A voice call out to you from the darkness, frantically begging and pleading.
Wake up Fritz, come on! Wake up!
A sudden, sharp pain in your chest makes you groan aloud and your eyes slowly flicker open. “Owwww...” you moan out. “M... My chest hurts...”
“Fritz, what the hell was that?!?” the white unicorn screams out as he holds your head a bit off of the ground.
You look up to him, unable to find anything to say, your head filled with a dull fog that numbed your thoughts.
“Fritz come on, don’t pass out again, stay awake!” he says as he brings his hoof to your chest and pushes his hoof against it and rubs hard, making you gasp out in pain.
“Ow! Ow!” you scream out this time. “I’m awake!”
“What’s two plus five?” he asks as he shines a small penlight in your eyes.
“Bones, I-”
“Just humor me, okay!?” he says as he looks down at you nervously. “You bounced your head off the ground pretty hard, I’m just-”
“Seven,” you say plainly as you push him back a bit and get to your hooves rather shakily and make your way towards the door. “I’m fine, I’m-”
You gasp slightly when you feel a pair of hooves grab your shoulders, turning you around almost violently. “You’re not fine!” the white unicorn cries, his eyes tearing up slightly. “I just watched my best friend pass out in front of me and for a split second, I thought...” you could feel his hooves tremble on your shoulders as he stared at you. “I thought you just dropped dead on me! Now tell me what’s wrong!”
Looking to the white unicorn, you shake your head and blink back tears. “I... I don’t know...I’m... There’s something wrong with me... I’m getting sick to my stomach and having vivid nightmares. That’s all I know.”
“You gotta be a bit more specific than that, Fritz” the white unicorn says as he leads you out into the hallway. “What happened? What were you feeling before you passed out? Why-”
“I told you, I don’t know!” you say sharply as you fall back onto your haunches. “If I knew what was wrong, I’d tell you, but I don’t.” Slowly, you look up to him and let out a long sigh. “I... I really don’t know...”
For the longest time, the white unicorn simply stared back into your eyes before walking over to his office door and shutting it slowly. “Alright,” he said abruptly as he locked it behind him. “If we’re going to find out what is wrong with you, then I’m going to have to stop treating you as a friend and more as a patient. Tell me when this all started.”
Slowly, you get to your hooves and take the seat right across from his desk and take a deep breath. “Last night... It all started last night. I was having dinner with Rarity and we were talking when all of sudden, I’m feeling sick to my stomach, my throat feels like it’s made of sandpaper, and I feel like I’m gonna pass out.”
“What were you eating?”
“Pumpkin Curry Soup,” you say idly. “It wasn’t all that spicy, but made me feel a bit ill as soon as it hit my stomach.”
“Hmm... Do you have any ulcers?” he asks as he reaches into his desk drawer.
You shake your head rather quickly as you move around in your seat. “Not to my knowledge, no.”
Pulling out a little pad of paper and a pen, he starts to jot down a few things. “What else did you have to eat?”
Thinking back to that night, you simply shrug. “I had a salad. And some shaved ice.”
“Well this is a toughie...” the white unicorn says as he drags his hooves through his mane. “Dyspepsia caused by an irritated ulcer can be one cause of your stomach problems, but you’ve never shown any signs of ulcers in the past and it still doesn’t explain the dry mouth and rapid pulse... Some sort of bacteria or parasite from produce that wasn’t washed correctly only fits part of the symptoms as well..” Falling back into his chair, he shakes his head. “Have you had another attack like this since last night?”
“Yeah... Right before I called you... Rarity and I were having breakfast and talking when it all just happened again, just like last night,” you say with a heavy sigh. “I feel so bad...”
“Like right now? Are you having another episo-”
“No, no... I feel bad about not telling her, you know? I’ve been lying and avoiding her and I feel terrible about it,” you say solemnly.
“Her... Wait, you mean Rarity?” he asks in surprise. “Fritz, why haven’t you told her? She needs to know.”
