Reedstar's Selfishness (Zombie Warrior Cats)

Chapter 35 - Poppyheart's P.O.V.

 Am I missing anyone? I deleted the names of the current gorup of cats by mistake! D: 

Mudpaw, Ebonykit, Sootkit, Stormkit, Sunkit, Heatherleg, Lilypatch, Squirreltail, Poppyheart --- Dovewing, Tigerheart, Ivypool, Mothwing, Rushpaw, Blazefang, Blackstar, Bramblestar, Mistystar, Crowfeather, Squirrelflight, Nightcloud, Lionblaze, Mintfur, Rowanclaw, Leafpool... Anyone else??

Let me know if you noticed someone is missing!

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We dressed the half-infected toms wounds until the moon was already making its way down the sky. Surprisingly, the tom didn't wake up as we had dabbed the open gashes with herbs and wrapped them with cobweb. Occasionally he would moan in his sleep, but nothing more. Mothwing and I had used twice as many poppy seeds to keep him asleep since the first three didn't do a thing.

"We need to wake him up. Bramblestar will want to come speak to him and he usually wakes just before dawn." Mothwing meowed with a glance outside of the make-shift den that Lilypatch, Lionblaze and Nightcloud had made for the injured tom.

I nudged the toms shoulder gently; by then the effects of the seeds should have begun to wear off. The tom didn't budge until I prodded at his shoulder again. My heart began to race as his lip twitched, and then his front paw. "I think... He might be turning," I gasped, backing away. 

Mothwing's head snapped to the tom with a stern look deep in her amber gaze. "And to think, I wasted so many good herbs on him! I knew this would be a waste." She snarled, her fur standing on end. 

But only a couple of heartbeats went by before the injured tom blinked open his eyes and glanced around at his surroundings. I noticed his eyes were still bloodshot and yellow as he looked to Mothwing and then me. I could feel the tense atmosphere fade to relief as we realized the tom was still alive. With a quick glance to each other, Mothwing dipped her head and sighed, "I'll apply the celandine to his eyes. Maybe it will calm down the redness." Taking in a deep breath, I noticed the tom's scent stank of rotting crow-food. Trying not to wrinkle my nose, I felt my shoulder fur bristle. My instincts screamed for me to run away from the creepy tom, but I knew he needed our help. 

"I guess it wasn't a waste of our time and herbs after all..." I murmured half to myself. Mothwing grasped the only remaining celandine flower by its stem and as the tom opened his bloodshot eyes wide, she squeezed the juice into his eyes. 

He blinked quickly as the juice dripped into each of his eyes and shook his head in pain. "Very good," Mothwing muttered with her eyes narrowed in thought. "Now about your tongue..." The tom opened his mouth and looked blankly at us.

Padding up to the tom as he sat up, I glanced into his mouth. His tongue wasn't bleeding but it was crusting over and swollen. It's beginning to get infected... I thought to myself. "I will try trickling some chervil juices onto the part where his tongue is missing. I have some left. It should help cure the infection that's beginning." I meowed softly then turned to the tom, "You... smell like death. Rosemary and mint will help hide it until hopefully the smell goes away."

Mothwing approved my statement by nodding. The tom just stared back at us. "Do you have any pains?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. He nodded and pointed to his dressed wounds with his nose. I bet they sting, they're so deep you can almost see bone. But wouldn't they be numbed? He looks and smells half-dead... 

As she picked out a dandelion and handed it to the tom, I scratched through my small stash of herbs until I found the last bit of chervil. "Chew it thoroughly. It acts as a painkiller." The half-infected tom obeyed and grabbed it with his mouth. He cringed as he began to chew, but kept going nonetheless. I watched him swallow, squeezing his eyes shut, as I brought the chervil toward him.

Setting down the herbs, I asked, "What is your name anyway? Where did you live before this happened?" 

"Let the painkiller settle in before you ask questions. The poor thing will die of pain from that tongue of his." Mothwing hissed to me. The tom stared blankly at me and replied, with pain glinting in his bloodshot eyes, "B-lood." 

While I tipped my head with confusion, Mothwing gave him a confident nod and mewed, "Blood, huh?" Blood cringed but nodded in agreement. Dipping my head, I grabbed the herbs again, "Well, Blood, let's get the worst part over with."

With his eyes dull from pain, Blood opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out as far as he could. He winced from the effort and then tore at the dirt below him as the juice made contact with his tongue. After the remaining juice was squeezed out of the leaves, Blood clenched his jaws together.

"I think we've done as much as we can. I'm hungry and tired, and if I lose anymore sleep I'm going to grow into a badger!" I purred as I swept the chervil off the side. The golden furred she-cat dipped her head. "We will bring back another cat to watch over you for the night," She told the tom and padded away after he nodded. 

"You can go to sleep. Whoever is on guard, I'll tell them to come and guard him. I'd rather watch the camp than a half-infected cat..." Mothwing scoffed. I dipped my head and made my way toward the tree-bridge with the other medicine cat at my side. My muscles were stiff and my head was fuzzy with fatigue as we crossed the tree trunk.

A chilly breeze ruffled my fur, sending shivers down my back. It seemed to get stronger with every step I took toward the camp. As we approached the grey-and-white tabby she-cat, her ears pricked up. I dipped my head to her as we stopped in front of her. "Ivypool, could you watch dead-island? The half-infected tom, who we discovered is named Blood, needs to be guarded and Poppyheart and I haven't eaten today. I'll keep watch here when I'm finished and I'll call for you if I see anything suspicious," Mothwing uttered.

Ivypool only blinked, standing up with an emotionless expression and strode across the tree as silent as a mouse. Mothwing rolled her eyes before hurrying off to the pitiful fresh-kill pile. Following behind her, I slowed down to a halt at the center of the clearing. There was something wrong. No cat was awake yet, but I quickly noticed the scent of death lingering through the island. My shoulder fur bristled up. Scanning the cats curled up in their nests, I thought, Maybe Blood's scent blew into the camp with the strong wind...

Every cat seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Mudpaw and Eclipse snored softly, while Blackstar and Lionblaze let out hefty snorts every now and again. The only thing that stood out to me was that Lighteningice wasn't facing her kits. With her constant protective and anxious attitude, she always curled herself around her kits, including the other two kits, and never rolled over. 

Lighteningice was curled up with her back facing the four sleeping kits and as I padded closer to make sure she was okay, I instantly got an overwhelming whiff of death. My stomach turned and immediately I forgot how hungry I was. With curiosity prickling through my pelt, I couldn't help but bend over the pure white queen to see her face. Shock pulsed through me as I stared into her wide open, misty gaze. Blood had streamed from the large cut in her throat and had formed a pool at the edge of the nest. Sniffing the scene, I realized the blood was fresh. Lighteningice's body may have begun to stiffen, but it was still warm.

I swallowed and backed away, letting out a whimper. "Oh StarClan, no..." In the corner of my eye, I watched Mothwing pad in beside me. She let out a gasp as she, too, faced the dead queen.

As Lighteningice's two kits squirmed in their sleep with the two other motherless kits, I wondered with a sharp pang in my heart, What will her kits do without her? Another two innocent kits are going to grow up without a mother... Who will take care of them now? More importantly... How long until she turns?