//------------------------------// // Chapter 27: Awakenings: // Story: Get Him 3 // by Lord Blackraven //------------------------------// Awakenings Nurse Redheart went about her duties as she always did. It had been a long shift today and it had only been one near miss after another since Alex had been wounded in battle with diamond dogs at the Castle of the Two Sisters and Princess Luna had given her blood to help save his life. He had been in a coma for about three weeks now and there had been little to no change in his condition. The one good thing in all this was that he hadn’t gotten any worse during this time. Just as she had finished looking over Alex and was on the other side of the partition curtain, checking on her one winged Pegasus amputee patient, she suddenly heard a low moan and some shuffling on the other side of the curtain. After finishing her checkup of the Pegasus, probably a little faster than normal, she found Alex shuffling around as if trying to awaken from being put under anesthesia for a major operation. He hadn’t open his eyes yet, but he looked as if he was trying to awaken. Nurse Redheart went to the rooms intercom and hit the alert button. “Doctor Hoofson! Doctor Trotter! Our special patient is waking up! I repeat. The patient is waking up! Doctors Hoofson and Trotter, upon hearing the announcement over the hospitals intercom, were instantly up and running down the hall for the “special patient” in room 25. Once there, they were met with the Pegasus Royal Guards that had been assigned by Princess Celestia to protect Alex. The guards parted to let the doctors through. Doctors Hoofson and Trotter immediately began to carefully examine Alexs vitals with Doctor Trotter closing his eyes while lighting up his horn and scanning Alexs internals and wounds down to the cellular level to see if there were any potential complications since his blood transfusion. Alex continued to moan and move but a little as the effects of his coma continued to wear off. Doctor Trotter turned to his friend and said with a smile, “I think we should send word to the princesses, of the good news.” “I agree.” Hoofson replied, as he went to the door and opened it. “Guards. I need one of you to immediately go to their highnesses quickly and inform them that our patient is awaking! I am sure they will be happy to hear the good news!” Upon hearing this one of the pegasus guards took to the air and flew down the corridor to the main doors at the front of the hospital and made for the castles throne room as fast as he could. Princess Celestia was trying to look interested in the continual inane babbling of the rather fat and haughty unicorn noblemare before her as she tried to convince and petition her about her right to something that Celestia had quite forgotten during her rather boring presentation. ….”What are we to do your highness?” Celestia shook her head to clear the verbal cobwebs this mare had filled it with... ” Well, you might want to start with a salad.” She replied. The unicorn mares jaw almost hit the floor in shock at what Celestia said but before she could protest anything, the throne room doors opened and a solar guard entered and bowed. “Your Highness?” “Yes?” “I bring word from the Canterlot Hospital.” “What is it!?” She asked both nervously and yet filled with hope. “He is waking up. Was all I was told to tell you.” “Yes. Thank you guard. This is very good news!” Turning to the unicorn nobelmare she then said. “I am sorry but you will have to excuse me. I have something very important to see to at the moment.” And with that Princess Celestia lit up her horn and teleported with a flash of golden light only to reappear in front of her sisters bedroom chamber doors. Quietly entering she found her sister sound asleep. “This would be the perfect chance to pull a prank on her.” She thought as she approached Lunas sleeping form. “But sometimes one must let the easy ones go.” She thought to herself with a sigh shaking her head. Instead she thought the better of it and gently shook Lunas sleeping form with a hoof. “Luna. Luna” She said as she continued to nudge her sister. Luna began to stir and opened her bleary teal eyes. “Uhn. Celestia. Sister. What is it? Is everything all right?” She said with a yawn. “Yes everything is all right Luna. Better than even. I bring good news.” “What Tidings dost thou bring at this hour?” Celestia answered with only four simple words. “He is waking up!” She excitedly whispered. Luna was suddenly awake. “He is?! Dost thou truly speak the truth?” “Yes sister. I was just informed only moments ago. Shall we go see him? “YES! I mean yes sister. Let us go now to greet him.” Luna said trying to seem more regal considering her momentary outburst of excitement. “Well, before we go you might want to fix your mane and tail. You have a rather bad case of manehead at the moment. We wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on young Alex now would we?” Celestia snickered. Luna yelped when she looked at herself in her vanities mirror. “This will never do!” she said as she went hurriedly about straightening her flowing mane and tail with her magic and then setting her royal regalia in its proper places upon her person. “Now that looks much better.” She stated “All ready. Let’s go.” And with a flash of magic from both of their glowing horns they disappeared from the room. Nurse Redheart was watching over charge, carefully monitoring his vitals as Alex slowly fought to regain consciousness. It was at this time when the two diarchs of equestrian quietly entered the room. There they witnessed Alexs human form struggling to awaken as he tossed and turned a little and mumbled in his sleep as though he was having a nightmare. Out of instinct Luna lit up her horn and began to weave the spell that would allow her to enter Alexs sleeping mind. “Princess please stop!” Doctor Hoofson said a little below a shout as he came into the room which in turn broke her concentration and thus causing her spell to fizzle and fade out like a dying ember. “Doctor