ShadowClan Medicine Cat's Den

[Abyssopelagic]

Well, it seemed today was the day.
Crowskip was past due to give birth, and honestly she had been concerned and wondering if she should come in to see Irisflame to look into somehow inducing the birth somehow.
What she didn't expect was the massive amounts of pain. She knew problems during the kitting was common in her family and that her sister even had them, but she'd been fine enough to fuss and walk herself to the nursery.
Crowskip wasn't sure how she would be able to on her own.
She couldn't breathe, much less form comprehensive sentences and her legs couldn't push up to stand.
She sat, sobbing wordlessly, hardly breathing for entire minutes before someone noticed and grabbed her by the scruff and hurriedly dragged her to the Medicine Den.


Honeycreeper burst into the den, Crowskip in his jaws.
He dropped her and ran to Irisflame.
"Irisflame, I need help. Something is wrong. I think Crowskip is giving birth, but she doesn't seem to be breathing well."
He was panicked, wasn't sure what Irisflame could do, wasn't sure if Crowskip would even make it out of this herself.

@Moon Lily @The Ink Demon

[Madelaine]

[ @Moon Lily; @Rainquail; ]

Ebonyfang heard the panic in the toms voice as he dragged Crowskip. Why did he move her. It was dangerous to move a cat who's giving birth. "You shouldn't have moved her!", he growled. He knew now wasn't the time. She needed attention now. The medicine cat apprentice couldn't wait for Irisflame. It looked like an emergency. Ebonyfang padded over to Crowskip. He bent his down down to Crowskip. "I know your struggling to breathe, but don't panic. It'll make it worse. You must try to stay as calm as you can.", he whispered in a soothing voice. He wished his mother was here to help, but he knew that as a medicine cat apprentice is was up to him to help. Ebonyfang lightly pushed his paw on her belly. "You can do it.", he meowed. In reality he was actually panicing on the inside.

[Abyssopelagic]

Honeycreeper felt horrible about it. He knew that, he'd been told that before, but if he was going to smuggle out her kits like she had asked him to a week ago, he wouldn't be able to in there. He couldn't sneak kits out of a nursery.
How would this work if she couldnt move herself? He couldn't carry her, too. He couldn't take them without someone to nurse them.
The plan was going all wrong.


Crowskip barely heard Ebonyfang and immediately buried her face into whatever part of him she could find. She wanted comfort of any kind.
She heaved and shuddered, breath returning to her just long enough to squeeze out the first kit.

@The Ink Demon

[Madelaine]

[ @Rainquail; ]

Ebonyfang felt the queen find comfort in him and he didn't really mind. He knew she was hurting and he wanted to help her any way he could. When the first kit came he looked at Honeycreeper. "Nip the sack and lick it until it's warm.", he demanded. The medicine cat apprentice continued to press his paw gently into her belly. He felt a little sorry for her. He was just glad it wasn't him. Even being transgender he still couldn't have kits of his own, since he was a medicine cat apprentice. He wasn't so sure if he would want any anyway. He loved his job.

"Your doing great. Keep breathing and stay calm.", he meowed as softly as he could.

[Moon Lily]

[ @ChillCat -why do I love this so much <3]

Irisflame stood up, cursing as her lame leg nearly gave out. She hobbled over to Scorchstrike's best and proceeded to flop down next to her. What gave her the idea, she hadn't a faintest clue, but she did know that the molly needed it. It was all she ever wanted when she'd had a nightmare or had thoughts too jumbled to sleep. Comfort. Ocean eyes flinging a deep blue in the moonlight, the slate-coloured molly offered a soft smile.
"Don't think too hard. I don't want you dying of exhaustion." She joked quietly. The calico molly across from her seemed ghostly in the dim. Boo's black tones blended into the darkness, her firey splotches seeming like the only things keeping her from fading into oblivion. Her eyelids fluttered closed, only to be reopened at the warrior's hesitant mew.

"...love?" She spoke the word as though it were a fickle thing. And indeed it was. "Love isn't easy for me. Not only because of the code. My entire life...I lived without it. I've only ever loved platonically, and even then I'm terrified of it. I'm just scared...I'm scared that I'll mess up. Like I did with my father." Just the mention of him turned her tone vicious. He had done nothing but hate her. Loathe her. Beat her. "What would I do...? I don't know." Just those three words seemed to punish her. She didn't know. Pathetic. How could one not know what they'd do, if they were faced with those words?

