//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 - Trotsworth // Story: Married to Her Job, Single in Her Heart // by Revenant Wings //------------------------------// 23. Redheart’s evening at the hospital was uneventful. She filed some paperwork, checked in with Twilight, tended to a patient being released, checked in with Twilight, changed a few IV bags, and checked in with Twilight. The purple mare wasn’t needy but she was lonely, as Redheart suspected not having anyone to talk to for ten weeks would cause someone to feel. She was grateful for Redheart’s company but was less hesitant than the first few days when Redheart told her she had to go. Before she left, Redheart informed Twilight of her vacation to Trotsworth. Twilight seemed to understand as far as their communication system allowed. Redheart did not tell Twilight about the decision to potentially move to Trotsworth, however, waiting until she was awakened and not at risk of falling into a deep comatose state again to let her know. It did seem rude to Redheart, but she reasoned with herself that somepony like Twilight would understand if that was the case. On Friday morning, Redheart took her saddlebags and a suitcase and headed off for the train station. The train arrived punctually at nine in the morning and Redheart climbed in to a simple business class seating and was told that breakfast would be served within the hour. The train left a few minutes later with hardly anyone else boarding and soon Redheart was heading north through a sparsely wooded forest outside of Ponyville. Breakfast was complimentary with the train ticket. Redheart got herself a glass of orange juice served with her eggs, fruit, and battered toast with a light dusting of sugar. Redheart watched the scenery flash by as she ate, looking at the familiar woods and streams that greeted her every time she headed back to the Academy. There were hardly any others in the car with Redheart. There was an older stallion reading the paper, an older mare trying to get her younger son to stop playing his video games, and a young couple sitting a few rows away from Redheart. The couple was talking and laughing back and forth with the air of those who hadn’t known each other for very long and had recently fallen in love. There was an unmistakable blush on the mare’s face, and an equally apparent look of adoration in the stallions. “Do you have a job?” “I’m doing an internship in Trotsworth at the moment. It’s my last year at the Academy and they require a year of internship before graduation. It’s hard work and late hours, but I like it.” “You look the type that would like that sort of thing. Neat, clean, organized. I’ve never seen someone organize their folders as much as you did.” Redheart shook her head of the memory. She was leaving Ponyville to get away from Caramel for a little while, maybe even find some peace there. If her journey was successful, the next time she was on that train it would be with her mother and her fiancée to find an apartment for rent. A light rain began to fall as the train stopped at Whitewater Ridge. A few passengers got off and a few new ones got on and the train started again. The rain lightly tapped the top of the otherwise silent car and Redheart felt that the space was a lot more empty than it seemed; the nearest to her was the mother with her now sleeping sons. Redheart found herself staring out at the rain pitter-pattering on her window. “Trotsworth Academy is rather lovely this time of year when the leaves start changing. I often like to take walks around the campus when the weather’s nicer.” “Funny how a simple half a day’s train from Ponyville can change the weather so much.” The train arrived in Trotsworth at around one in the afternoon. Redheart climbed out and pulled out the umbrella she brought with her to keep herself dry from the rain. Adjusting her saddlebags and grabbing her suitcase, Redheart walked through the misty streets towards her hotel. Her hotel overlooked the main square. In contrast to the grey and misty streets, the hotel was three floors of bright white and gold and boasted an immaculate green lawn with decorative flower bushes. The lobby was filled with warm-colored wood floors and walls and had a brightly painted ceiling. She walked up to a counter where a young green mare sat at a simple computer. “Hello, welcome to the Trotsworth Resort,” she said in a polite and refined voice. “How may I help you? Do you have a reservation?” “Yes, I do. It’s for three nights under the name Redheart, one person in the party.” The mare went over to a clipboard behind her and flipped through the pages. After a while she found the page she was looking for and brought it over to Redheart. “Just sign there next to your name while I get you into the system and see what room you selected.” Redheart took the pen the mare offered her and signed the sheet on the clipboard. The mare took the clipboard from her and searched the computer for a little bit. “Alright, I have three nights for a Nurse Redheart with a garden-view suite for one. Is that correct?” “Yes it is.” The mare typed at the computer for a little while longer before telling Redheart her price. Redheart paid for the room and the mare gave her the keycard for the third-floor room overlooking the central gardens. Redheart took the keycard in addition to a complimentary ticket for the nearby botanical gardens and walked up to her room. It was nice to be able to get away, and even nicer with the room. The room was painted in soft blues mixed with white and gold and relaxed Redheart as soon as she entered. The suite contained a simple kitchen, a living area, a bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a bathroom with separate shower and bathtub. The whole area was nice and clean and well insulated, keeping the room cool but still better than the cold and rain outside. Redheart spent her first night in Trotsworth at the hotel, the rain making it near impossible to go out and do anything. She was not, however, limited by any means. She took a walk around the enclosed inner gardens and admired the flora within. She took a book and spent some time at the pool reading before going for a relaxing swim. She entered the sauna and spent a few minutes relaxing there. She went ahead and booked a massage at the spa and allowed herself to be pampered for about an hour before cleaning herself up and eating a late dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. A small bar and dance floor was available on the grounds of the hotel, and Redheart decided to take a look at it. Like the rest of the hotel, it was mainly colored in soft earthen tones and had a small sense of refinement about it; most of the patrons were dancing to a jazz band or drinking wine and cocktails. Redheart sat herself at the bar and ordered a glass of a sweet apple cider, following it with a