//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - The Captain // Story: Frostpony // by The Original Gaston //------------------------------// The first constructed Bunkhouses of New Ponyville had resource efficiency and utility at the forefront of their designs, sacrificing not an inch of insulation or plank of wood for architecture or style. Tents were torn down, and the designs incorporated the materials from the old tents directly in the construction of the new Bunkhouses that were built directly overtop them. Salvaged portholes and windows were mounted inside a few windowsills, along with shutters to insulate the glass from some of the freezing wind when needed. The walls, while thin by the standards of any old Equestrian buildings, were still much more insulating than the canvas of a tent. The roof tiles were made out of wood-fired clay from the soil near the base of the valley walls. Vents and radiator pipes ran up from the ground and through the buildings, providing central heating directly from the Generator. What insulation the Bunkhouse did have was made out of sawdust from the mill, which helped temper the escape of heat from the building into the -30 degree air around it. While slight, the sight of the Captain's house and the first public Bunkhouses being raised seemed to strike a spark of hope into the ponies of New Ponyville as they woke up from rest or came back from their shifts. The sights of "proper buildings" finally giving structure and meaning to the streets and pathways of the city rather than the clusters of disorganized tents seemed to restore some faith in the future. It wasn't all good news, though. In the old system of canvas-topped tents, families got to stay together as a nuclear unit while different tents separated them in terms of privacy. The new block design of the Bunkhouses requested that 10 ponies bunk with each other in tightly packed barracks, with little natural light air circulation due to the fact that windows needed to remain closed to prevent heat loss and internal ventilation was nonexistent. Regardless, the Captain ordered them to be built, and the citizens of New Ponyville would welcome any extra warmth they could gain in their homes. "Construction is coming along swimmingly, Captain!" Amethyst Star shouted towards the Captain over the sounds of the wind and the Generator, as she walked away from one of the construction sites towards him, "We hope that in two days, all of our tents may be converted to the new designs!" The Captain nodded, turning towards his chief engineer, "I've noticed it's warmer today, Miss Star!" "Yes, sir!" the dutiful logistician nodded, finally coming right up next to the stallion and talking at a normal volume, "The weather is letting up! It's negative thirty degrees now. Ten below what it was when we arrived here. If Hooves's projections are right, it's going to get colder again soon, sir!" Any trace of a smile faded from the Captain's lips, "...Right. Well, we'll have to work on the Generator again soon." Amethyst made a face, "Our sick are piling up again, sir. Efficiency is down thirty percent on the Sawmill and at the gathering posts. Wouldn't it be a good idea to invest some of the good doctor's time into researching a better way to treat our ill?" The Captain groaned, "Yes, Miss Star, it would be a good idea. But, a good idea would also be to not allow our ponies to get ill in the first place. The technological questions we should be asking is whether or not it is a good idea to focus on upgrading the Generator or on sinking coal mines now that our stockpiles are getting low." The Captain and Amethyst began to stroll, walking through the streets of New Ponyville as the sounds of construction grew distant behind them. Taking a breath of freezing air, the Captain sighed, "Once we secure our fuel source and ensure the Generator is tempered enough to take on the next storm, then we can think about medicine." "How are we so sure we can get the resources to do all of those things if everypony loses their limbs to frostbite or if a plague spreads, Captain?" Amethyst gave the Captain a sidelong glare, "As much as Hooves believes I'm just softhearted, I'm trying to think of the greater good just as much as the next mare. We're trying to run a city, and the ponies of that city are its heart and soul. The city cannot live without its heart, Captain." The Captain adjusted his winter cloak with his magic, giving a passing glance towards the crowds of ponies working the coal depot and fueling the Generator, "I'm afraid that sickness is a what-if, Miss Star. The Generator is dependable. Dependable as in if we don't get it its fuel, we all die anyway. No amount of medicine will keep us warm." The purple administrator followed his gaze towards the ponies around the Generator, "...I understand, sir," she