Chapter Five: Whoopee Cushions and Unpaid Dues
The moment Smolder heard the muted shriek in the hallway, she knew who was coming down the hall. A grin already shone on her face as Gallus scurried through the door, one foreleg pressed against his chest as he snickered.
"What did you do this time?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow and leaning back against her pillows. Her spine didn’t scream out at an earsplitting volume at the movement. Nah, just a whimper of a flame tracing up her spinal cord. Small victories.
"Oh, nothing much." He flashed a grin. "Just the usual whoopee cushion on a nurse's chair. Turned out this one was a guy, who knew?" He turned on the sink, ripping off a latex glove and scrubbing at his talons. Smolder noticed a dark red flowing down the sink's stream.
"Gallus..." Smolder raised an eyebrow, leaning forward, one claw pulling the back of her wheelchair.
"Okay, so maybe I went for a little extra. Maybe too much but," he chuckled, “these gloves on the nurse's cart are like the same color as my chest fur.” He raised an eyebrow at her claw before scoffing and lifting his talon and waggling each digit, globs of red flicking off as he did so. "Relax: it’s just ketchup."
Smolder looked skyward, letting go of the chair, letting it thump against her bed. "You say no biggie, and yet here you are being a scaredy catboy about the whole thing."
Gallus grunted as he pulled a paper towel out, wet it, and began to rub it against his ketchup-smeared chest. "Well, let's just say that when I walked by the big nurse at the station—"
"—Sweetheart?" Smolder cut in.
Gallus flashed a goofy grin. "Why, thank you."
If Smolder rolled her eyes one more time, she swore they'd get stuck in a permanent rotation, so she snorted out a plume of smoke instead. "Her name's Nurse Sweetheart."
"Right, Nurse Sweetheart." Gallus frowned at the condiment-soaked paper towel in his grasp as he tossed it into the waste bin and grabbed another. "Well, when I walked by her, she noticed my work—which by the way, I wish I could have shown you what I had going there 'cause I swear it looked like my talon had lost a fight with a woodchipper, dude."
"Get to the point," Smolder sighed. Beneath the rush of water, she heard hoofsteps on linoleum. What did Birdbrain do this time?
"Let's just say she freaked out and ruined the plan, and I think Redheart saw me too, sooooo. Yeah. I was not getting sent back to school without seeing you."
"That's sweet. And stupid. Mostly stupid. In fact, entirely stupid."
Gallus grinned. "Yeah. But, man, that prank would’ve been a rich one. Was hoping I could pull it off in here where you could see it."
“You could have waited until you got in here to do… whatever dumb stuff you did.”
“Yeah, probably should’ve.”
The door opened as though the monster from a scary movie was about to barge in. Going off the shadow-cast glare on Redheart's face, it might as well have been.
"Good afternoon, Nurse Redheart," Smolder said with a grin.
The nurse walked in, holding a clipboard. "Hmm... strange. I received a message about a critical amputation victim requiring immediate assistance in this room on my pager, but it appears the thing must be acting up," she said, narrowing her eyes at Gallus. If not for the dampness of his entire chest, he'd almost look innocent. Well, if he could wipe the smirk off his face or stop fluttering his wings.
"Crazy thing, technology," Gallus chuckled. “Can’t trust it.”
“No, you can’t,” Redheart grunted, taking a step forward. "Smolder," she said, turning to the dragon, "I‘d love to kick out the lovebird on reputation alone and leave you to rest, but I’m afraid it’s time to..." She tapped her watch.
"I know, I know." Smolder sighed. "Look, can it wait? I don't feel anything coming, so--"
"Smolder," Nurse Redheart clicked her tongue before turning to the sink. "Gallus, could you--"
"Right," he said glancing at the clock. "It is two, huh? I'll go grab something from the Caf."
“Yes, and apologize to Nurse Sweetheart on your way there, please.”
Gallus stopped and tilted his head. “Why?”
Redheart groaned and glared. It wasn’t aimed at her, yet Smolder still pulled the sheets up a little closer to her chin. Scales, that mare could be intense. “Just do the right thing, young man.”
With a thumbs-up Gallus exited, closing the door behind him and leaving Smolder to glare over at her nurse, arms crossed.
Nurse Redheart raised an eyebrow. "What"
Smolder sighed resting her chin on her chest. She probably looked like a baby, pouting like that. Of course, with what was about to come, she felt like one too. It was embarrassing, pathetic. "Whatever. Nothing. Let's just get this over with." At least Redheart took care of this part---Reins would make it even more awkward.
