//------------------------------// // 3. Intensive Care // Story: Broken Record // by Crosis //------------------------------// Chapter 3- Intensive Care Never such innocence, Never before or since, As changed itself to past Without a word Philip Larkin- MCMXIV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “So, I think that went rather well. Don’t you?” “IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE A JOKE?” “Come now, why so upset? We both knew that his arrival would be turbulent…” “Turbulent? You call that turbulent?! Did you see what happened? What they did to him?!” “Of course I did. And we should be relieved. Can you imagine all the ways things could have gone worse? One of them dead, all of them dead? Trust me, a little roughhousing and a night or two in the dungeons is certainly no cause for alarm.” “You’re insane, and I won’t stand by and watch you torture Spike like this. I’m going to down there to-” “What you’re going to do, girl, is stay RIGHT THERE.” “Don’t you dare try to order me around. I’m going, and you can’t stop me.” “Is that so?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When the guard’s hoof slammed into his head, Spike should have gone unconscious. In all honesty, he wished that he had. Instead, he felt his upper body drop lifelessly to the floor, felt the cold jolt of his cheek against the stone. His vision swam in and out of focus, and he could feel blood sticking to the matted fur on his scalp where a huge lump was already forming. He thought he heard voices, but the roaring in his ears drowned them out. It reminded him of when the girls would have their slumber parties, and he would shove a pillow over his head to try and muffle their chatter. He wanted this to be a nightmare. He wished and prayed that when he opened his eyes, he would be back in Ponyville, in the familiar warmth of the library tree, where the morning sunlight would be shining into the room he and Twilight shared. He would be a dragon again. Safe and sound except for perhaps a bump on the head where he had fallen out of his basket. Twilight would be there too. Wide awake and reviewing the morning’s checklist; there would be no sign of the bruise he had made on her cheek or the cuts on her forelegs. She would smile and wish him good morning, and her eyes would be free of the fear and the grief that he had so monstrously instilled. Spike smiled to himself. Yes, he was quite ready to be rid of this terrible dream. He tried to relax and rouse himself from sleep. Pain ripped through his hind legs, and the brief comfort was lost. He could feel his forelegs gripped, lifted, and finally rested against the necks and shoulders of the guards. They once again headed for the door, half-carrying and half-dragging their prisoner along. The pain increased as his broken legs scraped across the floor. The soothing balm of unconsciousness was drifting away now, propelled by the white-hot spikes of agony that seemed to be spreading up his flanks, his back, and his chest like jagged waves. He wanted to speak, to beg the guards to fully carry him, or to simply leave him in the street until Celestia returned for his punishment. So great was his desperation that he might have even asked them to simply put him out of his misery then and there, but his jaws were clamped shut as one leg banged against the riser of a stair, and all that passed his lips was a feeble gasp. He breathed in what little air he could, fighting his nausea until the pain eased back to its previous, excruciating level. With his eyes set on the ground, he could see that they were traveling down a wide and maintained walkway. Dimly, he realized that they were heading further into Canterlot. Curiosity temporarily overtook pain, and Spike wondered why they would be taking him into the city. Didn’t Celestia want him thrown into the dungeons by now? He tried to lift his head, to voice his question or at least see where they were going. His chin barely moved an inch before his head fell limp. It felt like there was a gigantic weight on his neck, as if he’d suddenly been fitted with Big Macintosh’s yoke. It took a few more tries before he noticed that his struggles were doing nothing but aggravating his pounding headache, and so he dropped his head and simply watched as the walkway twisted and turned. There came the swish of an opening door, and a bright light shone from above. Spike blinked. Where had this clean, tiled floor suddenly come from? And what was that faint, medicinal scent in the air? “Excuse me,” one of the guards called, and Spike winced as every one seemed to rebound in his aching skull. “We’ve got a hurt stallion over here!” There was a sudden clamor of hoofsteps from down the hall, and a heavenly image of splendor appeared. As his eyes took in the white-coated nurse before him, an almost giddy feeling of relief welled up inside him. A nurse… he was in a hospital! The guards were speaking to the mare. Something about impact injuries, wing damage and a request for a single occupancy room. Spike paid no attention. All other thoughts were pushed to the side by an irrational hope that release, or at least relief from his pain was fast approaching. The nurse leaned in closer, and Spike felt his heart flutter in anticipation. “What about these puncture wounds,” she asked, and Spike groaned disappointedly. One of the guards