Omega padded back and forth in front of her den, a small cave shrouded with ferns. Omega's light tabby pelt rippled in fear. A young mother, a she-cat who never should have chosen to bear kits, was giving birth right then inside the den. But Omega was never meant to be a medicine cat. She could never handle the sight of blood or the sour scent of an infected wound. So, like a complete coward, Omega had rushed outside for some fresh air while Yellow Bird was giving birth to her kits.
"Omega! What are you doing?" Silver asked her as she spotted Omega from the warrior's den. "Where is Yellow Bird, for Starclan's sake?"
Omega lowered her head. "I…. I can't handle it anymore. I'm going to tell Mudstar that he has to ask Starclan for another medicine cat. I have done wrong in my life, and Starclan can never forgive me for that." Only Silver knew the truth, and she had sworn long ago to never tell a single soul.
"Yes you can, Omega," Silver affectionately licked Omega's ear. She was Omega's older sister and was always the one to push her back onto her paws. "Go on, don't be a scaredy mouse! A she-cat needs you right now."
Omega sighed. "Okay. Fine." She turned back and ducked into the entrance of her den. Yellow Bird's pale ginger fur was damp with sweat. She was heaving for air, a little bundle of fur already at her side. Yellow Bird looked up and groaned.
"Where were you?" Yellow Bird hissed. She gasped in pain and her eyes rolled back.
In the dark, cool cave, Omega could easily sneakily snatch a bundle of raspberry leaves and lie, "I had to retrieve some herbs to relieve your pain." Yellow Bird relaxed.
"Thank you," she panted. Omega nodded and removed three leaves from the bundle.
"Eat that. I'll mix you some borage as well, to help when your kits come," Omega murmured.
Yellow Bird's amber eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness. "How many kits?" she rasped.
"Three," Omega said, stripping borage leaves into shreds and letting the juices seep out of the leaves.
Yellow Bird suddenly let out a high-pitched wail as the second kit started to come into the world. "It's stuck," Yellow Bird croaked. "Omega… help me." But Omega didn't notice. She was stuck in a flashback. She remembered the same exact wail. Omega could barely remember a pale yellow she-cat with vibrant green eyes, exactly like Yellow Bird with different eyes, dripping blood from her flank. The yellow she-cat had wailed two times before slumping to the ground. Omega recalled later burying the she-cat. Omega snapped out of her flashback and realized that Yellow Bird had already finished giving birth and was frantically licking the last two kits. Omega was still stunned from the memory so she couldn't get her paws to move.
"Omega, what's wrong with them?" Yellow Bird cried. Omega finally was able to rush forward and press her ear against the two kits. Her heart cracked into two.
"I'm so sorry…" Omega whispered. "They're dead."
Yellow Bird's eyes widened and she screeched. "No! No, no, no, no! Why didn't you do anything? You just stood there, watching me, doing nothing! No… how could they be dead? You're an evil cat." As Yellow Bird started sobbing, Omega froze. Did she cause the kit's death? Just how many lives would she ruin again?