Would it matter at all?

[Mirage]

Meadowdust hopped out of the water with a few herbs in her mouth. The side of the slope was a little slippery seeing it rained not ot long ago. She slipped and almost didnt make it to the top but with one good jump she was on land and feeling the wet grass under her paws. She took some time to catch her breath and set the herbs on the ground. She looked back at the water then at the sky. It was still a bit cloudy but at least the rain stopped.

She picked up the herbs and started back to camp. The mist filled the Thunderclan forest all over but didnt bother her at all. She then saw a mouse not to far from her and dropped the herbs. She hadnt hunted in a long time. She got into a crouch and stalked toward the mouse. It then sented her and she raced after it and ran as fast as she could. She was so close when she skidded to a halt, or tried to when she saw the mouse go over to the Riverclan border. She shook her head and sat down watching the mouse run away. "Nice going.." she hissed to herself.

She headed back to her herbs and picked them up in her mouth and took one last look back at the mouse and rolled her eyes and started back to her home.

[Lightstar]

It was the stench that had driven Boulderfoot out of the ThunderClan camp that day. Not the stench of the camp, but the stench of the warrior. In other words, the other warriors just barely fell short of driving him out with tooth and nail, so foul did the massive tomcat smell. Now this helplessly smelly cat was slowly plodding around the territory, a twisting pain in his belly and his already unattractive face warped and contorted by pain.

So why was this warrior so stinky? The night before, he had eaten a bad mouse. Most experienced warriors would have been able to see that this was not the freshest prey, and had been brought back by a desperate apprentice. Poor Boulderfoot was not so blessed with acuity, though. He gobbled up the malignant dinner, and now it roiled in its stomach, wrecking havoc on his digestive system. All this because an apprentice had been either lazy or careless, and because Boulderfoot was not the sharpest claw on the paw. Consequently, the warrior was now bloated and gassy, and unpleasant smells were issuing from him. It was rather embarrassing for himself, but he was unused to embarrassment. The unhappiness he derived of his present illness was more because he was kicked out of the camp for smelling bad than anything else.

Boulderfoot ambled along uncomfortably, winding beneath the trees and past the soft arches of fern. All the while, his stomach was gurgling sinisterly, a sound like the mad cackle of an evil scientist. The tom’s flattened face twisted again as another wave of pain overtook him, threatening to drown him. The stocky cat paused, trying to wait out the roiling pain that issued from his belly. Alternately heat and cold washed over him as his body struggled to cope with the peculiar ache.

Limbs trembled, tail twitched, and ears flattened against a round head as Boulderfoot succumbed to the pain at last. Within earshot of the gurgling river, sounding so much like his belly, and (unbeknownst to Boulderfoot) within earshot of the one cat who could probably help him with his tummy troubles, the behemoth vomited loudly all over the forest floor, issuing rank-smelling, vile material from between his shortened jaws. The sour taste of old food combined with stomach acid burned the warrior’s tongue, and he nearly gagged. Meanwhile, more gas escaped his other side. When the vomit finally stopped flowing, an awful stink hung like a cloud over his body, and the huge tom crouched miserably as pain still rippled through his stomach.

[Mirage]

Meadowdust was just about to head back to the camp when an awful smell hit her nose. She closed her eyes and almost had tears fall from them how horrible the smell was. Yet knowing she was a medicine cat she was going to have to deal. Yet this smell was not one like any other. She had smelled this before.

She carried her herbs with her to the smell and saw what was going on. Piles of vomit were lying in the grass with a warrior, boulderfoot next to it. Taking her instincts with her she raced over to the warrior and crashed though the wall of unpleasing smells that were hovering over them like a cloud.

She shook her head and was glad she had went out yet felt terrible that she wasnt in camp for this warrior. She went to her new pile that she had just got and took out some Juniper. When she saw that the vomiting had stopped she nudged them to the warrior and mewed, "I want you, to eat these slowly, but make sure you eat them to its fullest. A medicine cats herbs are never the greatest tasting but the worse it taste the better it will help."
She waited for him to eat them up and wondered if their was really anything she could give him also. She thought for a minute and a light bulb went off in her head and thought, Yarrow. If he was to throw up anymore, Yarrow would help calm the vomiting down. She had that ready also and stayed next to the smelly warrior. Yet she knew they would have to move out of the area. She knew that he was also going to be very sore from this day and he had to rest, yet out here wouldnt be the best idea. They had to get back home.

