2. My Medical Record
It was almost time for dinner when I woke up on Twilight’s couch. As far as couches go, she had a rather comfortable one. I guess it makes sense, on account of her spending so much time reading books on them. Awesome couches were probably just a fringe benefit of being an alicorn like Twilight was.
I rolled off the sofa and began stretching out my muscles. Twilight noticed me wake up and walked over to greet me.
“Good evening, sleepy head. Is your headache better?” she asked.
I tilted my head to the side, but couldn’t recall a headache. I recalled stopping by, a Daring Do book, and then I decided to take a nap. “I guess. I don’t have one now though. You must be a better nurse than you think.”
Twilight smiled warmly and blushed. “Dash, it’s nothing really. I’m just glad you come to me when you have problems with your memory or the headaches.”
“Hey, Twi. . .” I sat down on the couch as I tried to recollect anything about the crash. “I still can’t remember the crash. I know you said it’s normal and all to have amoeba—”
“Amnesia, Dash,” Twilight corrected.
“Yeah, that. Can you at least tell me again what happened? The only bits I seem to remember are being scared of surgery and eating hospital jello.”
She sat down next to me and looked like she wanted to hug me. I raised an eyebrow and she recalled I wasn’t a big fan of the mushy stuff. “It was a new stunt you were trying. You hit your head hard, but you didn’t need surgery. You were in a coma, and I cast a spell to help you come out of it. That’s all.”
A wave of comfort washed over me as she spoke. It was good to know that I was normal. “Thanks. I’d better get going. I’ve got tons of practice to do if I’m going to get into the Wonderbolts.” I smiled and flew over to the door.
On my way to the door I saw another pony in the room out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head expecting the orange blur to be Applejack. Staring back at me from the mirror was myself, with a tuft of orange mane sticking out. I chuckled and opened the door with my mouth.
“You’ll let me know if you have anymore nightmares?” Twilight asked.
“Come on, Twi, you worry too much. Like you said, it was just a little bump on the head!” I smiled and then walked out the door, closing it behind me. I took a deep breath of the cool air, and looked off towards the setting sun.
When I took to the sky I felt at peace in my element. The wind tugged at my mane and tail. Each beat of my wings sent a small thrill through me. There was no greater feeling than flying, and not even Celestia could keep me grounded. I belong in the sky, and if it weren’t for my close friends in Ponyville I would have stayed in Cloudsdale.
I looked down and saw that Sweet Apple Acres was quiet, and there had been no outdoor dinner tonight. A nearby apple tree hadn’t been picked yet, so I landed in the upper branches. Applejack wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to a few apples, on account of her having hundreds of trees.
The crisp red apples tasted amazing, and I tried to remember the last time I ate one. I couldn’t call up a memory of ever eating an apple before. Looking on the bright side, all the memories I lost just means I’ll get to do a ton of stuff for the first time again.
I started tossing apple cores down and rustling around for a couple more choice apples.
“What in tarnation? Who's up there in my apple tree?” Applejack shouted out.
I stifled a laugh and held still. Part of me knew better, but I loved to tease Applejack. She was such a stick in the mud sometimes. She just needed to relax and take a nap once in a while.
“I know you’re up there. Is that you Flitter? Dash? Derpy?” she asked.
I cleared my throat and spoke in a deep voice. “Getting warmer.”
“Thunderlane?”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. Unfortunately, I lost my grip as I clutched my sides and took a dive out of the tree. It was only about six feet to the ground, and I was able to slow the fall with my wings. As soon as I’d landed, I rolled over and resumed my laughing.
Applejack huffed and shook her head. “Dash! What’d ah tell ya about sneakin’ round my apple fields? Y’all can have all the apples ya want, just don’t go makin’ me think we got another fruit bat infestation!”
I stood up and dusted myself off, looking her in the eye. “Hey, if it weren’t so funny I wouldn’t be hanging fake fruit bats in your trees!” She just stared at me. “Come on, you know you love me.”
Applejack sighed. “Y’all want some dinner or are ya just gonna rustle around my orchard all night? If ya feel up to it, that is.”
A frown formed as I bit the inside of my lip. There was something about pity that just chaffed me the wrong way. I didn’t want ponies being nice only because I hurt myself. I want them to be nice because I’m a cool pony. I bet if we had an Iron Pony competition tomorrow, she’d go so far as to let me win to make me feel better. “No thanks, I already had a bunch of apples. You take care though, all right?”
“Sure thing, Dash. Just know ya can always talk to me ‘bout anything.”
