Sickly (Swiftbreeze, Swiftfire, Nightclaw, Open)

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Cedarclaw had a grimace on her face by the time she had gotten back into the WindClan camp. She was supporting Swiftfire on one shoulder, who had also ben supported by the warrior Nightclaw on the other side. The she-cat had found the deputy far up off the ground at Fourtrees, swaying and racking with greencough in the cold. The white and ginger she-cat's pelt seemed to be just pulsing with heat from a fever, and it was beginning to heat Cedarclaw's own flank by contact. The thought of infection stabbed her in the mind again, but she shoved it away.

By the time the tortoiseshell and tom had led Swiftfire into Siwftbreeze's den, she was exhausted. She just had to go as far away as possibly from camp, didn't she? the tortoiseshell grumbled to herself. But she wasn't really angry. Just concerned.

"Alright, Swiftfire, we're here." With a glance to Nightclaw, she began helping the deputy into an available nest inside. "Swiftbreeze will be here soon."

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By the time they had entered the medicene cat, Swiftfire had had enough time to gain the right amount of strength to begin protesting. It was more like that of a wailing of a kit, but then again the she-cat was known to act like a kitten at times.

As Nightclaw and Cedarclaw put her into a nest, she stifffened and tried to get out of their grasp with a small hiss. It was forceful, but told them she didn't like the idea of the den or the nest. "Swiftbreeze? I'm fine....okay maybe not that fine, but I don't need you all over me like this." She had started to wail softly in her comment, but she settled as best she could within the nest.

The mention of Swiftbreeze made a pang in her heart, but nothing more. Their old medicene cat had joined the ranks of Starclan a while ago, but the loss could still be felt. She renched the sadness off of her as she shot a vengeful gaze at Nightclaw and Cedarclaw. It wasn't really vengeful because it was more on the pouty kitten fun side.

Her body was so hot at the moment that she lay out on the nest, allowing the winter air to chill her skin. She felt cold, but at the same time dying of heat. She looked at the two cats that had carried her. "Well, well, look who's out of shape. Cedarclaw the bold can't even carry a she-cat with some help to the den without panting up a storm when done," she laughed. It ended with a cough racking her form. She stopped it from coming out of her mouth, but her body shook more.

Swiftbreeze had better come soon!

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All day, Swiftbreeze had been napping in the back of his den. He'd fallen asleep while sorting through his herbs once more. They seemed to get more and more jumbled up with every day and the black and white tom was having troubles keeping up.

His spirits had lifted a bit since Moonspirit's death. He tried to stay as far away from Foxstar as he possibly could, though, as it pained him to see her, to imagine her with that other tom... Moonsight was his name, right?

The tom woke abruptly at the sound of coughing from the larger room of his den and he shot to his paws. A dockleaf stuck to the side of his face he'd been sleeping on-probably because he was drooling in his sleep-but he didn't notice it's presence and, with great haste, went to check on whoever had entered.

"Oh, good morning Swiftfire, Cedarclaw, Nightclaw. How can I help you?" He was suddenly aware of the herb that was stuck to the side of his face and he knocked it off instantly, laughing aquwardly.

When the deputy began to cough, he straitened up and padded over to listen to her breathing. If he was lucky, it might not have been greencough, or even whitecough.

Much to his dismay, it was just as he'd feared. Greencough. Backing away, he mewed briskly, "I'll be back. Thank you, you two. You can go back to your dens now." With that he went back to his supplies, pulled out the last bit of catmint left, and returned to give it to his sick patient.

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Cedarclaw wrinkled her nose at the protesting she-cat. "I think you'll find that you do, whether you like it or not." Her tone was still sharp with the deputy, and the she-cat running out of the little patience that she had to start out with. "Just try listening to yourself." Seeing then Swiftfire's kittish pout on her face, the tortoiseshell twitched her whiskers uncomfortably. This was a grown cat, the deputy, acting like a newborn over letting the medicine cat treat her greencough. It irritated her, but was almost faintly amusing to see the look of dislike there.

The deputy's comment, however, jarred the warrior back into her proper state of mind. The tips of her short ears grew hot under her dark pelt, and her orange eyes narrowed. "I'm not at all out of shape. You've just probably been stuffing yourself with too much fresh-kill. You're heavier than a two-leg kit!" Cedarclaw's words were somewhat meant to be returned banter, of course, but any amusement the tortoiseshell felt vanished abruptly at the next bout of coughing that shook Swiftfire's body. It made her pelt prickle.

She's not going to get better unless she gets some actual attention! Cedarclaw was just about to turn over her shoulder and call out for Swiftbreeze, when the tom at last appeared near them. Her eyes narrowed in question at the sight of the leaf sticking to his face, but the tom quickly swatted it away. Fast asleep, no doubt, she grumbled to herself. "Swiftfire has a bad cough. Probably greencough. Apparently she's had it for a while, but she refused to be treated for it," the warrior responded to his question, flicking her ear in the deputy's direction. She watched him then examine the she-cat, claws itching to scratch at the earth.

At his instruction, Cedarclaw hesitated. While the fear of contamination still stayed with her, the tortoiseshell she-cat wasn't all that keen on leaving Swiftfire alone. But as the tom then straightened and went to grab some supplies from the stock, she decided leaving would be fore the best. "Stay tough, Swiftfire. But don't be mouse-brained." That being said, Cedarclaw rose, flicked her whiskers, turned, and headed out of the den, concern still darkening her eyes.