//------------------------------// // From Dusk Until Dawn // Story: PonyFall: Australia // by Thunderbug80 //------------------------------// From Dusk Until Dawn April 25, 2012 It was like a scene from a nightmare. Angel and Apple Bloom were crumpled and unmoving against the wall as Fluttershy shrieked and tumbled out of her chair to crawl over to where they lay; Scootaloo had jumped back out of her chair and was staring wide-eyed at her friends; Sweetie Belle, seemingly still unaware of what had just happened, had her head buried beneath her hands and was sobbing into what was left of the tablecloth; and Pinkie sat unmoving in her chair, both hands up to her mouth in shock. “Doug? Jesus! Doug!” John called out. His words seemed to get Scootaloo moving, because she turned at the sound of his voice. “John!” she screamed and flew over to where he was. She pleaded for him to do something, but I couldn’t make it out as I turned my attention back to the two wounded children. I was by their side within seconds. Fluttershy sat back and gave me some room to work. Whether it was because she remembered that I had first aid training or merely out of instinct, I do not know. Tears filled her eyes as she ran her hand through Angel’s hair as if to soothe him. When she looked up at me her eyes told me her unspoken plea. Please help them. “Doug! We need a med kit!” John yelled from behind me. I quickly took my car keys from my front pocket and tossed them to him. “There’s one in the b... the trunk of the car. With the camping gear!” I replied and turned back to the two on the floor. Apple Bloom had clearly taken the brunt of the blast. Her yellow shirt had several large, blackened holes burned into it where raw and blistered skin could be seen. Shattered glass from the dishes had cut her face, neck, chest and arms. Blood was pouring freely from a particularly nasty gash on her head just at the hairline. Several smaller pieces of glass were embedded in her skin as well. Her breathing was shallow and strained, but at least she was breathing. The most alarming thing was the blood that trickled from her mouth and down her chin. If she had suffered any internal injuries, she was beyond my ability to help. Although Angel had taken less of the blast, he didn’t look to be in much better condition than Apple Bloom was. Blood streaked his arms and face from dozens of cuts, and while he had far fewer burns than Apple Bloom did, there was one major problem. Angel wasn’t breathing. Apple Bloom looked to be in worse shape, but at least she was breathing for the time being. I let her be and focused on Angel, moving into position before beginning thirty quick compressions on his chest. It was a risk, seeing as performing CPR could damage the former bunny even further if he had suffered broken ribs, but the logic was that he would die anyway if he wasn’t breathing. When the compressions didn’t do the job, I looked up and noticed that Fluttershy was still watching, wide-eyed, as I tried to help Angel. It was the kind of traumatic experience that she didn’t need just then, so I asked her to look after Sweetie, who was likely going to need a lot of support after inadvertently harming her friends in such a way. Fluttershy nodded and left. That took care of Fluttershy and Sweetie, but that still left Pinkie and Scootaloo looking on in disbelief. Hurry up, John! I thought helplessly. With time running out, and no choice but to carry on and worry about the others later, I placed my hand under Angel’s head and tilted it back gently, opening his airway. Then, after pinching his nose shut, I placed my mouth over his and breathed air into his body, being mindful that my lungs would be much larger than his. To my relief, Angel immediately began to gag and cough. I rolled him into the recovery position, but discovered another problem when a low, anguished groan escaped his mouth. His right arm had become dislocated. My eyes drifted over to where Apple Bloom lay unmoving. Her breathing was still shallow and her face was drained of color. She was losing a fair amount of blood from the gash on her head. It was the blood trickling from her mouth, however, that was now the biggest concern that we had. I left Angel’s side and rushed over to Apple Bloom. Just moments before, she had been holding Sweetie’s hand, trying to help her friend through a difficult situation. A sweet innocent child, frustrated by her inability to do anything more than to just be there for her friends. Now she was hurt and possibly dying. She didn't deserve this. John returned just as I was gently brushing Apple Blooms hair back away from the gash so I could get a better look. He flopped down next to me and set the first aid kit down before taking a few ragged breaths and looking at me. “Med kit,” he breathed. I was reminded that he wasn’t long removed from being in the hospital himself. I grunted my thanks and opened the kit. It had all of the standard supplies: gauze bandages, medical tape, aloe vera gel. It also had a few additions I had put in there, and I reached for one of them: a sewing needle. I had never had to actually use it, but it had been put into the first aid kit just in case my wife or I got injured somehow while in the Outback. Medical attention could be over an hour away depending on where you were at any given time, and it was good to be prepared. Once the needle was threaded, I bent back down to the task at hand. The wound was jagged and bleeding freely, and I had no training in stitching a wound or even general sewing for that matter. I hesitated and wiped my brow with the back of my hand, then tried again. “I can’t,” I muttered quietly. “I don’t know how.” Trying to sew clothing was one thing, but trying to force yourself to sew the flesh of a little girl back together was an entirely different matter. I looked around the room, my nerves getting the better of me and making me feel