Ready {or} Not

[spike]

Mousedung. She couldn’t sleep. The she-cat shifted again, extremely uncomfortable from her swollen sides. Nothing was ever comfortable anymore. She tried to close her eyes again but the darkness behind them only made her realize she couldn’t sleep. With the moon shining in the sky, it was a pretty night. But she still felt haunted by something. She hadn’t had the chance to spend much time with Smokepaw or Smallnose as of late, not that she could blame them. Half of her still felt great self-pity at the fact that she had to reside here. She must’ve made so many others look bad, WindClan especially. An apprentice with kits, what a shame. The brown tabby looked distraught as ever when she laid back onto her side, muffling her groan of discomfort.

It was all so wrong. She shouldn’t have been here, not in this nursery. Mousepaw stared longingly at the camp from the small opening, wishing she was curled up in that apprentice den right now, not pregnant, with Smokepaw, never having met Alfa in her lifetime. That was how it should’ve been. Maybe she’d get her warrior name too, being able to sleep next to Smallnose with pride in her chest, not the clenching sensation of terror and sorrow. Maybe, just maybe, if she had made one good choice, not one bad one. She closed her eyes again, trying to force herself to sleep. There would be all tomorrow to stay up and ponder again. But for now, she was supposed to sleep. But instead, a slight spasm struck her, causing the she-cat’s breath to hitch in shock. It was… a strange feeling, something she had not understood.

Mousepaw carefully sat up, blinking when she realized the spasm had went away. Maybe she was just having a bad night. Lack of sleep and stress were perhaps just causing her body to act up. That had to be it. It was still early into the night though everybody was perhaps lying down and resting, besides those awake to guard the camp. She put her head back down on her paws, trying once more to hope rest took over. Except it didn’t. Only moments later, another spasm waved over her. It was odd, the timing of these spasms. Not only that, they accompanied themselves with a lick of pain, and soon more pain followed it. She had been oblivious before, but now she was well aware and up, fear welling up in her.

This was what she feared the whole time. The kits. This had to be what the queens had told her about, the pains, the contractions that meant the kits were ready. But the poor mother was not, not Mousepaw. She let out a sudden wail, a mixture of the pain and fear overwhelming her. She couldn’t do this, she wasn’t ready! Smokepaw, she wanted Smokepaw! And Smallnose, oh mouse dung. She just didn’t want to do this at all. She turned quickly, starting up a hurried, short pacing, trying to walk off the intensifying movements within her. They were still far enough apart but she knew they were growing closer. Whatever lied within her was ready to live.

”No, no, no,” she whispered to herself, breathing picking up some. She didn’t know what to do. Get the medicine cat? Stop and rest? Run and fetch Smallnose and Smokepaw? Who? What? Mousepaw stopped in her pacing, eyes clenching tight when she fought to cry at a particularly painful contraction. It was far too much for her. She wasn’t ready to be a mother! ”Help,” she said. She couldn’t think straight. Mousepaw was too scared about the fact that this was it. This was what two months had lead up to.

Ready or not, here it was.

[/JUSTIFY]
((Opened to medicine cat, medicine cat apprentice, Smokepaw, Smallnose, and any nursery residence.))