camp A TREE ON THE HILLSIDE - check ups

[Starlingheart]

// this thread takes place before Ghostpaw's death

Starlingheart knows better than most that her clanmates are a stubborn bunch. If left to their own devices they would downplay their injuries, let them fester until they become infected and then she would have a bigger problem on her paws, be forced to use even more herbs than she would have if she were just treating a simple cut. She knows they don't mean anything by it. Her clanmates don't want to look weak, she gets it. It's not the kind of cats ShadowClanners were. Perhaps with a little push though, they would come to her and she could nip such things in the bud, like pruning a decaying leaf from a patch of herbs. An action that is necessary to keep the rest of the plant safe, healthy.

She makes her way out of her den now, an ivy leaf with the basic herbs clutched in her jaws. "I-if you have a wound pl-please come here to get it - to get it checked out" she sets her bundle down before she calls out "No m-matter how small you- you think it is" she adds knowing some of her clanmates are probably thinking, wondering if their wound constitutes treatment.

// @Needledrift tag for her jaw! No need to wait for them!

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[FERNDANCE]

The Lead Warrior had been meaning to go to Starlingheart for a checkup for a long, long time. Each day it was accidentally put off by a distraction or important business (harassing WindrClanners on the border). It was with a demure glee that she approached the medicine cat that day, grateful she had taken the pressure off of having to visit the den of her own volition. She offered a smile and sat a respectful distance away, not because she found the medicine cat stinky or unfriendly, but for reasons that her denmates had unfortunately brought to her attention. "The other ShadowClanners have been complaining about my little bug pals," she explained softly, her head tilted as she offered Starlingheart a pout. She raised a paw where the fur had begun to thin from her overgrooming, little black specks dancing between the white and pink spaces. Dogfur was the only one who seemed to appreciate the suffering she went through to keep her fleas happy and healthy, but the relationship between cat and parasite was slowly becoming more and more one-sided in her eyes. She let them freeload in exchange for company, that didn't mean they got to eat her alive every day.
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[CHITTERTONGUE]

જ➶ "Little pals! Kesshaa! They are hardly even close." His laughter is strained and he whips his head around as he turns to look at his sister. He worries for her but their paws are on such different paths now. He wonders very faintly what has become of their aunt besides becoming a traitor and living it up in Riverclan. His brow furrows for a moment though his smile never wavers as he sits down and curls his tail around his paws. "I think I'm fine, hahe, just my throat hurts a little." Did she have anything for pained throats? He has little idea what medicine cats can do but they seem to run in the family and he hopes that it continues for the benefit of them. Still Ferndance was here first so he supposed he can wait, keep his distance from her as well. He surely doesn't want or need any of her little bug pals climbing on him. ​

 

[CHILLEDSTAR.]

DON'T YOU GIVE ME UP, PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP​

---

they're far from the picture perfect idea of health, but they didn't have any injuries they needed addressed. they'd have know. they cleaned themselves daily, spending time before patrols and after a long day of being leader cleaning gunk and sticks from their pelt. they even took time in between when they felt especially icky– because even if they didn't have the brightest smile upon their face ( or any smile at all ), they always looked clean. their tongue drew itself over their muzzle as they stepped near the medicine cat, nose twitching as the scent of herbs drifted to them. not a scent they so enjoyed, but one they'd gotten used to, after having to spend a lot of time with the medicine cat.

"yes, please get checked out. i don't think... we need anyone dropping dead on us, hm?"
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[RIBBITLEAP]

The pollen in the air has not been kind to Ribbitleap. He’s still sniffling away, swamp-green gaze pooling with water and throat itchy. Dying, he’s convinced, with its refusal to get better.

Yet, he’s done nothing about it. Nothing, but continue to sniffle and sneeze, to continue to rub at his eyes. Ribbitleap knows he should stop into the medicine den, get himself checked over, but it always slips his mind.

When Starlingheart makes the call for check-ups, she specifies to come to her over wounds. The warrior doesn’t think a perpetual need to sneeze is much of a wound, so he aims to wait until later, until Chilledstar speaks. Fine, fine.

The sniffling brown tabby pads over. “I keep —” Quickly he moves, turning his head as he another sneeze escapes him. Itchy gaze looks up at the medicine cat, sniffling once more. “— sneezing.”​

 

[Crowpaw.]

Change your mind​

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Crowpaw was next to appear, the copper gaze flashing from one to another cat before pausing and looking up at the medicine cat with a gentle smile on his maw in greetings to her. Hopefully she isn't too overwhelmed by everyone's presence but gently would he place down a small frog down before offering it over to Starlingheart. "I have a uhm...cough" they expressed to the medicine cat with a warm smile on his face, before a yawn escaped his lips and he looked over at everyone else, dipping his head in greetings towards them before flicking back towards the medicine cat as he awaited for his turn.​

"speak""Thoughts"​

 

[Magpiepaw]