briefly confused. Pinkie and Scootaloo were still watching, expecting me to help make everything alright, and John was now watching as well. Fluttershy was still bent near Sweetie trying to soothe her. “I need Fluttershy,” I told John. He had been coughing and trying to catch his breath since he had arrived back at our room, but I couldn’t leave Apple Bloom’s side. “What?” John asked, apparently caught off-guard. “Get Fluttershy. She can sew... she can do this,” I replied. John complied and got up to fetch her, which left me alone with Apple Bloom again. I bent near to her and whispered, “You’re going to get through this. You and Angel both, I promise.” My eyes wandered back to the corner of her mouth and the blood that was there. I had held off checking long enough, and decided to have a look before Fluttershy arrived. Taking a deep, unsteady breath, I opened Apple Bloom’s mouth and looked inside. More blood dripped out, but the sight of the cut I spotted on her tongue, where she had likely bitten it upon impact with the wall, helped relieve an enormous amount of worry that I’d built up. The blood wasn’t from internal injuries. Fluttershy arrived at my side then and looked at me expectantly. What I was going to ask of her would ordinarily be unthinkable, but it was the most logical thing to do. I held up the needle and gestured toward Apple Bloom. “I need you to help her,” I explained. I indicated the gash on Apple Bloom’s head. “She’s losing blood fast and I’m no good with needles. Can you do it?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened with fear as my request sank in. They then darted around the room as if in search of some other answer. “I... b-but I...” she stammered. I reached out and took a hold of her hand to try to calm her down. “I believe in you,” I whispered. In the background, Sweetie and Scootaloo were shouting about something. I paid it no heed. “Just as you believe in me.” Her aqua eyes gazed up into mine and I could see her determination growing. I placed the needle in her hand and gave her a half-smile. “It’s just like my tent,” I added. Fluttershy gave a deep sigh and nodded. A moment later, I had wiped the blood from Apple Bloom’s head and Fluttershy was bent over and going to work. Despite her earlier concerns, her hands were steady and moved rapidly. She had to stop occasionally so I could wipe blood away, but it wasn’t long before the wound was closed. When Fluttershy had finished, she handed the needle to me and gave another small nod. I set the needle aside and assessed the situation. Angel was semi-conscious and breathing, but in a lot of pain if the moans coming from him were any indication. As sadistic as it sounded, as long as he was groaning in pain I knew he would be alright. Apple Bloom was still unconscious, but her forehead gash was stitched neatly and there were no longer any fears of internal injuries, at least none that would cause her to throw up blood. The next problem was the burns both she and Angel had suffered. Although some of the burns were horrifying to look at, none of them seemed to be as severe as I had first feared. They would need cool water run over them for thirty minutes, and that meant getting them into a shower or bathtub. I sighed and turned to Fluttershy. “We need to deal with the burns. Do you know what to do?” Fluttershy nodded. “Can you take care of Apple Bloom?” I asked. She nodded again. “She’ll need to be supported in the shower since she’s unconscious. I can take care of Angel. He’s conscious, so he should be okay in the spa bath.” I looked back over to where John and Sweetie had been joined by Pinkie and Scootaloo. John was in no shape to carry anyone, and Pinkie... Keep Pinkie happy, the man known as F.A. had warned. A piss-poor job I was doing of it. “John,” I said as I bent down to scoop Angel up into my arms. The former bunny grimaced and moaned in pain and I remembered I would need to pop his arm back into place. When John looked up, I continued. “These burns need to be dealt with and it’s going to be a while.” I gestured to Pinkie, Sweetie, and Scootaloo in turn. “I think you all could use a break. Maybe get some rest and fresh air. The beach isn’t too far from here. Might be relaxing.” “No way,” Scootaloo replied, shaking her head and pointing at me. “I’m not going until Apple Bloom is okay.” “Fine, you can help,” I said quickly. “The others need a break though.” “Doug...” John contended, looking around the hotel room. “I think we need to go to a hospital.” Suddenly, Fluttershy stood up and walked over to where the others were. She placed one hand on Pinkie’s shoulder and another on Sweetie’s back. “John,” she said quietly, “can you please take my friends away from all of this? Just for a little while.” She looked down at Sweetie, who was still sobbing into the tablecloth remnants. “I- I know you’re worried. We all are. But more than two of us have been hurt today...” John looked as if he had been cornered. “If... if that will help,” he replied. Fluttershy gave John a sweet smile and returned to my side, her mission accomplished. I told John we’d need about half an hour, then took Angel into the bathroom and began running the bathwater while Fluttershy made arrangements for Apple Bloom. Angel had been very lucky, all things considered. Apart from having the wind knocked out of him and suffering a dislocation of his right shoulder, most of his injuries were superficial. Many of his burns were simply red marks on his body that, while painful, would heal without much more attention over time. He had suffered no serious cuts, and only had to have a few small shards of glass removed from his skin. By the time I had finished with his burns, he was awake and fully aware of his surroundings. He would need rest, and be in a fair amount of pain for a day or two, but he would otherwise be fine. I had avoided assisting with Apple Bloom as much as possible