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Description
The cream-pelted tom glanced into the medicine cat den, noticing the pale grey lanky tom over in the corner, muttering incoherent curses beneath his breath as he sorted through the herbs blindly, knowing them only by scent and touch. The amber-eyed tom glanced away from the cranky tabby to hover his gaze on the familiar dark brown pelt of his beloved.

"Briarlight," his voice came out as a croak before he coughed to loosen up his throat before calling out again, "Briarlight!" Said cat glanced up, her green eyes flashing momentarily as she studied his face before dipping her head in greeting, grunting a bit as she began to drag herself out of her nest. "N-No, don't.. don't move, okay? I'm coming over there, got it?"

The stumpy-tailed cat sauntered his way over, knocking down Jayfeather's sloppy piles -much to the tabby's displeasure- and over towards the crippled she-cat. She glanced almost nervously up at him, before glancing away, 'hmph'ing loudly before offering a hesitant smile. Berrynose returned the gesture, his grin stretching broadly across his face. "Jayfeather said that... said that..." she coughed violently in the middle of her explanation, and the long-furred tom gently and affectionately placed his paw atop of her paw until she stopped her violent hacking, having not known what else to do. "He said that... that my lungs have been filling up with too much fluid so that..."

"Don't say it." His voice was pleading and so very much full of worry as he glanced at her with dawning horror in his eyes. His eyes were wide, his jaw slightly parted as he breathed softly through his nose. "It's not going to... it's not... you're not..."

"I'm going to die."

Berrynose closed his amber eyes, not daring to glance at the maimed warrior anymore, not willing to believe it. His ears pinned against his head, his jaw clenched slightly as he dug his paws into the smooth ground beneath his paws. He slowly inched his eyes open to glance feverishly at her. "No, Briarlight.. I... I don't think that's true. You're strong, you're going to.. to live, okay? I won't... I won't let you die, got it?" His voice was filled with anguish and disbelief as he gazed intently into his mate's eyes.

"I.. Berrynose, I don't think that it's going to... going to work, okay? The exercises.. I've delayed it recently, you know, resting up a bit.. but... but by doing so, I've.. I've..." She smiled pathetically and shook her head gently, her neat ears flicking forward slightly as she sniffled slightly. "I'm still going to die, someday, Berrynose. It just.. it just happens to be sooner rather than later."

"No! I won't let you! First Honeyfern, now you.. I.. I don't think I could bear it, losing someone else. Don't worry, Briarlight.. We're going to pull through this, okay? You're not going to die! Not now!" He glanced over towards the blind medicine cat, staring into his back with pleading eyes. Jayfeather... he thought solemnly, with a touch of anger. Jayfeather couldn't prevent his mate's day of death nearing, what kind of medicine cat was he?

Said tabby stiffened slightly and glanced over towards Berrynose and Briarlight, and offered a ghost of a smile as he dipped his head slightly as if offering his condolences. His jay blue eyes blinked softly as he stared at Berrynose, as if he really saw him, before glancing away to sort through the rest of his herbs. Berrynose's anger deflated, knowing that he couldn't really blame the blind medicine cat for Briarlight's demise.

Then he realized with a start that he was thinking of her like she was already dead. He frowned and turned to face his brown-pelted mate again. It was mildly ironic, really, he fell in love with the she-cat that his former mate had died saving. But now she herself was dying... why was StarClan punishing him?

"Everything's going to be alright, Briarlight.. We're going to pull through this." He whispered softly, nuzzling her ear affectionately before gently licking her cheek, sparing a glance to look into her eyes, as if trying to memorize them. "I'm not going to let you die." She smiled sadly at his promise, knowing that neither of them.. would be able to keep it. But he was willing to try anyways. "I love you, Briarlight, I do, never forget that."

She nodded meekly, and a small grin spread across his face, knowing that she had felt the same. Briarlight smiled, "I know, Berrynose. We have all the time in the world to love each other." If only it was true...

