Unexpected meetings [c]

The past few days had been agonising and slow, nothing happened, and when it did it was never good. Silverpaw’s  wound was a reminder of that. She spent most of her time sleeping fitfully, awaking in cold sweats and having clawed her moss bending to shreds. Her leg always felt particularly hot, Brightpaw’s claw marks an angry red, never being given a chance to heal properly with the condition the apprentice’s mind and body was currently in. So when she saw Crocuspaw- no, Crocusfrost- appear in the sick den, Silverpaw was mildly surprised to see the least.

Alertly they watched the newly named warrior make her way over to their bed. ”Crocusfrost?” asked Silverpaw “Can i help you?”

"It's not me that needs help, Silverpaw." Crocusfrost mewed bluntly letting an awkward silence build before she realized that she should be elaborating. " I've come to check on you. Fawnshine and Echosong are busy so a helping paw is needed. Your bedding?" Crocusfrost gestured to the moss that had gone a bit sour from Silverpaw's fever. Crocusfrost was aware of her brothers bond with the young apprentice, but Silverpaw did not need to know that the visit was a bit more personal than it'd usually be otherwise. Amber eyes flitted over to the angry wound on the she-cats leg and inwardly seethed. Wounds should not be inflicted on clanmates especially when the need to keep as many herbs as possible was at its highest.

Perhaps Silverpaw had learned her lesson after the Brightpaw incident, or perhaps deep down they knew Crocusfrost was right. The air hung heavily around the pair, each waiting for the other to break the silence between them. Silverpaw’s green eyes narrowed, the only sign of the fight that had accompanied her in their better days. Crocusfrost broke the silence, elaborating on her previous comment. The silver apprentice huffed a sigh turning away from the other cat. ”I have seen better days.” she meowed in response, equally as blunt and to the point as Crocusfrost’s greeting. Silverpaw’s tail ticked passively, and the ill she-cat turned back to face their clanmate. There was no point arguing, Crocusfrost was right no matter how much she hated to admit their own condition, and her voice would probably have given out to a hacking cough if she’d tried.

Compromise it would be then. Silverpaw looked at her pitiful bedding, spoilt from fever and torn to pieces by her claws as she fought things that weren’t there. “Yes,” she answered standing up with a lurch “But let me help.” Please, they didn’t add. All Silverpaw wanted to do was to feel that she wasn’t a liability, that she was needed, even while her body physically screamed at them not to.

Crocusfrost gave a large huff as the apprentice stood and asked to help, her maw pressing together firmly before she gave a heavy sigh. "I will remove and get you new moss. You can fluff your bed however you like. Deal?" Crocusfrost looked down at Silverpaw, unwavering with a raised brow, implying that the apprentice didn't actually have a choice in the matter. Silverpaw was like Cinderpaw, that they so badly wanted to help despite their state, Crocusfrost didn't want to let Silverpaw help having seen what her negligence had done to Cinder... but she was soft to the pleads of her youngers. Standing around wasn't going to kill Silverpaw either surely?

Silverpaw’s mouth hardened into a thin line, lips pressed together as they bit down on whatever remark had been on the tip of their tongue. Another compromise, she found Crocusfrost had her making a lot. Besides even if Crocusfrost was newly appointed it was not becoming for the silver molly to be arguing with a warrior. “Deal…” she sighed with a cough.

Silverpaw shifted out of Crocusfrost way, veering hard and stumbling, to allow the larger cat to gather the pitiful remains of her moss. The awkward position that Silverpaw had manoeuvred herself into, to avoid careening into the floor, aggravated the wound on her flank causing them to hiss out in pain. Carefully she readjusted, not wanting to aggravate it further. It was wonder that infection hadn’t settled in, and Silverpaw owed a massive thank you to Fawnshine for that. Their eyes shifted to Crocusfrost watching her complete the task.

When given the go-ahead, Crocusfrost immediately got to business, her large paws making quick work of the measly bedding. Once it was shuffled out of the makeshift medicine cat den... space... Crocusfrost brought in the large bundles of moss she had gathered. Crocusfrost laid them down with a big whump, batting it into a cohesive lump before she motioned for the young apprentice to make her bed and lie in it.

Silverpaw stared at the gathered moss disdainfully now that she had to do the useless task they had compromised on. It wasn’t useless in the sense she would rather sleep uncomfortably, but that it wouldn’t make a difference to her comfort realistically and the moss would be torn up again come tomorrow’s dawn. With a sigh, Silverpaw stumbled back towards their nest, prodding and poking at the moss until it was to her liking. Once fixed, as carefully as they could the lean apprentice tucked their paws under herself and sunk down into the bedding. Her green eyes made their way to Crocusfrost, the silence between them becoming more profound and drawn out. Silverpaw could not stand it. Couldn’t stand the pity. Couldn’t stand how isolated she was. Couldn’t stand really at all in fact. She took in a shaky rattling breath. Not sure what to do next, and not sure they wanted Crocusfrost to leave, and for the constant loneliness that came from being sick, and having a family that did not care for you brang. What the silver apprentice would not give for their brothers to care for her like Wigglepaw and Vinecrawler did Crocusfrost. “Sit with me, Crocusfrost?” she asked hoarsely, finally. The silence and loneliness having finally overcome Silverpaw’s stoic resolve. “What is happening in ThunderClan?” they asked, giving Crocusfrost a way to continue their conversation, and also hoping for answers she usually would not get in the isolation of the medicine den. The welfare of their clanmates troubled Silverpaw greatly especially when she herself could do nothing to lessen those troubles.