“No, she doesn’t,” you say through grit teeth. “Bones, you need to promise that you won’t tell her. I don’t want to worry her. So I’ll say this again... She doesn’t. Need. To know.”
“Okay, okay... It’s not like I can tell her, anyway,” he says with an exhausted sigh. “Doctor, patient confidentiality, you know that. If anyone is gonna tell her, it’s gonna be you.” Ripping off a page from the notepad, the white unicorn holds it out to you. “I’m gonna need you to come in later today for some blood work and a stool sample to rule out bacterial infection and parasites. In the meantime, here’s a perscription and a list of some things I want you to pick up at the pharmacy.”
You take the note from him slowly and glance it over. “I can understand the antacids and the bismosal, but you’re giving me Ati-heart?” you ask in surprise. “I thought that stuff was for people with serious cases of tachycardia.”
“Low dose, meant for when you have another attack. While your tachycardia seems benign, I’d rather not take any chances. Just use it when you have to and you’ll be fine.”
Looking over the prescription and list again, you give the white unicorn a weak smile. “Thanks Bones... When do you want to see me again?”
“How about around six? You know, after you’re done with work.”
Your eyes widen a bit as it suddenly hits you. “Oh crap, I’m going to be late!” you cry as you stuff the paper in your coat pocket. “I’ll see you then, Bones! Talk to you later!”
“Be careful, okay Fritz? Don’t push yourself if you feel sick again!”
Closing the office door behind you, you take off down the hallway, out of the hospital and into the streets of Ponyville.
***************************************************
You almost stumble into your office, gasping as you try and catch your breath. “I-I’m here...” you pant as you walk in.
“Doctor, is that you?” you hear a voice call out from a nearby room.
Following the voice, you smile a bit as the smell of coffee hits your nose. “Yes nurse, it’s me...”
The golden unicorn smiles as she turns away from the coffee maker and levitates a coffee cup in front of your face. “Here you are doctor, two sugars and a splash of milk, just the way you like it.”
Grabbing a hold of the coffee cup gingerly, you take it and make your way to the nearby table. “Thank you Nurse Careheart... I really need this,” you say with a chuckle before taking a sip. “How’s today look, anyway? I didn’t get a chance to look over the appointments.”
“Your day is looking pretty clear, actually...” she says after taking a sip of her coffee. “I think your only appointment is a mare by the name of Crystal. She says that her insomnia is even worse and she’s having nightmares.
“Well, it was a longshot to hope that the inso-wait, nightmares?” you ask curiously. “What medication did we have her on?”
“Her file says she’s on Sleep Tight, but I’m not entirely sure. “She’s also complaining of tension headaches and occasional nosebleeds. Either she has another underlying problem or-”
“Or she’s having a reaction to the pills...” you finish for her with a heavy sigh. Following Careheart back to her desk, you start to shuffle through papers. “When’s her appointment?”
“In half an hour,” she says sharply as she smacks your hooves off of her desk. “I’ll call her and make sure she knows to bring in her medication.”
You give Nurse Careheart an odd look as you rub your hoofs. “Geez, I was just looking for the appointment book,” you say with a little chuckle. “No need to get all hostile.”
“I just don’t like people pawing through my stuff, you know that,” she says with a little blush. “I’ll call you if anything else comes up... For now, just enjoy your coffee and take a load off, why don’t you? You look like you’ve been through the wringer...”
“Gee, thanks for that,” you deadpan. “That’s what I love about you Miss Careheart... Your ever so graceful touch and bright attitude.”
“And don’t you forget it,” she says with a small smile.
“Hard to forget a pony like you... You’re the kind of pony that can haunt one’s dream,” you say teasingly.
“Ha ha, very funny...” she mutters under her breath as you make your way into your office. With a little smirk, you set your mug down on your desk and sit down with an elated sigh. Reaching out, you bring the mug to your face and inhale slowly, the smell alone warming your entire body.
“This is all I need...” you say under your breath. “Warm coffee and some time to myself...”
