Jefferson Revere
Morning came faster than I wanted it to, sleep seemed to only of last seconds before a blur of images flashed across my eyes right as they opened to a ray of light coming in from the ceiling above. My body, though for once, have been resting on something that wasn't made of hard cotton, felt numb with no real feeling to my limbs.
I didn't want to get up, I just wanted to keep my eyes closed and pretend that I am sleeping off a bad night at the Red Rock. Just, took on more drunken dumb asses more than I could handle, yeah, that's all. However, there was a feeling coming from the rays of sunlight. Like as if they were tugging at my consciousness out of bed as well keeping me awake no matter how hard I wanted to crawl back into sleep.
"Alright." I grumbled, "I'm up morning, I'm up!" I could only open one eye though, the other felt like it had gauze over it (which it was after a moment of painful reminiscing). Even then, my favorite overnight dry eye was hard enough to blink out before I cleared my vision to see my hands covering my face. Letting my hands plop outstretched on the bed, I stared up at the empty wooden ceiling, morning light with its golden lines lit the room.
I hated mornings, everything was fuzzy at first but then that fuzziness drops like a ton of bricks that squishes your memory which in turn reminds you: hey, guess what, let me remind you that you got your ass kicked by wooden dogs, outran mythological monsters, saved by talking ponies, tackled by talking ponies trying to escape randomly, released by talking ponies, then was later interviewed by a talking pony who had a pet talking toddler dragon and- "Gahhh, stop it brain!" I groaned before trying to muffle my mind with a pillow, which of course didn't work.
Now I felt my everything coming to life as I remembered how I just got home when that mare, Twilight, I think it was, came knocking to talk to me about some basic stuff. Her visit was brief, but there was quite a bit of info exchanged before she left and I had to crawl off to bed before I fell over from the sheer drowsiness of lack of sleep and the pill.
Thinking about the Pill, my side pulsed with pain, probably my liver telling me it needs water or it will swallow itself to compensate for the painkiller. I slowly rose out of bed, joints ached, crackled and popped before my sore feet found the floorboards. My head swished with faint dizziness as I staggered onto my own two feet.
Tried really hard not to fall back over because I knew what this morning was bringing behind it. My first day in this world, Equestria.
Equestria, Why does it sound familiar?
Shaking the grogginess off, I staggered towards the bathroom, I heard the sound of my boot falls. No wonder my feet were stiff. So that also means I slept in my clothes, oh well, I don't really have a laundry machine handy so I'll have to just deal with what I got. At least they did scrubbed the blood out of the clothing first before giving them back to me at least. My T-shirt still had the gaping claw marks across the chest and back with tares decorating my pant legs. When I took my seat on the toilet to remove my boots, I noted the gash in the toe end of the left boot, the other had a ripped sole at the heel.
One the right boot's laces snapped when I started to take it off, "God damn it ponies!" I chucked my boot to the floor, "These were sixty dollar interceptors!" I flung the other boot off before I took my socks off. My healing ribs pinched at my muscles which my body's way of saying, "Shut up and deal with it!"
"Yeah, yeah I know..." I groaned before stepping over to the bathtub, slowly reaching down, I turned the nob towards the hot side. At least their version of English is still legible. I hear the muffled groan of the pipes somewhere since I figured that it'll take a minute or so for the water to come on, I might as well remove these bandages to let the skin breath and maybe the water will soothe the aches-n-pains.
However, I wasn't prepared to see how much was done to me for I didn't really look at a mirror since I got here in this world.
I almost froze in shock-n-awe when I simply glanced at my own reflection.
My skin was pale, one eye was covered as part of a head bandage that almost covered my entire scalp; faint splotches of blood lined the bandage above my left eye and parts of my scalp. My only good blue eye was sunken from either lack of sleep or lack of living tissue.
When I looked at my chest, "My God." was all that floated from my mouth out of quiet shock.