Redheart rolled the toilet chair out from where it was kept hidden in the empty walk-in. Nobody not looking for it would notice it, so of course Smolder always felt its gaze on her. Looming and laughing at her. Over the last week, Smolder had gotten used to the bathroom routine. Like most of Redheart's duties, the mare kept to a strict schedule and itinerary for this routine. And come to think of it, Smolder may have felt… some pressure in her abs. Any other moment, she’d look at that as a great sign---no doubt, she’d give it some extra thought after she was back in bed---but at the moment, only that dumb chair occupied her mind.
She helped Smolder up out of bed, helped her transfer, and then plopped her down on the bedside toilet. Today, Redheart allowed Smolder a little bit of independence at least. Rather than place Smolder on her ‘throne’ like some helpless hatchling, Redheart told her to grip the bars and work on lowering herself down. Maybe the lid was cold. She couldn’t tell. All she knew was that, eventually, she could lower herself no further, and then the waiting began.
Smolder sat with her claws gripping the bars. The first few trips on the thing had left her feeling like she was about to flop face-down in a pile of her own... yeah. But with practice came balance, and the bars did a good job of providing something to grab. Something to focus on besides this.
Of course, that didn't change the fact that having to balance herself doing something so seemingly automatic sucked. Just like the schedule sucked. Just like the 'help' cleaning up after sucked. Like a lot of Redheart's things, this too had a good heart behind it--growth in independence, lessening of embarrassment, all that fun cr--junk. Fun junk. Ugh. But the heart did little to make the routine any easier.
Redheart kept saying that she should pay careful attention to each step, that she'd have to do this herself one day—as though that were something to be proud of—but Smolder spent most of this time staring off into space, counting the ticks of the clock until she could be placed back in bed, get the covers back over her stupid skinnier-by-the-day legs and Gallus could finally come back in.
Sometimes Redheart filled the silence with conversation. Today, she’d kept silent. It was only after she had transitioned Smolder back up into bed, placing her face down on the padded mattress that she finally spoke. "One more week," Redheart said from back near Smolder's tail.
Smolder sighed, nodding, her nose smothered by the pillows. At least it covered the smell. "Seven more days,” she grumbled in a muffled voice. “Then who knows how many more dozen more pointless ones after that."
The nurse sighed. "Dr. Stable's been giving you quite optimistic reports recently, Smolder. And according to Reins, you’ve been responding well to the stretches. This will be exciting!"
Smolder glanced over her shoulder, glaring at Nurse Redheart as the pony moved the dragon's tail to the side. Smolder grimaced at the sight. Even imagining what it might have felt like... ugh, no thanks. "Yeah, but..."
"But...?"
"My legs," Smolder grunted. "What else could the ‘but’ be? I still can't feel a thing in my legs. I can't move a toe. My tail’s dead weight too. Don't you usually have to show some signs beforehand to... well, you know to..."
Nurse Redheart gently placed Smolder's useless tail back on the bed then grabbed a towel nearby. "This is more Reins’ wheelhouse, but… in most cases, yes, ponies should regain some sensation or movement in their extremities before starting therapy…” Her voice drifted off before fluttering back “... if a significant gain of mobility is to be expected. However, that is not the case in all situations. There are outliers. Also, all of the stuff related to this I know is all related to ponies. You're a dragon. The most stubborn one I've met, sure, but also the toughest."
Smolder half-smiled and sighed. "Not the toughest," Smolder mumbled. "Clearly."
Redheart scoffed as she finished drying Smolder off. "If anything, you're far too tough, dear." She turned Smolder over gently. “I worry about you, Smolder. Your scales are thick as iron, but there's a lot of fire in that belly of yours. Arms up, please." Smolder did just that, and Redheart neatly lowered the gown over Smolder's arms and head. "If you don't let it out, you're going to burn alive."
"Dragons are impervious to fire. We swim in lava pools for crying out loud."
"Again. On the outside." Nurse Redheart turned around, grabbed a small book from the sink counter, and placed it on Smolder's tray table. There was no title on the cover or spine of the book. All it had on it was an emblazoned drawing of a flame at the bottom of its orange cover.
"Don't tell me this is a dumb old diary," Smolder groused.
"It’s whatever you wish to make it." Redheart leaned down and placed a hoof on Smolder's claw. "If you're not willing to let it out to us, let it out on the paper. If you burn it, maybe that’ll make you feel better too. Then, I'll buy another and we can keep this song and dance going until you are released." The pony grinned. "What harm is there in trying, dear?"
Smolder frowned at the journal. "What would I even write in this scrap?"
"Whatever comes to mind. The weather, how your day is going, what you want to eat, how much you hate the food here, whatever." She smiled a coy smile. "You can even write about who comes to see you."
Smolder wanted to scream. "Every time. Every stinkin' time, Redheart. Do you have to do this every time?"
