//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Recovery? // Story: Just Another Day // by Friendship is Magic //------------------------------// Scootaloo felt like everything in her body hurt, but she didnt know why. "I can't even open my eye's. What happened?" Thought Scootaloo to herself as she lay down struggling to open her eye's. "Did I get turned to stone by a cockatrice? Why can't I move?" Scootaloo gave up on trying to open her eye's and instead strained her ears to see if she could hear anything. "I told you, there's nothing more I can do for her." "There must be something, I can make it worth your while." Was that Rainbow thought Scootaloo. "Look, miss Dash. One, I couldn't. Two, I'm married. And three, there's nothing I can do. The best thing for her right now is rest. I can give her something for the pain but I don't have anything to give her to actually help heal her any more quickly." "Could you please give her something for the pain. Even if she's not awake she must still feel the pain." Rainbow asked the stallion, who Scootaloo guessed a the doctor. "But that would mean I'm in a hospital." Thought Scootaloo to herself. "Ok, I'll go get the stuff and I'll be right back." "Thanks doc." Responded a depressed sounding Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo used all of her remaining strength to force open her eye's. At the start Scootaloo still couldn't see anything, everything was bright and she was forced to close her eyes again. Scootaloo tried again. This time she held her eye's open for a few seconds getting glimpses of her surrounding before they were forced shut again. Scootaloo tried one last time, calling ever single ounce of strength that she had left in her body. Scootaloo managed to keep her eye's open this time. She looked around the room slowly, only moving her eye's because moving anything else at this point just seemed impossible. As she scanned the room, she saw she was hooked up to lots of different machines. The numbers on them made no sense to Scootaloo, so she continued to scan around the room until her she's settled on a silently crying Rainbow Dash sitting in a chair next to her. Scootaloo forces open her mouth and tried to say something witty like. "You miss me?" But all that came out was a tiny croak. Loud enough though to catch Rainbow's attention though. Rainbow looked up so fast her next cracked. "Kid, your awake. How are you feeling?" Scootaloo tried to respond but all that came out was another croak. Rainbow looked at Scootaloo worriedly. "Hey, save your breath kid." The doctor walked back in at the moment. "Your awake, I was sure you'd be asleep for at least another weak." Scootaloo tried to smile but her mouth wouldn't respond to her commands. Scootaloo felt herself dripping back to sleep but forced her eye's open yet again. "I...I...I." Scootaloo started, Rainbow was at her side within a blink of an eye. "What was that Scoots?" Asked Rainbow softly, raising her ear to Scootaloo's mouth. "I..I...I...lov......love....." "Yeah Scoots." Rainbow asked hurriedly. "I....love....you...." Scootaloo managed before her body gave out on her and her eye's closed. When Rainbow heard this she burst into tears. "I love you too kid. I love you too." The doctor looked at Rainbow Dash awkwardly. "Would you like me to come back later?" He asked, maybe a little to hopeful. Rainbow looked back at Scootaloo and saw her eye's were closed again. "No, I'm ok. Go ahead." The doctor nodded and walked over to Scootaloo and inserted a needle into her foreleg. "Rest now, it's going to be ok." The doctor said just before he left. Rainbow wasn't sure who he was talking too. But there was no way she was going to sleep while her sister was still asleep. The next time Scootaloo managed to open her eye's was two weeks later. She forced them open to find Rainbow sleeping in the same chair next to her as last time she woke up. "She hasn't left your side this whole time." Said a familiar voice. Scootaloo turned around to see Applejack looking at her kindly. "Hasn't left this room a single time. How are you feeling sugar cube?" Scootaloo turned back to look at her big sister. Scootaloo managed two words. "How long?" "The first time you were out for two months and a week, the second was one month and a few days and now was just two weeks. It's an improvement." Scootaloo would of frowned if it didn't hurt so much. "I don't even remember the first time I woke up." Thought Scootaloo. Scootaloo looked back at Applejack and she seemed to take the hint. "You sleep now sugar cube. We'll be here when you wake up." With that Scootaloo drifted off to sleep again. Rainbow Dash had only slept ten times in almost four