She then thought of something else, "Wait right here, eat these up and I'll be right back." she mewed looking him over. She bounced away from the warrior and took a big leaf with her. She got to the stream and dipped the big leaf in the water to fill it up. She smiled when it was just right and she picked it up out of the water carefully and smoothly walked it to the warrior and with another wave of filthy smells welcoming her as she padded to him. She layed the leaf down next to him and carefully not to set it in the vomit. "I want you to drink this, this will help the herbs work alot faster in your stomach knowing they are going down with some fluid, yet dont eat the Yarrow unless you really have to throw up again, it looks like your not and its over but just in case." she mewed in a sweet motherly tone. Meadowdust was one who would be mistaken for a mother in this clan seeing how gentle she is and patient she can really be. She sat next to the warrior and really could care less about the smell that came to them over and over again. She lifted her head and saw that a cool breeze was blowing the smell of the vomit and other things away from them and into Riverclan. She gave a little purr and went back to her clan mate who needed her. She then gently rubbed her tail down the warriors back to help him know that she was here for him. She wasnt going to leave him of course. She never could. Yet deep down inside, she had a little crush on all the toms she treated in this clan.

[Lightstar]

A moan was moments from escaping Boulderfoot’s flattened jaws when the soft crunch of paws against leaf litter entered his ears. The warrior stifled the noise of pain that desperately tried to escape him and looked up from his mess, heat searing through his large body. It would be wrong of the massive tom to show his weakness any more than his body absolutely forced him to.

He did not know who he expected to stumble upon him in his moment of weakness—actually, he hadn’t anticipated the arrival of anyone—but the last cat he would have honestly thought of seeing was Meadowdust. As soon as she stepped into his line of sight, though… It was almost as if her very appearance brought relief. This was the medicine cat! Why had Boulderfoot not thought to go to the medicine cat sooner? Because he was not the most intelligent cat, that is why. Now that he saw her, though, he allowed the groan that rose in his throat like bile to escape. It was alright to show your weakness in front of the medicine cat, for this was the cat who was meant to know every other cat intimately. He thought little of how his vomiting must have inconvenienced her; this was a cat who was merely here to do her duty.

And her duty is indeed what she did. Within seconds of her appearance, she was prescribing herbal treatment for Boulderfoot’s ailment. The huge warrior looked at the odd little berries she offered him, doubt flickering in his owl-like eyes. As if she could read the uncertainty in his gaze, Meadowdust reassured him, and obediently the warrior snuffled up the unappetizing herbs. Their flavor was bitter and utterly unappealing, and he longed to spit them out, both because of flavor and because he did not feel like eating anything. But this was no stubborn cat, and the mighty warrior swallowed the chewed berries slowly. They rubbed painfully against his raw throat, but then they were down, heading into his uneasy stomach.

The tom’s huge eyes shifted from the ground to the medicine cat’s beautiful face. She had very kind eyes, especially at that moment, and for those kind eyes, Boulderfoot was immensely grateful. The camp had not offered such benevolence to him when the symptoms first appeared. He did not yet feel improved, and hot and cold flashes still assailed him, but he was being treated well, and that was all that mattered. Just as Boulderfoot was beginning to feel a little better emotionally, though, Meadowdust was telling him to wait and bounding away. Seeing as the hefty warrior did not feel like doing much, he waited patiently (but eagerly) for the she-cat to return.

She did so, and in her finely shaped jaws was a wad of moss from which cool water trickled. Involuntarily, the big tom’s whiskers flicked forward, a sign of interest. It was a promising gesture, as any interest he showed revealed improvement in his condition. Again obeying the medicine cat’s orders, the giant lapped at the water that was soaked into the spongy moss. The clean droplets flowed across his tongue, carrying away remaining molecules of foulness. As he lapped at the soggy moss, Boulderfoot felt a pleasant tingling sensation along his spine. Meadowdust was running her fluffy tail along his back, and the tom looked up at her yet again. His wide, honest eyes revealed his simple gratitude for the gesture, and for her care; just because he simply thought of Meadowdust as performing a duty did not mean he was ungrateful. He opened his squashed-looking jaws, intending to voice his thanks, but instead of words, a malevolent, rank-smelling, hair-raising burp jumped out of his mouth.

