Anger. Depression. Sorrow. Heartache. Pain.
These were only a few of the words to describe how you felt as you lay in....
Wait, what were you laying in? You tried to recall what had just happened.
You and your former-friend Russ had gone into some temple, everything collapsed and...he left you for dead...
Oh yeah, you thought to yourself, that's what happened.
But the last time you checked, your hind legs were pinned beneath a Celestia-knows-how-heavy boulder. But here you are in a...bed? Underneath a white-tiled ceiling? How did this happen?
You attempt to sit up, which you quickly find to be a big mistake. A searing pain shoots through your legs and back, making you wince in agony, along with letting out a surprisingly loud yelp.
At this, a nurse pony runs into the room. The accident must have damaged your head too, as you couldn't remember her name for some reason.
"Oh my, please sir, you must not attempt to move!" She says, concern in her voice. A quick glance at her nametag reminds you of her name; Nurse Redheart.
"Ugh..." you manage to groan. "What happened?"
"Oh," Redheart exclaims, suddenly looking a little more nervous, "Er, well, perhaps I should let your doctor explain...I'll be right back, don't try to move again!"
She quickly shuffled out the door. You duly note her advice, and you decided to take some inventory on the situation.
After your little....incident, you must have passed out. You've been taken by....someone, to a hospital, where you are being treated. How exactly you got here was beyond you.
After a few moments, your thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of a large, white, unicorn stallion. He was adorned with a white coat that almost blended into his natural colors, and his Cutie Mark was obscured. He flashed a cheesy grin as he entered.
"Well hello there! I see you've taken quite a bit of abuse!" He says, almost sounding like he's trying to be funny.
"Well, I suppose your right..." You reply. You couldn't be bothered with trying to be friendly, considering your condition.
"So I understand you're a little confused as to what has happened to you...?" You simply nod your head, only wanting the details. "Well, I'll explain all that I've been informed of. You were found with your hind legs being crushed beneath a large boulder. Now, we've taken some x-rays, and as it turns out, your left hind leg was spared of most damage, only having taken some of the impact from the boulder. Some physical therapy should be enough for it to recover fully!" You breath a sigh of relief.
"However, your right leg, was not as lucky..." He said, with a bit of despair in his voice.
He levitated a slide onto a nearby light, and the site you saw horrified you. What appeared to be the bones of your leg were in pieces. It looked as though some sick, sadistic toddler had taken your leg and made it into a jigsaw puzzle, with no rhyme or reason guiding it. It was a painful sight, to say the least.
"Now, you've suffered extensive damage to the bone. We've rebuilt it as well as we could, but even then, there is no guarantee that your leg will be fully functional after all of this. The muscles and tissues were also severely damaged, due to the constricted blood flow."
"I..." You couldn't believe what you were hearing. All of this, merely because of one of...his, plans...
"I'm sorry, but we've done all we could. There's no way of knowing for sure if you will be able to use that leg..."
You couldn't believe this. All you had to say was "no." That's all it would have taken. Well, knowing...him, it may have taken more then that. Either way, you could have avoided this. You could have been napping at home, peacefully, not having a care in the world. But no, instead, you may have just lost a leg. Even a professional couldn't tell you.
But, you decided against wallowing in the past. You wanted to know more about what's happening right now.
"Well...I suppose it can't be helped." You say, somewhat crestfallen. "But, I have a few questions. First of all, and I'm sorry for this, but who are you?"
The doctor gives a hearty laugh at this, which you were unsure of whether or not that was a good sign.
"Oh, it's quite alright. In fact, this is the fourth time you've asked me!" You couldn't help but feel a little dumbfounded at that statement. "My name is Dr. Coachen."
"Okay, Dr. Coachen. I'll remember that. But what did you mean this is the fourth time I've asked?"
"Well," Coachen starts, sounding slightly amused, "you seem to have been suffering from some memory loss. You've asked me for my name once a day, at least. It's a common symptom after such a traumatic experience."
Something in your mind clicked. "Wait, once a day? How long have I been here?"
"Well, for about four days now. Today is your fifth day, actually!"
You were stunned. Five days? How could this have happened...
"Okay, cool...five days..." You reply back. "Do you have any idea as to how long I was trapped under that boulder?"
"Well, we had to go off of what she told us, but I would estimate, oh, about four hours."
Wow, you think to yourself, no wonder my leg is so torn up...wait...what did he just say?
"Um doctor," you ask, somewhat cautiously, "what do you mean 'she?'"
"I'm sorry?"
"You said you had to go off of what 'she' told you. Who did you mean by that?"
"...Oh!" Coachen exclaims, apparently having to have needed to take a moment to process what you were asking. "Well, it was an adorable little pegasus that brought you in! She told us everything she knew about what had happened!"
Adorable little...pegasus? You pondered. I don't know any pegasi... "What was her name?"
"Her name? She called herself Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy...
"...Do you, not know her?" The doctor inquired, with some slight surprise in his voice.
"No, actually, I don't. I mean, I think I may have seen her around before, but, no, not personally."
"Hm. That's interesting." Coachen explained, "She seemed extremely concerned about your safety."
"Wait, really?" You couldn't help but feel confused.
"Yes, in fact, she has been coming back everyday to check in on you!"
You felt an odd mixture of confusion, happiness, and concern. You were glad someone was looking out for you, but someone you don't know? You felt suspicious, but you knew you might owe that mare.
"Wow...I guess I owe her a thanks..."
"You may owe her more than that, my boy!" Coachen said, apparently unaware that that may not have been what you wanted to hear.
"Uh, well, I..."
"Look," Coachen says, with a much more serious expression adorned on his face, "had it not been for that mare, there is no telling how long you could have been trapped. You may very well owe your life to her."
It's not often somepony can say "I owe you my life!" But right now, that's exactly how you felt. Dr. Coachen was right, you know you may never have gotten where you are now had it not been for her.
Yet you can't help but feel suspicious. Why would this mare you barely, if at all, knew go out of her way to help you? On top of that, why was she, a pegasus you didn't know, so concerned about you, a simple earth pony she didn't know? The more you thought about it, the more it puzzled you.
Even then, you knew you owed her a 'thank you,' at the very least.
"Alright Doc, I'll let her know. Thank you!"
"Yes, quite good." The good doctor says, his mood having improved. "Now then, I would like you to know that you are ready to be discharged at any time!" Your face lights up at this, knowing that, even though you were unconscious or couldn't recall most of your time here, you were free to go.
"However, and this is merely my personal recommendation, I would like you to stay here for a few more days. Just so we can monitor your progress for just a little bit longer." Says Coachen.
Aaaaand there it is. You think to yourself. There can never be good news without the bad. But hey, it beats the news of "possibly losing a leg," I suppose.
"Well...alright Doc, you know what's best, I'll stick around for a few more days." You reply. As much as you'd like to get out of this place as quick as possible, you knew it would be for the best. And perhaps it could give you a little more time to contemplate your next move once you do get out.
"Very well then! Don't worry, I will only need you here for a few more days. You'll be out in no time!" Coachen takes his leave, leaving you alone in your room.
Your mind was rolling, trying to process all you had learned today. You still had questions, and were pining for the answers. Who is this Fluttershy? Why does she care so much? Is it just out of her heart, or does she have some ulterior motive? And, most importantly, can you trust her?
These were all questions you wanted answers to. But right now, all you cared about was getting some more rest. These next few days were more likely than not going to drain you of all your spare energy.