Doing paperwork is always an unenjoyable exprience for Twilight Velvet. Doing paperwork that details the symptoms of a variety of illnesses, such as Adiposis Dolorosa, really doesn't heighten the appeal of it either. At this point in time, however, she had other things on her mind, as well as the report currently in front of her. It contained an anonymous image - a greyed out face with a question mark on it. Next to it was a list of symptoms:
- Deep lacerations and cuts along the underside of the lower arms, wrists and back of the hand.
Hypothermia- Possible frostbite - no observational signs as of 02:13 on 20/12/14
- Possible mental damage - patient unable to take tests as of 01:56 on 20/12/14
Potential longer term effects of confirmed symptoms:
- Inability to use their hands to their best ability
- Permament loss of feeling in hands due to cut nerves
- Pain when using hands
- Hand muscles significantly reduced in strength
It was these last ones that really shook Velvet up. She couldn't imagine not being able to use her hands for any amount of time. But the worst part of it was that Sunset caused this to herself, it wasn't the cold, nor the wind that stung her on the way here. It was the edge of the knife. The bloodied blade in her boot that came from her bloodied hands.
"Listen Sunset. I saved your life, but that doesn't mean I trust you any. Still, I wish I could say I'm sorry but I can't. I realise I was rash in blaming you for Scootaloo - I can't prove it was you, but I can't prove it wasn't you at the same time."
"Wha- what happened to S- Scootaloo?" Sunset was awake now, but still in no way in good health.
"I honestly can't tell if you're lying or not. Either way, I guess you deserve to know. Scootaloo was in an incident. She believes she simply fell, but her friends say she got into a fight. I heard that you went after her during your... bully phrase. Yes I heard about that, but I still don't know if you're truly past it yet. Anyway, whatever happened, her leg got hurt. Really badly. She n-no longer..." Trailing off, she almost broke down sobbing. Composing herself, Dr. Turret finished her story. "She couldn't run. Ever again. I'm glad she found away around it by using that scooter, but it simply saddens me that she doesn't have that oppotunity, particularly considering her role model choice of Rainbo-"
Breaking from her look of sadness at Scootaloo's position, Sunset shot up as far up as she could, so she leaned into her Doctor, with a hateful glint in her eyes. "D- don't you dare say t- that name!"
Her target seemed unfazed by her sudden reaction. It was, perhaps, slightly ruined by the fact she was still forced to be restrained for safety purposes, albeit the bonds had been loosed, much to Sunset's comfort. "Okay, she's clearly a touchy subject. It's okay, I won't push the matter. Now. Back to business. I'm not convinced by yor reasoning to commit suicide. I can promise this won't leave this room. I just need to know for... physcological reasons."
"You want to know? Fine." Sunset laid back, closing her eyes, trying to calm herself. "I had friends. They were basically the only family I had. Then they abandoned me." Sunset opened her eyes, again, seemingly unfazed by her story despite her sombre tone. "Need any more?"
"Like you understand losing family."
"YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT ABOUT ME!" The girl rose up again, fierce anger clearly showing on her voice. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME! I've been abandoned by family three times in my life, and I never regained any of them! My parents left me at an orphanage just because I was born differently! My mentor, who I treated like a mother, rejected me and sent me all the way here just because she couldn't help me! I've never seen her since, never heard word from her! Now, I finally fix my 'mistakes', get some good friends, I treat them like sisters, and they leave me in the snow for something I didn't even do! You have no idea what I've been through! NOTHING WHAT SO EVER!"
Sunset came down from her angry rant, relaxing once more. "Nothing leaves this room. I didn't say that. Ever."
Twilight Velvet once again unexpectantly burst into the bland room, this time much quieter, now that Turret didn't appear to be playing interrogator again. Regardless, the doctor instantly stiffened at her entrance, causing Sunset to assume there was quite alot of friction between the two. 'At least they haven't been through what I've been through.'
"Is she still restrained? She could've been freed half an hour ago." Velvet rushed in, swiftly moving to undo her bonds.
