//------------------------------// // Diagnosis // Story: Nerds Make the Best Nurses // by Twihardbookish //------------------------------// "When is the doctor going to get in here?" Rainbow Dash groaned, hating to wait, almost as much as the pain in her knee bringing tears to her eyes. "We've been waiting for hours!" "Relax, Rainbow, they'll get to you when they have time. They have a lot of patients and have to prioritize them." Twilight explained in her swallowed-a-textbook sort of way. Despite the pain, Rainbow Dash managed to roll her eyes. "I wish they would at least give me something for the pain. My leg really hurts." A nurse bustled in just then, her high blond ponytail swinging as she walked. "Miss Dash, is it? My name is Tenderheart. What brings you to the ER today?" she asked briskly, looking up from the chart she was holding in her hands. "My leg clearly." Rainbow Dash gestured impatiently to her injured knee. "When's the doc going to see me?" she demanded, forgetting to be polite. "Rainbow Dash, be polite." Sunset Shimmer chided, giving her a look. "Sorry about my friend. She's in a lot of pain. Can you give her something for it?" "I'll have to wait for the doctor to look at it." The nurse noticed that it was swelling and made a noise. "I can at least get you an ice pack for the swelling." Rainbow Dash sighed in relief, knowing that would help with the pain, having used it in her post-soccer matches routine in the past. "Thanks." she gave her a small smile. "No problem. I'll give your chart to the first available doctor and they'll be in to see you as soon as they can." the nurse patted her shoulder and left the room. Rainbow Dash flopped back onto the bed in frustration and groaned. "I hate hospitals." she grumbled. "Dashie?! Where's my Dashie!" a shrill voice cried from outside the curtain and Rainbow Dash groaned audibly. "What's wrong?" Sunset Shimmer asked, startled. Her question was answered as an older woman that very much resembled Rainbow Dash except with scarlet hair streaked with orange, yanked the curtain aside, hair a mess and her eyes wild with worry. "Dashie, are you okay?" she cried. She strode over and grabbed Rainbow Dash in a stranglehold. "Mom, it's just my knee." Rainbow Dash struggled to free herself from her mom's grip, turning beet red. She looked toward Twilight Sparkle, pleadingly. "Windy Whistles, come on, she needs to rest." Twilight took the woman by the arm and gently tugged. Wind Whistles finally released Rainbow Dash, wringing her hands frantically. "I'm sure the doctors will take care of her." "I know. Your father and I just worry about you. You know we're your biggest fans." Windy Whistles gave her a sheepish smile. Rainbow Dash gave her a small smile. "I know. " "Now," Windy Whistles said brusquely, all business now. "I'm going to find that darn doctor. He's got to get the best soccer player back on her feet as soon as possible." Rainbow Dash waited until her mother was gone and groaned. "See what my mom is like?" she asked Sunset Shimmer. "I thought she was really nice. A little zealous, but really nice." Sunset grinned. "Thanks." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. The nurse returned with the ice pack and placed it on Rainbow Dash's knee. "There you go. The doctor will be with you soon." she promised. "Thanks." Rainbow sighed, relieved. A half hour later, a young doctor entered the room. "Hello, my name is Dr. Horse. You hurt your knee playing soccer?" he asked, perusing the chart he held in his hands. "Yes, and it still hurts." Rainbow Dash winced. "Have you had any injuries in either knees before?" "I've bumped them before, but who doesn't?" Rainbow shrugged. Dr. Horse chuckled. "True." He began examining her right knee, moving it this way and that to check how badly it was injured. Rainbow Dash bit her lip. "Can you walk on it?" Rainbow shook her head. After a moment he set her leg down. "I'm going to send you for a few tests, is that okay?" he asked, looking up at her?" "No needles, right?" Rainbow asked, and failed to keep the fear out of her voice. Dr. Horse chuckled again. "For now, no. If we can find what's wrong with these, we won't have to do any poking or cutting yet." "Yet?" Rainbow picked up on the word. "Depending on the injury you might need surgery. But let's cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?" Dr. Horse asked, as Wind Whistles returned. "What's wrong with my daughter? Is she okay? Is she going to die? Will she walk again?" Windy Whistles fired at him in rapid succession, managing to catch him off guard. "You must be her mother. Relax, we have to get the tests back before we know anything. But I am confident she will make a recovery." Dr. Horse assured her. "A nurse will be in to take you to the tests." "What tests?" Windy Whistles demanded, turning on her daughter. Rainbow Dash shrugged. "He didn't say." "Probably an X-ray or an MRI." Twilight Sparkle informed them, surprisingly knowledgeable in the subject. "Those tests usually can see injuries of that sort of area." "Have you read up on knee injuries?" Sunset Shimmer looked at her with surprise. "No, but I'm sure it would work the same as say, a broken bone. After all, the knee is a bone." Twilight pointed out. Tenderheart returned. "I'm here to take you to the MRI and X-ray. You guys will have to wait here. It won't be long." She assured her, unlocking the wheels on the bed. "See you when I get back." Rainbow Dash waved glumly at them as Tenderheart wheeled her away. "We'll be right here when you get back." Sunset Shimmer assured her, waving as they watched her leave. Rainbow Dash returned from her test and waited for the doctor to return to tell her what was going to happen. Dr. Horse finally arrived, not looking happy. "Miss Dash, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you have an ACL tear." Rainbow Dash groaned. As an athlete she knew that was not a good injury to sustain. "The good news?" "It's not a very severe tear, so it's easily fixed by surgery. So I'm going to have an orthopedic surgeon come talk to you and get you set up with a time for surgery." "Do I really have to have surgery?" Rainbow complained. "If you want to have full use of that knee again, yes. ACL tears can be a serious thing." Dr. Horse patted her shoulder and left. "We'll be here for you." Sunset Shimmer promised. "Of course we will." Twilight nodded. Twenty minutes later a young, full-figured woman came through the curtain. "I'm Dr. Calliope, your Orthopedic surgeon. But you can call me Callie. I hear you have an ACL tear?" "Yeah. Do I really have to have surgery?" Rainbow Dash asked giving her a look that said she was hoping she wouldn't. "I'm afraid you do." Dr. Calliope looked thoughtful. "You seem like a betting type. Me too. I'll tell you what. If you have the surgery, I'll bet you that you can't beat me in a wheelchair race across the hospital. Do we have a bet?" "Oh, you're on!" Rainbow exclaimed, pumping her fist. "I thought so. Just to warn you, you will have a lot of work ahead of you." Dr. Calliope warned. "Aw, work?" Rainbow Dash groaned. Twilight giggled. "Rainbow Dash does NOT like work." "It'll be important to do this work. It'll build up your knee again after the injury. Promise me you'll do it, okay?" Dr. Calliope. "Okay," Rainbow Dash nodded. "Okay, I'll set up your surgery. You rest up, okay?" Dr. Calliope patted her on the shoulder and headed for the door. "Dr. Callie?" Rainbow Dash called, and gave a small smile when she turned. "Thanks." "No problem." Dr. Calliope gave a small smile in return and left.