Darwin snapped awake as instincts screamed that he was being strangled, struggling to break free. He was then gripped with terrible forceful pain, driving its nails into him. He struggled and turned; eyes clamped shut as his face screwed up from the effort.

"Hoh, such a poor baby, let me help you." a cooing voice inclined, cradling Darwin's ragged body against her chest as she began to pet his face gently. "Nana's going to fix you, right as rain."

Darwin's eye finally agreed to open, if only to blast fiery death at whoever this loon was, coddling him like a child. What he saw was the yellow dress covered in an old ratty apron. Looking up, he recoiled as he stared into a hideous, wrinkled face.

Darwin felt himself scream at first, strange hissing and yowling sounds echoing his surprised horror, but the odious creature laughed as he did, the rolls of fat that were its neck, dancing as the creature mocked him, bringing him closer to its hideous face.

He swatted at the face with a weak hand and the monster laughed at him.

"Aww, look who's awake! Oh, poor baby, oh, let me clean you off. "

It was then everything got hot and wet.

As he clawed and batted, trying to stay afloat amid the storm of splashing warm water and lather. When a hand from on high descended and started pushing him deeper into the turbulent waters.

"Oh, now now, stop your fussing you, so I can clean you all good and proper." the terrible melody of the voice sang out before Darwin's head was covered once more by the waves.

He broke through to the surface gasping for air before a gentle hand touched the back of his neck and pushed him back down again while his claws scrapped uselessly off the side of the metal basin.

This torture lasted until the cruel hand of comfort released its grasp on him and he paddled to the edge of the tub, hauling himself up and over the side, gasping for air. But just as he was starting to feel angry, the hideous hands returned, throwing some thick fabric over him like a net, seizing him up and smothering him in its rough coddling embrace. agitating the pain in his sides.

"Thar, you go, all nice and cleaned up. Now, let's take a look." the voice cooed. terrible in its sweetness. Darwin stood shaking as the water stole his precious heat and left him standing there with a racking case of the shivers.

Finally, he was allowed a moment for the shock to wear off and his anger to swell.

He started to hiss, spit or scream; but instead, he spat up a surprising amount of blood onto the woman's apron.

"Oh, dear me. You're so sick! oh, poor baby, let me put you back to bed so you can rest." she cooed, lowering him back into the basket.

"Let me get you some medicine, I'll be right back now dearie!" she called toddling away into a back cupboard somewhere as if disappearing into a jack-in-the-box. Darwin was finally left alone with his thought for a moment while the woman was gone.

"That was by far, the worst experience of my life," he grumbled. Finally free to think for himself outside the swaddling. "Now just to, ugh, get free and ugh, be on my way. Agh, can't risk that, thing running around like me. It'll ruin me, argh, has to be, damn it woman; why are these wrapping so tight! Neagh!"

He pulled an arm free of the binding blanket and thought to burst free but found the rest of him still bound and tied to the blanket's beneficial intent.

"Ahh here we are!" the singing voice called, Darwin froze, he'd been caught! wait. No, his captor had returned, and with a green glass vial in her hand. He could already smell the foul fluid inside as she dribbled the thick greasy black substance onto a spoon, cheerfully humming to herself while Darwin was ringing in anticipatory disgust of having to eat that. substance.

She turned spoon in hand dripping with the maleficent medicine, the foul grease scent of petrified fish pulp, pungent and piercing his nose as he felt the need to squirm, run or claw his way free.

His free hand struck out, his only and last weapon against the looming foreboadence. The woman's shadow stretched and bent into a looming ogre, foul weapon in hand as she eagerly looked to season his insides with some inhuman concoction. A soft and heavy hand, her weapon met his as he fought for his fearful life against her odious benevolence.

He scratched her hand as the woman lept back, Yes, the enemy had been swayed perhaps now-

She was far more ruthless than he first imagined, not even dropping the spoon, tossing aside his defenses, the previous attempts mere stagecraft for his benefits, as the damned spoon, the pallbearer to his discomfort reach the gate to his hissing mouth. He attempted to bare his teeth against the foe, Ivory blades at the ready to defend the last line, warcry at the ready-

The Spoon went in, the flavor was awful, the texture foul and greasy as the oil was forced down his throat. In a single move, they'd punched through and all he'd gotten was splinters on his tongue.

It was repulsive, even more, it was in his mouth and currently sliding down his throat while he spat fiery curses like smoke from a dragon or venom from a cobra.

"Ahah ah, no fussing now, this medicine will make you all better, I promise you that dearie!'

Darwin coughed up the last part of the slag from his mouth, "And I promise you're demise will be swift." he spat with a mixture of bile and venom, but the dunce merely smiled and turned away singing and humming to herself nonsensically as she carried on her actual business of cooking, something in a bubbling pot over the stove.

Darwin clawed at the blankets trying to get free, stopping every now and a gain to spit something up before resuming his desperate attack on the fabric fetters.

He managed to pry his other arm free and slowly emerged from his forced cocoon of cloth, only to be reminded that he was in pain and had to lie back down again.

"Children, Time for Diner!" the woman squalled, holding two bowls of bubbling white mush over her head, it smelled heavenly compared to what he'd just been subjected to. She placed the bowls on the floor as the sounds of pattering feet began to fill the distance.

Darwin's eyes went wide as a tide of fur, claws, and tails came bounding, leaping, and running through the doorway. Practically raining from the sky as hundreds of cats of every type and color, saw through an ocean of bodies to surround each of the bowls like how an Island is surrounded by an ocean.

"Great Providence!" Darwin exclaimed, though whether to himself or around he couldn't tell. but the woman stood there amongst the width and breadth of the tide of beasts pressed against her legs and mewling incessantly while the mountainous woman laughed to herself and smiled at her 'children.'

"Eat up my pretty kitties, eat it all up now my babies. Oh, there's more where that came from, ohoho."

Darwin shivered inside, maybe he wasn't the only one in need of medication.

Or a strong drink to go with. Darwin groaned a little when he thought of his spirits and gin. His flask of cheap scotch would be a drop of paradise right now. He'd kill for a drink right now, demon or not. Anything to take him away from this madhouse filled with cats and loonies.

"And now for you, my sick little angel, open wide now you poor thing."

She was hovering over him with that spoon again, he reeled back, she couldn't force him this time, he had both hands free, and he could fight. That stuff means nothing if I can knock the spoon aside-

The spoon entered his mouth again and he was surprised to find the white porage substance wasn't that bad. it was warm and velvety with a touch of butter but tasted more like a poached egg in cream or some kind of delectable rue sauce. A pillowy gravy flecked with salty bites of pork fat and black pepper, a touch of meaty gristle from uncooked tendons, and soft garlic and onions as the final touches. Maybe even a hint of dill leaves as well.

Indignant as he was, he swallowed his fill and then some, without a care in the world as to cooing giantess looming over him spoon-feeding him gravy like a toddler in swaddling. Until there was no more, and he was left in a room full of cats. Happy and fed.

Now he was annoyed he was sharing bedding with three of the unwanted cretins.

Filthy animals.