“And then wouldn’t you believe it? Big Mac just about hoisted that whole calf up over his head!”
“Oh really?” With an amused smile, Applejack rolled her eyes and pressed her head to her shoulder, keeping the phone in place as she pushed herself up and readjusted herself in the bed. “Sounds like branding day went off without a hitch.”
“Pretty much,” Apple Bloom confirmed through the phone. There was some kind of muffled rustling that came through. “Though it was a little hard without your help if I’m bein’ honest.”
“Aw, sorry I can’t be there to help, sugar cube. But y’all seemed to pull it off just fine on your own,” Applejack pointed out, once again taking the phone in her hand. She had been calling Apple Bloom every day since she got her phone back, and thanks to that, the week had passed quickly. “Anyway, I’ve got somethin’ real exciting to tell ya!”
“Well, it wasn’t really on our own,” Apple Bloom mumbled nearly inaudibly before squeaking into the phone. “Ooh! What is it? Can I guess? They gave you a gift! A set of bionic legs! A DVD player! I’ve always wanted a DVD player. Did they give you a DVD player?!”
She almost forgot how hyper Apple Bloom could be. Applejack couldn’t help but wonder if Apple Bloom had had too much sugar again. She figured it was best she didn’t ask and instead chuckled lightly. “No, none of that, though it would have been pretty nifty to get a DVD player,” she agreed with a roll of her eyes that her sister would not be able to see. “But it ain’t nothin’ like that, Bloom. This morning they finally took off that bulky neck brace I’ve had on my shoulders.”
Just at the mention of it, Applejack reached up and rubbed the skin of her neck. It was good to finally be able to look around the room freely, even at the cost of the incredibly sore muscles. Moreso, it meant that something even better was about to happen.
Apple Bloom gasped sharply, the noise coming across as a jagged jab into Applejack’s ear. “Oh my gosh! That means you’re gettin’ moved closer to home soon!”
“That’s right! Just as soon as they clear me, which should be within the next few days.” Saying it out loud felt even more surreal than when she had heard the news. It almost made the last couple of weeks seem short in hindsight, but whatever it took to get out of the hospital, Applejack would do it. Besides, occupational and physical therapy would keep her mind busy and a busy mind meant having no time to really think.
And not having time to think meant that she didn’t need to think about… everything.
“Then I’ll be one step closer to home,” she continued, shaking away her thoughts. “It’s been gettin’ real borin’ here, to be honest.”
“Yeah, I bet! I couldn’t imagine being stuck in bed all day. At least you’ll get to actually do things once you’re back, right?”
She tried to sound enthusiastic, but Apple Bloom’s words did little more than make Applejack worry a bit. She knew her sister meant well, but she couldn’t help but wonder just how many things she could actually even do, even once she gets used to her new life. Could she ever even get used to her new life? It was getting easier by the day, but then again, she hadn’t actually tried to do anything in that time. All she’d done was sit in bed and talk to her family. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to go for a spin in a wheelchair on her own yet. That wasn’t very encouraging.
All good things came to those who waited, though. That’s what she knew, or at least what she had tried to learn. She’d just… wait. Applejack would learn to get around on her own, and who knows? Maybe she’d be able to walk again someday, at least a little. Maybe she wouldn’t be completely and utterly useless. Even as she was, she could still do other things. She could help with the paperwork side of running the family ranch, she could tend to the little crops they had, she could feed the animals, she could… Well, there wasn’t much else.
As soon as she found herself frowning again, she shook her head and forced a smile on her face. Nobody would see it, sure, but she knew it was there, and that was more than enough. Besides, she knew she was going to get a bit of practice on a wheelchair before she was sent off to O.T. That’s what Nurse Gentle had told her that morning. She just needed to wait until after lunch, which was bound to be soon, and then she could try her hands at actually getting around on her own!
She just had to forget about the problem going on at the lower half of her body until then, but that was easy enough. Applejack had enough people to text and call to fill her time, and even when she didn’t she found a nice idle game on her phone to play. It was all about running a farm, which seemed kind of ironic in hindsight, but it was easy and fulfilling—even if she had to watch a lot of ads.
“Applejack?”
Oh, right, Apple Bloom.
“Sorry. Yeah, uh, I’ll get right back to the swing of things soon, I’m sure.”
“That’s great! I can’t wait to see ya, sis!”
“Me neither, Apple Bloom,” Applejack responded with a smile on her face.
