//------------------------------// // Final Goodbye // Story: He Was Number One // by Acoustic Pulse //------------------------------// Nurse Redheart returned to Rotten Core's room. He was sound asleep, the heart monitor beeping periodically to indicate he was still alive for now. 'It's probably best to let him sleep,' she thought to herself. She occupied herself by changing out his IV drip. She took a seat at her desk, glancing over at her patient periodically. Applejack and Big Mac entered the hospital, hurrying toward their cousin's room. "He's gonna love this. I can't believe everypony stayed in town! This is gonna be great," she laughed. "Eeyup," Big Mac agreed. The siblings were followed by Cherry Jubilee, Lyra Heartstrings, Golden Harvest, Pinkie and Maud Pie, Rainbow Dash, Quick Draw, Victory Lap, True Grit, and Princess Twilight Sparkle. "Is this his last day?" Cherry asked. Big Mac sighed, "Eeyup." "We'll try and make the best of it for him. Isn't that right everypony?" Victory Lap offered. He was bombarded with a wave of nods and yeses, "Good." They made it to the room. Applejack knocked on the door. "It's open. The patient is sleeping, so please be quiet," Nurse Redheart greeted them. The group of friends and family obliged and quietly entered. "Oh, I wasn't expecting there to be so many of you," Nurse Redheart smiled. "It's his last day. We have to make it his best," Quick Draw replied. The others nodded in agreement. Rotten Core began to stir and his eyes opened. He blinked a few times and looked across the room at the myriad of visitors. He smiled, but couldn't find the strength to greet his friends and family. "Surprise," Applejack's eyes lit up when she saw his smile. Rotten Core struggled to speak, "It's, uh, g-good to see you all again." "You too, buddy," Golden Harvest nodded. "Hurts to sp-speak. Can't hardly breathe," Rotten Core coughed. Nurse Redheart put the oxygen mask over his face. He nodded as thanks and lied back down. "Well, we all wanted to be here for ya to give you a good send off," the Princess of Friendship spoke. "Yeah, hate to see you go but it's inevitable. You're never too young," True Grit's tone was somber. "Sad, but true," Lyra agreed. "Eeyup," Big Mac concurred. Rotten Core's heart monitor began to beep faster than normal. "Palpitations? Not good," Nurse Redheart went to take evasive action. Rotten Core extended his hoof weakly and shook his head. He used his other to remove the oxygen mask, "J-just let it happen. We c-can't delay the inevitable." Nurse Redheart reluctantly obliged his request and returned to her desk. She faced away from the rest of them, afraid of what was happening. She turned to Applejack, handing her a marker, "Write 'DNR' on the board on the door." "DNR?" Applejack asked. "Yes. It stands for Do Not Resuscitate. When he passes, they will not be allowed to perform CPR. When he's gone, he's gone," Nurse Redheart explained. Applejack sighed and did as requested. She returned soon after. Rotten Core took another breath through the oxygen mask, "Applejack, the will has been set up. Half of it goes to you and the other half goes to Braeburn." "RC, I ain't gonna worry about that right now. What matters right now is spending as much time with you as I can. I know you ain't got much time left," she retorted. "Speaking of Braeburn, where is he?" Cherry Jubilee raised an eyebrow. "Back in Appleoosa. That orchard ain't gonna tend itself," Applejack answered. "Fair enough, I hope he's alright," Cherry averted her gaze. Rotten Core looked over at Nurse Redheart who was silently weeping at her desk. The others hadn't noticed. He struggled to speak, "Hey. Nurse?" She turned toward him, "Yes?" He smiled faintly, "T-try your best to st-stay positive. You h-have a beautiful smile and I think everypony should be able to see it." She couldn't help but laugh, "You always did have a way with words. We're all gonna miss you." Pinkie Pie had stayed quiet the whole time. She shivered and her mane fell flat, "Oh no, my Pinkie Sense." The heart monitor began to fade and beep abnormally slow. Rotten Core began feeling sluggish and closed his eyes, "So...tired." The group of friends and family fell silent. Quick Draw sighed, "Don't leave us, RC." Rotten Core's eyes remained closed, but he was conscious. The heart monitor hadn't flatlined yet. Victory Lap looked to his buddy, "Quick Draw, you know he has no control over that." "I know, I just wish we did," he sighed. Rotten Core opened his mouth to speak. The heart monitor froze, in his last breath he said, "Suffer the winter's cold wind, for it bears aloft next summer's seeds." The monitor flatlined with a loud monotonous beep. Rotten Core had succumbed to his illness. There was a silence in the room as his final words echoed in their minds. "What do you reckon that means?" True Grit asked. Applejack broke down crying. She knew exactly what it meant. Big Mac did his best to console his sister. The others were left in total shock. Nurse Redheart rose and covered Rotten Core's body with the blanket. She then unplugged the monitor so the beeping would stop, "What he said was simple. Things seem hard right now, but they will improve over time. Things always get worse before they get better." Applejack and Big Mac left. The others went to pay their final respects. "Rest easy, buddy. I hope to see you again someday," True Grit patted his shoulder and exited. "We'll give you a hell of a sendoff. I promise," Quick Draw said through clenched teeth. Him and Victory Lap exited. Lyra left a rotten apple core on the bedside table, "Before." Golden Harvest left a fresh apple beside it, "After. You were proof that one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch. Sleep peacefully, RC." They both left. The Pie sisters approached their friend. Maud Pie left Boulder on the bedside table, "Take this. It's dangerous to go alone." The sisters left. Cherry Jubilee was too broken to speak and left in silence. Only Twilight remained. She already had her statement prepared, "Rotten Core, when I met you, you were such a pain in the neck with your constant antics. I tried so hard to put up with it. I was proud to see how you turned your life around. It's sad that it happened so close to the end. It was a pleasure to see you grow. I am proud to call you my friend. We'll meet again someday and I look forward to it." THE END!