This was one of those rare times when Boulderfoot felt truly humiliated. Then again, you couldn’t get much worse than burping in somebody’s face! For a few good seconds, the ugly tom looked at the she-cat, his jaws still parted but his owlish eyes very obviously mortified. The sickly tom then quickly ducked his head, pulling his thick tail close to his flank in embarrassment. Finally, the first words he had spoken to the medicine cat were voiced: ”I’m sorry.” Of course, those words embodied everything Boulderfoot was sorry for: the burp, the stink, the vomiting, the everything that he had put this she-cat through, because all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, the realization of all this came crashing down on him. It took an embarrassing mistake for Boulderfoot to suddenly think of this, but then, you should be proud of him for thinking much at all.

[Mirage]

Meadowdust watched the tom do everything she told him to do and was glad to see him listen. She gave a purr and with in a few seconds she felt the burp in her face and laughed and mewed, "Its okay sweetie, dont feel bad." She didnt take really anything to heart but knew how bad he must have felt. She shook her head and started to clear out all of the grose things around him to make him feel like he could move around a bit and if he was able to he could stand up. She then padded next to him and nuzzeled him softly and asked, "Do you feel like you can get up?" She tilted her head to the side and would love to get him to the river to clean himself off if he could. She yet would stay with him and help him if he needed it.

[Lightstar]

When Meadowdust merely laughed off the embarrassing, smelly burp that Boulderfoot had sent in her direction, the warrior peered meekly up at the apparently amused she-cat. Again, her words were a great comfort to him, like especially soft moss. That’s what this she-cat was like to him, soft moss for his bedding on a day when all his muscles ached. She offered him the same kind of simple comfort in her words. The huge cat, crouching before his mess, lowered his eyes once again as the she-cat began to clear away his vomit. He was about to offer to help when another cramp plagued his tortured stomach and he winced again, clutching his tail closer to his body and clenching his paws miserably.

This cramp passed relatively quickly, though, and the tom lifted his massive, misshapen head again. His short jaws were parted as he panted softly, and his eyes were half-lidded. Experimentally, he loosened his tail muscles, letting the limb slowly swing away from his side. Moments later, Meadowdust had returned to his side and nuzzled him gently in a way not unlike a mother. Not trusting himself to speak in response to her query, Boulderfoot nodded. The wave of nausea and pain had passed, if only temporarily. Besides, he’d gotten all the way there, hadn’t he? A little nervously, he straightened his legs, lifting himself to his full and very impressive height. When he stood straight, he towered over just about everyone. The flat-faced cat looked down at the gentle she-cat with amber eyes so like a dopey kit’s.

It appeared that the she-cat intended for Boulderfoot to head over to the stream. Whether or not this was her idea, it sounded good enough in the warrior’s mind. Traces of bile streaked his shortened muzzle and throat, as well as his forepaws. He wouldn’t ask any cat, not even the medicine cat, to clean this from him, and he shied away from the thought of tasting his own vomit again. Shakily, he began to walk, his tree trunk legs trembling with a combination of nervousness and weakness. The big tom lumbered carefully around the piles of vomit as he headed towards the river. However, he was still somewhat gassy, and it was probably a bad idea for Meadowdust to remain behind him for long.

The monstrous tom lumbered out from between a pair of slender trees to be greeted by the sight of silvery, tumbling water. The river looked absolutely clean and fresh, and its gurgling voice invited him gently into its fluid arms. Boulderfoot did not need to be asked twice. The tom shuffled forwards as quickly as his illness-weakened, heavy legs could carry him. Into the shallows the huge tom splashed, parting the frigid water with his broad chest. The liquid was so cold from the recent rain that even massive Boulderfoot shivered, but he longed for cleanliness more than warmth. Without more than a few moments’ hesitation, he plunged his mashed face into the cold, clean depths. He had gulped in a huge breath of air, and now the oxygen sat patiently in his lungs as the warrior swiped at his muzzle with a forepaw while it was underwater. The air in his chest grew restless, and he had to lift his head to let it out. Moments later, he dipped his face back into the cold river.

