Reedstar's Selfishness (Zombie Warrior Cats)

Chapter 33 - Squirreltail's P.O.V.

The rain had started off softly, but as we waited for Blackstar to come back, it started to come down heavier and faster. It was as if someone was dancing on the clouds and making it rain. Could it be you, Redfur? I speculated, squinting as I took a peek at the dark sky.

A ball of emotion sat in my throat and as much as I swallowed, it just would not go away. Why did such a thing have to happen? My only remaining kin... Did you need him, StarClan? I sighed and kneaded my claws into the wet bark.

It was devastating to know he was beside me the whole time. How could I have slept through such a thing? Did he even suffer? He was right beside me... How did I not hear him or feel him struggling?

As I sat on the tree-bridge, I suddenly heard the sound of something striding through the water. My heart lurched. Was it Redfur's killer? I stood up and quickly realized the group of cats padding toward me was only Blackstar's patrol.

My fur bristled as I spotted a bloody cat beside them. What in StarClan's name are they thinking?

The guards stopped them and I rushed over. Forgetting my hind leg was still sore, I leaped off of the tree-bridge and hit the ground with a thump. I cringed as I landed but it faded.

"Why are you bringing in a flesh-eater, Blackstar? Have you gone crazy?" Mintfur gasped, blocking the torn up cats' way. Her lip curled in a snarl.

"We are going to experiment on him. He is to stay here until further notice. Tigerheart, Lionblaze, leave the pales in the open. Lilypatch, stay here with... him. The rest of you, I'm sending you out on a patrol. I'm going to get the medicine cats." Blackstar instructed, obviously annoyed.

Blackstar drove past me, making me stumble to the side. I glared at him but as rapid as it came, the anger disappeared. How could I be angry when Blackstar is trying all he can to keep the Clans alive? I thought to myself. I mentally hit myself for being so selfish and fluffed out my fur. Glancing at the silent tom, I realized he had a bite mark. I narrowed my eyes as he stood with the Clan cats with an intimidated look. He's not dead?

Turning to Lilypatch, I hissed, "If he is bitten, why isn't he trying to eat us?" Lilypatch looked up at the tall, torn up, light brown tom and shrugged. "He was asking for help. I don't know if he's immune or what, but I thought we could see if we could save him." She mewed and then looked up at him again. "What's your name anyway?" Lilypatch asked.

The tom opened his mouth and I practically gagged at the sight of his missing tongue. Half of it was gone, as if it had been bitten off. His eyes that were bright yellow were red around them. I couldn't understand why, though. A white spot was under his chin with a large patch of white on his chest. His two back paws and fluffy tail were white too.

"B-ud," The tom stammered. I bet it hurts for him to use his tongue. How has he not bled out yet? I wondered, tilting my head to the side. "Blood," The half-infected tom corrected himself, cringing as he said the "L".

"Blood, huh? Mothwing and Poppyheart are going to try and... fix you." Lilypatch meowed.

"His name suits his condition," I muttered, looking away. Lilypatch glared at me while Blood just gave me a quick blank look.

After the awkward silence that made me want to scream, Mothwing and Poppyheart finally entered the dead-island, where all the dead flesh-eaters lay, rotting away for the ground to consume. Their mouths were filed with different varieties of herbs, ranging from leaves to roots to nettles.

"Alright... We're going to start by cleaning your wounds up. Then we're going to clean up that tongue somehow..." Poppyheart explained, examining his pelt.

"As for your fur," Mothwing began, coming around from his right side, "it will grow back in time - if you survive this infection. We will work where you got bitten. Where was that?"

Blood mumbled in a hurry, "Aw 'ose wous..." Mothwing and Poppyheart exchanged a glance and I rolled my eyes, They should put him out of his misery! He's suffering and won't last much longer.

"I'm sorry, come again?" Mothwing meowed, craning her neck closer. I cringed. He's going to bite her! I held my breath as Blood opened his mouth again, looking in her ear, "All those wounds," Blood's jaw twitched as he struggled to talk normally.

"We're going to put you to sleep to work with your wounds. Just take these poppy seeds and you'll be out in moments, unable to feel the pain." Poppyheart soothed, giving the half-infected tom a warm smile. She fed Blood only three tiny black seeds and together, Mothwing and Poppyheart set up the herbs they thought they'd need.

"Plenty of goldenrod, though we may need more cobweb. We do have plenty of horsetail, though, so I think we're good." Poppyheart muttered to Mothwing. The golden she-cat narrowed her eyes in thought. "Mm-hmm... I have a bit of burnet left that we can give him when he wakes, it will keep his strength up from all the bloodloss." Mothwing suggested.

I can't understand a word they're saying... Burnet? Sounds like someone burnt something... Goldenrod? Sounds like a name! Cobweb? That's what spiders live in! It's crazy how these leaves and flowers can be so needed. But Lilypatch just watched as Blood fell asleep, like a mother tending her ill kit.

"Catchweed, do you have any? We may need to use it for the amount of herbs we'll be using." Mothwing asked, using a claw to sift through the herbs. From her pile, Poppyheart narrowed her eyes and grabbed a single leaf filled with green and white burrs. "I do, indeed."

"He has unbelievably red eyes. Do you think celandine would heal that, or at least soothe it?" Poppyheart muttered as she dropped the green burrs in the pile they were going to be using.

Mothwing gave her a nod. "Of course. It helps any eye-infection!" She purred.

Poppyheart spotted a small white flower and picked it up. "This soothes the mind as well as keeps up strength. This would work better than burnet." Mothwing dipped her head in agreement and looked around with her eyes narrowed.

"He's going to get an infection for sure with those deep wounds. I'll get the marigold and goldenrod ready..." Mothwing mumbled, pushing yellow flowers off on their own. They didn't speak for a few heartbeats, but eventually Mothwing continued, "I'll ask you cats to leave us be while we work on this half-infected cat. I'll get Mistystar and the other leaders to come when we are done." She glanced over her shoulder at the few cats watching them on the dead-island. They padded away and over the tree-bridge. With a final glance at the strange tom, I hurried off beside Lilypatch. She didn't say anything, but her eyes shone with worry.

Did Lilypatch and Heatherleg make the right decision in bringing Blood here or is this yet another mistake?