Vitamins C, A, and T

What is going on with me? I feel as if I'm floating in a sea of numbness and confusion. My head feels heavy, and I'm surrounded by darkness. Now my ears are ringing. I slowly open my eyes and gaze up at the ceiling. What am I doing here? I look to my left and recognize...Yuki! Eh??

"Akio! You're awake! Thank goodness you're back!" Yuki said, squeezing my hand in excitement. Sitting across the room were Rika and Hikaru. They both rushed to my side after hearing Yuki's words.

"Don't scare us like that again, Akio!" Rika said this with tears in her eyes. She was as pale as a ghost, and Hikaru looked no better.

"How are you feeling? We were so worried about you! Everyone here was!" Hikaru expressed.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked, unsure of how long I'd been unconscious. I must have passed out in some way because I don't remember anything.

"I took you to see the kitten, but you weren't looking too good. I suggested getting some fresh air, but as soon as you walked out the door, you fell! A couple volunteers noticed you in the hallway and brought you to the staff room. And now we're here." Yuki murmured with an affectionate smile.

I think I'm starting to remember bits and pieces. I had reached my breaking point back there and had no choice but to leave the room. Not only that, but I feel so bad for worrying everyone. Especially Yuki. She's got that sad expression on her face again. That rare occurrence reminds me that she is, in fact, human. Is it wrong for me to be happy after seeing her concern for me?

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Hikaru said this before examining me with his gaze.

"I'm fine, really!" Just a little disoriented. I apologize for worrying everyone! And on our very first day here! I'm so embarrassed! But, seriously, I'm fine now!" I said this as I was trying my best to convince them to stop worrying about me.

Unfortunately, the moment was interrupted by one of the most horrifying growls I've ever heard coming from my stomach. Horrible timing! I instantly covered my face in embarrassment.

"Akio, did you skip breakfast? It's no wonder you fainted! "Let me see if I have anything to eat with me," Yuki said, reaching for her purse. Oh, no! That was not the actual cause of my collapse! But I can't just say that to her! At least not right now. She would blame herself for this incident. I'm sure of it.

"You don't have to! Really! I'm fine; I'm not really that hungry. I'll go buy something to eat later. But thank you, anyway!" I said it apologetically.

"Ugh, all I have is gum! Sorry about that! I don't think I have any vitamins with me either, but I'll ask around if someone has anything." Yuki said this as she checked her purse once more.

"You know what Akio needs? A mix of vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin T," Rika said while holding in her laughter. Hikaru chuckled, and I covered my face once again, trying not to laugh.

"Vitamin T? I had no idea it existed!" Yuki said, looking confused.

"Well, that's debatable. Some consider it a vitamin, while others don't. It's called torulitine, and it can be found in sesame seeds and egg yolks. Vitamin T is good for the memory and for the formation of white blood cells in the body." Hikaru proudly answered.

"Oh, that's a good mix of vitamins! I'll try to find it. Also, I'll tell everyone you're okay! See ya!" Yuki said as she rushed to leave the room.

"Noo, Yuki! Wait! It was a jo-" Rika said as she ran after Yuki.

Hikaru and I both burst out laughing. It's like we were watching a scene from a comedy movie. I hope Rika makes it in time to explain to her that it was a joke. Poor Yuki! She fell into Rika's trap! After a few minutes, Satoru and Keiko enter the room.

"We're glad you're feeling better, young man! You gave us quite the scare! That is why we would like to speak with you right now," Satoru declared.

"We appreciate your enthusiasm for volunteering. It's a beautiful thing you're doing with your free time. And we really need your help here, but if you have health issues, you should probably reconsider your decision." Keiko suggested.

I understand their concerns, but there is a major misunderstanding here. And I don't want them to continue to worry about me like this. They both need to know the truth! I should come clean and confess the real reason why I fainted today.

"Thank you for being concerned about my health, but it's not what you think it is. I'm completely healthy. I fainted because I'm afraid of cats. That is my phobia. Today, I let my fear take over me, and I'm sorry for making you worry about me," I said, hanging my head in shame.

"Please don't apologize for something you cannot control. It was brave of you to enter the lion's den like that. Or should we say the lionesses' den? We have a lot of females here!" Keiko smiled. Actually, I went there because of Yuki; I can't say I was that brave.

"We understand, but will you be able to continue volunteering here? Whether you like it or not, you're going to run into cats eventually," Satoru warned me.

"Yes! I want to do it! This opportunity means a lot to me! I want to help, and I want to overcome my fear at the same time! It's a promise I made to myself. There's this girl I like too, and she loves cats a lot, but she doesn't know about my phobia yet. And I want to keep it a secret for now. Please allow me to continue coming here!" I responded firmly.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with us!" Keiko winked. Oh, no! Did she already figure out who the girl was?

"I like your attitude, young man! If you're that determined to achieve your goals, then you can continue here. You have our support! However, we still have something else we would like to discuss," Satoru said.

"Yes, that is correct. We need you to schedule your own additional training in order to work directly with either our dogs or our cats. You have to choose which ones to pick. But don't worry, you can switch places with other volunteers later if you want to." Keiko explained.

"So, what will it be?" Will you be looking after our cats or dogs? The choice is yours," Satoru said, handing me two pieces of paper.

Even though I was discouraged many times during this journey, I know I have to move forward in order to make progress. I might have fainted today, but I made it out alive. And that's still progress! So for the time being, I'll stick with dogs.

"I'll choose to take care of the dogs for now. But I'll definitely make the switch when I'm ready." I said this while looking through the documents.

They both nodded and took the documents away, leaving me with just a sheet of paper. As I started filling out my form, Rika arrived with a big smirk on her face.

"This is for you!" she said as she handed me a small bag. I looked inside and saw a note:

"For Akio,
I wasn't able to find vitamin T, but I did find vitamin C.A.T. These are my favorite cookies; I hope you'll enjoy eating them!
Get better! - Yuki ♡"

Yuki's note was attached to a pack of cat-shaped cookies! Maybe she got the joke the first time around after all!