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 Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:10 pm
Ithanga hadn't charged out of the den, tripping over his feet as he went when the rest of his brothers and foster siblings. He simply tucked his head back into his forelegs, and tried to block out the light. It gave him a headache.
He started coughing after everyone had left the den, and like always, he coughed so hard his entire body shook. He had been successful at hiding it so far - Chizoba had witnessed one, but none of the grown ups were wise to it yet. He was trying to keep it a secret, but it looked like his secret was about to come out. There was no way whoever had just entered the den could ignore that.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:48 pm
While Ithanga may have thought himself a pro when it came to hiding how he felt, he was unaware of just how much pride Yejide took in her cubs, and how much she knew about them. Even if they were unaware of her presence, even if they didn't realize she was lingering nearby or straining her ears to hear, Yejide did her best to know what was happening in the lives of her cubs. Given, juggling thirteen of them made it a bit difficult, but she did her best.
What Yejide did know of Ithanga was that he could be a very private individual. She had heard him cough before, but not as bad as this. Where she may have given the little cub his privacy at the moment her heart broke with every heave and hack. Stepping in to the den, she studied her son anxiously, giving him a moments space before coming to stand over him. Lowering her head, she licked his back and head, letting him know she was there. It was a bit of a rough lick, but she also knew that sometimes the motion with such a young cub could help break up the mucous in their lungs.
The orange eyed lioness said nothing, just continued with her grooming, waiting to see how her son fared and hoping he would take comfort in her presence and tender loving care. She hoped upon hope that he knew hew as loved, even if her ministrations did little for his disease.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:45 pm
When the coughing finally subsided, Ithanga huddled under his mom and tried to hold back his sniffling. He was glad his mom had caught him in a coughing fit - otherwise he might never have actually come out and told her.
"Chizoba said that I should tell you I was sick but I didn't want to make you worry," Ithanga admitted after a few minutes. "He said I was being dumb about it."
Ithanga tried not to think about how he had been hiding his sickness, and instead nestled deeper into Yejide's warmth. He felt safe with his mom watching over him, even know they both knew she couldn't do anything about it if he was sick.
"I"m sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 1:28 pm
Yejide said nothing as she cuddled up close to her son, taking a moment to quietly groom him and settle his nerves. She could tell he wasn't happy, and the coughing fit had sounded pretty severe and deep. As much as she wanted to believe it was nothing more than a chest cold, the ebony lioness knew she couldn't be so sure. Not in a pride where disease was rampant and often started with something as simple as a cold!
Pausing in her grooming, taking as much assurance that her son was still very much alive and wasn't just going to collapse or drop dead instantly, the young lioness gave a small shake of her head. "Don't worry about a thing, Ithanga," she did her best to sound strong, so her own fear wouldn't show. "Chizoba shouldn't have called you dumb, I understand why you wouldn't want to make me worry." She also knew he might have been afraid to admit such a thing, worried about her response. He also might not have wanted to accept the fact he was unwell.
"I'm your mother though, remember that. It's my job to worry, and your job to have fun and be happy. I worry about all of you, that will never change, but at least now I can make sure you get the best treatment possible. Just because you have a cough doesn't necessarily mean you need to worry. It might just be a cold," she added, giving her son a little nuzzle.
"So you don't worry about a thing, baby," she cooed softly, a loving purr entering her throat as she cuddled close to her son. Even though her own heart was aching, a cold fear wrenching her soul as she feared the loss of one of her children . . . she would be damned if her cubs knew such a fear. All they needed to know was that they were terribly, terribly loved.
"How long have you had a cough or felt unwell?" She questioned, curious about how long he had been hiding his symptoms.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 8:33 pm
"A while," Ithanga admitted reluctantly. "A few weeks now. I thought it would go away but it didn't and it still didn't. Maybe if I had told you the healers would have fixed me already."
Ithanga was a clumsy cub, and used to things going wrong around him, and used to taking the blame when they did. So even though he had been worrying about it ever since he became sick, somehow, he hid it because he knew that being sick was his own fault and there wasn't anything that could be done about it. He found it better to just take the blame as it came, and it would pass soon enough. This hadn't passed though - just got worse and worse, and he worried more and more.
