Pain shot through Sleetpaw's body as he breathed, his lungs felt like they were on fire!
He turned around in his moss nest, which had started to get hard and scratchy, trying to get into a position that would lessen the pain, but no matter how much he twist and turned, it remained constant, and the moss scratching against his pelt didn't help matters.
He knew he should probably tell Rainybreeze or Coldpaw about the bedding, but they had more important things to worry about.
His mother Snowpetal, Mapleleaf, and Frozenwhisker had all come down with whitecough as well.
Not to mention, Mousekit was still in there, and he seemed to be getting worse.
He glanced over at the small kit, feeling both worry and sympathy shoot through him.
The poor thing didn't deserve this, he knew from overhearing Blazekit talking to the other cats, that he absolutely hated his brother. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if his brother hated him. They didn't always get along sure, but he knew that they'd always be there for each other.
"It's okay Mapleleaf, you're going to get all better, and then we can go hunting together, of course, after you get your strength back."
Sleetpaw turned his head toward's Mapleleaf's nest, to see Dustcloud meowing beside her.
At that moment, Rainybreeze and Coldpaw came padding in with herbs in their jaws. He knew that one of the herbs was catmint, but he didn't recognize the other others, either way, it didn't seem like they had gotten much.
His heart thudded in his chest at the sight of Coldpaw. He knew that they could never be together, but it seemed impossible to stop feeling the way that he did.
He sighed, wishing that there was an off switch for feeling stuff, it would make life a lot more simple.
They put their herbs down, and Rainybreeze padded over to Dustcloud.
"What are you doing in here? You're not ill are you?"
"No, I was-"
"Get out then!" Rainybreeze spat.
"But I-"
"Now! Don't you know that whitecough is highly contaigious, and that it can easily turn into greencough?"
"I know but, I don't want to leave Mapleleaf," Dustcloud sighed.
Sleetpaw's pelt prickled at the anguish in his voice.
Rainybreeze's expression softened.
"It will be okay, Mapleleaf is in good hands, she'll be back in the warrior's den before you know it."
Dustcloud nodded, and without another word, he slowly padded out of the den, throwing glances back at Mapleleaf as he went.
Sleetpaw felt both sad, and slightly relieved, when Coldpaw then left the den.
He wished that he could just be around her, without feeling all these feelings, but he didn't know how.
He couldn't ask his littermates for advice either. Mistpaw would just lecture him about how Coldpaw was a medicine cat, as if he didn't know that already, and Icepaw would encourage him to be with Coldpaw, but he knew he could never do that. It would completely ruin her life, and that was the last thing he wanted.
As for Frostpaw, he wasn't sure what his brother would say, but he figured it'd be best to just keep it to himself.
"Here's some fresh-kill," Coldpaw meowed, dropping a scrawny mouse beside him. He had been so deep in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed her return.
Sleetpaw leaned forward to give the mouse a quick sniff. Thanks to the mucus blocking his nose, he couldn't smell anything, and despite the fact that he hadn't eaten since getting sick, the thought of eating the mouse revolted him.
"Thank you Coldpaw, but you should probably give it to some cat who needs it more."
"You need it to get your strength back up," Coldpaw meowed.
"What about the others?" Sleetpaw asked, turning his attention to Mousekit, who was still shivering in his nest. Once again, he felt a pang of sympathy for the kit.
Where was his mother? He felt anger boil up in his chest, why wasn't she there with him?
No, he tried to push the feelings of anger away, he shouldn't be mad at Gingerfur. She had two other kits to look after, and if she got ill, what would happen to them?
Besides, Mousekit was no longer nursing.
Still, he couldn't stand to see the small kit trembling like that.
"They've already had their share, now will you please eat it, for me?"
Sleetpaw sighed, and reluctantly took a bite out of the mouse. Right away, he wanted to spit it back it. It had no taste, and as he swallowed it down, the fur felt so thick, that he was afraid he would choke.
He pushed the remains back to Coldpaw, he knew he couldn't eat anymore even if he tried.
"I'm sorry, I can't finish it," he meowed.
"That's okay, at least you ate something."
Coldpaw licked the top of his head, and ate the remains of the mouse.
"Hey Coldpaw, do you think that I'd be able to share a nest with Mousekit?" he asked, hoping that if the kit had some cat to huddle with, then he wouldn't tremble as much.
"Absolutely not," Rainybreeze meowed firmly from her spot beside Mapleleaf's nest.
"Why not?" Sleetpaw demanded, attempting to rise to his paws, so he could look the medicine cat in the eyes.
"Because, he has greencough, and I don't want it to spread to you, or any of the other cats, I was actually planning on moving him elsewhere," she meowed.
