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Post by Fawn on May 27, 2017 10:37:02 GMT -5
55 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. It was Appleshade who first noticed Meadowleaf's pained cries in the early hours of a warm newleaf morning. The she-cat had greencough, which was worriesome, but even more worriesome was that she was ready to start kitting at any moment; Bluejay hadn't deemed it safe to move her to the hidden thicket, not when the kits could be exposed to the illness so suddenly.
Appleshade dropped the collection of feathers she'd been bringing to make the queen's nest more comfortable, and with wide eyes and a wildly lashing tail, the warrioress took off in search of Falconstorm and Bluejay. "Meadowleaf's started kitting! Come quickly, please I don't-I don't know if it's going well!"
The senior warrior's ears flattened, and she hovered anxiously while the two medicine cats gathered their herbs. Bluejay looked thin, her eyes a little sunken. When was the last time their medicine cat had eaten? Falconstorm's thick fur hid any signs of weight-loss, but that didn't mean he hadn't been affected by these past few stressful days.
Meadowleaf wailed from the nursery, and Appleshade's ears twitched fretfully. Poor thing! Hang in there. Help is on the way! Appleshade couldn't fathom the kind of pain Meadowleaf was in, but from the way her bulging belly shivered with each fresh wave, Appleshade knew the younger she-cat must have been in serious distress.
"Bring some raspberry leaves, it'll help with the pain." Said Bluejay tiredly to her apprentice, already hauling a crushed mixture of ragwort and juniper berries to the wailing queen.
This was going to be Falconstorm's first experience with a kitting, and Appleshade murmured a quick "good luck, may StarClan watch over you" to the tom as he passed. Though that little prayer was meant for Meadowleaf and her incoming litter, as well.
She couldn't imagine how Nightshade was going to feel; the kits' father was still in the quarantine zone, and from what Bluejay had said of him, he was deteriorating fast. Appleshade's heart squeezed painfully. It would be beyond cruel if he were to leave this world just as his offspring were entering it.
"Meadowleaf's kits are coming!" Appleshade blurted out to Skyfall, having found the white-furred tom on his way back from the patrol. "Should we tell Gorsetail? O-Or Lionstar?" Clearly frazzled, the warrioress looked to him for guidance, uncertain of her place but aware that she wanted to help.
Think you're all about me but I'm all about you I'll probably switch to staff account for Bluejay posts.
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Post by Justice on May 27, 2017 23:45:28 GMT -5
Falconstorm34 MOONS, MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE OF TREECLAN "Meadowleaf's started kitting!"
Three words that filled him with dread. With greencough rampant in the clan he wondered if they wouldn't lose the entire little family before it ever saw life. Still, he had no time to think on that. He was nervous enough. He loved kits, he liked to play with them and snuggle with them when he had the chance. But he had never been to a kitting, he found the entire concept terrifying. He hoped he didn't get sick or something. Horrible thing, a medicine cat that couldn't stomach a kitting.
Bluejay was sick. Meadowleaf was sick. Nightshade was sick. The kits would be exposed to greencough straight off the bat. Could kits even have catmint? He finally took a breath and remembered his training both with Bluejay and within his dreams with the StarClan sent former medicine cat. His mentors wouldn't lead him wrong, and he had to do this. Bluejay put everyone at risk being here. Meadowleaf was already doing so just as she was. But heavily pregnant was no way to travel, even somewhere as close as the Hidden Thicket.
The wail caused the tom's ears to flick up and a full body shudder to roll through his frame. And Bluejay was giving him orders. "I'll be right behind you." He gave his mentor a gentle headbutt, knowing how tired she was. They shouldn't be here, or at least Bluejay shouldn't have made the trip. But needs must, and Falconstorm didn't need to hazard a kitting on his own.
The tom finally came out of the medicine den, raspberry leaves along with a ball of water logged moss for Meadowleaf to drink so she didn't dehydrate during the kitting. To Appleshade he just shook his head. "First off, please calm down. Yes you should let them know what's going on, but everyone should steer clear of the nursery if possible. She's still contagious, and we don't want her stressed anymore than she is." He told her gently before gathering his herbs and moss ball and heading into the nursery after his mentor.
The scent of sick cat was heavy hear, and he silently thanked StarClan that Meadowleaf was the only queen at the moment. Greencough could easily kill pregnant queens and their entire litter. He made sure everything was close enough for one of them to reach without going far and took a deep breath even as his frame still shook a little from nerves.