While his face was in the water, while his body trembled with cold and recurring nausea, Boulderfoot thought again of Meadowdust in all her kindness. It was so strange to feel someone take care of him, to have someone mother him. After all, his own mother never mothered him. However, the thought passed swiftly, flowing along with the river’s current, and the warrior lifted his head again and turned, shuffling slowly out of the water. On the bank, he cast his deep orange gaze around, looking for Meadowdust. The nausea was still present, though its potency was slowly fading, and he rather hoped she had more ways to care for him. He had to admit that he liked the feeling of being cared for.

[Mirage]

Meadowdust gave a purr when she saw him getting up. "Their we go! Thats it! Not too fast now..just one step at a time..their we go, wonderful job, your doing great, your ok, just come to me..your doing wonderful Boulderfoot!" she praised as she saw the tom walk out from the two trees and headed to the river. Meadowdusts eyes followed him and watched him plunge into the river.

She padded up to the edge of the stream and watched him play in the water as if he were a kit seeing the water for the first time. She couldnt help but give a smile and found it relaxing seeing the tom in the water. She sat their letting the warm sun soak onto her fur and deep into her skin. Her white fur glowed in the sun light and her dark yellow eyes still followed the tom making sure that he was doing ok. A clam breeze blew past her and she felt as if she did the right thing. She gave a soft blink and purred.

She then padded into the river and decided to join him. She softly swam over to the large tom and circled around him. She then took out a clump of moss that was damp and started to clean his fur with it. To make sure the smell was out of his fur and that he was as clean as a new born kit. She made her way to his chest and started cleaning up the dried up vomit on his chest. It wasn't hard to get off as she thought it would be. Meadowdust then moved to his mouth and slowly but carefully cleaned around his muzzle. Her nose touched his and she gave a purr and a look as if she were saying, Sorry. She was able to clean up around his muzzle and then asked, "Can you get a moth full of water for me then spit it back out into the water please? I dont want you having Icky breath when you go back to camp. Thats not going to be very attractive." She gave a soft giggle and made sure that everything was cleaned up and ready to go.

She then took a few steps back and looked at him from afar and smiled to herself. She did good today. Very good.

[Lightstar]

Boulderfoot had already decided he was clean enough, though he couldn’t see precisely how clean that was, when the medicine cat paddled over to him. Though he was large enough to stand in this depth, his large paws gripping the silty, pebbly riverbed, Meadowdust was swimming. A clump of vibrant moss dangled from her jaws, soaked in river water, and she stretched her neck forward to rub at his grimy fur with the wad. She washed his chest, his chin, and then around his mouth. The huge warrior stood very still, his whiskers tingling whenever her fur or her whiskers brushed them. For a moment, her pretty little nose touched his big ugly one, and he felt warm all over, for little strands of heat flowed from her muzzle into his before making their way through his body. This was what it felt like when a cat took care of you. It felt good.

As he had done before, Boulderfoot obeyed the medicine cat. She might have asked politely, but he took it as an order. Orders were good and easy to follow, and he might have preferred it if she had commanded him to wash his mouth. All of the pleases and thank yous tended to cloud up what he needed to do, but the warrior was pretty sure he understood what to do. He gulped in some water and held it in his mouth. For a moment he forgot what he was meant to do with it, though, and he accidentally swallowed the mouthful of liquid. Instantly, though it may have been coincidental timing, the tom’s stomach gave another defiant heave and Boulderfoot gasped, gagging on the fluid. He coughed up a little water and a little more bile, fouling the river with it. This latest twinge of pain, though, was definitely weaker than the last. The nausea was subsiding.

This time the orders were correctly followed. Boulderfoot took some more water in his mouth and instantly spat it back out. The taste of bile and acid were nearly gone; a faint remnant still lingered on the roof of his mouth. The warrior coughed vainly, trying to rid himself of the last bit of the foul flavor, but it was no use.

Surrendering, Boulderfoot looked around for Meadowdust again. The she-cat was a little ways off, her mysterious golden eyes observing him. They seemed pleased, but the warrior was never certain, especially with this cat of all cats. The oversized tomcat took a step in her direction, parting the shimmering water with his wide chest. Now that he was clean, his fur shone like a fresh dusting of snow on a crisp leafbare day, or like a chalky white boulder sitting in the stream. The unattractive tom opened his mouth, and his voice rumbled out. With his voice, the comparison to the boulder was more appropriate, for his deep baritone was like the crunch of rocks rolling down a hillside. ”Thank you,” he said simply, blinking respectfully towards the medicine cat. ”I’m feeling better now.” Of course his condition was imperfect, but it was certainly improved, and improving further still.

