CHAPTER EIGHT
Two Kinds Of Kindness
"Come on, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "I've gotta meet Spark soon, so what did you want to show me?"
"It... it can wait." Fluttershy replied, "You go and meet Spark. I don't want to keep him waiting."
Dash sighed.
"I've got plenty of time." she said, "Besides, I like to make him stew for a while. So just tell me you need to tell me already!"
Fluttershy pawed a hoof at the ground nervously.
"Well, it's just that... I've been practising the tricks you've been trying to teach me, and I really want to show you how I've improved... if that's okay with you."
Dash's sour demeanour was replaced with a warm smile as she nodded to her friend.
Fluttershy took a deep breath and unfurled her wings. She took off into the sky and flew around in circles. As she done so, the scowl began to reappear on Dash's face. She opened her mouth to shout something when Fluttershy went into a corkscrew spin.
"Whoa!" Dash said smugly, "I guess I taught her we-"
A loud crash interrupted her as Fluttershy hit the ground.
"Fluttershy!" she cried, rushing over to the injured pegasus, who was lying on her side with her wing bent at a ninety-degree angle. Dash hissed upon seeing the injury.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..." Fluttershy squeaked, as she tried to move her injured appendage.
"Don't move it, Shy!" Dash scolded, as she gently picked her up and placed her across her back, "I'm taking you to the hospital."
Fluttershy nodded weakly before passing out.
***
"Miss Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy's eyes flickered open, the light beginning to fill them. She let out a low groan and looked at her surroundings.
She was lying on a bed. The walls around her were a plain white, and the room was sparsely furnished. As she looked around the rest of the room, her eyes focused on a brown unicorn stallion, who was looking back with concern in his eyes. She gasped in shock.
"I'm sorry," the stallion said, "I never meant to startle you."
"It's okay Doctor Haywick," Fluttershy replied, "I forgot you were there for a moment."
Haywick raised an eyebrow.
"How did you know my name?" he asked, "I don't recall giving you it in the time you've been here."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Fluttershy replied, "It's just that I recognised you from the times I've accompanied Twilight here for her check-ups.
"Ah, yes." Haywick replied, "And how is Twilight doing? I heard about what happened to her husband."
Fluttershy looked at the floor.
"She's doing... good." she said, "It's tough, but her friends are there for her."
"As they should be." Haywick said, "Now, let us change the subject at hoof back to you, shall we?"
Fluttershy nodded.
"You broke your left wing in five places when you hit the ground." Haywick stated, "You'll need to rest it for three months, which means that you'll need to undergo physiotherapy before you can use it again."
Fluttershy slumped back onto the pillows in shock.
"Don't worry, Miss Fluttershy." Haywick soothed, "The therapy isn't all that bad. You'll be flying again before you know it."
"Umm, if you don't mind," Fluttershy replied, "I'd prefer it if you called me 'Fluttershy'."
"Oh, of course." Haywick said, "The formality is part of the job, since many patients prefer to be addressed in such a way. Though there are exceptions, like you."
He flashed a smile, which Fluttershy returned timidly.
"When can I leave the hospital?" she asked.
"Not for a few days, I'm afraid." Haywick responded, "We need to be sure that there are no hidden injuries."
"Okay..."
In the silence that followed, Fluttershy looked around the room while Haywick glanced over his notes repeatedly. Her eyes eventually settled on the doctor's cutie mark, which was a syringe against a red cross.
"If you don't mind me asking," Fluttershy timidly spoke, "how did you get your cutie mark?"
"I did a First Aid course at school." he replied, "I got beat up a lot, and so I took the course so I could treat my own injuries."
Fluttershy looked shocked.
"One day during the holidays, my father had a severe allergic reaction. He had a syringe full of adrenaline which somepony would administer to him, but since my mother was out, the responsibility was thrust into my hooves. So I thought about all the times I'd seen her do it, and stuck the needle in. A few seconds later, he was fine, and my cutie mark had appeared."
Fluttershy smiled.
"I bet your father was proud of you." she said.
Haywick wiped an errant tear from his eye and nodded.
"He was. I had saved his life, and found my talent. I was also proud of myself. So, the first chance my father got, he enrolled me in the Manehatten Medical Academy. And since then, I've dedicated myself to helping others."
