snowbanks several times that day.
Harry found himself giggling softly when JimBob and Patrick came into the story, and then Minette stepped into the room with a yawn. "Ahh... So how's... Oh, not that story!" She protested.
"Hey, I already got through the worst of it, Minnie. No worries there." Nadia said with a wink. Minette just crossed her arms and pouted as Nadia concluded the story.
"...And so Minette's hand was jammed in the jar, JimBob and Patrick were trying to put out the fire, Squidsworth was stepping on rakes, and I was quite literally laughing my butt off." She concluded. "Ripster had his work cut out for him that day."
Harry softly giggled before coughing again. Nadia frowned, wishing she could just... make his illness go away. But she figured that this was probably the best thing she could do. And from what she could tell, Harry was quite happy. That made it all the worth while for her, seeing the little boy snuggled close, smiling up at her...
Even Minette ceased her pouting and smiled warmly at the pair. "Aww... You two are so adorable..." She said softly. "Already such a close relationship..."
Nadia smirked lightly. "Yeah, well... Ya don't save a kid's life and pull him off the streets when he's got nowhere else to go and let him into your home without bonding at least a little." Harry coughed again. "Eesh... That was a nasty one... You okay, kit?"
"Mmm... I wanna be comfy..." Harry mumbled. Nadia smirked and adjusted her hold on him so his head was resting on her breast.
"How's that for comfy?" She cooed.
Harry cooed in response and snuggled closer. She smiled and stroked his back gently. "You'll be better soon, kitten... You'll be better soon..." She whispered.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Minette blinked and tilted her head. "Huh... That's strange... We were snowed in... Is the snowstorm over?"
Nadia chuckled. "I think I know who that is. You know how Jimbob and Patrick like to help everyone out by unblocking their doors after a snowfall."
Nadia smiled, looking down at Harry and gently setting him down, earning a small whine from the tiny boy. "I'll be right back Kit." She patted his head. Harry nodded, seeming somewhat downcast as Nadia made her way to the door. Opening it, she saw two of her friends standing there.
The sponge and starfish Dagonians held snow shovels in their hands, and seemed to just be finishing up. "Hey, boys! Thanks fur helping out! Snow way out of there without your help!"
JimBob laughed. "No problem, Nadia! Anything to help out a friend, isn't that right, Patrick?" Patrick wasn't listening, still shovelling snow outside the perimeters of Nadia's house. "Uh... Pat, you can stop now." Patrick was too focused.
"Uh... guys, where's Squidsworth's house?" Nadia asked. Finally, Patrick realized he could stop.
"Oh, uh... Maybe it's under that big pile of snow over there." Indeed, there was a massive pile of snow in the shape of the squid Dagonian's house.
"...Whoops." Patrick added. "Do ya think he'll notice?" There was a very, very faint screaming coming from within, much like how Minette called for help when she had been getting trapped as of late. The three looked to one another, then Jimbob picked up his shovel.
"I'll get to that! Talk to you in a minute Nadia!" He exclaimed, before heading over to try and dig his 'friend' out from the snow.
Nadia chuckled and shook her head as the two friends dug away the snow from the house in record time, revealing Squidsworth gasping for air. He looked around in residue panic before noticing Jimbob and Patrick and narrowing his eyes. "Of course. It's always you two, isn't it? Nadia messes up my flowers sometimes, but the big stuff is always you."
"Well, possibly." Patrick mused. "But... did you ever consider that it was actually you?" Everyone present turned and looked at Patrick, how he was this dumb was a mystery even to them...
"Patrick, don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?" Squidsworth asked
"Not until three."
Squidsworth snorted and looked over at his house. "Greeeat... Now my house is gonna be covered in snow and ice..." He grumbld. Nadia chuckled.
"Hey, c'mon, Squiddy, don't be a grouch. Why don't you three come hang with Minette and I for a bit? We could use the company." Squidsworth looked at his most tolerable neighbour.
"Guess I have nothing better to do... Just don't let these two act like a couple of neanderthals." He pointed to Jimbob and Patrick.
"Gesundheit." Patrick replied.
"Gah... just... just don't bury my house again!"
"Then what do you want us to bury?" Patrick asked.
"Oh, I don't know. How about me so I don't have to deal with you two?!"
"Okay." Patrick shrugged.
"Whoa. Hold on Pat-" Jim began, but before he could finish, Patrick and dumped a mound of snow on Squidsworth.
The squid's eyes became noticeable from under the mound of snow and he exhaled in annoyance. "Let's just go inside before I get pneumonia..."