[ @Zesty Mango @The Ink Demon ]

Irisflame squinted at the she-cat a while longer before nodding to Ebonyfang. Today would be a long day. At least she didn't have to amputate another leg. "I'll get the marigold and poppyseed. Can you grab some prey? She looks like she's been dragged through The Dark Forest, damnit." She grumbled, hobbling over to nab the herbs. Despite her seemingly dismissive words, the medicine cat's tail twitched frantically. There was a chance that the apprentice wouldn't survive. There's no way I'm letting that happen. She reminded herself, dropping the small herb collection at the patient's feet.

"Good. That snake didn't kill you, then." She remarked, popping a few marigold petals into her maw. She chewed the petals into a paste, then began to lick it into the she-cat's injuries. "This'll sting."

[ @Arie @eerie elysian @The Ink Demon ]

Irisflame sniffed at Doetuft, not bothering to waste precious words on the idiot. She'd dragged her apprentice into this mess. She could hardly expect any pity. As much as she longed to chuck her cousin into a river, fish her out, and sacrifice her to a pack of dogs, she had to remain professional. Whirling around to face Ebonyfang, she shook her head in exasperation. "I have no idea how you stay so patient. If you weren't here, I would have committed murder." She exclaimed, eyes flickering with amusement. He really was medicine cat material. Jutting her chin in the direction of the herb storage, the medicine cat cleared her throat.

"Marigold, dandelion, poppyseed, and some of those fake cobwebs. I'll teach you about celandine while we're at it." She ordered, tone brisk. She was ready to get this mess cleaned up. And after that, maybe for a slap or two in for her dearest cousin. As she turned back on the direction of Buddard, the blue-grey she-cat hissed in surprise. The tom was slipping into unconsciousness quicker than she could say 'Stars above'. Paws scrambling to shake the tom wildly, she yelled into his ear.
"Stay awake! Would you like to die in here, dum-dum?!" She yowled, tone pumped full of fear. She hadn't become a medicine cat just to let a stupid bird kill her clanmate.
"Well Buzz here better learn not to treat birds of prey as play things. Stop moaning your head off, Pebbles, and let me work in peace."

[ @Rainquail @The Ink Demon ]

Irisflame sighed as she approached the medicine den. She had another full day of work ahead of her, and the throbbing in her lungs wasn't helping. The shrew she had just eaten hadn't helped much, either. Her mind whirred studiously, recording all of the tasks she had to get done, all of the cats she had to check up on, and all the herbs that needed checking. A sudden whimper of pain sent her head jolting upwards. Medicine den. Stars. The she-cat took off, tearing across the clearing as fast as her leg would allow her.
The milky scent of a queen greeted her at the entrance, followed by the nauseating scent of fluids. A kitting. She was late to her another kitting. Grabbing a stick from the shrub at the den's mouth, she offered Ebonyfang a quick smile.

"What's going on?" She demanded, meeting the worried gaze of...Honeycreeper, wasn't it? She recognized the tom. Her fearful orbs flashed at the horrible, pained sounds that the queen was making. The medicine cat mustered whatever kindness she had left in her and knelt down.
"Shhh...shhh...you're doing so well. Bite down on this stick- I don't want you biting your tongue off." She murmured, laying the stick beside the queen's maw. She placed her paws beside Ebonyfang's, massaging the she-cat's belly with gentle kneading. "You handled this well. I'm proud of you, Boney." She purred, lowering her voice so that only her apprentice could hear.

[LeoTheWolf]

Originally Posted by Moon Lily

[ @ChillCat -why do I love this so much <3]

Irisflame stood up, cursing as her lame leg nearly gave out. She hobbled over to Scorchstrike's best and proceeded to flop down next to her. What gave her the idea, she hadn't a faintest clue, but she did know that the molly needed it. It was all she ever wanted when she'd had a nightmare or had thoughts too jumbled to sleep. Comfort. Ocean eyes flinging a deep blue in the moonlight, the slate-coloured molly offered a soft smile.
"Don't think too hard. I don't want you dying of exhaustion." She joked quietly. The calico molly across from her seemed ghostly in the dim. Boo's black tones blended into the darkness, her firey splotches seeming like the only things keeping her from fading into oblivion. Her eyelids fluttered closed, only to be reopened at the warrior's hesitant mew.