“And I know Barley can’t either. He’s been pretty restless.” At that, the faint sound of a horse huffing filled in the emptiness of the background. “Woah. It’s alright, boy. Sorry, Applejack, he’s been a bit spooky lately. I guess he misses you.”
That sounded like Barley. Applejack made a face that was neither a smile nor a frown. “He’s always been pretty hard to ride. Though Barley’s always been good to me.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Hoo, boy. That’s it, calm down. Y’all have a bond, but it’s like he won’t listen to anybody else.”
The blonde’s ambiguous face turned into a grimace. If Barley was being spooky then it would be difficult to work him, but if he didn’t get taken out he would get restless which would make it worse. “Hey, just promise you’ll be careful, alright? Don’t need you gettin’ hurt on account of Barley.”
“Yeah, I’ll be okay. I’m actually just finishing up brushing him. He didn’t let me ride so I let him out into the paddock for a bit. Maybe… Maybe you’ll be able to ride him again some day.”
“I, uh…” Applejack swallowed dryly, now clutching the blanket in her hand. After a failed attempt at even imagining such a thing, she swiftly shook her head. Problem for later. “It’s gonna be lunch time soon, so I gotta go. I know Granny makes food ‘round this time, and I don’t want her to get upset at ya for missin’ it.”
If Apple Bloom was bothered by Applejack’s less than swift change of topic, she didn’t show it. “Well, she wouldn’t get upset if it’s cause I’m talkin’ to you,” Apple Bloom pointed out.
Applejack hesitated for a moment before responding, “Yeah, but still. Don’t wanna keep ya, alright? I’ll talk to ya tomorrow. I’ve got a busy day today. For once.”
“Sure, okay. Well, talk to ya later sis! I’ll tell everyone else you said hi.”
Before Applejack could even respond, the line went dead with a beep that told of Apple Bloom’s premature hang-up. Applejack simply smiled flatly and put her phone down on the mattress next to her. It was something so simple, so typical, but talking with her sister really did make her day feel just a little brighter.
Soon enough, it would really be lunch-time for the blonde—that part wasn’t a lie. Despite being something so mundane, excitement still built up inside her. She had really taken free range of her neck for granted her whole life. It was the first real chance she was going to get to eat almost normally, with no brace to restrict her.
Well, no neck brace, at least. Tan fingers rapped against the plastic body jacket in a hollow knock. Applejack couldn’t help but snort at the absurdity of the situation. It had only been a few weeks but the disparity she had been feeling before had already died down and been replaced with sour amusement. At least her posture was great—not that it wasn’t before—and she wouldn’t have to be so tired from being on her feet all day. That was good. It had to be.
Before she could give it too much thought, the door opened in its typical non-familiar silence. It was still a bit weird and on the most boring of days, she got to wondering how often they logically oiled the hinges.
“Good afternoon, Applejack,” greeted the nurse—Carin’, if Applejack’s memory served her right—as she wheeled in a cart with a tray of food. Carin’ was really quite pleasant, though she had only recently been assigned to Applejack, if that was even how it worked. Whenever Nurse Gentle was unavailable, Nurse Carin’ would take her place. “It’s lunchtime now, and then we can go to your first round of physio. We need to get you at least a little bit ready for your move to the rehab facility.”
With a nod, Applejack accepted the tray handed to her and looked down at the food on the plate. Orange slices and a jelly sandwich. Simple, but not as bad as it could have been. She poked the plastic fork at the sliced oranges.. “I can’t say I ain’t nervous, but I am excited. It feels good to finally be able to do somethin’ other than just sit around.” She snorted. “Well, I’ll still be sitting, but you know what I mean.”
“I can imagine. It’s a big first step,” she agreed with a pleasant smile. “I can only imagine how excited you must be to get out of here.”
Applejack took a bite from one of the orange slices and separated the tangy, yet sweet flesh from the peel. The refreshing juicy inside brought a grin to her face, though the nurse's comment definitely helped with that. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Truth be told, she was excited. Definitely. There was still a little bit of fear, though. Not only from all the adjusting she’d definitely have to do, but the adjusting everyone else would have to do, too. The last thing Applejack would ever want was to be a burden. Somehow, she thought it would almost be easier to stay in the hospital. Rehabilitation meant recovery, and recovery (whatever degree she could reach) meant going home.
“It is gettin’ a bit boring,” the blonde added after devouring another orange slice. “But I swear y’all put something in these oranges. They’re so darn good!”
