As it turned out, hospitals were really boring actually.
With a lack of anything to do, I had spent the majority of the previous day sulking and looking out the window. It was a nice view, sure, but I didn’t think I could handle another day of literally watching grass grow. It certainly wasn’t entertaining enough to keep my mind off of the events of the past couple days, giving me plenty of time to ruminate on how awful everything was.
There wasn’t much left to think about that I hadn’t already thought through though. I was stuck here, I lost just about everything, I was in a situation that was rather uncomfortable, and I really didn’t want to keep thinking about it.
With as much as I was trying to keep my mind off things, I was running out of things to fidget with, too. I even ended up fiddling with the bandages on my injured— foreleg, until I realized what a terrible idea that was. I had a bad habit of messing with scabs as a kid, and ended up with far too many scars as a result. Not something I wanted to repeat here. Plus, I had no idea how bad the injury actually was, just that it hurt like hell.
The hospital I was in was a far cry from the ones back home, as there wasn’t any sort of machinery in sight. It was strange, really. How were they supposed to monitor how I was doing? I’d think for them finding some random guy passed out in the woods, they’d take every precaution possible to ensure their safety.
Considering how I had absolutely no idea how things worked around here, I decided to just let it go. For all I knew, there could’ve been some weird magic system monitoring the whole place. Not that I had any way of knowing that for sure.
Redheart had returned shortly after Applejack’s visit with some breakfast, consisting of some surprisingly good oatmeal and another apple. I gave some thought to the fact that food was still somehow the same as back home, but shook it off, feeling like I was gonna go insane if I kept overthinking how eerily similar everything was. “Sure, it’s a different universe, but the voice did say that this place and my home universe were in the same… multiverse section or something? So maybe some amount of normalcy should be expected. However that works.”
It still felt unbelievable to remember that I was no longer in the same universe as the one I was in several days prior. Being awake in the hospital for half a day wasn’t nearly enough time to fully process everything.
It was just… insane. How had I gotten myself into this mess? Thrown into another universe, and for what? What did I do to deserve this? I lost everything! Why?
I wanted to be mad, to lash out at whoever was responsible, but there was no one to blame here.
No one besides myself.
…
I started fighting back tears.
Luckily, my thoughts were interrupted when Redheart returned, pushing a tiered cart filled with a variety of different toys. There were wooden blocks, pony shaped dolls, action figures in heroic poses, and other things like that. Nothing that looked even remotely interesting to me, though.
I felt a little bad, seeing how Redheart had put in all this effort into getting this for me, but playing with this kind of stuff seemed no more entertaining than staring at a wall.
“Um… do you have anything else?” I asked, nervously fidgeting with my hooves. As bad as I felt for asking, I was getting genuinely desperate for something interesting to distract my thoughts.
Redheart seemed a little confused. I was getting really good at doing that to ponies, apparently.
“Well,” Redheart replied, sounding apologetic, “We don’t have any of those new JoyBoys if that’s what you’re after. I can bring you the book cart though, if you’d like.”
“JoyBoy? …Eh, nevermind, not worth asking.”
“Yes, please, if you could.”
Redheart smiled, giving a quick, “Be right back,” before grabbing my breakfast tray, placing it on her back, and pulling the cart out of the room.
Once again, my mind was left to wander.
My thoughts went back to my overwhelming loss. I eventually realized what that all encompassing awfulness I was feeling was.
Grief.
I had felt it before, in the aftermath of losing close pets or grandparents, but nothing to the level of what I was feeling now. It felt like I was constantly fighting a part of myself that wanted to curl up into a ball and give up right then and there, and another part of myself that wanted solely to cry.
I was able to force my thoughts off of it when I was still in the forest, but now that I was given a moment of peace here in the hospital, I ran out of excuses. And at this point, I was getting really tired of feeling sorry for myself.
I made an attempt to distract my thoughts, finding some mild entertainment in picking lint out of the sheets with my hoof grip. Out of habit I kept trying to check my phone, but given I possessed neither a phone, nor a pocket to hold one, I was left feeling rather silly every time I tried. Add that to the list of things I’ll miss about home…
After what felt like half an eternity, Redheart finally returned, wearing a smile and pushing another cart, this one containing neat rows of hardcover books in a wide variety of colors and sizes. I carefully stepped off of the bed to get a closer look.
I took some time scanning through the variety of different genres conveniently marked out with paper inserts. By the titles alone, it seemed like most if not all of the selection available was fiction, even the section that claimed to be non-fiction. I was more interested in a good story than learning the history of this world at that moment, so I settled on an adventure book with vague Indiana Jones vibes.
“Oh, Daring Do?” Redheart quipped. “That’s quite a popular one! We have to keep getting more copies from all the ponies asking for it during their stays here,” she said with a short chuckle.
