~ The doctor said that I'm lovesick, well I guess I'll be sick forever. And I'm sorry to say that you made me this way, but I don't wanna ever get better, no! It's obvious that I'm lovesick, yeah, and that maybe I should take my medicine. Try hard as you may, no matter what you do, I can never get rid of you. ~ Lovesick, by Priscilla Renea

Chapter 38

"Lovesick."

6/15/17 - 6/16/17 - 6/17/17

~ Daisypelt ~

With the floods retreating to the lake the next day, RiverClantries to return to normalcy, and took advantage of the fish that were stranded on the shore. The breeze blowing through, some cats with fur wet from the rain come down with sore throats. Beechclaw remains in the medicine cat den when Sootdust discovered he was in shock from the storm.

Bearskip doesn't visit his brother, and Beechclaw's rumored "mate", Carpstream, doesn't look at the medicine cat den as she continues her duties.

Ferretleap coughs with his mouth closed and continues to move the debris. Daisypelt looks his way with a branch in her mouth.

Specklepaw was doing her rounds to check on the warriors when Ferretleap coughs again.

"Ferretleap, are you okay?" She asks. Ferretleap swallows. "I'm fine… I just swallowed a feather."

Specklepaw puts her ear on Ferretleap's chest, Daisypelt sneaks close to them, pretending to pick up debris.

"Try breathing properly." She told him. Ferretleap breathes in, and stops when the urge to cough comes in his throat.

"That sounds like whitecough, Ferretleap." Specklepaw told him. Daisypelt drops the branch and stands in front of Specklepaw.

"Give him catmint and put him off working."

Ferretleap gives her an indignant glare. "Hey - I'm not some helpless kit you know!"

Daisypelt thrusts her muzzle toward Ferretleap's.

"If you had just remained inside the warriors den when your throat was scratchy you wouldn't have this problem!"

Specklepaw looks at the two cats and coughs to get their attention.

"It's only whitecough," she reminds Daisypelt. "Although, Ferretleap, you should just stay in your nest for a while, at least until Sootdust comes back."

Ferretleap looks at the debris. "But-." Daisypelt's glare silences him, with a huff Ferretleap nods to Specklepaw and pads inside the den. Specklepaw spares Daisypelt an amusing smile that she didn't like.

"I see why you like him."

"What-?" Daisypelt stops herself before giving away her secret. She rolls her eyes and pads away from the medicine cat apprentice, whipping her tail dismissively.

Daisypelt is disturbed by ragged breathing late in the morning. She looks back to see Frecklespots bending over Ferretleap as he gives out a bad cough.

"What is going on?" Daisypelt pads to his nest and shoves Frecklespots away from him.

"I think he has greencough." Frecklespots gives her an accusing glare. "How could you let him get this way?! Are you trying to kill him?"

Daisypelt doesn't give Frecklespots a reply, she left the den with a racing heart. She goes inside the medicine cat den and jabs her front paw into Sootdust's back while she was turned to her.

"Ouch!" Sootdust whirls around with an annoyed face.

"Something is wrong with Ferretleap!" Daisypelt said before Sootdust could scold her.

The mottled grey she-cat blinks in realization, she quickly gathers her herbs and leaves the den with Daisypelt right behind her. She sees Frecklespots trying to soothe Ferretleap, while at the same time making him uncomfortable as he tries to move away from her.

Daisypelt marches toward her and nips her ear.

"Would you stop?! You'll get yourself sick!"

Plus that's my mate you're touching!

The light grey tabby realizes how possessive she sounds, even in her thoughts. She only thought this way when Darkwater… Shaking her head and banishing those thoughts, she watches as Sootdust nudges Frecklespots.

"Daisypelt is right, I need to take him to my den and check on him."

"Can I stay with him?"

Daisypelt growls in annoyance when Frecklespots stole her question. Sootdust looks at the two she-cats and her gaze falls on Daisypelt.

"You can, but you'll have to help."

Daisypelt looks at Specklepaw's empty nest.

"Where's that little one of yours?"

"She's with Owlflight." Sootdust replies. "One of their kits has a bad cough and needed help with keeping it under control. Don't tell Olivestar about that."

