Ditzy Doo practically burst through the hospital doors, screaming for help as she cradled the limp form of the colt. The hospital staff reacted with swiftly, gently taking him from her forelegs and carting him off to emergency. Then they surprised Derpy when they ushered her into another room and began dabbing medicine on her back and hooves which she now realized were cut up from all the rocks. Then a yellow earth pony doctor came in with a clipboard to ask her some questions as a nurse band-aided her back. Derpy also found herself breathing hard and trembling from strain.
"Now, Mrs. Doo," the doctor began in as calm a voice as possible, "who was that colt you brought in? And how do explain the injuries he and you have sustained?"
Derpy shook her head. "I don't know who he is. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends and I were walking along Widow's Walk, when we came across a landslide with a dead pegasus mare underneath. I heard somepony crying inside the pile and so we starting to dig them out. After we pulled the dead mare away, we found a stallion, pegasus,... also dead. After seeing that, I was certain that the cries I heard were from a foal, so I got really upset and disregarded my personal safety to get him out. That why i'm a little cut up.
"My hoof," the nurse said as she finished applying the last band-aid to her back. "You're lucky you don't need stitches. Were you trying to throw a boulder with you back."
"I wasn't going to let it crush an innocent little colt," Derpy hissed in agitation.
"Oh...," the nurse said sheepishly. "I... I didn't realize the circumstances."
"Assumptions, assumptions," Derpy muttered under her breath.
"So you have no idea who the stallion, mare, or colt are?" the doctor asked, tapping the clipboard thoughtfully.
"No."
"No idea how long they might have been there?"
"No."
"Well, then I guess we're done here," the doctor said with a nod. "I'm going to prescribe a medicine to help your abrasions heal faster, and keep out infection."
"Are there any side affects?" Derpy asked worriedly, not wanting another townhall incident.
"Other than making you hungry, no," the doctor said, smiling, used to patients being worried about medicine. I guess you can go home now, Mrs. Doo."
"Wait," Derpy said, holding out a hoof towards the doctor. He stopped and gave her a quizzical look. "Is it alright if I stay and wait for the results on the colt? As he might not have any family in the area and I really want to make sure he'll be alright."
The doctor smiled and nodded. "Of course. There's some books in the waiting room with a couple vending machines. Though from the brief glimpse I had, it may take several hours."
"Oh, that's okay," Derpy said with a sniff. "I'll be waiting there. Oh, how much for this my own injuries?"
The doctor shook his head. "For something as minor as that, and for your heroic feat to save a foal's life? No charge for you, Mrs. Doo. Have a nice day."
"And try nod to flap your wings too hard or you'll open the cuts again," the nurse advised her with a smile.
Derpy felt tears coming to her eyes, but she held them back as best she could. No one had ever called her a hero before. And everything in her adult life she had had to pay for (though sometimes out of pride). To hear this from anypony was like sweet bells with a taste of poppy seed muffins. She smiled gratefully and trotted, almost prancing, out of the room, accidentally clip her the doorframe. Stupid eyes.
* * *
Have you ever noticed how time passes slowly inside a hospital. The sterile atmosphere, the sounds of fear and hope surrounding you, weighed down by looks of concern at every turn. Tears of sorrow, cheers of triumph. And yet you can't help but feel like a heavy burden has settled upon your back and refuses to leave. That's how it felt for Derpy.
Several candy wrappers, and a half-empty bag of potato chips sat in her lap as she stared at the floor and ceiling at the same time, counting the tiles to stave off boredom. She was so concentrated on this that she only noticed Twilight and her friends after Rainbow Dash poked her in the side of her head a few times.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I didn't hear you," she said in embarrassment, holding out the bag of chips to Rainbow Dash, who took a few and sat down beside her.
"So, how is everything?" Twilight asked, taking a seat on the other side of Derpy.
"Yes, is the poor little darling alright?" Rarity asked in concern.
Derpy managed to subconsciously drop both eyes to the floor with a despairing sigh. "I don't know. They told me they'd tell me when they found out anything. So I've been waiting here for..."
She glanced at the clock and gasped.
"It's only been two hours?" she gaped. "I hate hospitals. What kind of quantum flux causes time to lag so much in these places?"
Quantum flux? Twilight thought to herself, unsure how Derpy knew anything about quantum physics.
"Ooh, have you asked anypony?" Pinkie Pie suggested.
"I don't want to disturb anypony," Derpy said with a shake of her head. "And I don't want to get in anypony's way. I'm sure the doctors are doing a fine job, I can wait."
"Now that's some nonsense," Applejack snorted, getting up from her seat. "Come along now everypony, let's git to the receptionist an' see if'n there might be any update."
"You can do that?"Derpy asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Of course, Derpy," Rarity said with a chuckle, "Haven't you been to a hospital before?"
"A few times, for checkups for the girls," Derpy said with a shrug.
"What about when ya gave birth to Dinky?" Applejack asked curiously.
"I have a cousin who's a midwife, she came highly recommended," Derpy said with a smile. "She was a miracle worker. I had very little discomfort, was hardly sick, and the birth was very quick. But as a pegasus... giving birth to an earthbound filly with a horn while my body was meant for walking on clouds was pure agony. But completely worth it in the end."
Upon hearing that, Rainbow Dash made a mental note to try and avoid relationships with unicorns and earth ponies in the foreseeable future.
"What about as a foal? Didn't you see a doctor then?" Fluttershy asked.
Derpy nodded. "Of course I saw a doctor then. I have a few uncles who are a medical practitioners and make house calls for family members. One once mended my leg after some wolves attacked me. See there aren't even any scars."
They all examined the left forehoof that she held out to them. Sure enough, not single scar.
