Chapter 4APP: Animal Whisperer

She was an American Shorthair, her body ravaged by ringworm and crawling with parasites. The sight of her made me gasp. The app had no information on her because she wasn't an official rescue; a neighbor had brought her.

"I saw you had staff here now, so I wanted to ask," the kind-faced woman said, clutching a small carrier. "Do you... do you take in strays?"

I hesitated, wondering if I needed the director's approval. Seeing my hesitation, the woman quickly added, "I know I should take her to a vet, but it's so expensive, and I just don't have the money right now."

I looked down at the pathetic little cat. Her breathing was shallow, and she couldn't even cry out in pain because her jaw had been shattered. My heart clenched.

Suddenly, the app vibrated with a flurry of messages.

Bella: [Keeper, what are you waiting for?!]

Beau: [She won't take the cat. It's obviously sick and contagious. A selfish, hypocritical human would never take on that kind of responsibility.]

Leo: [You take her in, and I'll consider not eating you. I might even call you 'sweetheart' once in a while.~]

Blanche: [And what if she does? She'll just ignore it, let it suffer in silence. Humans are masters of the cold shoulder.]

I sighed, put my phone away, and pulled on a pair of gloves. I felt the eyes of every animal in the zoo fixed on me as I gently lifted the cat from her carrier.

"Ma'am," I said to the woman, "I'll take her. I'll make sure she gets the care she needs."

The woman's face broke into a relieved smile. "Oh, thank you! That's wonderful! The poor thing has been through so much. She used to be in another zoo, but it went bankrupt, and she escaped." She leaned in conspiratorially. "They just threw her in the monkey cage, and those awful monkeys... they... well, I can't even say it. No food, no water, and they would... oh, it's just too horrible to talk about!"

Leo shot a hard glance at Bella and Beau. Blanche gave them a cold, sideways glare.

Bella and Beau frantically shook their heads. [It wasn't us!]

After the neighbor left, I held the little cat close, speaking to her softly. "Don't be scared. I'm just going to check your injuries."

"You're with me now. I've got your back. Forget your old owners, your old keepers. It's time for a fresh start."

"I don't care what you were called before. From now on... your name is Charm. May all your bad luck vanish and only good things come your way."

The app vibrated. A new user had joined the chat.

Charm the Cat: [Hello, everyone. My name is Charm. I'm a year and a half old...]

Leo: [OMG, a cutie pie! I'm smitten... So sweet!~]

Blanche: [Welcome to the family, little one.]

Bella: [I may be a monkey, but I'm a girl monkey. Don't you be scared of me, sweetie!]

Beau: [And I may be a boy monkey, but I'd never hurt you. I swear on my monkey head!]

I checked the app's logistics schedule. The next shipment of animals wasn't due for a few days. That gave me the perfect window to get Charm to a vet.

Grabbing my scooter keys, I waved to my new menagerie. "I'm taking Charm to the doctor! You all be good. I'll make you meat patties when I get back!"

A cacophony of animal calls followed me—the chattering of monkeys, the roar of a lion, and the silent, magnificent unfurling of a peacock's tail.