A Gentle Sniff and a Smile

Leo blinked. The world was a soft, blurry white, then slowly, it sharpened. He felt a little fuzzy, like he’d just woken up from a very long nap, but it wasn’t the cozy kind of nap. This nap had left him feeling a bit… ouchy. His lips felt strange, all taped up and a little tight, like they were wearing a superhero mask that was a little too snug. He wiggled his nose, and a gentle sniff tickled his whiskers, or rather, where his whiskers *would* be if they weren’t currently a little bit shy.

Then, a sound. A sound that was more delightful than a whole box of rainbow sprinkles. *Mrow! Mrow!* It was a happy, excited sound, a sound that made Leo’s heart do a little flip-flop, but a good flip-flop, like the ones he did on the trampoline. And the sound was followed by a wiggle. A fluffy, warm wiggle.

“Whiskers?” Leo whispered, his voice a little raspy, like a rustling leaf.