Spiderpaw was awoken by the sound of pawsteps padding around the medicine cat den. He blinked open his eyes swiftly, uncurling his tail from around his body. He let out a yawn, stretching his shoulders heavily before letting his vision adjust to Oceanfur, who was approaching Ashpaw with a mouthful of berries. 
"I'm up," Spiderpaw murmured tiredly, letting himself rise up in his nest.
"Oh, good," Oceanfur muttered softly. "I didn't want to wake you - I'm sorry if I did."
"That's no problem," Spiderpaw meowed. "Do you want me to re-apply his cobweb if you're about to feed Ashpaw his berries and poppy seeds?"
Oceanfur seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "That would be a big help," he admitted. 
Spiderpaw heaved himself up, approaching Oceanfur as quickly as he could. "I bet you wish you had me as an apprentice your own," he joked as he walked past the medicine cat and towards his supplies.
"Don't fool around," Oceanfur meowed. Spiderpaw knew he was only joking, though. "Of course I do. I think I need to double you, Spiderpaw."
Spiderpaw beamed. "I'm sure Ashpaw is going to be better soon enough," he meowed. 
He pulled his way through Oceanfur's supplies, seeming to make a racket loud enough for the medicine cat to whip around. "I've got a pile over there," he meowed, signalling with his tail to the corner of the room. "I don't have a lot though, so if you need to use that up don't worry. One of us can always fetch more later."

Spiderpaw nodded. He twitched his ears, suddenly realising how frightened he was to be here inside CedarClan. The Clan had treated him with nothing but respect, and he had enjoyed sharing prey with Oceanfur and getting to know Jaggedclaw and Mothspring. He knew of several other warriors that didn't really seem to give him any notice. Longfoot, the white and black mottled warrior had dipped his head at him whenever they walked past eachother, but Pinepelt hadn't spoken to him at all.
"Ashpaw, time to wake," Oceanfur meowed gently, nudging the apprentice's head with his paw. Spiderpaw turned back around and wrapped his paw in the cobweb before making his way back to Oceanfur. He turned to look at him, seeming surprised at the way Spiderpaw was unable to move about with a paw in the air, holding up the cobweb. "Are you all good?"
Spiderpaw could yet again sense the humour in his voice. He said nothing and smirked at the medicine cat. Suddenly, his eyes widened and his jaws parted. "If you were my apprentice, I think I'd have to call you Spiderweb," he burst out, looking as if he was about to fall into hysterics.
Spiderpaw's jaws opened. He didn't want to chortle a little, but by the time he realised he had dropped his paw onto the ground, he had began howling alongside Oceanfur. "You are not funny,"  he teased.
"I am so," he smirked, turning his gaze at Ashpaw. "Come on," he repeated calmly. "Wake up."
Ashpaw groaned, and slowly his eyes widened. "I was having..."
The cat paused, and his voice trailed off for a moment. "The best dream about chasing a mouse."
Spiderpaw suddenly felt the humour in his heart melt away, replaced quickly by a cold wind of sorrow. No matter what he was to do here, Ashpaw would never be able to run again. Not after his injury.
"You need to take your herbs," Oceanfur pressed gently. "Just open your jaws and swallow them quickly."
Spiderpaw was shocked to see that although Ashpaw looked reluctant, he opened his mouth and took in the herbs, making a disgusted face as he swallowed, making a defiant noise as he stuck his tongue out. 
"You'll feel better when they've made their way down," Spiderpaw meowed. "Now, I'm going to have to bandage you up, okay?"
Ashpaw let out a grunt. Spiderpaw turned his gaze towards Oceanfur, who was suddenly pacing around the den. "I don't think I have any more berries for tonight," he meowed. "I'm just going out to fetch some more, okay?"
Spiderpaw nodded, although he really wanted the medicine cat to be by his side. Putting the cobweb around Ashpaw's wound is going to be a challenge without Oceanfur.

As he had expected, the moment the medicine cat had left the den, Ashpaw pulled his limb away from him. "That's going to hurt," he meowed. "Don't put that on me!"
Spiderpaw tried to resist rolling his eyes at the apprentice. "I don't want an argument, Ashpaw," he meowed. "I have got to wrap this around your wound, and you know why. From what I hear, your training with Oceanfur has been going well."
"He's only saying that so I feel better about not being able to be a warrior," Ashpaw muttered. "What else would I do?"
Spiderpaw felt guilty, regretting having said anything. "You're still the same cat, whether you have three paws or four," he meowed. "You're no different to any of the warriors on the inside, and we all know that you'll be great in whatever you do."
Ashpaw was silent for a few moments, his eyes wide. "Nobody's ever said that to me before."
Spiderpaw tried to cover the shocked expression on his face. "Maybe not those exact words," he meowed. "But I'm sure someone has. Especially Oceanfur, he is a great cat, and he is very kind."
"He's nice," Ashpaw admitted. "But he doesn't say that to me."
"Maybe you should ask him to."
Ashpaw drew himself back. "I don't need praise," he mewed. "I don't need anyone's pity."
Spiderpaw slammed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry Ashpaw, I didn't mean to offend you."
The apprentice said nothing. His eyes were fixed at the roof of the den. Spiderpaw didn't think he had felt this guilty in a long time. He stared at his paws before realising he still needed to apply the bandage. "Stay still while I wrap this around you," he meowed guiltily. 
"No," Ashpaw argued, pulling his limb away. "I've told you not to put that on me!"
"Ashpaw, I do hope you're treating Spiderpaw respectfully."
Spiderpaw nearly jumped out of his pelt. He whipped around to see the huge grey figure that had entered the medicine cat den, and for a second he found himself unable to breathe.