//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Month Three // Story: Eleven Months Till The Apple Blooms // by Cinnamon Clover //------------------------------// DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Hasbro), Rainbow Dash (Hasbro), Apple Jack (Hasbro), Apple Bloom (Hasbro), Snails (Hasbro), ninty-five percent of the characters in this story (Hasbro unless otherwise stated at end of chapter) or Give To Good Home (Cubette). All I own is this story, the other things I have written, Annie Elizabeth Apple, Jonathan Apple, Oliver Apple, Pixie Crunch Apple, Snails' unnamed parents, Carol and Apple Bloom and Snails' unborn foal. Summary: AB and Snails are expecting their first child. They just didn't expect how much would happen in those eleven months. Chapter Three: Month Three Snails paced the floor of the ER, fearfully awaiting any news of what was going on to his beloved. He mentally replayed what had that led to this. She picked a zap apple. If only he insisted she not participate in Zap Apple season this year, this probably would have never happened. He, the four other Apple siblings and the three brother-in-laws could of managed it easily. They had strongly suggested she stay back and insisted that they would be fine but she refused. Even with one less stallion, they were going to be ok. But that wasn't important. No, the pregnant mare who had fainted and fell off her ladder after picking a single zap apple and was being treated on the other side of those doors was the one that was. The other members of the family had wished they could of stayed but they knew they had to harvest the zap apples. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to afford any medical assistance she might be requiring. 'If only Family Appreciation Day fell on Zap Apple season like it did when we were in school. Then we might have been able to convince her to go speak to their class instead.' Snails thought to himself, 'She probably would be as thrilled as she was for when Granny Smith was the only one who could come, though.' Suddenly he felt a hoof on his shoulder drawing himself away from his thoughts. He turned to see a nurse with a kind half-smile. "Both her and the foal are OK, but the doctor would like to talk to you and your fiancé for a moment about what is safe for her foal." the kindly nurse told him before leading him off to his love's room. What Snails saw when he entered the room was the scariest sight he had seen in his life. His beloved had a needle in her neck, connected to an IV. She was fully awake and crying her her heart out. "Apple Bloom, is something wrong? Why are you crying?" Snails asked as he ran over to the side of her bed. "Ah'm scared, what if there had been a miscarriage or a birth defect because of my stubbornness? Ah don't what Ah would've done." she cried softly. "Well, now you know to be careful so it didn't happen now and it never will." the mustard stallion explained. "Ok." his lover agreed. He always knew how to cheer her up when she was down. The door creaked opened and Stable entered the room. "That was quite the miracle in the ER. Do you know why?" Stable asked, clearly discontent with what went down. He was met with shakes from their heads. "Zap apples are toxic until picked! You got your foal close to toxins in its most vulnerable state! Your lucky not only because you didn't have a miscarriage from the fall but no birth defects from the zap apples!" the less than pleased doctor explained, "I didn't realize that you weren't aware of these things so I'll tell you what you both should do during these next eight months. For one thing, you should eat a very nutritious diet with protein. Secondly, it would be a good idea if you practiced breathing exercises. And lastly, this one is just for Apple Bloom, don't strain yourself and listen to your family members when they suggest you don't do something." "Ah'm sorry, Ah'll listen better from now on." she replied sincerely.