"So, you're just going to move him to a place where he'll be scared and alone?" he spat, feeling the fur on the back of his neck rise.
"It's what's best for the clan, and he won't be alone, he'll have myself and Coldpaw checking in on him constantly," Rainybreeze meowned, seeming unfazed by his harsh tone.
"But look at him right now," Sleetpaw protested.
Rainybreeze sighed and turned to Coldpaw.
"Is there anything you can put in Mousekit's nest to make it warmer for him?"
"Feathers might work, I could go out and look for some."
By then it might be too late, Sleetpaw thought to himself bitterly, he didn't say it out loud though, he didn't want to upset Coldpaw.
"There we go, problem solved," Rainybreeze meowed.
Sleetpaw bit back a sharp retort, and watched as the medicine cat padded over to Stormpetal.
He glanced at his mother, other than a slight cough, she seemed to be doing fine, so he wasn't too worried. He just hoped it wouldn't get any worse.
"You should get some rest," Coldpaw meowed.
Sleetpaw nodded, knowing that it was no use arguing, especially not with Coldpaw. He laid down in his nest, and closed his eyes.
It was hard for him to fall asleep, so many thoughts raced through his brain, that it made his head hurt.
What was going on with his super siblings? Would whitecough spread to more cats in the camp, would it turn into greencough? Was the hunting getting easier?
With all these questions, he almost felt as though Icepaw had somehow entered his mind.
However, he must have eventually fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, he was being awoken by the sound of wailing.
His eyes flew open, and he shot up in his nest, to see Gingerfur sitting there with her head down. Rainybreeze and Coldpaw were on either side of her, mewing words of comfort.
An icy chill ran through Sleetpaw's veins, it was colder than the snow outside. He knew without asking, what had happened; Mousekit had succumbed to greencough.
ShiverClan
Leader: Rainstar - thick-furred blue grey she cat with faint tabby stripes and blazing blue-green eyes. She has a scar on her shoulder and a floofy tail
Deputy: Hawkeye - sleek brown tabby tom with a lighter belly and paws and bright yellow eyes
Medicine Cat: Rainybreeze - silver she-cat with grey eyes
(Apprentice: Coldpaw)
Warriors:
Iceheart - white tom with icy blue eyes
Snowstorm - white tom with grey eyes (mates with Stormpetal)
Bloomtuft - white tom with hazel eyes and russet tabby patches
(Apprentice: Mistpaw)
Dustyfall - bulky short furred dusty grey tom with darker spots, a white tail-tip, and dull green eyes; has a scar on his muzzle, and a rip in his left ear
(Apprentice: Frostpaw)
Sootstep - large white tom with dark grey feet, broad shoulders, and a thick tail; green eyes (mates with Bluewisp)
(Apprentice: Icepaw)
Bluewisp - blue/dilute tortie with long hair and a plumy tail; blue eyes (mates with Sootstep, mother of Coldpaw)
Flamewing - small ginger she-cat with blue eyes
(Apprentice: Sleetpaw)
Stoneshade - tom with half of his face completely black and other half a russet tabby
Dustcloud - dark brown tom with sky blue eyes
Firfur - dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Mapleleaf - dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentices:
Coldpaw - lilac/diluted tortie with a white patch on her chest and dark blue eyes
Mistpaw - dull grey she-cat with dark grey eyes
Frostpaw - white tom with light grey eyes
Icepaw: white she-cat with icy blue eyes
Sleetpaw - dull grey tom with dark blue eyes; prone to having seizures
Queens:
Stormpetal - dull grey she-cat with blue eyes (mates with Snowstorm, mother of Mistpaw, Frostpaw, Icepaw, and Sleetpaw)
Fallenheart - smaller, pale gray she-cat with lighter tabby markings on ears and face/legs; light cloud-green eyes (mother of Owlkit and Whisperkit)
Gingerfur - ginger she-cat with white paws tail tip and belly; green eyes (mother of Blazekit, Mousekit, and Fernkit)
Nightspark - pretty black she-cat with green eyes (mother of Patchkit, Whitekit, and Blackkit)
Elders:
Frozenwisker - grey tom with pale blind blue eyes. His whiskers look constantly frozen
Redfur - wiry red tom with green eyes, missing a piece of his tail
Silvershadow - silver she cat with darker ears and amber eyes
Kits:
Patchkit - white tom with black patches and green eyes
Whitekit - white she-cat with black paws and yellow eyes
Blackkit - black tom with yellow eyes
Blazekit - orange tabby tom with yellow eyes
Fernkit - brown she-kit with dark brown paws and green eyes
Owlkit - light brown tabby tom, darker stripes and a ringed tail; green eyes
Whisperkit - gray she-kit; amber eyes