She’s just being polite. Take a deep breath. She doesn’t know you don’t like being treated like a sick pony, so just tell her. “Thanks, AJ. Gotta fly!” I jumped up in the air and flew off towards my house across town. It’s late enough that I could just find a book to read or something.
The town passed by quickly underneath me and the sun has almost set. I saw some commotion in the town square, and found a small cloud nearby to land on. Down below was a crowd of about a dozen ponies gathered around an injured filly and Twilight. My ears swiveled forward as I got in a comfortable position to listen in to their conversation.
“See, Twist?” Twilight held her hoof out and made it glow with her magic. “It won’t hurt.”
The filly looked like she had taken a fall. Looking around, I spotted a wagon and wondered if the poor kid had been hit by it or fallen off.
“Okay Miss Twilight,” Twist replied. She was sitting down and had a hoof on her head over a large bump.
Twilight’s horn began to glow, bathing the filly’s red hair in a purple aura. She relaxed visibly as the knot on her forehead quickly shrank, then vanished. Moments later, Twist looked as good as new.
“Thanks, Twilight!” She jumped up to hug her before heading towards her parents.
“You’re welcome. Just remember to look both ways next time, okay?” Twilight said.
I was about to turn and leave when I saw Nurse Redheart walk up. “That was amazing, Twilight. I never knew you had such a gift for healing magic.”
Twilight waved her away with a hoof. “Oh, it was nothing. I just did a lot of study on it recently.”
Redheart and Twilight began to walk away. “It’s more than that. Most trained surgeons can’t do the kind of healing magic you used on Dash.”
I sat there with my head hanging over the edge of the cloud, staring at the emptying town square. If Twilight said I didn’t need surgery, then why would she study healing magic and cast a spell that most trained surgeons can’t even do?
There was a possibility Twilight had lied to me. A small voice in my head took it and ran with it. Vague recollections of my nightmare returned to me. The feel of leather straps on my arms and legs, the darkness, and the tubes being stuck through my muzzle to help me breathe.
The more I tried to trust Twilight, the harder a small part of my mind fought to prove she was lying. I decided the only way to get a good nights sleep without any nightmares was to find out for sure if I had some sort of operation. If I did, it was likely something minor anyway.
I flew off towards the hospital. If Twilight was lying earlier today, then she would just lie again if I confronted her now. It would be easier to find out for sure by just checking my medical record. I’d broken into the hospital before and knew they left most of the windows unlocked. The records room was somewhere on the second floor if I recall correctly, so I could probably fly right through the window.
The sun had just set and the lights were turning on throughout Ponyville when I reached the hospital. I flew around and glanced through the windows on the second floor. The records room was located in the corner of the building. Inside there were rows upon rows of filing cabinets. I opened the window and climbed inside.
The room was only dimly lit and I didn’t want to arouse suspicion by turning the lights on. I’d already come this far, and the nagging doubt in my mind pushed me further. I began to rifle through the cabinet marked for patients with a last name starting with ‘D’.
Rainbow Dash. Pegasus, 22 y/o ♀, A neg, ESN: 425-525
Doctor’s notes:
0830
PT presented to ER w/severe concussion. Glascow coma scale 6. Intubated by nurse en-route. Multiple SX blunt force trauma, battle signs behind ear, no CSF detected. Twilight arrived with PT, stated NKDA, no PMH. Estimated speed of collision near mach 1. On scene, she rendered first aid to keep PT alive.
0945
PT stabilized, suspect internal bleeding and TBI. Sent for CAT scan r/o stroke, hemorrhage. electroencephalogram shows no activity. Lab work normal.
I stopped reading and started skimming. The medical records were a mess of medical acronyms, abbreviations, and poor hoofsmanship. It was as if the unicorn doctors had written with their mouths instead of their magic. Even the bits that were readable were way over my head.
I finally found what I was looking for. It was a small excerpt by Nurse Redheart, placed with the other nursing notes behind all the technical doctor stuff.
1030: started new 16g IV, left forearm. Patient prepped for surgery and moved to OR.
It didn’t mention Twilight, but it was a start. It proved I had been cut open—whether with a knife or magic—it made me feel violated to know a pony was inside me trying to fix me. According to the times, I must have had a rough time in the operating room. The Doctor had scribbled in bits about codes and dying, yet I was standing right here. They probably forgot to go back and change it when they saved my life in the operating room.