The nurse let out a small ‘ha-ha’ as she began to unfold a wheelchair that had been tucked away in the corner of the room. It must have been brought in while Applejack was sleeping. “They’re locally grown. The family who owns the orchard makes many types of donations, but they regularly provide the hospital with oranges and other fruit.”
“That’s real nice of ‘em.”
She wasn’t really sure what else to say, but the nurse didn’t try to keep up the conversation which Applejack was grateful for. Emerald eyes glanced at the last orange slice on her plate. The farmers who provided the delectable fruit had a duty, one that nobody forced them to do. One that Applejack, as a rancher and someone familiar with produce farming, could definitely respect.
Ranching and farming weren’t that dissimilar. Often, they worked hand in hand—farmers farmed the grass they’d sell as hay bales used to feed stock, and the stock-eating produce helped the farmers make more money. It was a two-way street. A mutually beneficial relationship. Farmers cared for their crops the same way ranchers cared for their animals. Applejack’s family didn’t just raise cattle to sell for meat. They had sires for breeding that produced great offspring and some of those calves would later be sold as steers or raised to be bulls for rodeo, some of them would be sold to other cattle ranchers.
And just like with the cattle, horses worked the same way. They didn’t just have their own family working and leisure horses, but they also sired foals and sold them to interested buyers. Barley himself was to become a sire some day, which is why they kept him intact. A stallion with his pedigree was sure to produce quality offspring.
Applejack smiled gently as she relayed this information to herself. She had become intimately familiar with every aspect of the family business—the cattle, the bulls, the sheep, and definitely the horses. She’d always looked forward to the day when she could see just what kind of foals Barley could sire. Applejack would bet money that they’d be great working cow horses or rodeo horses. Though, something inside her hoped that he could sire a bucking horse.
That last thought made her stomach turn a little. Applejack's smile turned into a frown as she realized she had been staring at her plate for an excessive amount of time. Her appetite suddenly seemed to disappear. She definitely didn’t want the jelly sandwich on the other half of the plate anymore.
She grimaced and set the plate down on her lap. “Can I eat this later? I ain’t really that hungry anymore.”
Surprisingly blurry green irises looked up to the nurse who patiently waited by the wheelchair. The blonde blinked harshly in an attempt to rid her eyes of the tears before the nurse could see them, and it seemed as though it had worked. “Are you sure?” Nurse Carin’ asked gently. “It’d be good to have your strength up for physio. I know you are very fit, but it is surprisingly physically demanding.”
Applejack sucked on her teeth and poked tenderly at the rest of her meal. It was a simple jelly sandwich cut diagonally into two triangles, but she just didn’t feel like eating it. Nurse Carin’ sighed gently. “Okay, if you don’t feel well enough to eat it, that’s fine. Are you still okay to go to physio?”
Without hesitation, Applejack nodded. She looked up to the nurse who took her tray and put it on the bedside table. “Yeah, I’ve been just itchin’ to get to that. I… I guess maybe I’m just nervous, which makes me not wanna eat,” she rationalized, maybe more so to herself than to the nurse. “It used to happen since I was little enough for mutton bustin’ all the way up to when we started steer ridin’.”
“That’s quite common, especially in a situation like this,” Nurse Carin’ reassured. “I find that most people who have to do physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy tend to be nervous at first. The biggest obstacle almost always tends to be the mental barrier.”
“And just remember, kiddo, the biggest obstacle’s always the one in yer head.” A strong, weathered hand let itself fall on Applejack’s messy, blonde hair. “So don’t let that stop you, ya just gotta clear that and you’ll be good to go.”
A little freckled face brightened up at the words, though the nerves were still evident on her face. She forced herself to look up at the red headed man with the biggest smile she could muster up and nodded. “Okay, Dad. I’ll do that, I promise.”
“I know, hun.” His hand ruffled up her hair before gently putting a helmet on it. “Now go show that steer what for!”
Applejack nodded blankly.
“Tell you what, I’ll bring your lunch in case you get hungry,” the nurse offered. “If you need it, just tell the physiotherapist. He won’t mind.”
“Alright,” Applejack agreed. “So, how are we gonna do this?”
The nurse explained the plan, which started with Applejack getting into a proper seated position and holding herself up with her arms. If she could do that and didn’t feel too dizzy or tired, then the nurse would help Applejack into the chair. She warned that it could be a bit awkward since she had to physically grab her, but Applejack really didn’t mind. She had a feeling that boundaries were going to have to change after her accident anyway.