chuckled. “Dragon claws.” “Dragon?” The nurse let out a surprised gasp, then stepped back. “Well, I suppose that would account for the symmetrical number and spread of…” Spike was trying not to scream. It all hurt so bad, and here they were gawking at his body and chatting about it! He wanted it to stop; he would have done anything for that mare to just shut up and hit him with the strongest anesthetic spell that she had. “There’s a room straight down the hall, third door to the right,” she said, pointing a hoof for direction. “Your friend can rest there. I’ll fetch the doctor immediately.” She galloped down the hall, and Spike gave a hoarse whimper, futilely trying to call her back. They began dragging him again, and the previous reprieve seemed to make it all the more agonizing. As they flung open the door and pulled him into the room, he almost broke into tears at the welcome sight of the hospital bed. But then his blood ran cold as one of the guards slid a hoof beneath each of his elbows and said, “Okay, now get his hind legs.” A broken, anguished cry burst from his lips when his broken legs were grasped and lifted from the ground. He fought against their hold, not caring that it only made the pain worse. He spit and screamed and cursed, desperate to escape as the guards struggled to lift him high enough to toss onto the bed. When they finally dropped him, Spike would have been relieved. Except that he landed on his side. Directly on top of his broken wing. Spike’s body went rigid, a flash of white temporarily washing out his vision. His body seemed to curl inward on itself, and with a frantic burst of adrenaline he rolled onto his uninjured side and retched over the side of the bed. He leant over the edge of the mattress for what seemed like hours, gagging and choking until his throat was raw and his lungs burned for want of air. Finally, his dry-heaves winded down, and he simply let his head hang off the bed. He was too tired to care anymore. A pair of hooves moved into view, and then he felt one of the guards take his head in a hoof and slowly, almost gently push him back onto the mattress. Spike opened his mouth, to say… what? An apology? A curse? A thank-you? Regardless, nothing came out but a whispery moan. The guard gave no sign of hearing. Instead, he lifted Spike’s forelegs and crossed them against the iron headboard. The jingling of something metallic came from his left; the other guard was leaning over him now. Spike felt the cool touch of metal encircling his hooves, and then with a pair of clicks the bands locked around them. The guards stepped away. He tried to look back and see what they had done, but his hooves were too far behind his head. He tried to pull his legs back. Something was holding them in place. There was a sudden clatter as an object hit the floor, followed by a furious shout. “What is the meaning of this?” The yell jolted Spike out of his musings. The assistant in him wanted to snap to attention, as the question had been phrased in similar tone and subject to Twilight when she discovered an improperly shelved book. Unfortunately, his body was in no condition to oblige, so he settled with simply rolling his head in the voice’s direction. Standing in the doorway was a doctor in a white lab-coat, a stethoscope around his neck. A clipboard lay at his hooves, evidently dropped at the time of his outburst. Standing behind him was the nurse from before, a look of horror on her face. The doctor stomped into the room, glaring full-force at the two guards. “This is outrageous! I will not allow such inequine treatment of my patients! I want those shackles removed immediately!” “I can assure you, sir, that the restraints are for his own protection as well as your own…” the guard began. A deepening scowl from the doctor, however, made it clear that he was in no mood to be patronized. The earth pony forced a smile and turned back to the nurse. “We should begin splinting the legs immediately. Would you mind fetching the materials as well as bandages for his wing and neck?” The mare nodded and exited the room. The doctor waited until her hoof-falls had faded before snapping his head back to the guards. “Now you listen here,” he hissed. “I don’t know whose authority you are acting upon, or what makes you think that this treatment is necessary.” He waved a hoof at Spike. “But this is barbaric! Whatever threat you think he could pose with those injuries is irrelevant. Unchain him. NOW.” One of the guards stepped forwards, no trace of humor on his face. “The sentimentality is touching, but the chains are staying on.” Before the doctor could protest, he continued. “As for authority, it was the princess herself who ordered that he be restrained. Whether or not you believe it, doctor, this pony is a dangerous criminal. He already broke into a local residence and viciously attacked two citizens before he could be restrained. He also lashed out against one of the guards and even attempted to attack her majesty before he could be captured.” The doctor’s eyes widened, any further arguments dying on his lips. “Now then,” the guard said. “If the restraints are too great of an issue for you to overcome, we’ll simply find another doctor. But let me be clear on this, we are not letting him loose.” He gave Spike a troubled glance and sighed. “No, I’ll do it. However, he is still my