//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12 - Distractions 
// Story: Married to Her Job, Single in Her Heart 
// by Revenant Wings 
//------------------------------//

12.

For every day over the next week, Redheart would sit next to Twilight’s bed and talk to the alicorn.  Frequent things mentioned over the course of her monologues were medical terminology describing her condition, Princess Celestia, the state of the library (currently being run by Written Script), as well as the concern of her friends.  However, nothing seemed to will Twilight into any different state.  She simply lay there as though asleep.

Extra doses of medicine didn’t seem to wake her either.  Doctor Stable thought that with the extra medication there might be a chance of putting her dislocated wings back into place, but the minute they tried to do so Twilight’s breathing rate quickened and they wondered if the pain would put her into shock and keep her in her coma, so they put it off again.  Redheart almost considered writing a letter imploring Princess Celestia to send another, better physician in order to use magic on her.

“What difference would it make?” Doctor Stable said.  “So long as we try to move the wings the pain has a chance of making her condition worse no matter what method.  We need to try and see if she gets better.”

“There have been reports for ponies being in a coma for as long as three years,” Redheart protested.  “If something isn’t done quickly, there is a chance that her wings won’t be usable by the time we place them back, such as the muscles atrophying in the wing joints and not being strong enough to fly.”

“I’m worried about that myself,” Doctor Stable agreed.  “I don’t need her to be fully awake; just awake enough that we can put her wings back into position and not risk shock.”

It was a plan, but how could it ever work out when Twilight’s condition hadn’t improved over six weeks even with a slight increase in the medication she was given?

The problem bothered her on one of her dinner dates with Caramel.  Caramel noticed that she wasn’t completely eating, pushing around the food on her plate instead of eating it.  She took bites occasionally, but Caramel saw the food only looked eaten once he saw Redheart pushing around her salad with a fork.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Redheart nodded.  “I’m just… not hungry tonight.”

Caramel cocked his head curiously.  “Is it something I said?  Have I struck a nerve?”

“No, it’s not you.”  Redheart hadn’t even been paying to the conversation.

“Is it something with work?”

The strings of a lyre began to pluck with the quartet on stage.  Redheart nodded.

“Do you want to tell me now?”

“If word got out about the patient, I’m afraid there would be mass panic.”

Caramel nodded understandingly.

“Maybe later,” Redheart said, trying to sound like it was less than it was.  “When we get back to the apartment.  There’s… there’s something else we need to talk about as well.”

Caramel poked his half-eaten sandwich with a hoof.  Redheart could tell he hadn’t fallen for it.  With a sigh she turned to the stage.

Somehow, she felt she could have seen this coming.  Lyra was on stage playing with the quartet, and she wasn’t hard to spot; the others had grey or brown coats and played on deep wood instruments while Lyra stood out with her bright aquamarine coat and gold lyre.  The notes she played were soft and flirted with coming into the spotlight; sometimes hiding behind the deep tones of the cello, and sometimes flitting amongst the higher strings on the violin.

For as rude as she was, Redheart had to admit that Lyra was a good musician.  As Redheart began to think of it, Lyra was probably much more interesting than she was.  She worked in the bookstore and probably was well-read as a result (though there was no guarantee of that).  She played with the other musicians in her spare time and possibly had some stories of traveling on the road.  And just by virtue of playing music she could entertain others with ease.  It was quite prevalent on the patio of the restaurant and even amongst passing residents, some of whom stopped to listen.

“Redheart?” Caramel asked.  “You’re swaying in time with the music.”

It was barely perceptible, but Redheart finally noticed it.  On stage, the aquamarine unicorn smirked with a wink in their direction.  Redheart felt her anger flare up but didn’t do much more than release a low growl that likely Caramel didn’t even hear.

“You’ve got to admit,” Caramel said, “she does play well.”

Redheart nodded.  “I think I’d enjoy it more if she wasn’t trying to interrupt,” she said quietly in case anyone else was listening in.

“Redheart, it’s fine,” Caramel said soothingly.  “You’re just letting her get to you.  It’s probably the stress from work making it seem worse.”

Redheart sighed.  “You’re probably right.”

But Lyra didn’t let up.  Melody after haunting melody came through the patio of the restaurant, each time the sound of the lyre becoming less and less hidden, though subtle enough the other patrons didn’t notice.  By the time the two had finished eating Redheart was eager to get out, but Caramel was as charmed as any other patron, his eyes glued to the unicorn deftly and mesmerizingly plucking the strings.  The notes of the lyre became sweet and soft again, back to flirting and hiding away before coming out as though playing hide and seek.

It wasn’t until the rest of the band members forced Lyra to take a ten-minute break that Redheart managed to pull Caramel away from the restaurant, well aware of Lyra trying to come off the stage to talk with Caramel.  The two left and started walking through the moonlit streets of Ponyville, Redheart refusing to talk to Caramel even when the stallion tried being nice to her.

“Redheart, if it’s about Lyra, I swear I’m not going to leave you,” Caramel said once they had gotten a fair distance away from the restaurant.

Redheart sighed.  “I’m sorry, Caramel.  Things have been getting worse at the hospital lately and Twilight’s condition hasn’t improved at all over the last six weeks.  I’m just getting worried since there could be any number of medical and reputational consequences if she gets much worse.”

“Oh,” Caramel said.  “I didn’t realize things were that serious.  You know you could have just told me that at the restaurant.”

“I would have, but I couldn’t mention Twilight in front of all those ponies.  Not to mention after a certain point in Lyra’s performance you couldn’t look away.”

Caramel blushed.  “Sorry about that.  Her playing is beautiful even if she herself is a bit forward.”

Redheart nodded.  “Look, it’s gotten so bad Stable is putting me on the first shift of night duty.  I won’t be getting off most nights that I work until eleven or midnight.  I’m sorry, but our dates like this are going to be fewer and farther between.”

Caramel’s face fell.  He went over to Redheart and nuzzled her, putting a hoof around her.  “I’m sorry,” he said.  “Promise me you’ll keep in contact and let me know when we can go out again.  And hopefully this will pass and Twilight will get better.”

Redheart rubbed her face against Caramel’s coat and neck.  His touch was warm compared to the cooling night air.  “I promise,” she said.

Caramel didn’t stay with her that night.  Redheart told him she wanted time to calm down and didn’t want to be angry with him or with Lyra the next time they met.  Redheart felt sad when Caramel walked away, obviously hurt, and Redheart found herself feeling lonely again.

Redheart’s pillow was stained with tears the following morning.