Oceanpaw's eyes were turned urgently towards the nursery,where she knew that Whiskerpelt was waiting.She remembered Lavenderflight's warning,earlier that night: "The kits could come anytime.Oceanpaw will be keeping watch.Be careful." Oceanpaw's ears twisted forward,hearing a loud yowl from the den. Arrowrun's head poked out,worry in her eyes. "Whiskerpelt's kits are coming!" Oceanpaw turned,but her mentor was already pushing past her,mewing, "Oceanpaw,follow me." The she-cat followed,heart pounding.Then she heard the voice in her head again:<Don't panic.It's better for both you and the patient.As well as the kits.> She took a deep breath. Inside the medicine den,Whiskerpelt was clawing around,eyes wide,fur pricking across her spine. "Calm down,Whiskerpelt."Lavenderflight raced to her side. "You'll be fine.Oceanpaw,fetch me a stick." The voice sounded again.This time in the background there was yowling and a mother mewing softly to her frightened kits.<When she bites the stick,that eases her pain.Go get one,Phoenixpaw.> Phoenixpaw?Who was that? Oceanpaw bounded out of the nursery at the same time Flametail raced out of the warriors den,the fur spiking along his spine.As she began tugging at a branch from the Great Tree that was in the center of the camp,he raced up to her. "Is Whiskerpelt okay?"he demanded. "She's having her kits,"Oceanpaw panted,breaking the stick off the Great Tree. Flametail raced after her to the medicine den,where he went to Whiskerpelt.His tail stroked the fur on her head. "Don't worry,my sweet,I'm here." "Oceanpaw,come here."Lavenderflight beckoned her over. Trembling,the apprentice padded to her mentor's side. Lavenderflight took her paw lightly in her teeth and laid it on Whiskerpelt's flank. "Do you feel her flank rolling beneath your paw?" "Yes,"Oceanpaw breathed,whiskers twitching. "That's a spasm.They come faster and faster.In a moment she'll have to start pushing to get her kits out." <Place your paw on her stomach,>the voice whispered. <That'll tell you how many kits there are.> Oceanpaw's pad moved almost of its own accord,and it rested on her stomach. "Two kits.One is already breathing.The other isn't." Then she noticed her mentor staring at her,openmouthed. "How did you know all that?This is your first kitting!" "Lucky guess,I think,"she meowed,feeling uncomfortable. Lavenderflight turned her attention back to Whiskerpelt. "Whiskerpelt,you need to start pushing-now!" Oceanpaw pulled her paw back as the queen's whole body tensed,shoving the kits out.Flametail licked his pad and began washing his mate's ears gently. "I can see the first one,"Lavenderflight mewed encouragingly. "Come on,you can do it!" She pushed,and a small tom dropped out.This was the one Oceanpaw had prescribed as not breathing.He was encased in a slimy sac,and Lavenderflight nipped at it,opening the sac and pulling the kit out.She began licking its fur the wrong way. "This will help it start breathing,"she explained.Oceanpaw leaned forward and heard the kit drawing in a gasp of air. Oceanpaw saw another sac plop onto the ground.She nipped,opening the sac,and the she-cat fell out,catching her on the nose with a sharp claw. She jerked her head back. "Ouch!"Then she began licking it. Flametail took the tom-kit from Lavenderflight and placed it near Whiskerpelt's belly. "They need milk,"he explained. Oceanpaw licked a drop of blood from her nose and placed her kit next to the other.It began to suckle,drinking the milk its mother provided. As the two medicine cats left,Oceanpaw wondered about the voice in her head...and who Phoenixpaw could be.
Arrowrun-@Litten232 Credit to everyone who needs credit
