"Joseph wake up!" a familiar voice calls out.
I awaken from my quite needed slumber after the last four days of staying awake. Groggily I grumble "Does my wife need me?" I ask the same question I had been asking non-stop ever since then as the pain was now constant with my wife.
"It's not your wife that is the issue. it's the baby inside!"
"mhm..." I mutter relieved at first returning to my well-needed nap, I had well intended to go back to sleep when the weight of the sentence hit me... I was fully awake. "LEAVE THE BABY ALONE SLEEP DEMON, TAKE ME INSTEAD!"
"JOE!" Star Glimmer yelled trying to get his hoofs off of her neck. "it's me!"
I look at her with a cloudy vision, slowly returning to see that indeed she was truly Starlight Glimmer. I promptly collapse into her arm totally exhausted.
"Woah easy there! she limped me to the water cooler
"Drink some water... unless you want to sleep some more..." Starlight says
"ngnoo..." I slur "I must... know... what is happening...." he takes a paper cup and with shaking hoofs grabs a cup of water. After taking two big gulps, I set down the cup. "ok hit me, what's wrong with our baby?"
"Well," Starlight began, "I did my best to keep an eye on everything, but something struck me when I looked at the mammogram. when I ran it through a spectrometer"
"Spectro what?" I asked confused by the word spectrometer.
"It's a device used by scientists to measure light." She explained.
"so what does it show?" I asked eagerly awaiting the answer.
"Well, the spectrum shows what kind of elements are present in the sample under test." Starlight continued. "and when I ran the image of the baby through it, a pattern appeared."
"What kind of pattern?"
"the light was more intense from your baby flank... so there is good news and bad news from this..."
"There is?" I groan.
"The Good news is your baby is getting his cutie mark before he is born! and I find this fascinating because records show this is only possible in theory... which comes to our bad news...."
"What?" I ask alarmed.
"Your baby is currently stuck in your mother's womb and cant transform his cutie mark until he is born. it basically stuck in a state of suspended mutation so the light is currently lighting up her stomach, and causing her to warm up. This process could cause complications for both parties involved and might result in either one or both of them dying."
"Oh god," I groan as tears begin falling from my eyes.
"Don't cry, Joseph! we can fix this! There has to be a way to save this baby without killing the mother!" Starlight exclaims.
"Her name is Derpy Hooves... and how do you plan on doing that?
"Currently I have no idea, but I'm sure an answer will present itself."
"you better pray that it doesn't take forever because right now Derpy Hooves is going stir crazy due to being confined to her own body."
"So what should I do?" I ask scared and upset.
"we'll figure something out together, trust me. Now let's get moving before she gets any worse."
"Alright, alright, I believe you, but why haven't you told anyone else about this?"
"Because I wanted to talk to you first as you were the father."
I didn't respond as another wave of sadness washed over me.
"I'll... notify the doctors to add ice packs to put on her stomach."
"I'm not sure thats a good idea Joe... the pressure could kill the baby"
"What you got a better one?"
"Your mind is in the right place, but you got to lighten the pressure somehow... like a device to hold the ice pack in place without applying pressure," said Starlight
"Like a crane device?"
"not sure how we can fit a giant crane in a hospital..."
"I meant like a small one, where it can be operated by one pony," said Joe
"ah, a model crane! an excellent idea!" exclaimed Starlight excitedly.
"Thanks, if they don't work, i guess ill just hold the ice packs myself."
Starlight giggles nervously.
"Although we are talking about making a miniaturized version of real-life construction cranes?” I say “ is that even possible?"
"yes, it's actually quite simple." Says Starlight.
"Really?"
"yes really, all you need is a few basic parts such as a long metal rod, a hook, and a pulley."
"You're kidding me right?"
"no, it works exactly the same way as a normal crane except instead of lifting heavy objects, this little guy will lift cold ones."
"Well, after we build this thing, we strap the ice packs onto Derpys stomach and then use the crane to lower the ice packs into position while keeping the baby stable."
"Sounds easy enough, you going to work on it right now? " asks Joe
"Oh goodness, ME?! I have no skill in welding." Starlight says looking very disappointed.
"me neither, but I'm pretty handy in carpentry."
Starlight giggles. "I don't think making a baby crib counts Joe"
"Have you tried to put together one of those? I mean come on!"
Starlight laughs again. "good to see you haven't lost your humor."
"So who do you think will make the crane?" I ask.
A red stallion earth pony shuffled up from behind a darkened corner and he stood taller than me and starlight he straightened himself up in pride as if in an offering position, it was at this point that I saw his single apple cutie mark.
"you can't be serious! I said in disbelief.
"e-yup" replied Big Mac.
Not that I had any problem with Big Mac making the crane device. he had great skill in making things using his hoofs. But still, he wasn't an engineer nor did he know anything about building devices. He also seemed to have some sort of inferiority complex when it came to working with others.
"Big Mac, please tell me you're joking right now!" I say angrily.
"N-nope..." says Big Mac arrogantly.
"But... you never finished high school!" I exclaim.
"N-nope"
"Do you have any experience?"
"E-yup."
"How much?"
"Just a tad bit more than you two combined."
"Oh, alright, but only because you've given us no other choice." I sigh.
"E-yup."
"Yeah well, lets get to work guys!" says Joseph.
"E-yup!" replies Big Mac and Starlight.