patient, and his well-being is my current priority. Therefore, I would request that you both remain outside the room during the diagnosis and treatment.” The guard that Spike had struck frowned and shook his head. “Not a chance. I’m not letting that-” His companion raised a hoof. “Very well,” the guard said. “But inform us immediately if he displays any hostile behavior.” Both pegasi stepped into the hall, moving aside to let the nurse re-enter. Before the door closed, one of the guards poked his head back in. “Also, the princess will arrive shortly to question him. Mild anesthetics only, he needs to remain awake and lucid.” Hearing that, Spike began to struggle. He didn’t want to stay conscious. He didn’t want to face the princess, to see her countenance marred by anger and hatred and disgust, knowing all the while that it directed at him. The nurse leaned over him, her horn beginning to glow. He began to thrash harder, pulling helplessly against his shackles. “Please…” he whispered. Misunderstanding, she smiled. “Don’t worry. Everything will be alright.” The magic enveloped him, and Spike wept tears of frustration as the pain began to ebb away. Even after everything that had happened, they were keeping him awake, keeping him trapped in this nightmare. It wasn’t fair! Dammit, it wasn’t right! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shining Armor stood motionless before the doors of the castle. His body was as straight as a ramrod, his head high and his legs tense and ready for action. To any observer, he was the perfect picture of military discipline and alert readiness. Inwardly, however, he was bored out of his skull. He had always hated guard duty, but he reserved a particular disdain for night duty. Not only was it a highly solitary, and therefore lonely endeavor, but nothing exciting EVER happened at this goddess-forsaken hour. No old mares to help cross the street, no delinquent colts to reprimand, not a single thing. A proud captain of the royal guard? Ha! He felt more like an overdressed lawn ornament. But no matter how much he wanted to stumble his way back to the barracks and sleep, he devoutly stayed at his post. After all, he only had another ten minutes before he was relieved… not to mention that Grand… that is, General Cascade would personally turn him into a gelding if he ended up shirking his duties. He shuddered and quickly put the thought out of his mind. Best not to even consider the possibility. Just have to stand here and get it over with. Can’t… fall… asleep… His head was just starting to droop when a white shape came hurtling up the stairs and right towards him! In his fatigued confusion, he mistook it as a hostile ghost, and let out a high-pitched, yet still masculine shriek while throwing his hoof up in defense. “Sir?” He warily opened his eyes. Hovering before him was an obviously fatigued pegasus guard, the pony’s hoof raised in salute. Noticing his own raised foreleg, Shining Armor dropped the unintentional salute and cleared his throat. “Eh heh, heh, at ease soldier,” he mumbled in embarrassment. “Now then, care to explain where you’re off to in such a hurry,” he inquired. “…Apologies… sir,” the guard said between breaths. “Royal… business… urgent…” That piqued his interest. A matter concerning the royal family that had not been brought to his attention? Either something had come up so unexpectedly that Celestia had no time to inform him… or she wanted him kept unaware of the situation. Possibly both. “Status report,” he said. The pegasus hesitated. “Sir, I don’t… time is of…” Shining Armor put every ounce of authority he possessed into his words. “That is an order, soldier.” “Yes sir! At approximately 0300, the princess was notified of an intrusion/assault on the residence of one of her students. We investigated, and the princess herself subdued the assailant.” The pony was speaking rapidly, apparently in a hurry to proceed. Shining Armor noticed, though, that a film of sweat had broken on the guard’s forehead. He was nervous about something. “However, both of the students were injured before our arrival. I was dispatched to summon the castle doctors and prepare her majesty’s quarters for their arrival. A mission that I have yet to complete.” With a final nod the pegasus gave a flap of his wings and sped off towards the castle. Or at least he would have, if he had not been magically yanked back by a very suspicious unicorn. “You haven’t been dismissed, private,” Shining Armor said with a growl. “Now tell me the names of the students that were attacked.” The pegasus gulped. “But… but sir! The princess, she specifically ordered that there be no-” “WHO WAS IT,” Shining Armor yelled, already knowing and dreading the answer. “Twi… Twilight Sparkle,” The guard admitted. “It, it was her and Spike!” Shining Armor was already galloping down the steps like a pony possessed, unknowingly dragging the guard behind him before his concentration broke and he dropped the pegasus to the ground. He gave no thought to the desertion of his post, no thought to his duties and responsibilities. His mind was whirling, wondering what could have happened. The guard had mentioned an assault… but what kind? So many things might have… could they… had they… He spurred himself faster, his legs keeping pace with the thoughts racing through his head. Nopony in Equestria ran as quickly