Unfortunately I have fallen under the weather. I made sure to leave the hive for a bit before hoof so I could recover. I shall write more at a later date. However, I feel I’m making great progress in my attempts to bring the Hive into more modern medical practices.
—excerpt from Among the Shapeless by Wanderlust.
I coughed myself awake before groaning and sniffling. My head felt like it was going to pop and I couldn’t breath. Before long the door to the room opened and in walked Redheart.
“How are you feeling?”
“Blaaaarg.”
“That bad?”
“*Groan*”
“I see. Well I get you some medicine... for foals this time, and something hot to drink.”
I only coughed in response as she cantered away. I felt so bad and I had no idea what time of day it was. For all I knew I could have slept for an hour or seven.
“Alright, drink this.”
I groggily looked over at her as she set a small cup of purple stuff on the little table beside me. I gave her as concerned a look as I could and she rolled her eyes with a smile.
“Don’t worry, this isn’t as strong as the other stuff. Drink up!”
I wearily drank the odd juice and licked my lips.
“F-fruity,” I croaked.
“Yup, it’s grape. It should help with the cough and congestion and any headache you might have.”
“Con...can-ges...can-ges-tie-on?”
“Oh, I forgot. You don’t know much about... okay. Well, it’s the... It’s when... you can’t breathe well right now, right?”
I shook my head and sniffed.
“Well this will help unstuff your nose.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway, while you were out I grabbed what I needed to get some test samples. To be honest I’m curious about so much. The medicine acted way faster on you than it does on a pony so maybe your metabolism is much faster than.... you’re totally lost, aren’t you.”
I nodded.
“Whatever, I can teach you more later. While the tea is brewing I’m going to get some samples done.”
She walked out and returned with a tray covered in little bottles and sticks.
“Open wide and say ‘Aaaaah.’”
“Aaaaaaaah.”
She pressed a flat stick against my tongue and looked inside my mouth while wearing some sort of weird light hat.
“Well your throat seems okay. A little goopy but fine none the... uh... what in Celestia’s name?!”
“Huh?”
“Mirror, can you stick your tongue out for me again?”
I did and she carefully lifted it with the flat stick.
“Weird.”
“Wha?”
“Well your tongue, despite being forked and snakelike, is red. I thought all your soft tissue was but....”
“Buhh?”
“You’re throat... it’s green!”
“Ih iighhs?”
“Yes! I mean, I guess it makes sense given your blood is green and glow...s.... Gimme a sec.”
She turned the light on her hat off and closed the door, making the room extra dark. I could see her eyes go wide and her jaw dropped.
“Wah?—“
“Merciful Celestia! Y-your tissue! It... it glows!”
“Ah dint knnow.”
“Do... do you have any open cuts or wounds or... um... maybe I could just make a small incision and.”
She froze before smacking herself upside the head.
“No you dummy! You took an oath! ‘Do no harm.’ I’m not going to make a wound.... Oh, you can close your mouth.”
Finally. My jaw was hurting. Next she took out a little thing and stuck it in my ear. After muttering to herself for a while she grabbed a little fluffy stick thing and warned me,
“Hold still, this might be a bit uncomfortable.”
Nervously, I nodded and held as still as a stalactite. She carefully stuck the stick up my nose and wiggled it a bit before taking it out and putting it in a bottle. Next she pulled out the sharp, pokey thing from my last hospital visit. She smiled,
“You know the drill.”
She stuck it in my foreleg and it slowly filled with green, glowing fluid. She gently pulled off the little glass container and replaced it with an empty one which she then filled. Once done she put a fluffy ball over where she poked me and covered it in tape. She sat beside me on the bed and curiously looked at the two containers. She shook her head.
“This is like something from a sci-fi book. I mean... wow.”
She looked at the clock and jumped to her hooves.
“The tea! I forgot!”
She dashed out of the room leaving me staring after her. I shook my head and called after her,
“Why are you always in a rush? You should, *sniff* slow down a bit.”
She replied,
“Can’t! Too busy! I’ll be back in a bit, just going to start getting this all tested! Bye!”
I shrugged as the door to her house opened and closed before I flopped back into bed. After a while the door opened again and she poked her head in and said,
“Uh, you can come sit on the couch if you want.”
I nodded and followed her. She led me back to where I’d been sitting when I first felt so bad. I plunked down and wrapped myself in the blanket as she set a little cup in front of me.
“Well, that takes care of that. Sakes alive I’m tired!”
I looked over as she downed half of her drink and yawned. I took half my blanket and threw it onto her before pressing up against her fluffy side. She gave me a skeptical look before sighing.
“Whatever, you’re too small and innocent to be upset at.”
She pulled a book out and began to read as I drank my drink. I could feel my strength returning as I absorbed her sweet friendship.
(Meanwhile, at the Golden Oak Library.)
Spike opened the door as another round of knocks rang out.
“Coming! I’m coming!”
He opened the door to reveal a Royal Guard standing at attention. The stallion spoke,
“Is Twilight Sparkle home?”
“Uh... yes? Why do you—“
Suddenly the mare herself skidded to a halt behind the little dragon.
“I’m here! I’m here! Are you bringing me... you know....”
The armored pony nodded and soon more guards carried two covered cages into the library. Twilight nervously nodded.
“Alright. Put one in the basement and one in the lab. Just... be careful. I’d rather you not hurt or agitate them.”
The guards nodded and split up. Spike nervously wrung his claws and tapped Twilight on the side. She jumped and spun around.
“Huh! Who’s— oh, it’s just you, Spike.”
“Uh, Twilight? What’s going on?”
She nervously smiled and patted his head.
“N-nothing! Just... something Princess Celestia asked me to do. You know, boring student stuff.”
As she trotted away Spike frowned.
“Since when has she thought any sort of lesson was ‘boring’?”