Help

The dark red tom snarled, struggling to pull himself to his paws. "Get away from me!"

The medicine cat didn't move, his yellow eyes trained on his patient. "Redfrost that's not wise."

"I don't need help!" The warrior insisted even as his legs buckled under him. His three good legs that is. The fourth had been crushed by a dog's jaws just under a moon ago.

Redfrost snarled, his white muzzle curling back to reveal his fangs. He shook his head, and sighed.

Sageleaf huffed lightly; the light gray tom rolled his eyes. "You always were stubborn Redfrost."

Redfrost growled again, and ignored the medicine cat. He didn't try to get up though. "I wanted something from the prey-pile."

Sageleaf headed out, likely to get some prey and Redfrost growled under his breath.

"You could've just asked from the beginning." A female voice commented. Cloudfeather approached Redfrost and examined him.

"I don't need pity or anyone's help!" he snapped, fangs scraping against each other as his mouth snapped shut. He glared at the medicine cat apprentice who merely gazed back at him.

Cloudfeather looked at him with slight impatience.

"Redfrost, you're still recovering." She told him.

Redfrost glared at her from the corner of his eye. "So?"

Cloudfeather sighed, shaking her head. "Redfrost, it's okay to ask for something."

The warrior snarled. "Why? Because the Clan doesn't want to see me pathetically limp through camp?"

"That is not why." Cloudfeather retorted, her tail lashed once, but she sighed. "It's because you're still regaining strength."

"I'm fine!" Redfrost attempted to shove himself up and Cloudfeather placed her paw between his shoulders. The tom struggled against her for a moment then stopped.

"Ow." He grit his teeth together. "My leg hurts. I need poppy seeds."

"What you need is to stop using your leg like it will support you." Cloudfeather informed him, studying him. "You're putting your weight on it, that's probably why it hurts."

Redfrost leaned back, so all his weight was on his haunches. "It should support me. I shouldn't be here." He didn't acknowledge that she was right, when he'd taken the weight off the pain had eased.

Cloudfeather let out a breath. "But you are Redfrost. If you're upset about it, talk to that dog you chose to attack."

Redfrost curled his lip. "Hey, I sent that dog running back to its two-legs. The Clan can hunt in peace once more!"

Cloudfeather glanced at him. "Then why are you complaining about being here?"

"Because I was a hero, I should-" Redfrost cut off as he fell backwards, having put all his weight on his back legs.

Cloudfeather made a noise, and Redfrost glared at her. "It's not funny." He rolled over and flinched. He stifled the yelp and slowly rolled to his other side, so his mutilated leg wasn't pinned between him and the ground. He struggled to get up, since his leg couldn't pull him to his paws.

Something pulled him up, Cloudfeather's scent washed over him.

"I don't need help!" he snapped, pulling away from her only to stumble.

Cloudfeather sighed, gazing at him. "It wasn't pity. I helped you because I wanted to. So what if you didn't need it?"

"Leave me alone!" Redfrost lashed his tail, glaring at her. "If you won't give the poppy seeds to me give them to the elders."

Cloudfeather's yellow gaze was on him, and he explained. "I wasn't all the way asleep when Sageleaf mentioned that the elders' joints were stiff. And that I'd used most of the poppy seeds you needed for the poultice."

Cloudfeather blinked. "You're sure you don't need them?"

Redfrost shrugged, not even grimacing at the pain from his left shoulder. "I'll live."

"So will the elders."

"I'm more concerned about the apprentices."

Cloudfeather looked amused for a moment then dipped her head. "If you say so."

Redfrost waited until she turned her back to flinch, glancing at his leg.

The medicine cats had bound it in sticks and cobwebs, so it was hard to tell how bad it actually was. Redfrost still remembered the pain as the dog's jaws clamped around his leg. His bones had broken beyond any hope for repair. They'd heal but Sageleaf had expressed doubts about how straight his leg would be. Redfrost help a small amount of hope he'd be able to walk at least. Running would be great. To fight? Well, clearly StarClan wasn't interested in his fate so he wasn't hoping for a miracle.

He lay down on his good side, his whiskers bending over the soft moss.

He woke up with a burst of pain, almost jumping to his paws before realizing that would make it worse.

"Ow!" he yelped, and the apprentice jerked back.