months. She has been keeping an eye over Scootaloo whenever she wasn't sleeping. She hadn't been out of Scootaloo's hospital room the entire time her sister had been there. She had used the toilet in Scootaloo's room, she had slept in the chair next to her bed, and she had also only eaten the food the hospital staff had brought up or whatever her friends had brought around when they came to visit. Nothing really happened in the four months that Scootaloo had been in the hospital so far. Scootaloo had slowly started to get better, but nothing major. It turned out that Scootaloo had several fractured bones, a dislocated wing, three severe lacerations, a deflated lung, head trauma, her entire left hind leg had to be stitched together again and severe punctures and bruises surrounding her flank where the timberwolf had sunk it's teeth into her. Rainbow hadn't washed since the accident, the only time she had left the chair was to use the toilet. She had watched over Scootaloo, ate her meals, and slept in the chair next to Scootaloo for the entire four months. Rainbow turned to look at her sister once more to see that she was struggling to open her eye's. Rainbow waited patiently as she watched her sister fight though the pain and drowsiness. After a couple of minutes Scootaloo finally got her eye's open. Rainbow looked at her sister warmly. "Hey sis, what's up." "What's up it that I feel like I've been hit by a cart." Rainbow was surprised that her sister would be able to talk so well after just waking up. "Don't tell me you forgot already?" Rainbow asked jokingly. Scootaloo looked up at her sister with sleepy eye's. "What happened Rainbow, and why'd you just call me 'sis'." Rainbow looked at her sister in shock. "Don't you remember? I adopted you." Now it was Scootaloo's turn to look at Rainbow in shock. "WHAT! When did this happen." "About four months ago." Rainbow answered. "Are you ok there kid?" Scootaloo was still looking at Rainbow in shock, then the door opened, and in walked Applejack and Rarity. Behind them came Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. "Howdy there, partner." Applejack called as she walked, though the door and then realised that Scootaloo was awake as well. "How are you feeling today sugar cube?" Before anyone had a chance to say anything Scootaloo pipped up. "Is Rainbow actually my sister." All the other ponies besides Rainbow looked at each other in confusion, then they looked at Rainbow for an answer and saw she had her head buried between her hoofs. Rarity took action. "Why of course she is. That's why we had the big party." Rarity said, hopefully triggering Scootaloo's memory. Scootaloo was about to say something when she was assaulted by questions by two filly's. "What happened?" "Are you ok?" "Did you get hurt?" "Did you really get bit by a timberwolf?" Applejack grabbed the two filly's by their manes and dragged the outside the hospital room, into the hallway. Scootaloo looked at Rainbow and Rarity and then said. "What's happened to me? Why can't I remember anything? Was I in an accident?" Rarity looked and saw that Rainbow had begun to quietly cry, and so thought it would be up to her to answer Scootaloo's questions. "Yes Scootaloo, you were in a terrible accident. I think you must of hit your head, so that's why you can't remember anything. You were attacked by timberwolf's, and got really badly injured. That's why you're in the hospital. And yes, Rainbow Dash is your sister, and that's why she hasn't left this room the entire time your've been in here." Rarity answered. "And how long is that?" Asked a growingly nervous, half not wanting to know the answer. Rarity looked at Scootaloo straight in the eye, and Scootaloo realised that Rarity wasn't going to sugarcoat this for her. "You've been in this hospitable 4 months, 24 days." Scootaloo stared at Rarity in shock. "That long?" She thought to herself. She opened her mouth to respond but closed it again. This was a lot to take in. First she was told that her idol was actually her sister now, then she was told she was attacked by timberwolf's, and then she was told she had been in a hospital for over four months. Scootaloo looked at Rarity and said. "I think I'd like some time alone with my sister please Rarity." Rarity nodded and left. Scootaloo turned to Rainbow Dash. "Hey Rainbow." Rainbow Dash lifted her head and showed how much she really had been crying. He whole face and upper legs were drenched. She looked at Scootaloo with bloodshot and realised that her sister was holding out her arms for a hug. Rainbow Dash practically leapt of the chair into Scootaloo's arms. "I love you so much." Sobbed Rainbow Dash. "I love you too. Sister."