Hello, everyone. It's me again. I'm sorry for the long lack of update... I've been going through some personal things with my life and it's been hard on me to the point where I haven't had the motivation to update this story in a while... I'm sorry, I feel really bad...

I'm sorry this chapter is so short as well. It's the longest I could make it without bursting into tears about the tragedy I witnessed on Friday, so this is all I could make out of a seemingly and prepared 2,000 word chapter...

But anyway, onto Chapter Eight.

~ Bennett (Morning)

Chapter Eight:

"Whitepaw! Wake up and come quick!"

The white she-cat slowly opened her eyes to find her mother, Silverbird staring at her through scared eyes. With fear snaking throughout her body, Whitepaw jumped to her paws and began to gather herbs. "Is is father again?"

"Yes," Silverbird replied, her voice strained and tired, "and this time he's worse."

Guilt pierced Whitepaw's heart; ever since her father had come to her a moon ago, complaining about a terrible bellyache, it had steadily grown worse. Now, the HailClan leader was suffering from a disease no cat knew the name of, not even Whitepaw or Skystorm themselves.

Whitepaw sighed at her mother and looked at the gray she-cat through wide eyes. "I'll be right there. Tell Blackpaw to get him some water, and instruct no cat to move him from the spot he's in."

Silverbird nodded absentmindedly and disappeared from Whitepaw's sight, calling duties to Blackpaw and a few other duties to Creekblossom, Gorsebelly, Leaffall and Silverfang. A sharp moan echoed throughout camp, and Whitepaw immediately knew she didn't have time to waste to look through and gather the desired herbs to try and cure her father once more. Racing towards his den across the camp, Whitepaw burst through the lichen at rapid speed.

Almost instantly, the retched odor of sickness hit her. The white she-cat scrunched up her nose against the putrid smell and tried her best not to gag. Holding her breath, she quickly padded towards her father and then began to make mixtures of the seeds, berries and leaves Sleetstar needed to take.

It only took her a few measly heartbeats, and then Whitepaw placed them before her father, who's pelt was burning to the touch; he had a fever, and it was growing worse. "Eat these, father." She mewed quietly, gesturing to the herb pile with her long white tail. "They'll help you feel better."

"They haven't helped him yet," came the smart comment from Blackpaw. Whitepaw simply ignored it and watched as her father lapped at the herbs feebly, finally getting them -small bit by small bit- into his system. Whitepaw purred and touched her tail to her fathers burning pelt.

The white tom suddenly began convulsing and shaking, and Whitepaw drew her tail back in alarm.

"Father?" Blackpaw asked, shoving Whitepaw out of the way so he could get close to Sleetstar. "Are you alright?"

Rapidly and in a sudden state of panic, Whitepaw pawed her herbs over to her and began examining each one carefully. Poppy seeds for pain, juniper berries, chamomile...

Whitepaw stared at the herbs in horror at what she had done. Those aren't poppy seeds, those are foxglove seeds! Why in StarClan had I thought foxglove seeds would cure him?

"Whitepaw!" Blackpaw let out a sharp hiss of annoyance and aggravation all into one. "What's wrong with him?"

"I-I can't tell," Whitepaw stammered, hastily pawing through the herbs she had gotten in hopes she was mistaken about the foxglove seeds. She let out a hiss of anger at herself as she realized she had grabbed them instead of poppy seeds.

Silverbird suddenly let out a heart-broken wail, her gray body a blur as she ran to Sleetstar's side. She pressed her nose into his pelt, obviously hoping to find warmth beneath the white tom's thick fur, and then drew back with sadness in her blue eyes. "He's gone to StarClan..." she whispered, then sank to the ground beside Sleetstar in defeat.

The scent of death began to waft around camp as Whitepaw padded out of her father's den with her tail and head down. I killed my own father... How can I possibly continue to be a medicine cat now?

"Whitepaw..." Skystorm's voice came from beside her. "Please tell me it was an accident."

Whitepaw flinched at the disappointment and distrust in her mentor's words. "I didn't mean too, Skystorm." She whispered, flattening her ears to her head in shame of herself.

Skystorm let out a hiss of disapproval. "Don't lie to me, Whitepaw. Was it an accident?"

"Murderer!"

The snarl of Blackpaw hit Whitepaw's ears just as the black tom padded towards them, his lips peeled back and his eyes narrowed in anger. "You killed my father. You're going to pay for this, one way or another!"

"He was our father, Blackpaw!" Whitepaw retorted with a flick of her tail, sending Skystorm a glance from the corner of her eye as if she wanted her mentor to lead her away from Blackpaw. "Not just yours!"

"How can you even be considered my kin?" Blackpaw screeched, his ears flattening against his head as he took a threatning step towards her. "You're not my sister! You're not even my Clanmate!"

Whitepaw flinched at her brother's harsh meow. "How can you say such a thing, Blackpaw?"

"You were never anything to me," he hissed, lashing his tail. "You never have been anything to me or Silverbird! And after all we just witnessed, you shouldn't even be in HailClan!"

"Blackpaw, that's enough. Leave Whitepaw alone." The command from Silverbird sounded behind the black apprentice, and Whitepaw let out a shaky yet grateful sigh to see her mother.

"She killed Sleetstar, mother! Don't you see that?"

"Of course I see it, Blackpaw." Silverbird said sadly, her blue gaze flashing to Whitepaw and back to her son. "But we can't hold her against what she has done. She is our Clanmate and our kin, and for that we must forgive and forget."

"I'll never forgive her!" Blackpaw snarled and stalked away towards Sleetstar's den with his head down. Cats sent him sympathetic glances and purrs of encouragement, yet when they looked at Whitepaw all she saw in their eyes was betrayal and accusation.

"Thank you, Silverbird." Whitepaw meowed calmly, taking a step towards her mother and touching her nose to Silverbird's foreleg in appreciation.

Her mother said nothing to her, only nodded her consent and padded away to wallow in sorrow.