looked away, biting her lip as the two continued to walk back to the Captain's home, "Sir, I have another concern- it's about the engineers. They currently work standard 10 hour shifts, yes?" The Captain nodded, his eyes drifting to the roofs of the Workshops poking their heads just above the tops of the tents, "Indeed. Why?" "Could we consider using extended shifts in the Workshop? We clearly need the extra research time. Why should the Engineers be allowed to work shorter shifts in a well insulated, heated workspace when ponies in the Sawmill work themselves to the bone in freezing conditions?" Amethyst asked, tapping her hoof on her trusty, but now rather worn clipboard. The Captain paused, "The Engineers are part of the administrative team as well. They need to be treated well..." from the tone of the Captain's voice, he didn't seem so certain about his own statement. Amethyst frowned, pushing the subject, "We're all working hard, Captain. It's only fair they do too. Until we get more ponies with technical expertise or train some of our general population, we need to squeeze every moment of innovation we can get out of the workshops." "Desperation, the mother of invention," the Captain cracked a thin smile, "Very well. You're right, this is why I have advisors. I'm not entirely sure why I assumed they would deserve better treatment. Go ahead and announce a shift extension for tomorrow, alright?" Amethyst nodded, "I will do that, sir." The Captain considered for a moment as he looked back away from the workshops towards the Generator, remembering something, "...Miss Star. For the Hothouses, do we have our work rosters filled already?" "Yes, sir. We have earth ponies cobbled together from the work teams that worked on salvaging the Lorries, sir," Amethyst said, "Why?" "I need to transfer one of the ponies from the coal hauling shift to the Hothouses," the Captain muttered, "Is that possible?" Amethyst blinked, jaw working back and forth as she considered, "...Absolutely not, sir! Nopony in their right minds would volunteer to switch with the coal haulers. We'd have to force somepony to take their place at the Generator, which is liable to end up killing or maiming them." "She's gotten a weak heart. The doctors said she had a heart attack while on shift, and recommended a less intense job lest she die," the Captain turned to look at Amethyst, "You're a good logistician. I'm sure you could shift around the staff Amethyst bites her lip and followed the Captain's gaze, "Many of the coal hauler workers are already fighting with illness and deadly conditions. What makes her so special, Captain?" she gave him an analytical glance, trying to gauge the Captain's emotions. Trying to keep his face neutral, the Captain straightened his cap, "An Overseer requested special treatment. I wanted to keep her loyal." Amethyst's left eyebrow shot up and her ear flicked in annoyance, "...We're showing favoritism now? If that's what we're doing, then-" "You've heard of the talk of many of the workers wanting to strike, yes?" the Captain retorted, interrupting the purple Administrator. Without letting her answer, he continued, "Do you think it's logical for the workers to strike in our situation? Answer me honestly," He fixed her with a stare. Amethyst blinked, her nose scrunching up as she thought for a moment before responding, "...No. No I don't. The problems we're facing are inevitable in an apocalyptic situation. The problems they complain about can only be solved by their own hard work. It's just pony nature to want to rebel and take the easy way out." The Captain nodded, "Who are the ponies staying on the ground, working long shifts with them, making sure they meet their quotas and understand the situation?" Amethyst bit her lip, "The Overseers, sir." "And if push comes to shove, who do we want them to side with? Us, who can make sure the city stays stable and productive? Or the workers, who will cause anarchy and set themselves up as leaders to hoard the resources to themselves?" the Captain asked, narrowing his eyes. Amethyst stayed silent. The Generator whistled in the distance as a burst of excess steam was vented into the atmosphere. A gust of wind picked up and moved through the city, causing the two ponies to flinch as snow threatened to get in their eyes. The long, heavy cables attached on the sides of the Generator swayed slightly, anchored tightly into the ground. The Captain breathed a long sigh of foggy air, "Get that mare a new shift in the Hothouses. As far as I know, she was a great farmer before the Frost. Understood?" Amethyst looked up, lips drawn thin, before nodding slowly, "...Yes, sir." She bowed her head slightly, before turning away from the Captain, weathering another gust of wind as she raised her clipboard to shield her eyes. Her hooves clicking