Tilting your head back, you drink deeply and swallow with a satisfied sigh. “Ahhh... Alright!” you say aloud with renewed vigor. “You’re fine. Now, let’s see here...”
Reaching into your filing cabinet, you scan through the names until you finally find the right one. Ah, here we are.... Crystal. Visited about a week and a half ago complaining about chronic insomnia, due to anxiety from her agoraphobia and was given a prescription for Sleep Tight. Odd... you think to yourself. The prescription is for two weeks and we were supposed to see how they worked out for her...
Reclining back in your chair, you sip your coffee idly and review Crystal’s past medical history to pass the time.
************************************************
Failure as a partner Scared Unfaithful
Failure as a doctor Weak Afraid
Failure as a pony What’s wrong
Stop Don’t
Help
HELP
************************************************
“Doctor, are you okay?”
Gasping out for air, you look around the room slowly, your heart hammering in your chest as the remnants of some sort of alien nightmare creeps away from the edges of your conscious thoughts, its contents fading quickly..
“I....I-I’m fine...” you stutter out as you fix your mane and adjust your papers. “I’m fine. Is there something you needed Nurse Careheart, or-”
“Crystal,” she says rather plainly. “She’s waiting to see you.”
It takes a few seconds for the words to permeate through your sleep addled brain before you answer. “Show her in, show her in.”
“Whatever you say, Doctor,” she says as she slips out of your office quietly.
You wait for her to close the door behind her, to give yourself a complete once over, fixing your bow tie and glasses and wiping the spittle off of your chin and desk.
Sweet sisters above, I don’t even remember closing my eyes... you think in disbelief as you try to make the place look presentable. You freeze up as your office door opens slowly and look forward with a small smile.
“Crystal, it’s good to see you again,” you say as you lock eyes with the timid white mare as she walks in. “I just wish it was on better circumstances... Take a seat, please.”
Crystal looks around the room slowly and walks across the floor timidly before slipping into the chair across from your desk. “I... I just don’t know what’s going on, Doctor...” she says as she looks up to you with bloodshot eyes. “I had been following the pills like you said and everything had been fine up until... Until...”
“What happened then?” you ask curiously. “Is there something troubling you, or”
“No, no, no!” she cries out in frustration. “It’s my dreams or something! I... I can’t sleep because of the nightmares! I just can’t deal with-”
You feel your jaw drop a bit in surprise. “Crystal, please... I’ve never seen you this... This forward... Just take a deep breath and calm yourself. I’m here to help.”
Crystal lets out a small sniffle and looks up to you desperately. “I...I just...The nightmares... They... They’re horrible...”
“Tell me about the nightmares...” you ask as you lean forward a bit. “Tell me anything you want about them. When did they start? What are they about?”
Crystal lets out a long sigh as she falls back into her chair. “It all started the night after you gave me the sleeping pills... It was after dinner with my boyfriend, I-”
“Sorry to interrupt, but... You have a boyfriend now, Crystal?” you ask with a small smile. “My little agoraphobic has herself a boyfriend?”
She looks up to you with a small smile and nods. “Yeah... I got out of the house, just like you wanted... It was scary at first and I thought I was going to break down right in the middle in the street, until... Until he came along... His name is Prism and... And I love him so much.”
Reaching out tenderly, you place a hoof on her shoulder and smile back. “I’m proud you’ve managed to take such a huge step forward like this... But please, continue. We can touch on your condition later if you want to.”
Nodding quickly, Crystal takes a deep breath. “Alright... The... The nightmares... They came out of nowhere,” she says with a sniffle. “After the first night, I just couldn’t fall asleep after that, no matter what... The pills don’t even make me drowsy anymore.”
“Do you have the pills on you?”
Crystal nods slowly. “Well... Sort of...” she says as she produces an empty pill bottle, almost ashamed. “I... I kinda... I just couldn’t... I-I took...”
Your eyes go wide as it finally hits you. “Crystal... I want you to be completely honest with me... How many of these pills did you take in the last 24 hours?”
