stolen moments of peace [c]

The rattling in her chest - in her throat - had been a constant annoyance of Badgermask's since their arrival. Every breath make something within her quake - build up until she was forced into a coughing fit to settle the rattling. It was something she couldn't escape, no matter how much water she drank in hopes of washing it away or allowing herself to cough so hard that she would end up spitting out gunk. Every breath came with a wheeze, with effort - and yet she knew she was lucky compared to how sick some of her Clanmates had gotten... Like her father and sister.

She knew little of what she could do to aid them - doing her best to hunt when she had the energy but mostly just tried to keep an eye on the young kits when everybody else was busy. For now, she was tired - curled up not far from where the medicine cats' had set up in case a paw was needed - head resting on her forelegs as she stared blankly ahead, eyes unfocused on anything as she simply listened to the rattling wheezes of her every breath. But then pawsteps approached - the scent of prey and of her mother, leading her to raise her head to look up at Leopardstar.

"Thanks," she meowed back as she looked at the frog, before a sigh escaped her at the question - was she feeling better? "A bit...It comes and goes," she admitted as shifted more upright, drawing her back legs closer to her. She wasn't sure what else to say - she hadn't quite gotten used to being on speaking terms with her mom again...She wasn't sure what to say - what their relationship was anymore. She just...She just knew that she wanted them all to make it out of this. She couldn't...

She didn't want to lose anybody else.

Heatherberry stared at the frog, her stomach churning at the thought of eating. Frog wasn't her favorite, but it wasn't the prey itself that made her want to vomit. Her own sickness came and went with flurries or delusion and fevers that burned her skin. Burdockroot was hard at work trying for the cure, while she herself had done very little besides finding the source of it all. She felt guilty being idle, but there was nothing left for her to do. Time was against her in when her body would collapse from fever again.

At some point, the voice of her sister started to fade back in as came back to reality. "...Soon. It'll be better soon. I promise." They would not lose anyone else.... They couldn't. Her pelt was ragged, white hairs already popping up with the stress of both loss and living every day in her own head. Outwardly pretending all was fine. Did she need to do that around her family? Looking between Badgermask and Leopardstar, it sure felt like she did. She sniffled as she slowly lay her achikg body down, whiping a paw across her face to clear the dried snot and crust around her eyes. "How have you been, mother?" Her voice cracked from how nervous she was to ask that question, though she played it off with a wet cough. Shifting slightly to stretch out, she lay her back against one of Badgermask's legs in comfort. At least she knew their relationship was solid no matter what.

Badgermask reached forward, pulling the frog towards both her and Heatherberry even as the medicine cat moved to lay against her leg - simply shifting to make it more comfortable for her sister. She could hear the wear that was chipping away at her family and she couldn't help but bare her teeth ever so briefly when Leopardstar's statement was followed by a violent cough. By all luck, she was health - or at least far healthier than the rest of her family. Her illness was an annoyance to her, but it was draining on those she loved. Echomist, Heatherberry, Leopardstar... And Leopardstar hadn't even been that sick at the start.

Her ears slicked down, giving her mother a stern glare. "There should be room for that," she nearly snarled at her mother's statement - her tail briefly lashing before she realized she risked hitting Heatherberry and restrained herself. "You are no use to ShadowClan dead, mother - don't think you can push yourself harder even with your multiple lives. We will have none of that," she added, glancing at Heatherberry for agreement. No matter how much she was over Moondancer's and Batswarm's death... She would rather her mother keep her lives until they are truly needed.