//------------------------------// // Discharge // Story: My name is Anna Maus // by Gallants //------------------------------// The nurse from the front desk had rushed into the room when I started screaming, "Is everything okay, are you hurt?" The motherly tone she took calmed me more than it should have, my screams subsided as my breathing evened. "Yeah, I'm fine just had a moment of clarity, you know. I woke up in a field and finally realized I'm surrounded by ponies that can talk, sort of a shock," I said while looking into her eyes to get a read on her, she seemed to understand to a point, "I never got your name, I'm Dr. Anna E. Maus, what's yours?" She took a step back as I stretched my hand out for a shake, wariness crossing her features for a second. "Nurse Redheart, a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Maus, is it okay if I call you Maus?" She said with a polite nod of her head. I stifled a chuckle with my hand and replied, "Of course you can call me Maus, it is my maiden name, what else would you call me?" She cocked her head at the mention of my maiden name, "What do you not have family names?" I asked before she took another step back an offended look donned her features as she asked me if she looked like a noble, my confusion was immeasurable. "Anyway's I do have a question about my paperwork, where's the insurance form?" Her pupils contracted and her muzzle scrunched, she brought a hoof up to her mouth and attempted to suppress a laugh, when she finally finished wiping away tears she told me the nice truth. "You were caught in the nonresident safety health net, you only need health insurance if you're going to move and become a resident of Equestria, and I'll take those forms to the administrator, and see how soon we can discharge you," She told me as she looked over my forms, "Uhh, Dr. Maus where is your next of kin contact and I don't recognize your country of residence?" My heart skipped a beat, I didn't like talking about my family. "I didn't really expect you to recognize my address, I'm pretty sure some magic sent me here anyway, as for my next of kin," I took a deep breath to steady myself, "they're all dead or don't talk to me anymore," Redheart placed a hoof on my shoulder and gave me a sympathetic look. "I'll run these down to the administrator and I'll talk to the mayor about getting you a temporary residence while you're stuck here," When she finished her piece she took her leave walking down the hall. It took a week before the ponies were comfortable discharging me, Redheart being the only one to check up on me, and sending me to a 'small' house, two stories, 4 bedroom, and 3 full baths not only that I was told there was a basement this place blew my old house out of the water; Redheart was even nice enough to push me to my new house giving me the opportunity for an actual chat about the differences between our worlds, she was shocked there was no magic on Earth and more shocked to learn there were only one sapient species she proceeded to tell me little bits and pieces about the griffins, yaks, buffalo, and zebras, all in all, it was a great walk I'd never been able to talk to someone like that. When we finally reached my new house it was a sight to behold, Redheart patted me on the shoulder and told me to have a good night, I watched her leave before I pushed open the door and wheeled myself in crossing the threshold there was a flash of light and a boom following a crack filling my ears. "CORPSMAN, WE NEED A CORPSMAN!" there was a shout I looked to my right Corporal Davis was on the ground blood covering him, his left leg was nowhere to be seen, his right hand hanging by threads as he tried to shoulder his rifle not knowing why he couldn't grip it, the weight of my vest weighing down my shoulders the metallic taste in my mouth. I looked down at the shredded meat of my thigh pieces of white visible and the blood on my hands from the hole in my stomach. My breathing quickened; all around me was death and destruction I was back in Albania h-how did end I up here, the shouting of my Gunnery Sergeant continued calling contacts to the North, West, everywhere, I looked for my rifle but couldn't find it I couldn't find my sidearm either, in my panic I didn't notice the figure approaching me as all of a sudden a pair of pink hooves were on my shoulders, I focused on them they shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be here, the house materialized around me replacing the flame illuminated trees with Pinkie who was looking at me worried. I felt the tears running down my cheeks and the quickened hitched breaths. "I'm sorry for scaring you, we'll just all go home hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow," Pinkie said a sad look on her face as the ponies quickly left my home, "I'll see you soon Anonymous," was the last thing she said before closing my door, I remember mumbling out an ok. I sat in the wheelchair looking around the living room a banner was hung above a large cake, I turned off the light and started to quietly cry myself to sleep.