on the wooden planks making up the streets, she stalked off past the unupgraded tents and half-constructed bunkhouses towards the Workshops. The Captain sucked in a breath of chilly air, before reaching out with his magic to wrap his scarf around his muzzle. His mind wandered as his eyes travelled firmly to the streets below him. He wondered if they'd be able to strike coal veins in time before the Generator started to run out of fuel. He wondered if the bunkhouses would be finished before the next patch of bad weather came up. He wondered if the Hothouses would produce enough to allow vegetables back into his citizen's diets. Most of all, he wondered exactly what he'd need to do to fill the labor deficit. The Captain's appeared distant at first, but grew in size as he grew near to its wooden walls. In terms of beauty, his home was no more splendid than the surrounding half-finished bunkhouses. The only decoration it had to set it apart from its surroundings was the banner of Equestria, which still shone as it flapped and drifted in the wind. The Captain reached his doorway, reaching into a coat pocket for a key to the padlock securing the door latch shut. The door itself was flimsy enough that a sufficiently powerful earth pony buck could tear it down, but there was no sense in allowing anypony to simply walk in and rifle through his belongings. He inserted the key into the lock, beginning to twist it before a voice behind him shocked him out of his thoughtful stupor, "Hey! Cap'n!" A young, filly's voice said from behind him. The Captain turned around, his key half turned in the padlock, for his eyes to alight on the three fillies standing behind him, "Ah. My junior crew. I'm sorry, is it already time for our meeting?" he fished around in his pocket for his stopwatch, which indeed read thirty minutes past the hour already. "We've been waiting around for forever," Sweetie Belle groaned, "Where were you?" "Yeah, we're freezing our flanks off out here. Are you sure the Generator is working?" Scootaloo asked, a slight shiver in her voice. The Captain grunted as he twisted his key the rest of the way, popping the heavy padlock off and unlatching his door, "Sorry, children. I was overseeing the construction of our new houses." "Ah saw those! When do we get to live in them? Back in Equestria, ah'd have taken any opportunity to have fun in the mud, but after two weeks livin' in those tents, all the snow meltin' and turning the dirt into slop really gets on mah nerves." "Dr. Hooves believes we shall finish the last of the bunkhouses by the end of the week. I'm not sure when exactly the construction crews will get around to your own sectors, though," The door into his home creaked open, "Come in, come in. I'll put some tea on." The foyer of his home was nothing like his old family Canterlot estate. It combined the functions of a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Of course, the kitchen was just a wood-fired stove to heat water on, as well as a few shelves for storing rations on (the Captain was one of the few residents of New Ponyville who had his rations delivered to his home as he worked). The bathroom also lacked plumbing, of course, and a tightly-sealed chamber pot was the highest luxury it could afford. A small, electric lightbulb fed off of the Generator's turbine, illuminating the space with a pale orange glow. Like his old tent, the house got a generous share of steam from the Generator, meaning that soothing warmed air circulated around the ponies as the door was closed and latched behind them. Stairs lead upwards to a second floor, where the Captain knew his bedroom and office was. He didn't take the fillies up there, of course, and simply went to his kitchen and tossed a few pieces of firewood into the stove before using a simple flame spell to light the stove. A kettle was placed on top of the stove, filled with snow. "Soon we'll have a few real leaves to make real tea with, you know that?" The Captain said conversationally, shedding some of his demeanour and giving a smile towards the fillies. "So not just hot water?" Sweetie Belle asked, hopping up on one of the Captain's sofas (brought with them all the way from Manehatten), her face lighting up, "...Can we get cherry tea?" The Captain shook his head, "I'm afraid we don't have any cherries. But we do have blackcurrant, and I've heard it can make good tea." The rest of the precocious fillies piled onto the couch as the Captain walked over to his armchair, actually feeling comfortable shedding his outer winter cloak and relaxing in a single layer of clothing. For a moment, they rested and relaxed as the Captain's clock ticked slowly on the wall, the sounds of the Generator and the hustle and bustle of the winter city fading into the background. "Captain? Can ah ask you something?" Apple