A man noticed an injury on the narrator's neck and offered to help. He signaled to someone outside, indicating that their world is more advanced than the narrator's. This hints at a deeper, possibly unusual reality that the narrator is about to discover.
A bony woman entered with two small kittens, placing one in the narrator's lap and the other down his shirt before leaving. The man reassured the narrator that the presence of the kittens would alleviate his sadness, suggesting that these creatures have a special role in his healing or comfort.