I am so sorry I have left all of you in the dark for so long! I finally got some time today and I know that this chapter is going to be very bad since this is the first time I'm typing on my iPad and that I haven't been typing for weeks. But please review and tell me what you think!

Strikepaw groaned as the harsh, cold sunlight that filtered into the den burned his tender eyes. The weather had suddenly dropped into freezing temperatures over the course of the quarter moon. He stumbled to his paws, shivering from the cold, his head pounding and legs shaking. Slashpaw looked up from his washing and trotted over to Strikepaw's nest. He bent down and licked Strikepaw's head, sympathy darkening his gaze.

"Just one more day, then Dovesoar said she would let you start training again."

He sniffed Strikepaw again, confusion lighting his gaze.

"It's worse today, you should go visit Stonestripe."

Strikepaw's head swam as he climbed to his paws. The sudden lack of physical exercise caused him to become sluggish and slow to react. It had been manageable up until today. He groaned again, his headache was even worse this morning. He coughed hard, trying to loosen his chest. He heard Sparrowcall's cry and looked to Slashpaw.

The apprentice still looked worried but gently tapped noses with his foster brother before hurrying off. "I'll catch us something tasty!"

Strikepaw took a few steps toward the elder's den, ready for another day of moss, moss, and even more moss. Yet, his vision blurred and he wanted to wail with the pain in his head. He turned towards Stonestripe's den and hobbled through the ferns.

The medicine cat was nowhere to be seen but his scent was fresh. Out herb collecting, Strikepaw thought. He hobbled towards the store, trying to remember the little training he'd had as a kit helping Stonestripe. He sat, remembering Stonestripe's instructions if he needed to help a cat. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on what was hurting.

Really bad headache, sore muscles, always tired even after a long sleep, ragged cough, tight chest…

He stumbled forward. Headache...headache...borage? No, watermint. No, no, feverfew!

He grasped a few flowers, setting it on a large ivy leaf.

What next? Uh...sore muscles and excessive sleepiness. Chamomile and burnet, good for strength.

He scooped up a small mouthful of burnet leaves and a pawful of chamomile flowers.

Chest and cough.

He swiftly snapped up a bundle of coltsfoot and a small bunch of tansy, dropping it neatly with the others on the ivy leaf.

He shivered as he took a lavender stalk to balance out the rest of his symptoms.

Guiltily looking around, he swiped some honey and dabbed it on the pile. His amber paws turned a dark green as he mixed the herbs to a pulp before lapping it up, relishing the sweetness of the honey that masked the bitter herbs taste when he jumped at a frantic call at the entrance.

"What are you eating?!"

Stonestripe looked horrified at the mouth of the den, his gathered herbs scattered all over the floor by his paws. He rushed over, his ears flattened and lip curled.

"What did you eat?! Tell me everything you ate!"

Strikepaw blurted out the story in random chunks.

"Uh...feverfew, chamomile, burnet, tansy, coltsfoot, and lavender...and honey...you weren't in the den...my head hurts and I was tired and my chest was tight with a cough and my muscles ached...I remembered from when I was a kit...I need to help the elders...I couldn't move!"

Stonestripe's fur slowly flattened and his anger gave way to relief.

"You'll be fine, just ask me before you do that again okay? You scared me out of my fur. Good herb choice, although lavender wasn't necessary and I would have used sorrel instead of burnet. It is weaker and since you also took chamomile you may have an energy spark soon. Other than that, you did very well. I'm surprised you remember so much."

Strikepaw tried to purr with pleasure but it ended with a hacking cough. The coltsfoot had loosed a bit of his chest but he still felt constricted. His head had cleared and some of his strength had returned, but he was still weak and stumbled when Stonestripe pressed up against him, worry clouding his gaze. Strikepaw growled and tried to pull away but Stonestripe pressed a white paw on the middle of Strikepaw's back, holding him down.

"Breathe normally. I feel your fever now."

Strikepaw, dread beginning to creep into his fur blending with what he thought was the leaf-fall chill, stayed still as a stone as Stonestripe pressed his ear to the amber tom's chest.

Strikepaw desperately looked at Stonestripe as the white and gray tabby tom stood, "I'm okay, right? I'll be fine once I start training…right?"

Stonestripe sadly shook his head, "Strikepaw, you have contracted whitecough. I'll have to keep you until you're better so you don't spread it to the clan. Have you come in contact with any cat since this morning?"

Strikepaw wailed, "But I've been stuck in this camp for a quarter moon! Please, you must be wrong, I'm fine!"

Stonestripe simply shook his head. "Answer my question."

"Slashpaw."

"Okay. I'll get the catmint. You go lay down. Uh…who's out there? Berrybright! Go fetch Sparrowcall and Slashpaw immediately!"

Strikepaw sullenly climbed into the spare moss and reluctantly closed his eyes, letting the rich temptation of sleep over come him.

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POV: Dovesoar

Time: Much later that moon, dusk

Temperature: 30F

A soft gray she-cat frantically raced up to a rather ragged-looking tom, her eyes flashing with anxiety.

"How is he? And the others?"

The tom looked up and met her amber eyes with his own, only his dulled with exhaustion.

"It has become greencough, and he isn't conscious right now and hasn't been for a while. Mosssplash has contracted it along with two of the four of her newborns. Swallowleap, Snowspring, and Scorchflower have joined them."

"Anyone else?"

"Mudpaw may just have a cold but I've quarantined him anyway."

"He's going to be alright, right?"

"Strikepaw? I don't know. It's up to StarClan now."