"I assume she'll have to go into a foster home?" The doctor queried, ignoring her companion's comment, and seemingly ignorant to Sunset recent outburst. Still, this did cause Sunset to squirm slightly - she knew of the foster homes they spoke of, having narrowly avoided one when she came here after she was made aware how they are basically a way of enslaving someone with a family. Overall, she understood how most foster families did it for the money that came with a foster child. She wanted to spit at the two if they were going to put her away, even after Doctor Turret saved her life. Mind you, she never wanted to live in the first place anyway, did she?
The next words put her at ease significantly - "That's the problem. Perhaps unsurprisingly, not many foster families are willing to take in a suicidal teenager who we have no records on." Sunset had earlier made it very clear she did not want to talk about her past, and she would continue to do so until she felt safe about it, which both people believed was a lie, and was hiding something. Regardless, they recognised her right to privacy, and would allow Sunset to speak of it when she felt comfortable about doing so, provided that was in the forseeable future.
"So, where she going to go? She can't stay here. We only need her here for one more day under observation, and we should be able to discharge her. Plus, we're busy enough. we really can't afford just to let people stay here."
"Hmm. I think I have an idea..." Twilight Velvet, exiting her state of intense thought, leaned into the doctor's ear, whispering something you'd have to have the hearing of a bat to hear.
The first expression out of anyone presently in the room to not be a look of neutrality, Doctor Turret's eyes shrank to pinpricks. Sunset was unable to understand if this was good, bad, or otherwise. Stammering for words, she frowned at Velvet, then shot a slightly shocked expression at Sunset. Taking a deep breath, Turret decided to reveal what little she could.
"Okay Sunset, this will be alot to to take in, so prepare yourself. We understand you are most likely homeless, since the only thing we were informed about you was that you were found passed out and bleeding next to what appeared to be a collapsed shelter you would typically find in a slum. We are also assuming that you do not have any family in the city, otherwise you would not be there in the first place. Is this correct so far?" Seeing Sunset's resigned nod, she continued. "We cannot locate a valid foster family for you, and we are unable to allow you stay here for too much longer. Is there anything else you would like to add to this?"
Considering her question for a moment, Sunset started to form weak words, carefully arranging them into a understandable sentence. "I will not go into an orphange." she hissed, "I know what they're like! I'd rather try and end myself again before somep-one forced me into going to one of those."
Velvet looked at her with considering eyes, but not before flinching at her claims of repeating her actions. "Honey, we aren't going to put you into one of those places. I've decided to take matters into my own hands. You are going to be staying with me until we can find you a proper home, certainly over the holidays and the very least."
Sunset started to work her jaw for words, but could find absolutely none so far. Even if the women had shown little personal emotion towards her, she had been exceptionally kind towards her, even in the face of Doctor Turret. She was about to answer, but Velvet swiftly turned to Turret, uttering something about 'easing off'.
Seing the doubtful look on her company's face, she attempt to reach out to her. "Look Turret, I understand things haven't been great between us recently, or for the past year for that matter. Still, can we call a truce for the time being? At least over the holidays?"
Turret stopped any movements in her body, devoting all her energy to think about this. Then, after what seemed to be an eternity, she sighed. "Alright, I concede Velvet. Call it... temporary friendship."
And with that, Velvet's new 'friend' was called out, as another patient had come in, apparantly having possible frostbite from falling into a pond... which was most likely frozen. Somehow. Leaving herself with this thought, Sunset allowed herself to drift back to sleep, leaving her future to decide itself.
Gasping for air, Sunset Shimmer acted as though she had just been underwater for an hour, panting as though her lungs were empty. Instead of contemplating what she'd had just seen - for she did not quite understand it yet - Sunset decided to call for Twilight Velvet. Since she was basically being forced into staying with her, she figured she might as well get to know the woman who would be acting as her guardian for at least a week.
"You called for me?" Velvet entered the room with a certain flourish, as though she was trying to make a good first impression.
"Yes." Sunset's voice had greatly improved, due to access to clean water, which was normally a luxury outside of school. "I realise that if I'm going to be living with you for a bit, I should at the very least get to know you a little, even if I don't really want to go with you. And yes, I know you won't allow me a choice in the matter. That's fair enough, considering what I've done, I suppose."
