(CHAPTER 9) BURNS AND BRUISES
Three hours... That's how long Trixie had been sitting in a waiting room with Habanero. Three hours of no direct answers from doctors, only that they were "still running tests." The clock that hung on the wall was showing just passed midnight. Neither of the two spoke. Both were still somewhat in shock and trying to bring themselves to grasp the situation ahead of them. Sparks had been taken directly into the emergency center, while Firecracker was taken in for his own minor injuries.
The ticking of the clock echoed like a jackhammer in the silence. It was the only thing that annoyingly pierced Trixie's thoughts while she did nothing but sit, and stare at her charred cloak and hat.
The door that led into the emergency center opened. Both girls instantly looked up in hopes of some news. Unfortunately for them, it was only the janitor going about his business. Trixie let out a frustrated sigh. She wanted answers, but most of all, she wanted to be with Sparks. Her body language must have been very open at her disappointment of not seeing a doctor come out, because she felt Habanero lay her hoof on hers.
"He's going to be alright." She said in a calm voice, "We just have to be patient."
Not looking up, Trixie said back quietly, "But it's all Trixie's fault that he's in there right now... All because I can't bring myself to let go of my past... He wouldn't even be in there right now if I hadn't been so selfish." Trixie began to feel warm tears running down her cheeks. She looked up at Habanero with her glassy eyes and uttered out in a shaky breath. "Nothing can ever go right in Trixie's life... Every time I've ever tried to do something good for somepony, or every time I think things might just start to go my way, it's always taken away from me."
Trixie began to openly cry and Habanero instantly embraced the Unicorn. "Why?..." Trixie said shakily. "Why is it that no matter what I do, or how hard I try, it will always end bad for Trixie?" She took in a ragged breath. "Sparks has been nothing but kind to Trixie, and all Trixie could give him in return was bad luck. Somepony as special as him doesn't deserve to be anywhere near a useless mare like me."
Trixie felt Habanero's embrace tighten around her. The fiery pony looked down at Trixie and said, "Don't ever think that about yourself!" The stern comment made Trixie look up at her. Habanero ran a comforting hoof over Trixie's mane as she continued. "I can't say I know everything that's happened to you in your life, or the things that you've done, but what I can say about you is that you've been nothing but kind, and humble in the short time I've known you. I know that can't be said for much, but from everything Sparks has said about you, you're the most amazing girl he's ever met!"
Trixie ran her hoof over her eyes to clean away the stray tears. "Really? He said that?"
With a smile, Habanero continued. "Sparks would die if he knew I told you this, but he doesn't have to know. Trixie, ever since Sparks got back from Canterlot with Firecracker, all he's done is mope around about how he thought he would never get to see you again. From what Firecracker told me, Sparks said he had never met a more amazing girl in his life. Plus, he couldn't stop talking about how pretty you were."
Trixie paused and felt a light blush appear on her delicate face. She would have to of been blind not to realized that Sparks liked her; still, she didn't realize how much she meant to him. The thoughts came rushing back into her mind of everything he had done for her in the short time they've known each other. The first time they met when he nearly ran her over with his heavy cart and how eager he was to assist her after he knocked her down. The way he came to her rescue at the Gala without even a single thought of wanting anything in return, only that she watch his fireworks. Even finding out how desperate he was to talk to her one last time before she left Canterlot just so he could tell her goodbye.
Then there was her entire first day back to Ponyville. Sparks did nothing except be kind and forgiving to her. He treated her to an amazing day around town, took her to dinner, helped her laugh by taking her to funny movies, and even stood up for her when the less than forgiving citizens wanted nothing to do with her. The final thought hadn't even crossed her mind that Sparks was willing to put his own life on the line just to help her. Without even a second thought, Sparks rushed into her burning caravan to save her most precious of possession's. She couldn't even think of this until now because of how much she had been beating herself up over the past few hours.
"Really?" Trixie asked, "He said all of that?"