Redheart’s positive energy was infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile a bit. “Other ponies, huh?” I looked towards the window at the landscape beyond. “I wonder how many are out there…”
So far, I had only officially met two, and one made me so mad I started crying, so… not a great start.
Realizing I was getting distracted, I gave a sincere, “Thank you,” to Redheart and made to walk back over to the bed, only to notice an issue. How was I supposed to walk while carrying something?
The book was a bit too unwieldy at my size to carry solely in my injured foreleg, and I didn’t have a clue how to hold items on my back like Redheart had done previously, so I was a bit stuck.
I’d only been here for two days and I was already getting sick of being quadrupedal.
I fumbled with the book for a bit, trying to find a configuration that allowed me to walk without falling over, at least until Redheart seemed to figure out what was going on.
“Oh, have you had any horn training?” She asked.
I looked up at her, quite confused on how this had anything to do with holding a book. “Horn training?”
“Oh, well, telekinesis training. Learning how to use your horn.”
Telekinesis.
…
What.
“Ugh, whatever! Now’s not the time to freak out about this!”
I blinked up at Redheart before unsurely replying, “Uhhh… no, I can’t say I have.”
Redheart seemed a bit confused at my reaction, which confused me in turn. “Is telekinesis somehow commonplace? If that’s the case, then… I don’t even know what to think…”
Her confused expression was brief, before she returned to a soft smile. “Ah, you can just hold the book in your mouth then, it’s alright.”
…
What.
Seriously?
I once again stared up at Redheart. A few seconds passed before I slowly and uncomfortably placed the spine of the book in my mouth.
It tasted like dust and old paper.
Figures.
The book somewhat secured, I quickly made my way back up the bed before spitting the book out as fast as I could, taking a gulp of water from the nightstand to wash out the taste.
“Blegh, is this really the norm around here? I gotta get a backpack or something…”
Before I had the chance to think about the efficacy of wearing a backpack as a horse, Redheart chimed, “Alright, now I know I’ve asked a lot from you already, and I’m sure you’re very confused, so is there anything you’d like to know from me?”
Oh?
I… hadn’t even thought about asking for more information about this place. Quite a bad move on my part. The less I knew, the less I’d be able to fit in, and the higher the risk of me being found out.
But in that same vein, asking questions that’s obvious to the average person here would be too suspicious. Maybe something vague to start?
I thought carefully before responding, “Oh, um… where are we?”
“Well, we’re in the recovery wing in Ponyville General Hospital, in the little town of Ponyville,” Redheart said cheerily. “You’re pretty lucky to have ended up where you did! I may be biased, but I think we give the best care possible in all of Equestria,” she said with a playful smile.
“Ponyville?? Equestria???”
…Ok. Maybe I shouldn’t be too judgemental… but those names are way too silly.
I thought about Redheart’s words. “I’m lucky to be here, huh?” I looked down at my bandaged foreleg. “She’s probably right… If I hadn’t gone the way that I did in that forest, I’d probably be out in the middle of nowhere by now. How did that even end up working out?”
The odds of my survival aside, I thought of another question to ask. “Oh yeah, I guess I’m also curious how bad this injury was,” I said, holding up my foreleg. “I didn’t really get a good look at it before I uh… passed out.”
Redheart grimaced slightly, before quickly returning to a neutral expression. “Oh, it was nothing we couldn’t handle,” she said with a reassuring grin. “We did have to give you a few stitches though! That’s why it’s so important that you be careful on that leg.”
Stitches? I gave a grimace of my own. The amount of time I’d gotten stitches in my life could be counted on one hand, or even one hoof, given that that number was zero. The fact that I had already sustained a relatively serious injury within days after arriving here did not bode well for my future.
“My future…”
“Also, um… I uh… I guess what I mean to say is…”
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
“Once I’m out of here, is there anywhere I can go?”
Asking that was incredibly difficult but… I was scared. I had no idea what to expect once I left the hospital, and I didn’t even want to think of the possibilities. Maybe if there was a homeless shelter or something around, I could have somewhere to stay until I’m able to get back on my feet— er, hooves?— and make a life for myself here.
What other choice did I have?
Redheart seemed nervous. I took that to not be a good sign.
“Well… I know things have been rough for you, Terra,” Redheart replied, with a kind yet determined look on her face, “But I meant what I said, that I’d do everything I could to make your life comfortable. That’s why I’ve been working on finding you a foster family to stay with, so you can have ponies who can take care of you, and who want what’s best for you.”
…
Oh no.
No no no no no.
God, I forgot that I’m a kid here. How could I have possibly forgotten?
“Fuck, they’re gonna put me in with some random family I don’t know, and I’m gonna lose control over my life again, and I’m not gonna have any freedom until I’m old enough to move out which won’t be for I don’t even know how many years and there’s nothing I can do about it and I don’t even know—”
“Terra?”
