Broken Code

Chapter 12

"You should be alright Winterheart. It's only a scratch." Rainpaw mumbled through the marigold in her jaws, finishing putting a poultice on the white warrior's flank.

"Thank you Rainpaw. You know, you'll make a pretty good medicine cat when you grow up." Winterheart smiled softly.

"Thank you Winterheart. I appreciate your kind words but I must keep moving on." The grey apprentice waved her tail and padded away to help more injured cats. Her mentor, Flowerwhisker, was too helping cats from the battle.

"Rainpaw could you help me please?" Brokenpaw's cry reached its way into her ears and she turned towards him to find him laying in the soil, his dark black fur showing no signs of scratches or blood. She titled her head, confused at what he needed.

"Yeah Brokenpaw. What's wrong?" She sniffed at his flank, not smelling any blood.

"It's my paw... I think it's broken..." He mumbled, eyes full of fear.

Rainpaw had to keep herself from laughing. Brokenpaw had a broken paw. How ironic. "Yeah of course. Lemme see it."

He gingerly extended his paw before his eyes widened in pain and he snapped it back. "OW!"

The grey medicine cat stifled a sigh of exasperation and softened her eyes. "It's ok Brokenpaw. I can help you."

The dark furred apprentice nodded and slowly extended his paw again, wincing as he did so. Rainpaw took a pawstep forward and gingerly touched her pad to the top of his paw. Feeling the bone underneath, she felt as it jotted out to the side. Focusing her eyes, she could see how his paw tilted a bit to the right towards his chest. She licked the top of his head comfortingly. "I'll be right back ok?"

She bounded off to the medicine den, grabbing three sticks, a few poppy seeds, and a bundle of comfrey. She came back a few moments later, running in between the bodies of injured cats laying around camp. She set the herbs down beside the sad apprentice.

"Is this gonna hurt?" Brokenpaw mumbled.

Rainpaw nodded. "A little. Don't worry, I'll be quick and it won't hurt for that long." She assured the nervous tom, handing him a stick. "Here. Bite down on this."

Brokenpaw glanced over at his father who was a few tail lengths away. Rainpaw often forgot that Jayscratch was his father, despite the fact that they were practically identical. "It'll be ok Brokenpaw." She meowed comfortingly. "Ready?"

He nodded slowly.

"One.. two.. three..." She quickly jerked his broken paw back into place with a satisfying click.

"GREAT STARCLAN! GAHHHH!!" Brokenpaw howled into the breaking dawn, causing several warriors to glance over in his direction. He chomped down on the stick in his mouth, causing it to shatter. Rainpaw took the two remaining sticks and placed them on either side of his broken paw, then wrapped the split with comfrey leaves. She tied them securely with her teeth and sat back on her haunches, quite pleased with her work.

"Finished. Here eat these, it'll help with the pain." She nudged three poppy seeds over to the black apprentice and he licked them up with his tongue.

"Thank you Rainpaw." His voice was ever so smooth and for an instant, Rainpaw's heart fluttered but she shoved the feeling down.

"Of course Brokenpaw. Stay there and once I'm finished with everyone else, I'll come back and help you to the medicine den. Don't try anything while I'm gone." She advised before padding away to help the other injured warriors.

"Flowerwhisker!!" Creektail yowled from across camp, his fur covered in blood.

"Rainpaw help Creektail! I have my paws full." The golden medicine cat ordered sharply, her once yellow fur now stained with the blood of Grassclan and Streamclan alike.

Rainpaw flicked her tail and walked over to the new warrior. His brown and tan fur was matted and covered in scratches and blood. His jaws were slightly open and he was panting.

"Creektail, what's hurting?" She meowed softly.

"My chest! I can't breathe..." He meowed quickly, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Ok think. She thought to herself. "Here roll over onto your side." She instructed and the tom did as he was told. She gently rubbed her paws over his chest, feeling his lungs. Then she rubbed deeper into his body, massaging his chest. "Does this feel any better?"

He shook his head.

She quickly ran to the medicine den and grabbed two juniper berries in her jaws. "Here. Eat these."

Creektail lapped them up easily and soon his breathing started going back to normal.

"I think you were just fatigued. Grab some water when you get a chance. And is this blood yours or from Grassclan cats?" She nosed over his flank.

"It's not mine. I'm ok." He nodded, waving his tail. "Thanks."

"No problem." Rainpaw gave a small smile before bounding away.

"Rainpaw!" Her name rang across camp. She sighed. How many cats were hurt and needed her?! The blue and grey apprentice turned around to find Cinderfoot padding towards her.

"Yeah? Oh my Cinderfoot, are you alright?" She widened her eyes, worried for their deputy.

"Yes yes I'm alright. I'm not hurt." The ash grey deputy assured the small apprentice. "Um... during the battle, Grassclan captured Bluepaw you see..."

Rainpaw's jaw dropped. "Can they do that?"

"Technically yes... but we need to get her back see."

Rainpaw shuffled her paws. "Um.. I'm not trying to be rude Cinderfoot but uh.. I'm only a medicine cat apprentice.. why would you need me?"

Cinderfoot's eyes darkened with sadness. "Because Ashpaw went after her."

Rainpaw could hardly believe her ears, but what Cinderfoot said next shattered her heart.

"And he hasn't come back."

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