I'm going to try to just tell this in rapid-fire facts.
It will minimize the emotional weight of the events.
I am driving down the street.
I see a cat dragging it's back legs.
It's flopping across the street.
I figure it has been hit by a car.
I may have run over it again.
(That's a whole other story in itself.)
I try to figure out what to do.
I try to get the attention of passers-by.
They don't seem to understand.
A taxi driver stops and asks if he can help.
He seems very bright-eyed and open.
He gets out and looks.
We decide the cat can make it.
The cat jumps up and runs under the taxi.
We look under his taxi before leaving.
The cat is already gone.
I follow the taxi away from the scene.
OMG!
I see the cat hanging under the taxi.
It's back legs are stuck.
It's front paws are dragging on the ground.
Honk! Honk! Honk!
I get the taxi driver's attention.
We roll our windows down.
We hear the cat meowing.
He pulls into a the parking area of a tire business.
I run in to see if anyone can help.
There is a language barrier.
The taxi driver gets on his phone.
I tell some customers about the problem.
Some customers notice the taxi is still running!
Oh, ****!
The driver turns it off.
He's trying to get Animal Control on the phone.
One young tire employee gets under the taxi to see.
His boss indicates for him to return to work.
Animal Control is not answering.
One customer suggests the need for a glove.
I ask for a glove and am given one.
I ask the young employee how the cat was stuck.
I put the glove on.
I VERY RELUCTANTLY proceed back to the taxi.
The same customer says that he'll do it.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
He releases the cat and requests a box for the cat.
I find one and ask to use it.
I get an affirmative signal.
The customer puts the cat in the box.
Animal Control will come if we need them.
The customer says the Humane Society is just down the road.
We decide to go with that!
YAY!
I thank the taxi cab driver.
He hugs me.
I hug him.
I am so thankful that he had stopped!
He has helped support the emotional weight I have been feeling.
I take the cat to the Humane Society.
I tell the shortest version of the story.
She has a look of concern.
She says to take it to their hospital right down the road.
Take a left and another left.
They will call ahead.
I go in with the cat in the box.
I tell a longer short version of the story.
They say that I really need the hospital across the street.
I leave with the cat and drive across the street.
I have to wait briefly.
I begin to tear up.
Someone comes out to help me.
I tell an even longer-short version of the story.
I become emotional.
She says they'll check the cat.
She asks me to wait.
She's understanding.
She comes back out.
They've decided to keep the cat.
They have given the cat something to knock it out.
They will then check it out.
She asks me to fill out a form 'surrendering' the cat.
She says that I can donate if I'd like to.
I tell her that I'm broke.
She says that that's OK.
I stand up.
We hug...it was a good hug.
I fill out the form.
I donate $5.
I leave.
I drive back by the tire business.
The same customer is there.
I pull in and tell him the rest of the story.
He's glad.
I thank him.
He smiles and says, "I have a heart, too."
I am so thankful.
I leave and go to my friend's house.
I tell her the story.
She asks when I will know anything about the cat.
I don't know.
I don't need to know.
I don't want to know.
It's not hurting.
That's all I care about.
If it's not hurting then I'm not hurting.
Hmmmmm...
I'm going to have to think about that.
I'm ready to be done with it.
I know I won't really be done with it for quite a while.
I'm so tired.
My body is so tense at this retelling.
I do not like this feeling.
