Stand Up [p]

[Beechroot]

Beechroot slowly and shakily stood up from his nest. His whole not eating situation was catching up with him. His ribs were visible now and he felt cold all of the time. The yellow tabby tom felt his head turn toward the fresh-kill pile and his throat grew numb. His feet began to move, but it wasn't enough. The warrior collapsed to the ground. "Rainspark..." He cried out dryly.

[Rainspark]

Rainspark darted into the den. "Beechroot?" she called, her blue eyes wide. She saw the cat lying on the floor of the den. "Beechroot! Oh, CloudClan!" She ran over to him. "Beechroot, can you hear me??"

[Beechroot]

Beechroot cracked his eyes open to look at her. "Yeah." He heaved and tried to rise to his feet, but fell back onto his side. "I think I need...water." Even the word made him feel sick. "And food." He gagged a little.

[Rainspark]

Rainspark darted to the base of a tree. She grabbed some moss and dipped it into clean melted snow. She rushed back into the den, and lowered the moss into his mouth. "Hang tight" she whispered, running over to the fresh-kill pile and retrieving a starling. When she and Beechroot had hunted together, this was the first thing she caught. "You doing okay?" she asked as she approached him.

[Beechroot]

Beechroot lapped up the water desperately. His throat was revived and talking was easier. "Don't tell Liongrowl that... I don't eat." It was killing him and he refused to recognize the facts. The young warrior practically snatched the starling from his friend and dug his teeth into the feathers.

[Rainspark]

Rainspark stepped back. "You don't eat? Oh my gosh, Beechroot, you're going to kill yourself that way! Why don't you eat?" She asked genuinely.

[Beechroot]

Beechroot began to pluck the feathers from the bird. He spat them out. "Fresh-kill prey is disgusting. He tore into the starling and blood dripped down from his muzzle. "Blood is disgusting." He was too starving to care anymore.

[Rainspark]

"Hey, hey...." Rainspark laid her tail on his shoulder. "How did this happen to you?" She asked.

[Beechroot]

Beechroot took a few more bites before responding. "I've always been this way.." His eyes grew soft with sadness. He glanced back at her. "I took me days to be weaned. I hated it from the start." He swallowed hard. "I have an obsession with watching other cats eat.."

[Rainspark]

Rainspark shook her head. She produced another starling. "Well, these are my favorite. I hear eating is easier with friends." She smiled at him, then sat down next to him, pressing her flank against his.

[Beechroot]

Beechroot leaned against her. "But..But.. what if I watch you eat?" He stuttered, enjoying his friend's warmth. "I've never had a favorite anything." Beechroot paused. "Well, besides you."

[Rainspark]

Rainspark paused for a moment. She blushed under her fur. "Beechroot" she sighed "One of these days you're gonna make me cry. She meowed. "Of course you can watch me eat."

[Beechroot]

Beechroot turned to her. "Please don't cry." The young warrior stared at the dead starling before him and finished it. For the first time in a while, he had food in his stomach. Beechroot sighed and his eyes fixated on Rainspark.

[Rainspark]

Rainspark rested her head on his. "Don't worry. You just make me happy to be alive for the first time in a long time" she admitted with a sigh

[Beechroot]

Beechroot continued to snuggle with her. It was almost as if her presence was healing him. "Never die, Rainspark. We need to be together forever. We can tell wacky stories together as elders and scare kits." Kits. Beechroot's second worst enemies.