I spent a moment standing there, angry that Twilight had lied to me. I wasn't sure if there was a good explanation for it, or if I would have to dig to the bottom of this myself.
I looked through the rest of the record. It had details on everything from my dental records to my menses, and was more than a tad creepy. Aside from mentioning Twilight was my primary visitor, who stayed with me while recovering, it didn’t mention if she had been casting magic on me in the operating room.
I heard the clip clop of hooves approaching the doorway. I slid the file back in and closed the filing cabinet. My wings beat silently as I flew across the room and out the window. I then clung to the side of the hospital to peek my head through the window.
A nurse walked in and headed towards a filing cabinet. They reached the cabinet labeled ‘D’ and opened the same drawer I had just been in. They pulled one record from the front end of it, closed it, and left.
I took off and immediately and flew as high as I could. My heart was racing and my mind was filled with conspiracy theories about spies and robots from the future. I knew I’d be safe way up here, as only Pegasi could reach me this high up in the air.
I needed to calm down and relax. Part of me wanted to act rashly, and another just wanted to be left alone. I settled for seeing Fluttershy, as she was my best friend. We had always been there for one another, and if anything was wrong, she was the one pony I knew I could always trust.
There was a bright flash and in an instant, I had already dove down towards Ponyville. I had forgotten the rain was scheduled again. Thunderlane must have forgotten when I told him not to have any lightning or thunder tonight. I could barely keep my wings extended as fear gripped my heart in a vice.
I found myself nearing the sound barrier, and felt that familiar doubt in the back of my mind. Both of my wings flared wide open, slowing me down, as the thought of doing a sonic rainboom filled me with dread. It was probably how I got hurt in the first place. Besides, the entire town would have heard it.
Another crack of thunder made me forget the stunt and resume my race to the shelter of Fluttershy’s cottage. I came to an abrupt landing, colliding with the door. I stood up and tried to take a couple normal breaths amongst the thunderstorm, then knocked again with my hoof.
The door opened slowly and a drowsy Fluttershy, complete with hoof slippers and small bags under her eyes, greeted me. “Oh, Dash, is everything okay? It’s getting late and the weather is awful.”
I smiled and let my nervousness escape through a chuckle. “Oh yeah, you know me. I uh—” Why was I here? To tell her Twilight is having secret surgeries on my brain? Perhaps I can be a tad more subtle. “I need a hooficure.”
Fluttershy frowned. “Dash, you don’t like anypony touching your hooves.”
“Yeah, but you’re different! Remember a few months ago when I split the wall of my hoof?” I lifted up my front left hoof, recalling how the pain had shot straight up to my elbow when it split. “It wasn’t so bad when you did the hooficure.”
Fluttershy smiled, suddenly proud to have been of service. “Oh, well come in. You know I always have time for you, Dashie.”
I smiled, and groaned on the inside. She used to call me that when we were fillies. At least she was kind enough not to do it in front of anypony else. I walked over to the couch and flopped down on it. It wasn’t as comfortable as Twilight’s, but it had soft clouds sewn inside instead of foam. That made it much more suited to a pegasus, as there was no risk of creating pressure points on your wings when you laid on your back.
“So, you um. . . flew all the way over here late at night for a hooficure?” Fluttershy asked. She walked in with some hot cocoa she had made while I had gathered my thoughts.
“Well, I thought we could catch up a little too, you know?” I sat up and tried the hot cocoa. It had the little marshmallows I love in it—another secret Fluttershy and I shared.
“Oh, that’d be lovely. We haven’t gotten to spend much time together since the acc—” Fluttershy quickly hid her face behind her mane. “Oh dear.”
“No, it’s okay.” I put a hoof on her shoulder just above the wing. “That’s what I came to talk about.”
Fluttershy took a sip of her own hot cocoa. She seemed lost in thought, so I let my gaze wander. I spotted Angel in the corner, as grumpy as ever for having been woken up while sleeping. “Well, Dash,” she said. “What did you want to know?”
“You were there when I got hurt, and you visited me, right?” It was a safe assumption, as I rarely did anything involving serious flying without her there to cheer for me. It was one of those instances where it was the thought that counts.
She grinned and looked at me with her soft, teal eyes. “Yes, Dash, but why would you want to relive that?”
“Well, Twilight said all that happened was I took a bump on the head.” I gulped, feeling butterflies in my stomach. “She uh. . . said it was just a little thing and that I didn’t need surgery. But I heard somepony else say I did have it.”
