To be ill is a bitter fate [Open]

"Hey!" a voice snapped. Sparrowpaw was standing a fox-length away with a bundle of herbs by her paws. It wasn't much, just some half-withered chickweed from Sunningrocks, coltsfoot, and a stalk of yellow tansy, but it was all that she could scour up in all her hours of searching. And she came back to camp to see these idiots all chatting away out in the cold, near the Clan's freshkill, coughing all over each other's faces... ugh. Like it wasn't hard enough with half the Clan infected with whitecough or worse. "Wailingpaw, what in StarClan's name do you think you're doing outside? You too, Gingerkit! Are you trying to kill yourselves?!"

She scooped the herbs back up in her mouth and marched past them, tossing the bundle roughly into her den, before whirling on the two warriors. "And unless you're sick too, you should back off and let me do my work! If I need some apprentices, I'll ask for some!" They needed every healthy warrior they had to be out, hunting for herbs or prey or helping drive out the sudden influx of rogues into their territory. If they were sick they were useless, and if they were wasting time fussing over her patients, they were even more useless. "Did I hear you two coughing too?"

((Who is she talking to?))

Spottedleaf wrote:

((Who is she talking to?))

OOC: At first she was yelling at Wailingpaw/Gingerkit, and then she started yelling at Silverwing/Rippletail.

(Ok)

Silverwing cough again and with effort replyed "you did". "Im sorry I just got back from hunting. When I left I fel t fine."

Wailingpaw ducked his head in guilt despite the knowledge he was trying his best to keep the outbreak himself. He could see that Sparrowpaw was working his paws off collecting herbs and trying his best to nurse everyone to health. As a cat who'd spent all of yesterday in the medicine den, he knew it well.

"Icepaw brought over Gingerkit, she's been coughing badly as well. Rippletail is just as bad." He wheezed out, coughing to the side to clear his throat. "Sorry Sparrowpaw, I just ducked out to see who else was coughing."

"What, me? No, I'm f-f-fine." Shortly after his speech finished, Rippletail burst in a fit of sneezing, causing him to crouch and sneeze into the floor. Once the short bursts had subsided, the warrior stood backup again, trying to keep his legs from wobbling by puffing his chest out and lifting his chin. "Just a frog in my throat. Nothing to be wasting those-" He inclined his head to the herbs Sparrowpaw had deposited in his den. "herbs you spent a long time foraging for on."The tom's voice cracked at the end, and he tried his best to swallow the coughs down, but instead he ended up spluttering, and ending up on the floor again.

"Yeah, and fish can fly." Wailingpaw retorted, his concern and frustration that his father wouldn't seek help giving him newfound strength. He forced himself to his feet, nudging his father not too kindly as he spoke out of concern. "He's ill, Sparrowpaw. Don't mind me and help him."

Wailingpaw was never the most affectionate kit, nor was he the kindest with his words, but his love for his family and clan was without a doubt. And when he saw his father fall onto the cold ground, he was quick to help him up. Pressing himself against his father's flank, trying to help the chill that accompanied both forms of the cough. "Please Rippletail. Let Sparrowpaw help you."

She groaned. "Well, you're no good dead. Get in the den and I'll check you out. That's an order." Sparrowpaw swept her gaze over the rest of them. "All of you. No going to rest in your own dens, no getting your own prey, no sneaking out, no letting any healthy cats into my den." The medicine cat lashed her tail and prodded Rippletail forward, toward the tangle of reeds and sedge that made her own personal corner of camp. "If you get any other cats sick, you're in for a world of hurt. I'll get all your prey, I'll get all your moss and water, and any visitors I see loitering around here's going to get their ears shredded. You got that?"

Gingerkit ducked her ears. "Okay!" She squealed and disappeared into the den, immediately laying on the soft moss. I knew Sparrowpaw was firm but sheesh!

Silverwing sighed and said, "Fin-" before coughingagain

Narrowing his eyes, Rippletail spun around and stalked to Sparrowpaw's den with his long striped tail lashing behind him. That's no way to talk to a warrior. The toyger spat in his head, frustration taking  hold of him. Once inside the medicine den, he plonked his hind-quarters on the cold floor and tapped the tip of his spinal-extension on the space next to him. I can't believe I have to stay in here, It's not like I have whitecough or- His trail of thoughts was interrupted by yet another bout of chesty coughs, that aroused the mucus in his throat. The hacks continued relentlessly, and ended with a series of sneezes.

With a pointed huff, Sparrowpaw stalked in after them, roughly unbundling her cache of herbs. Mousebrains. She was surrounded by mousebrains. "How long have you had this cough, Rippletail? Do you have any fever?"

Chickweed, coltsfoot, tansy, honey for Gingerkit... but no catmint. She'd used the last of her leaves halfway through Leafbare. There was more on the Twoleg farm, and some over in Twolegplace gardens... but with so many rogues around lately, it was too dangerous to go out far. Would SkyClan share with them, maybe? They owe it to us... maybe a patrol could take me there.

Silverwing walked into medicine den after Rippletail waited for Sparrowpaw to check her. She turn away and coughed deeply. She snifled and let out a couple sneezes

"Well, yesterday I had a ticking in the back of my throat, and this morning real nasty ones woke me up. So, since yesterday evening I guess." Rippletail replied hoarsely with a shrug of his bony shoulders. Sparrowpaw better not give me any rank-tasting herbs or I'll claw his ears off. It was unusual for the tom to be in this mood, but the cold winds and freezing ground had changed his attitude towards certain cats, especially ones that treated him in a disrespectful manor. The toyger's golden-brown fur lifted slightly as a chill pierced his pelt with icy claws, and his muscles rippled in a shiver, which was shortly followed by a round of chesty coughs. They brought up yet more mucus, and the warrior twitched his tail in annoyance as he tried to swallow the foul liquid back down.

Sparrowpaw nodded, making a mental note of it. Great. Even if it wasn't whitecough, it would be safer to keep them in the den for the time being than risk letting them infect the rest of the warrior's den. "And you too, Silverwing?" She pushed forward a stalk of yellow flowers. "This is tansy. It'll prevent greencough and soothe your throat. Just eat one of the flowers." She pushed forward another plant, this one with fat almond-shaped leaves and little white flowers. "This too for good measure. Chickweed."