He finally went and nuzzled the heaving queen, making soft purring sounds to soothe her as much as possible. "Keep breathing, you're doing great." He knew this much to do, but his blue eyes were locked on Bluejay. He hoped she understood he wanted her to direct him. He knew the process because he'd been taught, but knowing and applying were different lessons altogether. And could the newborns even stay with their mother with her sick? They were already exposed, but...
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Post by Fate of Five Staff on May 28, 2017 18:20:50 GMT -5
BluejayMeadowleaf whimpered, and Bluejay could already see the queen's strength failing. The kits would arrive at any moment, but the hardest part for Meadowleaf had just begun; with StarClan's blessing, the kitting would be over quickly. Quick enough that Meadowleaf could catch her breath. The she-cat was struggling to breathe, and a wet cough bubbled out of her throat, making her shake.
Bluejay looked at Falconstorm, maintaining her composure. "Keep her comfortable, make sure she doesn't choke on the raspberry leaves. Do you see what's happening to her belly?" Even as Bluejay spoke, another contraction rippled through the she-cat's stomach, stronger than the last one. "These are contractions. They get stronger and stronger, and more frequent, the closer the kits are to being born. The kits are coming any moment." Her tone gentled. "You must be strong, Meadowleaf, they can't come into this world without your help."
Meadowleaf nodded weakly, her ears flat to her skull with the pain. "I--" a high-pitched groan interrupted whatever the former deputy had been about to say. Bluejay rubbed her flank gently, gesturing for Falconstorm to take over once she positioned herself near Meadowleaf's tail.
Meadowleaf struggled, her already exhausted body trembling from the effort.
"Here's the first one," Bluejay spoke, her blue eyes fixed intently as the first kit entered the nursery. She nipped the sac covering the kitten, and immediately began to lick his or her fur, rewarded with a shrill squeak. Bluejay gently nudged the kit to its mother's belly.
"And the next one--" Bluejay's ears shot forward as she noticed Meadowleaf's uneasy breaths. She switched places with Falconstorm, speaking quickly "She's losing consciousness. Be ready to do what I just did for the second kit, Falconstorm." Bluejay's efforts to revive Meadowleaf were a combination of gentle words and effortful rubs on the she-cat's chest, trying to ease some of her breathing.
Meadowleaf opened bleary eyes, glancing weakly at the kit nestled at her belly.
"One more. You can do this, Meadowleaf. Just one more. Think of how happy Nightshade will be, when he hears about your kits." Bluejay soothed, and Meadowleaf bolstered her rapidly dwindling strength - whole body straining - to bring her last kit into the world.
Bluejay's heart raced. Even with the strengthening herbs, even with the raspberry leaves for pain, even with the chickweed for Meadowleaf's cough... What if they couldn't save her? Justice 395 Words
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Post by Justice on May 30, 2017 15:02:59 GMT -5
Falconstorm34 MOONS, MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE OF TREECLAN He knew he needed to keep his cool, to remain calm and level-headed as he had for everything else he'd had thrown at him. But this was a queen, a very sick queen. Falconstorm had started having nightmares, images of sick cats dying all around him, of his siblings and the she-cat who raised him coughing until there was no breath left to them. Dark dreams, and he was frightened by these. It didn't help that he ran himself into the ground when he was awake, his thick pelt the only thing concealing the loss of weight he'd started showing for all the running around he'd been doing. He still ate when he had the time, but sleep and even just sitting still were things that were a luxury. Too many sick cats, like Meadowleaf.
He shook his head and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he focused back on the task at paw. He nodded to his mentor and started the task she set him on. Watching to see she didn't choke, offering her water from the saturated moss he'd brought with him, watching her heavily pregnant belly tighten and her body shudder so he knew what he was looking for the next time.
"You're doing well, Meadowleaf." He soothed, rubbing his nose to her shoulder to encourage her. "You'll be meeting your kits soon." He took up rubbing at her flank and distended belly to help with the pain in the only other way he could. Herbs had been applied, but a clanmate did need physical and vocal comfort. She had to be scared, and he wanted her to be as comfortable as he and Bluejay could make her.
When the first kit entered the nursery Falconstorm thought he might just be sick as the little body was at first still. Once the kit started mewling and squeaking the feeling passed and the tom took another deep breath. StarClan, was this how it felt to be an expectant parent? Worrying of they'd come out alright, fussing over the queen in his life? It was probably best that he would never have to deal with this on a personal level. And as a medicine cat the delivering of kits would soon become easier for him. The first one was probably always the hardest for an apprentice.