"...love?" She spoke the word as though it were a fickle thing. And indeed it was. "Love isn't easy for me. Not only because of the code. My entire life...I lived without it. I've only ever loved platonically, and even then I'm terrified of it. I'm just scared...I'm scared that I'll mess up. Like I did with my father." Just the mention of him turned her tone vicious. He had done nothing but hate her. Loathe her. Beat her. "What would I do...? I don't know." Just those three words seemed to punish her. She didn't know. Pathetic. How could one not know what they'd do, if they were faced with those words?

[ @Zesty Mango @The Ink Demon ]

Irisflame squinted at the she-cat a while longer before nodding to Ebonyfang. Today would be a long day. At least she didn't have to amputate another leg. "I'll get the marigold and poppyseed. Can you grab some prey? She looks like she's been dragged through The Dark Forest, damnit." She grumbled, hobbling over to nab the herbs. Despite her seemingly dismissive words, the medicine cat's tail twitched frantically. There was a chance that the apprentice wouldn't survive. There's no way I'm letting that happen. She reminded herself, dropping the small herb collection at the patient's feet.

"Good. That snake didn't kill you, then." She remarked, popping a few marigold petals into her maw. She chewed the petals into a paste, then began to lick it into the she-cat's injuries. "This'll sting."

[ @Arie @eerie elysian @The Ink Demon ]

Irisflame sniffed at Doetuft, not bothering to waste precious words on the idiot. She'd dragged her apprentice into this mess. She could hardly expect any pity. As much as she longed to chuck her cousin into a river, fish her out, and sacrifice her to a pack of dogs, she had to remain professional. Whirling around to face Ebonyfang, she shook her head in exasperation. "I have no idea how you stay so patient. If you weren't here, I would have committed murder." She exclaimed, eyes flickering with amusement. He really was medicine cat material. Jutting her chin in the direction of the herb storage, the medicine cat cleared her throat.

"Marigold, dandelion, poppyseed, and some of those fake cobwebs. I'll teach you about celandine while we're at it." She ordered, tone brisk. She was ready to get this mess cleaned up. And after that, maybe for a slap or two in for her dearest cousin. As she turned back on the direction of Buddard, the blue-grey she-cat hissed in surprise. The tom was slipping into unconsciousness quicker than she could say 'Stars above'. Paws scrambling to shake the tom wildly, she yelled into his ear.
"Stay awake! Would you like to die in here, dum-dum?!" She yowled, tone pumped full of fear. She hadn't become a medicine cat just to let a stupid bird kill her clanmate.
"Well Buzz here better learn not to treat birds of prey as play things. Stop moaning your head off, Pebbles, and let me work in peace."

[ @Rainquail @The Ink Demon ]

Irisflame sighed as she approached the medicine den. She had another full day of work ahead of her, and the throbbing in her lungs wasn't helping. The shrew she had just eaten hadn't helped much, either. Her mind whirred studiously, recording all of the tasks she had to get done, all of the cats she had to check up on, and all the herbs that needed checking. A sudden whimper of pain sent her head jolting upwards. Medicine den. Stars. The she-cat took off, tearing across the clearing as fast as her leg would allow her.
The milky scent of a queen greeted her at the entrance, followed by the nauseating scent of fluids. A kitting. She was late to her another kitting. Grabbing a stick from the shrub at the den's mouth, she offered Ebonyfang a quick smile.

"What's going on?" She demanded, meeting the worried gaze of...Honeycreeper, wasn't it? She recognized the tom. Her fearful orbs flashed at the horrible, pained sounds that the queen was making. The medicine cat mustered whatever kindness she had left in her and knelt down.
"Shhh...shhh...you're doing so well. Bite down on this stick- I don't want you biting your tongue off." She murmured, laying the stick beside the queen's maw. She placed her paws beside Ebonyfang's, massaging the she-cat's belly with gentle kneading. "You handled this well. I'm proud of you, Boney." She purred, lowering her voice so that only her apprentice could hear.