“S... Seven...” she says with a small sniffle. “I took it last night, I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help myself, I wanted to sleep but they didn’t work!”
“You took a week’s worth of pills... and nothing happened?” you ask in disbelief. “There’s no way...”
She should be dead... you think as you look over the pill bottle in your hoof, wondering if the pharmacy gave her something else instead of sleeping pills.
“I... I can’t explain it myself,” she says meekly. “It was like I didn’t even take them at all.”
“What did the pills look like?” you ask plainly.
Crystal shifts nervously in her seat as she bites her lip. “Ummm... Little green pills with three Z’s on them.”
That’s Sleep Tight alright...
With a heavy sigh, you run a hoof through your mane and give the pill bottle back to her. “Alright, this is what I want you to do,” you say as you pull out a pad of paper and pen. “You’re going to go the Ponyville General Hospital and you’re going to do two things for me... First, you’re going to check yourself in and tell them about the pills and how many you took.”
“But I feel fine,” Crystal claims in protest. “Why would I-”
“You took a week’s worth of sleeping pills and you’re really asking me why you should go to the hospital...” you say with a tired laugh. “You may feel fine now, but there could be seriously something wrong and you may not know it until it’s too late. Just get checked out to make sure you’re fine.”
Crystal lets out a sigh and remains quiet. “I...I just...”
“Hey, if not for you, then for me?” you ask with a small smile. “I just want to know, without a doubt, that you’re okay.”
“Well... okay...” she says reluctantly. “I’ll do it, if you’re worried... But you know I don’t like hospitals...”
Getting up from your chair, you place a hoof on Crystal’s shoulder and smile. “Oh, I know... You don’t have to tell me, I know. But the ponies there just want to help, you have to remember that. Like this doctor,” you say as you give her a slip of paper. “He can help you.”
Crystal glances at the paper curiously. “Who-”
“He’s a sleep specialist,” you interrupt as you guide her to her hooves. “If anyone can help you, he can.”
“O...Okay,” she says weakly. “I’ll go see him...” As you lead her out into the waiting room, Crystal stops and looks up to you nervously. “Umm... D-Doctor? Could you at least, umm... Walk me there? Please?”
You glance over to Nurse Careheart as she looks up from her typewriter and give her a little nod. “I don’t see why not...” you say as you walk over to the front door. “After you, Miss Crystal.”
“Thank you doctor... For everything,” she says with a genuine smile.
“Anytime.”
************************************************
Holding the hospital door open for Crystal, you give her a reassuring smile and wave her in. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
She gives you a nervous look as she walks through the hospital doors before taking a deep breath. “I’ll see you later, doctor...”
“Take care, Cry-”
“Schätzchen, was machst du denn hier?”
(Translation: Darling, what are you doing here?)
Your ears perk up and you quickly turn around and find yourself face to face with Rarity.
“Ohh! I was walking a patient here,” you say as you look around for Crystal, only to find her missing. “She was just here... But what are you doing-”
A low groan from behind Rarity gets your attention and you find yourself staring at a very green looking Sweetie Belle who was having trouble just standing there.
“Sweetie Belle woke up not too long ago after you left and was complaining of an upset stomach...” she explains as you walk with her into the waiting room. “At first, I thought she was faking it to get out of school, but after she umm... ‘returned’ her breakfast, I was more convinced.”
“Aww, poor thing...” you say as you follow them into the waiting room. “Is it just her stomach?”
Rarity opens her mouth, but a moan from Sweetie Belle cuts her off. “I feel warm...” She says weakly as she tries to pull herself into one of the waiting room chairs. After giving her a little boost, you lay your hoof across her forehead, right under her horn.
“Geez, you’re burning up...” you mutter as you look into her eyes. “I’ll go see if I can get Bones to see her as quick as possible.”
Rarity gives you a small smile as you trot off. “Thank you... The sooner Sweetie Belle sees a doctor, the better.”
“Yeah, that fever is really a bad sign...” you say with a nod.
“...Yes... That too...” you hear Rarity say under her breath.
