Jayfeather Sits on a Bee
#2 of Ouch! Not There! (Warriors Edition)
Jayfeather entered the medicine den, all was quiet and from the sent of the air, no other medicine cats were here, just Briarlight in her nest.
"Hi Jayfeather, how are you doing?" Briarlight asked, shifting in her nest.
Jayfeather gave a grunt, "fine," he said. "I'm going to check our stock real quick."
Jayfeather went into the place where they had stored all their herbs, and sniffed the catmint. It seemed some were getting old and needed sorting through, so he grabbed a mouthful of the herbs and stepped out into the main area to sit down.
Just then came Briarlight's voice, urgent, "not there!"
But it was too late, as Jayfeather plopped his rear on the ground, he felt it, the sharp toxic sting of a bee, must've been laying there dead for a little while, but it's sting was still as sharp as ever.
Jayfeather instantly jerked out of the way, but the poison from the sting hit short and sharp. Jayfeather would've preferred if the sting had been toward his tail end, but as it so happened, with the way he sat down, that was not the case, the bee was right where his lap was located, stinging him in a very sensitive place.
Jayfeather instantly slumped over in agony, his whole weak spot burning, he couldn't stop the moans that emitted from him.
Briarlight was instantly at attention, "Jayfeather, are you alright?"
Jayfeather moaned, his eyes welling with tears in the pain, "No, the stupid bee stung me!"
Briarlight looked around, "What do you want me to do?"
"Get some blackberry, make me a poultice," Jayfeather groaned.
As Briarlight rushed to the back to do that, pulling her back legs behind her, Jayfeather just remained slumped there, moaning in angst at the predicament. Usually Jayfeather could navigate the world without sight, but this one time, he knew it would've been helpful to actually have seen that bee before he had sat down, and now here he was in pure agony in the most sensitive and embarrassing place a tom cat could be. He was Jayfeather of the Three, he should not have to deal with bee stings in such an embarrassing way! But medicine cat or not, vowed to a life without a mate or not, he was still a tom, and he couldn't avoid the embarrassing situations in life that came from being a tom!
Briarlight arrived back promptly with the poultice and moved behind him. She had not exactly seen where the bee had stung him, so she asked, "Okay, where is the sting."
Jayfeather felt awkward Briarlight standing behind him like that, he couldn't see, but he knew Briarlight could, and that was something he didn't like thinking about right now.
"Where do you think?" Jayfeather asked through the waves of pain, "Just think of the worst place imaginable!"
"Oh..." Briarlight replied, her face fully flushing she definitely had her own share of thoughts about a tom being stung that way. Okay, she'd take care of this. This was one circumstance she was glad to be a she-cat.
Jayfeather as a Medicine Cat was supposed to never take a mate, and he never had, but with the exception of his time-displaced fling with Half Moon, Briarlight had been the closest cat he had to a lifelong companion, one who he could confide in and trust and was always there when he needed her; though he'd never admit it, if there was one cat in this Clan he wouldn't have minded taking as a mate, if not for his Medicine Cat duties, Briarlight was as good a choice as any.
But still, they were not mates, and having her take care of such an injury was beyond the kind of embarrassment he could take.
"Hold still," Briarlight said as she finished the last touches of applying the poultice, "there."
Jayfeather could still feel the burning throbbing of the sting, but as the poultice began to take effect, he could feel it beginning to fade.
Finally, he sat back down, wincing as he realized that probably wasn't the right move to do right now, "never say a word about this to anybody," he grumbled.
Briarlight felt herself bite back a chuckle, "Don't worry, I won't, it'll be our little secret."
Jayfeather grumbled again. How embarrassing.
They sat silently for a moment, and eventually Jayfeather went back to the catmint to once again begin sorting through it, he had to remember to bat the bee away with his paw, or he would've had to deal with the same circumstance all over again.
Finally, "thank you for helping me," Jayfeather grumbled to Briarlight.
"It was nothing," Briarlight admitted, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.
Jayfeather grumbled again.
In truth though, Jayfeather was glad he had had Briarlight with him at the moment. Jayfeather knew Briarlight would never be his mate, and really, he didn't need that kind of relationship with her, just knowing she was there and could be his friend and they could listen to eachother and help one another out, and who he could even share an embarrassing moment like this with, it was the best gift he could ask for. Briarlight may not have been his mate, but she certainly helped make his life complete.
After awhile, Alderheart wandered into the den, "Hello everyone, how are we doing?"
With that, he plopped himself down. Even with his eyesight, he did not notice the bee that was right underneath him, the same one Jayfeather had sat on earlier.
Instantly, Alderheart's eyes went wide.
Here we go again, thought Briarlight.