ShadowHeart hobbled in on three paws "I need the medicine cat!" She yowled in pain

[ChillCat]

Irisflame may not have said exactly what happened with her father, but her tone betrayed it was something bad. Yikes. Scorchstrike's dad had died while her mom was still pregnant with her and her siblings, so she had never met her father anyway. Not like I could relate.

"I've never been in love either. There's just something...scary about it. And if you fall in love with someone you shouldn't be in love with, you're screwed. I guess it's better to not fall in love at all,"Scorchstrike said quietly. Wasn't that hypocritical. If I really am in love with Irisflame, I couldn't tell her. There's just too many variables and things that could happen.

AGAIN, the dog popped into her mind. Ugh, I have better things to think about, go away. But the thought stuck around. Huge teeth, slavering jaws closing around her face, unholy eyes..."About the dog, Dawnstar said a patrol reported the dog scent as stale, but there's no way it's not still in the territory. Even in camp, I still feel like it's watching me. If it's still out there, I don't want anyone else to get hurt, it'd feel like it's my fault for not doing anything. I was thinking, are dogs subject to the same poisons cats are?" It was only a half formed idea, but if what Scorchstrike was thinking was true, she could do something as simple as stuffing some deadly herbs into a rabbit and it would be dead.
@Moon Lily (This is so fun also who was her dad?)

[Abyssopelagic]

Oh, ok.
Honeycreeper could do that. He had for his mate.
The familiarity of it made him less panicked about what he had to do, what was to come next, after all this was done.
He quickly set about to cleaning the kit, tongue carefully scraping over the delicate creature.
And yet.... something was off. Too still, too quiet. Not even a wimper or whine. Oh, stars.
Was it dead?
He stopped to look and there was laying before him was a twisted little thing, spindly and half formed. There was no way the kit was alive.
He stifled a grief stricken cry.
Poor Crowskip.
All this for nothing?

Trembling, Crowskip moved her head enough she could chomp down onto the stick without poking Ebonyfang with it.
Stars, the pain.
But the first kit was out of the way and that seemed to make this easier, if only slightly. It didn't help the pain, but the kits came easier.
With a cry, there were two, and then a third, and then the pain eased, but her sides still fluttered, lessening by the second after the third.
Was it over?
She still hurt everywhere, but there were no new waves of pain.


With the new kits, Honeycreeper forced himself to bring them closer, hiding the deformed, deceased body from the queen and set to cleaning the kits, body trembling.
Here was another stillborn, missing limbs and a crooked spine.
He almost missed the third, the living kit, which squirmed and squealed as it should. He forced himself to move, unsure if he was imagining the kit for his own sanity.

@Moon Lily @The Ink Demon

[Madelaine]

[ @Zesty Mango; @Moon Lily; ]

Ebonyfang listened to the instructions of what they needed and dipped his head. Without hesitation he padded over out of the den to find something good in the fresh kill pile. he searched through and pulled out a mouse. It would be easier to eat. He took the mouse and padded back into the den. Ebonyfang set it in front of the injured apprentice.

[ @Arie; @eerie elysian; @Moon Lily; ]

Ebonyfang wasn't calm on the inside he was freaking out, but he didn't like showing his emotions so they were deeply hidden. He didn't try to argue with that as it was completely pointless too. The tom listened to his mentor before going off to get the right herbs. Ebonyfang padded over to the dip where the herbs were stored and glanced at each herb. First he pulled out a marigold. Than grabbed the last herbs and padded over to the two patients. After those were dropped off he went to grab the fake cobwebs. "Okay that's all of them.", Ebonyfang meowed.

[ @Rainquail; @Moon Lily; ]

Ebonyfang was more focused on the queen than he was to the kits. He wanted to make sure she was going to be alright. They needed a mother to care for them. They needed their biological mother not some queen. The medicine cat apprentice had no clue two of them were stillborns. He wasn't paying attention to them at all. Ebonyfang got out of his trance when Irisflame complimented him. He didn't think at all that he was doing a great job.

[Mango]

@The Ink Demon @Moon Lily

Stempaw gave a short nod to Irisflame and Ebonyfang, she forced herself to stay awake as she let them plaster the marigold on her wounds and soon the cobwebs would be added to her wounds. She just wanted to sleep, but the mention of prey gave her motivation to stay awake a bit longer.