You glance back from the hall curiously. “Beg your pardon?”
“It’s nothing,” she says as she shakes her head. “I’ll tell you later tonight.”
Grinding your teeth a bit, you stop yourself from pressing the subject and trot down the hall, listening for him.
“Say ‘ahhhh’... Good, now hold it...”
Walking over to one of the rooms, you knock quickly before poking your head in. “Bones? Got a sec?”
The white unicorn blinks in surprise and turns off his penlight before turning to the blue mare sitting on the table. “You have strep,” he says plainly as he pulls out his prescription pad. “I’m going to put you on a regimen of antibiotics. Now, I want you to stick with them and take them all. Don’t just stop once you feel better or you’ll get sick again.”
The blue mare nods quickly as she takes the prescription from him. “Thank you,” she says rather hoarsely.
“Any time Colgate. Get well soon,” he says with a small smile before turning to you. “What’s up?”
“It’s Sweetie Belle,” you say as you step aside and let Colgate pass by. “Rarity just brought her in when I was dropping off one of my own patients. She’s vomiting and running a high fever.”
“How high a fever?” he asks plainly as he steps out of the exam room.
You follow him down the hall into the waiting room and roll your shoulders. “I didn’t have thermometer on me, but it felt like thirty-seven, thirty-eight easy.”
“Thirty-eight?” he asks in surprise. “How-Wait, you mean Celsius, right?”
You shake your head and stifle a laugh. “Of course...”
“Sorry, spent way too much time in the city... Going back to metric is becoming a pain,” he says with a nervous chuckle. Walking out into the waiting room, he quickly finds Sweetie Belle and kneels down in front of her. “How ya doing?” he asks in a rather soft tone. “I hear you’re not feeling too good...”
Sweetie Belle nods slowly as she lets out another ragged moan. “Yeah... M-My tummy really hurts...”
“Well, don’t worry...” he asks as he places his hoof on Sweetie’s forehead. “I just have to see one more patient and then I promise I’ll make you better. Just hold out for a little while longer, okay?”
Sweetie Belle gives the white stallion a small smile. “Okay...”
Getting to his hooves, the doctor turns to you and motions over to one of the rooms. “Just give me a few minutes... I just gotta write another prescription.”
“Danke mein kamerad,” you say with grateful smile.
(Translation: Thank you my friend)
Sitting back down in the chair next to Sweetie Belle, you place a hoof around Rarity’s shoulder and draw her a little closer as the doctor trots back down the hall.. “Was ist falsch mein geliebter?”
(Translation: What’s wrong my love?)
“I... Well, I...” Rarity lets out a long sigh before snuggling into you. “I was supposed to meet an investor today,” she says rather sadly. “She wants me to branch out into more rural appear, but I told her I didn’t know the first thing about outdoor wear. Anyway, I tried to call her and reschedule when Sweetie Belle got sick, but the only pony I could get ahold of was her assitant. She’s on her way and there’s nothing I can do.”
“What are you talking about?” you ask with a little chuckle. “I can watch Sweetie Belle.”
Rarity’s eyes go wide and her mouth “But don’t you have to-”
“I’m done for today... I had one appointment and I don’t think Nurse Careheart would mind if I’m a little late back to the office. Besides, I-”
Your breath catches in your throat as Rarity presses her lips quickly to yours and gives you a deep kiss. “Vielen Dank mein Schatz... Ich schulde Ihnen für diese.”
(Translation Thank you so much, darling... I owe you for this.)
With one final kiss, Rarity gets to her hooves and takes off out into the streets of Ponyville in the direction of the boutique.
“Well... It’s just you and me now kid,” you say as you run a hoof through Sweetie Belle’s mane. “How are you holding up?”
“I feel like I’m gonna get sick again...” she says with another heavy moan.
“Want me to walk you to the bathroom?”
“No...”
“Want something to drink?” you ask as you point to one of the vending machines. “That one has ginger ale.”
