Arthur blinked at the blow rise and fall of Malachi's chest, moving his hands that rested on top of it ever so slightly.  His head tilted at the answer when it finally came.  The disbelief was obvious on the doctor's face.

Eventually, his head fell back and Arthur seemed to be in thought.

"I want you to prove it.  Only, I can't remember if I even own a leash at all.  Funny, isn't it?"

He owned a lot of things, and a lot of odd things especially, but he'd never owned a pet so he had no reason to own a leash.  Arthur had never been a dog person, and cats were - fine, but he'd never felt so passionately about them as so actually go out and get one.  Anything other than that seemed like too much work for him.

"But you know," he said, moving Malachi's legs from off of him, "I do probably own some rope.  That would work the same, wouldn't it?"