//------------------------------//
// The A Team 
// Story: The Incredibly Musical Life of Octavia Philharmonica & Vinyl Scratch 
// by The Autumn Princess 
//------------------------------//


~Chapter One~
~The A Team~


Octavia paced the hospital waiting room, praying to Equestria's princesses that she would hear good news. She had known that there was something strange about Vinyl. Her 'odd jobs' that seemed to go on until all hours of the morning, or the way she never removed her sunglasses. Octavia hated herself for never piecing everything together. If only she had realized it sooner, maybe she could have helped her. But no, Octavia had ignored the signs for years, and now she was paying the price.

"You're Miss Philharmonica, I presume?" a voice said and the grey mare flipped around - turning to face a nurse in the doorway.

"Yes." Octavia replied, with a shaking tone to her voice. "Vinyl... how is she? What is it?"

The earth pony nurse with the name of 'Redheart' sewn in on her hospital work appearal let out a sigh. "She's alive." Octavia muttered a quick thank you to Celestia, only for the nurse to continue. "However-" Redheart hesitated and bit her lip. "The doctors found some... substances in her system. We've only identified very few of them - but most seem deadly and not to be put in a regular pony's system. Others look like they've been abused."

"What?" the cellist breathed, blinking slowly. "What do you mean... substances?"

The earth pony tried to think positive. It could be something curable. They could cut the stuff out and Vinyl would be fine.

"Well, the ones we've found include mareijuana, coltcaine, and buck." The Nurse named the substances as easily as most ponies could name the Apple Family. Octavia let out a small squeak. The nurse had said that they shouldn't be in a pony's system. The thought of all those deadly things flowing through Vinyl's blood... "Along with some prescription drugs that weren't needed for her but-"

"Can I see her?"

"Excuse me?"

Octavia stuttered over her words and let out a deep exhale. "Vinyl. Please - let me see her." Despite the cellist's desire not to look weak, tears formed in her lavender eyes and she blinked them back.

"She's asleep, you know." Redheart responded slowly.

"I still want to see her." Octavia tried to put the Philharmonica persuasion into her voice, but the way tears were choking her, she doubted it had the desired effect. Redheart gave Octavia a look, but eventually swished her tail.

"Follow me," the mare said, walking into the back room.

"Is she... stable?" the grey pony questioned.

"At this stage?" the nurse replied, only to ever-so-slightly hesitate. "We're not quite sure. She's here now but... well... no guarantees she'll make it out of here." The cellist's fallen expression was literally heart-breaking. "I assume you didn't know anything about this?"

Octavia refused to speak and gave but a simple yet somber nod.

"She's in here." Redheart pushed open a door where a very sick looking unicorn was hooked to about a million different machines.

"Vinyl," Octavia whispered, rushing to the DJ's side. "Oh, Vinyl..." 

The classical mare placed a grey hoof over one of her lover's snow white ones and let out a gasp at the sight of the unicorn's face. No wonder she always wore those gaudy shades - it hid the dramatic difference. Vinyl Scratch was definitely not the mare she used to be. Her face was sunken, the area around her eyes were surrounded with dark circles and she looked so completely lifeless and weak. Vulnerable. Sick - which didn't even begin to cover her condition and Octavia could feel bone as she clutched Vinyl's hoof for dear life. The mare had lost so much weight since they had met their senior year of high school. The once rather plump mare was now stick thin, her ribs showing through her sides.

...What had driven that lovable yet slightly insane DJ to do such a thing?

'Drugs? Really, Vinyl?' Octavia said to herself, tears stinging her eyes. 'Why?'

Octavia had always thought that only ponies with nothing turned to drugs. She never would have dreamed that her Vinyl Scratch would get to such a terrible place. The light beeping of machines was the eerie electronic melody echoing through the small hospital room, and it was the only sign that Vinyl was still going to make it... hopefully.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Octavia asked in a low whisper. "I could have helped you."

Vinyl didn't answer. Not that Octavia had expected her to.

"Don't you dare leave me." the grey mare whispered. "Please." She laid her head down and cried, never letting go of Vinyl's hoof - until one of the machines ceased in their beeping and in that same moment, doctors rushed into the hospital room.

"Who are you?" one of them spat. "Ah, no matter. Get her out of here!"

Within the blink of an eye, Octavia was forced out and the moment that the door was slammed right in front of her face, she broke down completely, wailing and burying her face in her hooves; beginning to pray once more.

"I need you back, Vinyl." she muttered. "Please be alright."

And as if it were the DJ in question was right there, Octavia could hear in her mind the reply.

'I'm always gonna be with you, Tavi.'