With the plan in place, Applejack prepped herself mentally as the nurse wheeled the chair to its position next to the bed. Finally, she would be able to do something. She’d been looking forward to it since she was told it needed to happen, if only in a desperate hope to regain some normalcy.
Of course, she would prefer it to not even be a necessity, but knowing what she knew, she was lucky that she could even do this much. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered anxiously as she made eye contact with the nurse and nodded. The blonde felt like she was already getting better at sitting up on her own, though she knew she had the body jacket to thank for that. Once it was time to take it off, it would be a whole new period of readjustment, but that was a problem for future Applejack.
Current Applejack just had to worry about her first (assisted) transfer into a wheelchair. That was a milestone she never thought she’d have to reach, but hey, life is strange.
She nodded at the nurse, who took the blanket from Applejack’s lap and gently folded it at the foot of the bed. Applejack, with the help of Carin’, sat up away from the backboard of the bed.
“Are you okay to move on?” she asked.
Applejack nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Nurse Carin’ slipped an arm under Applejack’s shoulders and secured her other arm under her knees. Despite the fact that she could see this, Applejack obviously could not feel it. She bit her lip, not knowing how she’d ever get used to that. After a countdown from three, Nurse Carin’ moved Applejack so her legs dangled off the edge of the bed near the wheelchair. Applejack made sure to hold herself up as best as she could, no longer being able to rely on the backrest.
It was strangely difficult without the use of her lower back and abdomen, but once again she found herself thanking the plastic that hugged her torso. Once the nurse made sure she was steady and not about to fall, though she insisted Applejack at least keep one hand on her shoulder for stability, she lowered the bed until Applejack’s feet could touch the floor.
“Here’s the tricky part. You can take a breather while I put on some shoes for you.”
“Sure,” Applejack agreed, surprisingly tired. She watched as some plain black shoes were slipped onto her feet. That was smart, she would have never even thought about it, but it made sense to do so to protect her feet just like having socks on helped in case her toes got too cold and she couldn’t feel it. The blonde couldn’t help but think about how she was going to go about putting on her own shoes. Would boots be harder to put on? Would she have to switch to wearing sneakers?
The thought didn’t last long before Nurse Carin’ cut into it. “Okay, now I’m going to lift you into the chair. This is called a pivot, and you’ll learn how to do this by yourself eventually, but for now you’ll have someone to help you.”
Applejack’s lip twitched at the thought of that, but she figured she’d just have to learn quickly. “Okay.”
After getting everything into position, including making sure the wheelchair’s brakes were on and the bed was locked, Carin’ wrapped her arms around Applejack’s chest and with another countdown, she lifted as Applejack pushed off the bed. With a quick turn, Applejack reached for the armrests of the wheelchair and helped the nurse lower her into the seat.
“There,” Nurse Carin’ huffed, “that wasn’t so bad, was it?” She smiled and bent down to unfold the footrests and adjust Applejack’s legs properly. “I’m a lot stronger than I look.”
She was finally out of the bed. She was in a chair, about to leave the room she’d been in for entirely too long, even if only for a bit. A strange wave of relief flooded over Applejack as she let out a slow breath. Words failed her, there was nothing she could even possibly think to say in what would otherwise be such a mundane situation. But right now? Sitting in a wheelchair felt like the biggest advancement she had ever made.
She sniffled a little as she noticed a single tear roll down her cheek. It surprised her a bit as she wiped it away with a shudder, but no more followed. The nurse seemed to simply just smile at her, probably used to having similar reactions from other patients. Though, Applejack definitely wasn’t sure how common spinal injuries were.
Once Applejack took a drink of water and composed herself, she tied up her hair as best as she could without hurting her back and pushed her bangs out of her face. “Okay, what’s next?”
~~~~🍎~~~~
Physiotherapy was not something new to Applejack. She would even be willing to bet her bottom dollar that every single one of her rodeo opponents had themselves been to at least one round of physiotherapy. It was not uncommon in the horse riding community, much less competition riders in rodeo.
What was new to her, though, was the level of exhaustion that she felt once she finally reached the end of her twenty minute session. She greedily drank water, trying to replace what she had sweated out.
“Good work today,” the physiotherapist—Doctor Stretch Horizon—said. “You did great for your first day.”
Applejack leaned on the armrest on the wheelchair. “It wasn’t too much different from stuff I’ve done before.” She smiled a little bit and wiped her forehead. “Just felt a lot more intense.”
It was mostly arm and shoulder work. Nothing different or strenuous, but she guessed that being stuck in a bed for so long had made her weaker. Plus, it sort of felt harder to breathe, though that was something that a doctor told her might happen.
