„QUICK, HELP ME! SHE JUST BROKE HER LEG!“ Paper Clip was worried and bowed with tears in her eyes over her little daughter Redheart. Redheart did not know what happened to her when she suddenly tripped over the curb and then, somehow her leg was stuck in the gully. After that, you could hear a loud cracking which brushed through the air and woke the birds from their afternoon nap. The little filly could feel how the pain gathered in her right front leg, which stuck out from her torso in an unnatural angle. She started to scream and screech loudly in her high voice:
„MOMMY it hurts so much!! HELP ME!“ Tears from pain and agony ran down the little redhaired filly’s face who was called Redheart by everyone. She was paralysed and clung with her unharmed legs to her mothers right front hoof. „For Celestias sake, please help me!“ The scenery called some ponies, who were walking along the pavemant, attention and rushed towards her. Among them was an elderly mare, known under the name of Smiling Sun, who was Redheart‘s teacher. She immediately realized that her student was in danger and galloped quickly towards the location of the accident. „How could that happen, what did you do, dear child?“ she asked and gazed at the broken hoof which was still in an akward position towards Redhearts body. She answered in a squeaky voice, her face still distorted by pain1: „I… I got stuck in the gully!“ That was all she could say before starting again to weep and sob.
Paper Clip was completely desperate. She was considered a good and caring mother, but she never found herself in a similar situation. She reasoned nervously what she had to to do while her daughter was still holding tightly to her hoof. „Don’t worry Sweetheart, I’ll get some help, do you remeber the story I told you? About the place form where the white angels came?“ She bowed down to Redheart and tried to appease her little child. Her heart was pondering in her chest, but she had to comfort her the filly. „The one where the white angels took care of daddy and made him come out of the white building healthy and fine again?“ Redheart was still sobbing, but the pain developd into a dull throbbing. „Exactly, this is the story I mean. Just don’t worry. I’ll get some help there and then you will be as good as new!“ Her daughter had a fast breath. „Do you promise?“ she asked with a shivery voice. „Of course I promise!!“ answered Paper Clip bravely and told Smiling Sun to take care of her daughter. „Please keep an eye on my little Redheart, I’ll be back in a moment…“ She did not even quite finished the sentence when she already had dashed of.
Smiling Sun buckled down to her student and took her into her hooves like a loving mother. It was at first a little bit akward for Redheart because it was her teacher but it was not that bad. At least she was not alone with some ponies she did not even know. The little filly was still moaning a bit but she clenched her teeth to bear the pain which was coming still coming from her right leg. „It… it hurts soooooo much!“ she lamented. The pain had been grown slowly but steadly insufferable for her. The peasants who were standing in a circle around the injured filly looked worried down to her. „Shhhhhhhh everything is going to be alright, I am sure that your mother will be back right away.“ Smiling Sun hummed a calming melody and tried to appease her student.
It actually did help a little, even though it did not ease the pain, but at least Redheart felt safe near her teacher. After some while she could see her mother galloping towards her, accompanied by two strong attendant ponies, who were carrying a supporting frame for a stretcher which enabled the fastest possible ambulance to the Ponyville hospital.
The ponies rushed quickly through the small town’s streets und arrived soon at the infirmary. They immediately went to the emergency room where a doctor took care of Redheart and examined her. He was Soft Syringe, in his capacity as the deputy of the Ponyville Hospital. „Well my dear. That looks really ugly. I fear we have to perform a surgery. Alas!“ he smiled at Redheart confidently but she was weeping nonetheless. „Please doctor, do everyting you can!“ was all she could respond. She could not think anymore because of all the pain she was suffering. All she wanted was to be rid of this terrible pain.
„Well, lets then get started.“ The following hours seemed to Redheart like an eternity. Her dreams passed by her metal eye like a transparent curtain. Sometimes, she could see images of white ponies, but those were just short pictures in her deep sleep. The surgeons did a solid work and after the three hours that this difficult surgery took, Redheart was taken to a single room on the children’s ward. Slowly, the filly opened her eyes and blinked a bit due to the bright lamp which was hanging above the sick bed.
„She is waking up!“ said Paper Clip, who was sitting next to the window and who was also talking with another pony the whole time. Redheart blinked again and lifted her head a little bit. She realised that the pain was gone and that her front hoof was covered by a cast. A tube was leading from the cast to a small bag that was filled with a clear fluid. However, she did not care. All that counted to her now was that the pain was gone and there was somebody who cared for her. Then, the second pony came to her point of view. It was her father Ever Line. He bowed down to her and stroked anxiously her hair. „What have you done to yourself, my dear?“ She held her answer short and said „Hi Dad, it… it is all over, isn’t it?“ Her father frowned. „Well it ain’t that easy. I fear you will have to stay here for quite a while.“ At first, Redheart wanted to whine a bit, but then she thought about it for a while and realised that ist was useless. „Will you come and pay me a visit?“, she asked a little bit worried.
„As often a possible, sweetheart.“ Redhearts Mother smiled at her. At that moment, Soft Syringe entered the room. „Ahh, you have to be the parents. We have have met just before.“ He flashed Paper Clip an comfortable glance before turning to Ever Line. „So you have to be little Redheart’s father. Nice to meet you even though these cirsumstances are not that fortunate.“ He shook hooves with the other colt and took position right in front of the bed. „Well I see that you seem to be fine. I am happy about that, but sadly, I have to inform you that you will have to stay here for a couple weeks.“ Soft Syringe planned for the worst because he knew how fillies of that certain age were likely to react, but he was quite surprised when Redheart answered rather calmly „Okay.“ „Oh well, uhm… good. May I trouble you to let the patient sleep? Otherwise it is getting to much for her.“
Now, Redheaert was not able to hold herself back anymore. „Can’t they stay a little bit longer? Please please PLEASE doctor!2“ She tried it with her puppy dog eyes, which convinced her mother sometimes, but it did not work with the doctor. He just answered: „Listen to me little one. Now, you need to get some sleep. You had a rough day and we just want that your hoof will heal as soon as possible, am I right?“ „Fair enough.“ Redheart sighed audible. Then Paper Clip came to the head of the sick bed an kissed her on her forehead. „Don’t worry sweetheart. We will come again. I promise!“ After winking again at her little daughter, she left the room. At last, Ever Line came close to her and stroked softly her cheek. „Keep your chin up. I will come again as soon as I am done with my work at the factory.“ „I love you daddy!“ said Redheart and tried to smile at him, but she realised she got a lumb in her throat. She tried to ignore it and hide the tears. She wanted to prove that she could act like a grown-up and that she also could grow up. „I am so proud of you. I will see you tomorrow.“ After having said that, he also turned his back to her and left the room. The heavy wooden door clunk shut and Redheart was alone. The lapm above her head hummed monotonous and the room seemed sterile and lonely. The filly could not hold it anymore and began to weep terribly. She doomed herself and her stupidity. Unfortuntately, she was not accustomed to sleep that far from her parents. Otherwise she slept in her snow white canopy bed, but now, all she had was the hard mattress.
Redheart cried a little bit more, but after some time, she finally fell asleep. It became night around her and everything began to dissolve. She slept placidlyand dreamed of white figures made of light.