It was when the queen started laboring for breath, started to loose consciousness, that things seemed to go south. Bluejay told him to switch with her, which he did. Though then being told to be prepared for the second kit widened his blue eyes comically as he nodded rapidly.
When the second kit finally came he gave a soft cheer. "The kit's here." He told both queen and mentor before nipping the sac and starting to clean the kit until it started squeaking and complaining like its sibling before it. "Yowl all you like, little one, it's a good sound." A yowling kit, no coughing, was a healthy kit. He nudged the tiny newborn towards its mother's belly, giving it one final lick before looking back to Bluejay.
He was a big tom, and he could do more here to help. So he went around behind the queen and stretched out as much as he could around her. Keep her warm since she'd expended so much energy bringing the kits into the world, but ready to get back up to help if he had to. His head stayed up, looking at Bluejay for further instructions.
He had the sinking feeling that Meadowleaf wouldn't make it, that she'd never get the chance to introduce her kits to their father. It had the painful feeling of a tragedy unfolding before his eyes. But, he had to believe StarClan would make things right for this family somehow.
"Its over Meadowleaf. They're here, you did it." He purred for her and tried to keep her warm so that she could keep her kits warm and fed in turn.
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Post by Fate of Five Staff on May 31, 2017 19:23:14 GMT -5
BluejayBluejay nodded encouragingly to Falconstorm's decision to keep her warm, and as she watched the kits squirming to nestle into Meadowleaf's belly, it was impossible not to notice the... stillness. Her breathing had grown faint, until with a sigh that was barely heard, Meadowleaf passed on. Bluejay bowed her head, saying a prayer to StarClan to welcome the former deputy with open paws.
"We did everything we could," her voice was tired, sad. But certain. "Meadowleaf is with StarClan now. I'll tell Lionstar what's happened. Keep the kits warm." They would have to be taken from their mother and given to a nursing queen as soon as she returned.
As Bluejay walked to the ancient stump, calling for her former mentor, a chilling realization hit her. The only other queen in the nursery was Gentlebreeze. And Gentlebreeze was in the hidden thicket, fighting her own battle with greencough.
Even though Lionstar was combating his own illness, the Clan leader reacted quickly to the news. Bluejay returned to the nursery, even while news traveled to Gorsetail, and from Gorsetail to four chosen warriors who were healthy enough for the journey. Appleshade was sent to StoneClan to inquire about their queens, Firesong was sent to LightningClan, Skyfall to NightClan, and Sorrelflower to RainClan.
"We have a problem," Bluejay mewed, her gaze softening as she looked over the ginger and white kit and the black and white kit. "TreeClan has no nursing queens. They won't survive without milk. Lionstar's sent a warrior to each Clan to ask if they have any nursing queens willing to take on two more." And I need to get back to the hidden thicket.
How many more lives were fading away without her help? Bluejay stepped close and gave Falconstorm an appreciative touch on the ear with her nose. "You've done very well, Falconstorm. Can I count on you to watch them? They're going to need names..." Feeling the pull towards the thicket stronger than ever, Bluejay promised to be back quickly.
Justice 334 Words
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Post by Justice on Jun 2, 2017 10:42:22 GMT -5
As he was lying against the new queen he felt it when her body lost its fight to survive. Greencough and giving birth had been too much for her. He sighed and also sent up a prayer to StarClan, this time to watch over Meadowleaf as she made her way to them and the kits she'd left behind. "We'll find someone to care for them, Meadowleaf. And I'll tell them about you." As Honeysong had done for he and his siblings when they were old enough, so too would he do for these two tiny balls of fluff. They deserved to know their mother. Falconstorm lifted sad blue eyes to his mentor and nodded slowly. Once she'd left the nursery he went on and moved the kits from in against Meadowleaf to into the curve of his body. It seemed she had enough left to feed them the first time, so that even in death she watched over her kits. So they weren't too upset with him for moving them from one fluffy belly to another. They squirmed against his hide and he wrapped around them, laying his tail over them and his head on his front paws. He was so tired, and the kits were safe for now. Bluejay would sort out the problem with needing a nursing queen, and he hoped it would be before they were so hungry that their little cries could be heard in the now empty nursery. Hungry kits with no queen to nurse them broke his heart. His head was down, resting. Just for a moment, then he'd go back to waiting for news. Just a moment more and he'd lift his head. It wasn't long before the former warrior was sound asleep, wrapped protectively around the two new kits. He had names in mind, but he'd suggest them to Bluejay when he saw her next. Fate of Five StaffEND THREAD
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