Nurse Redheart smirked. "Until it stops making you blush like that, yes. We nurses require entertainment to get through our days as well." She moved through the rest of the routine with expert efficiency: she rolled the portable toilet to the real one and emptied it out (Smolder always closed her eyes during that part. Sure, it was part of her but it was still gross). Then she flushed, rinsed out the plastic bowl, and moved the portable back to the darkest recesses of the closet. Smolder frowned. So many steps to remember. Using the bathroom used to be so easy…
The small squeak of the hinges roused Smolder from her thoughts. "You may enter, Mr. Gallus," Redheart said.
Gallus walked in, smiling smugly and wiping crumbs from his beak. "That's what I'm talking about," he said. "Mister. Love it. Thank you, Ma'am."
"Quit making me feel old, Gallus," the nurse laughed as she walked out of the room. “You apologized to Nurse Sweetheart, I assume? I will be checking in with her, and if not you’re gone for the day.”
Gallus nodded. “Yes. I… guess I still don’t get how jumpy ponies get.”
“It’s in our nature to be worried. It’s because we care.” Redheart grabbed a clipboard off the counter. “Remember that.”
“Aye aye!” Gallus saluted before hopping up on the edge of her bed, carefully missing her feet.
"Cake. At 2.” Smolder shook her head. “That'll do wonders for your figure."
Gallus scoffed. "Well, I'll just double time at the gym later then." He stuck his tongue out at her and she returned fire, giggling the whole time.
"So, Legs," he said, hopping down from the bed. "What's the plan?"
Smolder shrugged. "Dunno. I was thinking about going to see Starry." Her brow furled. "Have you met her yet?"
He shook his head. "No. You've mentioned her a few times, but nah."
"Cool. Then that's definitely the plan.” Smolder grabbed the remote from off her lap and lowered the bed. “Alright, get me in that chair, and let's go."
Gallus chuckled but quickly frowned as silence ticked away with the second hand of the clock. "Wait,” he finally said. “You’re serious?"
"Dead," Smolder said, sitting up. "I can do most of this myself. You just need to do the little things."
"Define little things."
Smolder shrugged. "Move the chair over, make sure the brakes are locked, unlock 'em to move around if needed, help me scoot to the edge of the bed, help me move my legs into place on the footrests, oh and make sure the brakes are locked the whole time. Nothing big." She winked. "Like I said. Easy."
"Uh-huh..." Gallus said. In a flash, he reached down and pressed the call button on Smolder's bed.
"What are you doing?" Smolder asked.
"The little things," he replied.
Redheart opened the door, a confused look on her face. "Yes? What's wrong, dear?"
Smolder glared at Gallus. "Nothing. Gallus here is just being a scaredy cat again."
Gallus glared back. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Smolder replied.
Redheart rolled her eyes. "Kids..." she mumbled. "What do you need?"
Smolder motioned to her chair. "I was trying to get Gallus to help me so you didn't need to distract yourself from your other patients since you have a whole frickin’ job to do.” She side-eyed Gallus. He shrunk briefly before raising his head, attempting to puff out his still-damp chest. “But I guess he decided they weren't important, so he wussed out and pressed the button."
"Lies!" Gallus said, pointing at Smolder. "I just don't want to risk hurting you. I've literally never done this before."
"I told you, I had most of it."
"Oh yeah.” Gallus raised a talon skyward, rolling his eyes. Scales, did she look that dumb when she did it? “All I have to do is the stuff on the list of little things that are, like, a hundred items long?"
Redheart closed the door. Not a slam, but hard enough to gain Smolder and Gallus' attention. She tapped her hooves, gaze darting from dragon to griffon and back again. "Well?" she asked. "Get to it. I'll watch to make sure nothing goes wrong" When neither creature responded, she frowned and tapped her hoof harder. “Well? I can’t wait here all day. Get to it.”
Smolder nodded, smirking at the wide-eyed bird boy’s expression. "Well, you heard her.”
Gallus nodded, standing up and looking around."So… Get the chair?"
"Yep."
He took a step back, leaning down and pulling the handle by each wheel. "Unlock the brakes."
"Roll it over," Smolder said a bit quickly.
"I know that. Just making sure I go through the steps. Roll it over," he hissed as he moved the chair over faster than normal. Once it was set, he glanced up. "Okay, now your turn."
Smolder glanced down at him, a smirk tugging at her lips as she crossed her arms. Oh, you poor Birdbrain.
"What?" he asked.
She simply smirked harder as he threw his forelegs skyward
"What?!" he repeated
"Brakes," Smolder sang in a crackly voice. Singing wasn’t her thing, but when Gallus was on the other end, she couldn’t resist.
Gallus huffed. "Right. Sure. Whatever." He snapped the brakes back into place and stepped back.
"Winner winner, chicken dinner," Smolder said, giving Gallus a toothy grin.
