11.
The next four weeks had almost the same schedule. Every day Redheart would go into her work at Ponyville Hospital in the morning and leave in the late afternoon. She would check Twilight’s heart rate and breathing rate every two hours while on duty and helped to make sure that Twilight’s IV bags got changed during the morning shift, amongst her other duties at the front desk and with the other patients. Sometimes the work would become light again and Doctor Stable would allow Redheart to have a few days off.
Twice a week, Redheart would go out with Caramel. One of those times would be dinner followed by Caramel spending the night at Redheart’s apartment. The other was never the same. Once, Caramel took Redheart to go watch the Ponyville Symphony Orchestra play. Another time, they went on a picnic in the hills outside Ponyville. On one other occasion, the two went to have a picnic at the lake where Redheart would have gone with Twilight. To Redheart, there was never a dull moment with Caramel, and Caramel once stated the same thing to Redheart.
Redheart never saw Lyra intrude on one of their dates ever again, but many times she caught her watching. Once, Lyra had been sitting with a few other ponies across the patio from them at a restaurant. She sat in the same section as they did during the symphony. And Redheart was sure that she could faintly see the aquamarine unicorn watching them during their time at the lake; this time it was a strong enough feeling that Caramel suggested they move but Redheart decided to try and not let it bother her.
After four weeks, they were in Redheart’s bedroom after dinner again. Caramel was lying on top of Redheart, separated from her only by the sheets on the bed that he hadn’t gotten under quite yet. Even so, Redheart could feel his heartbeat from his chest pushed up against hers as they kissed each other.
“I’ve never felt so good since I last dated you,” Caramel said.
“Good to know you weren’t entirely satisfied with the other mares,” Redheart said.
“Haven’t been yet,” Caramel said cheekily and kissed Redheart on the neck.
“What about Lyra?”
Caramel stopped kissing and looked at Redheart. “Um… I don’t get what you’re asking me.”
“What do you think of Lyra?”
“She’s good as a coworker. She does her job well, but she’s always up in my face. Always trying to invite me somewhere. It was cute, at first, but now she’s just annoying.”
Redheart pulled Caramel down for another kiss.
“Are you okay?”
Redheart sighed. “I’ve just been so… I don’t know how to explain it. Ever since Lyra showed up when we were having ice cream I just keep wondering if she was interested in starting something with you.”
Caramel went to kiss Redheart, but she pulled away and he only kissed her lips. “Maybe I would have taken up the offer if you didn’t take mine,” he said quietly. “But I’m not letting you go now that I have you.”
“You said that four years ago, and look what happened.”
Caramel frowned, hurt. “Please, Redheart. I do feel bad for what happened back then. Don’t let Lyra get into your head. I’m here with you.” He tried kissing her again and this time she was less quick to turn away. “Let’s talk about something else. How are things with Twilight going?”
“The surgery kept her condition from getting worse,” Redheart replied as Caramel slipped under the sheets. “However, she’s not getting any better. She still has a low breathing rate and a low heart rate. I’m getting worried. Princess Celestia said we were to try and take care of her as best as we could, but so far it’s not enough.”
Caramel wrapped his hooves around her. “You’re still making progress,” he said, “even if it is slow. I’d rather have slow progress than none at all.”
“Is that how you came in last at the Running of the Leaves last year?”
“You noticed?”
“Trying to stay away from you is how I got in the top twenty.”
“You aren’t running now.”
“I have no intention to.” Redheart pulled him in and kissed him. “Twilight’s been the hardest case I’ve ever had to deal with yet at the hospital and so far you’ve kept me calm and free from stress.”
Caramel smiled at her and pulled her close, letting her lay her head on his chest. “Whatever happens, I’m here for you.”
The next day, Caramel had to go in to work due to it getting busy and one of the others calling in sick. Redheart called up Doctor Stable later on to see about her going to work for a little bit, a request that the Doctor approved. Redheart was in after lunch and was soon taking notes on Twilight’s condition.
The day was still slow, so Redheart pulled up a chair next to Twilight and looked at her. If it weren’t for the medical equipment and the ventilator, she would have looked like she was asleep. Twilight herself hardly made any noise; any noise in the room was caused by the beeping of the electrocardiograph and the purring of the ventilator.