Chuckling, Nadia led the group inside where Minette waited. "Oh, hello, boys!" She greeted. "I'll make some hot cocoa. Nadia, you go check on Harry."
"Harry?" Jimbob asked curiously, Patrick and Squidsworth looking intrigued. "He a friend of yours?"
"Heh... You could say that, yeah." Nadia chuckled.
"Can we meet him?" Patrick asked.
Nadia thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Sure, I gotta warn you, he's a little shy, but I think he'll be fine."
As Minette began preparing the hot cocoa, Nadia led the three boys upstairs. When they reached her bedroom door, she turned to them. "Okay, just lemme tell him you're here first. He's nervous, and I just got him off the street." The three nodded in affirmation and Nadia entered her room. They heard the cat feral softly talking to someone, using words like 'kitten' and 'hun' and 'it's okay'. After a moment, she stepped back out and nodded.
The three entered the room and saw the exhausted child lying in bed. Patrick was amazed. "Wooooow! That's the biggest kitten I've ever seen! ...Where'd all his fur go though?"
"He's not actually a kitten, Patrick." Squidward rolled his eyes. "It's just Nadia's obsession with cat jokes. He does look a bit familiar though..."
"Oh." Patrick blinked.
"This is Harry." Nadia said with a smile as the tiny boy looked up at the three. While Jimbob and Patrick seemed oblivious to his malnourishment, Squidsworth's mind quickly connected several dots and put together not only why this kid seemed so small, but what he was possibly doing on the street.
"H...Hi..." Harry finally got out.
"Hiya, Harry! I'm JimBob, and these are my best friends in the whole world, Patrick and Squidsworth!" Squidsworth facepalmed in annoyance.
"Actually, I'm just his acquaintance. Unfortunately..." Squidsworth grumbled. Harry's eyes lit up in recognition from the story, and he opened his mouth to speak, only to cough violently.
"Ooh... That's a nasty cough. Are you sick?" JimBob asked, concerned. Harry just nodded his head, not feeling up to answering verbally. "Ah... I remember when I got the suds... Being sick is awful. But hey... Good to see you're okay!"
Nadia blinked and tilted her head. "Huh? You see him before?" She asked. Jimbob nodded his head.
"Oh yeah, I saw him in the alley on my way to work. I tried to go and help him, but he ran off and disappeared into thin air. Not sure how he did it though... But he's safe now, and that's what's important!"
"Gotta agree with you there." Squidsworth nodded, his cranky demeanour seemingly gone, or he was acting to try and not upset Harry. Either way, Nadia was thankful.
The cat feral sighed softly and gently stroked Harry's cheek. "Heh... Yeah... I just got the little guy off the street yesterday... Seriously lucky I found him when I did..."
"Yeah, or else he would have turned into a little snowman. It would have been like Frosty, except with less happiness and joy and more going to sleep forever." Patrick commented.
Jim and Squidsworth actually turned and looked in shock at Patrick, thankfully, Harry didn't seem to understand what the comment meant. Nadia also didn't know how to react either. "...What?" Patrick finally blinked.
"Pat... that... just... no." Jimbob finally managed to find his voice.
"Let's not talk about 'going to sleep forever' in front of a kid that... Well, y'know." Squidsworth commented. Nadia nodded her head in appreciation.
"Sooo, you fellas have any questions for my little sicko?" Nadia asked as she playfully messed with the boy's hair.
"Um... Yeah... I think he needs new glasses. Those ones look kinda broken." Patrick remarked.
"Yeah, once he's feeling better there's some stuff I need to do with him." Nadia agreed. She had noted earlier how it seemed like he wasn't able to walk without them... Not that he could walk too well in his current state regardless.
"So who's the little guy met?" Jimbob then asked. "There's us, Minette..."
"That's all for right now." Nadia admitted. "I wouldn't mind him meeting some of the others later on, but one thing at a time."
"Probably for the best. People in this town are completely out of their mind. It's a cesspool of chaos and madness." Squidsworth commented. Nadia smirked.
"You sure do contribute to this cesspool of chaos and madness. Remember when the town sued that electronics company for everything they had because your security system made your house go on a rampage?"
"Don't remind me... Thank you again for keeping these two nitwits occupied the following Sunday."
"What happened to those guys? Are they still selling security systems?" Nadia asked. Squidsworth shrugged.
"Dunno, and not my problem. It was enough of a nightmare to get that stuff out of my house. Whatever they're up to, so long as it doesn't affect me, I really don't care."
"That's fair." Nadia conceded with a nod.
