“...Screwy is an actual name?” I was appalled to hear this. I thought that was some sort of nickname or alias. But no. According to Vinyl, ‘Screwy’ was a real moniker used by a light blue earth pony mare with a white mane.
“Yeah...she’s been suffering from mental trauma for years now. As far back as when both of you were still colts,” she explained with a pained twitch in her eyes, “The hospitals tried everything they could, but in the end she was unable to control herself.”
Corkscrew decided to jump in. “Well hold on...just how did she die?”
“...According to the report, it was some sort of overdose that took place in her system. We’re not sure if it’s related to what Neighsay put on her or not.”
Of course. Leave it to those in charge to cover up whatever doesn’t fit their narrative. Naturally, I was now more inclined than ever to figure it out. Random, unspecified deaths didn’t occur very often around here. So it was more than suspicious as to why and how it happened. Especially with someone like Screwy. An individual that was beyond repair--no pun intended--and was likely taken advantage of in order to be an asset. Whatever the case, I needed to see her corpse for myself before I would make any sort of action.
Vinyl was a good friend, for sure. The fact that she was even telling me what went on behind the scenes with Elytra was more than enough. I had a lot of respect for the matured DJ of a mare. She could have easily left me in the dark about everything and said nothing about Screwy. Later on, I would repay that kindness.
For now, though, I had my next objective.
“I see...in that case, Cork and I are going to head to the morgue at the hospital. Is there anything else I should know, Vinyl?”
She shook her head. “Nah. Think that’s it. Hope you guys can find enough evidence to keep Neighsay locked up. Luna knows I would if I could,” she slumped into her seat.
The orange pegasus got up, and shook her hoof. “Thanks for everything, Madam Scratch. We won’t waste this chance.”
There was a bit of hesitation on her face before she pushed his hoof off with a grin. “Heh. Don’t start with all that, kid. Just call me Vinyl. Do your best out there, alright? I think you can learn a lot from Pale.”
He scoffed, and raised his neck higher. “Of course. He’s taught me everything I know. So you better keep your eyes peeled, Vinyl,” he proclaimed, “My name’s gonna go down in history just as fast as anypony else’s.”
Ah, that kid. He was a handful to watch out for, but his perspective started to become a bit clearer. Coming from a rather large family, he was essentially lost in his own crowd. Because of that, he felt as if he always needed to prove himself. Even if he did lack extreme magic or weather control capabilities. I think there was something that he had yet to unlock within himself to truly show off what he could do. But sadly, I couldn’t help him find it. It was on him to carve his own path. Though I guess that was the beauty of life, wasn’t it?
“Ahehe. Okay, kiddo. If you think so,” Vinyl replied, and gave Cork an encouraging pat on the head with her hoof. “Do your best no matter what. You might be as badass as me someday. Maybe.”
He flexed his wings, and showed off his pearlescent smile. “Heck yeah, I will!” At last, he flew up next to, and ahead of me to exit the basement, “C’mon, boss! Let’s head to the morgue.”
I put my hoof between the bridge of my nose, but I couldn’t help but giggle at his antics. “Ah...please forgive him, VInyl. He’s rather happy to be working with me again.”
“Hey, hey, no problem. It’s the same way with me and my other band buddies,” she replied, “Now get going! You don’t wanna lose time.”
I tipped my hat. “Of course. I’ll be seeing you.”
“See ya, dawg.”
With that, I left the unicorn’s home, and followed Corkscrew up to the surface level of the home. On our way out of the front door, we came across a familiar gray earth pony.
“What were you both doing down there?” Octavia asked.
I was about to say something, but Cork jumped in faster than I could think. “Standard business, ma’am. Civilians are on a need-to-know basis. I’m gonna have to ask you to not...need to know. Hm,” he tapped his hoof upon his forehead, “That sounded way more intense in my head.”
Octavia stammered. “Wha--’civilian’? This is my home!”
“Woah, chill, Tavi!” Then we heard Vinyl’s voice from the bottom of the stairs that led to the basement. A few seconds passed, and she trotted up to meet the rest of us. “They’re uh...work buddies of mine.”
The earth pony mare glared at her friend with a nonplussed set of eyes. “‘Work friends’? Really Vinyl? Bunch of tosh is what it sounds like.”
Vinyl rubbed her hooves together with a nervous smile. “Er...hehe. Go on ahead, guys. I’ll handle this. Ya see, Tavi…” she walked her roommate towards the kitchen which enabled Cork and I to get going.
We left the house, and headed off to the hospital. Vinyl’s knowledge of Ms. Screwy’s apparent death was great because it saved us the trouble of going to her home and asking her family members a difficult question...if she had any, that is.
