When Nurse Redheart finally arrived later that afternoon Rainbow hadn’t even moved from her earlier position. She still lay curled up on her side staring blankly into the bedsheets. The white earth pony slowly pushed the ultrasound machine into the room and stopped next to her bed.
“Miss Dash?” she asked curiously.
Rainbow didn’t move, the Pegasus almost looking lifeless as she lay. Nurse Redheart raised a hoof and gentle placed it on Rainbow’s shoulder causing the Pegasus to jump harshly and spin round to face her. The sudden movement caused the earth pony to jump herself, drawing her hoof back from Rainbow’s shoulder.
“Goodness, you made me jump,” she continued as she turned back towards the machine, “Now I’m sure Doctor Stable mentioned an ultrasound scan to you earlier today, yes?”
“I’m not pregnant!” replied Rainbow firmly, folding her front legs in front of her and glaring at the nurse beside her, “No way is that even possible!”
“Miss Dash I know it’s a lot to take in but if you’ll just let me…”
“No!”
Rainbow gave a short warning snort. She couldn’t believe this! It must all be a bad joke, a really distasteful joke!
“I’m not pregnant so you can take that machine away!” she continued.
Nurse Redheart gave a small sigh but quickly a small smile began to spread across her face, “Well if you aren’t pregnant then having the scan will prove us all wrong won’t it.”
Rainbow looked back at the nurse and snorted again, “Fine! I’ll show you all! You’ll all be eating your words when you find out I am right!”
Without a seconds pause Rainbow pushed the covers down to expose her middle and rolled onto her back. Once there she folded her forelegs again and stared up at the ceiling with a ‘don’t care’ expression on her face. Nurse Redheart gave another small smile and lifted a tube of ultrasound gel from the cart.
“This might be a bit cold,” she warned as she applied a liberal amount to Rainbow’s middle.
The Pegasus shivered slightly but otherwise didn’t move. The earth pony then flicked the machine on and retrieved the probe from its housing before applying it to Rainbow’s coat. For a moment there wasn’t anything showing up, Rainbow eying the screen with glee as a smile spread across her face.
“See! Nothing!” she gloated.
“Oops, silly me,” commented Redheart, “I was slightly off…your athletic physique must have shifted things slightly.”
With that she repositioned the probe and almost immediately Rainbow felt the colour fade from her face. There it was! It was hard to see due to the early stage of the pregnancy but it was plain to see. The miniature horse shaped mass moving back and forth on the screen next to her.
“There you are Miss Dash,” informed Redheart looking at the screen, “I believe that confirms our earlier diagnosis. Allow me to congratulate you. Now then, we need to sort out a few details for your prenatal care. Do you…”
Redheart stopped as she heard a sniffing sound from behind her. She turned to find a sight that next to nopony had ever seen before; Rainbow was crying. The usual confident and fun loving expression of the Pegasus was now saddened and unsure. Her head rested on the pillow, tears slowly trickling from her eyes and across her face. She hadn’t even raised a hoof to brush them away.
“This can’t be happening…” she murmured slowly to herself.
“Miss Dash…”
“It’s not fair! How could this happen? When did? How?” continued Rainbow, her voice gaining volume and anger with each passing syllable, “I can’t have a foal! I don’t WANT a foal!”
“Miss Dash please calm down.”
Rainbow’s face twisted with rage, her eyes flicking to and fixing on Redheart.
“Calm down? Calm down?!” repeated Rainbow.
Redheart quickly backed away slightly, the look in Rainbow’s eyes terrifying her.
“This changes everything,” continued Rainbow, “And you’re telling me to calm down? AAAAAAARGH!”
Before Redheart could do anything Rainbow had swung a hoof round and grabbed the table lamp from the cabinet beside her bed. A moment later the lamp impacted the far wall, shattering into pieces as Rainbow rolled herself onto her hoofs and jumped from the bed. The bedside cabinet itself was the next item to meet her rage as she brought her hind legs up slammed them into the wooden frame. She didn’t have as much strength as Applejack in this department but it was enough to splinter one side of the cabinet and cause the remaining contents on its top to slide off onto the floor.
Redheart meanwhile had darted to the room door and slammed her hoof down on the emergency call button. It was only a few moments before a strong looking earth pony who worked on security came rushing into the room. Seeing the devastation being caused by Rainbow he quickly launched himself at her, using his weight to hold her down as Redheart ran to a nearby cabinet. Quickly gathering a needle from a locked part of the cabinet she headed back towards where Rainbow and the guard were struggling against each other.
“Lemme go! Lemme go right now or I’ll…” screamed Rainbow as she tried to break the earth pony’s grip on her, “…get that needle away from me!”
