Anton groaned, his body alternately burning up and freezing. He tried to hoist himself up, yet felt a massive pressure on his chest. Unable to really move, he instead focused on trying to squeeze his eyes open. After several attempts, the light blinding him as he tried, he finally managed to get them. As the brightness cleared, he came to a rather important realization.
He was not in his bunker.
As opposed to the dark, partially cracked stone was replaced by a bright light brown wood. Shifting his eyes around slightly, he managed to pick out a few other features of where he was now. He could make out the tops of what he assumed to be a shelf, along with a strange-looking clock.
His legs regained a little bit of his strength, pushing against the bindings atop him. He stopped his escape attempt as he rubbed his hooves against the bindings, finding them being rather soft. It had been a long time since he had touched something that had actually been properly soft. Lifting his head up, he looked over the several blankets that had been wrapped around him.
"Wh-where...?", he muttered to himself, still trying to raise himself up from the bed. From a partially sitting up position, he saw more of the room. The room was rather bare, though it had a few decorations and photos on the walls and a few small tables. A bookshelf was on one wall, while on the opposite wall was a roaring fire. He himself was in a bed, while his webbing and amulet sat on the chair by a desk in the far corner.
Before he could really get himself together, the door opened. Applejack peaked her head in, before opening the door fully. "Granny! Pa! Aquila is awake!"
After a few seconds, Granny Smith and Bright Macintosh enter the room. Granny Smith was carrying a bowl on her back, while Bright Mac removed the webbing and move the seat up to right next to the bed. Granny Smith grabbed the bowl and placed it in her lap, taking a spoon out of it and offering it to him. "Here, have some."
"Wh-what is it?", Anton asked.
Granny Smith said, "It's noodle soup. Nice an' hot. It'll do ya some good."
Anton looked at the spoon, noting the few strands of noodles and other bits of vegetables on it. A second later, as if to motivate him, he became aware of his stomach, which felt like he has swallowed a lamp pack. He lit his horn, trying to take the spoon, only for Granny Smith to click her tongue. "Ya ain't in any condition ta do that. Just let me help ya."
Anton snorted at the statement. "I am capable of-"
"All due respect, ya ain't", Bright Mac said. "Ah don't know how long ya were in the snow, but ya were purdy bad when mah kids brought ya here. Besides... Ain't no point in arguing wit' her. Mah ma's stubborn as they come."
Anton snorted, but opened his mouth. She slipped the spoon into his mouth, letting him close it before pulling the spoon free. The hot broth and various bits of food in his mouth seeped out, before Anton swallowed. Granny Smith offered another spoonful, and though he despised her condescension, he swallowed his pride and opened his mouth again.
Bright Mac shifted slightly, muttering something. At least, that's what he thought. Looking over after another spoonful of soup, he saw him lift something off of his back and bring it close to his face. After a few seconds, he realized it was a smaller Xeno; one with a similar yellow coat to him, along with a patch of red hair.
Bright Mac looked up, seeing Anton looking at him and the smaller one. "Oh. This is mah other daughter. 'Er name is Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom, this is Aquila; he's a friend."
Apple Bloom babbled excitedly as he held her out, brilliant golden eyes sparkling at him with untainted joy. Anton stared back with sheer confusion, blinking twice as she waved her stubby little limbs in his direction. "Uh... Hello, little one. The Emperor protect you."
Applejack and her father looked at one another, while Apple Bloom continued babbling. "Uh, right", Applejack said. "You, uh... Need anything?"
Anton considered for a second, before a thought occurred to him. He shifted the position of his neck, looking down at himself. His shirt was missing, and if the feeling of the blankets on his lower body was right, then so was his trousers. "W-where are my clothes?"
"They were all wet from the snow", Granny said. "They're dryin' off in the washroom."
"R-right", Anton said.
"What were ya doin' anyway?", Applejack asked. "Ah mean, we found ya in the snow, just lyin' there."
"I was clearing the snow off of the roof", Anton said. "It wasn't that cold when I was doing it, so I figured the jumpsuit wasn't needed. I think... part of the roof broke off, and I hit my head on something."
"Sounds 'bout", Applejack said. "Considerin' how Big Mac and I found ya and all."
Anton noticed the lack of the red male. "Where is-" He interrupted himself by a violent series of coughs, sending a spoonful of soup spilling onto the floor. "S-sorry", he said, shivering slightly.
"Oh, no worries", Granny said. "Macky went ta go get the doctor. Should be back soon."
As if answering a prompt, Anton heard the door shut and a new pair of hooves heading towards them. Applejack stepped out of the way, allowing Big Mac and a yellow-ish horned male in a coat to come closer to him. The yellow male said, "You must be Aquila, correct?"
"Y-yes", Anton said, starting to regret giving that as his name.
The male said, "Alright then. My name's Doctor Horse. I just wanna take a quick look at you."
Anton nodded. He was already practically bound up, being fed soup like a child, and being quartered in what he assumed to be their house. Letting the Doctor examine him would hardly be his most grievous heresy.
Doctor Horse lit up his horn, and he felt a tingling sensation run up his body. After it went up his whole body to the tip of his own horn, it went back down, stopping about his mid-back. "Yep. Just as I thought. You've got a minor case of Hypothermia."
He remembered the condition from his brief medical training. The overexposure to cold conditions, which could start to shut down and kill the human body. "So... What now then?"
"Well, normally, I'd recommend taking you back to the hospital", he said, pulling out a small notepad. "However, the Apples have already done almost everything they were supposed to in helping you. You're in excellent condition. Still, I'd recommend not doing anything strenuous for about a week or so."
Anton grumbled, but still said, "Very well."
"Perfect", Doctor Horse said, ripping off and handing the note to Bright Mac. "Make sure he gets plenty of warm fluids, though no caffeine or alcohol. Keep his body temperature up, and make sure you wrap any heating packets in cloth before giving them to him. Also, if those cuts on his back start to ooze or act up, be sure to let me know."
"Cuts?", Applejack asked.
"Mind rolling over a bit for me?", Doctor Horse asked. Anton did so, and the Doctor pointed to the mostly healed remains of Anton's self-flagellation. "If I'd have to guess, I'd say some of the stones chipped off and hit him on his way down. It's not too bad, but again, let me know if it oozes. We don't want those to get infected."
"Thanks, Doc", Bright Mac says. "T-this means a lot ta me."
"No worries", Doctor Horse said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "She was a friend. We all miss her." He turned back to Anton, the same smile on his face. "Thank you. For, uh, trying to save Buttercup, that is."
"No... Worries", Anton said.
Doctor Horse said, "Right, well, thanks anyway. Get some sleep. It'll do you some good." With that, he left, giving a polite wave as he left the small room.
"Ya heard the doctor", Granny Smith said. "Let's give Aquila some room. Ya get some shut-eye now, ya hear?"
Anton nodded, watching as they all left the room one by one. Applejack was the last to leave, giving Anton a small wave. He returned it with a curt nod, his head falling back against the pillow as she shut the door. In a Xeno den..., he thought glumly. Being fed soup like a child and being given orders by a crone and one of their medics. The Emperor Preserve me, I'm a disgrace.