Harry coughed violently, and Squidsworth looked over with a soft "Hmm..." of contemplation. "Y'know, I have an old family remedy that might help out. A nice salve that always does the trick. You've used it before with the old gang, remember."
"And he's probably hungry too! Does your tummy hurt, Harry?" Harry tried to reply verbally, but his cough interrupted him, so he just shook his head. "One fresh patty comin' riiight up!"
As SpongeBob and Squidsworth left the room to prepare, Patrick decided he wanted to contribute in some way. "And I'll give him a pet rock!" He pulled a rock out of his pocket, set it on the bedside table and drew a smiley face on it.
Harry smiled at the pet rock, and Nadia giggled at the antics of her friends. While Squidsworth wouldn't admit it, he was a good person, and while Jimbob and Patrick could get on his nerves (all the time) he would consider them his friends, but again, he wouldn't say that (to them at least.) Nadia patted Harry's tiny head, the boy smiling up at her. It was great to see her friends so... accepting. Granted, she expected Jimbob and Patrick to be fine with almost anything she threw their way, but it seemed like there was more than their usual goofiness, like an actual layer of care now.
She could hear the voices of Minette, Squidsworth and Jimbob from the kitchen and smiled. A small get-together was forming here... She looked at Patrick. "Hey, big guy, mind helping me out with something?" Patrick turned to look at her, at full attention, and she led him downstairs. "Can ya just grab my TV and bring it up here so we can watch it and stay with Harry so he can rest off his cold?"
"Okay." Patrick shrugged, walking over to where Nadia was next to her tv.
"Let me just get a firm grasp on it-" She began, only for Patrick to lift the tv up himself as if it was a light as a feather. "Wha-"
"Hey, Patrick! I need your advice on something!" Jimbob happened to call, and Patrick set the tv back down, not noticing he put it on top of Nadia.
Nadia screeched out loud as the TV was set on her tail. She hurriedly removed it and rubbed her lower back with a light hiss. She gave Patrick an annoyed look. "Oh... Sorry. I'm not very good at multitasking." Patrick said sheepishly. Nadia just sighed in response
"Okay, well, just be careful not to wreck it."
"Gotcha." He nodded, picking up the tv once again and carrying it into another room. It still surprised her just how much brute strength Patrick had. She was thankful he was not someone who tired to extort people like the Medicis, or there might be an actual problem...
As Patrick carried the TV upstairs, Nadia looked into the kitchen. Squidsworth was carefully mixing the salve, JimBob was flipping patties and Minette was putting the finishing touches on the hot chocolate. The feral smirked in content. "All right, guys, meet us upstairs!" Nadia called out before making her way upstairs to make sure Patrick didn't damage anything.
Thankfully, the TV was seated safely in front of the bed, and Patrick just finished plugging it in as she entered the room. "There ya go! No problem!"
"Thank you." Harry said in a quiet voice. Patrick waved to him as Nadia came back in.
"Hey kit." She smiled. "Feeling any better?"
"Um... sorta." Harry nodded. "Your friends are nice."
"Aww, glad to hear that." She smiled sitting on the bed next to him, gently putting her hand on his forehead, she noted it was slightly cooler, but not by much.
She gave the boy a toothy grin and kissed his forehead. "I think you're starting to get better, kitten. Your forehead doesn't feel as hot as it did earlier." Harry perked up and smiled happily, glad to hear he wasn't going to be sick for the rest of his life. Chuckling, Nadia clambered into bed and held him close as she got under the blankets.
Soon enough, Jim, Squidsworth and Minette stepped up, Minette holding a tray of hot cocoa, Jim holding a huge tray of patties, and Squidsworth holding a bowl of salve. "All right, the medicine's all set. Just rub this salve onto Harry's back, and he'll be better in no time." The squid said proudly.
Nadia nodded and gently rubbed the mixture onto his back, Harry didn't seem to have the strength to react but it seemed to help somewhat. Harry looked up and smiled at his care taker, he really liked her... and he wished he could tell her... but he didn't know how.
Instead, he decided to thank the one who made the medicine. "Thank you, Mr. Squidsworth... Feels... nice..." He mumbled. Squidsworth smirked pridefully.
"Well of course it does. You're face to face with a genius, after all." He said proudly. JimBob set the tray of patties down on the bedside table.
"Help yourselves, everyone! I made plenty!"
"Plenty is right. Where'd you get all these patty ingredients?"
"Well, that's easy!" He opened a small compartment on his jacket to reveal pockets for every patty ingredient. "I'm always prepared! That's the way of the fry cook!"
Harry laughed slightly, he liked Nadia's friends, they were really nice. Although carrying food seemed odd, Harry didn't much care once he tried the burger. It was amazing! "So good... Better than what I make." He mumbled.
