An accident

.I wake up and feel something wet against my leg.

I pull the sheets up and look down and see a small red patch on the sheet and I frown. I call your name and look around the room for you but you aren't here.

I step out of the room and check your nook in the loungeroom. No

I check the toilet, the kicthen, the bathroom. Nowhere. I take a deep breath. I assumed it was just your time of the month but I can't be sure, and waking up to you missing and maybe hurt is making me panic a little.

I pull my phone up and check that I haven't had any messages. You've got an anklet with my name and number in case of times like this. Nothing on my phone

I think about how many places in my house can hide someone of your size. Eventually I go to the linen cupboard.

I open it and see you curled up in the bottom section, staring up at me with wide eyes. I exhale and squat down next to you.

"Are you okay?" I ask and you shake you head slowly. "Are you hurt? Can I see?" I ask and you respond the same. "What's wrong?"

You shake your head slowly and I see tears forming in your eyes. I reach my hands in slowly and cup your face. "It's okay" I say, and look deep into your eyes. I kiss you on the forehead and stroke your hair. "What's wrong?"

You shudder a little

"I..." you begin

"Yes?"

"I got blood on your sheet" you say

"... and?"

"and it hurts and I thought you'd be mad... You've never even said I could be in your bed and the one time I do I-" you say

"I'm sorry it hurts, but I don't care about my sheet" I say, still stroking your hair. "I'm sure the sheet can be fixed, and if it isn't, I'd trade any sheet just to see you stop crying, okay? It's just a stain and it's just a sheet. And trust me, this isn't the first time. I've got plenty of practice getting blood out of sheets" I say, just trying to tell you as much as I can to comfort you

I pull your chin gently and ease you out of where you're hiding. You're naked and I see it on the inside of your thighs, but I lift you and sit you on my lap anyway. I rub your back as you rest your head on my chest. When you've calmed down I carry you to the bathroom and rinse you off. I towel you down and carry you to your warm spot again. This time I come back with a pair of underwear

"The only reason you haven't been getting them properly is because you were malnourished. So I knew this would happen soon since you've been eating so well." I say as I rub your stomach

"This is special underwear that will absorb anything that comes out. It's your size and I've already tailored it to fit your tail. I wanted this to be as painless as possible for you so I've had these ready for a while." I slip them on you and work your tail into them. Then I keep rubbing your stomach and see you really seem to calm down properly.

You curl up and I switch to rubbing your back. I leave to go change the sheets and put the blood spot in to soak.

Eventually I have the bed set up again and I carry you back into it. I lay you in my spot and go to the kicthen, bringing us both a cup of soup and a plate of toast back.

You sit next to me and we watch tv in bed together. When your tummy hurts, I rub it for you.

"When you were on the streets, what did you do when you had this"

"Cry" you say "Curl into a ball and cry."

"Is soup and belly rubs better?"

"Much better" you say, as you cuddle up closer