"I never would have thought you would have such professionals in your family, Derpy," Twilight
"Oh," Derpy said, drooping her head with a sigh. "I-I can understand that. I've never been as talented as the rest of my family, especially after my stupid accident."
Pinkie placed a comforting hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "What accident?"
Derpy sighed and sat down. "Do you really want to know?"
"Of course we want to know," Rainbow Dash said, settling next to her and pulling her tight to her side with a wing. "We're your friends, and we'll do or best to make sure whatever it is won't happen again."
"Yeah, you can tell us, sugarcube."
"Please tell us what's distressing you, dear."
"Y-yes, w-we wouldn't want a friend of ours t-to feel bad over an accident."
"We don't want you to think less of yourself," Twilight said with an encouraging smile.
Derpy sighed and gave them all a smile.
"It happened about a week before Dinky was born, and I... I had just received a visit from a military Royal Guard Captain and Chaplin, and they only v-v-visit when..."
"You're husband was in the Royal Guard?" Rainbow Dash asked in amazement.
Derpy nodded and smiled with fond memories. "That shouldn't be too surprising, Rainbow Dash. A lot of stallions join military branches, which gives rise to that stilly idea that Equestria has a mostly female society. And the fact that a lot of them tend to work longer hours than most mares, thus having less free time."
Rainbow Dash laughed and nodded. "I know, that idea is so dumb. I mean, who do they think we are? A bunch of polygamous matriarchs? Oh please."
Twilight and Rarity were impressed that Rainbow Dash knew the words "polygamous" and "matriarch".
Derpy rolled her eyes in good humor. It was an almost hypnotizing thing to watch. "Anyway, after they left, my cousin who was around so she tried to comfort me, but I just couldn't take it, I decided I needed a walk, alone. My husband and I both enjoyed walking Widow's Walk, but I hadn't gone ever since I found out I was pregnant. I wasn't thinking straight, and did the stupidest thing. I guess you can guess where I went.
"I was so upset that I didn't even know how long I had been walking, and I shouldn't of, Dinky was supposed to be born any day. I guess a sorrowful mare makes stupid mistakes. I was so distraught that I let out a scream... and then the rocks fell."
The other six let out a gasp at the sound of that.
"Fortunately, I managed to protect my precious little muffin with my backside... at the cost of my head and some nerves. By all rights I should have been knocked unconscious, but I wasn't about ready to let anything strike my belly. I can still remember it, twelve large rocks hit me in the back of the head, and one giant one landed on my back, trying to crush me."
"So you just flipped it off like you did today, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No," Derpy said with a shake of her head. "I didn't have the strength. I could only keep it from crushing me all the while fighting unconsciousness."
"How'd you and Dinky survive?" Fluttershy asked, trembling from the tension in the story.
"My cousin gathered up some other pegusi and searched the countryside for me and found me near nighttime and carried me back home. My cousin chewed me out for how stupid I was, she had every right to, I could have gotten Dinky killed. She helped me still of course through the rest of the pregnancy, but did speak to or acknowledge me, unless it was related to the unborn foal, until after Dinky was born. So I know somewhat of what that colt's been through, and I paid a price. Would you believe I used to be a self-conscious little filly with a love of fashion?"
Rarity shook her head, but dared not say anything lest she offend the poor mare.
"It's true," Derpy said, pulling a few pictures out of her mane. Upon seeing she had the wrong ones, she put them back and pulled out another set. "Here, see for yourself."
Rarity had to see this for herself. With just one glance she let out a gasp of shock. "My word. You look absolutely fabulous, Derpy. Someone should level that horrid trail for destroying such a marvelous diva."
Derpy blushed. "I wouldn't go that far."
"Nonsense, I'm filing a petition as soon as I get home to make that path safer," Rarity fumed.
"But, it's fun," Derpy said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
"Fun? It destroyed a fashionista such as yourself. It killed that poor colt's parents, and who knows how many others over the years."
Derpy hung her head in defeat. "Let's just see if the colt is alright."
Twilight nodded. "An excellent idea. Come on girls, let's..."
"That won't be necessary," said unicorn mare behind her. They turned their attention to her and noticed she didn't have the happiest of expressions on her face. They swallowed hard as their mouths went dry.
"He... he's not...?" Derpy began feeling tears come to her eyes.
"He'll live," the doctor said. They all let out a sigh of relief, which died in their lungs when they heard the rest of what the doctor had to say. "His injuries were quite severe, and we had to amputate two legs and both his wings."
Rainbow Dash suddenly grabbed her wings in a tight hug. "I'm with you, Rarity. Let's destroy Widow's Walk."
"Y-you mean now he's an orphan and disabled?" Derpy asked in horror.
"He was already disabled," the doctor said, receiving a few questioning looks. "One of the orderlies recognized him from a visit a few days ago. Seems he has what's known as infantile autism. Atop being without food or water for at least two days, he's in pretty bad shape."
"He was trapped in that rock pile for two days?" Pinkie gasped in horror. "This is going to take a special glad-you're-better-it's-going-to-be-alright-ponies-will-still-love-you party."
"I would advise against that for at least a week or two," the mare said with a roll of her eyes at Pinkie's horrified enthusiasm. It was so hard to tell what was going on inside that pink mare's head.
"Seriously, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked. "He just lost his parents, half his legs, both his wings, and all you want to do is throw him a party?"
Pinkie gave Rainbow Dash an annoyed look. "So you want to treat him like he's made of glass and remind him of his sorrows and not do your best to cheer him and treat him like friend?"
Rainbow Dash almost swallowed her tongue. "Erm, no... that's not... what I thought you meant was... well..."
"Another thing, the doctor said, clearing her throat. "We've checked with the local orphanage and foster homes. None have any room to support another foal. Much less one who might never adopted do to being... and I hate this term... broken goods."