Most of my torso was covered in what must have been a whole roll of bandage gauze, again, here there were two long splotches of blood the must of been drying for a while now. in several spots: lower parts of my torso, arms, and parts of my legs smaller gauze wraps and band-aids of various colors and pictures.
What didn't warrant any kind of bandage were bruises of various size and depth with minor cuts and scrapes simply left alone to heal on their own.
"Damn it, too many bandages to try to remove..." I grumbled right as I heard the water gurgle then spouted out into the tub, "Let alone try to put fresh ones back on with what little supplies I got..." matching my frustration with a harsh knock on the wall, I walked over then turned the water back off, shower time will have to wait till I can go back to the hospital for a surprise follow up on my recent (abrupt) release.
My mind was printing all kinds of curses while I got dressed.
When it came to my boots again, I remembered that one of the laces had snapped and since I didn't have any spares I had to dig into one of my pant pockets. When fingers found the thin, smashed roll of black tape I kept for just about any kind of small repairs. Taking it out, I set it aside before I started tying my boots up.
Once left boot was tied as much as I could I started finishing the job with strands of black tape till the boot felt it's normal fit. Oh yeah, the flabby heel, honestly, it isn't that bad and there is no real way to tape it up unless I had the almighty silver tape of duct. God, in a world that has prosperous towns with probably many Pseudo-modern items in their stores but here I am, with no real money to use; taping my boots up like a homeless man because of some magical wooden dogs. Fuck you universe, You sure gave me a good cosmic kick in the nuts here.
I was lost in my own mental grumbling while I finished getting my act back together. In some painful passing of minutes, I slowly stood before walking into the kitchen. I hadn't noticed it before but I had been walking on a limp every other step or so, the healing wound a few inches above the right knee twanged with pain during those limping steps.
Getting to the kitchen, I squared my self away with some of those veggies again to munch on while contemplating on one thing: what was I gearing up for again? oh right, that hors-pony had extended a han-hoof in an invitation to help me get a better footing in this new world. Where was this kind of help on Minecraft?!
With absent thoughts milled into the graveyard, I finished eating the greens before searching for that new citizen bag to at least get the small pouch with the glimmer of hope of getting some sort of currency from this world. The few dollars and some odd cents in my pocket would probably be of no use here.
When I went for my jacket, an M65 Field Jacket in the classic olive drab green had taken most of the abuse during my nice little run through the woods, it at least didn't look as bad as my long missing Plate carrier. while still wearable, yes but sadly it won't be the same again. Carefully slipping it on, I took the pouch and tucked it into a pants pocket. A part of my hurting brain had the pull towards finding a weapon but I simply kept it on the back burner till I can get better established here.
Halfway across the house, I hear a knock on the door, oh great, they're here. Getting the door, "You guys didn't waste time did ya?" I asked aloud when I opened it. I looked around seeing no pony around but- "Hey," I looked down to see the little dragon toddler was there, what was he doing here, and by himself?
"Where's your friend?" I asked looking around the dirt streets behind him.
"Twilight had to take care of some things," the little tyke shrugged, "However, she did ask me to come to get you since she hadn't forgotten about what you two previously discussed last night."
"Riight," I paused to think, the stiffness of the bandages reminded me of something important. "Say, before we meet up with her, think we can detour back to the hospital?" I asked absently rubbing one of the chest bandages through the shirt.
"For what?"
"To change my bandages, it isn't healthy to have the same ones since day one ya know?" I recalled from First Aid class, it is true though; it is always a good idea to try to change any kind of bandages before the healing wound starts to suck the wet bandage into the skin or start smelling like some sort of cheese.
"Huh, you too?"
"What now?" I stepped out, closing the door behind us.
"Oh, Twilight had headed off to the hospital for something about researching about you." cocking a brow, I can only wonder why she would be doing early morning research on me.
"What a coincidence then. Either way, I need to get these itchy, pieces of crap off me, think we can head that way before anything?" now that I was walking more, I can feel the medical tape shifting on my skin, more likely pulling my hairs. "Maybe she'll help me out with the staff there if anything."