Daisypelt rolls her eyes.

Sootdust holds catmint over his muzzle, Ferretleap moans and pushes the herb away. Feeling irritated and scared, Daisypelt takes a pawful of catmint and pushes it toward Ferretleap.

"Would you stop being a kit? This is supposed to help you get better! Eat!"

"Daisypelt!" Sootdust moves her back. Ferretleap covers his mouth with white paws and his cheeks puff up. Daisypelt smells something rank almost leave his mouth, as did Sootdust.

"Ferretleap?" Sootdust asks. "Did you eat something rotten?"

Ferretleap swallows. "It was just a piece of tuna… it looked fine to-." He immediately covers his muzzle when the bile rises up again. Daisypelt stares at him with dismay while Sootdust is calm in the situation - now that Daisypelt is too stunned to get in her way.

The RiverClan medicine cat brought out yew and shows it to Ferretleap.

"Eat this."

The dark brown tom looks at the yew and licks it from her paw. In only a few minutes Ferretleap heaves uncontrollably and vomits - making Daisypelt look away out of reflex.

Ferretleap gags. "That was disgusting!" He told Sootdust.

"It's a natural body reaction." Sootdust chided. "Don't eat strange fish next time."

Sootdust cleans up the mess, and Daisypelt gives Ferretleap the most murderous glare she can muster. Sootdust looks at the supposed mates.

"... I'll leave you two to speak with each other."

Sootdust quickly leaves the den, knowing the extent of Daisypelt's anger and claws, unlike young cats Ferretleap's age, like Ferretleap himself.

Daisypelt stands over Ferretleap. "So… You had a bad fish sitting in your stomach this whole time?"

Ferretleap hiccups. "Yeah. It was messing with with me since yesterday, the smell was bad, too…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Daisypelt hisses, making Ferretleap jump. "It sounded like you had greencough! You had me scared out of my fur over a rotten tuna!"

Ferretleap pauses, then smirks. "You were worried about me?"

Daisypelt feels the heat rise under her pelt, and arches her back while flattening her ears. "Yes, I was worried that I wouldn't have the chance to rip you apart for exaggerating over something so small."

"So, that's a yes?"

"Keep testing me and I'll shove these deathberries down your throat!"

Ferretleap purrs with amusement, Daisypelt couldn't bring herself to hate him now that he's not seriously ill. He frowns.

"Good thing I never gave you that tuna, then."

Daisypelt pricks her ears. "Excuse me?"

Ferretleap realizes he has spoken out loud. He looks at the nest and shuffles his white paws. "That tuna was meant for you. It was a big, tasty one, and I was going to rip off one piece and give it to you."

Daisypelt scoffs. "I can catch my own fish."

"I still wanted to do it, just to say thanks for… you know."

Heat involuntarily rises up to Daisypelt's ears. She huffs and crossley turns her back to hide her flustered face.

So what if he acted of foolish, chivalrous intentions? Darkwater did the same thing when we were 'paws, but he wasn't dumb enough to eat bad fish, he smelled them first! So why does Ferretleap's act trigger so much for me…?

~ Graysky ~

She chuckles with amusement seeing Daisypelt so flustered. Ivystar pads next to her, curious.

"What's so funny?"

Graysky points her tail tip to the pool. Ivystar peers into the water and raises an invisible eyebrow.

"I never thought she'd look at toms after Darkwater rejected her."

"I know, right?" Graysky giggles. "But StarClan, I wish she'd stop that 'tough she-cat' act and let Ferretleap know how she feels!"

Ivystar sighs. "It's never easy for Daisypelt to express her emotions… And quite frankly, it's my own fault for not nurturing her to do so."

"Mom…"

"Don't." Ivystar told her youngest daughter. "I know now that it's my fault for being an inattentive mother, and my grief and anger with what Stonetail did, I put it all on her."

Graysky gently touches Ivystar's shoulder with her nose.

"She's pushed it away, Mom. Now she has a chance to be happy."

Ivystar hopes so. Looking at Daisypelt, she sees Stonetail in her place.

Stonetail and I always threw snippets and jibes at each other, and it was all in good fun. Who knows? Maybe Daisypelt will have a better future with Ferretleap.