Chapter 4: Poor Jerrie

 The Gumbie cat came running, with most of the other female cats behind her.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed. 
“Poor Jerrie!” Etcetera added.
“Wot do we do? ‘E got it bad!” Teazer said.
“Calm down,” Jenny said, trying to stay calm herself.
“We need to do something!” said the always-logical Electra. “He’s really hurt!”
“Wot do we do?” Teazer asked.
“Bring him to the room that the kittens got ready,” Jenny instructed. Suddenly Mungo started tossing and turning, obviously thinking he was in a fight, and Plato nearly dropped him from surprise. Jerrie looked up at them all with a frightened look.
“Jerrie, hush,” Jenny said, trying to calm the delirious tabby tom.
“No! No, don’ touch me!” Jerrie cried, swatting at Jenny’s paws.
“It’s only me, Jenny. You know me,” Jenny tried again. Mungo still wouldn’t be calmed.
“Keep ‘way from me!” he said.
“Jerrie, please wake up,” Victoria said. 
“Yeh, Jerrie,” Teazer put in. “You know us. Don’ be sca’d.”
“Oi ain’t sca’d!” Jerrie said. “You jus’ keep yourself away from me!”
“But it’s Rumpleteaza,” Teazer told him. “Jerrie, wake up. Oi loves you, an’ Oi don’ wont you ta doie!”
“You ain’t Teaza!” Jerrie insisted. “You ain’t! You don’ even look loike ‘er!”
Rumpleteazer began to cry at this, and the cats all became seriously worried. Something was indeed very wrong with Mungo if he didn’t even know his own twin! Everyone was suddenly in a flurry.
“Throw cold water on him,” Mistoffelees suggested.
“That’d give him pneumonia,” Alonzo objected.
“Throw hot water on him then,” Jemima said.
“That would burn him!” Victoria told her.
“Wait, I have an idea,” Pouncival cut in. “Throw warm water on him.”
“Pouncival!” Electra scolded.
“Just joking,” Pounce said.
This is no time for jokes!” Electra said.
“Mistoffelees, you wake him up,” Plato suggested.
“Yeah, you’re the one with the magical powers,” Tumblebrutus said.
“Me? I’d probably just mess it up and kill him!” Misto objected. Amidst everything, Etcetera suddenly started screaming.
“Who’s got some strong cheese?” Tugger asked.
“Cheese? What for? Jerrie’s not a mouse!” Jemima reasoned.
“Not for eating, silly, for smelling!” Tugger told her.
“I’ve got perfume,” Bombalurina offered.
“Please, Bomby,” Pouncival said. “That’d just make him go farther into unconsciousness.”
“I’ve got soap!” Jemima called out suddenly. Everyone stopped talking and shouting, and stared at her.
“Soap? What for?” Tantomile asked.
“Yeah, he doesn’t need a bath right now, Jemima,” Etcetera added.
“I thought you guys wanted something that smelled strong,” Jemima said.
“Does your soap smell strong?” Electra asked.
“I don’t know,” Jemima admitted.
“Everyone!” Jellylorum called. “Listen! Mungojerrie needs serious help! Talking isn’t going to get us anywhere!”
“Good point,” Tugger agreed.
“Why don’t we give him some medicine?” Jemima asked.
“I don’t think that’s the kind of help he needs,” Victoria said.
“What about pain reliever?” Etcetera said.
“I don’t think that’s the thing you’d give him right now,” Victoria told her sister.
“But he’s in pain, isn’t he?” Etcetera asked. “I mean, look at him. And you know, it’s called pain reliever for a reason. It relieves pain; get it? Pain reliever, relieves pain…”
“Quiet! Please!” Jenny called at the top of her voice. Everyone looked up at her.
“Okay,” Jenny said. “Jemima, go get a bowl of water, preferably cold, but not too cold, and a clean cloth. Pouncival, you know where I put the medicines that I made, right? Good. Can you please bring them here? Thank you.”