"What do you mean?" Spike looked up at me as we started walking. The day itself still had the morning chill but the sun had started to warm the world up. The skies were clear, a few cotton white clouds. What happened to that stormy weather days ago? Never mind that, at least I'm still alive to see the day. Something tells me I'll regret it though.
"Well," I paused keeping eyes forward and pushing the possible hallucination onto the back burner, "last time I was there, I was, um, being difficult," I admitted, a lull of soreness brushed across my body from the thought.
"Being Difficult?"
"I was a pain in the ass to them! I didn't know where I was, what they were and so on."
"You mean-?"
"Well, instead of trying to explain to you now," I glanced to the confused little dragon, "you'll have to see for yourself for I think the staff there will have a lot to tell to your friend." Spike didn't reply nor asked any further on the subject for a while. which is fine because I didn't feel like explaining myself several times over.
Meanwhile, I took the moment to examine and observe the world around me while we walked through this little town, Ponyville twilight called it.
The town was small in comparison to what I'm used to, simple European style, timber-framed houses rose all around and along the simple gravel pathways with few shops standing out with their swing signs with an emblem describing what the shop offered. The townsfolk, mostly comprised of ponies of course, carried on their lax but busy lives while some keeping an eye and distance from me while they walked by us.
Wouldn't blame them though, why would a two-legged creature be simply walking through their town without wanting to rob or mug anyone of them. One explanation is because I was in no condition to even think about shoplifting, at least the most docile of these ponies could knock me over with a well-placed hoof to the chest.
As Spike and I ventured deeper into town, I took note of the diversity of the ponies: many looked like the standard horse, while some, could only explain as the children of the Pegasus, flew about on their own set of wings. There were fewer ponies in this town that had a familiar horn protruding from their foreheads like Twilight. Guess even in this world, Unicorns are rare.
"I can guess not everyon-I mean everypony here is very welcoming to strangers."
"Nnnot really," Spike replied as we crossed over a bridge towards the center of town before use was that god awful place they call town hall. That was where I was taken to be crudely introduced to this town as well given small vague tidbits of information about the world.
Strangely, I'm starting to become more anxious about knowing more about this land and who rules over it.
"You should of seen these ponies when Zecora comes to town." I could only wonder, who this Zecora was.
"Let me guess, not a very welcoming feeling, is it?" I asked trying not to look behind me as I could feel glaring eyes burning holes in my back.
"Heh, Not really, you're lucky," Spike replied cheerfully, "They all would hide away in their homes leaving a ghost town feeling when she came to town."
"Let me guess, they must of confused her for some evil witch or somethin' of the sort." I guessed not really caring for the details, I was at least glad that no pony really ran for the hills when they saw ol' beaten up me. While I spoke, I took note of a few unique buildings in this part of town.
"Almost, Pinkie Pie called her an evil enchantress." Spike corrected as we put ground between us and town hall, "She even wrote a song about it."
"At least there won't be any songs about me yet."
"Keyword, YET!" an almost squeaky voice stopped both of us in our tracks, "Just need to know what you are!"
On a Simultaneous impulse, we both looked back at the empty ground behind us, "Who the heck-?" When we looked forward again, there was nopony around either, "Who was that?" When I tried to move forward my boot crunched lightly on something. Looking down I found a rather large size envelope on the ground that bore the words scrawled in bright pink ink on the front
Pick up and read me!
Picking it up, I instantly felt the weight of the envelope, "This wasn't here before-" When I turned to look at him quizzically;
"-Just open it." he interrupted with a chuckle, he took a few cautious steps back. I could only wonder why he would-
When I tore along the top, the envelope exploded in my hands. Instead of a flash of fire and death, it was a jump-scaring explosion of confetti and party streamers. Filling my hand was a paper with the words:
WELCOME TO PONYVILLE! printed in the same ink on the page.
With ears faintly ringing and brushing off the confetti, "The fuck was this?!" I asked snapping a look at Spike who only laughed at my expense.