"Sorry." Blackpaw apologized quickly, "I just wanted to wake you and-"

"Okay, Blackpaw, okay." Redfrost knew the apprentice was terrified, and hid his pain. "Next time just say my name."

Blackpaw nodded, still worried looking. "Sorry Redfrost. I have some fresh-kill for you."

Redfrost blinked. "Give it to the queens." He instructed.

"They've been fed." Blackpaw replied. "The elders too. Sageleaf ordered me to bring the squirrel to you."

Redfrost hesitated. "Fine. Thank you Blackpaw." Before digging in he asked, "How's Brackenpaw?"

"He's good." Blackpaw answered. "I think he hopes you'll recover enough to be his mentor."

Redfrost took a bite from the squirrel to prevent him from saying anything. Blackpaw didn't need to know that Redfrost was likely crippled for life.

He swallowed and continued. "How's Mousetail treating him?"

"He's not complaining about her." Blackpaw glanced at Redfrost. "He just really wants you back."

"Tell him that he'd better train hard because when I'm back I'm going to make him do every battle move perfectly, if it takes him two days."

Blackpaw nodded and scampered off, and Redfrost began eating the squirrel in earnest.

"Redfrost." The tom glanced over, again Cloudfeather was talking to him.

"Afternoon." He greeted her, since it had been morning when he'd fallen asleep. He leaned forward to look out of the den. "Or should I say evening?"

Cloudfeather ignored his plesantaries. "Why did you tell Blackpaw that?"

"Because I meant it." Redfrost groomed his whiskers with his good paw, as Cloudfeather seemed to struggle for words.

The warrior looked up at her. "Cloudfeather, I know the truth. Even if my leg heals I won't be able to mentor Brackenpaw. Or anyone." He shrugged his good shoulder. "I just didn't want Brackenpaw doing something mouse-brained like not train so that he's still an apprentice when I get out of the medicine cat den."

Cloudfeather studied him. "You really like Brackenpaw."

"He's a good 'paw, and will be a great warrior." Redfrost answered quickly.

Cloudfeather shook her head, muttering something about toms that cut themselves off from others and their own emotions.

Redfrost ignored the comment, it stung a little though. He was a good warrior, he had been anyway. What did she know? He curled his lip.

"That's why they call me Redfrost." He finally stated. "The fact I'm partially white helps, but you think that's the only reason Vinestar named me what he did?"

Cloudfeather studied him. "That you're sarcastic, rude and unable to admit that you have emotions?"

Redfrost purred. "Well done, I knew there was a reason you became a medicine cat." With that he continued to groom himself.

Cloudfeather sighed, turning away from him. Redfrost glanced at her and ran his tongue quickly over his paw.

It wasn't the last argument Redfrost and Cloudfeather had as he healed, but Redfrost found himself enjoying the medicine cat apprentice's company. She was kind-hearted and patient, which meant she tried to tolerate him, and he tried to drive her crazy.

It was in the middle of one such argument, over whether or not a cat from one of the great legands had killed one snake or two, that Sageleaf broke in.

"Enough!" he ordered, both his patient and apprentice stopping to stare at him. The medicine cat shook his head.

"Redfrost, you can walk now, so out!"

Redfrost blinked. "But Sageleaf, where do you want me to go?" he stepped forward, limping heavily. He couldn't go to the elders den, he couldn't!

Sageleaf sighed. "For a walk."

"I could go with him." Cloudfeather offered, argument put aside. "He knows most of the herbs now, he could help me gather some."

Redfrost perked up. "I could do that. Even without Cloudfeather, I mean it doesn't take a medicine cat to recognize a cobweb or some marigold."

Sageleaf seemed to consider it. "You could… I know you want to be useful, and it would save me time." The medicine cat finally nodded, "We can make that a permenant thing."

Redfrost looked at Cloudfeather. "Guess you're stuck with me."

"I'll force feed you poppy seeds some day." Cloudfeather replied, Redfrost chuckled.

"As if. You're too gentle. You'd ask me to eat them."

Redfrost turned his head with gentle swipe to his muzzle.

Sageleaf nodded, "Go on Cloudfeather, I wanted to say something to Redfrost."

The warrior waited and turned to Sageleaf. "What?"

"Why do you want to stay here so badly?" Sageleaf asked. "Is it Cloudfeather?"