As Boulderfoot was not a cat who took charge, he waited submissively for Meadowdust to make a move, to lead him out of the river. This warrior was the kind of cat who would stand in the bitter water indefinitely if nobody came along and told him to move.

[Mirage]

The medicine cat stood where she was and gave a little laugh when she saw him swallow some water and spit some back out. Warriors she thought with a smile on her face. She did do very well, she could see the light in his eyes again and his fur was very clean. Cleaner then how it use to be. The smell still lingered in the air but soon enough the breeze carried it away and left to have another cat or clan smell it. She still was in the water and took a few more moments to let this tom have his fun in the water. She looked up at the clear sky and saw the suns reflection in the water. It couldnt of been a better moment then this.

When she saw the tom coming to her she still sat with a soft smile on her face and gave a slow blink.

"Thank you"

He said. A thank you. Medicine cats never get a Thank you every now and then. Some get cleaned up and pad on like nothing ever happened. She gave a brief nod to the tom and replied, "I was simply doing my job." He did look alot better then he had before. She had to give herself some credit. Yet any other warrior wouldnt of listened to her about taking in yarrow or juniper and kept on throwing up. Which would of made her job more harder to do, she would then get testy with that warrior or any cat and lose it.

She motioned with her head to the edge of the bank and mewed, "Well, if your doing better, I think it might be okay for us to get out. I dont want a soggy warrior going back into the warriors den. Yet tonight I would like you to stay with me just in case you start again. You look absolutely fine and better but you can never be too careful can we?" She gave a little giggle and moved a bit toward the bank and waited for Blouderfoot to follow.

[Lightstar]

As always, Meadowdust’s voice was mellow yet self-assured; this was the manner of speaking shared by many medicine cats. As always, it comforted Boulderfoot and made him feel better, and he could swear that it was this she-cat’s very presence that helped a sickly cat improve. Her medicines were all fine and dandy, but they were beyond the warrior’s comprehension. Personality, now that was something this cat understood. The she-cat had the perfect nature for a medicine cat.

The massive tom followed the softly chuckling female from the water. Water slid from his thick coat in runnels, and he shivered again. It felt like cold fingers sliding along his pelt. Still, the frigid temperature was good for one thing: it got rid of his hot flashes. Boulderfoot stepped heavily onto the pebble-strewn bank, feeling the water drip from his short fur and onto the sandy, muddy earth. The muscular cat gave himself a good shake. At the brisk motion, water droplets leapt from his fur and scattered across the tan earth, soaking into the soil. The movement disturbed not only the water on his pelt but also his delicate stomach. Boulderfoot gritted his teeth together as his belly cramped, twisting. This time, though, he felt know need to vomit; there was only the pain. Hopefully this was a good sign, but he was not the expert. Meadowdust was.

The expert had said he looked fine, and so he must be. The medicine cat always knew best, or so the elders had always said. Boulderfoot silently put his trust in the fox-furred she-cat. His health was her burden to bear, but that meant that he must follow her words precisely. Meadowdust had recommended the warrior sleep in the medicine cat’s den for the night; again, because Boulderfoot did not like recommendations, he decided to take it as an order, and pretended to himself he had no choice. With the air of an obedient kit with its mother, the immense cat followed the smaller one. With his coloration, he looked like solidified mist padding after the beautiful and vibrantly-colored female.

Not wanting to seem ungrateful, or perhaps just because it was in his nature, Boulderfoot offered, ”Let me carry your herbs.” The she-cat had been carrying quite a mouthful when she had first come across him, and the tom thought he could see the pile of leaves and berries through the thin undergrowth by the river’s edge. Had he not seen it, he would not have remembered it. Assuming Meadowdust allowed him to help, the colossus padded to the herbs and scooped up roughly half the pile in his mouth; it was all he could carry with his narrow muzzle. As he lifted them in his mouth, he saw his piles of vomit from earlier, and smelled the combination of it and the gases he had accidentally released resiliently clinging in tiny shreds to the air. He felt faintly embarrassed by it, but then he was returning his attention to Meadowdust. He would follow the medicine cat back to the camp, and she would lead him from this uncomfortable memory.

