It's cold in this room.
Sterile.
I feel encumbered by greens, blues, and turquoises.
There are too many old ponies in this place... this town.
The shivers come and go, and yet I stay put.
I made a promise to Capricorn.
This is a small price to pay... if I can even call it that.
It turns out that I don't have to wait long.
The door opens, and a pony in a white labcoat trots in. The air ripples with the golden bleeps of heart monitors and intercoms from the hospital ward outside. Then the door shurts, and I'm alone with a doctor I barely know.
"Alright, Ms. Scratch. Sorry for the wait," she speaks with a slight drawl. The doctor adjusts her coat and sits in a stool across the room from me. "I know we've met briefly before, but in case you need a refresher—my name is Dr. Terra. I specialize in unicorn pathology. And—I must say..." She chuckles slightly, flipping through a clipboard in her grasp. "I'm so very glad you were able to provide me with these records. The esteemed Ms. Capricorn didn't exactly give me much to go by. Heheh..."
I nod, shuddering slightly.
She squints at me. "Squeamish around hospitals?"
I blink.
Yes, actually.
I nod.
"You know what? Me too." She smirks. "If I could practice from the home, I could. However, it would seem that hospitals are where the patients are." A tiny laugh.
I smile. If only slightly.
"Alas..." Dr. Terra leans back. "Life can never be that simple. That's where ponies come in to help. Like you with your music and me with... well... helping ponies get better. And that's precisely what I would like to do with you." She flips to another page. "You're a lucky mare, Ms. Scratch. I happen to be quite familiar with Acute Schism of the Inner Alicornia. I interned on a similar case while in medical school. We saw major improvements in a unicorn stallion who followed the regiments of the chief medical practitioner. If you are willing, I would like to prescribe similar program for you."
I lean forward, listening.
"They are essentially a series of scheduled therapy sessions designed to help you adjust to the mana feedback caused by the broken leylines in your horn. After all..." She flips back a few pages. "...the symptoms that you experience are indicative of chronic Alicornia Schism. And yet, you are capable of practicing magic with very little difficulty. Is this correct?"
Immediately, I levitate a paper and pen and write the word "YES" on it.
She smirks slightly. "As I thought." Her brow furrows. "Hasn't that ever struck you as peculiar? That you can practice magic with your horn like any other unicorn and yet you are still highly sensitive to producing vocal commands?"
I shrug.
She reads off a page. "I see that your medical exams have been... highly irregular over the years." A slight sigh. "Miss Scratch, I'm no psychiatrist, so take this as a plain observation." She leans back in her stool. "It's quite common for ponies in your condition to develop a sense of lethargy—as if they've accepted the debilitating symptoms of their affliction without question. And while there are many unfortunate victims in the medical world, I've seen just as many instances of positive recovery. Now... I'm not claiming to be a miracle worker, but it appears to me that Ms. Capricorn has insisted you tackle these therapy sessions with your best interests in mind. Understand that I too care for your well-being. If you are willing to have faith in the processes, then I think we can make some headway in your condition. I won't make you do anything you're uncomfortable with. But if you remain where you are now in regards to the Alicornia Schism, I can assure you that no positive changes will come to you. Now... can I have your full cooperation in this matter?"
I swallow a lump down my throat. After a magenta exhale...
...I nervously nod.
"Splendid." Dr. Terra scribbles on a fresh new sheet and gestures. "First thing's first... a basic physical will be necessary so that we can properly gauge your overall vitals at the start of the sessions. So, if you wouldn't mind taking a seat on the table..."
I can't focus on the chapter...
What the buck is Mario Paint? Was that really a thing?
Vinyl doesn't like those physicals. This will be interesting.
YES!!! A knowledgeable doctor with directly relevant experience, giving Vinyl some good news!
And thus begins the arduous road to recovery.
Hoo boy. I can't tell if this will end badly or not.
Oh wow. So this was the exchange, huh? ... Capricorn's awesome for that. Also...
6752287
Mario Paint was spawned in a time in Nintendo's lifespan where they had Mario doing everything. It was the same era that gave us Mario Kart, and they went back to the well of 'odd shit that worked' to give us Super Mario Maker recently.
Teeny tiny nitpick:
gauge
WHAT DID I TELL YOU!?
WE MIGHT JUST HEAR HER SING YET!
Or read. If you're being picky.
Well, that's an unexpected but welcome development. I guess I was under the impression that there wasn't much Vinyl could do about it.
i cant wait for
tomattowtomorrow....(*snicker* tomattow hehehe...reminds me of an open market place thing...FRESH TOMATTOWS HERE, GET EM NICE AND FRESH WHILE THEY LAST...hahaha my mind is a strange place sometimes...no all the time...)
Yay she's going to get help. I hope it goes well for her.
...Huh...
Okay, this is acceptable.
-squints- Is Capricorn trying to get rid of her competition? If Vinyl gets her voice back, she can go back to being a singer. Her DJ calling came about due to her condition.
6752412 I didn't think of it that way, I thought she was genuinely helping her.
I'm thinking her not being able to speak is more psychological than physical. There is somthing called selective mutism, but, that has to do with social anxiety.
Therapy! FINALLY!
And so the idea that her problem is more psychological than anything is confirmed. I hope we can hear her talking soon.
So, on the way to get better, in all the ways? Yay to that!
OMG YES.
Yeahaha!!
6752412 I'm pretty sure Capricorn is being genuine. It isn't like Vinyl would have to stop DJing anyway.
I am intrigued by this, I was not expecting this... it would seem I was wrong.
Dang it.
Nice chapter.
Skirts, you're a bastard. But you're a wonderful bastard. Keep it coming. Please keep it coming.
And from out of left field we get a surprise turn of events. I'm glad there's a chance for Vinyl to get better, though I wonder why this kind of therapy wasn't brought up by her regular medical professional. I mean, I know she had an aversion to getting her checkups and the whole process, but you'd think the chance to speak again would be pretty enticing.
Was this medical option set up earlier in the story and just brushed off until Capricorn 'encouraged' her? Or is this actually out of the blue?
6756032
I understand the gravity of the situation just fine. I am applying critique to the narrative of the story.
I'm wondering if this is going to turn out to be some kind of really odd misdiagnosis or something...
I bet Dr. Terra is a hottie.