9.
After three days in the hospital, Twilight’s condition hadn’t improved. Then again, on the accounts that no press had come by the hospital and the fact that Twilight’s condition hadn’t worsened Doctor Stable had so far called it a success. After what had happened to the alicorn, Nurse Redheart agreed, though she now demanded new x-rays since she was holding a stable condition and that the medicine in her IV bags was increased.
Redheart was present for the x-rays themselves and stayed at the hospital until the results came through. She looked over the results with Doctor Stable, noting three broken bones and the ribs, in addition to the slightly caved-in lung.
“How is it, Doctor?” Redheart asked.
“The extra calcium boost is helping,” Stable said, “but it’s not attaching to the bones as well. We’ll have to up the amount of vitamin D in the nutritional supplement so that it absorbs. In the general course, we’ll also have to increase the amount of iron; she’s not taking in as much oxygen as we would have hoped. Though our measures are currently preventative and holding off much worse, we’ll need to do something fast in order to get her on the track to healing, likely heart or lung surgery sometime within the next week.”
Redheart nodded. The two went to Twilight’s room from the x-ray room and hooked the ventilator and the electrocardiograph machines back up to the alicorn. Redheart scanned the printouts from both the machines of the last few hours.
“Seems her breathing rate and heart rate are low but stable,” Redheart reported. “Her respiratory rate is an average of 9 breaths per minute, sometimes as high as 11 but sometimes as low as six or seven. Her heart rate is a steady 30 beats per minute as it was earlier.”
Doctor Stable sighed. “Have we gotten back a letter from Princess Celestia yet?”
“No,” Redheart replied. “Nothing in the last two mail runs or anything from special delivery.”
Doctor Stable shook his head. “I wish we could at least get a Canterlot physician down here,” he said. “Our ability to have kept things quiet around here seems to be the only progress we’ve got so far. Twilight’s currently in stable condition but there’s a chance we’ll have to perform not only surgery on the lungs but a blood transfusion.”
“Unfortunately, that area is not my expertise,” Redheart said.
“I didn’t expect it to be.” Doctor Stable looked at a nearby clock. “It’s about four o’clock. Do you have any plans for this evening?”
Redheart nodded. “Caramel asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner this evening around six. I was going to talk about it with you.”
Doctor Stable nodded. “I think I can keep Twilight going through the night. I’ll send someone to get you if there’s trouble, but otherwise, I can tell some of the other nurses to run a blood test on her and see how oxygen levels are and what her type is. You can go on and head out for tonight.”
Redheart nodded again. “Thank you, Doctor.”
Redheart left Twilight’s room and went to sanitize herself again. Once she was clean, she left for her apartment where she took a quick shower and brushed her hair. She thought about putting it in the bun like she usually did, but Caramel liked it better with her hair down, so she put it in a ponytail tied close to the back of her head. She washed her face in the sink and toweled off, making sure her coat was clean and glossy.
It was the first time in four years since Redheart had been on what could be considered a date. She had been wondering to herself what it would be like with Caramel, considering the last time ended as a disaster. Even so, she kept telling herself there were worse problems than Caramel at the moment such as a pony’s life at stake inside the hospital. Even if Caramel did do a repeat performance, she could easily put herself into her work.
For now, Redheart decided, tonight was about the date with Caramel. When she figured herself ready, she walked over to the hospital to wait for Caramel, finding herself thinking about Twilight Sparkle lying inside. She hardly knew the mare, only from small jobs they had worked on together and the library visit a few days prior; the times they met totaled probably less than seven.
Caramel soon showed up, distracting Redheart from the thoughts of Twilight for the time being. He was neat but not fancy, his mane brushed backwards in one group instead of parted in the middle. “Well, it’s exactly six,” he said. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
Redheart shook her head. “No, not at all. I’ve only been here for about ten minutes.”
Caramel smiled at her. “Come on. We’re going to a little place towards the center of town. There’s supposed to be music playing tonight.”
Redheart smiled and walked alongside Caramel. He seemed reserved, quiet, and well-kept, though not flirting with her. Redheart liked it for the time being; he had come off as too strong a few days earlier but she liked this more relaxed and friendly Caramel.
It wasn’t long before the two reached the center of town and the restaurant that Caramel had mentioned. It wasn’t very crowded, but Caramel had gone and reserved a spot for two on the patio where the music was playing. A classical quartet was up on the stage and playing quiet tunes on a cello, bass, violin and a small piano. Redheart and Caramel were sat down at a small round table with a candle in the center and listened to the music under the golden evening sky.
“This place is wonderful, Caramel,” Redheart said.
“I’m glad you like it,” Caramel said. “Also, no need to worry about paying; this is my treat.”
Redheart smiled.
A waiter came around and ordered drinks; both ordered a sparkling water with lemon. The drinks were quickly brought out along with a warm loaf of sourdough bread.
“You know,” Redheart said as Caramel began slicing up the sourdough bread, “the way you called me earlier this week was just like when you used to ask me on dates four years ago.”
Caramel’s ears perked as he passed Redheart a slice of bread. “It was?”
Redheart nodded, spreading butter over the piece. “You were always so straightforward when we talked in public, but when you called me over the phone to ask you became shy and reserved. Then when we went on the dates you would become friendly and not as forward. It’s a repeat of what happened last time.”
Caramel laughed. “I suppose it is.”
“So… is it a date? Is this what you wanted to talk with me about?”
Caramel blushed. “Well… I know you were talking about me wanting not to be too flirty, but I kind of wanted to see if we could start again. I mean, the hiking trip went decently well and you seemed ready to give it another chance. So… I wanted to try.”
Redheart smiled softly. “If you really mean it this time, I suppose I am willing to try again.”
The waiter came around and the two ordered dinner. The waiter left with the order as they continued talking.