"Okay, Your Royal Smugness, your move." He motioned with a single talon. "Scoot away."
Smolder's smirk drooped. Yeah, when she thought about it, giving Gallus grief probably wasn't the best move. She'd gotten some practice transferring, but usually, Redheart or whoever was on duty would do a lion's share of the work. "Right," she said, twisting the sheets in her claws. "Right."
Gallus tapped a paw. It was his turn to smirk. "Clock's ticking."
"Bite me," Smolder muttered, staring down at the sheets. With a heavy sigh, she tossed the covers aside, shivering even though she couldn't actually feel any new cold drafts. Slowly, she sat up straight. The dizziness was little more than a gentle bobbing now, making her skull and ears feel hollow for only about a second. At least there she was improving.
Once she was up and ready, she shot Gallus a nervous glance. No matter how many days passed, moving her legs still felt... awkward, for lack of a better word, and Gallus staring at her with that stupid bird smirk on his face wasn't helping. Sighing, she reached down under her right thigh and wrapped her claws around her knee. While she could see that the muscles had atrophied, the wasting sure as shale felt like it had done nothing to lessen the weight of her limbs. Lifting the leg and moving it to the edge of the bed still took more effort than it should have, and she had to stop and lean against the arm rail before moving to the next one. She couldn't tell if it was due to any weight in her legs (Scales knows there wasn't much in them besides bone now) or just the wear of the motion on her back. Her best theory was that they’d chopped her legs off and replaced them with cannonballs. That was the only reasonable explanation. The headaches always came heavy in these moments, as did the bolts in her back, but she would be damned if she let Gallus see that. She wasn't letting Birdbutt win this one.
"How are we doing, Smolder?" Nurse Redheart asked, taking a step forward, the steely gaze softening.
"Good. I’ve got this." With those words, Smolder moved her left leg over the side of the bed as well. With a strange crabwalk-like scooch that always found a way to murder her shoulders, Smolder slid herself closer to the edge of the bed, staring down at the wheelchair thousands of feet below her. Bile—totally from lunch and not due to any nerves or anything—tickled at her throat, and she swallowed it with a gag. "Okay," she said. She looked up at Gallus. The smirk was gone, replaced by a soft smile. He nodded and she nodded back. "Okay," she repeated, placing a claw on the armrest of the wheelchair.
"I'm here," he said softly. He reached his talons out, spotting her near her elbows.
"Brakes locked?" she asked.
"Haven't unlocked them. They're good."
"You sure?"
"One hundred percent. Trust me."
"You were sure last time too!" Smolder shook her head taking a deep breath. "Sorry. O-okay... 1... 2...
"2...
"...2..."
Gallus' talons hovered closer to her elbows. The rough grain of his nails nipped at her scales. They locked eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip.
"3!"
The chair stayed stationary as she lifted off the mattress with one claw, the other wrist shaking on the armrests of the wheelchair while her elbows walloped against the side of the mattress as she lowered herself down slowly, quickly moving the second claw to the other armrest. She couldn't tell if her butt hit the seat at an angle, but the world stayed diagonal, spinning her head and sparking her back. She hissed and tried to lift herself back up but for all the energy her arms were spending shivering like a scared child on the armrests, they couldn't do her a solid and push some of that energy into pushing her up. A pair of talons gripped her under the armpits. "Push," Gallus whispered.
His voice was all her arms needed to hear, apparently. With a hiss and a grunt, she pushed the world straight and gently lowered her dead lower half back onto the seat. Each breath carried the dreaded other shoe upon it, ready to drop her on the floor, but all remained stable. Gallus leaned in from beside her, patting the armrest. One breath later, she had her arms wrapped around him, nearly knocking the wind out of the poor griffon as she pulled his chest against the armrest. "Great job, dude!" she said, looking up and grinning.
Gallus patted her arms a few times until she let go. He stood up, rubbing his neck and coughing. "You did most of the work," he choked. "And Redheart took care of your tail.
Smolder groaned and rolled her eyes. Even in paralysis, her fat tail just had to make everything about itself and get in the way. "Figures," she muttered, leaning over and giving the tail a light smack. She couldn't feel if the message got across, but at least it shook in fear at her hit. Despite the frustration, a wide smile tugged on her cheeks as she turned back to Gallus and leaned back against the chair. Her spine screamed out at her to fix her posture. And she did, for about a second before she leaned forward again, reaching to adjust her legs. The sudden movement hit her like a train, leaving the world swaying. Her claws dug into the foam armrests as she waited for the wave to pass.
"I got ya," Gallus said. The storm of dizziness swayed on, but her heart beat it away, steadier and steadier, before picking up the pace as she watched Gallus grab her left foot and lift it up onto the footrest. While she was not an expert on griffons, the gentleness with which he placed the foot and adjusted her knee was not what she expected. Then again, Gallus was different from most of the other griffons she’d met. He was kind, supportive, intelligent…
Hot.