"You remind me of me." Fluttershy said, "Except I help animals." She paused for a moment, "But that doesn't mean I don't help ponies as well."
Haywick laughed.
"I know all about your love for the animals." he said, "I've been past your home. But how on Equestria do you manage it? Surely animals would be harder to treat than ponies?"
"It's not hard at all." Fluttershy retorted, "My special talent is communicating with animals, so I can simply ask them what the problem is, and work out a treatment plan from there. And they're ever so quiet while I work on them."
"If only my patients were as quiet." Haywick said with a chortle, "You should have heard how much screaming Twilight did while she was in labour. She also squeezed Geo's hand so hard, she broke three of his fingers."
Fluttershy laughed timidly.
"I have to return to my rounds now, Fluttershy." Haywick said, as he went to the door, "But I would very much like to continue this conversation with you at some point. Perhaps over lunch?"
A trace of pink appeared on Fluttershy's cheeks as she nodded.
"That sounds lovely, Doctor." she said, "But when?"
"I'll come back at one o' clock." he said with a smile, "And please... call me Haywick."
As Fluttershy nodded, Haywick opened the door and left the room, closing it behind him gently.
Relaxing on the bed, Fluttershy felt a warm feeling in her chest. Holding a hoof over it, she realised that her heart was beating a lot faster than normal.
"Is it because of Haywick this is happening?" she asked herself, "He seems like a good, caring stallion. But I'm just a patient to him, nothing more."
She removed her hoof from her chest and sank back into the pillow.
"Nothing more..." she said quietly, as sleep took her.
***
The days had gone by in a blur, and Fluttershy had come to realise that her feelings for Doctor Haywick were more than mere friendship, but she was feeling conflicted as to what she should do.
I like him, so maybe I should go ahead and ask him out. The worst he could do is say 'no'. We both have so much in common. We both like taking care of others, we both like peace and quiet, and we were both bullied in school.
"But what if he doesn't feel the same way I do?" the love-struck pegasus moaned, "I'd just feel embarrassed and silly."
The door opened with a soft click, derailing Fluttershy's train of thought. Cocking her head, she saw the stallion of the hour entering the room. Panicking, she quickly threw herself onto her pillow and feigned sleep as Haywick trotted over.
"Good morning, Flutters- oh." he said, noticing that his patient appeared to be in a deep sleep, "You're not awake yet."
He sighed.
"I'll come back later." he said, "I just need to do another quick check-up, and then you'll be free to go."
Fluttershy heard the clip-clop of hooves against the floor as Haywick turned and headed for the door.
"And then you'll be out of my life fore- OH, DAMN IT ALL!"
Fluttershy winced at the sudden outburst as she heard the doctor stomp a hoof into the ground and turn around again.
"Stop being such a coward, Haywick! March your flank right back over there and tell her exactly how you feel!"
Fluttershy opened one eye just enough to see, but still give the impression of sleep. She watched as Haywick trotted over and put his muzzle close to her ear. She resisted the urge to squeal as she felt his breath against her fur.
"This is very unprofessional of me," he said, "but I haven't got the courage to say this to you while you're awake."
He took a deep breath and continued.
"I've always admired you, Fluttershy. Even before you came to this hospital as a patient. I've heard of the heroic deeds you and the other Elements of Harmony have accomplished. Then again, who hasn't? While the others, especially Rainbow Dash, may appreciate the fame, in every photo, you are hiding at the sides. You remind me so much of myself. And your caring nature outmatches even my own. In the time we've spent together having lunch, I have learned so much about you, and I realise that I now see you as much more than a patient."
Closing her eye, Fluttershy tingled in anticipation as Haywick planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"I... I love you, Fluttershy." he said, "Yet I don't have the guts to tell you. What kind of stallion does that make me?... A worthless one, that's what."
He sighed contentedly and smiled.
"Thanks for listening," he said, "even if you didn't hear a single word of it. It just felt good to get it off my chest."
As he turned to leave, Fluttershy's eyes shot open and she grabbed his leg with a hoof. Haywick gasped in shock.
"I heard everything." she said quietly, "And you're not worthless. You're the best stallion anypony could ask for."
Haywick's mouth hung open in surprise. Before he could respond, Fluttershy had wrapped her wings around him and pulled him in for a kiss, which he returned eagerly.
And in the magic of the moment, neither of them noticed a small purple dragon backing away from the door.