Sclerite was stunned. It had only been a day and he was already caught. This was the end for him if he couldn't find a way to save himself. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said faking ignorance while scanning the room for an escape route. Nurse Redheart stood between him and the door so that option was out. There was also no way he could make it to the window with his injuries. All he could do was deny the fact that he was a Changeling.
Nurse Redheart rolled her eyes and closed the shutters on the door. "Don't play stupid, I've been tending to ponies long enough to know something is off," Nurse Redheart looked down at her clipboard. "Let's see... a deep cut that has almost completely healed within an hour, no signs of any possible scars from the incident. There is nopony in this world that could recover as quickly as you could?"
Sclerite gave up, she had the records and he was a fool to try to deny that. He took off his disguise. "Alright! You caught me! I surrender!" he said holding his fore hooves in the air. The pain in his back caused him to shut his eyes and bare his teeth. He was too injured to fight back, so he closed his eyes and braced for anything she might do.
Nurse Redheart wasn't sure what to think. She had heard stories about Changelings being scary, cold, heartless evil doers but she didn't see that. Instead she saw a Changeling that wasn't aggressive nor hateful. In fact this one looked scared rather than evil. It was like a wounded animal caught in a corner.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" Sclerite asked losing his patience.
"Hmm?"
"Aren't you going to get the guards? Have me arrested? Or do you plan to kill me right here, right now?"
"What? No-"
"No? What do you mean no?"
"If I told everypony who you were, who knows what they might do to you."
"But I'm your enemy! You-"
Nurse Redheart quickly lunged at him and covered his mouth with a hoof. "As a nurse, I help everyone. I'm not going to treat you differently just because you're a Changeling fighting for your Hive," she said before releasing him.
Sclerite was speechless. Is this all a dream? Why would a pony care about a Changeling? They've conquered many other nations to become the biggest superpower on the continent. It just didn't make any sense. There has to be some kind of ulterior motive.
Nurse Redheart interrupted Sclerite's thoughts, "I was hoping to ask why your Hive had attacked?"
"You mean you don't know?" Sclerite responded. "Well let me tell you. We are barely surviving. The love that we store for future use needs to be refilled once in a while. We were content with stealing love until the day Equestria began a massive conquest which eventually marked the Equestrian borders we see today. Ever since that event a thousand years ago, we have been preparing for the day you Equestrians would return. Now, we are ready, and the attack was supposed to be a warning against Equestria if they ever thought of expanding their territory again," he answered.
"Thank you, and don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," Nurse Redheart said as she walked out the door. "Remember, if you need anything just use the buzzer next to your bed."
Sclerite returned to his Acid Base disguise. It was unlikely she would keep her word, if anything he was expecting Royal Guards to be stationed outside so they can arrest him. He grabbed the book from the nightstand and began to read.