Smolder's heart accelerated as Gallus moved her right leg into position, his talon thumping gently against her knee when it was straight. "All done," he said, words muffled by the blood pulsing through her ears.
"Thanks," she said, her face hollow save for the heat snaking up her cheeks. She shook it off and punched his shoulder. "Heh, you liked that, didn't you?" she teased.
Gallus rubbed the spot on his shoulder and chuckled. "I can put 'em back where I found 'em and leave it to you. I doubt Redheart would stop me."
"That I would not," Redheart said from her spot near the doorway. She leaned against the frame, forelegs crossed, smiling at Smolder as she shook her head gently. "That was a big moment, Smolder. You did great!"
Smolder grinned and nodded. "Yeah, save for my stupid tail getting in the way."
"That's all about the angle. You'll get it down. You'll get all of this down."
Smolder let out a halfhearted chuckle and shrugged. She looked up at Gallus, whose beak turned upward in a smile.
"Time for an adventure?" he asked.
Smolder smiled and nodded. "Time for an adventure." She placed her claws against the rims and pushed them forward. She reached down again... and was nearly thrown from the chair. Or so it felt. Though her claws nearly tore a chunk out of the foam armrests as she gripped them tight, a few blinks found her back still firm against the backrest. That was weird. Shaking it off, she reached down again. And again, the wheels spun out of her grip.
"Could you not?!" she hissed, glaring over her shoulder. Though she couldn't make eye contact with Gallus without her back getting pissed at her, she could at least glare at him through the mirror.
He lifted one talon from the handles. "I figured you could use a break!"
"I can push myself."
"I know." The talon plopped back down. "I just figured you wanted to get out of here faster."
"You saying I'm slow?"
Gallus shrugged. "Fine, fine. After you."
Smolder rolled the wheels again. No resistance. Was that so hard, Gallus? She pushed again, and the wheels stayed still. "Really, dude?"
"You were about to run over your tail!"
"It's not gonna hurt!" Smolder shook her head and leaned forward, her claws digging into the armrests. She took a deep breath and leaned back, crossing her arms. "Fine, do what you want. I don’t care!"
Gallus sighed. "I want you to roll."
"Now you're being lazy?"
"No, I want you to do what you want to do, so please. Go ahead."
Off to the side, Redheart giggled away like a schoolfilly. "What?" Smolder groused.
Redheart waved a hoof, placing it over her mouth as her face turned red. "Goodness, I can't breathe," she sputtered.
Smolder rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't know CPR so I guess you're screwed there." She tried to scowl but the continued giggling and gasping from the mare pushed a twitching smile to her lips. "Fine, G. Roll away. I'd like to just enjoy the view for a while."
"But I'll be behind yo—"
"Don't. Push. It."
"How can I roll the chair if I don't push--"
"Out and to the left, Featherbutt!"
Redheart fell back into a chair, snorting away. Smolder made sure to give her one last good glare before Gallus rolled her towards the Foal's Ward.
"You've missed some good lectures," said Gallus.
Smolder laughed. "Good napping ones?"
"The best!" Gallus winked. "But, some of the professors have really been stepping up their game."
"Really now?"
"Yeah!"
He was silent for a while. Smolder quickly grew tired of the sound of her wheels rolling along. "Well, you can't just say that without giving examples."
"Fine." Gallus leaned against the wheelchair's handles. "Let's see... I heard Professor Fluttershy brought some injured animals in. Went over how to care for them, but still treat them with respect." He rubbed the back of his neck. Smolder looked at the tiles and frowned. "And Professor Pinkie Pie showed how to, um... bake sympathy cakes with little surprise gags in them. The Jack-in-the-Box one was pretty cool. And, uh Professor Applejack told a story about one of her cousins working in Neighpon."
"Lemme guess," Smolder grumbled, "They're a cripple like me."
Gallus said nothing. "Sorry. I guess... never mind."
"Any of the professors not basing their curriculum around the dragon not in the room?"
Gallus shrugged. "Well, Professor Starlight has kept the magic lessons pretty normal."
"Huh," Smolder snorted. "I figured she'd be going on some spiels about the cans and can nots healing magic."
"No. Not... heh... not this week."
"Figures."
"To be fair, she was only answering a question."
"Whose?"
More silence. This time, heavier. "Ocellus," he finally said.
Smolder sighed, leaning her head back and watching the lights roll by. "Should I even ask what her question was?"
"You probably know. Probably know the answer too." Of course, she did. It was her first question to Dr. Stable once she'd gotten some semblance of consciousness, some understanding of her situation. There had been enough questions, unwanted answers, and screams and tears to last a lifetime. In the end, all of it could be summed up in a single statement: even magic had its limits.
