Easy Steps [Closed]

Driftpaw sat at the edge of one of the nests that sat in his den, a pile of feathers he had managed to grab from one of the rare birds that had gotten brought in from the fresh-kill pile. Carefully he was leaning down to pick one up and store it into the nest, making sure the tip was hidden deep in the moss so it would be warm and comfortable for any long-term - or even short-term - patients he might have. As he leaned down to grab another one, one shifted and brushed against his nose. He reared back in an instance, his body jerking in a sneeze...And scattering the feathers across the floor of his den. "Noooo!" he whined as he hoped to his paws, trying to sweep them into a pile so he could continue his work.

Splashpaw limped into camp with a sigh. Why did she have to cross the thunderpathand twist her paw. She limped over to the medicine cat den to hear a silent nooo and knew instantly driftpaw was in there. "Driftpaw, I need your help, I hurt my paw!" she mewed as she padded in to see feather scattered all over.

Driftpaw had started to make a new pile of the scattered feathers, gently pawing them together - until a voice spoke up. Having been so distracted, he had missed Splashpaw's arrival and jumped as she spoke, the sudden movement scattering the feathers once again. Oh, frog legs," Driftpaw cursed softly as the feathers drifted gently down to the floor, sighing as he stepped over a few. "S-Sorry, I was trying to spruce up the nests and...And it seems I made a mess. Hurt paw, you say? Take the nearest nest," he meowed, nodding over to it as he approached the apprentice. "Did you sprain it, get a thorn in it...?" he questioned, sniffing the air. He didn't smell any blood but he had to know what he was dealing with before he could get his herbs - he would worry about the feathers later.

Splashpaw limped over to a nest and waited, once he came over she explained. "I twisted my paw when i ran too fast and fell." She mewed not telling him about her meeting a thunderclan apprentice at the thunderpath. "Do you think it is bad?" she asked never really getting a twisted paw before.

Twisted paw, huh? Driftpaw leaned close to expect the paw, giving it a once-over before he pulled back with a little smile. "I'm sure you will be fine, let me get some elder leaves," he said as he pushed himself to his paws, heading to the back of the den. "How hard is it to move it? And how bad is the pain?" he asked as he started to shift through the ivy leaves that held the different herbs. "Seeing how you made it all the way here from the Thunderpath, it clearly isn't the worse that it could be - you didn't tear anything fully. But depending on how bad it is, you might need to stay in my den for a little while. Well, you are going to have to take things easy in any case but you might be able to sleep in your own nest tonight."

"The pain is like a hard throbbing and depends on the movement, if I move it in a circle it hurts." she mewed watching as he gathered herbs. When he said thunderpath she freaked for a second before realizing he didn't pester. "I don't mind where I sleep, as long as I can get better so I can serve the clan again." She mewed with a smile. She also wanted to see nightpaw again, maybe next time not getting injured.

Driftpaw lifted his head in thought as Splashpaw spoke, running through her assessment of her injury. Throbbing pain, hurt more if she tried to move it in a circle. "Well, you might have nearly torn something," he meowed with a soft sigh, shifting through his herbs as he pulled out the leaf that held his poppy seeds. Poppy seeds for the pain, elder leaves to help with the swelling, catchweed burrs to make sure it didn't fall off... Yeah, that seemed about everything he needed. He gently piled the leaves before he picked them up, padding over to Splashpaw. "But don't you worry - its still nothing serious," he meowed as he dropped the leaves, spreading them out to his side. "You'll be back to your duties before you know it. Here, take these - they will help dull the pain," he dapped a paw into his collection of poppy seeds, holding it out for Splashpaw to lap up. "A couple nights of rest should do it once I get the swelling down, then you ought to be clear to finish up your training. You might still need to take things a bit carefully if you did slightly tear a muscle but you'll still be able to return to your duties as long as you don't do anything crazy."

Splashpaw took the poppy seeds with a smile at driftpaw. "Thanks Driftpaw, It surprising how I haven't been in here yet with my siblings and maplestars training." she mewed laughing as she watched him take care of her paw. She hoped nightpaw didn't think her absence was his fault.

A soft chuckle escaped Driftpaw as he wiped free the few poppy seeds that Splashpaw hadn't gotten. "I don't mind - it makes my job much easier," he meowed as he picked up a few elder leaves, studying them. "How about you tell me about your training - I admit I'm a bit curious. I know that being a warrior wasn't for me but...It's still interesting as I don't know much about it." He started to chew up the elder leaves, making them into a poultice before he gently started to smear it on Splashpaw's injured paw. "Like what actually goes into training to become a warrior?"

"Its actually pretty fun. she mewed watching her paw. "My mentor is sootheart but I have been trained a lot by maplestar. Since Beetlepaw is also her apprentice I train with her also, which I don't think she likes. For training we do hunting, batteling, sparring, patrols, taking care of queens and elders, and also hanging out with other apprentices. I don't really have friends though so I'm always with maplestar." She mewed. She really did want more friends but it was hard for her to make them.

Driftpaw's eyes remained fixed on his work as he made sure to gently cover her paw - trying not to jostle it to much, even if she had poppy seeds to dull the pain. His ears were perked as he listened to her, noting that she had been trained a lot by Maplestar. She listed off all what she did for the training...Before he blinked as she sheepishly mentioned not having friends. "I...I get that," he said softly as he moved onto the final ivy leaf, gently grabbing the catchweed burrs and started to attach them where he had smeared the poultice. "I am trained by Mistedsong - the SkyClan medicine cat. I haven't really gotten the chance to...Really get to know our Clanmates. I-I prefer to spend my time in here, sorting the herbs or...Or, well, adding feathers to the nests," he noted, glancing over at where the feathers were still scattered. "...You are always free to come visit, even if you don't have an injury," he said, turning to look at her with a soft smile. "Oh, and don't mind the burrs. They are just there to keep the poultice from rubbing off so don't mess with them. They can be removed tomorrow, but that should be everything. Keep off of your paw, get rest and see if you can find some way to support it up when you are sleeping - rest it on the edge of your nest or something. Elevation is good for helping it heal," he meowed as he turned to pile back up the leaves holding his herbs now that his work was done.

Splashpaw looked down at her paw then back at driftpaw with a smile. "Sure, and ya I will come visit, maybe we could even be friends." she mewed getting to her paws, being careful of the injured one. She said goodbye to driftpaw before heading off the the apprentice den to get some sleep, the day had been a wild ride.

Driftpaw straightened up a little as Splashpaw agreed to visit more often - and offered up the idea that they could be friends. "O-Oh, yes! That would be great! I would love to be friends," he purred, bidding his farewells to her as she left. He smiled softly, bundling into his neck fur a little at the pure glee of actually, maybe, having a friend finally. A purr escaped him as he turned to pick up the ivy leaves, returning them to their spot within his herb storage...Before he turned to stare at the feathers that were still scattered across his den. "...Right," he murmured, padding forward as he started to brush them into a new pile, content to return to adding them to the nests now that he had helped out Splashpaw.