It seems the clan was riddle with sickness, not injury. He wonders which is worse and finds he would rather his broken tail than the sniffles. The tail can be mended outwardly but the nose issues were more internal. How did you fix a nose that ran too much? How did you stop what was broken inside a cat but not part of bone nor flesh to mend? Cobwebs could stop bleeding, could they stop a dripping nostril too? Many things he didn't know, too many thoughts in his head. Magpiepaw was going slightly stircrazy within the confines of the medicine cat den while he waited for his tail to stop hurting at the slightly lifting of the limb. Ribbitleap and Crowpaw are afflicted with the dread nose related pains, Chittertongue's throat is sore, Ferndance was...Ferndance. He did not have to sleep in the warrior's den with her so he could care less if she was flea riddled and mangy so long as she kept her distance, he had enough issue scratching himself without the added trial of her insect entourage. The black and white apprentice narrowed his blue-violet gaze at Chilledstar thoughtfully, the leader encouraging any cat to be seen and he wonders if they too suffer an ailment in silence and thus their words were hypocritical at best.
Magpiepaw had found many of the older warriors to be such, saying one thing and acting another way. Smogmaw was an especially heinous example.
From his perch in his temporary nest the apprentice lowered his head and tucked himself back into a ball, "Please do not sneeze on me."
He had enough woes as it were.
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[Starlingheart]

Ferndance is the first to come at her summons, she states that the other ShadowClanners have been complaining about her "little bug pals" for a moment, the shadowed medicine cat's eyebrows knit together in confusion. She squints her eyes slightly and then she sees it. Fleas. Starlingheart is no expert in ridding the creatures, ShadowClan had no herbs that she knew of for such a thing. "You-you'll have to- you'll have to submerge yourself in a- a pool of wa-water" she informs the lead warrior, unsure what else there is to do but trying her best to sound confident in her decision anyways, even if it was just a guess. "please find a uh- a shallow one" thoughts of Ghostpaws drenched body being dragged back into camp haunt her vision, but she cannot allow her grief to distract her. She squeezes her eyes shut tight for a moment takes deep breaths and when she opens them again, she can think a little bit more clearly.

Her brother is a comforting sight, though she had never really been close with any of her family, other than Pitchstar, she still loved them. He was still her big brother, after all. She listens to him talk, reflecting on how different he had been from the late leader. Starlingheart knows how to treat sore throats, but unluckily for her brother, she only knows the remedy Beesong had told her about. Tansy. It is not something she has come across yet, not in ShadowClan, at least. She wracks her brain for a moment, trying desperately not to take too long. And then it comes to her. She had been young when the fire had swept through the camp, had tried to block out all memories of that time, but she does remember something. The sticky sweet taste of honey, given to her and so many others in order to soothe their throats. "I have- I have just the thing" she informs him, a sad smile playing on her lips before she disappears into her den and comes back with some of the amber liquid on a leaf. She places it in front of him "Here dr-drink this and- and if its still bothering you tomorrow c-come back" sickness scares her, to be honest. Wounds she can see, she can treat, but sickness was internal and Starlingheart did not yet know of any way to look inside of a cat.

Chilledstar does not have an ailment it seems, not one that they step forward for anyways, but Starlingheart can see them out of the corner of her eyes, can hear them speak. They are agreeing with her, telling cats that indeed they should get looked at and she is happy for the support, she sends a grateful smile in their direction, nods her head in way of a greeting as more cats come up to her to get various things looked at

Ribbitleap is next. He comes to her complaining about sneezing and the sniffles. It is something she had seen before, with Heavybranch. It is not something she had learned to cure yet. Still, that wouldn't stop her from trying. "I-I cant make the sneezing go- go away" she admits quietly, gaze cast to the ground in a moment of embarrassment brought on by admitting there is something she does not know how to do "Bu-but I can- I can give you feverfew to- to help with any headaches it may cause" she says, sliding the herb forward for consumption. "Co-come back if it- if it gets worse" she informs him. She has a feeling she'll be saying that to a lot of cats today.

The smell of prey makes her mouth water and she turns her head to see Crowpaw, paw outstetched with an offering. A frog. She smiles in the apprentices direction, genuinely surprised but pleased "Oh!" she exclaims "Really you didn't- you didn't need to bring me- bring me anything Crowpaw! Thats- thats very n-nice of you" she takes the frog with a snow tipped paw, sets it aside to consume later, when she wasn't so busy. He then informs her that he has a cough and Starlingheart is already turning, looking for just the thing. She pulls out a little bit more honey, but also she pulls out chickweed. Beesong had told her that it would help with greencough when catmint wasn't available but what about a regular cough? No harm in trying as long as it wasn't poisonous right? "He-here, take these" she says, pushing the small bundle of honey and herbs in the toms direction.

Her attention then turns to Magpiepaw, and she laughs slightly at the apprentices request not to be sneezed on "L-look Magpiepaw!" she says, gesturing to the frog that Crowpaw had brought "We have- we have breakfast to-to share later" or was he starting to get old enough that he was 'too cool' to be seen dining with her? She highly doubts it. Her eyes flicker to his tail for a moment, checking and rechecking the dressing she had put on it. There is not much else she can do on that front but silently she tells herself that later she should give him some more comfrey. She sends a silent prayer to the stars to keep her friend safe. She could not loose another, not right now.

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[Tornadopaw]

If you don't like me, that's your problem

The smoke furred apprentice ambles forward, quietly weaving through the masses until she was close enough to Starlingheart to gather her attention. Carefully Tornadopaw takes a seat and extends her forearm for the medic to evaluate once she's done with the others. These past few weeks she has been careful not to place too much pressure on her sprained paw. The swelling even seemed to go away after some time and the pain was less prominent unlike before. "Am I cleared from resting yet?" She asks softly, awaiting her response while keeping a careful eye on Ferndance, whatever little friends Starling was referring to she did not want them. ​

When I let it bother me, that's my problem​

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