I took a trip some weeks ago. It was supposed to be my last short camping trip. I was going to stay in a tent by myself, have a small campfire, roast some marshmelons, jump off a cliff...

Yeah, my life pretty much sucked, and I wanted to enjoy things a little bit before I checked out. 

But, things didn't quite go as planned. When I jumped, I kept my eyes open and adjusted myself to land headfirst. I didn't want to end up in a hospital with a bunch of broken bones but still alive; I figured landing on my skull should prevent that. 

But, when I was only halfway down to the ground, I felt something slow me down. Since I had my eyes open, I could see that I wasn't falling anymore. Then, I was enveloped in a brilliant flash of light. 

When the light subsided, I found myself on some kind of table. This was weird. I'd heard of "life flashing before your eyes," but I hadn't heard of anything like this!

I looked around, and I was absolutely stunned. I was certainly the only human in the room, but I wasn't the only being there. The others were...furry catgirls? What kind of ecchi fantasy have I gotten mixed up in?

But in that moment, nothing "naughty" was happening. Everyone else in the room was looking at me. Some looked relieved, some were teary-eyed, and one just looked about as drained as I'd felt before pre-paying for all my final expenses. 

The drained one addressed me. "Welcome to the Shuelace. We're glad we were able to catch you in time. If you'd fallen a few seconds later, we would have been out of range."

"Great," I thought. "Once again, my timing was off by 5 seconds, and I missed my opportunity."

The tired one continued, seemingly reading my thoughts. "We're aware that you intended to end your life. Our ship's sensors showed how you ran to and off of the ledge with no hesitancy. At first, we thought you were demonstrating parachuting skills, but our sensors warned us that you had no restraining devices. Without a second thought, we brought you here. You see, in our society, if we witness something like this, we're required to attempt prevention."

I nodded. "There are many humans who would voluntarily 'attempt prevention,' as you call it. Though for us, it's not a law."

The tired one nodded back and continued. "Yes, that is one of the redeeming aspects of earthlings. However, there is a problem. Your civilization has not yet reached a level of space travel that can reach outside of your own star system, at least not with anything other than simple computerized probes. Many of your species' fictional works already say this, but you'd be surprised how true it is; non-spacefaring civilizations are generally not allowed to know about other civilizations. A few exceptions are allowed under certain conditions, though, and this happens to be one. Please forgive my tiredness as I'm explaining this; I've just spent the last few of your Earth hours in debates with other races, asking for an exception on your behalf. Though your mind may tell you that you woke up here immediately after being brought aboard, you've actually been in stasis that whole time."

The tired lady stopped speaking, giving me time to process the info dump. I paused, thinking about everything. After I had collected my thoughts, I replied. 

"You say I've been granted an exception to that rule. Should I take that to mean I won't be returned to Earth? I'm not complaining; you've seen how I wasn't planning on living a long, fulfilling life. I had no family or friends to speak of, and no real desire to try making friends. I felt that, sure, there were a few people who I could ask for help, but I also knew that people are only willing to help for a limited time. Eventually, everyone just expects you to 'get over it,' and 'stand on your own two feet,' so to speak. I'm sure there would have been several people who would've been upset that I didn't ask them for help, but like I said, if I did ask for help, it would only eventually wear out those relationships and put undue stress on good-hearted people. I didn't want my acquaintances to remember me as a greedy lowlife who was constantly begging for a handout. If anything, I'd prefer that they just moved on with their lives and forgot about me."

I continued. "The only thing is, if I knew that I'd end up here, I would've donated more to charity, rather than pre-paying for a headstone, plot, casket, vault, funeral, etc. Now that I'm here, I doubt any of that will be used. At least, not anytime soon."

I stopped, as I noticed that several of the girls in the room looked absolutely mortified at my deadpan description of my end of life preparations. I decided I'd said enough, except:

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend. I merely wanted to be honest."

An awkward silence fell for a moment. Then, one of the teary-eyed girls spoke up. 

"Captain, I request that I be assigned to him."

The tired one looked at the teary-eyed girl, and replied without hesitation. "Granted, Ensign Whitestripe. But I'll finish debriefing him first."