while her burns were being treated. When I was needed, I kept my eyes averted and fixed them firmly onto the bathroom floor. Fluttershy proved to be very capable, however, and only really needed me to take away glass that she had removed from the former filly’s skin. Apple Bloom’s burns were worse than Angel’s, but they still weren’t nearly as serious as I had feared. She had also suffered a far larger number of cuts, a few of which were fairly deep. Her head wound seemed to be doing fine thanks to Fluttershy’s stitching, which was a plus. Additionally, she didn’t seem to have suffered any other serious injuries. She was still unconscious when we finished treating the burns, however, and may have suffered a concussion. We would need to keep an eye on her until she woke up. Once the delicate process of getting them both dressed again was finished, I lifted Apple Bloom carefully into my arms and Angel took Fluttershy’s hand and followed me unsteadily as I carried Apple Bloom into the double bedroom and set her gently onto one of the beds. Once Angel gradually made his way into the other bed with some help from Fluttershy, I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the corner of Apple Bloom’s bed. “Where did you learn how to do all that stuff?” a young voice asked, startling me. In my rush to tend to Angel and Apple Bloom, I had completely forgotten that Scootaloo had stayed behind. She came into the room and hopped up onto the bed beside me, her little feet not even reaching the floor, then fixed me with her lilac colored eyes. “Are you like a doctor?” I smiled fully for the first time in... how long had it been? Too long. “No,” I admitted. “I’m definitely not a doctor.” I shifted on the bed to look out the window at the moonlit night. “I decided a few years ago that knowing how to help people was a bit more valuable than knowing how to hurt people, so I went out and learned how.” I turned back to Scootaloo. “I still can’t help anyone who has been hurt too badly, but I at least know enough to give them some comfort.” Scootaloo furrowed her brow in thought. Behind her, I could see Fluttershy cooing Angel to sleep. After a moment, Scootaloo looked up at me. “So... Apple Bloom isn’t hurt too badly then?” she asked. “Because otherwise... “ I smiled again. “I would have been no help at all, correct.” She smiled in return, proud to have figured it out so quickly. After a moment of hesitation, I slowly held a hand out to her. She gave an inquisitive look up at me, then placed her little hand in mine. I leaned in close. “I would not lie to you though, Scootaloo,” I warned in a serious tone. “Apple Bloom isn’t in the clear just yet. I need to keep an eye on her tonight to make sure nothing else goes wrong.” “We,” Scootaloo stated. “Hm?” Scootaloo hopped off of the bed and faced me. “We need to keep an eye on her,” she explained, making it clear that she wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. “And Angel, too.” “Alright, mate,” I conceded. “You can help watch over them.” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and took a step back, her cheeks reddening. “Err...” It took a moment to figure out what I’d said wrong. “Friend,” I corrected myself, my own cheeks burning. “Here in Australia, the word ‘mate’ means ‘friend.’” “Ohhh, right,” she said, nodding. She remained where she was standing though, and I let it be. Awkwardness with Scootaloo was the least of my concerns. Eventually, she drifted back over to the bed and looked down at Apple Bloom, where she quietly remained for some time. I lost track of time at some point and briefly drifted off to sleep. When I finally realized what had happened and looked up, I saw that Scootaloo had curled up against the wall and fallen asleep. Looking around, I saw that Fluttershy had left the room and Angel was sleeping peacefully. Apple Bloom’s condition remained unchanged. I placed her hand in mine and continued to watch over her. She was about the same age my daughter would have been... No more children were going to die in my care. I was determined to make certain of that. My eyes opened and looked at the clock on the nearby table. It said it was two in the morning. Scootaloo was no longer in the room, but Fluttershy had returned and was gently stroking Apple Bloom’s hair and humming some kind of Equestrian lullaby, if my guess was correct. “How is she?” I asked quietly, so as not to wake Angel. Fluttershy looked my way. “She’s breathing easier,” she said. She brushed a stray strand of hair from the former filly’s face. “I think her color is returning, too.” I allowed myself some hope. There had been so much disappointment in our lives lately, but I allowed myself to hope for the best. I couldn’t help it. A few minutes passed. Or perhaps ten, twenty. Fluttershy was humming her tune again. I closed my eyes. “I think it’s sweet of you,” I murmured sleepily. “Humming that for her...” The last thing I heard before falling asleep again was “... It’s for you.” I awoke again at three forty-three in the morning. I thought I saw John. Perhaps it was Pinkie; it was too dark to make out a proper silhouette. I struggled to remain awake, but it was no use. All I remember is that I still held Apple Bloom’s hand in my own as I drifted off again. The next time I awoke, it was just after five-thirty. I might have stayed asleep if not for the gentle pressure I felt on my hand. I opened my eyes and and looked down at my hand, still holding Apple Bloom’s. I was still looking at my hand when her fingers wrapped around my thumb and gave another small squeeze. My eyes widened and moved to her face. She returned my gaze and offered me a weak smile. In the next moment, I had scooped her up gently into my arms and held her close. Tears ran freely down my face and into my beard as she returned the hug. When we parted, she looked up into my eyes with a look of concern. “How’s Sweetie?” she asked.