Octavia's Greatest Moment

by Purpleblackkiwi

Chapter 2: Vinyls Part

Author's Note:

To keep from a wait I've split up this chapter into to two chapters since it seemed to arc over two events.
I plan to update weekly.

Vinyls Part

After the long embrace Vinyl and Octavia parted to regained their composure, and calmed themselves. Octavia looked into vinyls eyes and realized a painful truth about her friend.

"Vinyl. How many times have you told me the events of that night." Octavia said while wiping a tear from her eye.

"I never counted Octy." Vinyl said eyes averting from hers. The truth was after awhile Vinyl stopped keeping a count after the third day, however Vinyl knew not telling her what had happened had worse consequences.That involved Octavia being sent into a panic realizing herself that arm was no longer functioning yet not realizing what caused it. After that event Vinyl decided telling Octavia over and over again was the best way to break it to her. Soon after the nurse came in with Octavia's lunch on a cart.

"Good Afternoon Nurse Redheart." Vinyl said to the nurse with a smile.

"Good Afternoon Vinyl." The Nurse replied with a smile. She pushed the cart until it lined up with the hospital bed and opened a compartment revealing multiple trays of food covered with a plastic lid. The nurse reached over the hospital bed to open a table attached to the bottom of the bed which crossed over Octavia's legs. She then laid a tray on the table filled with foods separated into compartments on the tray. Today it looked like to be a baked chicken along with mash potatoes, steamed vegetables, and a fruit cup. None of what was on the tray seemed appetizing, a thought both Octavia and Vinyl both seemed to mirror. The nurse then laid down 2 red pills in a small cup next to the tray

"remember to take these two after you're done." said Redheart as she lifted 2 fingers for the 2 pills.

"What are they?" Octavia asked.

"Pain killers honey. Your shoulder has yet to fully recover. Until then these will help the process." The Nurse said in a pained face. Realizing that she has already told Octavia multiple times.

Octavia nodded her head in acceptance to take the pills. As the Nurse walked out of the room she stopped to talk to Vinyl

"Mrs. Scratch you should get some food. I haven't seen you eat all day." The Nurse addressed her seeing that she did seem a little pale even with her ivory skin.

"Nah. I'd rather stay by Octavia." Vinyl said while shaking her head.

"Vinyl I'm fine. I'm no child, I can at least eat on my own. Please go get something to eat." Octavia said in concern for vinyls health, Even in her state she still worried for her friend.

Vinyl agreed to go out to grab a bite. Besides she had to talk to someone anyways. Vinyl looked back into the room before closing the door noticing Octavia beginning to eat. Although she started to grow accustom to having one less arm it seemed she still had trouble doing the smaller things. Like opening the small fruit cup that came with her food. After dropping the cup which Octavia attempted to open using her mouth and right arm, the syrup that the fruit was suspended splashed onto Octavia's face.

Octavia let out a small "shoot!" In frustration. Then realized Vinyl had yet to leave the room.

"Vinyl really. I'm fine. I can take care of myself." Octavia said forcing a smile.

Vinyl nodded and left the room closing the door softly behind her. She knew that even if her mind was screaming to go back in there and help the poor musician. She knew doing this on her own would help her more in the future. As she left she heard Octavia drop the cup again and let out a word less than ladylike.

Vinyl began her walk down the west wing hall of the hospital. She looked around at the quite hall, Benches where outside of every room in case the inhabitants needed a little private time with a specific visitor. Now looking around the hall she noticed very few sat outside the room. However vinyl remembered the night of the incident, and this hall was the worst in the hospital. Since this hall was where the best medical equipment lied. Equipment mostly used for life support, life threatening injuries, or ailments.

That night she was sitting outside of Octavia's room as nurses and doctors rushed form patient to patient. Nurses being called by those bandaged and those bleeding. Moans of pain and suffering, people crying begging information on their loved ones. Although few suffered life crippling injuries and most where discharged after awhile. Octavia was not alone in her injuries. Those who still resided in the hospital where the ones who needed extra care, or required a more in depth examination like Octavia.

In fact that was the second reason Vinyl had decided to leave in the first place. To give her doctor a visit to get an update on her condition
She walked past the rooms taking a quick glance at each room through the small window on the door. Some emptied out as the patient where deemed fit to leave. Others still occupied by those still in need of care.
Patients that stayed seemed to all vary in injuries along with their visitors. She could hear laughter coming from some of the rooms along with jokes and horseplay, that would most likely end with a nurse walking in scolding those in the room. Another room was filled with crying, Vinyl glanced in the room to see 2 patients in each others embrace. A man in a wheel chair and the other in the bed with a bandage wrapped around her head. The man had a cast around his right leg and the two where in each others arms crying all the while smiles on their faces.