"That didn't take her long to find you," Spike observed as he walked on ahead of me. I only stood there dumbfounded before walking after him, brushing off some of the confetti off my jacket. "Don't get to mad though," he spoke over a shoulder, "Pinkie does stuff like that all the time around here."
"She...does?"
"Yup!"
Oh, joy, nothing like a pony that can ninja exploding party letters to keep me on my toes; "I guess it would be nice to thank her for the welcome letter."
Nnnot
When We finally crossed town without any more incidents and reached the hospital, I finally got a better look at the place that held me inside for the time I recovered and tried in vain to escape.
The hospital was a two-story, Victorian-style building that stood out by itself in the middle of a woodland landscape. Outside the establishment was a large, stylish sign that had a large red circle with a white cross with pink hearts surrounding the cross. Despite the welcoming look, I know better than be fooled by the innocent look of the hospital.
"Here we are!" Spike announced as we came up to the doors, "Ponyville hospital."
"It doesn't look as ominous in the daytime compared to at night." my only comment as we walked inside with the little dragon holding the door for me. Just like back home, the smell of sanitized floors and rooms filled my nostrils and with it came the memories of my recent stay here.
The lobby, or waiting room, was sparsely occupied with a few ponies with minor injuries or ailments that waited for a nurse to appear to call them back for somepony to see them. When we came to the reception desk, one of the nurses, writing something down with a pen in her mouth, peeked up before setting the pen down, "oh dear, it's you." she grimaced, "What brings you back?" she kept a smile up but I could tell she was worried about my return.
"Nothing special just need help changing my bandages from the last time I was here."
"oh?" she looked puzzled, "Didn't Doctor Horse send enough home with you so you could do it yourself?" the light blue pony's polite words sounded a little rude, but wouldn't blame her either for being blunt.
"Yeah, but Since, I'm still in pain, miss, I can't really maneuver my battered body around to rework the gauze," I demonstrated by trying to turn my torso one way. The damaged rib bones jabbed gently but painfully into my chest muscles, "See?" I cringed slightly.
"Hm, I'll have to see if somepony can see you, it'll be a bit since some of the staff is busy at the moment." she smiled politely, but she obviously didn't like me being back not one bit, "please have a-" before she dismissed me, she noticed a little purple claw hand wave above the countertop.
"Hey, Nurse tender." Spike caught the mare's attention she stood from her chair and peered over the desk to see the little dragon, "Is Twilight still here?"
"uh, Oh, yeah, yeah she is," she then paused to look between me and Spike, "Um, is he with you?" she asked cautiously pointing a hoof at me.
Spike nodded with a proud smile, "That is right, Now if you can tell us where she is we can get this Human out of your mane." I noticed how much Spike was enjoying the brief moment of authority.
"Hue-man?" Tender glanced at me, "Is that, you?"
"yes, now, if you excuse us."
"Sure, Sure, just, through the doors and to Doctor Horse's office, shouldn't be that hard to miss."
Spike gave a grin with a polite nod, "Thank you very much!" he then gestured to me, probably caught up in the moment, "Come Patsy!" I was a little perplexed at him calling me that but I followed him anyway.
Deadpanning at the little dragon, "Don't ever call me that again."
Further down the hall, we found the office, Nurse Tender was right about one thing, it wasn't hard to miss. it was the only door with a smoky glass pane with the white, hoof painted letters:
Doctor Gregory Horse, M.D.
Another random thing crossed my mind as Spike knocked on the door: these ponies must have a strong education system to grant the best with doctorates, maybe even more taken that unicorns possess magic.
When the door opened, the cream caramel coat unicorn looked out, "Can I-" he took one look at me then frowned, "-oh." He then sighed, nudging his glasses with a hoof, "What is he doing back here?" he asked keeping a calm demeanor but agitation was starting to take hold of his words.
"More importantly, How did he get back here?!" He asked addressing spike.