Bloom leaned forward in her seat. The Captain nodded, feeling soothed as the aches and tiredness from his old bones slowly seeped away in the clutches of his seat. "It's about muh sister..." Apple Bloom trailed off. Sweetie Belle picked up for the earth pony filly, "Rarity said you were gonna help her out." "Yeah. We wanted to try and help her ourselves, but the overseer kept shooing us away. Applejack didn't even seem to notice we were there!" Scootaloo crossed her hooves. The Captain's eyes flicked towards the fillies, and he placed a forehoof on his chin as he thought. After a moment, he took a breath and said, "You don't need to worry about your sister, Miss Bloom. Miss Star is going to make sure she gets a standard ten hour shift in the new Hothouse growing our crops. But, it does bring something else I've been meaning to talk to you about..." The faces of the fillies all lit up at once at the news of Applejack's transferral, and Apple Bloom grinned as she said, "Applejack won't let'cha down, Cap! She's a good, strong farmer and she'll grow the tastiest meals for us! Much better than that meat stew!" "Yeah! She made the best apples in all of Equestria. I can witness it myself!" Sweetie Belle added. After a moment, Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, "...What does witness mean?" The Captain raised a hoof to temper the fillies' rambling, "It means to attest or vouch for something, and Miss Belle is using it wrong. And I wanted to ask you all a question..." The fillies quieted down, only shuffling around a bit as Scootaloo gave Sweetie a soft nudge. "We're short on working hooves. Applejack's position at the Generator is going to need to be filled by another pony from somewhere else. Soon, to get enough fuel for the Generator, we're going to need to start mining into the edges of the valley for coal. Even then, the need for hooves fueling the Generator will double as we upgrade its capacity," the Captain's voice grew slightly grim, and the cheer from seeing the children faded from his face, "How would you all feel if I told you and all the rest of the foals that you needed to go to work too?" There was a pause around the living room, the silence punctuated only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock. The Captain's heart welled with anxiety as the fillies seemed shocked by his proposal, only for it to be overridden as Scootaloo raised her forehooves about her head and exclaimed, "Hell yeah!" "Scoots! Language!" Sweetie Belle complained, swatting the orange filly with a hoof. Apple Bloom crossed her forehooves, "Are ya kidding, cap? We've been bored out of our minds. As long as we're doin' somethin' useful and still get time to play-" "-And if you don't make us go back to school-" Scootaloo added. "-Then we'd be happy to do whatever we can to help the grownups," Sweetie Belle finished. The Captain frowned, not completely happy with their response, "You understand that the work might be dangerous? You'd be out in the cold, and you'd work until you were really tired." Scootaloo shrugged, "I don't care. I mean, Rainbow Dash is out risking feather and flank for us, Applejack looks like she's about to straight up die from dragging those carts around, and Rarity is constantly running from place to place to make sure everypony's doing okay. "Ah feel straight up lazy just playing all day," Apple Bloom grumbled. "I mean, no school was nice until we didn't have it for a whole year and then we started freezing our hinies off," Sweetie Belle agreed, "Now we just wanna be useful. I think everypony else in the city would agree. Even Tiara, and she's probably the laziest out of everypony." The Captain sat up in his seat, eyes trailing away from the crusaders and towards the window, "But what of your education? You're eventually going to need to grow up to replace your parents and guardians, and if you never go to school..." "Then make us learn when we're older. We already know, like, basic maths and stuff," Sweetie Belle argued back, before pausing and mumbling under her breath, "Except maybe Scootaloo..." "What was that?" Scootaloo gave Sweetie a look. Apple Bloom stepped off of the sofa, before going to rear up and place her forehooves on the lip of the Captain's seat, "Ah know yer trying to keep us innocent and stuff, Cap. A lot of the grownups want us tryin'ta "have a future" and stuff. But, Cap, no matter what- we're gonna be really messed up, ain't we? Berry Pinch lost her momma, and many of the rest lost their moms and pops already. How're we gon' have a future if we can't get coal for Twilight's Generator?" The other two fillies remained silent, and Scootaloo eventually spoke up, "It's sad, but it's true, Cap. We're not doing anything useful by sitting around in the snow, and we might not get the chance to become cool grownups if we all freeze or starve." The Captain returned his gaze back towards the fillies, and he smiled once again. Reaching down, he ruffled Apple Bloom's mane, "You're all very smart. Smarter than me, perhaps. Maybe you should have my job, and I should get the chance to play in the snow! Wouldn't that be a good idea?" "Bleh! No way!" Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out. A shrill whistle filled the room, and the Captain's ears rotated along with his head towards the kettle on the stove, "Ah, good timing!" he said, rising from his seat. Walking towards the stove, he levitated the kettle off, before taking a few cups and pouring the boiling hot water into them. On a china plate, he took a few pieces of stale bread left over from the stores, before levitating the cups, kettle, and plate back over to the coffee table in the lounge, "Now, let's have some tea and let me think of a story for you all, eh?" "Did you ever meet Daring Do, Cap? You were an explorer too, right!?" Scootaloo asked eagerly, eyes pouncing between the plate of bread crumbs and the "tea". While boiled water and crumbs was no imported tea and crumpets, it was a luxury in the Frostlands. "I can't say I did meet Daring Do, Scootaloo," the Captain chuckled, thinking of the ridiculous image of himself printed alongside the titular protagonist on the cover of one of those fictional novels, "But I was indeed an explorer. I had a short stint mapping out the Rain Isles, if you would like to hear about that?" Apple Bloom was about to open her mouth, but a rapid series of knocks broke the flow of conversation. The Captain looked over to the door, raising an eyebrow, "What now!?" he exclaimed loud enough for the knocker to hear. "Captain! The scouts have returned!" came the voice of Doctor Hooves. The Captain immediately stood up, going to the door to unlatch it. Behind him, Scootaloo jumped in circles around the coffee table, tiny wings fluttering as she chanted "Rainbow'sbackRainbow'sbackRainbow'sbackRainbow'sback!" The Captain threw open the door, only sparing Doctor Hooves a passing glance before looking up towards the cliffs on the eastern side of the valley. The sights of ponies flying to and from the valley floor filled the Captain's heart with hope. "They bring with them 22 ill and wounded, Captain sir," Doctor Hooves reported, "Seems like their transmission about having 20 wounded was literal, sir," Hooves said grimly, "As in that was all they had." His face fell, the color draining from it as he heard the number, "What about the eighty others? Where did they go?" The Captain demanded to know. Hooves frowned, "You should ask Lieutenant Dash about that yourself." A hoof was felt on the Captain's hind leg, and Apple Bloom's voice met his ear, "Can we come too?" Hooves looked at the filly, before swallowing and looking back up at the Captain, "The wounded are in a bad way, sir." Nodding, the Captain pointed towards the trio of fillies, "Hooves. Stay with them, okay? I'm sure you have lots of exciting news about the way our Generator works, yes?" Hooves swallowed. The Captain knew full well the stallion was not at all suited as a caretaker, but despite his reservations the earth pony slowly nodded, "...Y-Yes sir." Sparing one more look towards the fillies, the Captain donned his winter coat again and stepped back out his door, cantering to make his way towards the Beacon. "Medic! Medic!" "We need a stretcher over here!" "Goddesses! Set up a tent! We need triage!" The sound of chatter emanating from the Beacon did not instill the Captain with confidence as he approached the loitering crowd surrounding the base of the rope elevator leading to the top of the valley. Ponies parted at the sight of the Captain's face, red sash, and washed body. A snow caked sled sat next to several other makeshift sleds made out of canvas and wooden planks. The Scouts, recognizable to the Captain, pulled several bodies onto a spread out tarpaulin as chatter waved through the crowd. The Captain's eyes alighted on Rainbow Dash, who was busy tending to a pink earth pony mare laid down on one of the canvas mats. Raising his voice, he shouted in an authoritative tone, "Lieutenant Dash! Come to the Scout cabin and make your report!" Rainbow Dash looked up from the pink mare, before taking off her outer cloak and laying it down on the pink earth pony, "No sir. I'm not leaving Pinkie until a doctor comes to take care of her." Frowning, the Captain looked over as a pair of doctors parted the crowd, "You, there! Come, start by tending this mare!" he pointed towards the pink pony." The doctor, the chief surgeon of New Ponyville, looked to his companion, "Dr. Melody. Go ahead and triage her." Rainbow Dash stepped back as a grey earth pony mare walked up, nervousness present in her body language as she glanced anxiously at the Captain. Trying