I hope you feel better

The light of New-leaf shone over the Thunderclan camp during Sun-high. The snow that had previously plagued the earth had melted away, and the trees around the camp returned to their brilliant spectacle of lush green leafs, and a few with tiny blooming flowers. But despite the look of it, not all of Leaf-bare's poison had been completely wiped from the clan.

Inside the medicine den, a ball of cinnamon and white fur laid curled up on a bed strewn with moss and leafs, attempting to rest. Due to the harsh conditions Leaf-bare brought, Hootpaw was unable to escape the cold grasp of illness, and fell down with greencough. As per Honeydrop's command, he was not allowed to leave the nest, he was to stay and rest untill he had fully recovered. Still, he found it difficult to get any rest after the deaths of two other clanmates, and the silence in the den was deafening. Honeydrop had left to fetch more catmint, as Leaf-bare left their supply low, and the only other sick cat, Ivypaw, was sleeping soundly in her nest. Hootpaw stirred in his bed, he felt sleep couldn't be further from his paws.

Suddenly, his ears picked up a gentle crunch from the den's entrance. He rolled over to find the silhouette of a small, round cat, with golden fur lining its body. The cat stood still, as if it had been caught doing something it shouldn't be doing. "Beepaw?" the young tom spoke in a rasp, "what are you doing?".

The she-cat stepped closer in the den, allowing Hootpaw to get a better look at her. Beepaw looked at him with eyes that displayed both confusion and worry.

"Hootpaw, why are you laying where the sick cats sleep?". The she-cat came closer, far too close for a young cat her size to be with sick cats.

"Stop!" Hootpaw exclaimed, before setting off a coughing fit. The coughs burned in his throat and chest, even after he stopped.

Beepaw was confused, and worried. Emotions and thoughts invaded her mind. Hootpaw is sick? How can he get sick? He's supposed to help cats that are sick. Is he going to be ok? Could he die too?

Hootpaw could see the swirling thoughts Beepaw was thinking through her expression. Even though they were both young, Beepaw still didn't quite understand how the world worked, as her mother was very protective of her as a kit.

"I'm ok," the sick cat spoke in a calm voice, hoping to put her at ease, "but I need my rest, and you can't be here. You might get sick too".

Beepaw's thoughts simmered down, but she still felt the spikes of concern poke her body. She swallowed before she spoke: "but... I want to stay". The golden moggy sheepishly stepped forward.

The tom spoke louder: "Beepaw please, I don't want you to get sick too. How about you go spend time with Graypaw? I need to get my rest anyways". Hootpaw shifted to a more comfortable sleeping position, as much as he craved having any company, it would not come at the risk of harming a friend.

Beepaw stepped back a few pawsteps. Hootpaw didn't actually want to be alone, did he? "But you weren't sleeping when I came in here". Her voice was gentle enough to soothe a crying kit.

"I'll be fine, I promise". He hoped Beepaw would give up, he couldn't handle the pain behind her eyes. 

To his relief, Beepaw turned around, although with a heavy heart, and left. The den returned to the quiet it held, and Hootpaw went back to his battle with sleep.

As the day went on, Honeydrop returned with the catmint, giving it to the two sick apprentices, and they were given freshkill to feast on. However, Hootpaw could only take in a few nibbles before losing his appetite. No matter how hard he tried, sleep never even came close to him.

After what seemed to be forever, night fell on the camp, and with it every cat was in their dens sleeping. Only the soft light of the moon protected the cats from complete darkness. Although Leaf-bare was no longer here, the nights made it feel like it was back. If there was even a chance Hootpaw would have been able to drift off into slumber, the cold eliminated it. This insomnia was like some sort of twisted torture for the young cat. 

"Starclan, please," he whispered, "help me sleep. I can't do it on my own".

Moments passed before Hootpaw noticed movement from the den entrance. He could barely see a round shadow approach him. He opened his mouth to let their scent sweep over his scent glands, he smelled dandelion, a scent he was all too familiar with.

"Beepaw? Wh-" before he could finish, the she-cat crawled into his nest, settling herself with him, curling her bristly tail around his chest, and resting her head on his flank.

Hootpaw blinked, confused, before speaking again. "Beepaw what's wrong? Why aren't you in the apprentice's den?".

Beepaw's voice was shaky: "I had a bad dream, a-and I didn't know who else to go to". Hootpaw opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted, "please don't make me go back," the she-cat's voice cracked before pressing her face into Hootpaw's flank.

Hootpaw was silent and still for a moment. If he sent her back, she would have just as much trouble going to sleep as he was having, but if she stayed, she could get sick too. He was able to feel her warmth settle on him, it felt blissful to him after all the cold he endured. Sending her away would be painful for both of them. He made his decision and rested his head on Beepaw's large tail, closing his eyes. He could feel Beepaw grooming his fur, easing him down until sleep slowly crept onto him.