Ensign Whitestripe nodded back and walked over to me. Her expression looked slightly happier, and determined. Another catgirl took over at Ensign Whitestripe's station.

The captain turned back to me. "You are correct, almost. You've been approved to live among us, but you do have the choice. We're not going to return you to exactly where you were, but if you desire to return to Earth, we can do so. You'll have no memory of being here, but we'll return you safely to a place where you can actually get help. Otherwise, you can choose to stay here. But, know that if you choose to stay with us, you'll have to stay for the rest of your life; you won't be returning to Earth. Choose carefully; I'll give you a few of your Earth hours to decide. In the meantime, Ensign Whitestripe will be taking care of you."

The captain nodded curtly to me, did an about face, and left the room. I looked at the catgirl who had volunteered to be responsible for me. She smiled, but her eyes still looked sad. 

"So, what now?" I said. 

She replied, "For starters, let's get you cleaned up, and then you can tell me what happened to make you feel like...well, like how you felt. I just want to understand. Please."

She held out her padded hand, and I accepted it. She led me to a room that seemed to be living quarters. I assumed they were her quarters, since I saw several pictures of herself, plus what I assumed to be family members, fastened to the walls. She then showed me the shower and demonstrated how it worked. 

And before anyone gets any ideas, no, she didn't demonstrate it by bathing in front of me. She was very respectful; she simply showed me which buttons did what, and then stood outside the bathroom door. She told me not to try drowning myself or anything, because she'd hear. Catgirls have great hearing. 

So, I took a hot shower. It had been so long since I could just relax in the shower. I stood there, not bothering to remove my clothes, with the water running down my hair, and I cried to myself. "It's too nice; I don't deserve this."

Ensign Whitestripe must've heard my sobbing, because she rushed in, ready to rescue me from myself. Then she saw my pained expression and immediately understood the situation. With one hand, she quickly shut off the shower, while pulling my head to her chest with the other. Though she got a bit soaked in the process, she got me out of there. Then she wrapped both arms and a towel around me and purred, telling me, "It's okay. You're safe. Just let it out. You're going to feel good again, I promise."

I sobbed, still. Some time passed; I don't know how long. I told Ensign Whitestripe my whole life's story; how I'd had big dreams as a child, only to fail at achieving any of them. I told how I'd tried to provide a reasonable life for myself, only to fail at every job I'd ever held. I told how I'd tried to find a wife so many times, only to be rejected by all. I told about how I'd struggled to be a good man, only to have false accusations thrown at me whenever the wind changed. I told how I was able to give joy and smiles to others, but how I felt guilty, or was made to feel guilty by others whenever I found any happiness at all. I told about how one of my closest relatives had been killed when I was only a child. I told everything.

The whole time, Ensign Whitestripe kept holding onto me, asking simple questions here and there, helping me to let everything out. I shed tears until my eyes couldn't cry, but she kept me close, just listening to me. When I was finally done, she, while still holding me close, brought me to the bed. We were both already dry by that point. She gave me a tighter hug, then pulled away just slightly. 

"Is it okay if I make you some tea? I promise it will make you feel just a little bit better. It's my family's recipe. I drink it sometimes when I'm feeling lonely, and I'd love to finally share it with someone. Please?"

I looked into her big, saddened eyes. I still felt terrible, but I was glad she'd listened so patiently to my long-winded sob story. I brought a hand up to wipe my eyes, and I nodded. She smiled; the first genuine smile that actually reached her eyes. Though they were still sad, I could see a spark of true joy in them. 

Ensign Whitestripe walked over to a machine and got some hot water. Then she opened a special jar and scooped out some kind of tea mix. Then she got a filter and cups, and she poured the hot water into the cups, using the tea mix and the filters. It was awe-inspiring to watch; she wasn't joking about this being a family recipe. I'd say it looked more like a family tradition or a tea service. 

She brought the cups over and placed them on a small table by the foot of the bed. I asked if there were any specific things to know about handling the cups. She giggled slightly and said, "The only thing you should need to do is enjoy it as much as you can. That's the only tradition we have. And thank you for asking."

