//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Visitations and Confessions 
// Story: On These Broken Wings 
// by NekoFallenOne 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 4: Visitations and Confessions

Sky Shimmer could only stare in shock at the two mares on either side of his bed. 
Rainbow Dash was trying her best to keep back her emotions, playing the 'cool' card, but even he could see her struggling against the tide. Derpy on the other hoof, was still bawling her eyes out, her body shuddering with each sob.
Both of these mares had come barging into his hospital room, claiming that they each had something to do with the horrible accident that took the sky from him. But before he could find out anything more, Derpy had begun to cry her little heart out.
His mind was flooded with thoughts and feelings. Anger, hatred, sadness, shock, pain and even heartache. After such an incident, and open confession from the two mares, he was well within his rights to vent his frustrations. But upon seeing their sorrowful expressions and hearing the shaking timber in their voices, he felt his anger subside, flames of wrath being smothered by the overwhelming need to comfort the distraught mares. 
It was part of Sky Shimmer's nature to want to do whatever he could to help those around him, even if it was at the cost of his own needs or feelings. Putting the needs of those he cared about above his own, and asking nothing in return. Sure, this may have been seen as naivete or acting like a doormat, but as long as those around him were happy, that is all that mattered.
Not to say that he was unwilling to stick up for himself, he just preferred to seek alternate ways of ending an argument, or to make everything work out for everypony. 
Turning to Rainbow Dash, he raised an eyebrow in question. “You said that the accident was partially your fault?” Though there was no accusation in his tone, there still was an undercurrent of confusion. His mind was muddled, only able to remember flashes of events from the accident, like a photograph that was torn to pieces and scattered to the winds, leaving only a few fragments behind.
Wincing slightly at the question, Dash nodded slowly. Reaching back, she began to rub the back of her head nervously, ruffling her prismatic mane. “Yeah, but it was not on purpose or anything. It really was an accident...” Sighing, she mentally yelled at herself for trying to stall and avoid the subject. “As you probably knew, there was a huge event going on up in Canterlot.”
Not knowing where she was going with this, Sky Shimmer nodded. “Yeah, I heard about it. The Royal Wedding, or something like that...”
Nodding slowly, Dash continued. “Well, even with all the craziness that happened with the wedding, the groom being Twi's brother, and the bride her former foal-sitter, not to mention the whole thing with the Changelings, everything turned out find in the end.” 
None of this made any sense to Sky Shimmer, and the look of absolute confusion on his face caused Rainbow Dash to start to explain more, but soon stopped herself, knowing that all the details of what happened at the wedding would just be another way to avoid the issue at hoof.
Taking a breath to try and calm herself, she looked up at the sky through the small window. “After all was said and done, as a special present to the new couple, I was asked to preform a Sonic Rainboom to mark the occasion...”
“A Sonic Rainboom?” Sky Shimmer asked,  still slightly confused. He was just about to ask what that had to do with the accident, before his mind clicked. A wall of color, blasting through the skies towards me. He thought, remembering the shock and awe of what he witnessed. “So.. that is what hit me..”
“Yeah, and it was an incredibly powerful one to boot!” Pride shot through the cyan pegasus, standing on her hind legs, chest puffed out and wings extended. “Got the angle perfect, so that the explosion centered atop the palace. Everypony was surprised and excited!” But her pride faltered, lowering herself back to the floor, wings tucked in tightly along her sides. Slowly Rainbow dash nodded, fear crossing her expression. “You must have been hit by the leading edge of it... the force pushing you along through the skies...”
Sky Shimmer winced at this, remembering all too well the force of that Rainboom, how he had lost all control to that violent explosion of air and color. “And that is when I hit...”
Cringing slightly, Derpy looked up, tears still cascading down from her beautiful amber eyes. “I... I did not mean it!” she cried, clutching at the blankets as if they were a life raft, feeling herself drowning, as if they were the only thing keeping her afloat. “All I was supposed to do... was get rid of one cloud! But..but... it did not want to go...”
Sighing, Sky Shimmer reached out towards the grey mare. 