"Professor Rarity hasn't been... uh, focusing on it, per se. I mean, yeah she was the one behind the cards that first week."
"Figured, since they all looked the same."
"Yeah, but she's actually been talking about how sometimes the most generous gift of all is to give nothing. Like, yeah, it's about healing. It's about you. But at least she's talking about respecting space and not being overbearing."
"Yet you're here every day," Smolder chuckled.
"Yeah, I'd give myself an F on that assignment."
Smolder shrugged. "Eh, I'd give you a D minus."
"I'll take it."
All it took was for them to roll past a doorway for the walls and tiles of the hospital halls to change from a boring white and whiter to bright greens and blues. To her right, Smolder's gaze could follow a trailing rainbow mural over a sun-soaked hill that paused only for closed doors or water fountains. To her left, doors stood open, the rooms bathed in sunlight that reflected off the oranges and purple diamonds painted along the tiles. Though the rooms passed by quickly, Smolder could see the stems of some of the taller lavender blossoms swinging in the breeze through the windows, butterflies fluttering their wings against the panes much to the delight of a few young patients.
"So, which room are we going to?" Gallus asked. "The rainbow-colored one, or the other rainbow-colored one?"
"114," she answered. "Just look for--"
"Smolder!" came a bright, accented voice. Gold Cross walked out of one of the rooms, clipboard held in a wing. He reached out a hoof for a quick bump. "I thought you weren't going to make it before the end of my shift."
"Eh, turns out my, heh... schedule falls an hour later than I'd hoped." She shrugged. "But, hey, I'm here."
Gold Cross laughed, lowering the clipboard while using his other wing to smooth his mane. "She's been asking about you all afternoon. Practically bouncing off the walls."
"Hey, I came as fast as I could." She chuckled, then pointed a thumb over her shoulder, receiving an 'Oof' in response. "This is Gallus."
"Ah, yes, the Whoopee Cushion master himself." He raised a wing to Gallus' talon and shook it firmly. "Pleased to meet you for real, mate. I'm Gold Cross."
Gallus rubbed the back of his neck. "Nice to meet ya, Doc."
Gold Cross snickered. "Oh, I wish. However, I don't think I could stand another four years of med school, so it's just nurse."
Gallus took a deep breath. "Right. Sorry. Heh. And sorry about the whole…" Gallus made a farting noise with his beak. “Yeah. Sorry.”
"Don't sweat it. It gave me a chuckle. And you're far from the first to call me Dr." He raised his clipboard and tapped it with a wing as he chuckled. "Case in point: a certain little filly who still sometimes refuses to call me anything but Dr. Nurse."
Smolder shook her head. That Starry was something else. "So, are we good to see her?"
Gold Cross nodded. "When you're here, always," he said as he led them into the room. "Honestly, this is just about the perfect day; I would probably have come down to fetch you myself." He frowned. "She had a rough morning."
Smolder nodded. She wished that was news, but she couldn't say she blamed the filly for feeling down. No kid should ever have to go through what she was.
"Good thing we've got the perfect medicine right here," Gallus said, patting Smolder's shoulder, sending a zap up her chest. She winced but smiled and nodded nonetheless.
Gold Cross walked a little ahead, giving Smolder time to take stock. She didn't recognize the colt in Room 108. He looked tired, but she didn't notice any bandages or casts on the little guy. Tonsils maybe? In Room 110, she had to roll her eyes at Echo Bright. The batpony colt had decided to continue his one-wing flying experiments, jumping from bed to chair to bed again while his poor father tried to catch him, asking him, "Do you want to break your other wing?" The colt's answer? A laugh, of course.
Her smile slipped as they passed Room 112. The bed remained made, the pillows untouched, the sheets clean and neatly folded over the mattress. If she looked closely, the tape residue from where North Sky's mom had taped a cut-out of a bird he'd messily scribbled blue had hung reflected in the sun. The poor guy had been so frail. Smolder had asked Gold Cross if he could join them on one of their butterfly hunts, but it was not to be. 'Maybe next time.' He'd watched and waved, smiled through the pane more than the first time Smolder had seen him. If only there had been a next time. Six years old. She bit her lip. Too few. Far too few.
A rap on the door by Gold Cross' wing was all it took to lift Smolder's spirits back up. Rather, it was the familiar lively voice that rang through the cracked door that did it. "Is she here?"
Gold Cross chuckled as he opened the door. "Someone's been taking magic lessons. Do you mind using those psychic powers to tell me what my husband's cooking for dinner tonight?"
"Um... spaghetti?"