Sweetie Belle gives you a small smile and nods slowly. “Yes please... Thank you”
You can’t help but smile back as you fish around for some pocket change. “Anytime.”
***************************************
“Hmmm... You weren’t too far off Fritz,” the white unicorn says as he holds the thermometer up to the light. “Thirty-eight point eight, quite the fever... Part of me wants to say this is the flu, but I got a couple questions first.”
“What’s on your mind Bones?”
“Well... For starters, has she ever been out of the country? Been anyplace tropical?” he asks abruptly before grabbing a book on a nearby shelf.
Sweetie Belle looks to you from the exam table and opens her mouth for a moment before quickly closing it.
“Out of the country Bones?” you ask in disbelief. “Why would she-”
“Listen, I gotta ask because I swear I’ve seen this before. The symptoms are almost identical to a tropical strain of-”
“Umm... C-Can I talk to you alone?” Sweetie Belle speaks up as she looks up at the white unicorn nervously before glancing towards you. “I... I-It’s important.”
You blink a few times in surprise before running your hooves through your mane in frustration. “I’ll be right back...” you say as you get to your hooves. “I need to make a call, mind if I use your phone?”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes go wide at those words and looks to the doctor, shaking either from the fever or out of fright.
“What for?” he asks idly as he sets the book down.
“Just gotta check in with Nurse Careheart. You know, make sure everything’s okay,” you say as you open the door. “And to give you two a little privacy.”
Shutting the door slowly, you take a deep breath and make your way for the office down the hall. What has that filly gotten herself into now? you think as you slip into the doctor’s office.
Picking up the phone, you dial your own office and lean against the desk with a heavy sigh as it rings. Good thing Rarity isn’t here after all...
“Hello, Open Hooves C-”
“Hello Miss Careheart. Doing well I take it?”
“Oh, Doctor,” she says in half surprise. “How’s everything going? Did something happen with Crystal?”
“No, not at all. As far as I know, she’s talking to a sleep specialist right now. I got held up because I bumped into Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Poor filly is sick as a dog.”
“Ohhh, that’s no good... What is it, a cold?”
“More like a bug. She can’t keep anything down and-”
“Hey Fritz, we’re pretty much done here!” you hear the white unicorn call from down the hall.
“I’ll fill you in later. We get any walk-ins while I was gone?”
“No, it’s been as quiet as a cemetery here.”
“Then why don’t you take the rest of the day off and close up? No point in sitting there and gathering dust,” you say with a little chuckle.
“Good point... I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Have a good day.”
“You too.”
Hanging up the phone, you trot down the hall and into the exam room. “So, what’s the verdict doctor? Do we need to operate?”
“OPERATE?!?” Sweetie Belle screams out in shock. “But I-He said-You...” You can’t help but snicker as Sweetie Belle looks at you both of you before flattening her ears against her head and letting out a deep groan. “Oh ha-ha, very funny...” she says as she buries her face in her hooves.
“Ohh you know I’m just teasing...” you say with a small grin. “But in all seriousness, what are we doing?”
“Well, it’s a pretty bad bug, but we can manage it with some antibiotics... They are strong, though. They’re going to also affect the good bacteria in her stomach, so she’s gonna need to replace it or she’s just going to end up worse,” he says as he gives you her prescription. “I recommend picking up some yogurt and taking it after the pill.”
“Okay, I’ll stop by the store after going to the pharmacy, but you still haven’t told me what she has... Is it contagious?”
“No, it’s not and I’m afraid that’s all I can say,” he says firmly. “Technically, you’re not one of her guardians and I can’t share her patient inf-”
You shake your head, waving a hoof to cut him off. “Right, right, confidentiality. Sorry, I should've known,” you say with a heavy sigh. “Just tell me; is everything okay?”
The doctor gives you a little smile as he leads you out of the room. “"She's going to be fine, I promise. If there are any concerns, you know how to reach me.”
“Gotch’ya... Talk to you later Bones,” you say with a small smile as you guide Sweetie Belle out of the hospital.
