Fights in Corvo

My devil cat got in a fight last week; came bolting in through the window in terror, and wouldn’t calm down until I shut the bathroom door so nothing could follow him. He had a bite on his back leg, but it wasn’t bothering him, and he slept inside for a couple of days (highly unusual) but he seemed fine. Then he went missing for 3 days. He was really clingy on Saturday morning, and I felt bad for having to go to work, but figured I had the next 2 days off to hang out with him. Except he didn’t come back in until tonight, and when he did he was distressed; hissing and growling and watching the windows and howling when I tried to pick him up. He ate a little, and purred a little when I petted him, but I couldn’t get him to settle and he wouldn’t let me examine him closely. I didn’t know whether he was hurt, or whether he was just really scared and upset, but I didn’t want to risk it, so I got in a taxi and took him to the after hours vet. He has a high temperature, and some infected bites on his front leg, which is swollen. The back leg with the initial bites is still fine. She gave him some shots and gave me some medications for him, and said he was beautiful and a good boy (ha) and sent us home. Over $400, including taxis, which I can afford but it hurts. The painkillers are already working; he’s home and calm now, and he’s eaten more and wound around my legs some and purred, and I’d like to kid myself he knows he feels better because I took him to the vet but really I know it’s not true. Really he’s pissed that I crammed him in a box and got him tortured. I made up the bed for him, and he definitely knew what that was, and he’s glad of it. He immediately curled up in the middle of it, and when I go in there he miaows and turns his little face up to me for kisses and I give them, and he purrs. The little jerk means a lot to me, and it upset me to see him in distress. When I first got him he was so hostile I worried we’d never have a relationship, but we’ve come so far together, and now when he hurts he hisses to let me know about it but there’s no fear there any more, he trusts me to look after him.
It’s tough dealing with something like this alone; I miss the soothing effect of having somebody with me, telling me it’ll be OK, like SJ did when Blair used to get in fights back in the day. And a year ago my Paramour’s family would have showed up to drive me to the vet and worried with me, and to be honest they probably still would even now, but it doesn’t feel right to call them for these things any more and that makes me feel alone too. But I don’t want to complain; for the most part I feel good about being by myself, and I like the life I have now, and I don’t want to compromise my independence for comfort. I’m tough, a badass even, according to one of my friends; I can do this, and whatever else I need to, alone. It doesn’t matter that it hurts or feels like it’s too hard, what matters is I’m doing it. And Corvo is fine, and it is going to be OK.