The group all turned to look at him. "Wow, thanks, Harry, but uh... You? Cooking? Aren'tcha a little... y'know... small for that?" Harry looked at his burger.
"I... I dunno... Maybe..." Nadia looked at the group with an expression that said "I'll explain later" before petting Harry's head gently with a smile.
"Well, that's not important right now, kit. We'll talk about it some other time. For now, let's all just watch some TV and hang out for a little while."
The others agreed and found themselves flipping through the channels. The group dynamic made things a bit weird for finding something everyone agreed with, but eventually they had settled on a tv show called 'Scott the Wiz'. He was a kooky, hyperactive guy who discussed... weird and bizarre goings-on. "Hey all, Scott here!" He introduced himself.
The group watched the TV in relative silence, each seeming relatively content with it. From her place in bed, Nadia gazed down at Harry, who seemed at peace. The Feral grinned and messed up his hair playfully. "Not half bad for a sick day, huh, Harry?" She asked. Harry simply nodded and nestled in closer.
'I think Minette's right...' Nadia mused to herself. 'Maybe I am becoming his mom... Still, if he lost his, I don't want him to think I'm trying to take him away from her...'
'Maybe I can trust Miss Nadia...' Harry thought. 'She doesn't seem to think I'm a freak... But I don't want to be a burden to her...'
Both of them didn't make their internal thoughts known in the slightest. Instead, they just decided to enjoy the moment with friends. They watched TV for hours.
Eventually, JimBob got up. "Well... I'd better get going... Gotta get up for work tomorrow!"
"Yeah, me too..." Squidsworth sighed, getting up and stretching.
"And I have other places to be. I'm scheduled to be stupid at the Krusty Krustacean tomorrow at eight, and I can't cancel again."
Harry looked confused at Patrick and Nadia patted his head. "Don't worry about him. He's just a bit goofy." Nadia said softly.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Harry! Hope to see you around!" Jimbob said with a smile.
"Same here!" Patrick added.
"Hope the salve helps." Squidsworth said with a nod as the trio walked out the door. "Bye! Thank you for everything!" Harry called out.
At the sound of the door closing, Nadia turned to Minette. "You gonna head back too, or do you wanna stick around for a little more?"
"I think I need to get back to the restaurant. You keep taking care of the little dear and call me if you need anything."
"Alright, I will." Nadia smiled. "Thanks for everything Minette."
"Hey, glad I could help."
The minnow Dagonian left out the front door, and Harry and Nadia were now left alone. Smiling softly, Nadia knelt down at Harry's side and kissed his cheek. "Just you and me now, kitten. Hang in there. I'm gonna getcha through this sick mess." Nadia assured Harry gently. He looked up at her with a cute smile.
"Thank you Miss Nadia..." He said softly before yawning. Nadia chuckled when she saw he was getting sleepy and slipped into bed next to him, hugging him close and curling around him the best she could.
Harry closed his eyes. He felt warm and safe and he loved this. Nadia smiled down at the sleeping boy, now finally seeming to rest without the fear she had seen recently... Although she had a feeling that those fears weren't gone just yet, and she frowned, knowing things probably were gonna get a bit worse before they got better.
But that was what she was here for. She was here to protect him. To make sure he was happy and cared for. To give him a shoulder to cry on if he needed it. She gently nuzzled him with her cheek, resting her chin atop his head and tightening her hold on him gently to ensure he felt safe and comfy. "You're gonna be all right, kitten... You're safe... I gotcha... And I'm gonna get you through this... That's a promise..." She whispered softly into his ear.
Harry nuzzled closer with a content smile. He believed Miss Nadia, he believed she'd keep him safe, that she wouldn't hurt him... But... why? He was a freak... Or maybe... Maybe he wasn't, maybe Miss Fortune was right.
He decided not to dwell on it and just live in the moment for now. The little boy simly nuzzled in closer and let sleep slowly overtake him... Nadia smiled softly at the sound of his little snores, and sighed deeply at just how busy the past two days had been. Finding a child... Taking him in... Introducing him to friends... She closed her eyes with a small smile, her tail swishing about under the blankets. She felt happy. She was grateful to have found little Harry.
She still wanted to figure out what had happened to the poor little guy (aside from what she knew) but for now, she settled for keeping the little kit cozy. She heard Harry snoring softly in her embrace, clearly happy. Nadia felt a sense of pride at being able to take care of this little kid.
Letting out a feline-sounding meow, the feral woman closed her eyes and let sleep claim her. The two of them slept peacefully that night.