#chickadeekit

Wren started the day with a sharp pain. Along with the realization that her kits were coming and by starclan, they weren’t waiting. She yowled to her partner, who came rushing with the medicine cat. She remembered happily remarking to her eldest, Button, that he was going to be a big brother. Surely, after his whole ordeal, he would be happy?

She never expected him to snap, for his words to come out hostile and frantic. His easy going expression dissolved into wide eyed anger. Screaming pure nonsense as he rushed out of the medicine den, scratching poor MothCatcher as the elder warrior tried to confront them. “You’re replacing me! They told me- oh starclan I knew it!” Button screamed, his voice shakey and desperate. Wren was beyond concerned. Was he ill, he sounded not right.

But as she tried to follow, Bristleweb shoved her down into the nest. She stared up almost confused, but another pain from her midsection anwsered it for her. “Wren please! They’ll find button, you’re having these kits now. You have to stay down.” She regretfully agreed, laying down. She felt Hickory groom her head, before he stepped out of the medicine den.

“I’ll go look for him. I’ll be back, I promise!” Wren nodded, sighing. Hickory had become her mate and parent to button when he was just an apprentice, and he took the parent role very seriously. Stating very early on that he’d protect her and him, no matter the costs. A wave of pain rushed through her, and she pushed her concerns aside. Button’Quail had to wait, he would be fine. She focused instead on listening to Bristleweb.

Bristleweb appeared at her side, grinning as she sat down a squeaking brown kit. “That’s the last one! Two Tom’s, Two Mollies. All healthy!” Wren smiled weakly, happily nuzzling the kitten into her curved body alongside its siblings. Four tiny life forms wiggled near her, moving and nursing as normal. Her heart was bursting with love, she was reminded of when she had Button. But this time, she had a mate to help her.

“Thank you Bristleweb…you’re amazing.” Wren choked, eyes teary. The medicine cat shook her head, gently brushing against Wrens pelt with a purr. “No no, you did the work mam’m. I just helped. You gonna name them-?” Wren looked up at their friend, chuckling. “Oh no, not all of them yet. I want to wait for Hickory to come back, so he gets a say too.”

Bristleweb nodded, stepping away to check the herb storage, dipping a moss patch in some water to slide near Wrenshine. Wren sniffed one of her kits, a white kitten with black and oranges patches. “This sweetheart is Plover. Hello dear…” the kitten mewled, “looking” up from its nursing to sniff their mother. Wren chuckled softly, but tiredly. The birthing strained her body, she would have to take it easy for a bit. That would be easy yes? Nap all day?

A commotion took her out of her calming daydream, and she looked at the exit of the medicine den. Someone outside was yelling, and more voices rang out. Wren heard the leader, she heard some of her freinds. “What’s going-“ Wren was cut off as Bristleweb poked her head outside, only to rush back into the den and scramble for herbs, grabbing cobweb and other herbs wren didn’t recognize. She looked panicked.

Wren spoke up, trying to calm her kittens squeaks from the sudden movement around the den. “Bristle! What’s going on?” The white she-cat looked at her, expression softening for a moment. All she did was shake her head, and run out, leaving Wren alone. Now she was torn. She had just had kits, and obviously Bristle didn’t want her worrying about something, that strain wouldn’t help. But why wouldn’t she say anything?! Wren pondered, maybe Bristle would come back and tell her-

Until she heard hickory’s panicked screams.

That settled it. She hoisted herself from the nest, legs feeling weak and wobbly as she forced herself to walk near the dens entrance. She could barely make out everyone’s words. “-too much blood-“ “starclan help him-“ “It’s gonna be okay, please-“ Between the panic she heard Buttons name. Her heart beat faster as she moved from a shuffle to a sprint after hearing her first borns name. “Button? Sweetheart?!” She managed to pull herself close to the entrance to stare out to camp, hoping for any kind of relief from her fears.

She never should have looked.

ButtonQuail’s orange fur was stained with crimson from the hips down. A twoleg trap, something she remembered setting off with a patrol was clamped around him, and his back legs seemed to no longer connect to his body. His blood was spilled out behind him, a red trail leading into camp only confirmed that he hadn’t gotten hurt and stayed down. He had dragged himself all the way to camp, which probably made the damage worse.

In her frenzied mind, she noticed something that looked like a pink fleshy peice of prey beside Button. Her stomach contents almost emptied as she realized that was part of his organs, that they were spilling out as the trap tore him in two. Hickory was crouched over him, frantically trying to keep him awake as the clan was panicking. Bristleweb was trying her hardest, barking orders and desperately trying to pry the trap off of him.

Wren felt like she was going to explode, her mind was moving too fast to comprehend everything. Her baby, her Pumpkin, Button was hurt so badly, would he even surivive this?

Maybe- maybe Bristleweb could help? She was, IS a great med cat, surely she can! Her freind has to save her baby, she has to! Why wasn’t the leader helping?! Why was he just standing there, why didn’t they find Button sooner! Was this her fault, maybe she should have seen the signs?!

The stress and influx of shock was only hurting her, the strain from birth had made her body extremely vulnerable. Wren tried to calm down, tried to think of her new kits, of hickory, of-

“..ma…….ma….”

Wren looked up, and for a moment, locked eyes with ButtonQuail. His eyes were wide, tears and dirt caked on his fluffy fur as he stared. His jaws cracked open again, blood spurting out of their throat as they forced the word again, almost desperate and afraid.

“Ma….”

And in that moment, Wren felt her world shatter. She stumbled backwards into the den, mind spinning as all of this horrid tragedy hit her at once, her heart beating so hard she felt it thrumming against her fur.

She couldn’t.

He couldn’t.

why starclan?! why Why WHY-

…and it was all over. In a split moment, Wrenshines heart gave out from the stress. Her body couldn’t take it anymore. Her legs gave out and she fell over into the nest, wind knocked out of her. She stared blankly at the den wall, consciousness fading faster than her brain could catch up with.

Before her vision faded to black, wren felt tiny forms under her now limp body.

Even hearing muffled mewls underneath.