as Shining Armor that night, driven by worry and fright that would not lessen until he knew they were both safe and sound. His fears only increased when he threw open their door, only to be met with a silent, empty house. Shining Armor slumped against the doorframe, his breathing harsh and ragged. He had been so worried about what he might find, but somehow this was even worse. Where were they? What had happened? While he struggled for breath, his eyes scanned over the room. It was a disaster. Furniture was lying in pieces, a window was shattered, objects were scattered all over the floor. And the blood… The sight of that crimson liquid speckling the floor was too much to take. Another surge of adrenaline cut through the fatigue, and Shining Armor pulled in one last gulp of breath before galloping back into the night. He had to find them! It was fortunate that the guard had divulged Celestia’s plan for the two, otherwise he might very well have turned the entire city upside-down in his single-minded pursuit. As luck would have it, he was halfway to the Canterlot General Hospital when he remembered that they were being taken to the castle. Reversing course, he sped back to where this entire mishap had begun. Blowing straight through the gates, he rushed into the castle. Around corners, up staircases, down corridors, until at last the monarch’s chambers came into view. Ignoring the startled protests of the guards, he crashed through the doors and into the bedroom. Celestia turned to him with an angry gaze, only for her expression to soften as she recognized this unexpected interruption. Shining Armor barely noticed her approach. His eyes were riveted to the figures in the room’s center. At first, it was difficult to even see the purple unicorn and dragon, as several ponies were milling around them, speaking to one-another in hushed tones. Fighting against the unease building in his stomach, Shining Armor stepped forward for a better look. Twilight lay curled up on Celestia’s bed, her legs wrapped protectively around Spike’s unconscious body. A bandage covered one of her cheeks, and more were wrapped over the hooves of her forelegs. Her face was wet with tears. Spike, on the other hoof, looked much worse for the wear. The baby dragon’s scalp was carefully bandaged, and one of the unicorn doctors was levitating a pack of ice against his head. Another bandage was tightly wound over the dragon’s leg, and in the center was a deep, red stain showing that the bleeding had not yet stopped. A unicorn mare stepped up to Twilight. “Miss Sparkle,” she said. “Please, you need to let go of Spike now. We still have to treat his arm.” Twilight whimpered and drew back, pulling Spike firmly against her. The mare persisted. “Miss Sparkle, please. His arm is broken, we need to…” “She’s been like this the entire time,” Celestia said from his side. He looked away from his sister and into Celestia’s sorrowful eyes. “She won’t speak, won’t acknowledge anypony, won’t even let go of Spike for a moment. They’ve had to treat them both while she holds him.” Shining Armor had no idea how to respond. His own mind seemed to have gone blank at the sight of his sister in such a state. Celestia nudged him forward. “Perhaps another familiar face will be of help.” He wasn’t so sure. From what he could see, he didn’t know if ANYTHING would be of much help right now. A familiar face might have helped when somebody was mildly traumatized, but right now Twilight looked completely shell-shocked! But this was still his little sister, and she needed him. Hesitantly, he inched over to the group, then slowly reached out and rested a hoof against Twilight’s shoulder. The unicorn flinched at the contact, but eventually lifted her gaze. “Hey Twiley,” he said as softly as he could. Her face lit up in recognition, and the violet mare quickly moved across the bed and into his embrace. Shining Armor pulled them both against his chest, filled with relief that they were safe, though not unscathed. He felt Twilight’s body shake as she broke into fresh sobs. “I… I was so scared!” She nuzzled deeper into his fur, and he heard Spike moan as the dragon’s arm was pressed against him. “Shh, shh, shh, don’t worry,” he said. “Everything’s alright now. You’re safe. I’m here for you, and so is the princess. Nothing’s gonna happen.” He rubbed his hoof over Twilight’s back, comforting the mare until her sobs tapered away. When he figured that she was as calm as she was going to get, he lifted her chin up towards his face. “Hey kiddo, there’s something I need you to do for me. Understand?” She bit her lip, but finally gave a timid nod. “I need you to let go of Spike, okay?” Twilight’s eyes widened, and she tried scooting back and away from her brother. He pulled her back in as gently as he could. “He needs help, Twiley. His arm still needs treatment. You want to make sure he gets healed, don’t you?” “Of course I do,” she insisted. “But Spike needs me! If they take him away, I can’t… I…” “Hey now, they’re not taking him anywhere. They just need to fix his arm, and they’ll give him right back. I promise.” He threw the doctor a very pointed look, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! We wouldn’t dream of separating you two. In fact, we’ll stay right here where you can see us, so you can make sure he’s safe. Is that alright?” Twilight nodded, and