Seeing his hoof coming towards her, Derpy cringed, bracing herself for the strike, knowing that he would be well within his rights to punish her for the clumsiness that had plagued her life. Just like everyone else did. 
But after a moment, her eyes opened in complete shock.
The strike never happened. 
Instead, she felt the soft, comforting feeling of her mane being stroked in a tender, reassuring way. She stared up at Sky Shimmer, a look of complete  bewilderment on her face, eyes still overflowing with tears. “W-why?”
Sky Shimmer softly smiled at the distraught mare, though part of his mind still wanted to yell at both of them for ruining his life. He knew that no matter how much yelling or blame he put on these two, nothing could change the past. 
Well, perhaps a time-travel spell, but those were quite dangerous, and often had unforeseen consequences. Only one pony he knew of could perform such feats, with the aid of a strange blue box.
“Miss Hooves, it is not your fault.” he responded, trying to console her. 
“B-Bu-but...”
Shaking his head, wincing slightly at the dizziness that still plagued him, he continued. “It was just an accident. Yes, I may have collided with the thunderhead you were trying to remove.” Turning to Raibow Dash, he added. “And I did get knocked around by the edge of your Rainboom.”
Sighing, he looked down, closing his own eyes. “But it was my fault for not paying attention to what was going on around me. I was too wrapped-up in my own thoughts to react fast enough.”
“Hey now, don't go saying stuff like that!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, hovering slightly off the floor, feathers ruffled, looking a bit offended at the remark. In her mind, no pegasus worth their wings should ever demean themselves for any lack of skill when it comes to flying.
Opening his eyes, he looked up at the hovering pegasus. “What? Would you rather have me yell and scream at the two of you? Cry at how unfair life is, and that the two of you destroyed mine? That I will no longer be able to fly, to feel the wind beneath my wings?”
He could feel Derpy shuddering beneath his hoof, her sorrow now mixed with fear. Sighing, he tried to comfort her once more, hoof gently stroking her mane. Slowly she began to settle, though her tears continued to fall. “Life is unfair.” he continued, tone much lower and even. “Yes, if it was not for  your Sonic Rainboom, or the thundercloud, I would not be here. Hell, it seems like a miracle that I even survived at all...”
Turning his head, he looked out of the window at the clear sky. Off in the distance, he could make out small shapes of other pegasi flitting about, on some errand or another, perhaps just enjoying this beautiful day. A sharp pain tore through his heart, knowing that such things were now impossible for him to undertake. Even the mundane task of flying from one place to another was now beyond him.
Sighing heavily, Sky Shimmer pulled his gaze from the sky to the two mares beside him. “But... I did survive. And I guess that is one blessing. Even battered, broken and bruised, I can still go on.” Gently lifting the chin of the grey mare, he smiled softly. “Accidents happen, even really bad ones. There is no sense crying about it, or trying to place blame. All a pony has to do is recover from it, and continue on.”
Derpy nodded slowly, no stranger to accidents herself. “Yeah...” she replied, voice still shaky with tears, though with a hint of strength building slowly. “Sometimes there is nothing you can do to stop them... Just have to pick up the pieces and continue...” A slight blush crossed her cheeks. “It took me a while to figure that one out for myself.”
Sky Shimmer nodded, smiling softly. Shifting awkwardly in the bed, trying to find a position where his, now useless, wings were not pressing into his back. Opening his mouth to say something else, he was interrupted by a tapping on the door. 
Turning his head, he saw the door slowly opening, and the head of a white unicorn with a long pink mane popped in through the opening. It took him a moment to recognize her as the same nurse who had retrieved the water for him. 
“Nurse Clear Joy?” he asked, remembering her name from his earlier conversation with Doctor Helpinghoof. 
A slight blush crossed the young unicorn's cheeks, as she nodded. Excitement at the fact that he knew her name clear on her expression. “Y-yes!” Slowly she made her way into the room, which was slowly becoming cramped with all the extra bodies. “But it is not Nurse, well, not yet anyway. I still need to pass my exams...” 
Blinking in embarrassment, she almost face-hoofed. “S-sorry! I do tend to ramble when I am nervous or excited...” Taking a breath to calm herself, she continued. “Anyways, I am sorry to say that your two friends have to leave for a bit. It is time to change your bandages...”