Description
The cream-pelted tom glanced into the medicine cat den, noticing the pale grey lanky tom over in the corner, muttering incoherent curses beneath his breath as he sorted through the herbs blindly, knowing them only by scent and touch. The amber-eyed tom glanced away from the cranky tabby to hover his gaze on the familiar dark brown pelt of his beloved.

"Briarlight," his voice came out as a croak before he coughed to loosen up his throat before calling out again, "Briarlight!" Said cat glanced up, her green eyes flashing momentarily as she studied his face before dipping her head in greeting, grunting a bit as she began to drag herself out of her nest. "N-No, don't.. don't move, okay? I'm coming over there, got it?"

The stumpy-tailed cat sauntered his way over, knocking down Jayfeather's sloppy piles -much to the tabby's displeasure- and over towards the crippled she-cat. She glanced almost nervously up at him, before glancing away, 'hmph'ing loudly before offering a hesitant smile. Berrynose returned the gesture, his grin stretching broadly across his face. "Jayfeather said that... said that..." she coughed violently in the middle of her explanation, and the long-furred tom gently and affectionately placed his paw atop of her paw until she stopped her violent hacking, having not known what else to do. "He said that... that my lungs have been filling up with too much fluid so that..."

"Don't say it." His voice was pleading and so very much full of worry as he glanced at her with dawning horror in his eyes. His eyes were wide, his jaw slightly parted as he breathed softly through his nose. "It's not going to... it's not... you're not..."

"I'm going to die."

Berrynose closed his amber eyes, not daring to glance at the maimed warrior anymore, not willing to believe it. His ears pinned against his head, his jaw clenched slightly as he dug his paws into the smooth ground beneath his paws. He slowly inched his eyes open to glance feverishly at her. "No, Briarlight.. I... I don't think that's true. You're strong, you're going to.. to live, okay? I won't... I won't let you die, got it?" His voice was filled with anguish and disbelief as he gazed intently into his mate's eyes.

"I.. Berrynose, I don't think that it's going to... going to work, okay? The exercises.. I've delayed it recently, you know, resting up a bit.. but... but by doing so, I've.. I've..." She smiled pathetically and shook her head gently, her neat ears flicking forward slightly as she sniffled slightly. "I'm still going to die, someday, Berrynose. It just.. it just happens to be sooner rather than later."

"No! I won't let you! First Honeyfern, now you.. I.. I don't think I could bear it, losing someone else. Don't worry, Briarlight.. We're going to pull through this, okay? You're not going to die! Not now!" He glanced over towards the blind medicine cat, staring into his back with pleading eyes. Jayfeather... he thought solemnly, with a touch of anger. Jayfeather couldn't prevent his mate's day of death nearing, what kind of medicine cat was he?

Said tabby stiffened slightly and glanced over towards Berrynose and Briarlight, and offered a ghost of a smile as he dipped his head slightly as if offering his condolences. His jay blue eyes blinked softly as he stared at Berrynose, as if he really saw him, before glancing away to sort through the rest of his herbs. Berrynose's anger deflated, knowing that he couldn't really blame the blind medicine cat for Briarlight's demise.

Then he realized with a start that he was thinking of her like she was already dead. He frowned and turned to face his brown-pelted mate again. It was mildly ironic, really, he fell in love with the she-cat that his former mate had died saving. But now she herself was dying... why was StarClan punishing him?

"Everything's going to be alright, Briarlight.. We're going to pull through this." He whispered softly, nuzzling her ear affectionately before gently licking her cheek, sparing a glance to look into her eyes, as if trying to memorize them. "I'm not going to let you die." She smiled sadly at his promise, knowing that neither of them.. would be able to keep it. But he was willing to try anyways. "I love you, Briarlight, I do, never forget that."

She nodded meekly, and a small grin spread across his face, knowing that she had felt the same. Briarlight smiled, "I know, Berrynose. We have all the time in the world to love each other." If only it was true...