Gold Cross rubbed his chest and licked his lips dramatically. "Yum. My favorite!" He stepped aside to allow Gallus to roll Smolder in. She could do it herself, of course, but with Starry, hands always had to be ready for hugs.
"Smolder!" the filly squealed as she bounced in bed.
Smolder raised a claw as Gallus rolled her forward. "Up high!"
Starry tried to raise her braced hoof and give Smolder a hard fistbump, but the foreleg didn’t want to cooperate, so the filly moved to her good hoof and gave a solid smack. Smolder hissed dramatically, shaking her claw out. It wasn't all an act. She wasn't just being nice when she'd called her strong.
"Oops," Starry said. "Sorry." She lowered her voice, leaning in close. "I've been working on my super strength, but it's not ready yet." Gallus chuckled, gaining the filly's attention. "I know you!" she said. "You raced Smolder." The filly grinned. "She beat you good."
Gallus rubbed a wing along his neck. "Yeah, she kicked my tail pretty good." He glanced at Smolder, grinning. "Let's just say I took it easy on her that time."
Starry gasped. "No," she giggled. "Smolder'll make you eat her dust always. Smolder's the fastest!"
Gallus chuckled and shrugged. “Not arguing there.”
Starry looked between the two of them, her brow narrowed. "Are you two married?"
"What?!" Smolder and Gallus both said at once. "No," Smolder added. "Gallus has been one of my best friends forever, but… no. Why'd you think we were married?"
Starry shrugged. "I dunno. I just thought you were." And that was that.
Smolder took note of the whale on the pillow beside Starry. "Is Mr. Bubbles still keeping you company?" What a dumb name. But it was fitting for that dumb plush.
"Yeah!" She held the toy out, squishing it as she hugged it. "We talk a lot while Mommy and Daddy are at work. He missed you too."
Smolder raised a brow, crossing her arms. "He talks? Well, times are changing." She patted her armrests. "But, hey, you know I'm gonna show up when I can."
"Mhmm." Starry nodded. She looked up at Gallus. "Why are you in the hospital, Mr... um..."
"Oh. It's Gallus." Gallus lifted a talon to fist-bump the filly. She stared up at him but didn't move her a foreleg at all.
"I'm Starry River," she said in a whisper before lifting up the plush. "And this is Mr. Bubbles."
Smolder scoffed. "Now, what are you doing being all quiet?" She leaned an elbow on Starry's bed. "I promise, he doesn't bite."
Gallus chuckled and grinned. "Nope. See. All beak."
Starry smiled. "Just like Mr. Bubbles." She held up the toy to show them.
"Far out," Gallus said, swaying back and forth in place. "And to answer your question, I'm just here visiting Smolder. I'm in the hospital, but I guess not in the hospital."
She stared blankly, eyes still as wide as saucers as she held Mr. Bubble close to her chest.
Gallus shrugged. "What about you?"
Smolder's eyes grew wide as she turned her wheelchair, grabbing the griffon by the scruff of his chest and pulling him in closer. "Gallus," she half-hissed half-whispered. "What in Equestria kind of question is that?"
He raised a brow, tilting his head at the dragoness. "I just want to make sure I don't bring up anything rough by accident."
"So you're bringing it up on purpose?!"
"I was skating with my friends. Long Hill," Starry spoke up, still holding her whale close.
Smolder glanced at the filly. "Yeah? Long Hill? No kidding?"
"Hey, we sled down that hill last year! Remember, Smolder?" Gallus said. Oh, she remembered alright. She swore there were still clumps of ice stuck behind her back teeth.
"It's great for sledding too!" Starry added. "My friend, Strawberry Lime, and I went down so fast last year that I thought we'd explode!"
"It's quite a hill," Smolder added. Explode? Nah. Leave a mile-long trail in the powder when you lean too far to the left and eat flakes? Definitely. "And you said you skated down it?"
Starry nodded. "Mhmm. I was going really fast. Like this!" She held her hoof out and rocked back and forth, complete with a small whooshing sound. "And I fell."
"I'm sorry," Gallus said.
"Don't be. It was fun!" She giggled. "Well, the skating was fun. I didn't like falling. It hurt."
Gallus rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I bet it did."
"It hurt a lot, but... I was scared to tell Grandma. Mommy and Daddy had to work, and if I got hurt skating they wouldn't let me skate anymore. So I laid down and waited to feel better." The filly sniffled, looking down at the brace. "I should have told Grandma."
"Hey, now," Smolder said, rubbing her on the shoulder. "You were scared."
"But Daddy said if I had just told Grandma, I'd be okay." She hugged Mr. Bubbles close.
Silence.
Smolder stared at the floor, glaring at the door. She dared that stallion to walk in that door right now. Legs or not, she'd show him some dragon fire. A crisp pile of ash would be a nice look for him. Definitely set him straight.