“What do you think boss,” the pegasus partner of mine asked, “Do you think she really died due to an overdose or something?”
As much as I didn’t want to admit, I knew very little about the subject mare herself. That’s exactly why we needed some, any information regarding her past so that I could put together the pieces on my own.
“Honestly? I’m not sure. Could be anything, really,” was all I could say. I just wasn’t certain of...anything regarding that pony. But we were about to find out.
It wasn’t a long walk to the hospital in Ponyville. I approached the front desk with Cork right by my side. “Yes, hello. Is Nurse Redheart available? We need to speak with her about a patient she had in the past.”
The mare behind the desk adjusted her glasses, and looked down at some files. “Who exactly are you looking to speak with her about?”
“Screwy,” I responded.
The mare behind the desk fell completely silent. She looked down, as if she had no idea how to respond.
Corkscrew leaned in, and applied some pressure to the situation. “Miss. Please. This is important. The safety of Equestria is at risk due to some old pony’s experiments. We have evidence to suggest that Screwy may have been a victim. But we won’t know until we see her body. So if Redheart is available, we need to speak with her immediately,” he stated candidly.
Honestly? I was impressed. I never would have expected him to take control of a scenario so quickly when business needed to be taken care of. But I suppose he had every right to be. After all, he did want to push himself for the sake of making a difference in the world…
“Alright, go ahead,” the mare responded, “But it’s a very difficult subject for everypony in the hospital so I encourage you to have some tact when you ask her about it.”
“Thank you,” Cork nodded, and attempted to fly off. But before he did, I bit down on his tail with my teeth. “Yie! Hey, what gives, boss?”
I pulled him back towards me, and looked at the yellow mare once more. There was something about what she said that tipped me off. “Hang on. Why exactly is it a sensitive subject?”
“Well…” she hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke up. But in a low, quiet tone as if she wanted no one else to hear. “...she’s one of the only patients that we’ve failed to cure. We did everything we could. Heck, for a while, she seemed perfectly normal. But...she just kept falling back into her old habits. We believe her death was a result of...overdose on her medication.”
“You ‘believe’?” I threw that term back at her. There was something else going on here. I was certain of it now. “Do you know what really put her down? Or is that what you’ve been told?”
She tapped her hooves together, and bit her lip. “Er...I...that’s all I know, honest! Please don’t take me to jail!” she cried out, her voice echoed around the empty waiting room.
I took a silent glance at Cork. I wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or not, but I had no time to waste on her any longer. “We’ll be going to see Redheart now. Come on, CC.” I stepped into the door that led to the hallway and the rest of the clinic.
“Yeesh, boss…” Cork flew up next to me. “I don’t know who was more intense--you or her.”
We walked through the hall, and finally reached Redheart’s office. Though, before I could knock, I heard the earth pony herself call out from behind me.
“Oh, um--hello, officers,” she said as she rounded the corner, “Is there anything I can do for you two?”
I turned to face her. “Yes there is, ma’am.”
I went on to explain the situation. Screwy’s involvement in Neighsay’s experiments as well as her apparent loss of life. Just as well, I also brought up what the mare at the front desk had told me. About the fact that Screwy had seemingly caused the doctors and nurses of the hospital to feel pessimistic about what they had failed to do for the mare. I needed to know if it was all factual.
“Ah...so I suppose I have no choice but to explain everything then, hm?” Redheart asked with a sigh. “Well, if you’re looking for a file on who she is--don’t bother. There isn’t one.”
Cork raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”
“She just...appeared one day,” the white earth pony explained, “No records of friends or family, nothing. Her condition was unlike anything we had ever seen in Ponyville--nay, all of Equestria. We did all we could, and she started to recover even. But one day...she just went kaput. No warning whatsoever,” she said as she shut her eyes.
I refused to take that at face value. There had to be a reason for all of this. “Do you mind if we see the body? And the autopsy reports?”
The Nurse opened her eyes. “I was afraid of that. But I understand. I haven’t taken anypony to the morgue in ages. I just hope you’re prepared for meeting a bunch of corpses.”
Cork, yet again, scoffed with a proud smirk and a wave of his hoof. “Pshaw! We can handle anything, right boss?”
I nodded. “I believe so, yes.”
“Good,” the nurse reached into a nearby medicine cabinet in the hallway, and tossed us a pair of gas masks. “Then you’ll need these.”
My partner and I stared at the masks. His face went from brave to afraid in no time flat. “Whaaaaa?”
I almost laughed, but I couldn’t blame him.
What the hell kind of morgue was this going to be?