"Well, if that's it, I'll be more than happy to oblige." Velvet took a seat next to Sunset's hospital bed, as if she was about to read a bedtime story. "I guess I should start with my family. You already know I'm Twilight Velvet, I am married to Night Light, with whom I have had two children: Shining Armor, who is currently engaged to Mi Amore Cadenza, or just Cadance, recently pregnant. My other child is called Twilight Sparkle." Sunset's eyes instantly went wide, silent and still, yet somehow still having a small panic attack. While her brain did seem to acknowledge that this was most likely to be the Princess' human counterpart, just hearing that name made her think back to her earlier worries on what Twilight would think of this situation. On the positive side, Sunset would much rather have a freak out now rather than right in front of this other Twilight.
Velvet, seemingly oblivious to Sunset's odd reaction, continued on, while Sunset came to terms with what she had heard. "Shining's a high ranking police officer, while Twily is a very smart girl currently attending Crystal Prep with hopes of becoming a fully fledged scientist. Ha! As if she isn't one already..." She started to trail off as she realised she was about to ramble on about her dearest daughter. "Anyway, I'll introduce them to you and vice versa properly when you get back to my home. Though you shouldn't just get to know me, I want to know about you. I understand you really don't want to talk about much. So what are you willing to tell me?"
"Well I-" Sunset paused. She didn't know this woman, nor did she trust her yet. So she almost certainly would not be telling her that she actually comes from a land full of magical talking ponies and she came here after being disowned by the leader of the magical pony nation through a mirror which transformed her into what she thought was a naked ape. "I go to Canterlot high. I've been homeless for three or four years after I was kicked out of my family over a dispute. They left the county, leaving me here. Only continued going to school for the food and water." Taking a prepared breath, she braced herself for what she was sure would be a harsh reaction to the next part of her tale. "I became a complete bully. There was hardly no one I had under my control. I was arrogant and perhaps slightly egotistical. I would say it was out of desperation, but that would be a lie, I did it because I could, with illusions of grandeur. Not too long ago, somep-one else came along and removed me off of my seat of 'popularity'. I had what I guess you would call an epiphany, and made up for my mistakes. They forgave me. At least, I thought they had." Sunset almost smacked her head off of her hands, which were now thickly bandaged up.
'That's twice I almost reverted to equestrianisms. Am I really that shaken up?'
Velvet had perked up hearing of the girl's story. She clearly had pity in her eyes, but she was also confused. Clearing her throat to catch Sunset's attention again, she parroted Sunset. "Thought they had?"
"Rather not talk about that now." Seeing a understanding glance from Velvet, Sunset decided to ask a more practical question. "What of my belongings, by the way?"
Glad the subject had shifted, Velvet turned back around to face the girl. "All the clothes you were found with are fine, excluding your shirt, since they had to cut it off to check the rest of your body. Your bag was also brought here with you, but don't worry, no one's looked through it. You'll be able to take all of it, sans your knife - for what I hope are obvious reasons."
"It's alright. I don't think I'm going to be trying this again any time soon. Unless things get worse..." Sunset clearly seemed depressed at this point, facing down at her hospital covers.
"Sunset, don't have that attitude. I'll make sure you'll be okay." As if remembering something, Velvet's face lit up. "On a more serious note, were you living with anyone in that shelter? A young girl brought you in, but we have absolutely no idea who she was. No little sisters or anything?"
"None. Must have been someone walking past." Turning away from the woman, she started to grumble to herself. "Hope it wasn't anyone who knew me..."
"Okay Sunset dear, I have to go sort out your guardianship papers. But before I go, is there any reason we can't find any record of you or your family anywhere, at least in the contactable countries?" Seeing Sunset's reluctant silent refusal, Velvet headed out. She was very sure that this girl had a more than rocky past, but she was even more sure that she was hiding something big about herself. "Hmm. Guess I'll find out in due time." She said to no one imparticular, as she made her way back to her workplace, figuring it wouldn't hurt to stay the night.
"NEIGH, Sister, neigh!"
"So it's not my previous student then?"
"It is but not her! It's-"
"Oh, Cadance! I really wouldn't call her a proper student. And besides, she can take care of herself. She is an alicorn after all."
"Wa- bu-... I shall find a way to inform you without being interupted. This may take a while..."