"Well, I figured you can help him with something and since Twilight was here, didn't see any problem with it." the little dragon glanced up at me then back at the doctor. The purple unicorn peeked over the doctor's shoulder, "Spike, Jeff, the hay you doing here?"
"If I may," I finally opened up, "Since I wasn't really given the proper supplies to change these bandages and I can't really turn my torso still, so, I thought it wouldn't murder anyone that I came back here for some help." The Doctor looked back at Twilight before looking back at me.
"I'm afraid I can't help you, maybe one of the nurses can help you with-" The Doctor raised a hoof to me then gestured down the hall were we all heard the audible racket of hooves scattering away, "-that..." He lowered his hoof, this wasn't going to make the day any easier.
"Looks like you're out of options doc." I pointed out, making note of the now empty halls, a door a few feet away swayed gently as if one of the scared staff had dashed in there.
"Fine, but you shouldn't be standing here with out a proper escort-" he stepped out of his office, "-Security!" Within a minute, a pair of rather bulky Stallions decked out in a security guard shirt complete with utility belts. Couldn't help but wonder how they used their flashlights, batons and-oh wait, I remembered one of the night guards brandishing their mag lights in its mouth.
"For my safety, these gentlecolts will be accompanying us."
"What?" Twilight gasped, "I don't even think he is any kind of a threat," she commented putting her notebook (or tome at this point) away. she collected her trusty bag as she watched the Doctor walk down the hall, found the guards at my sides as they escorted me behind the doctor.
Obviously, the doc didn't reply to the confused unicorn as she and spike followed us to one of the operating rooms, "Please Miss Sparkle ." Doctor Horse turned to her as the security guards stationed themselves at the swing doors into the O.R. while I limped over to the operating table to sit on while I could hear the ponies talk outside, "Wait outside while I tend to this creatur-"
"Human," Twilight corrected sharply, "Doctor, why are you treating him like he is one of Equestria's most dangerous?"
"Because Twilight, he has been the most troublesome patient to of ever come into my Hospital!" the doctor hid his growl, "Now If you excuse me!"
"Then, let me come in there with you!" she quickly exclaimed catching the doctor before he closed the doors behind him, "I can handle my self and this, uh, this will give me a chance to study him while you work." she rushed before catching the Doctor flat hoofed.
"Y-You can't be serious." he blinked at her, "Very well." he sighed in agitated defeat, "come in, but please keep your distance."
As I watch the two ponies come into the O.R., I couldn't tell if Twilight was being a friend or a researcher studying an alien.
"Now," the Doctor levitated a dust mask over to him, "Please remove your rags so I can see how bad it is." he tucked the mask over his muzzle while I looked at the mare who stood off to the side, pulling her tome of notes back out.
"And her?"
"Suddenly shy for a loud mouth thrasher aren't you?" the doctor commented while he glanced at Twilight, "Don't pay any attention to her, just, strip."
I shrugged before I undid my jacket, followed by slowly removing my shirt; note that during this, the doc or the mare didn't help me levitate the tattered clothing off me while I winced and grunted from pain while I struggled with the shirt.
When I did, both Ponies saw the extent of the bandages.
"Oh my." Twilight gasped bringing a hoof to her mouth, "What did this to you?" she asked taking note of the long bandages that stretched across my body.
"Timber Wolves," The Doctor's only words while he examined the bloodstained/soaked bandages, "Well, most of them, there are other marks on him, that I can't really explain-"
"Car Crash," I explained interrupting the doc who scoffed at my supposed rudeness, "Got thrown through the windshield then the rest went black when a rock broke my fall."
"A what crash?" Twilight's ears perked up when I mentioned the crash.
"Long story, not to mention the other monsters I encountered." I quickly dismissed the subject, "But, as he said, those things got me really good," I added to the Doc's analysis, "I fought like hell trying to get away from those-" before I continued, the Doctor accidentally tugged on one of my back bandages, pulling on the stitches that dried into the gauze, my words fell dead with a quick yelp came out of my teeth gritted mouth.