Redheart ignored her, using a moments pause in the struggle to dive the needle into Rainbow’s neck. She barely had enough time to inject as Rainbow lashed a wing in her direction knocking her and the needle away. Still it was enough, the sedative had its effect nearly instantly and Rainbow slumped to the floor. There was a short pause as both Redheart and the security pony looked at each other and sighed.
---------------------------------
The evening was drawing in fast as Rainbow finally came to once again. Her head was groggy but this time it wasn’t from vomiting and passing out. She blinked a few times and looked around her. Once again she was in a hospital room, a different one to her previous room by the fact that the furniture was still in one piece.
“Ah, you’re awake,” came a voice from her left.
Rainbow looked over to find Doctor Stable staring back at her with a mixed expression.
“You may still feel a little groggy for some time until the sedative we gave you fully wears off though,” continued Stable, “I was debating the idea of strapping you down Miss Dash but I hope it won’t come to that. Even so I’ve brought in some extra insurance just in case your temper gets the better of you again.”
Stable motioned towards the door where the same security pony who had tackled her earlier that day stood watching her. Rainbow didn’t say anything, choosing instead to simply look at the bed sheets in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry doc…I just…what does all this mean?” she asked slowly.
“It means Miss Dash that you are to be a mother. It may be unexpected but I need you to remain calm, we have much to discuss,” replied the doctor.
Rainbow lay still as the doctor spoke. The sedatives were still in her system giving her a very relaxed feeling but she didn’t feel relaxed. A million and one questions raced through her mind. A thousand different possibilities playing out one after another. What was going to happen now?
“Now then, despite your earlier outburst Nurse Redheart has volunteered to take care of your pre and post natal care should you wish for it. This being your first foal I would suggest you take it. We can never be completely sure how your body will react and it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“I don’t want a foal…” murmured Rainbow.
“Please Miss Dash don’t start this again. I appreciate this was unexpected but you are pregnant and no amount of denying it will change the facts.”
“No…I mean…I don’t want a foal! Not now! I have things to do! The Wonderbolt Academy opens again in a few months, I’m lead pony! Then there’s the weather team! I can’t leave Ponyville in the lurch! Not to mention the Iron Pony competition in a few weeks, Applejack is expecting me…”
“Well I can safely say Miss Dash that there won’t be any Iron Pony or weather team work for you for some time. As for the Wonderbolt Academy I’m afraid you’ll have to call that one over and done with. First pregnancies can be very traumatic on the body and we always insist that Pegasus stay grounded until the birth at the very least.”
“Grounded?!” cried Rainbow before shaking her head, “No no no no no! I can’t do this!”
“Miss Dash I…”
“What about abortion?”
Doctor Stable fell silent, the older stallion sighing slightly as he closed the notepad he was reading from.
“There is that option but…”
“Great! Give me the details!”
“Rainbow Dash!” stated Stable, his voice firm, “This isn’t something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. You’re talking about aborting your own unborn child!”
Rainbow fell silent, the sternness of the doctor’s voice drilling straight through her. Tears began to form in her eyes once again as she raised her front hooves and gently began to sob into them.
“I can’t do this doc,” she murmured between her sobs, “I’m not ready for this!”
Doctor Stable gave a slow sigh and opened his notebook again, “Rainbow Dash, you’re not alone in feeling the way you do. A lot of new mothers find it hard to accept the fact…but I urge you to consider your options very carefully. What you decide to do will affect you for the rest of your life in one way or another.”
Doctor Stable stood and began to walk towards the doorway.
“In either case, we wouldn’t be able to start any abortion process for at least a few weeks; it’s still too early in the pregnancy for that. Take this time to think about it. Talk to your friends about it perhaps; as with all our patients what we’ve discussed will remain confidential on our end. For now please rest, in the morning you’ll be free to leave although I will insist on weekly check-ups to monitor your progress.”
Rainbow just gave a nod as the stallion left the room. As the door closed she looked up, her gaze catching that of the security pony stood by the door.
“I’m not going to break anything,” she said flatly, “I…I need some time alone.”
The security pony gave a gruff sigh, “I’ll be outside.”
With that he turned and left the room. Rainbow found herself alone once again. Pregnant? How could she be pregnant? Her mind tried to think back, tried to remember when and how it happened…and yet nothing came to mind. Why did this have to happen? Her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt was so close. She knew Spitfire was always watching her, always monitoring her track record and aerobatic performance. She had whipped her team into one of the best in the Academy despite the weak links and problems she had faced. She had even reconciled with Lightning Dust. Everything was going to plan and now…
No! She wouldn’t let it happen! Nothing was going to stand in her way! She was Rainbow Dash, best flying in all of Equestria! She had been through worse times than this and she would overcome it! A couple of weeks? That’s what the doctor had said. That was cutting it fine for the Iron Pony competition but she wasn’t about to let everypony down. She would show everypony that she could do anything and once this minor upset was gone she would be back on track! Just wait and see, nothing stops Rainbow Dash!