“So, umm... Are we going back home now first?” Sweetie Belle asks skittishly as she looks up to you. “Or are we-”
“I think it’s best that you come with me to the pharmacy,” you say firmly. “We need to have a little talk.”
“Oh, great...” you hear her mutter under her breath.
“Beg your pardon?”
Sweetie Belle’s ears perk up and gives you a sheepish smile. “I said, uh, ‘oh great!’ Because I wanna talk to you... and... I...”
You can’t help but chuckle as the little filly stumbles over her words. “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble with me.”
“Oh, well that’s a-”
“But your sister is going to want to know what happened and she’s going to have questions I won’t have the answer to,” you say as you hold the pharmacy door open for her. “Now, I can’t force you to tell me what happened and I can’t force you to tell your sister. But this isn’t going to go away, Sweetie. You can’t just sweep it under the rug and hope it goes away.”
Sweetie Belle lets out a heavy sigh and hangs her head. “I know... I... I just... I don’t want anypony mad at me,” she says with a small sniffle. “Especially Rarity...”
“Hey, hey... Don’t be like that,” you say as you put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “She could never stay mad at you. She loves you way too much. And me? I forgot how to be mad a long time ago.”
A little smile grows on Sweetie’s face which soon breaks into a giggle. “Well... A-Alright. Can I tell you both? After dinner tonight?”
“Whatever makes it easier for you.”
***************************************
“Rarity, we’re back!” you call out as you walk into Carousel Boutique. You wait a few seconds and after hearing nothing, you reach into the grocery bag and give Sweetie Belle her pill bottle. “Alright, the pharmacist said to take one pill as soon we got home with food, so why don’t you grab yourself a little snack and do that.”
Sweetie Belle gives you a little smile, already looking better since this morning. “Sure thing.”
Reaching out, you stop her from going any further. “Wait, tell me first... How many pills are you supposed to take right now?”
“Just one,” she says confidently. “And I’m supposed to have a little yogurt with it too, right?”
Setting the bag down, you smile and give her a small cup of strawberry yogurt. “That’s right. Now let’s see if we can find your sister...”
Walking down the hall, you stop at Rarity’s workroom and knock.
“Darling, is that you?”
“Who else would it be?” you ask with a chuckle as you open the door slowly. “Sweetie Belle would have just barged right i-”
Your breath catches in your throat as Rarity slowly turns towards you, a white, almost transparent veil covering her face, but you could tell she was smiling. “I finished the meeting with the investor and we both agreed on a few designs,” she says as she adjusts the veil ever so slightly. “ so I decided to do a little work in the meantime. It’s the final piece of Rainbow’s dress. What do you think? Doesn’t it look lovely?”
Swallowing the lump in your throat, you do your best to keep calm. “Well, I... Umm...”
Rarity blinks a few times in confusion before pulling it gingerly off of her head. “What, is there something wrong with it?” she asks as she inspects every nook and cranny.
“No, not at all!” you say with a sheepish smile, doing your best to keep calm.
Rarity’s eyes narrow as she sets the wedding veil back on “Then what’s wrong?” she asks sharply. “If there’s nothing wrong with the veil... Then what? Is there something wrong with me?”
“Oh no, no, no... No mein fräulein...” you coo as you brush her mane out of her eyes, giving her a small smile. “There’s nothing wrong with you or-”
“Then tell me that you want to marry me,” she says as she stares back into your eyes, unblinking.
Every sentiment, every word felt hollow as you stared at her dumbly, your hoof shaking inches away from her face as your heart hammered in your chest. “I-I...I...”
Rarity’s gaze hardens as she moves away from you. “I knew it. I didn’t want to say anything, but I knew something was wrong...”
“Rarity, I-I... There’s nothing wrong, I swear I-”
“Stop lying to me!” she cries out in anger, her eyes welling up with tears. “H-How can you look at me and lie right to my face like it was nothing?”
You reach out and open your mouth in a futile effort to say something, anything, but find nothing.
