A Time of Need [c]

Tucked away in his own secluded corner of Riverclan's camp, Littlesplash found himself cloaked in a particularly heavy curtain of mist. The water running along the side of the den contributed to the humidity that persisted at any slight rise in temperature. He enjoyed the soft babble of the river along with the comfort of it's resources at paw's reach. It had made his slow healing process as bearable as it could be.

Given the weather, and a lack of energy to leave the den, the medicine cat had contented himself to preparing herbs in a rather monotonous manner. Keeping his paws busy helped Littlesplash to ignore the burning pain afflicting his throat at every slight movement. Despite his minimal efforts to stave off infection and some progress in healing, the little gray and white tabby's pelt still twitched with any sudden jerk or odd movement.

"Hmm?" Littlesplash's responsible purr rumbled as he turned his head towards Ripplesong. A visible wince of pain caused him to jerk back slightly before he quickly recovered. Poppy Seeds, yes, for Weepingwillow. The poor queen's pain pestered her constantly and he was happy to do whatever he could to help her find some relief. He had already shuffled his body in search of the seed when the molly surged forward to peer at the aggravated bite mark.

"Oh. Uh..." The medicine cat was flustered by her sudden closeness and his eyes dropped to the ground, like a kit who'd been caught with their paws in the middle of mischief. He looked forlorn, defeated. Littlesplash hated to think about the clan having to worry about him when he was supposed to be the one caring for them. But the truth of the words cut deeper than the fangs that had sunk into his throat. Riverclan needed their medicine cat in good health.

"Can you... help me clean it?" Littlesplash asked, finally glancing up at her with his chin still tilted downward, "I can make a poultice for it too, once it's clean. I'm... sorry, Ripplesong. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

He felt guilty over his own lack of self-care. Clanmates had been wonderful about lending a paw and checking in, and yet, he failed basic healing on himself. Before Littlesplash could think too much about it, the queen was pushing him down with a paw. A soft oof of surprise left his maw as he settled onto the floor of the den. There was no protest in response to the soft rasp of her tongue but he did wince at the first few strokes. However, the discomfort ebbed away and the rhythm became more soothing than anything. For a moment, the medicine cat's eyes closed, resting as another cat cared for him. It was relaxing and very much so needed.

As her soft voice rang in his ears once more, Littlesplash's whiskers twitched and his eyes opened. Oh right. I have to tell her what herbs to use. He propped himself up without quite standing, certain the she-cat would only tell him to rest once more. As if reading his mind, the words spilled from her maw. Twitching his whiskers in amusement the medicine cat could only think he knew queens all too well at this point. There would be no arguing with the determination in Ripplesong's voice.

Littlesplash's mind quickly turned to herbs as he contemplated what he had and what would be best for drawing out the infection. Coming to a conclusion, he met her gaze and meowed an apology, "I'm sorry the herbs are better fresh, so you'll have to chew some of them up. Luckily the water nearby is great for getting rid of the taste." After so long, he'd merely grown accustomed to what most cats would call bitter or unpleasant. It was why he hated to ask another cat to do this for him. Ears falling back slightly, he continued, "The broad, dried oak leaves are good for mixing poultices on. They're near the front, in the shallow scoop."

Everything in the den had been meticulously sorted. Pawfuls of the earth had been dugout and flattened to create places for each pile of herbs. It would be easy for the she-cat to find. He flicked his tail uneasily at the idea of her realizing it was maintaining this system that had kept the medicine cat too busy to care for his own wound. Pushing the thought aside he outstretched a paw towards the pile of stripped bark, "Gather them all first then I'll show you how to mix it. Alder Bark, Burdock Root, and Dock should be good." With each listened herb, he gestured in the direction, careful not to speak to quickly. After a pause, Littlesplash added, "I keep crushed cob nuts next to the oak leaves. Once everything is chewed, mix them with those on the leaf, and then it can be applied to the wound."

If it weren't for the fact this was his area of expertise, the undersized tom might have hesitated more. He only caught himself after, the words rolling off his tongue like second nature, "Oh, uh, I'm sorry... I hope that isn't asking too much."

The tom was a bit taken aback by her sentiment, however, it caused a soft smile to flicker across his features. How odd it was to be a medicine cat with another looking after you. Whatever pang of guilt had nestled itself in his chest began to ebb away at Ripplesong's remark. He could only attribute their lack of familiarity to the different paths their paws had walked, especially given the queen was newer to the nursery. However, not, he felt a sense of regret for not further investing time in his clanmates. Moments like these made him remember how quickly life had changed in a few short moons.

Ripplesong quickly, and with care, prepped the poultice. He'd opened his mouth to compliment her but the molly's melodious voice cut through the air before he had a chance. Littlesplash's whiskers twitched again, his nose as well, as she mentioned mousebile. A laugh edged it's way into his words, "No matter how many times you smell mousebile, it never gets more pleasant. I'm glad ticks feel the same way."

As she pressed the poultice in, he winced slightly at the stinging sensation as it slowly melted into a soothing cool. With a deep breath, Littlesplash nodded. Maybe in another life she would have been a good medicine cat herself. Now, here came the tricky part, "Press down slowly with the cobwebs as you unravel them so they'll stick to the fur. It takes a delicate paw but I know you can do it." An encouraging smile lit his features and his eyes were noticeably brighter than before. Littlesplash hadn't realized how much he needed a moment like this, a moment to breathe.