slowly opened her forelegs as a magical surrounded Spike and lifted him free of her embrace. Her breath hitching, Twilight hugged herself tightly even as Shining Armor pulled her closer. Together, they watched as Spike’s arm was set and splinted, the older sibling giving constant whispers of reassurance to the younger. But the more Twilight calmed down, the more agitated Shining Armor became. He tried to understand how this could have happened. How somepony could just break into their house in the middle of the night and hurt them like this. They didn’t deserve that. Unseen to Twilight, his expression fell into a tense scowl as agitation gave way to anger. Breaking the hug, he stepped off the bed and moved over to Celestia with slow, deliberate steps. They watched in silence as the doctors finished their work and handed Spike over to Twilight, who quickly scooped the dragon up and settled back down. The dragon’s presence seemed to set her at ease, and the violet unicorn’s eyes drooped shut as sleep began to overtake her. The various doctors paid their respects to the princess and quietly exited the room. Satisfied with their privacy, Shining Armor turned to his ruler. “Tell me what happened.” Celestia seemed unsurprised by his insubordinate demand. Giving a sad smile, she opened her mouth to explain. She paused, however, when another sound came from the bed. Twilight was singing. “…shine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey.” The song brought tears to her eyes. She had used it as a lullaby for Spike when he was still a hatchling. Whether it was the words or the rhythm, it had never failed to bring a smile to the dragon’s face as he drifted off to sleep. After Spike had moved in with Twilight, she had taught it to the unicorn to help ease Spike’s homesickness for the castle. “You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. So please don’t take my sunshine away.” Now, Twilight was singing it to comfort herself. She wanted to hold them close, to shelter and protect them, to bring back the youthful innocence that this night had doubtlessly shattered. But she could feel Shining Armor’s eyes boring into her, could sense the anger and the frustration and helplessness that he was feeling. She could only imagine how difficult this was for him. These might be her subjects, but they were also his family. He was entitled to an explanation. “It was just before three o’clock,” she recalled. “When I was awoken by one of Spike’s letters arriving. I didn’t think much of it, until I noticed a few oddities in the writing.” “What sort of oddities,” he asked. “Sloppiness. Barely legible handwriting. It had the look of a message written in haste, if not outright panic.” “But what did it say?” “That… there was a strange pegasus in the house. That he seemed dangerous and out of control. That they needed help.” She looked over at Shining Armor, half-expecting another question. The unicorn remained silent, his gaze lowered and troubled. “From there, my guards and I immediately flew over to investigate. We apprehended the stallion and brought Spike and Twilight here for treatment. You know the rest.” The unicorn swallowed, as if trying to bolster his resolve. “Not everything,” he muttered. “Tell me how they were injured.” Celestia hesitated at this. She was reluctant to look back on those moments, still fresh and painful in her mind. Sitting down beside the bed, she carefully draped a wing over the sleeping pair. Struggling to hold back her tears, she described everything. The sight of Twilight pinned to the floor, her cheek bruised and her legs chafed. She mentioned the puncture wounds lining the intruder’s neck, and explained her theory of Spike’s gallant but failed rescue attempt that resulted in his myriad wounds. By the time the alicorn finished her tale, Shining Armor was livid. He stomped a hoof against the ground, trying and failing to rein in his emotions. ‘Discipline and control,’ he repeated in his head. ‘Discipline and control. Keep calm. Stay in control…’ When he was certain that his voice was even and his breathing steady, he gave Celestia a salute and backed towards the door. “Unless your majesty requires anything further, I will retire for the night.” Celestia looked at him in bewilderment, shocked that he would return to the barracks rather then choosing to remain at his sister’s side. “Certainly. I can only imagine how difficult has been for you. By all means, rest and set aside your worries. I shall remain here to watch over them both.” Shining Armor nodded and opened the door. Before he stepped out, he asked one final question. “The stallion, has he already been imprisoned?” Celestia shook her head. “I have ordered that he be placed, under guard, at the hospital so that his wounds may be treated. Once he…” But Shining Armor had already left the room, a dark smile on his face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And that's chapter three. Took a bit longer then I expected, mostly due to a complete overhaul and directional change in the story itself. As a result, things have gotten a bit darker then what I'd originally planned, but I'm interested to see where things end up. Didn't give this one as thorough of a proofreading as I usually do, so if anyone spots any errors or whatnot that should be corrected, let me know and I'll get on it. Hope everyone enjoys!