Fluttershy frowned and looked towards her hot cocoa. “I’m sorry, Dash, but I don’t know. I was there. I saw you hit the ground. You were limp and. . . I just couldn’t watch!”
Fluttershy was sobbing quietly now, trying to hide her tears and stay strong for me. I seemed to have a knack for making her cry, so I pulled her in close for a hug. “Hey, I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I didn’t realize how worried you must have been for me.”
She sniffled. “We. . . we were all worried. If Twilight hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have lived long enough for them to fetch a nurse. I couldn’t stay with you the whole time, and I didn’t think too much about the treatment they give you. I was just happy you were getting better.”
I closed my eyes, and kicked myself mentally for making my best friend cry. I hadn’t really gotten any worthwhile answers, and for a few minutes we just sat there. I mulled the words over in my head, imagining what it must have been like for them to hold my hoof as I lay unmoving in a hospital bed.
“Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed. . .”
That voice is Fluttershy. Why is she singing to me?
“You’ll be okay, Dash. I promise.”
She’s holding my hoof, and I want to smile. I can’t move, and I can feel the damp fur around her muzzle against my shoulder.
“Visiting hours are over, Fluttershy.”
“You’ll let me know if she changes?”
“Of course.”
Wait, don’t make her go! Come back, Fluttershy! I need you! I’m. . . I’m scared!
“You can come in now, Twilight.”
Wait, what? Visiting hours are over. Are they going to let her stay with me? Thank Celestia.
“Thanks, Nurse Redheart. I’ll just need a moment. You can prep her for the OR when I’m finished.”
OR? Where have I heard that before?
“You’re sure this will work?”
“Yes. I read every book on the matter. She’ll wake up as good as new when I’m done. Just get me the surgeon and the supplies I reque—”
I jolted awake when I realized the truth. Twilight had definitely taken me to surgery. She was hiding something! What was it? Did she test a spell on me that could have killed me? Did I hit my head so hard they had to use the elements to save me?
“Dash, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.
I turned my head, realizing I had fallen asleep while comforting her. She had laid my head down on her lap and watched over me as I slept. “No, how long was I asleep?”
“Almost an hour, why?” she asked.
“Something’s wrong. I had another dream, or nightmare, or memory—I don’t know anymore.” I sat up and looked around. Everything looked real enough.
“Dash, you’re worrying me.” I turned to face her and she was frowning again, which only made me feel worse that I had to put my best friend through this.
“Look, I think something happened in the hospital that somepony wants to keep secret. I don’t know what it is, or if it’s nothing at all. It feels like this voice in the back of my head is trying to tell me something. I bet that’s what all the nightmares are about, don’t you see?”
Fluttershy smiled and leaned back, almost nervously, as I ranted about the conspiracy. “Dash, stop—”
“What if I was dead and they brought me back to life? Does that make me a zombie? Maybe they had to use an ancient spell like in Daring Do, and sacrificed a dozen virgins to bring me back!”
I felt something hit me in the cheek, snapping me out of my wild theories. Her slap would have felt dainty, were it not for the rough hoof on the end of her leg.
“Dash, you’re scaring me. Please snap out of it. Why don’t I get a bath started to help you relax? I can give you a hooficure when you’re done.”
I took a couple deep breaths. “Alright.” Fluttershy smiled and flew upstairs. I followed her, and in a few minutes she had drawn a hot bath with some sort of fragrance in it.
“You just relax, and I’m going to check on the animals. It’s late, the storm might have spooked them.” Fluttershy smiled and handed me a sponge and some soap.
I set them next to the tub. “Alright.” I climbed in the tub, letting each hoof sink into the hot water before putting the next in. Soon all that was left was to sit in the water and slide onto my back. With only my muzzle and eyes above the water, I fought the urge to fall asleep. Muscles I didn’t even know existed were sore, and I began to feel waves of relief wash over them.
The soap and sponge sat unused, and I imagined myself floating in a cloud over the Wonderbolts coliseum. Soon I’d be on the team, doing stunt shows. After each practice I would take naps over the famous obstacle course, or maybe above the wind tunnel. Everypony would know about the team captain Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in Equestria.
I giggled, secure in the knowledge nopony would hear if I decided to indulge myself in my fantasies. That was when thoughts about the cold dark room came back. They were slightly more in perspective now, yet the thought still haunted me. There was definitely something fishy, but I shouldn't have started to jump to conclusions. I needed to separate my facts from the nightmares somehow. After all, Twilight had seemed really odd before, like at the wedding in Canterlot, but she had a way of always doing the right thing.
