Dead Rose

Chapter 12: Mending the Mold

Blackpaw swore as he stumbled over a root. One would think I was blind if they saw me making my way through the forest, he thought to himself. It's almost as if I've forgotten how to walk. Blackpaw thrashed loudly through the tree until his bruised legs became unbearable, and he flopped down onto his side. His already horrid lungs were getting worse, every time he breathed bits of mucus and blood would rise up into his throat. His paws were terribly sore, as his claws were beginning to grow back in after being torn out. The sickness was getting worse, and Blackpaw knew that every day that passed was another tick on his clock to death. He was starting to wish time would just hurry up and kill him. There's not even a purpose in living anymore. I'm just a creaking, sagging bag of old bones. Blackpaw chuckled in pure revolt. This is complete rubbish. I have the body of a dying elder and I'm not even a year old.

"Hey there."

Blackpaw looked up, dimly hoping to see Violet or Rust. He scowled visibly. The cat was a black and white house pet with a bright pink collar.

"You look like you're pretty mangled up," the cat pointed out the obvious with a sickeningly happy tone. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Whats it look like I'm fucking doing?" Blackpaw spat and got to his paws, wincing as his stiff bones creaked. "I'm getting out of this goddamn forest." Blackpaw didn't care if he was being rude, however, that cat didn't seem to notice.

"I've been watching you crash around for a little while," she said. "I tried to let you find your way out on your own, but I can't handle it anymore."

"So wait," Blackpaw turned to her. "You've been watching me struggle and decided not to help?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, awkwardness tinging her tinny voice. "I wanted to let you try for yourself."

"You're an idiot," Blackpaw spat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get out of here." He stalked forward, accidently stubbing his very sore paw on a rock. He swore loudly and flopped back down.

"What's your name?" Blackpaw asked without turning around, knowing the cat would still be watching in amusement.

"Valeriy," the cat said back at once.

"Valeriy, kill me," Blackpaw whispered. "Please."

"What?" Valeriy's voice was shocked. "Kill you? Why would I do that?"

"I'm dying anyway," Blackpaw moaned. "Look at me. Just look at me!"

Valeriy glanced over Blackpaws swollen and matted body.

"You just need a good wash," she mumbled. Blackpaw sighed angrily and rolled his eyes. He got back to his paws and stumbled over to her. He leaned in really closely to her, and breathed heavily with his mouth open. Valeriy recoiled at once, wrinkling her nose.

"Bad breath," she choked.

"It's from my body slowly rotting from the inside," Blackpaw hissed. "And this," he leaned in again and breathed. It sounded as if bits of chunks were being rattled around. He turned and spat them on the forest floor. "That's the noise of blood clots rising from my lungs," He growled. Valeriy stared at him, her previous expression changing to a look of sadness.

"My owners would be able to fix you up in no time," she whispered at last. "You'd be good as new when they were done."

"It would be no use," Blackpaw said, shaking his head slowly. "It would be like trying to mend a rotting corpse."

"No, seriously," Valeriy was starting to sound excited. "My friend Jake got beat up by a dog once. His owners took him to the vet and now he's as in the best condition he's ever been in."

"Huh," realization dawned over Blackpaw as he realized this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. "They could really fix me up?"

"Uh huh," Valeriy nodded her head up and down. "You'll come out looking moons and moons younger. No offence, but you look really beat up and old."

"Ha," was all Blackpaw could muster.

"How old are you anyway?" Valeriy asked curiously. "A few good moons left and then you'll be an elder, that's my guess."

"I'm," Blackpaw stopped to sneeze. He wiped the snot on the ground. "Eleven moons old."

Valeriys jaw dropped. "Wow," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's all good," Blackpaw shrugged, his anger and frustration ebbing away for some reason. "If you think I look old, you should see my friend Rust. The cat's just brittle bones and rotten teeth."

"Well, come on," Valeriy said, bouncing to her paws. "Let's go back to my owners."

"Let me clean myself up a bit first," Blackpaw leaned down and ran his rotten tongue over a matted lump of filthy fur. He sneezed again and then looked up. "Alright, I'm ready."

Valeriy giggled.

...

By the time Blackpaw had managed to get out of the forest, he had told Valeriy quite a bit of his pitiful life story. She walked beside him, nodding her head and making the appropriate murmurs.

"So I need to find Rust and Violet," Blackpaw finished. "Well, I saw Rust for a little while but then he wandered off again. For some reason I couldn't track him down. I haven't seen Violet since she was pushed over the falls."