The two kittens ran off to their assigned chores, while most of the other Jellicles went anxiously about their own business. Despite his reputation, many of the tribe members were worried about Jerrie. 
Skimble, Jenny, and Teazer were in the makeshift room with Mungo when Jemima came running with the bowl of water and the cloth. Pouncival had already brought the medicine, and Jenny was carefully administering it to Jerrie.
“What’s it for?” Jemima asked, handing the water and cloth to Jenny.
“I think if we got some of the blood off his face and fur, he’d be a bit more comfortable,” Jenny said. Jemima looked down, got her first good look at Mungo, and shuddered. Being the smallest, she hadn’t really gotten a good view of Jerrie until now.
“Oh, gosh!” she whispered. “That must hurt!”
“It ain’t a pret’y soight, is it?” Teazer asked. Jemima shook her head. Rather numbly, she turned and walked out into the center of the yard.
“What is it?” Victoria asked.
“Oh! Poor Mungojerrie!” Jemima cried. “Macavity sure beat him up!”
“He looks that bad?” Victoria asked.
“And worse!” Jemima told her. “He looks awful! Why would they do that?”
“That’s beyond me,” Victoria said. “True, he’s a thief and a prankster, but he’s still friendly.”
“I guess those mean cats just don’t like anybody,” Jemima decided.
Over an hour later, Jenny and Skimble came out of Jerrie’s room. They looked worn and a little too worried for anyone’s comfort.
“Is he better?” Jemima asked hopefully. Her delighted spirits sank to her small toes when both cats shook their heads.
“Nothing,” Jenny said. “There’s been no improvement yet. But at least he’s asleep now. We’re hoping that when he wakes up, he’ll eat something. Or at least drink something, so he doesn’t dehydrate.”
“What medicine we could get down him could hardly be called sufficient,” Skimble added.
“It wasn’t very much?” Victoria asked. Skimble nodded.
“Not much at all. It’s doubtful whether it’ll even do anything for him.”
“We hope he’ll cooperate better when he wakes up,” Jenny said. 
“If he wakes up at all,” Victoria corrected quietly.
“That’s always a possibility, I suppose,” Jenny replied. “I’m not exactly sure what happened to him.”
“As I understand it, about four cats, maybe more, pounced on Jerrie at once,” said Skimble. “He couldn’t defend himself against all of them.”
“No wonder he was bloody,” Jemima mumbled to herself. A few nearby Jellicles looked at her.
“Can we see him?” Electra asked.
“I think it would be best for him if just Rumpleteazer stayed with him for now,” Jenny told her.
“Why?” Jemima asked.
“Because he’s very sick,” Jenny explained. “He’s running a very high fever, he’s dead tired out, and he doesn’t feel very good. Rumpleteazer is his twin sister, so she has more right to be in there than anyone, and he knows her better. If he wakes up and sees, say, me, he might not know me right away because he’ll be confused and not be able to see very well. But if he sees Rumpleteazer, he has a better chance of knowing her because he sees her every day.”
“Oh,” said Jemima, not understanding very well but getting the basic idea.
“ ‘Ello,” Rumple said sadly as she walked over to them.
“Is Jerrie better yet?” Jemima asked.
“No,” Teazer said. “Ain’t any betta ‘t oll. Oi guess i’s good tha’ ‘e’s sleepin’, but Oi’s so ‘fraid ‘e’s gonna go ‘way ta the…ta the…‘Eavisoide!”
With that, Rumpleteazer began to cry inconsolably.
“No, Rumpleteazer, don’t be afraid,” Skimble said. “Mungojerrie’ll be better soon enough.”
“Do ya b’lieve tha’?” Rumple asked.
“Of course I do, and you should too,” Skimble said. “Now, if you don’t want to sit with Mungojerrie, why don’t you go play with Etcetera? She’s been asking for you.”
“Tell ‘er Oi’ll play when me brotha’s betta. ‘E needs me now,” Teazer said, and with that, she returned to Jerrie’s side.