"Oh, sorry, trying to concentrate." he then gently pulled the old back bandage off. One could hear the dirty bandage tape peel away as it came off my skin. Twilight had her tome open with a new quill buzzing at the speed of thought across the pages, I looked over to see that she was starting to pale seeing the color distortion the skin around the stitches.
"Can see why you didn't want to attempt to change your own bandages," She commented while the doc removed the second bandage. Despite his renewed efforts, the pain still twinged across my back as he peeled bandage after gauze off me. After a while, I was starting to tolerate the pain because the nerves started to go numb. Soon, the fourth set of gauze and bandages was tossed into a HAZMAT bin that the Doc had previously levitated beside him.
"Yeah, not to mentioned that I might have cracked ribs that stab at my lungs when I try to twist or bend," I slightly exaggerated.
"Hold still please," Doctor Horse ordered as he leaned in closer to examine the stitches, "Thankfully, none of the stitches had came undone between now and a few days ago." he glanced over to some cupboards. Hearing the small doors open then close, I also picked up a set of hooves coming closer. All I could do was sit still and stare at a bare white wall while the doc continued his work.
"Interesting." Twilight's voice sounded closer, I was stupid to quickly glance over to see who spoke as the action caused a flicker of pain across my ribs. "Oh, sorry!" she recoiled apologetically.
"D-Don't worry about it, my bad for moving to fast."
"You don't listen do you?" The Doctor snide as he began to open small packages of medical supplies. He started off by dabbing fresh blood that oozed from the freshly disturbed sutures, "This is going to take a while," he noted flatly, "But I'm sure you don't have anywhere to be today, do you?" he asked aloud, probably me.
"Not really-" Me and Twilight replied simultaneously. Raising a brow, I looked at Twilight as she moved her self around the table to look at the rest of my bandages, she did, however, froze in mid-step out of surprise of us saying the same thing.
"Jinx." the Doctor smirked under the mask as he tossed one cotton wad away, then started opening up some gauze and cover bandages.
"Pinch, poke, ya owe me a coke!" I chuckled before a sharp pain in my chest told me to shut up, "Ow..." The Doctor took his time to completely cover one set of stitches.
"Say, Don't you guys have healing magic that could have made this easier?" I asked aloud, "I mean, you both have magic, sooo-"
"Healing spells are typically taught to Medic ponies in the guard," Twilight frowned as she explained, "Even then, healing magic isn't totally perfected to be as effective as normal medical methods.
"Also, Mr. Human," The doctor was busy cleaning the second set of stitches, "We don't know how any kind of effect magic would have on you." He casually explained as he started placing the fresh bandage on.
"So, aside from the fact that you guys are masters of using your horns, you can't cast one simple anesthesia spell or somethin' on me?" I don't mean to complain, but come on guys, pain is still pain and it likes to remind you that you're still alive; The hard way.
"That is sadly correct." Twilight then looked at the length of the bandages on my chest, "Doctor, How many stitches are there?" she asked walking back around to watch the Doctor carefully use his horn to clean the third set of stitches. It was a legit question, more importantly, how many damn times did they stick me with those curved needles?
"Each claw mark you see here, Miss Sparkle," the Doctor glanced up from his work for a moment, "Is about fifty stitches for the longest here." he pointed with a hoof to one of the bandages on my back, "Thirty-five stitches there, twenty-three here," He finished the third bandage, began the fourth, "About thirty-seven for the longest on his front, stretching a little over his right side; Twenty for the second one." The fourth didn't need much cleaning as apparently, it didn't take the doc long to put the new bandage on the wound.
"The ones on his head," he explained, "six above his left eye, nine and thirteen across the scalp."
"So, that explains the head wrap." I blurted thinking aloud.
"Which we unfortunately had to shave your mane down to make it easier to get to the scalp gashes." Honestly, I wasn't really worried about my hair, just glad that I didn't lose my brain through my head injuries.