The ones that broke Vinyls heart the most where the rooms with no sound or voice yet still held a patient. Those who had yet to receive a visitor due to one circumstance or another. Every time she walked past the rooms she would only see a patient staring blankly at the TV in their room or out the window. Either way her heart sank when she saw they had no one to be there. What type of visitor was she to Octavia? Vinyl thought in her head.

Realizing the reality of where she was always had a way of bringing her down. She was walking down the same hall she had made a habit of walking down. Thinking the same thoughts.

"By now we would have been back in Ponyville." Vinyl thought to herself.

"I would have congratulated Octavia like I always do after her performances. With a dinner at her favorite cafe. A nice meal between the two of us." On the inside she desperately wished she could do that again, as if nothing had happened. She would ask Octavia for a personal concert jokingly, and then the cellist would play a song for her. She missed that life, then she knew what her place was in Octavia's life. Who was she now? The bearer of bad news? The reminder of painful events?

Before she knew it she had arrived at the office door. Vinyl looked up to see a silver name tag adjourning the door. On the tag was engraved Dr. Goodwill. Vinyl took deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door. After a light tape Vinyl stepped back waiting for a response.

after a few moments of waiting Vinyl heard a familiar and friendly.

"Come in." come from within the office.

Vinyl opened the door slowly while peeking her head inside. The office was a relatively small room. Not much bigger than any of the hospital rooms. The room itself felt larger though since most of the furniture where pushed to the walls. 3 small books shelves where lined up to the left of Vinyl. From what she could tell the bookshelves where filled with children books along with teenage reads. Along the right wall where multiple paintings from famous artist, and beneath the paintings to her right was a chair you would usually see in therapy sessions, one used for sitting and lying down. To the back right of the room was the doctors desk and chair, and currently the doctor himself. The doctor was an aged man. having mostly grey and silver hair. He wore reading glasses and few wrinkles ran along his face. He was wearing his white coat like always, under it he wore a dark red shirt along with a purple tie. He currently he had a medical folder open on his desk and was writing in it with a quill. After pausing for a short second to look up at his visitor.

"Ooh Vinyl Scratch is that you." The doctor sounded happy to see the young female.

Vinyl jumped slightly at the doctors sudden realization of her presence.

"Come in, come in." The doctor urged her waving inward with his hand.

vinyl came in to sit down on the small cushioned seat. The doctor took his glasses off to talk to her.

"What can I do for you?" He said while putting away the folder he was currently working on.

Even with the doctors cheerful mood Vinyl was in no mood for idle chit-chat "Doc you know why I'm here. Same reason I always come and see you." She said in a sad voice.

The doctor sighed and shook his head sadly. "Yes I do Vinyl. I was just hoping this wouldn't be the day I had to tell you."

The doctor got up to walk to some file cabinets to look for a folder.

"Has the copy of her file been helping her remember?" He asked slowly.

Vinyl nodded, he was referring the file that she gives to Octavia every time she had to remind her. The file with her charts and X-ray along with the doctors notes. Having the file has helped Octavia come to terms more quickly. Before Octavia would have kept up a bigger fight denying all reality, before finally conceding to the hard truth.
The doctor pulled out a file marked Octavia Philharmonica and laid out on his desk.

He pulled a paper out from it and held it up to his face, reading aloud.

"Octavia Philharmonica's test showed what we feared of her injuries from May 10th."

Vinyl face fell into her hands.

"Although bones seem to be recovering as planned. The nerve damage appears to extensive to heal properly. At best Octavia will regain partial movement with physical therapy. On top of that Octavia seems to have random sharp pains in her arm, so she may need pain medication for an extended time. in conclusion Octavia is in no condition to once again play the cello."

The doctor finished and reinserted the paper into the folder. He closed his eyes and took of his glasses.

"I'm sorry Vinyl." He said slowly as he laid his glasses on his desk

"What do I do doc." Vinyl said still covering her face with her hands.

"If you wish I could tell her myself." The doctor said starting getting out of his seat.

"No." Vinyl said suddenly raising her face to look at the doctor.

a silence filled the room, before vinyl spoke up again.

"It should be me." Vinyl said in a choked voice. Laying her head back into her head she said under her voice. "But how?"

Doctor goodwill heard this small remark and stood up off his chair lifting himself slowly to walk to the confused female.

"Vinyl how long have you been here?" The doctor asked

"1 week doc, one painful week of my life." vinyl said slowly recounting the events of Octavia's struggle of remembering and breaking down.

"Why is that Scratch?" the doctor asked sitting down next to her in the same seat.

Vinyl looked up as if he had lost his mind.

"Doc you where there when Octavia first woke up." Vinyl said in dismay

The first time was a painful memory. That time the doctor was in the room talking to Vinyl explaining Octavia's condition and that she would soon be waking up
Octavia still drowsy since the medication was still in her blood, but awake neither the less.