“Wot ‘n the ‘Eavisoide Laya’ is goin’ on?” Mungo asked her. “Oi’s in ‘ere oll boi meself! Oi ‘ad no oidea whe’ Oi wos! Woy am Oi in this ‘ere place?”
“You’s in the junky’d, ‘o cou’se,” said Teazer. “You’s ‘ad a nasty ‘xperience, but we’s took ca’ o’ ya. Now, le’ me give ya this ‘ere med’cine.”
“Wot fo’?” Jerrie asked. Rumple related all that her brother probably didn’t remember. Mungo obediently swallowed the medicine.
Just as he’d finished, Old Deuteronomy himself entered the small makeshift room. Rumple stood up, and Mungo raised himself on one elbow.
“Oi’s sorry Oi can’t stand, Ol’ Deut’ronomy,” he said. Deuteronomy smiled.
“That’s just fine, young Mungojerrie,” he told the tabby tom. “I’ve heard you had an unpleasant incident.”
“Oi guess ya could coll it that, if ya loikes, guv,” Jerrie said. Deuteronomy gently pushed Mungo back into a lying position, resting his paw on Jerrie’s forehead. Mungo stared up at the Jellicle leader.
“Oi jus’ gave ‘im the med’cine fo’ ‘is feva,” Teazer said. “ ‘E got te’ble beat up boi Macavi’y’s gang, ‘n oll. Jenny says ‘e needs the med’cine, so Oi gives it ta ‘im.”
“It’s very good that you’re taking care of Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer,” Deuteronomy said. He turned to Mungo. “You do look quite ill.”
“Oi guess ya could put it tha’ way, if ya’ loikes, guv,” Jerrie said. “Oi musta picked up somethin’ from bein’ so beat up. Oi’ll get betta. Oi don’ think i’s anathin’ serious.”
“I wish you a speedy recovery,” Deuteronomy said. He patted Mungo’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Thank ya, guv,” Mungo called after the departing leader. He and Teazer could both hear Old Deuteronomy laugh at what Mungo had called him as he walked out. Rumple grinned down at Mungo.
“A’ ya ‘ungry?” she asked. “ ‘Cause Oi am.”
“Yeh,” said Jerrie. “Oi s’pose Oi’s ‘ungry, but…”
“Stay ‘ere, then. Oi’ll be roight back,” Teazer interrupted. She skipped out of the room and down towards the river, singing her and Jerrie’s theme song softly to herself. “Mungojerrie an’ Rumpleteaza’ ‘ave a wonda’ful way o’ wo’kin’ togetha. An’ some o’ the toime you would say it wos luck! An’ some o’ the toime…”
She stopped at the riverbank and saw Demeter and Munkustrap sitting on the bridge above her. She darted behind a tree and listened.
“That’s a sweet of you, Munkustrap,” Demeter was saying. 
“How can you not say something sweet about someone sweet?” Munkustrap replied. Rumpleteazer stifled a giggle.
“Are you making a point?” Demeter asked shyly.
“Yes,” said Munkustrap. “And I’m asking a question that’s been waiting awhile. Will you be my mate?”
“Oh yes!” Demeter told him. Rumple didn’t wait for more. She jumped up and, completely forgetting why she was at the river in the first place, raced back to Jerrie.
“Wot’s ‘appened ta’ ya’?” Mungo asked. “Ya’ look loike ya’ did the day ya’ killed you’ fi’st mouse.”
“Oi ‘ea’d Munku propose ta’ Demeta’!” Rumple said.
“Did she ‘cept?” Mungo asked.
“Ya’ bet she did!” Teazer told him.
“They’ll be tellin’ the troibe soon, Oi s’pose,” Jerrie said. Teazer started to say something, but she slapped a paw to her forehead.
“Bloimy!” she cried. “Oi fo’got the only reason Oi wos at the riva’ at oll! Oh! Oi am so stupid sometoimes. Duh!”
Rumple began slapping herself repeatedly in the head while repeating the word ‘duh’.