“Until you’re straight with me and actually say what’s on your mind, you’re sleeping on the couch,” she says she turns her nose up to you. “Just be grateful I don’t kick you out altogether. Now go... I have work to do.”
“Mein kleines juwel... Bitte, nicht... Lassen Sie mich-”
(Translation: My little jewel... Please, don’t... Let me-)
“Hinaus!” she screams as she slams her hoof down, her eyes welling up with tears.
(Translation: Get out!)
You slip out of Rarity’s work room quickly and shut the door behind you, leaning against it as you run your hooves through your mane in frustration. “What the hell just happened?” you mumble under your breath as you hear the lock slip into place. Taking a deep breath you make your way for the living room and sit down on the couch miserably.
What the hell is wrong with you? Why couldn’t you just say something, anything? you ask, giving yourself a good mental kick. That’s all you needed to do.
Letting your eyes wander, you find one of the boxes from the movers, still left unpacked. Opening it up idly, you reach in and find the contents of your small, yet modest library. Your eyes widen a bit as a rather familiar book peeks itself out.
Atlas Shrugged
“Didn’t I... Yeah, I did,” you say as you open the book up, finding a hollow portion in it filled by a metal flask. “2:30 in the afternoon...”
Grabbing a hold of the flask top, you unscrew it and let the contents run down your throat.
It’s five o’clock somewhere and I need a drink now more than ever.
***************************************
Stumbling across the floor, you grope at the walls to steady yourself as the whole world seemed to spin around you.
“W...Where am I?” you ask aloud in confusion. Reaching out, you grab onto a rather familiar looking bookcase, albeit empty, to steady yourself. “H-Home?”
Your head pounds as you try to remember just how you got here. “I...I... was at the Carousel Boutique... A...And... Ohhh god...” you moan out as you hold your stomach. “I-I’m gonna puke...”
Scrambling to stand up right, you bolt down the hall to the bathroom and stumble in, almost falling before leaning over the toilet, expecting to vomit any second. Instead, your vision clears up and the world stops spinning, giving you enough of a respite to hold back the waves of nausea.
“I...I’m okay...” you say aloud with a hoarse laugh. “I’m okay...”
Slumping over the sink, you fumble with the knobs until the water flows and splash a little into your face before looking into the bathroom mirror and laughing again. “I’m okay...”
In just a fraction of a second, your whole world collapses around you as you watch your own reflection reach out of the mirror and grab you by the shoulders.
“I don’t think so...” your reflection says as he shakes his head slowly. “Look at you, running from the mare you supposedly loved... But she chased you out, didn’t she?”
Your mind reels in horror as you stare into your own reflection’s eyes unable to do anything better than stutter. “I-I-I-”
Your reflection laughs aloud as his hooves slip closer to your throat and close around it tightly. “That’s right... Keep thinking about yourself. I mean, look at how far it’s gotten you already.”
Gasping and choking aloud, you bring your own hooves up to pry your reflection’s off of your throat but it only seemed to tighten his grip. “Don’t fight it...” he says as he starts to crawl out of the mirror, strangling you all the while. “Just let it happen.”
Falling onto your back, you choke wildly, your vision going blurry again as you struggled to breathe. Laughing even louder, your reflection gives you final squeeze, leaving you gasping for air like a fish out of water.
Just as your vision starts to darken, the sound of breaking wood and a sudden gasp gives you a little hope. “H-Help me...” you cough out as futilely try to rip the hooves off around your neck.
“STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!” a familiar voice yells as they shake you. “STOP! JUST LET GO, YOU’RE HURTING YOURSELF!”
Your eyes snap open and look around the tiny bathroom, locking eyes with Rarity before looking down at your throat, your own hooves wrapped securely around your throat. Pulling them off gingerly, you look at them before gingerly getting up, your entire body shaking like a leaf on a twig.
“D-Darling?” Rarity squeaks out, placing a tender hoof on your back. “A-Are you okay?”
Looking to her, you shake your head slowly before collapsing on the ground in a heap, sobbing loudly. “N-No... I-I-I’m not okay...”