"Given your description of Rust," Valeriy said slowly, not making eye contact. "You may have to consider the idea that he might be... dead."

"Dead? No," Blackpaw scoffed, knowing that was probably a high possibility but not wanting to believe it. Rust and Violet are the only friends I have, Blackpaw thought miserably. I must keep believing they're still alive.

"Once I'm all fixed up, we can go find Rust and Violet," Blackpaw said to Valeriy. "Then we can be healthy again and go back to Frostclan and kill them all."

Valeriy didn't respond to that, and Blackpaw wasn't surprised.

"Well, we're here," Valeriy said at last, looking downright relieved that she didn't have to talk to him anymore. "Let's go inside."

"Okay," Blackpaw said. His throat was sore from all that talking, and he was looking forward to the vets. Whatever they were.

Valeriy pushed her way through a plastic flap low on the door, and Blackpaw followed her cautiously. He jumped as his paws hit a soft flooring, but he didn't know what it was.

"What is this stuff?" Blackpaw cried, scratching the soft floor.

"It's carpet," Valeriy explained. "And don't tear it up."

"Weird," Blackpaw mumbled. He was just about to say something else, but stopped when he heard some giant steps making his way towards him.

"What is that?" Blackpaw asked. His question was soon answered as the biggest creature he'd ever seen stepped into the room. Blackpaw shrieked, he had never seen a human before. The human gave a startled squeak as well, jumping slightly when she saw the unexpected cat in her house.

"Have you never seen a human before?" Valeriy meowed in disbelief.

"No," Blackpaw hissed. He recoiled back as the human leaned down to touch him.

"What happened to you?" The human said.

"What's it saying?" Blackpaw whispered, cringing as the human patted him on the head.

"I don't know," Valeriy replied. They all stared at each other for several heartbeats before Blackpaw spoke again.

"Take me to the vet, please," he said. The human gave a chuckle.

"Well, it looks like you need fixing up," he said as he picked up Blackpaw. Blackpaws stomach heaved as he rose high in the air. He felt involuntary bits of vomit and mold rise in his throat. Valeriy watched in annoyance as he spewed them all over the carpet. The human was disgusted, holding Blackpaw as far away from his body as he could. He walked out the door, and the swaying Blackpaw felt in his body turned to dizziness. He blacked out as the human placed him in the car.

...

Blackpaw awoke with a jolt. His underside was cold, and when he leaned down he could identify the problem. He surface beneath him was a shining silver, and smooth like stone. Blackpaw looked around, getting frightened. Tools were spread out around him, and humans were bustling around with masks over their naked faces. One of them saw he had awoke, and alerted the others. A female human leaned over and picked him up. Blackpaw was expecting the soft feel of hands like Valeriys owner, and yelped when the plastic gloves pulled his fur.

"So, the vets like a medicine cat, right?" Blackpaw meowed. "Aren't you just going to give me a few herbs and I'll be good as new?"

Sadly, it was nothing of the sort. Blackpaw realized with dread that he didn't even know what a medicine cat did. No one ever taught him, just as no one had about the vet. His body was dunked in a pail of lukewarm water, stinky bubbles and foam floating on the surface.

"I don't want to go in there," Blackpaw demanded, his claws digging into the human. "Stop it."

The human took no notice and proceeded to scrub him with her gloved hands.

"STOP! NOW!" Blackpaw screamed as his eyes started to sting. He squeezed them shut, howling as a second pair of hands started grabbing him and scrubbing. This went on for a long time, and Blackpaw was just starting to contemplate drowning himself when they lifted him out and placed him back on the icy silver surface.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Blackpaw snapped. "Well it didn't!"

No one listened. He screeched again as the gloved hands held him down, while another rammed a long tube down his throat. Blackpaw started to choke. He couldn't breathe, and the tube was provoking more vomit. It piled out around the tube, and the humans wiped it up at once. Blackpaw felt liquids running down into his body, and he thrashed. Another pair of hands restrained him. He was starting to feel tired. Blackpaws eyelids suddenly felt heavy, and he stopped fighting. He was just starting to nod off when he felt the tickle of a knife slice open his chest.

He was fast asleep as another tube was placed into his lungs.

A/n. First chapter I completed since I graduated, and holy crap am I ever rusty. Hopefully I get back to my usual better quality of writing soon. Sorry for the long wait for this update !