//------------------------------// // In the Hospital (16) // Story: Gale Watch // by Grainne Ni Bhroin //------------------------------// Gale woke to an electronic beeping forcing its way through the fog in his mind. He couldn’t feel half his body and whatever he could feel was stiff and ached. The lights were too bright, the noise was too loud and this didn’t feel like his bed but when he tried to sit up and look around he discovered his front hooves were strapped down. Sitting on a chair beside the bed, Haki was woken by the sudden burst of activity next to him and turned to see Gale struggling against the restraints. “Gale! Gale stop, it's okay.” He pushed the call button on the bedside table and stood up, laying a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “Please, calm down. You’re gonna hurt yourself more.” “Haki?” He looked over to the zebra beside him. “Where am I?” “The hospital,” he replied with tears in his eyes. “They told me what happened” At those words it all came rushing back to him. The roof, the jacket, the fall, it should have worked. “It was an accident, I was trying to fly down,” she said between sharp breaths. “With your wings tied up?” “They got tangled in my jacket.” “Storm Front saw you tie your jacket around them!” the zebra cried. Silence hung over the room until Haki leaned over and kissed Gale on the cheek, tears dripping onto the pillow beside his head. “When they told me I thought I’d lost you.” “I’m sorry Haki. I’m so sorry.” At that moment a nurse came into the room. “Gale Force, finally awake? I hate to interrupt you two but I’ll just need to squeeze in here.” She walked up beside the bed as Haki returned to the chair. “I’m going to release your legs but don’t try to move just yet okay.” Gale nodded in response and the nurse slowly undid the straps. “Okay now slowly sit up for me. I just need to do a quick check and I can get out of your mane.” He braced his front hooves against the bed and pushed himself into a roughly sitting position, wincing as his lower half dragged across the sheet. Finally able to properly look around he noticed an IV tube running under the blanket around his hind legs. “How long has it been?” “Almost two days,” Haki interjected before the nurse could speak, “We didn’t know what to tell Elektrum.” “I’m sorry.” “Okay Gale Force, can you move each of your legs for me,” the nurse asked. He stretched out each of his front legs easily but when he tried to move a hind leg it felt numb and slow to respond and when it did move it jerked and banged against the side of the bed with a loud clang. Gale reached for the blanket and pulled it to the side revealing two suntech legs where his own had been, the plastic tube running into a port on the left leg. “What…” “That’s to be expected with new prosthetics, it may take you a few days to get used to walking again.” At that moment a unicorn walked into the room “I can take it from here nurse.” “Okay doctor.” She handed him the tablet as she made her way out. “Let’s see now.” He scanned through the tablet. “Gale Force, pegasus, 16 years old, male, attempted suicide, severe blunt force trauma.” Gale gave Haki an apologetic look. “You’re lucky to be alive young stallion, and lucky you didn’t break your spine. They had to replace both hind legs and both hips. You’re going to want help walking for a while. And while you managed to avoid injuring your wings you did crack two ribs so I advise not flying for at least a week.” “I ah… I see,” Gale choked out, his voice threatened to give way to sobs. “When can I go home?” The doctor frowned at the question. “That will be up to the psychiatrist, you’re on suicide watch kid. They’ll probably want to keep you a few more days but since we don’t have a pediatric ward you’ll be staying in this room if they do.” With each word Gale’s heart sunk further and it was all he could do to keep from crying. A few more days here, away from home, away from Haki. Why couldn’t it have worked. It should have fucking worked. “Gale Force? Are you listening” The words shook him from his thoughts. “What.” “Do you have any other medical questions? Otherwise I’ll let the psych know you’re ready to see them.” “O-oh, no.” “Okay then, the psychiatrist should see you in the next few hours”. The doctor left the room muttering to himself, “And so young, what could possibly be so bad.” He shut the door behind him. Haki walked back over to Gale’s side. “Gale I’m so sorry, I-” But he was interrupted as Gale threw his legs around the zebra and wept. At a loss for words all Haki could do was hold the sobbing pegasus.