Hoofson. Why did you stop me from entering his nightmare? I was only trying to help him.” “I know, your highness, Please forgive me, but in my medical opinion, he has to awaken on his own. You cannot help him in this instance. Think of his mind as a newly hatching bird. If the mother and father help the hatchling get out of its shell then it will die because it has to exercise its muscles to make itself strong enough to survive. It will be too weak otherwise. Alex has to do this on his own. However if you want to help him, I would recommend that talking to him and touching him would help the most. If he knows you are there talking to and encouraging him, that will help the most. No magic.” “We understand doctor.” Celestia said quietly and walked over to Alexs bedside and unfurled her ivory wing and began to softly caress his face and torso. Luna quickly followed suit following her sisters’ example and unfurling her indigo wing and laying it gently against his arm. As she did so she touched Alexs open palm and he reflectively curled his fingers around a couple of her primaries and seemed to not want to let go. This went on for a few more minutes until he groggly opened his eyes and mumbled “Mom? Dad? In a raspy voice. Celestia and Luna both smiled as he continued to become more coherent, his eyes looking about as he tried to focus on the blurry forms above him. As he did he recognized the two princesses looking at him with gentile smiles on their faces. “C-Celestia? L-Luna? What happened? Where am I?” “You are in the Canterlot Hospital recovery room 25 if you must know.” Celestia said softly. “Welcome back to us my young friend.” She then stepped back and allowed the doctor to check his eyes and do his doctor things that all good doctors do. “Alex? My name is Doctor Hoofson. I have been taking care of you along with Nurse Redheart and Doctor Trotter.” As the nurse and unicorn stepped into his view next to Doctor Hoofson. “Wow. Your pretty.” He groggily said to the white mare. Redheart blushed a little and turned her head away “You? Not so much so.” He said to the doctor who smiled and chuckled a bit, good naturedly. “…And you have a pointy thing on your head.” He said. The unicorn smiled at his keen observation and description of his horn. “Yes. Well, how are you feeling young colt?” “Like I chased a fart through a keg of nails, if you must know!” he sighed. “Any way I can get a drink of water around here or somethin’? Maybe some pain killers? My head feels like it’s about to split in two.” No one understood what that exactly meant by his answer but it sounded so funny that everyone in the room burst out in laughter with Celestia giggle snorting in between guffaws which made all present laugh even more as Alex smiled at their reactions. The stress of this whole long ordeal melting away from all present over his answer to the doctors question. “It’s good to see you still have your sense of humor.” Luna said after she had regained some self-control. Levitated a glass of water over to him while at the same time using her magic to raise him up enough to take the pain killers and drink the water she held to his lips. He felt a little tugging on his hand and looked over only to realize he still had a hold of Lunas wing in his hand. “Oh! Sorry princess Luna! I didn’t mean to mess up your feathers!” as he let go. Yes they were a little rumpled from his grasp but she couldn’t care less. “It’s no problem Alex. I am just happy and relieved to see that you are awake and have come back to us.” She said with a smile. “We have all been very worried about you.” “Thanks.” He said tiredly as he was gently laid back down. He then looked away from them all and seemed to be deep in thought. “Alex? What is it?” Celestia asked in a soft motherly tone. Alex turned his head back to the snow white princess where his gaze met her pink eyes. “How long? How long was I gone?… not here?” He couldn’t think of the right word. Celestia looked at the doctor and he gave her a nod. “What do you remember?” She asked. Alex closed his eyes and concentrated on trying to bring back the memories. “I remember some dogs hurting a little kid. That really pissed me off so I dealt with them and took the little one with me and tried to help him. How is he by the way? Is he ok?” The heart monitor connected to him jumped up a bit faster as he became excited with worry while trying to sit up. “Yes he is. Thanks to you.” Celestia said with a smile. “He is quite well.” As she gently pushed him back down with her hoof. As he lay back down his arm came back off the bed slightly and his hand flexed involuntarily a couple of times until he felt something soft in his palm. His fingers reflexively wrapped around it as he looked down. Luna had placed her wingtip back in his grasp. He looked back up at her and smiled. “Thank you.” He whispered. “What else do you remember?” Celestia gently prodded. I got back to my home and was attacked by more of those dogs and then Sarah, I mean, Luna showed up. It was her but it wasn’t. I don’t know any other way to say it. And then I was here. How did I get here anyways?” He asked while looking questioningly into Celestias eyes. “There is much more to the story Alex but not right now. You still need your rest if you are going to make a full recovery. However, I will tell you that you have been asleep for about three weeks now.” Celestia spoke softly and smiled. “Wow!” He whispered. As his eyes began to droop and close. Celestia looked to her little sister and her horn was gently glowing as she lulled Alex back to sleep. “Come your highnesses. It’s time we let our friend sleep.” Doctor Hoofson whispered. The princess turned to leave but Luna was held back. As she turned she noticed that Alex still had a hold of her wingtip. When she gently tried to pull her wing away his grip tightened slightly. “Sister, I may tarry here a bit longer.” Looking toward Alexs hand and her wing still in his grasp as he slept. Celestia looked over her withers, smiled, and nodded as she turned and left with the doctor and nurse.