This is a series of one-shots, one about each of Shatter's kits once they've grown up. If you don't know who Shatter is, I suggest you go read my story Shattered Clan. ~ Capitaine Jaf

Dedicated to Amber

Third in the Shattered Trilogy

Hail

"Hail! My foot hurts!"

I sighed. "I told you to leave it alone. Come here, let me see..."

The kit stumbled towards me and held out his left foreleg. I gently turned it over so that I could see his pads. "It looks fine. You just have to be patient. You can't heal in one day."

"But Hail!" the kit whined. "Everyone else gets to play, and I can't!"

"You will soon," I promised.

Mist gently pushed her kit away. "Sorry about him, Hail. He just keeps complaining... I wasn't sure if there was actually something wrong or not... thanks for coming, though."

"You're welcome," I meowed. "I'll come back tomorrow to see how he's doing. He should be fine by then, anyway."

"Thanks," Mist meowed again.

I nodded and walked away. I left the alley Mist lived in and headed down the greypath. As I was walking I was joined by an orange and white tabby who was just a few moons older than me.

"Morning, Hail."

"Morning, Maple. How's Ginger doing?"

"I don't know, I've never had kits," Maple replied. After a short pause she added, "Red says she looks good, though."

I nodded. Red would know, having given birth to Maple and Ginger herself.

"But you know Ginger, she's worried. She'd like you to go see her, when you get the chance."

"I'm free now."

Maple purred. "Hail, you're dead on your feet. You need some sleep."

"I'll go see Ginger, then I'll get some sleep."

"All right," Maple agreed. "Come on, then," she paused for a moment then bolted across the thunderpath. I chased after her.

(***)

"You're sure the kits aren't coming soon?"

I gave Ginger's forehead a quick lick. "You're doing fine. Don't worry. The kits won't come for a while yet. Besides, you've got Red right here with you. She'll know when its time." I glanced at the older she-cat, who nodded. "I'll see you later, Ginger." I meowed.

"Thanks for coming, Hail."

I left her den and, as I promised Maple, found a quiet place to curl up and get some sleep.

(***)

"So you put cobwebs over the bleeding?"

The old she cat nodded.

"But what if it doesn't stop?" I asked. "The bleeding, I mean."

"Then you put more on top," she meowed. "You just layer it on."

"Oh... all right, thanks!"

(***)

"Brick, what was that trick you told me about stopping pain?"

"I never said anything about stopping pain."

"Come on, Brick. You told me something."

The old cat looked thoughtful for a moment. Then his eyes lit up as he remembered. "Poppy seeds. Poppy seeds dull pain, they don't stop it, but they help."

"Poppy seeds. That's great. Thanks, Brick."

(***)

"Can you treat whitecough with honey? That helps coughs, right?"

"Whitecough? Well... I guess you could try. But catmint is much more effective."

"Catmint?"

"Its a special plant that twolegs grow."

"Oh... I've never heard of that? Could you show me some?"

"If we can find any."

(***)

I woke up from my dreams when a paw poked me in the side. Yawning, I sat up. "What, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. 'Least... nothing that can't heal."

I glanced at my brother and sighed. "What did you do this time?"

Storm glanced down at his paw. "I told you, its nothing. Its just-"

"Bleeding."

"Well... yes, if you put it that way."

"Let me see it." He held out his paw and I quickly looked over it. "You just need some cobwebs. Clean it, I'll be right back." I walked away and looked around for somewhere to find cobwebs. Nearby I saw those strange twoleg rocks that almost seemed to make steps, and along one side were the usual hard tree branches that the twolegs held onto as thye climbed. In between a couple of the branches I saw cobwebs. Happily, I ran over to them. Usually twolegs cleaned off all the cobwebs. I wrapped them around my leg and ran back to Storm, who had cleaned off his paw like I told him.

As I was carefully wrapping the cobwebs around the paw, he meowed, "What were you dreaming about?"

"What?" I asked, looking up from his paw.

"You were twitching in your sleep."

"Oh... I was thinking about when we were still kits, and how I collected remedies and cures from most of the older cats." I meowed. "And then I became a healer."

"Good thing, too, or I'd probably be dead, right?" Storm purred.

I flicked him with my tail. "Right. With no one to patch up your injuries."

"I don't get hurt too often."

"No, not too often," I agreed sarcastically.

"Go back to sleep, I'll be right back."

"What, another injury so soon?"

Storm playfully cuffed my shoulder with his good front paw. He knew to be gentle with me, I was nowhere near as strong as him. "Just lie back down."

I did.

"Good. Now stay there."

(***)

I had almost drifted back to sleep with Storm dropped a mouse in front of me. "Here you are, little brother. Payment."

"I don't need payment for healing."

"No, but you do need food. And you never have time to hunt for yourself." Storm nudged it towards my nose. "Eat, Hail." Then he was gone.

I was grateful, even though I tried to pretend that I wasn't. It was true, I rarely had time to hunt for myself. Most of my food came from other cats. And most of that food came from my brothers. I was hungrier than I thought, so I ate the whole mouse.

I was curling back up for another nap when a cat appeared in front of me. At first I thought Storm had returned, but when I opened my eyes I saw a dark tabby whose name I couldn't remember.

"Come quick, Hail, there's been a terrible fight. We need you."

The cat turned and bolted without waiting to see if I was following.

I got to my feet quickly and chased after him.

(***)

A healer's work is never done. But I'm not complaining.