//------------------------------//
// Broken 
// Story: Fallout: Equestria - Project HIVE 
// by Cascadejackal 
//------------------------------//





PROJECT HIVE


Broken


  


The Medical bay was quiet and still, nothing moving in the late-night darkness. What little light was there came from an alcove, concealed lamps dimly illuminating the cocoon set into it and tinting the room a soft shade of green. Two forms could be faintly seen in the dark, one floating and barely visible in the cocoon, the other close by and watching intently. Aside from an occasional flutter of wings, neither moved.





With a yawn, Holly slapped the door control, sending it out of the way with a low hiss before trotting through and into the dark room. Quickly spying what she'd made the trip for, she approached, holding back another yawn as she did so. "Lori, it's been a week. You can't keep doing this... your parents are worried about you." Slowly, she sidled up beside the still and silent flutterpony, following his gaze. "Aunt Damsel's fine," she said softly, trying to reassure her quiet friend, "the Regent said so. We just need to give her time, that's all."

Holly waited for a moment, hoping for an answer, then sighed. "C'mon, just say something, Lori... anything... please?" When no response came, she sighed again and leaned against Lorikeet's side, flapping one wing out to rest on his back. "The other changelings, they say you're still in there, just... sleeping. Kinda." She watched him quietly, keen for any sign of acknowledgement. "You know, my parents said you just need someone to stay by your side all the time... I could do that... maybe... you're my best friend, after all." She paused, then shook her head. "I'm... I'm your best friend too, right? If I did that, you'd wake up and be yourself again, right? I want the old Lori back. Alicorns help me, I'd love to even hear you quoting the rulebook at me again..." She fell silent, her words fading into the quiet of the night, resting her head against the neck of her partner, her wing draped over his withers.

Long minutes passed before either of them stirred, Holly snapped from her light doze by the sudden movement of her living pillow. "H-Holly...?" Lorikeet stammered, his gaze unfocused and confused as her turned to examine the mare leaning on him. "What... where... where am I?"

"It's okay," Holly soothed, rubbing her neck against his in a very equine show of affection, barely keeping her voice low and resisting the urge to hug the flutterpony in her growing excitement. "You're safe Lori. You're back in the Stable, nice and safe."

Lori blinked sleepily a few times, soothed by the warm presence against him and the pleasant roil of comforting emotions coming from her. "Oh... I... I made it..." He started, ears splaying back and eyes going wide as something caught in the fogged mess of his mind. "Chief Damsel, she-"

"Shhh.... shhh..." Holly tugged him close with her wing, doing her best to keep him calm. "Aunt Damsel's fine, see? You got her back in time." Slowly, she raised her hoof, drawing Lorikeet's attention to the sleeping, cocooned form in front of them, feeling the flutterpony pressed against her side relax at the sight. "You did good, Lori. You did good..."

"Oh..." Lorikeet stared blankly at the cocoon for a moment, then turned back to his partner. "I... I'm tired, Holly... so tired..."

"I know you are," Holly said as she climbed slowly to her hooves, tugging Lori along with her wing. "C'mon, let's get you back to bed, huh? You can come back here tomorrow if you want." She was a little disheartened by how easily she managed to pull her sedate friend along, gently guiding him towards the exit, keeping him close and tight to her side with her wing. "You keep coming down here in the middle of the night... maybe you shouldn't be back in your parent's quarters... or alone..." A smile crossed her muzzle as a possible solution to the late-night wanderings came to her. "We'll go to your room, huh? I'll stay with you, keep you company. Sound good?"

The only response was a slow, lethargic nod, but at least he'd responded that time. Right?





Pegasus and flutterpony left the Medical bay, the only sounds in the empty hall the clopping of their hooves and murmured reassuarances., leaving stillness and silence in their wake. Soon after their passing, a shadowy figure appeared, slipping through the the dimly lit hall and into the recently vacated bay, moving slowly to the place the pair had been sitting only minutes before.

"Hey Damsel," the figure spoke, laying one hoof on the gently glowing cocoon, the soft lighting revealing Ironside's face as he addressed the sleeping changeling within. "All's clear tonight, not much going on. Only pony wandering is my girl, and she's looking after Lorikeet." He chuckled softly. "I don't think she knows I was listening at the door. You know, they make a good pair..." he sighed and shook his head. "She's the only one who's gotten anything out of him except 'Heal the poison and return'. " Shaking his head, he scratched his short-cropped mane and glanced to the side, checking the clipboard on the wall beside the cocoon alcove. "Regent says you'll be fine, just need to wake up. Docs say that clever little flutterpony saved your life, you know." He smiled. "Talked it over with the Overmare and the Regent, he'll be getting a medal for what he did. Maybe something more, but the Regent said you've gotta wake up first, wouldn't tell me about it until she got your thoughts on it." His low chuckle echoed throught the room, fading as quickly as it came. "You hurry up and wake up, Damsel. I don't know if you've noticed, but Merry's been down here every other day. She's waiting for you... and I am, too." His smile slipped away as he focused on the barely visible stump where a leg had once been. "There's a place for you in our herd, just like we talked about. We'll get you back on your hooves in no time..."

Ironside fell silent, just watching the still, dreaming form of his longterm companion and, to both him and his wife, their herdmate, even if she hadn't formally accepted yet.

Eventually, he stood, giving his body a shake and sighing. "Night patrol's not the same on my own." With one final, lingering look back at the cocoon, he left, the door hissing closed behind him and returning the room to darkness and silence.