Hello Vet! How are you?

“Meow…”

Beside Gray one, who was lying motionless as if dead, a cat was crying mournfully.

Lee Joon sank to the ground next to Gray one.

He almost laid flat as he examined Gray one.

His left hand moved towards Gray one’s nose, and his right toward the chest. His touch was cautious, as if any wrong move might break something fragile.

Jamong, who had been standing nearby, sat beside Gray one following Lee Joon’s lead.

Jamong, staring at Gray one, blinked and kept licking his own nose with his tongue, revealing his anxious feelings.

The cat also stopped crying.

Its pupils still shook side to side, but it clamped its mouth shut, determined not to disturb Lee Joon.

However, Lee Joon couldn’t pay attention to Jamong or the cat.

In fact, he hadn’t noticed them at all from the beginning.

His full attention was on Gray one’s bodily responses.

Lee Joon kept watch over Gray one without even blinking.

Eventually, Jamong also lay down cautiously to observe Gray one more closely, following Lee Joon’s example. Though it was a mere moment, it felt like a long time to both of them.

As they peered at Gray one with bated breath…

Thump.

Lee Joon felt a very faint movement beneath his right hand, followed by a faint breath against his left hand.

It was so subtle that one wouldn’t notice without being extremely focused.

But it was enough.

The stiffness etched on Lee Joon’s face relaxed.

“Thank goodness.”

He had managed to pass one hurdle.

Without even pausing for a breath of relief, Lee Joon quickly scanned Gray one’s condition.

The most notable was the right thigh, swollen with blood stains.

“Femur fracture”

Lee Joon muttered, diagnosing aloud.

There were blood stains on both thighs, indicating that both might be broken.

He couldn’t overlook other possible injuries either.

If involved in a traffic accident, there’s a likelihood of pelvic or spinal injuries, not to mention potential internal organ ruptures.

“Well, at least you’re breathing!”

Lee Joon decided to think positively.

Though he wanted to rush Gray one to an animal hospital, he couldn’t.

Carrying and running might result in more severe injuries.

Lee Joon stood up and glanced around.

“I think I saw an empty box somewhere.”

He remembered passing a recycling dump several times while searching for Gray one.

“Jamong, stay here for a moment. I’ll be right back. If anything happens, bark loudly, okay?”

『Yes!』

Jamong responded immediately to Lee Joon’s command.

In less than two minutes, Lee Joon returned with a box.

He carefully picked Gray one up.

The body was limp and he took great care not to let it curl as he placed it gently in the box.

Then he rushed to the Woof Woof Animal Clinic as fast as he could.

***

Ring.

Han Na-Hyuk entered the Woof Woof Animal Clinic, his steps briskly carrying him through the lobby into the treatment room.

Slam.

The sound of the treatment room door opening made Lee Joon turn around.

Standing in front of the treatment room, Han Na-Hyuk was catching his breath.

“You’re quick, senior.”

“Of course. Time and Accuracy, right?”

Seconds count in traffic accident cases.

As he was meeting with Nan Gung-hyun near the Animal Medical Center, Han Na-Hyuk got Lee Joon’s call and rushed over immediately.

Han Na-Hyuk entered and glanced at Gray one lying in the ward.

“Is this the one?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the condition?”

“Bilateral femoral compound fracture. Fortunately, the abdominal organs are okay. There’s low blood pressure and dehydration, so we’re administering fluids and oxygen. Blood tests are in progress.”

“Well, it’s a relief there’s no spinal fracture or internal rupture. Is the head okay?”

“Seems fine for now, but you never know. There might still be a concussion.”

“Have to wait for it to wake up to know for sure.”

“Exactly. I’m worried about liver failure. It’s been over a week since it disappeared. The test should come out soon, but let’s go see the X-rays for now.”

“Right, let’s do that.”

The two moved to the examination room where the monitor displayed the X-rays.

“Hm, no abnormalities in the thoracoabdominal area as you said.”

“That’s a relief.”

Lee Joon switched to the next image.

“The hip joint is fine, only the right femur is fractured.”

“Hm, how many pieces is it broken into? One, two…”

“Four pieces. Detail should be checked during surgery. Also, you can see here the tail is fractured as well.”

The X-ray that Lee Joon pointed to showed a tail bent awkwardly.

“If it were a simple fracture, I could handle it alone, but this is too much for one person. Weren’t you busy?”

“Busy? I was discussing matters with CEO Nam Gung about the medical center, so it’s alright.”

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Hey, there’s nothing more precious than life in this world. I had to come.”

Indeed, Lee Joon felt thankful for his senior speaking so naturally.

“And if there are people who don’t understand such things, it’s better not to associate with them in the first place.”

“That’s true.”

As the two discussed Gray one’s condition, the blood test results came out.

“Oh, mostly normal. What about the infectious disease tests?”

“They’re normal, and I gave it a vaccine not long ago.”

“That’s good.”

With preparations for surgery completed, Lee Joon took Gray one from the ward. At that moment, Gray one’s tightly closed eyelids fluttered.

Lee Joon’s eyes widened slightly.

The trembling eyes slowly opened.

Barely opening, just as if stacking three sheets of paper but Lee Joon was delighted.

“Gray one!”

The familiar voice made Gray one’s eyes open a bit wider.

A hazy sight formed inside Gray one’s gray eyes.

Though still not clear, Gray one’s whiskers moved slightly and sniffed.

‘Familiar scent.’

And a nostalgic scent.

It was the smell of the vet at Woof Woof Animal Clinic.

The voice he desperately called from the depths of his heart before fainting.

‘Doctor Woof Woof, I’m here. Please save me!’