I paused. Without me realizing, my heart rate and breathing had picked up, and Redheart was now looking at me with a concerned expression. I lowered my head, embarrassed.
“Sorry, I just— sorry…”
“You’re alright, dear.”
Redheart reached out a hoof towards me, but I shied away from it.
I took some deep breaths to try to calm myself down. “Ugh, how did I get that worked up that quickly? Something’s not right with my emotions…”
When I eventually looked back up, Redheart was still standing there, a soft smile on her lips, but with concern visible in her eyes.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I shook my head, and Redheart’s eyes took on a sad look.
“That’s alright, Terra. Just know I’m here to listen if you change your mind.”
I gave no response.
Redheart had idled for a while, but eventually left, taking the book cart with her. I had started reading the book I had gotten, but I couldn’t really focus on the words. There was just too much on my mind.
I felt frustrated and helpless. I’d already lost so much already, and now I was going to lose my freedom too? It just wasn’t fair.
“No! I won’t just let this happen to me… I refuse to let this happen to me.”
My determination aside, I still had no idea what to do about my situation. I was stuck in a hospital, in a town I had never been in before, with a still healing injury that weakened my ability to walk. Still, I felt like I needed to try.
“So… what? I just walk out of here? I’d be homeless, but… I can live in alleyways, and steal food from street vendors! Assuming those both exist here…”
It’d be hard, but it’d beat getting wrapped up in another mess. If all else failed, I could run off and find a different town to stay in. One that wouldn’t be searching for me once I’m declared missing…
Even still, my plans hinged entirely on things around here being somewhat similar to back home. As it currently stood, I had no idea what to expect out there. And it terrified me.
After a bit more thinking, I finalized the plan. I’d leave at midnight— or as close to it as I could guess, considering the room didn’t have a clock— sneak out of the hospital as quietly as I could, then hide in some alleyway until things were clear. From there, I could just play it by ear, stealing food and water where I could. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the best I could come up with considering how little I had to work with.
With my plan in place, I found it much easier to let myself be swept away in the book I had picked out, Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. After all, I’d just be burning time until the right moment arrived. I simply laid back in bed, held the book on my stomach, and read.
The rest of the day slipped by, and soon the room was bathed in moonbeams.
My body was upset at me for staying away as long as I had been, especially considering my lingering soreness from my unscheduled forest trek of the day prior. In addition, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Typically I’d be up way into the early hours of the morning, but I must’ve not been used to it in this body.
At least the story I was reading was honestly not bad, which made it easier to stay awake. A little heavy on the action scenes for my tastes, but otherwise pretty good.
I made it a decent way through the book, before I glanced outside and decided it was close enough to midnight to head out. I’d be ending on a rather unfortunate cliffhanger, but I wasn’t gonna steal the book from them or anything. Not that I’d be able to carry it out anyway.
I set the book off to the side of the bed, clicked off the lamp I was using as a reading light, then carefully climbed off the bed and stood in front of the door.
I looked up at the door, conflicted. Even though escaping meant I’d keep my freedom, the thought of being out in an unfamiliar world on my own filled me with anxiety. This would be unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
I was scared, but I knew I had to try. I took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly. “This is it. I can do this.”
I had to reach up to grab the doorknob, then fiddled with it a bit before the lock disengaged. The door opened with a slight creak, making me cringe a bit. I wanted to be as quiet as possible to avoid being detected, so every single sound was nerve wracking. It’d be better if they found an empty bed in the morning rather than see me escaping now.
The hallway was dark and empty, with not a single soul in sight. I was lucky, it seemed. I took a look around before heading in a direction that seemed to indicate an exit. Each step I took made a quiet ‘clop’ sound, which echoed down the deserted hallway.
As much as I wanted to get out of here quickly, I was being slowed down by my uneven balance and slight limp. Although better than before, I wasn’t quite fully healed up from my tumble in the forest, and my foreleg stung with every step. I only really had a day of practice with four legs, anyway.
After a bit of walking, I made it to the top of a staircase leading down.
“…Oh god. How the hell am I gonna walk down this?”
Sometimes as a kid I’d walk up the stairs on all fours, just for fun, but never attempted going down that way. I was gonna have to do the latter if I wanted to get out of here.
I approached the stairs slowly, deciding to take them one step at a time. I carefully lowered my front left leg down to the first step, then back left, then back right, then front left. Repeating the process, I slowly but surely made my way down. Slipping and falling would be worse than just being caught, so I was nervous as hell, my limbs shaking as I took step after step.
After only slightly stumbling a couple of times, I finally reached the ground floor, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Success!”
Even downstairs, all the lights were strangely off. What kind of hospital turns off all its lights at night? Don’t they still have night staff? I didn’t see anyone, but still I kept an eye out and warily edged my way down the next hallway.
