A steady beeping echoed in my head, accompanied by a weak ringing in my ears. The darkness around me was slowly pulled away, revealing a terribly bright light in its place. It was almost as if somebody was shining a flashlight through my eyelids. I made the mistake of opening my eyes, immediately shutting them as soon as the light burned my eyeballs. It was extremely bright, if not painfully so.
I reflexively attempted to shield it with my arm, but, to my dismay, I found that it didn't respond. Or, rather, it did. It just didn't move very far. I struggled to sit up, but immediately gave up in the effort, feeling a huge weight in my chest. It was impossible to sit up, as the lead-weight feeling was not only in my limbs, but in my core as well. After a few seconds, I mustered up the courage to speak.
"H-hello...?" I mewled weakly. My voice croaked something awful, as if it hadn't been used in months. I cleared my throat, speaking with slightly more volume. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
"What? Whaddya want, kid?!" a gruff voice asked.
My eyes peeked open in curiosity, as I wanted to see who was being such a prick to me. I immediately regretted the decision and shut my eyes again, gritting my teeth in discomfort from the blinding light.
"Sorry. I-I was... er... just wondering where I am."
"Well, yer in the hospital. You were in the room when I got 'ere, so I dunno how long you've been out."
Fuck. I was out for a whole day?! I mentally retraced my steps, struggling to recall what had happened when I was last conscious. Drove to the basketball game. Got ejected thanks to my dad. And then...?
I clenched my eyes tighter as the discomfort from the lights grew. Maybe I should just find out how long I've been here, for starters. "Uh... May I ask when you got here?"
"Yesterday. Slipped a disc in my back while helping my son move into his new apartment here in Canterlot."
Canterlot? The hell...? Is this guy on medication?
"Oh... Er... That's no fun," was all I could manage, too confused at the moment to ask another question.
"What happened t'you?" the voice asked.
"I..." I hesitated, unsure of how to describe it. "I was walking out of a basketball game when I... Uh... I passed out. I don't really remember anything else."
"Oh? Where did you play?"
"At my high school." I subconsciously puffed out my chest. "I play on the varsity team."
"Really? What city are you from, kid?"
"Here in Sacramento."
To my dismay, I heard a scoff. "Never heard of it. Yer in Canterlot, kid. Yer parents must really care for you to be flown all the way out here to Canterlot just to be taken care of."
"Er... what?"
"There's no basketball teams here in Canterlot. Nothing but universities and schools for the magically gifted."
Definitely medication.
"Why not?" I asked, unsure of what else to inquire.
"Unicorns aren't exactly athletic, in case you've forgotten."
That settles it. That guy's bat-shit crazy. I wonder if I can apply for a room change..?
I shifted a little, finding the lead weights partially lifted from my limbs. I still couldn't find the nurse button, however.
"Er, excuse me. Sir?"
"Now what?"
"Can you press your nurse call button? I can't find mine."
"Well, open yer eyes. That'd help ya," came the reply, along with a chuckle.
"The light hurts them; that's why I wanted to call a nurse."
There was a pause, some indiscernible grumbling and then a satisfying click. "There. Should be a nurse on the way. Lazybones..."
I pushed my irritation down. "Thank you, mister...?"
It took a couple of seconds before Mr. Bitchpants McCrabby answered, “Huh? Oh. Brom Ironhoof; I run a blacksmith in the lower city.”
“Huh. Thanks, Mr. Ironhoof,” was all I could manage.
“What’s yer name, sonny?” Ironhoof asked. “Can’t see the nametag at the foot of yer bed; we’re right next to each other.”
“Oh. It’s Jay.”
“…Yeah? Jay what?”
“Jay Akamatsu.”
“Oh; Neighponese, huh? You speak Central Equestrian so well; I couldn’t tell you were a foreigner.”
“Er… Don’t you mean English?”
“Huh? Whuzzat?”
I ground my teeth. Friggin’ nutcase. “Nothing.”
The door squeaking open broke my irritation. “Did somepony call for a nurse?” A female voice inquired.
“Y-yeah. That’s me,” I replied, ignoring her strange word choice. “I just wanted something to cover my eyes… Everything’s too bright.”
“Oh! Yes, right away. It’ll be just one moment.”
There was a clopping of the nurse’s shoes as she left. An uncomfortable silence fell across the room.
“Tch. What a baby.”
“Eat shit, shitbrick.”
---
“Okay, I’m going to do some peripheral tests to see how your recovery is progressing.”
“O-okay. What are those, exactly?”
“Oh, just poking around to see if you still have nerve function in your limbs.”
I gulped. Moment of truth.
There was a pause. “Did you feel that?”
Shit. “N-no. I didn’t.”
Another pause. “How about here?”
“…No.”
The slightest tingle on the palm of my right hand. “There?”
“Yeah. Slightly.”
“On a scale of one to ten, ten being a normal amount of feeling and one being none at all?”
I bit my lip. “Er… I’d like to say four?”
“Okay.” Another tingle, much stronger. Bottom of my foot. “Here?”
“Yes. Uh… Six.”
“Good!” A brush of something… hairy? Fuzzy? Maybe she’s using a brush…? “Here?”
“Yeah. Ten.”
“Great. Well, it looks like you’re doing okay, but we may end up having you stick around for physical therapy. Make sure you’re back on your hooves before you leave.”
“Uhm… Thanks.”
“Oh, no problem!”
The clopping of the nurse’s weird shoes began to head out the door.
“Oh, uh, excuse me! Miss?”
The clopping stopped. “Oh, what is it?”
“Uh, have you heard from my parents? Are they coming to visit?”
A long pause. Not good. “I’m sorry… I haven’t heard from anypony, I’m afraid.”
“I… I see. Th-thank you.”
Another long pause. “I’m sorry.” The clopping resumed, eventually trailing off.
A nervous feeling settled into my gut.
***
“Ma’am?”
“Oh? Is there something else?”
“That pony. The one that appeared in your chambers. He’s awake.”
“Oh, good. Is he well enough to receive visitors?”
“Yes, m’lady.”
“Good. I think we should pay him a visit.”
“Yes, Princess. I’ll get the fruit basket.”