“Twilight,” Redheart called out. “Can you hear me?”
Twilight gave no response, not even a flutter of the eyelids.
“Twilight, I got a letter from Princess Celestia. She said you’re to stay here at Ponyville Hospital in our treatment.”
Redheart expected the mere mention of Princess Celestia to invoke some sort of response, but Twilight just kept lying in bed. Her chest moved slowly up and down with each breath she took, often helped by the ventilator. Redheart could see the large wound on her chest, and the stitches that would be taken out sometime next week from her lung surgery.
“Twilight, the lung surgery must be keeping you alive. Your friends have been so worried; they’ll be glad to know that part at least is taken care of. Rainbow Dash especially has been concerned. She wants to say she’s sorry for running into you like she did.”
No response. The ventilator kept purring. The electrocardiograph kept beeping at a steady rate.
Redheart sighed and put the chair back. “I’ll come back in and check on you later, Twilight.” And she left the room.
Doctor Stable was just outside. “What were you doing in there?”
“I thought talking and mentioning some familiar names would be able to wake her up,” Redheart said. “I mentioned Princess Celestia, who she has close connections with, and Rainbow Dash, who was the one who ran into her.”
“Did it invoke a response? Sometimes it can.”
“It didn’t. I’m surprised; she’s always going on about what Princess Celestia wants to do or what she has ordered that I thought the name would cause her to wake up near immediately.”
Doctor Stable nodded thoughtfully and began walking away.
“Doctor… I’m scared.”
Doctor Stable turned around to face Redheart. “I can’t say I don’t share your concerns. It’s not normal that we get a pony around here who goes comatose for as long as Twilight has and whose wounds are not healing as fast as they should.”
“Couldn’t we try and request a specialist be sent down from Canterlot?”
“We might have some leverage considering who the patient is,” Doctor Stable said. “However, Princess Celestia has already said that we are allowed to do whatever treatment we can on her. Tomorrow morning, between IV bag changes, we’ll have her go in for an x-ray to see what is going on with her. If no damage has been healed to satisfaction, we’ll call for one.”
Redheart nodded.
Instead of leaving right away, Doctor Stable looked curiously at Redheart with a slight smirk on his face. “What is with the sudden caring about her condition? This is quite a change from the mare I saw only a few weeks ago.”
“Well, extra care should be taken with a princess,” Redheart began strongly. “However,” she continued, voice quieting and becoming more fragile, “she asked me before falling into a coma if we could spend some time together. She mentioned how she had worked with me on occasion throughout her time here and wanted to know more about me.”
Doctor Stable’s face softened. “She’s not just another patient, is she?”
Redheart shook her head. “I was about to go on a picnic with her. I’ve been thinking about her being so friendly enough to invite me, somepony she didn’t even know, to spend time with her as a friend. I wondered how come that wasn’t me; how come I couldn’t just go up to somepony else and ask them to hang out as friends. I’m sorry if this sounds sentimental, but it was her getting me to think this that got me to get together with an old friend from school.”
Stable looked warmly at Redheart. “Perhaps that is why you have done your work dutifully and taken your vacation times admirably as of late,” he said.
Redheart nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Would you like more time off?”
Redheart shook her head. “I need more time. Perhaps there is a breakthrough around the corner and I have almost hit it. To not come into work would make me distracted and perhaps break what I have found working for me.”
Stable nodded. “If there’s anything you need, let me know.”
Redheart turned and looked through the window of the room at Twilight. “I want the first of the night shifts.”
Doctor Stable hadn’t even the chance to turn around. “I meant for you to take some time to think it over.”
“The night shift will give me time to think. Just let me keep the days off you give me and change my schedule to the night shift. I’ll perform any extra duties I have to.”
Doctor Stable nodded. “I’ll arrange for that to change starting a week from now. I can’t do anything about next week, but when I’m arranging the schedules I’ll give you what you want.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
Doctor Stable smiled again. “Your one of the best nurses here. I can’t afford to lose you.” And he walked off as Redheart kept staring at Twilight, wondering if she had anything further to do with her affection towards Caramel even as she lay there doing nothing.