I heard Fluttershy coming up the stairs and sat up, lifting my head out of the water and angling my ears towards her. That was when I noticed a second set of footsteps that stopped just outside the door.
My head turned slowly to see Fluttershy standing in the doorway to the bathroom. “Dash, I was really worried about you so I got somepony to just take a quick look at you, okay?”
“Uh, okay.” I said. Who would she want to go get in the middle of the night?
My question was answered when Twilight stepped through the doorway. “Good evening, Dash.”
My heart leapt into my throat and I began to open and close my mouth like a fish out of water. Here was the source of all my anxiety. I could just ask her one simple question and get a simple answer. Would the answer she gave even be the truth? “Uh, hey, Twilight. I’m uh, a little busy.” I gestured to the tub with my head.
“Oh, of course. It’s just Fluttershy came to get me and said you were getting all worked up about the accident. Did you have another nightmare?” Twilight asked.
I glared at Fluttershy, who seemed to sense the tension and was discretely using her mane to hide from my stare. “No, not really. I just remembered when you two visited me in the hospital, I think. It wasn’t a nightmare, I don’t even know it’s a real memory—” I smiled at her, as something in my mind begged me not to trust Twilight. She was one of my best friends. Why should I doubt her?
Twilight nodded her head and continued to look me over like a math problem to be solved. “So, you didn’t have anymore nightmares about. . . surgeries?”
I felt a chill run down my spine despite the hot bath water, and shuddered at the word. “No,” I said. Telling her about my suspicions wouldn’t convince her to tell the truth. I needed some sort of evidence, otherwise it was my word against hers. I would go back and steal my medical record and confront her with it. Then she’d have to tell the truth!
“So what brings you over to Fluttershy’s house so late at night?” she asked.
I laughed, finding some small relief in the action. “I needed a hooficure. My walls are chipping, my soles are sore, heck, even my frog has been aching.” I lifted a dripping hoof out of the tub. “See what a mess it is down there? They don’t exactly give out free hooficures in the hospital, Twilight. I figured me and Fluttershy could have a sleepover, but I must have spooked her.”
Twilight smiled, and whispered something to Fluttershy. “Alright, well you have a good hooficure. Fluttershy said she’ll keep an eye on you until morning. I think the sleepover is a great idea. If you have a nightmare she’ll be right here to help you.”
After she left, Fluttershy slowly walked in. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Are. . . you and Twilight having a fight?”
I wanted to be angry and upset at myself for this stupid fear of lightning,Twilight, and doctors. I also wanted to be mad at Fluttershy for running off immediately to the last pony I wanted to be around. She was still my best friend, and I convinced myself she had genuinely only done it out of concern for me. I would just need to be a bit more careful in the future. “Sort of. Did she tell you I am. . . afraid of hospitals now? I sorta have to go to her anytime I don’t feel good and it’s kinda weird.”
Fluttershy finally looked me in the eyes and smiled. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear that it’s nothing big. I can imagine that having your best friend also be your nurse could be strange.”
“Tell me about it. In fact, you’ve probably got a ton of experience treating animals. Maybe I can come visit you instead? I bet Twilight would like the extra free time.” I climbed out of the tub and began to dry myself off. I was surprised after a moment to feel Fluttershy helping.
“Sure, I mean. . . if that’s what you want.”
I nodded my head. “Yeah, I’d rather not spend too much time around Twilight until I figure some stuff out. Please, don’t go to her again without asking me. I’m not crazy.”
Fluttershy looked away for a moment, then gazed back at me. “Okay, as long as you promise to tell me the truth and let me know next time you’re in trouble. . . You still want a hooficure, right?”
I looked down at my hooves and could feel them twitching at the thought of being touched. They were ticklish, and they were every bit as worn, callused, and chipped, as I had said. Since I rarely walk anywhere, they actually do need frequent care to stay healthy. Normally I pick at them and file them at my house, so they stay in decent shape. “Yeah, I do. I’ll try my best to hold still, I don’t think the spa sisters could do half as good a job as you anyway.”
Fluttershy trotted out of the bathroom. “Hurry up, then. I put the hooficure set by the guest bed. I’d like to go back to bed soon. . . if that’s all right with you. I’m very tired.”
I followed her out, watching my hooves and suddenly feeling very self-conscious. I’d have to start getting them worked on more often, as I could already feel them taunting me. Just one more rough landing and they’d split straight through again. It was painful and I was stupid for not taking better care of myself.
I wonder if Twilight is just protecting me from myself?