Wounds

The mare's eyes were still closed shut and she was unable to move her legs. She could, however, feel something soft and warm pressing against her belly and neck. Whatever it was, it was moving, shaking and making her weight shift back and forth. A heavy breath accompanied the swinging motion, along with an occasional branch snap.

It took a few minutes to gather the strength to open her eyes. Before her were two long, gray ears and, around her, the quickly moving trees of the Everfree Forest. Applejack then realized that the soft surface she had been laying was in fact the blood drenched fur of someone's back. The memories of the recent events finally reached the conscious side of her mind, and she lifted her head slightly to shout at Winter, or at least try.

"Let me go ya bastard."

wolf turned his head "Good, you're awake. Just hold on, I'll get you help."

"Ah said let me go!" she insisted, between coughs, and trying to shake herself off his back.

"Will you quit that?" said Winter, who was already struggling to keep his balance with both the mare's weight and his injuries.

"Shut up!" Applejack gave a final shake and rolled on the ground before stopping completely. Winter instantly turned around and tried to pick her back up "Get away from me!"

"I'm trying to help you, moron!" Winter snapped "Just hold still so I can take you to a hospital!"

Despite his efforts, the orange mare seemed determined to keep him at a distance, or at least keep him from getting her on his back. Between heavy breaths, she said angrily "Ah d…Ah don't want your damn h…help! I'd rather d…"

"DON'T YOU EVEN…" the angry wolf stopped her from finishing the sentence with a shout, and his expression went from annoyed to furious. He couldn't allow her to speak those words. Applejack became speechless before the yell.

"You think you die and the pain just goes away!? You think you die and everything is sugar and rainbows!? Are you even thinking straight? What about your family? What about Fluttershy? What are they gonna to without you?

"S…shut up…"

"No, you shut up! I'm taking you with me, whether you like it or not!" and with this, Winter placed himself under the mare and lifted her up, ignoring her struggles and taking a weak buck to the muzzle. As they resumed the running, he continued his statement, now in a lower tone. "I'm sorry for what happened two years ago. I know it's hard when you lose someone."

Applejack's eyes widened. In that moment, her mind could only fabricate a question, which she was barely able to ask as soon as she snapped back into reality "How do ya know about that?"

"Fluttershy explained it to me. She couldn't tell the whole story, but I can put two and two together. I'm guessing the killers were wolves?"

"Yeah…" she answered with a weak voice.

"No wonder you hate me. The death of a dear one brings out the worst of us."

The mare went silent

"I'm not trying to make you like me. I just want you to know that I understand where you're coming from. Feel free to hate me for the rest of your life, I really don't care."

Winter turned his head to look her in the face, and realized she was about to faint again.

"No! You have to stay awake!" but Applejack fell back to sleep "Perfect, just damn perfect!" He grunted to himself, and stretched his speed near his limits.

They had wasted a lot of time, and while her wounds were few, they were deep, and were dropping more blood by the minute. The wolf knew she didn't have a lot of time.

When they finally reached the end of the Everfree, Winter looked around, nervously trying to find a hospital. He saw a pink dot in the distance and decided to take his chances with asking Pinkie Pie for help. He dashed towards the mare, who was hopping her way to Sugarcube Corner.

"HEY, YOU! Pinkie!" the wolf shouted, challenging his throat to do more than suck in as much needed air as it could.

Pinkie turned around, recognizing his deep voice, even if it was hidden in heavy breaths.

"HI WOLFIE! Did you come for your p…" shock prevented the mare from finishing the enthusiastic greeting.

"AAAAAAHH…" the pink pony screamed, her mane falling straight "A-Applejack, what happened?"

"Pinkie, listen to me…" Winter was cut off by the mare's stressful stammering.

"What…how…what did you…?"

"PINKIE!!" Winter snapped, knowing he didn't have time to wait for her to calm down on her own. "Listen to me, I'll explain everything later, but right now we have to get her to a hospital!" he shouted, fighting against the exhaustion in his throat. Fortunately, it was enough to get Pinkie's cooperation.

"O…Ok. L-Let's go, the hospital's this way!" she said, between sobbing and tears, and began to run ahead of him, leading him to the hospital.

Fortunately, they reached the white building less than a minute later, and dashed for the counter.

"Quick, this pony need medical care right now!" he said loudly to the nurse behind the counter, who just stood immobile and silent, with a look of terror in her face. That's when Winter realized everypony in the room was completely silent. As he turned around he remembered what he was.

"AAAAAHHHH" a mare in the lobby screamed "A WOLF!". The rest of the ponies began to panic, and soon enough, they were all hidden beneath chairs, tables or their own hooves.

"Damn it!" he grunted to himself before laying Applejack down on a nearby bed and turning to Pinkie.

"Pinkie, tell them to take care of her! I'm going to warn Fluttershy!"

After the wolf left, the ponies came out of hiding and looked at Pinkie.

"What is wrong with you, bri…" the nurse behind the counter was interrupted by Pinkie's angry shouting.

"ME?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? HELP HER!" a mix of anger and fear in her eyes, accompanied by tears. This made everyone remember about the orange mare, who was now coloring the sheets of the bed she was on with a bloody crimson.

After realizing how serious the situation was, the doctors rushed to apply first aid, while taking the wheeled bed inside.