"No!" Redfrost exclaimed, indignant. "We're just friends. I want to stay here so I can be useful."

Sageleaf narrowed his eyes, and Redfrost growled. "Whether or not you trust me, you should trust her. You and I both know that even if I should somehow fall in love with her that she'd never return it."

Sageleaf looked away. "That's true. I just had to be sure, Redfrost."

Redfrost curled his lip. "No, no you didn't." with that he stormed out, the effect emphasized not diminished by the fact he was limping.

Redfrost caught up to Cloudfeather, and the two made their way out of camp. It was slow pace, mostly because of Redfrost, the tom still not out of the splint.

Cloudfeather broke silence. "What did Sageleaf want?"

"Nothing important." Redfrost answered, the anger at Sageleaf reflected in them.

Cloudfeather glanced at him and Redfrost huffed. "You think we're just friends right?"

"I guess." Cloudfeather tilted her head. "I wasn't sure you had friends."

"Oh shut up." Redfrost's friendly glace took the sting out of his words.

Cloudfeather stopped and Redfrost turned partially to face her.

"Why?" Cloudfeather asked.

Redfrost sighed and flicked his ears. "Sageleaf asked if we were something more."

Cloudfeather's eyes widened. "But I'm a medicine cat!" her eyes narrowed. "You don't want to be something more do you?"

"No." Redfrost replied. "StarClan knows why Sageleaf thought otherwise."

Cloudfeather continued to watch him so he added in a haughty voice. "Not too meantion you'd never like a tom like me."

Cloudfeather chuckled. "Like you?"

"Sarcastic and rude, but perfect."

Cloudfeather laughed softly, and Redfrost mused. "Then again, you chose to spend all your time with Sageleaf, which says something about your taste in toms."

Cloudfeather glared at him. "Hey!"

Redfrost's whiskers twitched. "Sarcastic and rude remember?"

Cloudfeather gently cuffed him with her paw, Redfrost huffed.

"Now come on, we're supposed to find herbs." Cloudfeather pointed out.

Redfrost agreed and followed her.

"Careful not to crush them." Cloudfeather instructed as he gathered juniper berries.

Redfrost huffed. "Easier said than done. With this leg I'm totally off balance."

Cloudfeather was quiet and then asked. "Redfrost?"

"Yes?" he asked, plunging his muzzle into the bush.

He could see the she-cat's white outline through the leaves. "Why did you attack the dog?"

"It was an enemy." Redfrost answered, gnawing on a branch.

Cloudfeather's form moved. "But you were by yourself, and it was a dog."

Redfrost hesitated, teeth on the branch. "Because the Clan needed to be able to hunt without being terrified of that dog. Too many cats had been hurt by it for me to let it go." He pulled the branch out, the clumps of berries shaking as he moved. Around the stick he added. "In all honesty? That's the real reason I was angry I got hurt. Because I was supposed to be the hero."

Cloudfeather stared at her friend, who shook his head, berries raining down. "Come on, we've got work to do."

XXX

That quickly became a regular thing. Redfrost and Cloudfeather could carry twice as much, so Sageleaf was kept well stocked, and sane.

On one of the herb gathering missions, Redfrost worked his leg as he gathered the plants. "We should probably leave some, just in case."

When he got no answer the tom raised his head. "Cloudfeather?" he looked around, no sign of the white she-cat. He rose roughly to his paws, leaving the pile of marigold. "Cloudfeather?"

There was no sign of the white she-cat, Redfrost limped forward. "Cloudfeather!"

A loud yowl made Redfrost's head snap over and he was suddenly moving faster than he ever had since he got injured.

XXX

Mousepaw ended up beside the new medicine cat apprentice. He felt awkward, because he wasn't sure who he was, or how'd he become medicine cat.

The other medicine cat glanced at him. "Something on your mind?"

"Umm…" Mousepaw flattened his ears. "I was wondering why you're medicine cat apprentice."

Redfrost limped forward, silent for a long moment. He didn't want to the tom the full story about how this way he was still useful, about the injury, how Cloudfeather had helped him and then he couldn't…

Redfrost settled on that. "I'm medicine cat apprentice because I couldn't help Cloudfeather in time."

XXX

A.N.: Cloudfeather was killed by a fox; Redfrost was too slow to save her. So because he wanted to still be useful, and redeem himself for letting Cloudfeather down, he took her place.