“How’s work at the hospital lately?” Caramel asked, passing Redheart a second slice of bread.
Redheart shrugged. Her mind went back to Twilight, lying in her coma in the emergency ward, but she figured now was not the time to talk about it. “Well, it was busy. We had a patient come in today that made a bit of a fuss when the nurse tried to give her a shot and Derpy Hooves came in for a regular check-up.”
“How is Derpy lately?”
“Still her usual self,” Redheart replied eagerly, not willing to go to Twilight just yet. “She’s always so nice but every time we have to give her a shot she wants to cry. Sometimes I just want to hug her, but it’s funny because she always forgets about it and goes back to being her usual self in a few minutes. She’s probably one of the best patients we have; her, her daughter Dinky, and Amethyst.”
“Aww…” Caramel said. “I’ve always liked Derpy. She always comes in to the bookstore to see if there are any new cookbooks in. She’s started to call me ‘Mister Apple’ because my name always reminds me of caramel apples. I told her I couldn’t be ‘caramel apple’ because someone in the Apple family already has that name.”
Redheart put a hoof to her mouth, hardly trying to repress a giggle.
“You’re laughing!” Caramel sang playfully.
Redheart let it out. “It’s just cute!” Redheart said. “‘Caramel Apple’… I might have to start calling you that sometimes if I ever see you eating one.”
Caramel blushed again, but let out a laugh himself.
Dinner came around; a tofu burger for Caramel and a large salad with a vinaigrette dressing for Redheart, plus a platter of hay fries to share. It wasn’t long before the conversation settled down while the two ponies ate, though there were still bits and pieces throughout.
After the talk about Derpy, the conversation rarely strayed back to the hospital and Redheart felt more at ease. She lightened up around Caramel and found herself laughing more often at the jokes they traded. Her dinner was delicious and equally enjoyable, and Caramel surprised her by topping it off with them sharing a slice of chocolate cake.
After dinner, the two found themselves standing outside the restaurant. Redheart questioned to herself if there was going to be anything afterwards, but Caramel at first made no mention of it.
After a while, Redheart had to ask. “So… did you have any plans for afterwards?”
Caramel shook his head. “No, not really. And I didn’t have anything going on tonight, either.”
Redheart kicked a hoof at the ground. “Do you… want to come over to my place for some coffee?”
Caramel was at first silent. Redheart was initially disappointed until she saw a blush and a small smile creep onto his face. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” he said.
Redheart smiled and led him back across town to the apartment. She went ahead of him and unlocked the door to invite him in. Caramel started making his way across the floor of the apartment carefully as though he didn’t want to upset anything while Redheart calmly walked to the kitchen and started brewing a small pot of coffee.
“It’s so… clean,” Caramel said. “It’s almost like the interior of a hospital room.”
Redheart laughed. “I suppose it kind of is. I always liked things being neat and orderly.”
“I guess hospital work was a perfect line of study for you, then.”
Redheart nodded. “I do kind of want to make things a little lighter around here. I have lavender curtains on the windows and thought about painting the walls a mellow yellow or something like that. Maybe even just some tables and other furniture with a nice gold or red wood.”
“Probably would be better for you mood, too,” Caramel said. “Wouldn’t make you so stressed after a day at the hospital.”
Redheart poured two cups of coffee and gave one to Caramel. “You noticed?”
“It wasn’t obvious,” Caramel said, “but you didn’t like talking about the hospital. I figured I wouldn’t bring it up anymore after talking about Derpy, and you lightened up once that happened as well. Is there something going on?”
Redheart sighed. “Yes. I didn’t want to focus on it, though.”
“What happened?”
Redheart took a deep breath and exhaled a few times.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Caramel said softly.
“No, I do,” Redheart said. “It’ll be better for me to get it off my chest.” She took one more deep breath and told Caramel about Twilight Sparkle and her coma and how she’d been in the hospital for three days without signs of improvement. “Normally, I’d say this was normal for an accident that severe, but with it being a princess everything just seems worse.”
Caramel set down his coffee on a nearby coffee table and put his hooves around Redheart. Redheart set down her own coffee and returned the gesture. She could feel Caramel’s warm breath against her ear as he whispered. “It’s alright. You’re a good nurse and know just what to do; it’s even your special talent. I’m sure everything will work out alright in the end.”
Redheart found herself sniffing again. “Thank you, Caramel.”
“Also, know that if there’s ever somepony you need to talk to, you can always talk to me. I won’t tell anypony else.”
After a few more moments like that the two pulled away. They finished their coffee and Caramel started to get up to go. “Well, it’s been a nice night.”
Redheart nodded.
“Um… I guess I’d better get going.”
“Wait.”
Caramel looked questioningly at Redheart. “Is there something wrong?”
“Could you… stay the night here tonight?”
“If I may ask… why?”
“I don’t know,” Redheart said. “I suppose with how much stress I’ve had recently, you’ve been able to calm me down more than anything. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but… I don’t know how to put it.”
Caramel came up and put a hoof on Redheart’s shoulder.
“If you want me to stay, I will for tonight. I don’t have to work tomorrow so it’s okay. Maybe… maybe it will help you if I stay to calm you down so you’re not stressed.”
Redheart smiled. “Maybe it will.”
Redheart rinsed the two coffee cups and the two went into Redheart’s bedroom. The two laid down and got into the bed together, Caramel wrapping his hooves around Redheart once again as they pulled the sheets up. Redheart closed her eyes and put her head on the stallion’s chest, listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart and breathing of his lungs. She could feel Caramel’s head move around for a while before settling in one position, and continued listening as his breathing and heart rate slowed down to a steady resting rate. Redheart kept listening to the rhythmic thump-thump and felt the gentle breathing until she had soon fallen asleep herself.