[Mirage]

Meadowdust licked her paw and drew it over her ear when she was waiting for the tom to be done drying off. She then glanced up at him and smiled. He was very well. Almost perfect. She saw him shake and she looked at him with burning eyes as if she were telling him, Dont do that again. She should have warned him to not shake or do countless things that involve turning your stomach violently around. She rolled her eyes yet with a smile on her face and almost didnt hear that the warrior wanted to carry her herbs for her. Yet she couldnt teach him everything, he had to learn some things on his own.

She tilted her head to one side and saw him already going for them. What had to make her laugh more was it wasnt a question, it was more of an order. A warrior ordering around a medicine cat. How silly. She shook her head but didnt say no. "I would like that very much."

She headed a ways down to the camp then stopped and waited for the white tom to come up beside her. Her yellow dark eyes watched the massive warrior slowly and stood with the perfect grace and let the water drip from her long white and orange fur. She wasnt the shaking type of cat, she would rather let it have hang wetly and she would let it dry on her own time. She didnt like the water much also seeing she was not born from riverclan. The water didnt bother her really, just when it would get deeper and deeper. Her wet tail hung between her legs and slow drips of water fell from her ear and onto the dark floor. She was really more concentrated on the warrior then her body.

[Lightstar]

The bitterness of the leaves the tom held in his mouth seemed to soak away the last remnants of the acid bile taste. Herbal flavors were not considered delicious by any cat, but it was certainly an improvement from the last taste that was in Boulderfoot’s mouth. He was rather glad of having the task for this reason. Then again, he was just glad to have something to do; idleness did not suit him. He held the medicines carefully in his unshapely jaws, struggling not to drop a leaf from his bundle, as he lumbered towards the medicine cat.

The female stood gracefully, water drizzling from her long fur. A tail that was normally as fluffy as a cumulus cloud was now bedraggled, and fur that normally fanned prettily out along her body clung to her flanks. Still, all that the soaking had done was reveal the she-cat’s sleek, elegant build that normally hid beneath a puffy coat. The enormous tom was inadvertently staring at her with admiration in his wide, clear eyes, giving her the look that any tom gives an attractive she-cat. Of course, he didn’t seriously mean anything by it, because ingrained into his simple mind was the knowledge that she was a medicine cat, and therefore off-limits to him. Besides, Boulderfoot would never have a she-cat, whether because he was too ugly, too old, or too simple to try and deal with their complexities.

As soon as Boulderfoot drew abreast Meadowdust and she began to move forward, the warrior naturally fell into step behind her. This was one of those cats who had a very clear and defined image of ranking. First came the leaders, then deputies, then medicine cats, and so on and so forth. While among the warriors Boulderfoot had seniority, he was still of a lower class than this delicate female before him, and therefore he should walk behind her. Besides, there was a more practical reason for him walking behind her: all of the gas had not yet finished escaping the tom’s body, and it would be best to release it as far from the she-cat as possible.

[Mirage]

Meadowdust padded on to the camp and looked back seeing Blouderfoot was behind her a bit. She looked back and playfully ran her tail down the middle of his face and under his chin then around his ear. She gave him a soft smile then turned back to hwere she was walking and let her tail go back between her legs. Camp was almost in sight and she was happy to be home.

She stood at the top of the enternace and looked around. She hoped no other cat needed her when she was out. She hated when that happened. She then waited for the white tom to come to her side and she looked back at the camp. She looked to her den and didn hesitate to padd down and go into it. Yet Boulderfoot was going to be following her. "Remember honey, your staying the night with me tonight. Just to make sure everything is ok. Now, did you eat something bad? Obvioulsy you did, did you leave it in the warriors den or in a reach where any other cat can get to it?.." she asked with a worry look in her eyes.

[Lightstar]

The trek back to the camp was not a comfortable experience. Each step seemed to cause Boulderfoot’s stomach to rock back and forth. The warrior could feel the fluids swishing around in his belly, and that was enough to cause some of the nausea to return. Still, he tried to refrain from making faces, from grimacing and groaning, because such things were rather un-warrior-like. The journey wasn’t without a fair amount of distraction, though. While Boulderfoot was busy being amazed how far he had managed to come with his bellyache that morning, all the way from the camp to the river, Meadowdust was being mischievous. All of a sudden, the warrior felt something soft and slightly damp run down the center of his wide, flattened face. He blinked, looking so much like a puzzled owl, and realized that the medicine cat was playfully flicking him with her furry tail. It tingled. He looked at her, not sure how to react, but her smile was gentle. Still, the tom was unused to this type of joking behavior, and since he didn’t know how to react, simply did not. Nevertheless, it had tickled his nose, and his short muzzle twitched as a sneeze tried to force its way past the mouthful of herbs.