“ ‘Ey, now, Teaza’, don’ beat ya’self up ‘bout it,” Jerrie said. Teazer looked at him. “Oi wos gonna tell ya’, ‘fo’ ya’ ran off, tha’ Oi can’t eat nothin’ any’ow.”
“Woy?” Teazer wanted to know.
“Oi’m feelin’ sick. Oi don’ wanna take chances,” Jerrie explained.
“Ummm…good point. Oi neva’ thought ya’ moight feel loike tha’,” Teazer said. Jerrie grinned. 
“So, wot’s everyone up ta’ outsoide?” he asked.
“Jus’ usual stuff,” Teazer said. “But everybo’y’s worryin’ ova’ ya’, Mungo, even Demeta’. They’ll be ‘appy ta’ know you’ll be gettin’ betta’.”
“Oi’m ‘appy ta know Oi’ll be gettin’ betta too,” Mungo said. Teazer giggled, and Jerrie laughed with her.
“Rumpleteazer!” they heard Jellylorum calling from outside. Rumple ran to where the older queen was standing in the center of the yard.
“Electra and Jemima have been pressing me to ask you if they can see Jerrie,” Jelly explained. 
“Oi s’pose ‘e’d loike tha’,” Teazer said. Jelly beckoned to Jemima and Electra.
“Follow Rumpleteazer,” she said. Jemima and Electra did.
“Jerrie!” Jemima said. “You’re getting better…I think!”
“ ‘Moima!” Mungo exclaimed. “ ‘Lectra! Oi didn’ know ya wos comin’! Oi woulda troied ta look mo’…uh…present’ble.”
“It’s okay,” Electra said. “We just wanted to see if you were feeling better.”
Jemima cuddled her head on Jerrie’s shoulder until he gently brushed her off.
“Heaviside, Jerrie!” Jemima exclaimed, rubbing a small paw on Mungo’s face. “You’re so hot!”
“Oh, i’s jus’ this feva’ Oi gots,” said Jerrie. “Musta picked it up a’ Macavi’y’s place. It’ll pass.”
“Do you feel very sick?” Electra asked him.
“Yeh, Oi s’pose Oi do,” Jerrie said. Electra’s smiling face changed serious.
“So sick that you might…you know, throw up?” she asked. Jemima’s eyes widened and she took a few steps back from the tabby tom’s blanket. Jerrie stared at Electra.
“No, ‘Lectra,” he said.
“Don’ go askin’ ‘im pe’sonal things!” Teazer scolded. “If ‘e wos sick, ‘e’d say so! Ya should know betta than ta ask Jerrie a quest’in loike tha’!”
“Well, I was just making sure,” Electra defended herself. “If he was that sick, he might need assistance or something.”
While Rumpleteazer and Electra were engaged with this conversation, Jemima was staring at Jerrie and growing increasingly curious about how sick he really was. There were some things that pointed themselves out to her, and she decided to ask Mungo about them.
“Are you tired?” she asked.
“Yep, very toia’d,” said Mungo. “But ‘ow did ya know?”
“I can tell,” Jemima explained. “You look like you’re very, very tired. And you look like…like…like you’re hurting. A lot.”
“Yeh,” Mungo told her. “You’s good a’ guessin’.”
Jemima smiled at Jerrie. “But soon you’ll feel better, so don’t worry.”
“Oi won’,” Mungo promised. Jemima smiled again and skipped out the door after Electra.
“ ‘Moima,” Jerrie said thoughtfully, smiling amusedly to himself. “She’s fonny sometoimes. An’ she’s a noice kit. So’s ‘Lectra.”
“Yeh, they’s noice,” Teazer agreed. She picked up the cloth and water from earlier and let Mungo snuggle her as she wiped sweat off his face. Soon Jerrie fell asleep, and Teazer was glad of that, because she was sure he could use rest. But she continued bathing his face. She was sure it would make her Mungo feel better, and being with her brother and being able to take care of him made her feel better as well.