The doctor had greeted Octavia explaining he was the doctor for her and explained that he specialized in the nervous system of the human body. Octavia asked why she needed a doctor of his expertise to only find out later of her condition. The next hour was filled with horror and panic.

Octavia's adrenaline had spiked and from the heart monitor it was obvious so did everything else. Octavia in panic started to pull things out the IV drip, the heart monitor and anything she could. She had kicked and screamed yelling that it was all a trick, that she was still in her nightmare. Doctor goodwill yelled at Octavia to stop enplaning that she may hurt herself further if she continued. Octavia did not listen and Doctor Goodwill quickly called a code and soon nurses filled the room restraining Octavia's body. One of the nurses took out a syringe holding a blue fluid and quickly injected the substance into Octavia. They could have injected Octavia all they wanted but she wasn't stopping. Vinyl remembered crying seeing her friend thrashing, crying and yelling "WHY! WHY!" Over and over again. even when the nurses held down Octavia she still managed to push them off. Vinyl then heard her friend under all the nurses yell

"VINYL! WHERE'S VINYL!"

At this vinyl ran up to take a look at Octavia now being restrained with straps. her head body and limbs being held in place.

"Octavia! I'm here!." Vinyl said as she placed her hands on her face wiping away the tears that had fallen down her face.

Her face was burning hot and sweat started to form on her forehead.

"Vinyl please. Please. Tell me what happened." Octavia finally said after her yelling fit.

This was the first time she had to tell Octavia the story of past events. By the end of the story Octavia had calmed down until Vinyl saw it fit for her to remove the restraints and fall asleep tiring herself out.

Afterwards the doctor explained that Octavia had gone through denial of her own memory most likely due to a traumatic experience.

"She had PTSD? but...... but she's not a soldier or anything?" Vinyl said still a little shaken at what had happened.

"Its not uncommon for PTSD to be found in people besides soldiers. I'm sure she believes in the event on the inside, but I believe this might have been brought upon by the fact that she had lost her ability to play the cello. She denies the event that lead to her inability" The doctor said sadly while looking down at a clip board reviewing Octavia's charts.

"What can we do doc?" Vinyl said choked up by the news.

Goodwill looked up from the clipboard to look at Vinyl. "Well it seems you are a very important person to her. There's no telling how she may react. Some patients have been known to have relapse of memory, others have been known to further themselves from reality. However the important thing is that she seems to trust you enough to believe you. So if this where to ever happen again. Its going to have to be you who helps her." The doctor finished

The words rang true through out the week. Vinyl had stayed in the hospital in all of her free time to be there for Octavia when she needed her. For a week straight she had done that.

"I know she trusts me, but what does that mean. I mean this isn't like trusting someone with your high school crush." Vinyl said aloud in the doctors office.

"Of course Vinyl. To her you mean much more, and she needs you." Goodwill said attempting to give Vinyl direction.

"Trusts me to do what? To tell her every morning that she's a cripple! To keep explaining the one day that ruined her life!" Vinyl stood as her voice began to crack at the prospect that this may be her life with Octavia. Watching her friend in panic, not knowing what to do for her besides do it again the next time she awoke.

"All I do is tell her what hurts over and over again! How can she trust me if I don't even know what to do!" Vinyl yelled at the doctor with a finger pointing to her chest as if accusing herself.

With her hair frayed and hot air breathing out at, finally telling someone what she kept in her heart. Vinyl collapsed to her knees. Doctor Goodwill sighed and walked to his desk and grabbed a picture frame.

"What do you think of my daughter Scratch." The doctor said giving a light chuckle.

Vinyl lifter her head to look at the picture the doctor was giving her. She took the picture in hand and inspected it closely. It was a simple wood frame no engraving and a picture of a young girl in the center. The girl was wearing a pink blouse while placing a purple flower in her blond hair. She was laughing and looking into the camera while her hand held the purple flower in place. Vinyl lifted her head to look at the doctor in confusion.

"She's a smart cookie. She gets A's and B's in class, but as a father no matter how hard you try you can't keep her from the sad things of this world.

"She comes to me crying and lost. She has no idea what to do, and how could she. Its not like she's experienced it before. and even if I haven't either I know that all I have to do is be strong for her when she needs it.
All I have to do is give her the strength to get back on that horse and keep riding, no matter the situation." The doctor put emphasize on last part of his words.

Vinyl looked up at the doctor now sitting back in his seat. She placed her hand on the ground to get up onto her feet. She slowly walked over to the desk to place the picture frame back on to his desk.

"Thanks Doc." Vinyl smiled as she turned for the door.

"No problem. I love talking about my daughter." The doctor said with a smile.

Vinyl left the room with a chuckle and closed the door behind her.
She then made her way back to Octavia's room walking past the same hall.
However this time she knew exactly what her part was