Warriors: Flesh-Sickness

Chapter 4

Oh, StarClan, when will this end? Shocktail was laying in a nest, gripped with pain as she was going through her kitting. She gripped the moss of her nest, tearing it to shreds as she yowled in agony. The stick they gave her had long since snapped in more than just two pieces, and the camp was filled with her cries.

"Relax, relax... just focus on pushing." The elderly medicine cat for her Clan, Olivepool tried to soothe her, brushing his tawny-colored tail over her back. You try to relax during this! She thought mutinously, but just then her heart filled with newfound hope as Badgerstripe yelled, 

"A tom! Your going lovely, Shocktail! Keep going!" Badgerstripe nipped open the birth sac and laid the tiny, mewling scrap of tabby fur at the curve in her belly. Just as he started sucking, she gritted her teeth and pushed more. "Another tom." Olivepool said softly before Badgerstripe could yowl out triumphantly. "You're doing amazing, Shocktail." Badgerstripe nipped open the sac of the second kit as well and laid him in her nest to suckle beside his brother. "One more, dear." She purred.

Feeling strength surge through her pelt from her newfound motherhood, the deputy-queen pushed again, yowling. The third and final kit slithered out, and as  Badgerstripe called out that it was a she-cat and nipped the sac, she gasped. 

"What- what is it?" Shocktail asked desperately between pants, her eyes wild as she looked over her shoulder at the medicine cat. A pitifully small, dappled scrap of fur lay in the moss, but unlike her brothers, when she was freed from her birth sac, the tiny dappled kit didn't move or gasp for air. She just laid there, still as stone. "Why isn't she moving, Badgerstripe...?" The medicine cat didn't reply, she just tried to open the kit's mouth and look to see if muck was stuck in her mouth, but that wasn't the problem. The kit was born dead. As Shocktail let out a mournful cry, Volewhisker burst into the medicine den. Honeystar had ordered the other warriors to hold him out of the den, fearing he would literally overwhelm and smother the queen during the birth, or even worse, the kits. Olivepool took the tiny she-kit, laying her beside Shocktail so the queen could look at her daughter before she was sacrificed. "Do.. you want to name her?" He asked softly. "Y-yes." The queen whimpered, pulling the kit's cold, lifeless body to herself and she whispered, "Poppykit... her name... is Poppykit." Olivepool nodded, gently grabbing the kit as Volewhisker trampled over to his mate.

"Shocktail...." Volewhisker looked down at his two sons, his eyes bright. "They're so beautiful... our sons... ya did it." He let out a joyful purr, nuzzling his mate with tears in his eyes. When he saw that Shocktail was starting to cry, her voice caught in her throat as she kept making small noises of grief, he pressed his pelt against her. "Darlin'... what happened, love?" Shocktail looked at him, sobbing now. "O-one didn't make i-it, Volewhisker. Our d-daughter... she didn't make it." His eyes widened and he licked her face profusely, shuddering. "It's a'ight, darlin'... we have these two boys.. you'll be okay. I promise." 

The next few days were a blur of pain and grief, but as Shocktail laid there, alone with her kits as Birdstep and Harekit had left to go eat, she gently pressed her nose to each soft, fluffy head. "I will name both of you now." She whispered, curling herself further around them. Looking down, she noticed the first kit, a dark brown mewling scrap sticking to her fur with his tiny claws, and the sight made her smile. He looked like a little burr clinging to her pelt like that. "You will be Burrkit." She said softly. Shocktail then winced- unlike his brother, the second kit, a lighter brown with some white and ginger patches, his claws didn't just cling to her fur, they almost pierced her skin and were sharp as thorns. "And you will be Thornkit." She said, purring, and placing her paw gently on his back, pulling him out of her fur slightly. "Now, little one, don't claw me in my sleep!"

Her yellow eyes wandered to the place on the curve of her belly where Poppykit was supposed to be, and she sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry, my loves.." Shocktail whispered. "I should have been a better mother, and maybe your sister would not have died." As she talked, Shocktail spotted Volewhisker padding into the nursery, a wood thrush in his jaws.

"Here; I brought you some prey, darlin'." He set the large wood thrush at her paws and sat in front of her. "Hungry?" Shocktail smiled and took a bit. "Thank you, Volewhisker. You're very kind." The brown tom smiled and looked at his sons. "Have ya decided on names yet?" He asked. Shocktail lifted her head as she swallowed a piece of flesh she tore away and spat out the feathers. "Yes. Burrkit and Thornkit." As she said this, she indicated to each kit in turn with her tail tip. Volewhisker's eyes shone like stars. "Lovely names, darlin'." Shocktail purred and groomed the kits' heads. "Exactly." 

After a couple more days, Shocktail, Volewhisker, Birdstep, Harekit, and Thornkit sat in the nursery, excitedly waiting for Burrkit to open his eyes. The dark brown scrap sat there, blinking rapidly and mewling. 

"C'mon, Burrkit!" Thornkit squeaked, his tabby brown-ginger-and-white fur puffing out. "Open your eyes already! I wanna go play!" Shocktail cuffed him over the ear, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Patience, Thornkit. Burrkit will open his eyes when he feels like it." She chided. "Well, when he feels like it is too slow, mama!" "Shh!" Shocktail shushed him harshly as Burrkit began to stumble with his eyes open. 

"M-mama... it's so dark in here!" Burrkit squeaked, going towards her. He must have recognized her scent. "I know, dear, but your eyes will adjust soon." She soothed, brushing her tail down his spine. Burrkit snuggled into her fur once he got to her. "Mama, I don't wanna go outside.."

"Yeah! Me and Harekit can go outside without you!" Thornkit squealed, beginning to trample out of the den with Harekit. "Let's go!" Shocktail and Birdstep both shook their heads at their sons, and Burrkit just snuggled sadly in his mother's fur.