decaf coffee. The music was nice and light and infectious and soon Redheart found herself tapping her hoof to the beat and watching the dancers on the floor. “Well, there are the bars and the dance clubs. The bars tend to be frequented by the old folks but have more powerful drinks and better food. The clubs are filled with other Academy age ponies like us, but have weaker drinks. I hear some of the combinations are amazing, though.” “Well, is there one around here we could go to? I don’t want to spend all of my free day cooped up in here.” “There’s one club just across the square. ‘The Trotting Mare’, I believe. It’s more subdued than most and has decent food.” Redheart left the bar and walked over to the lobby and looked out across the square. Not far away from the hotel stood “The Trotting Mare”, still painted in the familiar blue and gold. The thought struck Redheart that she should go there right that minute, but having already drank a glass of wine and not wanting any more alcohol in her system, she decided to hold off on it and go to bed. Redheart awoke at a reasonable time the next morning and found the rain had finished and the sun was out and shining brightly. She went down to the restaurant for breakfast and wandered around the town for a little. The air was nice and clean after the previous rainstorm and a light dew rested on the grassy lawns of the hotel. “The Trotting Mare” was dark at the time being and Redheart decided to check out the botanical gardens. The gardens themselves were lovely, the air filled with sweet scents of all the different flowers and fruit trees. It was nice to walk through the shaded paths and look at the different bushes and vines and flowers and fruit-bearing trees. No one else bothered her as she walked around, heading towards the greenhouses and the special viewing areas that showed the medicinal and health properties of plants. The more Redheart walked around the gardens, the more alone she felt. It seemed to her everyone else was walking around with a special somepony through the gardens, pointing out favorite flowers or trees to their beloved. Redheart was the only one without someone to be with. Instead of being awed by the sights she was seeing, Redheart suddenly found herself walking along empty paths and wishing that anypony – even Lyra, though she was pushed out of her mind relatively quickly – was walking with her. After the botanical gardens Redheart contemplated lunch at the hotel or at a restaurant in the square but decided against it and went to her room to take a nap. She woke up feeling worse than before, now not only lonely but sluggish. She drank some water with a glass from the kitchen and headed out on the town, singularly focused towards “The Trotting Mare”, mercifully open even at four in the afternoon. The interior was just as she remembered it. One end of the place was dominated by a bar and two other walls held tables, some of them built into smaller holds. At the far edge of the place, a tan earth pony mare with her long brown mane tied up in a ponytail was up at the music controls, blaring out just enough trance music to send the twelve or so dancers on the floor into a euphoric state filled with rhythmic motions and bass beats thumping until their own hearts matched with it. Redheart sat herself down at a table in one of the niches, thankful to be away from the pounding bass. She perused over a drink menu for a little bit as a rather suggestively-dressed unicorn mare approached her table in a rather seductive gait, attracting the attention of some of the ponies on the dance floor. “Hello,” she said rather politely, “and welcome to ‘The Trotting Mare’. We have a few drink specials this evening. All our mixed drinks are half-priced and our beer selection is three bits per glass instead of five. Can I get you something to drink?” “Do you still have a drink called a ‘Blue Fireball’?” Redheart asked. “I heard about it from a friend of mine and wanted to try it out.” “We certainly do. So, that’s one Blue Fireball and I’ll make sure to bring out a glass of water to go with it.” The mare looked at Redheart, currently sitting at the back of the niche, with half-lidded eyes. “Are you by yourself this evening or are you alone?” “Alone. I’m not waiting for anyone else.” The mare flinched and Redheart had the feeling that she might have spoken too harshly. “Very well. Are you ready to order food or do you need a few more minutes?” “I’ll take an order of the sliders and a small order of the vegetable plate.” The mare nodded, seemingly sobered by Redheart’s order. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with your order.” Redheart waited at the back of the niche and waited patiently, listening to the music. When the waitress came around with the Blue Fireball and the water a short while later, Redheart paid her the full price for the drink, at which she lightened up again and brought out Redheart’s food even quicker. Redheart sipped at her drink, still the same violent blue color and still with the same cold, smooth taste with the hot finish, and ate her food in silence. When her food and drink was finished, the waitress came up and asked Redheart if she wanted anything else. “A salt lick if you have one.” The mare nodded. “Just don’t dehydrate yourself too much, honey, since you don’t have a stallion to help you on home. Or a mare,” she teased. She came back around with a small cube of salt that had a slightly sweet flavor. Redheart paid her bill with a tip and watched the waitress as she went off to serve another table. By the time the salt lick was finished, Redheart was thoroughly dehydrated and grabbed another glass of water from the bar before leaving. Despite the late hour at which she left, the establishment hardly had any patrons and Redheart guessed most of the Academy students were on leave. Redheart left “The Trotting Mare” without hindrance and returned to the hotel where she decided to order a proper meal from the restaurant; the waiter at the hotel had to constantly keep refilling her glass from how dehydrated Redheart was feeling. By the time she ate her food and had drank a fifth glass of water, Redheart was feeling much better and the alcohol had long worn off. Feeling tired, Redheart returned to the room and lay down on the bed, turning on the nearby radio to a classical music station. There was something rather sad about the emptiness of the suite. It was calm, quiet, and dark, and yet Redheart felt the suite had been designed for two ponies to share. The queen-sized bed, the two chairs and the loveseat in the living area, and the kitchen and bathroom amenities all pointed to that; all with one extra item, one extra space, that Redheart wouldn't use. Redheart felt small within the confines of the large bed. With the radio still on, Redheart fell into a restless sleep filled with fits of sniffling and weak sobs.