surely not again... [c]

A welcoming smile settled into a concerned frown on Heatherberry's face at Pineblossom's words. "What's been ailing you? Any aches and pains? If so, where? Have you eating alright? How has your sleep been?" She glanced over Pineblossom as she awaited the answers to her many questions, taking note that the experienced warrior seemed to be slightly heavier than her usual build. "Please, take a seat on an empty nest."

The concern Heatherberry had slowly began to ebb as she listened with a great intensity: aching paws and hips, increased appetite, sickness in the mornings. First, she felt absolute joy that ShadowClan was to be blessed with kits after so long without. The second feeling was worry, having been there when things had gone horribly wrong with Pineblossom's first litter. She would have tread carefully in giving the news if the medicine cat hadn't seen the awkward shuffle the warrior gave.

Green eyes gave a careful once over before her large form turned around to poke through the herbs she seemed to endlessly sort through day after day, returning with comfrey root and coltsfoot that had been pre-chewed moments before in preparation for an elder. "For your joints, I'll apply some comfrey root to ease any stiffness and pain in your hips and some coltsfoot to the pads of your paws. As for everything else..." A quick silence followed after she spoke, beckoning the warrior to lift her paws for the coltsfoot, before continuing. "You're pregnant, Pineblossom." Though there was no doubt Pineblossom already knew. She glanced into the warriors eyes, making sure she understood that this was no joke.

The medicine cat shook her fluffy head. "I can't give you a false diagnosis, Pineblossom. That would be very cruel of me." Heatherberry understood where the queens shortness was coming from, given how her last litter... But this was a brand new one. There was no guaranteeing the same would happen to these kits as well. Her green gaze held firm as she continued, "I know this is hard to hear, but I need you to know that I'm here for whatever you choose to do from this point on. This den is open for you all hours of the night. I am here for you. From the bottom of my heart."

"For one, rest and lots of it. Eat your fill and don't hide any pain or discomfort from either me or Burdockroot should any come up." She pondered a bit longer before continuing, "Be gentle in training your apprentice, and I would abstain from any sparring or fighting of any kind just to be on the safe side." No one could ever say for certain of these things, but Heatherberry held hope that ShadowClan would see these kits very soon. "Feel free to take rest here whenever you need."