"Trixie, you have no idea!" Hally told her in an almost sarcastic tone. "I'm sure you realized that Sparks isn't a smooth talker when it comes to the mares. Truth be told, he's terrified of them! From what Firecracker told me, he's been that way around mares ever since he was in middle school. He said his crush turned him down pretty hard and it that took all of his confidence with it. The only reason he can talk to me so easily is because we're good friends. Still, just know this when I tell you that if you managed to make him open up as much as he has to you, then you are something very special to him."
The door to the waiting room opened and one of the hospital workers came out. Both girls perked up in hopes of how their boys were doing. The mare spoke, "Miss Lulamoon?" Trixie instantly sat up in hopes of answers. The hospital worker continued, "You have a visitor, she's waiting for you in the lobby."
She looked at Habanero. "A visitor?" Habanero was just as confused. Trixie didn't know many ponies in Ponyville. Still, she stood and said to Hally, "Come and get Trixie if you hear anything."
"I will."
Trixie walked past the worker and headed out towards the lobby. She walked by several occupied hospital rooms and was hoping to find Sparks on her way. Of course she wasn't able to. The unicorn let out a sigh. She didn't care about visitors. She wanted Sparks. She wanted to be by his side and know that he was okay. She opened a door with her magic and stepped out into the lobby. Her eyes widened at who she saw.
"Twilight?!" Trixie called out.
The purple alicorn smiled as she saw her friend walk in. "What are you doing here?" Trixie asked.
Twilight approached her and said in her calm voice, "I went to find out what all the commotion was in town. Unfortunately when I talked to the fire ponies, they told me what happened, and that it was your caravan that caught fire." Twilight paused as she saw the distress in the icy blue unicorns face. Trixie didn't reply. She simply couldn't find the words, and was now slowly starting to accept the shock of her situation.
"Oh Trixie," Twilight continued with sympathy, "I know that no matter what I try to say that it won't make it any better, but please understand when I say how sorry I am that all of this happened. I had such high hopes that everypony would listen to a request from their Princess, but obviously that wasn't the case..."
"...So then this all wasn't an accident..." Trixie asked quietly.
Twilight sighed. "That's the reason I came out to find you..."
Trixie looked as Twilight levitated a half charred piece of parchment. Using her magic, Twilight levitated it over to Trixie. Trixie's magic took the parchment from Twilight and she read it.
It said, "How do you like it when something you love is ruined!"
"The fireponies found this tacked to a tree near your caravan." Twilight told her. "As soon as I found out that somepony did this to you, I had to come find you and make sure that you were okay. I didn't even know that you were in town."
"That's kind of you to do," Trixie said quietly, "but Trixie doesn't care about that anymore..."
"You don't care?"
She let out a small sigh, "That caravan was nothing but a constant reminder of everything that had gone wrong in Trixie's life... It let Trixie know every day that Trixie had no home, no pony to talk to, and that every day Trixie had to struggle to find work just to survive..."
She looked at Twilight and said as she fought off her returning emotions, "And that caravan is the reason why the only stallion who every truly cared for me is in the hospital right now. All because of how selfish I am for not being able to let go of my past."
Twilight couldn't think of anything to say that would make Trixie's situation any better. She saw Trixie look at her as a stray tear trickled down her cheek, "For once, Trixie had somepony that overlooked all of her flaws, and all of the bad luck. Somepony that forgave Trixie even after all of the horrible things I've done. Now just like everything else good that comes into Trixie's life, it's being taken away."
Trixie walked over to one of the seats in the lobby and sat down. Twilight walked over and joined her. The Princess settled into her seat and said, "He's one of the firework ponies, right?"
With a light nod, Trixie answered, "Yes, Sparks."
"You said he cared about you?"
Trixie gave a light nod.
Twilight smiled and continued, "You know he's going to be okay, and there's no way that he could be upset with you; after all, you said he cares for you."
Under her breath, in a hushed tone, she involuntarily said, "And Trixie cares for him too..."