Sighing and nodding, Sky Shimmer turned to the two pegasi. “Sorry about this. It was nice to meet both of you, though I do wish that it was under better circumstances.”
This brought a slight chuckle from Dash, as she remembered her time in the hospital for a busted wing. “Yeah, meeting people when they are laid up in bed is never fun. I wish that we could have met a different way.” Rubbing the back of her head again, she added. “Heard that you were actually a great flier, would have loved to check out your moves...” Blinking, she suddenly realized what she said, and did face-hoof at her lack of consideration. 
Sky Shimmer winced slightly at her remark, but did not say anything.
Derpy looked up at him from where she was still sitting by the bed, sadness in her eyes, but at least there were no more tears. “I am still so very, very, very, very, very sorry!” This brought another soft smile from Sky Shimmer, as he ruffled her mane playfully, which made the grey mare smile.
“Um.. if it is alright with you.. could I come visit you again?” Derpy asked, unsure as to whether he would still want her company after what she told him.
Smiling, Sky Shimmer nodded. “I think I would like that very much.” Cocking his head to the side, he thought for a moment, before lightly poking her in the nose with his hoof. “And no more apologizing! Got it?”
This brought a giggle from the mare, as she playfully poked him back. “Okay!” Suddenly a thought came to her, and she smiled brightly. “Oh! Oh! Oh! Next time, when I visit you, I will bring some muffins!”
“Muffins?”
“Yep! Muffins! Muffins are amazing! And I am told that I bake some really good ones!” Derpy smiled, pride and joy filling her previously somber expression. Getting up, she smiled and turned to leave, waving over her shoulder at Sky Shimmer. 
Making her way to the door, Rainbow Dash turned. “I'll drop by again as well. Never nice to be without company in a place like this. Can drive a pony crazy.” Turning, she followed Derpy out of the doorway.
The room felt a bit more roomy, but also quieter, without the two pegasi. Clear Joy gently closed the door behind the two mares, before heading to one of the various cabinets lining the one wall of the room. Her horn glowed as she removed a small pile of clean bandages, splints and medical tape, levitating each to a nearby rolling table. 
Once she assembled the needed supplies, she turned back to face her patient. “Ok, first thing we have to do is to remove the old wrappings, to see how you are healing.” Making her way to the bedside, the table being pulled along via her magic, Clear Joy looked along the exposed bits of Sky Shimmer's body. “Now, where to start...”
Before she could continue, the door to the room burst back open, nearly crashing off of it's track. Both ponies turned to see what caused the disturbance. 
Standing in the doorway was Rainbow Dash, mane frazzled and she was breathing heavily. Clutched in her mouth was the shape of a well-loved book. 
Making her way over to the bed, she laid the volume onto the bedside table. Smiling nervously, scratching the back of her head once more, she looked at the other two in the room. “Uh, sorry about that. I had thought of something as I was leaving...” 
Clearing her throat, she gestured towards the book. The cover showed a tan pegasus with black and white mane, wearing a kakhi vest and pith hemet, one of her wings were bandaged, and she was looking up at a brilliant blue statue. The title read: Darring Do and the Sapphire Stone “When I was in here, with my broken wing, one of my best friends gave me this book to read to pass the time. At first I didn't care about it, thinking it was totally lame to read, something only eggheads would do...” 
The look on Sky Shimmer and Clear Joy's face told her that she was rambling once more. Shaking her head, she continued. “Anyways... this book really helped me to pass the time, as well as deal with my own issues. I thought that it might also help you, as it did me.” Looking from Sky Shimmer, to Clear Joy and her table of supplies, Dash blinked, then started to back out of the room.
“Uh, sorry again for barging in. I didn't mean to interrupt you.” Backing out of the room, she pulled the door slowly shut. “I will drop by again, but will make sure that you are ok with it first.” The door closed, and the two watched her silhouette move off down the corridor.
Sighing, Clear Joy turned from the door and back to her patient. Looking from the supplies to the bed, she tried to make up her mind. “Okay, let's start with your leg, shall we?”