Warriors: Omen of the Stars: Night Whispers (my version) Chapter 16

Chapter 16 (Jayfeather's point of view)

Jayfeather sat quietly in his den, munching on a tasty mouse. He chewed slowly, his head in the past, wondering if he would ever find Rock's stick again. He missed being able to go to it when he needed to think. Suddenly, the den was alive with terror.
"Jayfeather!" Millie called franticly. "Jayfeather!" Jayfeather leaped to his paws, the mouse forgotten. Billows of terror from Millie came crashing over the blind medicine cat, almost knocking him on his belly.
"What is it, Millie?" Jayfeather fought to stay calm. He probed at her thoughts. Briarlight.
Millie took a deep breath of air. "Briarlight is coughing terribly!" she wheezed.
Jayfeather pounded out of the den and into the chilly sunhigh air. He made his way straight to the warriors' den, where a wave of coughing greeted him. Briarlight was coughing. "Move her right to the nursery - it's warmer. I don't want the cough to turn into whitecough or greencough. Is there a hunting patrol out?" he asked.
Millie's fright turned into rage. "This is no time to worry about fresh-kill!" she snapped. "What about my kit?"
Jayfeather fought to keep Millie calm. "I need it to keep Briarlight warm," he responded carefully. "Now, please, take her to the nursery." Millie's anger subsided and Jayfeather heard her help Briarlight to the nursery. He followed them there, and Briarlight collapsed in an empty nest. "Millie, lie next to Briarlight to warm her. Briarlight, can you try yowling? It will help clear your chest and hopefully stop the coughing, but I don't know if that's what it is - it might be whitecough. Ferncloud, go out and wait for the hunting patrol to return. When they do, take all their fresh-kill and bring it straight here. And don't let any cat stop you."
Ferncloud hurried out of the den.
For several minutes Briarlight howled, and Jayfeather kept his ears pricked toward the clearing. He heard Graystripe's voice as the hunting patrol returned.
"Just tell us what you need it for, Ferncloud, and we'll be glad to give it to you." Graystripe was saying. Jayfeather raced out of the den and grabbed Blossomfall's still warm pheasant.
"Give me that!" he growled at Blossomfall, his teeth gripped firmly in the feathery bird. "It's for your sister!" Blossomfall dropped the pheasant, and Jayfeather took it back to the nursery and put it beside Briarlight. Blossomfall and Bumblestripe came in promptly.
"Bring me all the rest of the warm fresh-kill," Jayfeather said quickly. The two cats bounded away. "And nothing cold!" he yowled after them. A few minutes later they returned, mouths filled with prey, and Jayfeather arranged it neatly around Briarlight. "You can stop yowling now, Briarlight," Jayfeather said. "Just rest in here for a while, and I'll be back later to check on you." He touched his tail-tip to Millie's shoulder and let her out of the nursery.
"Jayfeather-" she began, but the medicine cat silenced her.
"I don't know what it is," he said. "Her chest coughing didn't sound like this, but she doesn't smell like whitecough. I need you to stay up with her tonight. Blossomfall and Bumblestripe, too, if they want to. Just don't lick her. If you do, when her fur dries it will only cool her, and that is a sure invitation for greencough, especially in leaf-bare. If anything happens or goes wrong, come get me right away." He left Millie in front of the nursery and headed back to his den to sort juniper berries.