to keep her eyes from staring at the Captain for too long, Dr. Melody crouched down next to the pink mare and began to unbutton her cloak to check her vitals. The Captain gave the doctor a lingering gaze, but eventually shrugged and looked up to Rainbow, "Well, Lieutenant?" Dash nodded, before walking over towards the cabin, pushing past her fellow scouts and the gathered crowd of onlookers. The Captain followed her silently, watching as her Lamp glowed dully against the walls of the cabin as dusk approached. As the door shut and latched behind them, locking out the murmuring of the crowd, Rainbow Dash turned around with a grim, defeated look on her face, "Captain. The camp was mostly abandoned when we got there. A majority of the healthy ponies tried to reactivate the Lorry Seven boiler and weakened the ice shelf. The lorry and its steam core, as well as around fifty of the ponies you abandoned are at the bottom of the crevasse. The rest took off when they discovered the remaining 'firewood' was enchanted to be fireproof. The only ones left were the wounded and ill who couldn't walk on their own. They had a pair of doctors with them, but they passed out halfway through the trips and we had to drag them all slowly back home." The Captain stood, dumbfounded. Construction wood? Unless the stores of Lorry Seven had been unintentionally replaced with enchanted wood and the manifest hadn't been updated, that was impossible. Giving a hard swallow, he soberly whispered, "...You did good, Lieutenant. It must have been no easy task to get those ponies home..." Rainbow Dash shoved the Captain back a few steps, "You're lucky Pinkie was one of the few to survive. If I was Lightning, I'd be beating your ass and throwing you into the hot end of the Generator by now. If we'd been there a few days earlier. If you'd let us go out sooner, they'd all be fine!" The Captain blinked, shocked by his lieutenant, "You wouldn't have been able to navigate back." "We would've figured out a way!" Rainbow snapped, stomping a hoof, "Or you could've finished it once we were already out there! I don't know! What's important is that we were all twiddling our hooves here while those ponies were dying in negative fifty degrees!" Placing a hoof against his forehead, the unicorn tried to calm himself, "Listen, Lieutenant, there might still be something to be done. Did you record where the ponies fled to in search of the Generator? There's a few ice caves to the north of the campsite, if they had gone there they might've taken shelter from the wind..." Rainbow Dash shook her head, "...Listen, Cap, I'm done for now. Talk to me about throwing us out back into the wild tomorrow. I want to stay by my friend's bedside until the morning and see AJ and Rares. Am I dismissed?" the sarcasm dripping off of the end of her sentence hit the Captain in the face. "...Yes, Lieutenant. You can go and rest. There's a filly back at my home who wishes to see you," the Captain frowned, and narrowed his eyes as he examined his lieutenant's face. Her nose was beginning to turn a deeper shade of blue than the rest of her coat, and her lips were doing the same. Her voice was also thinner and raspier than before she went out, "..Are you okay, Lieutenant? You seem frostbitten." Rainbow Dash, who was already heading towards the door, huffed, "...I'll be fine. It's no worse than any other pony here." The door shut behind the cyan pegasus as the Captain was left in the dark, the oil lantern meant for lighting up the cabin having stayed unlit through their conversation. Alone in the cabin, the Captain was left with his thoughts once again. The medical post was crowded. Ponies lay around the Captain's hooves as he pushed inside the tent, the electric lanterns dangling from the ceiling lighting up the interior of the medical tent as night fell outside. Barely recovered ponies had been evicted from their places on the beds and floors of the medical post to make way for the newly arrived gravely ill from the rescue mission. The overworked, haggard medical personnel moved around the tent, checking vitals and writing reports. The Captain walked his way over to a beige unicorn with huge bags under his eyes as he stood over an unconscious patient, whispering to himself as he measured a heart rate The Captain coughed, "Doctor Horse?" Doctor Horse opened his eyes, bloodshot and thin as they were, "...Yes, Captain?" "You look like hell, Doctor," the Captain frowned. Doctor Horse closed his eyes again, "Thanks." With a dry chuckle, the Captain looked over the patients in the tent, trying to get over the stench of dirty bandages and dying ponies, "...What's the situation?" Doctor Horse stifled a yawn, "22 patients. 