"Pity, I hope I didn't dull your trimmers trying to save my life." I rolled my eyes as the Doctor retrieved more supplies, Twilight hid a quick snicker as Doctor Horse came around to address my chest. He politely gestured Twilight to move out of his way who obliged by backing up and going around him to be on my right while he stood in front of me.
My comment, of course, was replied with a nice yank on the longest set of stitches across my chest, "Take it easy doc, might have to redo your handy work-I mean hoof work."
"Now, Sir, You keep it up or complications could occur trying to dress your bandages."
"Sorry Doc," I shook my head as I straightened up to help him with his work.
Twilight had returned to her notes as she watched the Doctor work.
I looked down at my wounds, they were indeed discolored:
The skin was pale, further out you got from the stitches, however, going the other way, the skin was various shades of red while my skin was a bad painting of healing bruises.
Another twenty minutes had slowly passed as the doctor worked on my chest, cleaning and re-bandaging the stitches till my chest was covered in plain white patches of bandages.
"Now, the head." he slowly unwrapped the gauze around my head, I must have sweated while sleeping because the bandage was harder to remove compared to the rest of my body. "Oh dear," Horse grimaced as his magic faded around the flap of the end of the strip, "I can't risk undoing the stitching with magic, I'll have to do it by hoof."
Couldn't he of just done that in the first place?
"Let me guess, blood had glued the bandage to not only the threads but to the scalp too?" I asked using some of my first aid knowledge. To which the Doctor had looked at me with a scowl, "Sorry!" I raised my hands to him.
"Yes, it did, so I'm going to have to remove it with-"
"A specialized saline solution."
"Excuse me Mr. fiend," Doctor horse snapped as he floated a pair of what looked like rubber socks and a small squeeze bottle, with a crooked nozzle, towards him, "If you like to do my job, then feel free to do it your self!"
"Doctor, If I may." Twilight had almost jumped from her concentration when the Doctor raised his voice and took the chance to speak up, "He was just extending his know-how of medicine." She got a glance from the doc before turning back to me, "And, he is also human if I may also correct."
He didn't reply at all as he slipped the latex socks on his fore hooves, he then stood up on his hind legs. Mind you, that so far, the doctor had only probably stood about five-six at the shoulder; now standing on his hind hooves, he towered over me. Then again I'm still seated on this operating table.
He had good balance as he held the bottle in his magic while using his hooves to gently tug the bandage, his magic squeezing the solution into the old bandages to dampen the clotted blood under neath, making it easier to lift the bandage off. That would be nice if the stitches weren't still fresh!
When the strip started to give, some clotted blood pulled at the knot on one of the stitches, feeling it gave caused a quick ahow! to pop from my mouth, "Easy doc!"
"Trying to, less you want me to treat this like a band aid."
"NO SIR!"
"Good, now let me concentrate!" The doctor growled as he then continued to work around those painful stitches.
One whole bottle and nearly twenty minuets of painful tugging and pulling the head bandage was completely free from my wet scalp. As watered blood drained down my face, "Towel anyone?" I closed my eyes as I felt the cool liquid drip over them.
"Here," Twilight floated something to me, when I grabbed the towel, I dabbed my face clean as the patch work of band-aids on my face shifted from the towel.
"Thanks, Twilight," I placed the towel next to me while the doc continued to work to clean around the stitch work and apply clean bandages. This time around, the Doc had left my eyes free of being covered.
"Eesh, what happened there?" Twilight approached and pointed towards my left eye, I haven't seen it my self since it was covered previously, so I when I reached to touch around my eye, it felt puffy, probably swollen. "Probably given to me by the guards here." I felt the eye lid, swollen. yep, been told once apparently.
The doctor examined the healing wounds on my face before nodding, "That would be about it," he removed the glove/socks before carrying on with the clean up.
As he quietly went about cleaning up the work space and twilight, scratching away in her note book, I had a few moments to think.
First of all, the doctor didn't ask to check my legs, probably because they weren't as bad compared to my head, back and torso but that also led to another break in the silence, "Hey doc," I began, his ears perked in reply while twilight had chanced a glance from her book.