And indeed, Doctor Woof Woof appeared.

The painful, lonely struggles in the dark corner of the alley seemed to melt away in an instant. Granted, this was due to the painkillers given by Lee Joon, but Gray one’s expression relaxed regardless.

‘Thank you, doctor. I knew you would find me!’

Gray one spoke from the heart.

However, no sound came out.

『…….』

Gray one moved his mouth as if trying to say something.

“Yeah, everything’s okay now, Gray one.”

Lee Joon reassured Gray one who seemed to want to speak.

“The doctor will fix you up.”

In the operating room, with the anesthesia administered, Lee Joon spoke.

“Gray one, you’ll be fine after a good rest.”

With those words, Gray one fell into a deep sleep.

A peaceful sleep, not from extreme pain.

Lee Joon and Han Na-Hyuk immediately started the surgery.

They aligned the fractured bones back to their original shape.

Using plates and matching screws, they secured the fractured areas tightly.

Normally, at this stage, they would check with imaging before proceeding, but the Woof Woof Animal Clinic lacked mobile equipment.

Moving to the radiology room for imaging would be required.

Such measures weren’t necessary for Lee Joon and Han Na-Hyuk, who had performed countless such surgeries.

Their hands moved seamlessly as if they were one person.

There wasn’t a single moment wasted.

Careful yet swift movements.

Unhindered efficiency.

Han Na-Hyuk couldn’t help but marvel at Lee Joon’s pace.

‘How has this guy got even faster over time?’

It had been a year and a half since Han Na-Hyuk last performed surgery with Lee Joon.

Lee Joon was already exceptional in surgery, but over the past 18 months, he had improved significantly.

‘He truly is extraordinary.’

Han Na-Hyuk was greatly pleased with the flawless, gapless, and swift surgery he performed with Lee Joon.

Instantly, the surgery concluded.

“Senior, I’ll handle the closure. Take a rest.”

“Ah, must be getting old. My back is killing me.”

Han Na-Hyuk stretched his back as he watched Lee Joon finish up.

Watching Lee Joon’s near-miraculous speed in suturing, Han Na-Hyuk reflected.

‘Well, working with someone like this might make it worthwhile.’

Honestly, he would’ve turned down the medical center’s director position offer if not for Lee Joon.

Continuing his thoughts, he heard Lee Joon’s voice.

“The surgery is finished.”

***

Pikachu ears, golden sparkling eyes, a plush, luxurious tail, sleek body.

From far away, the silver shimmery fur caught anyone’s eye.

Silver Rain was now sprawled in a small space.

The coat that once glistened was dull now, the previously shiny pink nose roughened.

However, the gaze was unchanged from the times he’d ruled over Evergreen Park.

Staring around with glowing golden eyes, he surveyed his surroundings.

Yet he couldn’t see everything.

Something covered his face and the space was narrow.

His front paw was wrapped in something unusual and a long tube protruded upwards. The odd pricking sensation irritated him.

Nevertheless, Silver Rain remained unflustered.

It was because the space was filled with familiar smells.

And most importantly, Lee Joon had explained the situation to him in detail.

Had it not been for this, he might have been making a commotion now, trying to escape a strange and alien place.

‘I was really scared!’

Silver Rain recalled the terrifying moment when a huge vehicle hit him.

He felt his body lift and then fall back to the ground.

Had he lost consciousness at that moment, he might have landed head-first.

Thankfully, Silver Rain did not lose consciousness.

However, having been hit by the vehicle, his injured leg couldn’t move properly.

Silver Rain struggled hard to land on the heap of recycling trash.

He flailed his front paws chaotically and managed to land on a box on top of the pile—it seemed his efforts bore fruit.

Landing on the recycling heap, Silver Rain tapped into his wild instincts to flee far, far away from people, dragging his injured back leg with his strong front paws step by labored step.

As a result of running with all his might, he was now breathing here.

While recalling those tense moments, Silver Rain noticed Lee Joon enter the ward.

“Gray one, does it hurt anywhere?”

『…… No.』

Silver Rain’s voice trembled as he replied.

“You’re not hurting? You sound like you’re in pain, though?”

『No.』

He couldn’t bring himself to say it was gratitude that made him choke up.

“You’ll be in pain, and you’ll have to stay like this for a while. Until your bones heal, you mustn’t move. If you move recklessly, it will worsen and that will be a big problem.”

Silver Rain remained silent, but his eyes were filled with questions.

“If you move before you fully recover, you might not regain your handsome form. Do you have any pack mates with limps? Or ones whose tails are bent?”

『Yes.』

“That’s right, you could end up like that.”

『Really?』

Silver Rain’s eyes widened in alarm.

There was a friend whose tail was bent, frequently claiming he was in pain and crying.

There was also a friend who limped around in agony before eventually passing over to the feline stars.

“So you have to be careful now. Take your medicine on time, and no matter how itchy your tail gets, don’t gnaw on it.”

『Okay!』

“Good. By the way, your friends seemed really worried about you.”

Lee Joon spent the night caring for Silver Rain, unable to even go home.

Yet, dogs that came for their check-ups asked about the news from the park.

They said Silver Rain’s news spread in the park right when Lee Joon found and moved him.

It was the cat who had been with Silver Rain who informed their peers.

“I told the dogs to relay the message that you’re alright, but just in case, I’ll inform them myself.”

『Thank you!』

“So about that, I’ll be away for a bit. If anything happens or you’re in pain, tap the door with your paw. Then the person over there will come and check on you.”

Lee Joon gestured towards Jang Sora standing outside.

『Okay.』

“I’ll be back soon.”

Lee Joon left the animal clinic and headed to the park.

—