Juniper Branch growled. “Another pain is coming.”
“Keep panting!” Moth Flight darted out of the den and scanned the clearing. Her heart leaped as she saw a thick pine twig lying at the edge. Racing to it, she snatched it between her jaws and headed back to the den. She thrust the twig into
Juniper Branch’s jaws. “Bite on this when the pain comes. Put all your energy into biting, not pushing.”
Juniper Branch screwed up her eyes. A low moan rolled in her throat. The wood cracked between her jaws as she bit down hard.
“We’re going to need more sticks,” Moth Flight told Pebble Heart.
He nodded and ducked out of the den.
Moth Flight lapped Juniper Branch’s belly with her tongue, relieved to feel no spasm reach the kits. “Don’t worry, kits,” she murmured between strokes. “We’ll have you out of there before long.”
Juniper Branch fell limp.
Moth Flight jerked her muzzle around and stared at the queen. Her eyes were glazed with exhaustion, but the spasm had clearly passed. The crushed pine twig lay on the ground next to her. “Well done!” she meowed. “You didn’t push that time.”
Juniper Branch drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes.
“This is going to be difficult,” Moth Flight told her. “You need to stop yourself from pushing for a while longer. Just until there’s enough space for the kits to get out.”
“It’s hard,” Juniper Branch moaned.
“I know.” Moth flight felt a wave of sympathy for the queen.
“But you have to do it. For your kits.” And yourself. She held Juniper Branch’s fearful gaze. “We are going to help you.”
As she spoke, Pebble Heart slid into the den. He dropped a fresh twig on the ground. “Mouse Ear and Mud Paws are scouring the forest for more.”
“Have you got any poppy seeds?” A pang of guilt jabbed Moth Flight’s belly. Had she eaten his whole supply that first night?
“Dappled Pelt brought two leaf wraps,” he told her.
“Fetch what you’ve got,” Moth Flight ordered. “We need to ease her pain.”
“I’ll bring thyme as well. It’ll calm her.”
“Good idea.” Moth Flight met his gaze, relieved they were facing this together.
As Pebble Heart disappeared again, Juniper Branch began to moan. “Here comes another one.”
Moth Flight grabbed the fresh twig and slipped it between
Juniper Branch’s jaws. “Remember. Focus on your breathing.
The pain will pass before you know it.”
She rested her paws gently on Juniper Branch’s belly as the queen stiffened with the effort of not pushing. No! The small movements inside were weakening. Hang on, kits. It won’t be long now. She hoped she was right.
Spasm after spasm gripped the queen. Moth Flight soothed her as she fought each one. Pebble Heart returned with poppy seeds and thyme. Juniper Branch swallowed both and, when Raven Pelt brought water-soaked moss, she lapped at it thirstily.
“Is she going to be okay?” Raven Pelt gazed fearfully at his mate.
Pebble Heart nosed him toward the den entrance. “We’ll do the best we can,” he promised.
As the black tom let himself be guided out, Mud Paws stuck his head inside and dropped a bundle of pine twigs.
“Thank you!” Moth Flight nodded gratefully to the tom and quickly thrust one of the twigs between Juniper Branch’s jaws.
Another spasm was coming. She pressed her paws low on the queen’s belly. The kits were hardly moving inside. But there was no heat pulsing from her fur. Had the swelling gone down?
She caught Pebble Heart’s eyes as he came back in. “Feel this.”
She moved away and let him place his paws where hers had been. “Less swelling, right?”
He nodded slowly, eyes narrowing with alarm. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “But I can hardly feel the kits moving.”
“I know.” Moth Flight leaned close to his ear. “She needs to start pushing now or we’ll lose them.”
“But what if it’s too soon?”
“It’ll be too late if we leave it longer.”
Pebble Heart gazed at her darkly. “I agree.” He pulled his paws away and ducked down beside Juniper Branch’s head.
“When you get the next spasm, we want you to push.”
“Really?” Relief sparked in Juniper Branch’s gaze. She gasped, her body stiffening.
Moth Flight swapped looks with Pebble Heart. StarClan help us.
As a fresh spasm swept Juniper Branch, the queen moaned with effort and pushed. Moth Flight placed her paws on the queen’s belly and felt her bear down.
Pebble Heart crouched at the queen’s tail. “I see something coming!” Excitement edged his mew.
“Keep pushing!” Moth Flight urged.
Juniper Branch’s moan turned to a growl as she gritted her teeth with effort.
Pebble Heart gasped. “It’s here!”
Moth Flight darted to his side and stared at the tiny shape beside the queen’s tail. A membrane covered it and Moth Flight instinctively reached out and sliced it open with a claw. Fluid spilled out as the wet kit struggled free, mewling as it gulped its first breath.
Juniper Branch lifted her head, straining to see. Moth Flight grabbed the kit by its scruff and placed it beside her muzzle. As she reached to lick it, her eyes shining with joy, another spasm seized her.
“Push!” Moth Flight told her sharply. She rested her paws on Juniper Branch’s belly once more, feeling it convulse.
“Another one!” Pebble Heart’s mew was jubilant. Moth
Flight rushed to see. He’d split open the membrane by the time she reached it. A purr throbbed in her throat as the kit wriggled and mewled. Lifting it gently, she placed it beside the first.
“How many more?” Juniper Branch asked.
Moth Flight ran her paw over the queen’s belly, feeling movement inside. “Another one at least.” As she spoke, Juniper
Branch jerked with pain. She shuddered, panting as she pushed.
“It’s coming,” Pebble Heart urged.
Juniper Branch pushed again, yowling. The kits squealed and wriggled blindly beside her cheek.
“I think it’s the last one.” Moth Flight glanced at Pebble Heart as Juniper Branch fell limp. The movement inside her belly had stopped. “We did it!”
The ShadowClan medicine cat was staring down, his eyes dark.
“What’s wrong?” Moth Flight darted to his side.
“It was a she-kit,” he mewed softly.
The kit lay on her split membrane, motionless.
Moth Flight’s heart lurched as she stared at the limp body.
She thought of Emberkit, who’d died moments after he’d been born. StarClan, help it! She reached out a paw and touched the lifeless kit’s pelt. She was smaller than her littermates, her pale gray fur slick beneath Moth Flight’s pad. She leaned down and sniffed her tiny muzzle. “She’s not breathing,” she whispered.
“Like Drizzle!”
Pebble Heart blinked at her. “What do you mean?”
Moth Flight touched a paw to the tiny kit’s ribs. “She might have water inside her chest!”
Pebble Heart looked confused. “Do you know how to help her?”
Moth Flight rolled the kit onto her back and placed her paws on her chest. “I think so. But she’s so small!” The kit felt as fragile as a sparrow. How hard dare she push?
She began to pump, gently at first, and then, as she felt the easy resilience of the kit beneath her paws, harder.
“What’s happening?” Juniper Branch was reaching her muzzle around to see, her eyes wide.
“Take care of the other two,” Pebble Heart told her. “We’ll take care of this one.”
“Is it dead?” The queen’s mew was thick with fear.
“We don’t know.” Pebble Heart moved, blocking the queen’s view as Moth Flight kept working on the kit.