Starry seemed to have forgotten about it, though. "You sledded down Long Hill, Smolder?"
"We sure did." Smolder turned her chair. "Gallus, me, my friends Sandbar and Yona and Silverstream..." Ocellus had a cold that day. Poor girl. "It was crazy."
"Is that what happened to your legs?" Starry asked.
"No," Smolder sighed. "No, my legs still worked then." She smirked, leaning back. "Me and Gallus got a bet going. See who could get to the bottom of Long Hill first. It was me, of course."
"Wow," Starry said, looking at Gallus. "You lose a lot."
Gallus laughed. "Oh, no. She won the first time. I won the do-over."
"Because you cheated."
"I did not cheat!"
Smolder crossed her arm. "You used your wings."
"You never said I couldn’t use them. Besides, you crashed and burned so you’d have lost anyway."
"Wow, you two fight like a Mommy and Daddy," Starry said. "Maybe you should be married."
A pony could hear a pin drop as the three creatures stared at each other, a wide-eyed griffon, a blushing dragon, and an innocently grinning filly.
I thought I'd be safe around the frickin' kid, Smolder thought, running a claw over her eyes. If I didn't love her, I'd strangle her right here and now.
"Yeah," Gallus chuckled, rubbing his neck. "Heh heh... Married." He laughed nervously, looking at Smolder. “That’d be funny wouldn—
"Drop it, Featherbu--Gallus," she corrected. Fillies present. She took a deep breath. "But yeah, that sled race was pretty cool." She looked at Gallus and smirked. “Even cooler winning."
"I won," Gallus corrected.
"What did you win?" Starry asked.
Smolder cocked an eyebrow. "'Scuse me?"
"You made a bet, right? What'd you win? When Strawberry Lime won the sled race, I had to kiss my cat." The filly giggled. "She didn't like that." She made a hissing noise and swiped at the air.
Gallus grinned. "Kiss a cat, huh? Man, if only I'd known I could’ve wagered that then."
"You'd be kissing Opal!" Smolder shook her head. "Nah, it was... like, just a pizza, right?"
"Yeah." Gallus laughed. "Sandbar had to buy it because you refused to admit I won and pay up."
"For the last time, you didn't win!" Smolder threw her hands in the air. “You should have paid!”
"Maybe you should have another race with him," Starry said to Smolder. "Pizza makes me feel better. Maybe it'll make you feel better too."
Gallus sat down and crossed his arms, smirking at the filly. "But what if I win?"
Starry shrugged. "You get pizza too. It'll make you feel better."
Gallus chuckled and shook his head. "I'm fine, kid. Appreciate the thought."
"Pizza will still make you feel better. You look sad."
Gallus cocked his head. "I'm not sad."
"You looked sad when you looked at Smolder."
Gallus sat there, mouthing silent words. He glanced at Smolder before quickly turning his gaze to the ground and scratching at the tiles. "She's a blunt one, huh?"
"You don’t know the half of it," Smolder chuckled.
Starry set Mr. Bubbles beside her. "You should race. Winner gets pizza!" She gasped. "And... the one who doesn't win can have pizza. And I can have pizza too! Everyone can have pizza!"
Gallus laughed. "I don't know if my bank account would agree to that." He turned to Smolder. "Still, it does sound like fun."
Smolder grinned. "Yeah, but I've had a lot more practice than you lately, Birdboy."
"Oh yeah?" Gallus crossed his arms. "And you think I haven't?"
"No. I know you haven't."
"Wheelchairs aren't only found in hospitals, my scaly friend."
"Okay, that's just weird." She shook her head. He laughed.
"Nah, I'm pulling your tail." He looked over at Starry. "I get some practice laps, right?"
"Let me check." She leaned her ear to Mr. Bubbles and nodded her head a few times. "Mr. Bubbles says yes."
"Well, thank you kindly, Mr. Bubbles," Gallus said with a bow to the stuffed whale. He looked over at Smolder. "What do you say, Legs? Feel like putting your money where your mouth is?"
Smolder smirked. "Was born ready."
"Legs?" Starry tilted her head to the left.
"Just a nickname," Gallus said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What does it mean?" Starry asked.
Gallus shrugged, "Sometimes names are just names." He raised his wings next to his cheeks, leaning down behind them and chuckling.
Starry looked over at Smolder. "He's strange."
Smolder laughed, hoping the sound would cover up her shaky throat. "That, sister, we can definitely agree on.." She reached over and punched the griffon's shoulder. "Let's race, Birdboy," she said, looking down at the tile.
He stared at the wall and chuckled. "Game on, Legs."
Starry bounced in her bed. “This is going to be so cool! Oh, I know. Let’s tell Mr. Nurse Gold Cross. I know he’d love to help us out!”