When they got out of the car at the hospital, Natasha took great care in setting the little carrier on the floor on the passenger side figuring it would be the most stable place for the rest of the drive. After a few last soothing words to the kitten she walked with Clint into the building, her own stomach flipping and churning.

Taking the list and the money, she gave him a half smile and tucked a few of the bills back into his hand. “You’re going to have to pay the vet something, you know.”

He was practically radiating nervousness and tried to calm him down by laying a gentle hand on the side of his face. “I will be fine,” she assured him. “You have to get back to our charge. It would be cruel to leave her alone in this heat for too long.” The poor thing was tiny and half starved as it was, and Natasha was concerned the heat might affect it more than a normal kitten. “You take care of her, I will take care of me, and we’ll meet right back here, okay?”