when your tears are spent (c)

Of course she had torn a claw. Of course, on top of everything else that needed to get done around camp, she just had to step wrong over a log and break off the tip of one of her nails. Perchstar's teeth were gritted, more out of annoyance than pain, as she walked back into camp. For a moment, she had half a mind to just ignore the biting discomfort and go on with her day. She had no time to sit and patch the wound. There were more patrols to check up on, mentors to speak with, hunting to be done. But a few more steps into camp dissolved that notion. There would be no concentration if her paw throbbed like this every time she set it down on the ground. So reluctantly, the leader headed to the medicine den.

Thankfully, Poppyshine was asleep in her nest. Perchstar wouldn't have wanted to awaken the deputy for anything so trivial. The more rest she got, the better. However, that was where the fortunate occurrences stopped. Dovesight was out at the moment. On herb-gathering patrol, if Perchstar remembered the patrol assignments properly. She'd wanted to get the last of the feverfew before the threatening storm clouds on the horizon smashed it into the mud. Instead, the small form of Sandypaw was bustling around the den, probably organizing things in her mentor's absence. The leader felt a pang as she considered the apprentice. Being grabbed by a hawk as a kit, the recent deaths of Clanmates, and now her mother's sudden illness.... Things had not been easy for anyone recently, but they had certainly not been easy for Sandypaw. She wished that she could have done more for all of Poppyshine's kits than tell them to give their mother breathing space, and to keep doing their duties. How could she be so bad at comforting others? She wished that she didn't have to disturb the medicine cat apprentice's important work, but there was no helping it.

"Pardon the interruption, Sandypaw," Perchstar said quietly, not wanting to wake the calico who slept nearby. "I know you are probably very busy. But if it isn't too much bother, could you help me patch up my claw? I tore it a little while ago. I don't need much, just to stop the bleeding, I think." She shifted her paws uncomfortably, hoping that her intrusion wouldn't cause too much trouble.

Perchstar held out her paw as she was asked, keeping a straight face despite the urge to wince. Thankfully, Sandypaw had learned well. A few expert presses of cobwebs and a sticky poultice later, her torn claw no longer felt so aggravated. Her paw might even be usable in a few hours or so. "Thank you," she murmured, allowing her eyes to close for a moment in relief. Out of all the things to down a leader, a torn claw...? Well, hopefully Sandypaw wouldn't think any less of her.

At the question, Perchstar felt her eyes drawn back toward the deputy, who was sleeping like a stone in her nest nearby. Her dear friend... Mother to many kits in the Clan, including poor Sandypaw, who had to look after her own family with no certainty on whether she would recover or not. It was a difficult time for everyone, but it must be even harder on her. She should have visited earlier to see how the young she-cat was doing. Silently cursing her lack of social skills once again, she moved her impassive blue eyes back to the medicine cat apprentice's face. "I do have a question. How are you feeling, Sandypaw? Is there anything that I can do to help you?"