I smiled. Probably also my first genuine smile in so long. I brought the teacup up to my face and lightly inhaled. The tea had a light scent of mint, along with some fruity smells that I couldn't recognize. "Wait, did this have catnip in it? I know catnip is part of the mint family; is this lady trying to get a buzz?"

Ensign Whitestripe saw my confused look. Realization dawned on her, and she looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, I can guess what you're thinking. No, this doesn't affect me the same way as it would affect the feline species on your planet. Its only effect is voluntary."

I nodded, and I sipped. "Yup, there's definitely catnip in here. I hope she's telling me the truth about its effects."

After enjoying the tea together, Ensign Whitestripe asked me, "Now that you've told me everything about your life that you feel is bad, is there anything you'd like to ask me?

I thought for a moment. "Why did you choose to volunteer to help me? You must've had some reason."

Ensign Whitestripe's countenance fell, and the sadness returned to her eyes. "You noticed the pictures when you walked in here, right?"

I nodded. She walked over to one of the pictures and pulled it from the wall. She brought the picture over and handed it to me. 

"The male standing next to me there; he was my brother. He died two of our years ago. He was a soldier. His unit was pinned down from an enemy attack. He deliberately sacrificed himself by raising his head to see where to throw a plasma grenade. As he threw it, the enemy killed him. But the grenade hit its target, and Chester's unit was able to make it out alive. I know that you're not my brother. But the way you described how you didn't want to burden your friends? It sounded similar to what my brother told me before he left. He said that if there was no 'good' way out, he'd be willing to sacrifice himself so that no one else would have to. No one ordered him to throw the grenade. In fact, it was against orders; everyone was supposed to stay down and wait. But Chester didn't think help was coming."

Ensign Whitestripe stopped speaking. I could see more tears forming in her own eyes. "Man, I really am an ass," I thought.

Ensign Whitestripe looked at me again, determination in her eyes. "I wasn't able to help my brother. But I can help you! I can be there for you! I can pull you out of your darkness! If you need to find purpose, I can help! If you need love, I can love you! You don't need to feel alone ever again!"

Then she pounced. I wasn't sure what to expect, so I just tensed up, but all she did was cling tightly to me. She made all kinds of promises and vows, if I'd only be willing to stay with her. "Poor kitty; she really needs someone just as much as I need someone. And honestly, I'm very tempted to accept her offer." 

"There's only one problem, Miss Whitestripe."

Her begging stopped, and she looked at me with pleading eyes. "What's that?"

I smiled gently. "If I'm going to stay here with you, I'm going to need to know your first name."

She smiled back. "Emily."

I nuzzled her nose, and she nuzzled back. "Well, Emily, if I'm going to stay here with you, I'm going to need to know that you're serious. I've heard many promises before; I don't want to be betrayed again."

"That'll never happen," Emily said without hesitation. "Our species is fiercely loyal, once bonded. Betrayal is considered worse than murder. On the rare occasions that betrayal is proven, the guilty one is executed."

Her sudden serious tone told me this was nothing to joke about. "I understand; I wish humanity had such regard for loyalty." I said. 

Emily purred. "If you choose to stay here with me, you'll never need to worry again. I'll be able to help you. Since my brother's passing, I've learned a lot about how to help others. In fact, there is something I can do right now to help you relieve some stress. Lie on your back, please."

I complied, fully willingly. Emily set beside me and started massaging. And she was verrrry good at it. Her paw pads, the round parts of her claws, and her fur all combined to form a perfect blend of comfortable kneading. In mere seconds, I felt more relaxed than I had in years. But Emily didn't stop there. She kneaded with the skill and precision greater than the best human masseuse could do on his best day. She found muscle knots in muscles I didn't even know that I had.

I groaned in satisfaction, making Emily purr louder and deeper. Her purring effect even made vibrations in her paws, increasing the quality of an already fantastic experience. This must be better than any spa treatment!

After a few hours, the good Captain came by to ask if I had reached a decision. But, seeing Emily and I "bonding" was answer enough. As she turned around and exited the room, she grumbled. 

"Looks like I might actually have to marry my ship for real."