2 of them are doctors, and they perked up once we fed them and cured their hypothermia. They began self-tending and will pitch in to help with the rest soon. The doctor indicated towards the pegasus sleeping in the bed in front of him, "This one is named Derpy Hooves. Suffered a wing fracture and broken ribs when Lorry Seven crashed. She's conscious, and wants to see her daughter. We don't think she'll ever fly again, but otherwise it seems she can work." He moved further down the line, beckoning the Captain to follow, "This one is a 'Spoiled Rich'. Shattered tailbone, and several spine compressions. She's caught pneumonia from the cold." The mare lying in the bed gave a series of wracking coughs, and looked at the Captain for a few seconds with an unreadable stare. "This one is Petunia Petals. Severe concussion seems to have knocked them into a coma. We're afraid she's going to be taking up a lot of time in our beds until we can coax her into consciousness." Another one, "Night Glider. Two crushed forehooves. We're going to need to amputate to save her life." Another one, "Bluenote. Shattered horn, crushed larynx. Some speedy intervention from the two doctors kept him alive and barely conscious, but he's going to be mute for the rest of his life." Another one, "Cloud Chaser. Another flightless pegasus due to a compound fracture in the wing and a pulled tendon. Fractured skull, and some severe frostbite. We think brain damage and a life in bandages." Another one, "Radiant Dawn. This one's an engineer, so we've been trying our best with her. She got severe steam burns while trying to save her infant Luster Dawn from a leaking gauge assembly during the crash." Another one, "Double Diamond. Broke his back under a falling beam. He's never going to walk again. Contracted pneumonia while waiting for rescue." Another one, "Mountain Haze. Cut himself on a broken window and steel debris while trying to escape the wreckage alone. He was left behind, but his wounds became infected and he fell ill. We're not sure if he'll make it." Doctor Horse came to one final patient, lying on the ground at the back of the medical post. The Captain recognized the mare as the same earth pony that Rainbow Dash insisted on being treated, "Pinkamena Diane Pie. Crushed leg, broken ribs, concussion. We've amputated her hind, left leg, and we're going to need to amputate her front right due to an infected cut sustained during her rescue. She'll live." The doctor turned towards the Captain, adjusting his glasses, "The rest are in the second post, and you should ask Doctor Scalpel about them. But first, there's a concern I need to bring up to you, Captain." The Captain nodded, "Of course. Go ahead." "A lot of these patients are going to need long-term care. I can't keep them here forever. I had to discharge patients who weren't healed to take care of them, and the lines are getting longer outside every passing day. The two extra staff will help, but it's not enough to expand our facilities any further. We're already stressed to the point of insanity here," Doctor Horse brushed a stray strand of his mane away, "We need a Care House. A place for long-term palliative care of the gravely ill and amputees." The Captain pursed his lips, "...It wouldn't be too hard to build a few dedicated bunkhouses for the occasion. Who would staff it?" Doctor Horse grunted, "...Well, volunteers, I think. Doctors would stop by to give regular treatments and medicine, and workers would clean chamber pots and distribute meals. It'd free up beds here, and we could monitor their rationing." The Captain nodded, "I'll have the policy passed by tonight and I'll tell Doctor Hooves to get us a few quick blueprints." Doctor Horse inhaled a sigh of relief, "...Thank you, sir. That's a relief. There's one more thing, though." The Captain nodded once more, "Yes? "As for the amputees... I remember back in Equestria, we could use enchantments to create operational prosthetic limbs. It might be a hard ask to produce those out here, but with the amount of frostbite cases I have both here and waiting outside..." Doctor Horse pursed his lips, "...At least consider it. Already the amputees we have are despondent over the thought of what they've lost. Even if the solution is far away, promising it might go a long way for morale." The Captain looked down to the floor. Indeed, the engineer's jobs would already be complicated enough researching the vital industries to keep the city running, but Horse was being pragmatic about it - He really only needed to promise he'd do it, not make it a priority. "I'll definitely consider it, Doctor," the Captain nodded, "Is there anything else?" Doctor Horse shook his head, "No sir. That's all." The Captain pulled his cap over his ears, before bidding Horse a "Farewell". With that, he stalked off into the night, trying his best to ignore the teeming crowd of sick gathering close together outside of the walls of the medical post...