She looked up and Twilight who was giving her the look that friends gave one another when they found out about their new crush. Trixie turned herself away to hide her blushing cheeks. She felt a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
"I think this will be good for you." Twilight said, "You've been alone all these years with no pony to be there for you when things were bad. Seems to me that's all about to change for you, and for the better."
"It doesn't matter, Trixie isn't welcome here."
There was a pause before the Princess continued, "You know that you're always welcome in Ponyville. Don't let the grudges of a few ponies drive you away. If you ask me, this could be an opportunity to get settled into a new life. Maybe allow a certain firework loving Stallion to accompany you with this new start."
Trixie couldn't hide the blushing. Twilight smiled and said, "And if you need too, there's always room at the library if you need somewhere to stay for a while."
The door opened and the white nurse with the pink mane came out. The two looked up and the nurse said, "Forgive me, Princess, I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all." Twilight told her. She was still uneasy about everypony treating her differently now.
The nurse looked at Trixie and said, "You can see him now."
Trixie felt her heart race, she stood, then stopped and looked to Twilight. She smiled at Trixie and said, "Go on. We can talk later when things settle down."
The unicorn smiled and went over to Twilight. She held her forelegs out and gave her friend a hug. "Thank you for forgiving me."
"You don't have to thank me. I'm glad we're friends now." Twilight told her. She then motioned her head towards the door and said, "Go and see him. I'm sure he misses you. And remember, if you need anything, my door is always open."
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Trixie followed the nurse down the long hallway. As they walked, the nurse said, "Now before you go in, just be aware that he's under a calming spell and will probably be sleeping. When the spell wears off he's going to be very groggy, and he won't be very alert. That will all wear off within a few hours of him waking up."
"That's fine," Trixie said, "as long as I can see him and know that he's okay."
The two came to a room. Inside the lights were dimmed. Trixie saw Sparks asleep in the hospital bed. His head was bandaged, his mane was singed, and he had several other bandages scattered across parts of his body that weren't hidden underneath the blanket he was covered with. Seeing him in this condition made her eyes begin to water once more, and she fought off her urge to cry.
Inside she saw a unicorn wearing a doctors coat. "Hello Miss. Lulamoon." He said.
"How is he?" She asked.
"He's very lucky." He told her. "After what I was told he went though, I expected a lot worse. Thankfully he only sustained minor injuries. He has a concussion, thankfully his skull wasn't fractured. He also has a few burns, nothing too major, mainly heat flash, and a few blisters. The one thing that we are a little concerned about is the possibility of smoke inhalation. We've been monitoring his breathing, and his breaths are a little rough so we're keeping an eye on that to make sure there are no complications."
"He will be alright though, won't he?"
"Oh yes, he's just going to have a rough couple weeks ahead of him. He needs to be prepared for some pretty nasty headaches, and the effects of his burns. I trust he'll have somepony to watch over him while he recovers?"
Without a second thought Trixie replied, "Yes."
The doctor nodded, "Alright. We are keeping him overnight for observation. He'll be able to go home in the morning. If you like, you can stay here with him."
She nodded, "Thank you, I will."
"Okay. The calming spell will last through the night, he'll be alert again in the morning, but for now we want him to get plenty of uninterrupted rest."
Trixie nodded.
"One of the nurses will be in during the night to check on him. Would you like a blanket since you're staying here overnight with him?"
"No thank you." She told him. "I'll be alright."
With a final nod, the doctor turned to leave and said, "Okay, but if you need anything or something seems wrong with him during the night, just press the call button."
Trixie watched as the doctor left. She then looked back at Sparks as he slept. She walked over to him and sat down on a chair next to his bed. She held her hoof out and gently ran it through the burnt hair of his mane. All of this was her fault, and she knew she would never forgive herself for it. She reached down and placed her hoof over his and held it.
"I'm so sorry, Sparks..." She whispered.
From outside she could hear rumble of thunder as the weather ponies were moving in a late night storm for a scheduled rain. Her horn began to glow as she turned the light off so Sparks could rest. She rubbed his hoof gently as he slept. "Trixie will take care of you."