Soon after that, the camp was in view. Boulderfoot dutifully followed the medicine cat down the incline to the camp entrance, his eyes downcast as he watched his paw placement carefully. If he stepped carelessly, if he jostled himself too much, he felt that he just might be sick again. But then he was heading through the entrance tunnel just behind Meadowdust, and as the shade of the fronds covered their bodies, he lifted his eyes, watching the she-cat’s graceful hindquarters and swaying tail. The she-cat really was beautiful, and the tom felt that if she hadn’t taken the medicine cat position, she would have made some male a very good mate. She would have produced lovely kittens, which was more than ungainly Boulderfoot could say.

Into the medicine cat den, Boulderfoot padded unsteadily after the more elegant feline. Under the arching fronds of fern that created a peaceful, earthy roof, his paws sinking into the sandy soil, the warrior glanced around. A sneeze still hovered in his nostrils like a teasing word. He needed to set down his bundle of herbs someplace, or… CHOO!

That would happen. The warrior let out a mighty sneeze, and the leaves flew out of his flattened jaws, scattering on the disturbed air in the den. They fluttered in the air for a moment before floating gracefully to the earth. This occurred towards the end of Meadowdust’s little spiel, so the sneeze thankfully did not interrupt the medicine cat. ”Sorry,” mumbled the huge tomcat, tottering forward with the intention of picking up the herbs he had sneezed all over the place. As Boulderfoot bent to try and pick up a leaf that had landed close to the she-cat, the sickness-weakened tom lost his balance, lurching into the medicine cat. For a few moments, his heavy, muscular head pressed against her delicate chest. ”Sorry!” he said again as he regained balance, rocking back. He landed with a thud in a sitting position, facing the smaller cat with a very sheepish countenance.

Deciding against picking up the herbs for the moment (for his head was spinning slightly, and objects danced unsteadily in his vision), Boulderfoot instead decided to respond to the medicine cat’s earlier query. ”I didn’t leave it anywhere. I ate it.” The tom closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for himself to feel steadier. It took a few moments, but once he felt less dizzy, he opened his round eyes once more and raised himself cautiously to his paws. Once again, he started to pick up the scattered herbs, this time starting with the ones closer to himself.

[ooc: Do you want to move this to the actual camp?]

[Mirage]

Meadowdust gave a light purr when she saw the tom lose his balance and crashed into her. She looked down on him and looked into his eyes with a hint of light in them and mewed, "Boulderfoot, its ok."

She then bent down and started to help pick up the leaves he spilled. It didnt matter really, they were still gonna be able to get used. She got a mouthfull of leaves and set them in a corner where all the others were. She turned back and also helped with more of the lost items that were on the ground. She looked up at him and nodded slowly when he told her he ate it all. Meadowdust gave a slow blink and went lost in thought.

She looked him over again hoping to make sure that she cured what she had to. If she missed anything she could never forgive herself. With a blank face she slowly let her eyes look over the white warrior and more carefully this time. She licked her lip and didnt stop looking at how he breathed or walked or talked even. She was not being the flirt she could be but was doing her job very well. Even thought it looked like as if she were checking him out she would never do that. She had her love when she was an apprentice but now that time was over. And she knew it.

She lifed her head slowly and then looked past the warrior and thought about what more was she getting low on. No, she cant be thinking about that right now, she had a warrior to make sure was going to be okay and well. She padded into the den and with in seconds she made a bed for the warrior not to far from hers, yet she probably wouldnt sleep tonight. She never did when she had a cat to watch over. It didnt bother her much. Meadowdust knew a medicine cats job was never done. When she came back out of the medicine cat den she looked at the warrior and informed him, "Your bed has been made by me, if its not comfortable you may go get more moss to make sure you are, or I can either way. I will give you some Water mint of your stomach gets upset again and also some poppy if you will be having trouble sleeping tonight." She then looked at the warrior and shook her head and quickly looked away, "I'm sorry, I'm talking way to much.." she mumbeled as she shifted her paws and looked down at the ground.

ooc: sure thats ok if you move it =)