As I made my way across, I noticed a stream of light coming from around the corner at the end of the hallway. As I reached its source, I saw a set of double doors separating the dark hallway from the lit room beyond.
I was at a crossroads. On one hand, this was most definitely a way out, probably a lobby of some kind, but on the other, there were likely other people in there, making it a high chance of me being caught if I went in.
I hesitated at the entryway to the brightly lit room, unsure of what to do. I could maybe walk around a bit more and look for a different exit, but the longer I spent in here, the higher chance of someone randomly spotting me.
But before I could decide, I heard something from behind me. Hoofsteps.
My heart raced as I quickly turned around, seeing a faint light coming from a different branching hallway that was slowly getting brighter.
Panic surged through me. I was trapped.
With no other options remaining, I very slowly and very quietly pushed one of the doors open. The room in front of me was much brighter than the dark hallways I had just been through, and I had to squint slightly before my eyes were able to adjust.
Directly past the doors, I saw a large desk with a nurse I had never seen before attending it, a pink pony with striped purple and white hair, wearing a hat identical to the one Redheart wore. Luckily, she was facing away from me, and seemed too absorbed in her work to notice the door open.
Beyond the desk, in the direction the nurse was facing, were doors that lead outside, past a small waiting room area that was entirely empty. My way out.
My heart pounding in my chest, I silently approached the edge of the desk, luckily finding myself short enough that I didn’t need to crouch to hide behind it.
I felt like I was playing a stealth game. My objective was being watched by the only other person in the room with me. How was I gonna get past her?
My moment arrived a few minutes after, when from the sound of it, the nurse seemed to pick up some papers, tidy them, then walk away. I peeked over the desk and watched as her tail disappeared past a doorway situated behind the desk.
With the path clear, I began limping my way to the front entrance. My nerves were screaming at me to run, but I couldn’t risk being too loud.
Closer and closer I walked, until I was only a few steps away from the doors. This was it! Just a little bit further…
“Hello?”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
I slowly turned my head around to see the nurse from before standing behind the desk again, looking at me with a curious expression.
I was caught.
My body refused to move, frozen by fear. A few seconds passed before a glint of recognition appeared in the nurse’s eyes.
“Terra?”
“What?! How does she know me?!”
My body began working again. There was only one thing left to do.
Run.
Fueled by adrenaline, I quickly bolted the last few steps to the front doors, slammed one of them open, then sprinted outside.
I could barely hear the nurse’s desperate, “Wait!” before I was running down the long dirt path leading away from the hospital. Trees and houses blurred past me, but I was too focused on getting as far away from the hospital as I could to notice much else.
Luck has shone upon me again, as the roads were entirely devoid of life. I kept going until I came to an area that was densely packed with houses, but not to the level of a suburban area back home. I could still find an alleyway somewhere, right?
Even still, I had been running too long, and my adrenaline had run out. My lungs burned, my heart pounded, and my leg was screaming out in pain again. Staying up as late as I had was probably not helping matters either. I needed to find somewhere to rest, and quickly.
I looked down at my bandaged foreleg and noticed a small spot of red seeping through the fabric. “Fuck, I must’ve reopened the wound… ugh, ow…”
I took a moment to rest, limping to the side of a random nearby house and sitting down. I looked around at all the various storybook-like houses, taking in the quaintness of it all. It was nothing like what I was used to back home.
…
I missed home.
It was surreal, being in what seemed like such a lovely town, but wanting so badly to be back in my dinky little apartment in the middle of nowhere. But here at least the quiet air was peaceful, and the night sky was beautiful, which helped to calm my nerves a bit.
I got back up and stumbled my way onward. Eventually I came across a small cluster of buildings that seemed to hide a network of alleyways behind them. I quietly ducked into one, looking around for somewhere I could take shelter in for the night.
It took me a few seconds to notice something… strange. “Is this alleyway… longer than it is from the outside?”
From what I could tell, it was. Intrigued, I made my way further in.
It was incredibly odd, like reality wasn’t acting the way it was supposed to. For all intents and purposes, this alleyway should not be able to exist, and yet it did. Something clearly wasn’t right, and I was thoroughly freaked out.
Eventually I came across a branch in the path, leading off to the right. I turned the corner and walked into a small courtyard surrounded thickly by the outer walls of buildings that didn’t exist. In the center was a creature that was nearly indescribable.
It appeared to be a wild mishmash of different animal body parts, all combining into one incredibly confusing whole. A paw, a claw, a hoof, a scaly leg, a set of mismatched wings and horns, and a sly grin on its horse-like face.
It spoke. “Well well well, it’s about time we finally met.”
It… it was all too much. The last thing I could remember was my body hitting the ground as I passed out.