Smurphy Brown, Sister #4’s cat is sick. I came out of my New Castle-induced hangover haze long enough on Wednesday to notice that I hadn’t seen Murphy at all. This was quite unusual because Murphy is the most annoying cat ever. Usually he’s climbing all over my keyboard when I’m at my desk, wrapping himself around my ankles when I try to brush my teeth, and just generally being a kitten.

Sister #4 and I have just returned from the vet where we left Murphy to get a leukemia test. They will call with results in 30 minutes. The vet thinks it’s leukemia. If it is, he suggested she put Murphy down. In October, Murphy’s brother Simon had to be put to sleep because he had leukemia.

My heart is breaking for my Sister who is sitting on the couch, with my Paco in her lap, crying. What really can you say?

While we were ate the vet a couple in their 50s came out, red-eyed and tear-stained. The tears, of course, immediately started falling from my eyes.

“This is killing you, isn’t it?” Sister #4 asked.

it is.