"From my experience back home, wouldn't injuries like these warrant an extended stay here at the hospital?" I asked, at first the Doctor quietly gruffed before closing some cupboards before turning to me with a rather non-surprising reply.
"Truthfully," he nudged his glasses, "We don't know how to properly treat your kind here and with the lack of long term recovery rooms here, we had no choice but to let you go after you were able to walk."
"Despite the fact that I can't really move any which way to keep my stitches from becoming undone." Twilight's violet eyes darted between me and Doctor Horse keeping quiet but her quill did not stop moving.
"Unfortunately, Yes, I was aware that you would not really be able to do much after being released, however-"
"No, doc, Don't need to really know anymore." I glumly started to carefully put my shirt back on.
"If there is anything else, you are free to go, again." Then the doctor turned to Twilight, "Miss Sparkle, did you wanted to continue where we left off?"
"Oh no thanks Doctor," She replied finally putting her tome of notes away, "I believe that'll be all for today, so we'll be taking our leave as well." The Doctor gave a casual glare at me before leaving the operating room.
"So much for fairness towards patients." I grumbled after fighting with my ragged T-shirt to be put back on, "I don't think it was a good idea to come back here." I stood up slowly from the table before heading for the swinging doors, "I guess we'll just take off to wherever you wanted to go today?" I asked looking back at the purple mare as she started following after me.
"Yes, I planned on meeting you back at the Golden Oak Library after talking with the Doctor, learning more about what it was like to take care of you when you where, well-"
"-barely alive?"
"Yes,"
"Well, I'm sure you got one version of my stay here," I pushed the doors open back into the hall, "I take it that is what you are after right?"
"Well, yes and no." She walked passed me and down the hall, only pausing to look at spike who had been seated in the hall reading some magazine, "Come on spike we should get going." Spike had peeked up at her then looked over at me.
"How bad was it?" He asked looking at his companion, "I mean, I heard something that sounded like a filly getting a shot."
"Excuse me?" I exclaimed dumbfounded by the comment, "I don't think I sounded like a child getting my stitches pulled at thanks to that quack."
"Guys," Twilight shot a scolding glance at me, "Lets not do this here." before she led the way down the hall while spike caught up with her with a smug look on his face while I limped after. Soon, we exited back into the lobby, the receptionist changed hooves to a different nurse while I was in the back getting patched up.
The Nurse at the desk this time was smaller compared to the others: she was short with a dark, bushy brunet mane; Beige coat and a filly face to complement the tiny posture. She looked to watch us enter the lobby, "Have a good day, Miss Sparkle ." the cheerful, innocent voice called out to us as we walked by.
"Thank you Nurse Rhyme, same to you." Twilight smiled back before we left. I didn't say anything for the invisible rain cloud had been bumming my mood with F.M.L. rain since the doctor had finished his patch work. The day had advanced some, I checked my watch to only remember that it hadn't been wound since days ago.
"What time is it?" I asked absently as we walked on the dirt road, It felt like ten or so but the sun's location read roughly eleven or so. As we went on, a couple, previously enjoying the day while walking towards the hospital had paused in their conversation to look with curious caution at the three of us (or more at me probably).
"It's about late morning by now." Twilight nonchalantly guessed as we put that dreaded place behind us. "We should probably get back, I think the girls are going to be waiting for us by now."
Wait, girls? as in more peopl-ponies?
"Wait, who else did you told about me?" I stopped in step to look at Twilight as she too stopped, "You didn't plan a party for me or nothin' did ya?"
"Nnnot really." she looked back at me a little nervous, "Just, Sent the word out to some friends who would also want to know more about you and won't freak out being so close to a human." She seemed a little unsure about this change of plans herself, however, I didn't want to push the subject more just simply shook my head before limping forward.
"Lets get this over with, and maybe they'll treat me better compared to the hospital staff." I only commented as Ponyville came insight.
