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Puddleshine, while sorting some herbs with his apprentice Shadowpaw, noticed some odd behavior in him. Although his apprentice was quiet and to himself most of the time, something just wasn't right. He seemed…out of it. Like he couldn't pay attention and his eyes seemed dazed. Staring at a juniper leaf in front of him.
Something was definitely wrong, Shadowpaw usually listened to him. His eyes looking over at herbs to casually remember what they do. But that wasn't what his apprentice was doing, he was still standing but there was no response when he asked him what Cobwebs do. Puddleshine was sure the cat knew what they were for, but for some reason he didn't answer. Only muttering whispered breaths that didn't relate to anything.
"Shadowpaw—" the brown and white tom's voice was uneven, "are you alright?"
Shadowpaw's right ear flicked, like he heard what his mentor said but didn't fully comprehend what was said.
He swallowed, it felt like there was a lump in his throat, "Hey, do you want to take a break? Take a nap?"
The dark gray tom jerked his head to look at him, or what seemed like looking at him. Shadowpaw grumbled, from what he could tell the tom's breathing slowed.
Is he having a panic attack? Puddleshine's heart skipped. Dovewing, Shadowpaw's mom, told him that her son had anxiety. From what he knew, social anxiety, and maybe it was triggered by something? Did he do something?
When he put a paw on Shadowpaw's back, it stiffened up. Everything stiffened up, his tail, his spine, paws, ears, it was like the small cat was stone.
Oh no. Puddleshine almost panicked, I think I'm doing something wrong.
"Shadow, we're going outside," Shadowpaw twitched, somewhat more violently that time, and the older healer guided his apprentice out of the healer den. He didn't shove him, he didn't even touch the other, he didn't know if that would hurt him or not.
In the panicky state he was in, Puddleshine called for Dovewing and Tigerstar, who were near the fresh kill pile. Tigerstar was Shadowpaw's dad, and also the leader, so he hoped Starclan the tabby knew what to do.
When Dovewing ran over, and Tigerstar skipping over, Puddleshine tried to explain his concern for their son. That the kid was staring at a herb for an abnormal amount of time. However, mid sentence, Dovewing looked horrified. She pointed her tail towards her son, who had collapsed behind him.
Shadowpaw was twitching even more violently, convulsing wildly like he lost control over his own body. This was the first time something like this happened, at least to Puddleshine, as he had never seen this occur before. Shadowpaw's head convulsed so hard that it cracked, which absolutely terrified him thinking that the cat snapped his own neck.
"Puddleshine!" Tigerstar yelled worriedly, "Do something!"
He breathed heavily, all his limbs shaking, "I don't—I…Tigerstar I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."
The leader's eyes heaved, claws digging into the ground to hide his anger. But he noticed it and he felt horrible. Not knowing what to do, especially not knowing how to help his apprentice, it hurt him. Knowing what the poor cat was going through…
Tawnypelt rushed over to the scene, her tail wrapping around Tigerstar's shoulder, making eye contact with the healer.
"Don't panic," she soothed, raspiness in her voice, "If you panic you might do something that harms Shadowpaw. If you touch him you might hurt him or he'll hurt you."
Puddleshine nodded, a sinking feeling in his chest.
Dovewing stood up, searching the faces of her clanmates that were just staring at what was going on. "Give my son space!" She shouted, giving some cats an irritated glare.
The cats that were in camp all went inside their respective dens, some still looking into the clearing. Especially the kits that huddled near the nursery's entrance, their wide eyes looking scared. Shadowpaw had played with them just the day before, and he was fine then. But seeing someone they knew being hurt and in pain made them unable to look away, even when their mother tried keeping them from doing it.
Puddleshine looked away from his apprentice for a moment to have a short conversation with the Leader. Telling him to stay away for the duration of his son's seizure, which is what Tawnypelt called it. Dovewing was crying, so was Tigerstar but he tried hiding it to comfort his mate.
Tawnypelt stayed behind.
"This should be over in a minute or two," the molly mewed, "Something like this happened before you were born, to another cat. But they were old, I haven't seen a cat as young as my grandson have one of these before."
"What should I do after he comes back?" Puddleshine whispered, head darting to look over at Shadowpaw, then back at the older warrior.
"He'll be a little out of it afterwards, unfortunately there's a chance he could die from the Seizure, but I hope that's not the case." What Tawnypelt said sickened him, his apprentice could die. The Molly's paw touched his own, a subtle way to calm him down.
"Don't say that…" he replied, the sick feeling still alive in his head.
"I just have to say the unfortunate possibility," Tawnypelt sighed, "If, when, he does come back, comfort him as much as he allows. You don't want to do something that he's uncomfortable with, even if normally he wouldn't have a problem with it."
Puddleshine tried to think of an explanation, "Why is this happening to him? Is Starclan punishing him for something?"
Tawnypelt shook her head, "Starclan wouldn't do that, this is just an unfortunate situation. Our ancestors have nothing to do with it."
Tears built up in his eyes, "I hope he's okay, I really really hope he's okay. I can't imagine what he's feeling right now."
"Probably scared," The tortoiseshell warrior said.
Shadowpaw's convulsions stopped, becoming stiff like wood, but he could tell the tom wasn't dead. Even if everything else was stiff, he could tell his apprentice was breathing. Even if it was shallow, he was still breathing. Just to make sure, he pressed his head onto Shadowpaw's chest. Hearing a heartbeat made him feel a sense of happiness, and relief. But there was still a ping of sadness, and sympathy, and hoped when his apprentice woke up that he'd be okay.
Tawnypelt eventually walked away, touching noses with her grandson momentarily. Giving the young cat an empathic glance.