“Well, you had to use a lot of different muscles to make up for the ones you can’t use anymore,” Doctor Horizon explained. “But you don’t have to wear yourself out, especially in the early stages. The respiratory and motion stretches I showed you can be done twice a day on your own time if you feel up to it.”
Applejack nodded and took another sip of water. “Sure. I’ll remember those.”
“They’re important. They’ll prevent future complications, so make sure to do them while you can.” He wrote something down on a clipboard and looked back at her with dark brown eyes. “After you get transferred, you’ll see why they help so much.”
She could already imagine why. After all, she’d need her arm strength back to actually be able to wheel herself around all the time. It was a lot harder than she thought to navigate in a wheelchair, but she found out that mobility chairs were typically a lot more ergonomic than hospital ones. That made it a bit more bearable, she just had to wait until she could get one of her own. Plus, the body jacket didn’t help much.
Though, Applejack did manage to wheel around the room a few times and avoid a couple of obstacles before having to stop. Flat ground work, but it was a start. Just like horsemanship, getting the basics done with a new horse was beyond important.
And hoo boy if a wheelchair ain’t like a new horse…
She coughed and shook her head. “I’m kinda tired,” Applejack admitted hastily. “And a bit hungry.”
“You think you can wheel yourself back to your room?”
Her arms begged her not to. For once, she listened.
“Maybe next time,” she responded with a forced laugh.
Doc Horizon returned the laugh, although his seemed genuine, and approached the wheelchair with the sandwich she left behind on a plate. “Not a problem. I would have been surprised if you obliged, to be honest.”
She didn’t say anything on the way back to the room, and not only because she decided to eat her lunch on the way back. Once he helped her back into bed, they exchanged goodbyes and a confirmation of their next meeting before she was left to her own devices.
Literally.
Her phone was easy to reach and quickly snatched from the bedside table. Unsurprisingly, a couple people had found their way into her inbox. At least that would keep her occupied for a bit. She grinned as she opened the text stream with her cousin.
Apple Fritter
Applejack you aren’t gonna believe this.
Remember that guy from the bar?
Rusty?
He wants to go on an honest to goodness date with me!
Can you believe it, cuz?
Oh also how are you?
Me
I still don’t get what you see in him, to be honest.
But he seemed friendly enough, I guess.
How are you gonna make that work, though? He lives awful far.
And har har, I’m doing fine. Thanks for asking. Even if I was a second thought. :P
Despite her tired body asking for a nap, Applejack decided she’d much rather keep up with her cousin’s seemingly never ending drama. Wow. She was really bored.
At least it passed the time.
Apple Fritter
You weren’t a second thought, cuz.
It hurts me that you’d think so lowly of me!
And he has a car and a surprising amount of free time.
Plus, there is a little thing called the internet. Heard of it?
She rolled her eyes at Apple Fritter’s response. She could practically hear the sarcasm dripping from the message. Typical Fritter. Still, she wasn’t sure exactly why she would want to go to the trouble of a long distance relationship, but she definitely wasn’t going to judge. Just as she was thinking of something to type out in response, her phone gave a quick buzz before letting out a tiny—
Ding!
Applejack’s body stiffened for a second at the notification.
She tapped it anyway.
Strawberry Sunrise
Hey Applejack. I heard about… everything
That really sucks. Sorry to hear about it
If you need someone to talk to, I’m here to listen.
You don’t need any enemies right now, so how about we start fresh?
Let me know if you’re interested in that, okay?
Strawberry Sunrise
Your sister told me you’re doing better
I’m glad
Don’t get mad at her
I made her tell me
And my offer still stands
A little speech bubble with three bouncing dots appeared and reappeared. The blonde stared intently as they stayed for a while, then disappeared, then came back a few times. Her eyebrow raised as the message finally came in. She thought it was going to be a longer message.
I’m still here
It wasn’t. Applejack wanted to be upset. Mad, even, that Strawberry wouldn’t take a hint. But… there had to be a reason for it all. Why was Applejack even mad at her anymore? She sure didn’t like the girl, but why was she upset at her over something that all of a sudden seemed so insignificant?
That anger wasn’t just going to disappear, but it suddenly felt pointless. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe she should have waited until she was rested again to respond.
Me
Apple Bloom couldn’t keep her mouth shut if you paid her to.
Call me tomorrow when you’re not busy. We need to talk.
Her fingers typed anyway.