"Do you think the healers can make my cough go away, mommy?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:31 am
Yejide listened as her son quietly admitted to his failing health. It broke her heart to know that he'd been ill all this time and hadn't told him. Worse, how had she as his mother not been aware enough to notice? She closed her eyes for a moment, struggling with the knowledge that one of her cubs was likely growing ill from the disease. Given, every cough and cold and sniffle put her on edge, terrified her, but . . . . the illness always seemed to start off so simply.
Why she hadn't been struck down yet was still a mystery. Maybe the gods were just biding their time and waiting. Was anyone really immune? Sometimes Yejide doubted it, and assumed all were infected. It was just a matter of time, of when and where it might strike.
Pushing aside her fear and her grief, knowing that her cubs weren't suffering yet, and that Ithanga was still here with her, she nuzzled the back of his head. Giving him another few licks, cuddling close to him, she gave a small smile. "I bet the healers will be able to lessen the cough, and they probably have remedies to make you feel better, even if the coughing doesn't go away entirely. Are you just coughing though? Or . . . have your bones hurt or your joints ached much?" Best to know now how he might be feeling, or if there were any other symptoms cropping up.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:58 am
Ithanga thought about it for a few minutes before he answered his mom. He wanted to be honest, now that his secret was out.
"My chest hurts sometimes, but only after I've been coughing a lot. I usually don't get sore or achy unless the coughing has been really bad and I fell down or slipped." He did that often, a result of his clumsiness just as much as it was a result of being overwhelmed by his cough.
"My eyes hurt sometimes too, but they aren't runny or gooey or anything."
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:31 pm
Yejide listened intently as her little son spoke, admitting to his health issues. She was a healer, though most of her days had been spent caring for her rather massive brood, but she knew enough of the prides ways to know what was a good sign. . and what wasn't. From what she understood, it seemed as if Ithanga was actually suffering beginning stage symptoms. Still . . . she hoped that perhaps it was just a bad cold, or a small phase of illness. Surely, this goddess of illness wouldn't make him suffer from something so cruel.
She had never been a particularly religious sort, though she knew of gods and goddesses, but she was also wise enough to understand how cruel they were. She didn't entirely believe in the prides acceptance of their lot but even if they were delusional it was her duty to ease the suffering of those that were ill. If she had known she'd been pregnant, she wouldn't have taken on such a potentially suicidal task, but . . . she hadn't, and here she was; with a son who was possibly ill and dying because of her foolishness.
Pushing her guilt to the backburner, she didn't want Ithanga to see her so upset, she focused only on him. Giving him another nuzzle and chuffing softly at him, the female offered a small smile. "Well, I'm glad you told me, baby. How about tomorrow morning, first thing, we find a healer first thing and let them give you a check up? They may have some remedies to ease the pain and get you feeling better."
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:02 pm
The thought of going to see a healer made Ithanga nervous - he had heard the poked at your stomach and their medicine tasted yucky - but he knew his mom was worried, and she would only make him go if it was the best thing for him.
"Alright, I guess. But I don't want to have to eat all of the yucky medicine. I want to eat normal food, too. Do you think they'll make the cough go away?"
The cough was what worried Ithanga most - it hurt. A lot. He was sure that if his cough went away, he would get all better.
"The cough makes me tired."
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:45 am
Yejide knew that no cub ever liked to have to see the healers. Feeling miserable was one thing, but to have to actually be ask questions or poked and pricked and prodded, as well as having to eat medicines. . . well. . . . it wasn't a pleasant experience, even for an adult!
"You'll be able to eat normal foods, Ithanga, no worries there. You likely will have to eat some yucky medicines, but I"ll see if we can't find a way to hide the taste. But even if the medicine doesn't taste good, just know that it will help you and likely help ease your cough." Yejide herself was a bit of a healer, even if the prides illness was foreign to her.
"The sooner we go to a healer, the sooner you'll start to feel better. I promise." She nuzzled her son affectionately, giving him a tender lick on his cheek. If only he knew the fear that gripped Yejide's heart. She hoped he was just suffering a cold, and that it wasn't the plague. . . .
But part of her knew it was too much to hope for. "We'll make sure you get lots of rest, sweet one, and see about easing your cough."
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