Armoured Hearts

by Milo_Chalks


7: Silver

Silver sat there, frowning. He had been looking at the frail form in the bed slowly rise and sink with the aid of a mask and an amalgamation of machines surrounding the bedside. Now he sat there, staring off into space and paying the hospital room surrounding minimal attention. Thoughts running through his head and leaving just as quickly.

He had been sitting amongst his surroundings for hours now, the room presenting a lack of stimulus for the eye. Medical-grade whiteness filled the room head to toe, the only splashings of colour amongst the room coming from the black laced monitors reading Starry’s vital signs in an array of technicolour lines and dashes. Aside from that, the synthetic blue curtains for the wall-length window and the almost ill-inducing pale green on the seat padding on the two seats, one of which occupied by Starry.

‘The guards are gonna wonder where the hell I am any minute now. I wonder if they’ll find me,’ he thought as the monitor near his head made another beep.

“Starry?” he said softly, not really knowing what in Equestria to expect. He shook his head and cringed slightly at how sleep deprived and crazy he must have sounded. Calling out a coma patient’s name. What was he even thinking, he thought to himself.

“You’re not crazy unno.”

Silver jumped in his seat, spinning around quickly to see Dr. Wavelength standing in the doorway.

“Sorry to startle you Mr. Heart, I just came into to do a checkup and some tests,” the doctor swiftly trotted into the room and began recording machine readings into a checklist he had in his magical aura. “But, just for some reassurance, you really aren’t crazy. Often coma patients respond to external stimuli. They’re in a state reduced primary functions but sometimes that still leaves an inkling of the subconscious mind using senses like hearing. So… in a way, he may be able to hear you.”

Silver looked between the doctor and back Starry, still lying in the same position he had been in since he had arrived. “You can call me Silver, Dr. Wavelength. I don’t really do that Mr. Heart stuff.”

“Alright then, Silver.”

Things went quiet again. The doctor went about finishing his checklist, but rather than leave once the final box had numbers scratched upon it, Dr. Wavelength pulled up a chair facing Silver’s own. He used his magic to shut the door and lock it, looking directly into Silver’s eyes.
“Silver, there is… something I need to bring up with you. I… don’t know how you’re going to feel about it so just try to relax okay?” Dr. Wavelength looked on at Silver worriedly.

“Well… okay, what is it?” Silver asked, leaning back into his pale green chair padding.

Dr. Wavelength sighed and looked over at Starry Scroll in the bed. “Your friend… well, I’m not too sure what he is to you. I know this may not seem like my business but during the report made by our ambulance attendants, Starry Scroll fell in and out of consciousness several times according to them. It started off as screaming, but as they got a hold of him and the numbing agents settled in things got a little… personal.”

Silver raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

The doctor used his magic to quickly flash a look through the window in case somepony was standing nearby in the hallway. Satisfied, he turned back. “I really don’t mean to give out such personal information, because this is, very personal information regarding your… friend Starry Scroll, things aren’t adding up and I think something is going on here.”

Silver was tired, he was emotional and getting tired of the doctor’s explanation. “Okay, now can you tell me what this is all about?” He sighed in frustration.

“Okay well… when he was in the Ambulance, he unconsciously said some very personal things. Including an admittance of love… to a stallion… to you.”

Silver’s eyes shot open, looking down and processing what the doctor had said, it was near unfathomable.

“Look, in normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have ever brought this up, but things are not as they seem here. Personally, I don’t care who you are or aren’t. But things are happening and I want you to be aware.” He said.
The doctor sat back into one of the chairs in the corner of the room and indicated for Silver to sit. And with a large sigh, he began to tell Silver all he knew.

“The police outside my door, when I was talking to you, gave me direct orders to fully disclose medical information to you and give you full access to Starry Scroll. I was miffed, but as a doctor, my job is not to make the rules. I did some research on Silver. Now, I’m no lawyer, but I did some reading up and if a pony is given access to a victim or witness whilst in a hospital. It immediately makes any statement you make as a witness invalid. It’s considered cohesion.

Now, the same police also came in later with a warrant to seize my ambulance statements and my statement on giving you access. I know this all sounds really strange and unrelated but you have to listen to me, I think something is going on here. I don’t know what, but it seems as if the police don’t want you, or any statements of Starry’s state or communication lying around.”

Putting the first part aside, for now, Starry pushed further. “So what? That doesn’t mean anything. They could just be gathering statements. What part do I play in this again?”

“No, there is more, Silver. The Ambulance attendants report Starry crying out for the guards to get away. This was key evidence they were taking, incriminating evidence. These were not detectives though. These were Police officers who had warrants for information they shouldn't even have known existed, hours after the incident.”

The doctor sighed and leaned forward, staring Silver straight in the eyes. “Silver, whoever Starry is or what he has done, I’m sensing somepony didn’t like it. And they seriously don’t like you either, because since you’ve been allowed access to Starry it’s considered cohesion, making any statement you make severely lose full validity in court. You didn’t hear any of this from me, and it’s a very bold thing to say, but, in my opinion, this is beginning to look like a coverup…”


“No, no, no! You can’t, you can’t just up and nick off. This is the busiest time of the entire Celestia-damned year and you're currently sitting on the roster for the most high-maintenance event in all of Equestria. You think you can just up and leave? Heart, what has gotten into you?” Sergeant Market Garden got up from his side of the office desk, leaning on the side and peering down towards the now far less optimistic guard gracing him with their presence.

“Sir, with all due respect, I can’t afford to be occupied with work, and if you can’t grant me with family matters, then I’m going to have to take out my unpaid leave. This is important to me.” Silver urged, leaning forward in his chair and throwing his biggest puppy dog eyes.

The Sergeant leaned forward, glaring menacingly down towards him, “I’m not short staffing the roster for some stupid romantic idea of friendship you have going with one of the Crystal Guards! I’m sure the crybaby will get out of his coma and he doesn’t need your SORRY ASS TO HOLD HIS HOOF WHEN HE DOES!” Sergeant Market Garden spat. He moved back to his chair and, putting his square frame glasses on, directed his attention over to his paperwork sprawled over his side of the desk. “Do I make myself clear? Private Heart?”

Silver looked into his lap, glaring and doing everything in his power to remain calm.

“I said… DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR,” The Sergeant looked up from his paperwork angrily.

“Crystal, Sir,” Silver spat out, trying hard not to give the words too much edge.

“Yeah, as Crystal as the balcony you’ll be reassigned to tomorrow seeing as your partner took a nap. Dismissed,” The Sergeant looked back down into his paperwork, choosing to ignore the very aggressive salute made by Silver Scroll.


“I’m…” A swelling pain lurched through his chest and threatened to spill a tidal wave of emotions forth. He felt sick, his throat dry and unable to finish the sentence.

Just say it you peanut, how hard can it be? Silver thought to himself. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself. “I may be… I think… I…”

I’ve never been before. What makes me think I am now? How old am I? And I’m seriously questioning… that? Shouldn’t I have this together now? I’m nearly twenty-one! What does it even mean? Silver Scroll thumped his head into the library copy ‘Oh Dear, I’m Queer! - Exploring Sexuality’.

“This shouldn’t be this hard,” He groaned, realising he was talking to himself out loud. He looked dead ahead, a determined frown plastered on his face. “I’m…. b-bi? For Starry? Mmm-aybe…”

He IS cute, He smiled as he thought about it. But would I go that far?