//------------------------------// // Chapter 35 - Rehabilitate // Story: Trixie's Forest Retreat // by crowscrowcrow //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash never liked hospitals. They smelled funny, looked unwelcoming, were much too quiet, you never went to them for a happy reason, and she was not allowed to do anything. To make matters worse the sick and injured ponies there were a constant reminder that nopony was invulnerable, which might even include herself. Some ponies also liked to complain about hospitals being sterile white. Rainbow Dash on the other hand did not mind that aspect, seeing as she was used to living in the clouds and sterile white just felt homely to her. Of course, the Ponyville hospital was not white. It was not white at all. Instead the walls were green and blue, which Rainbow Dash could kind of understand. After all it was probably tailored to suit the residents of Ponyville, and when they looked around outside they would either see green hills or blue skies. But the ceiling was green! What kind of sense did that make? None that’s what. She stared at the closed door leading to the room Trixie was sleeping in. She was not allowed to go inside again, just like before. Of course nobody had thought to forbid her from being right outside. Restlessly she swished her tail, leaning against the green wall of the hallway. Her head rested against the doorpost. Chaotic memories of the previous day haunted her. She could still see Trixie standing there on her hind legs, defenseless and whimpering, while Fluttershy pulled her away. Then Trixie simply fell over, right in front of Rainbow’s eyes. By the time Fluttershy had let go it was already too late. No it would have been too late either way, it was my fault not Fluttershy’s. Trixie had hit the solid stone floor hard, the sound was something that just did not go away. She left the first aid in the Fluttershy’s hooves and took off. Rainbow would have liked to think she’d never flown that fast to get help, but she was painfully aware of the fact she had flown like that three times in the past week, and each one had been her fault. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, if she concentrated she could hear Trixie breathing inside. That was as good a sign as she was going to get. Trixie had been out cold since her fall. Twilight had explained that was not a good thing, but that they would have to wait and see how it turned out. She might not even wake up again. Of course the doctor had said some doctor stuff, but it made very little sense to her and Twilight’s version was much clearer. One of the hardest things had been trying to explain what exactly had happened when Nurse Redheart had taken the time to speak with them while Trixie was loaded onto a stretcher. What was particularly shocking though was that she had not gotten any of the blame. “Fluttershy, what on Equestria happened! I thought I said no stress! Why is she out here in the Everfree Forest?” “U-uhm I-its you see…” “We're not sure! But, hypothetically speaking. In less than a day, say she blasted three timberwolves with her horn, was almost eaten by a huge one, had to watch one of her only friends nearly get killed while she couldn't move, was turned down when she confessed to somepony, panicked about losing her only two friends, then was almost beaten to death by one of said only friends. Would that count as stress if it happened, hypothetically speaking?” “…” Nurse Redheart stared at Rainbow Dash in dumbfounded silence, and anypony else within earshot had much the same reaction. “D-don’t blame her i-it’s j—” “Blame her? I would have expected nothing less from Rainbow Dash than to treat everything like a big joke. Which is why I did not leave a potentially brain damaged patient in her care on her request! Fluttershy, I thought I could trust you! How did you let all of this happen? You know what, never mind there’s no time for this!” Okay that might not have been the best way she could have said it, but she was in a panic at the time and only cared about getting any useful information to the nurse. She tried her best to sympathize with the nurse, just lashing out in a stressful moment surely, but it did not work one bit. It bothered her that she was apparently expected to be some clueless clown that would naturally put a pony through Tartarus if left to her own devices. Yet what bothered her a great deal more was the pain on Fluttershy’s face when she realized she’d lost all of Nurse Redheart’s trust in one fell swoop. Rainbow had done her best to assure Fluttershy that it was not her fault, but Fluttershy didn’t seem convinced. Trixie was taken to the Ponyville hospital directly this time, neither of them had dared to object. Even if Trixie had wanted to avoid Ponyville it was well out of their hooves now. The odds were she probably would have preferred being in a town that she thought might try to hurt her, than with a pair that had proved they would anyway. Rainbow Dash looked towards the window, the sun had set and the moon was rising. Fluttershy and her had stayed in the waiting room for as long as they could, but Fluttershy had animals to take care off and had to leave once it got dark, even if she did not want to. At some point she came to realize everything was dark. Rainbow Dash shook her head quickly and opened her eyes. She could not remember closing them. Her body was rebelling against the lack of the scheduled naps. “I didn’t want to do this but you’ve forced my hoof.” Rainbow Dash said grimly, then walked towards the visitors center. A few moments later, she returned with a mug of coffee. She almost never had it, it did not agree with her. The taste was too bitter and it made her miss her naps, but that was exactly what she was aiming for. Rainbow Dash sat down on her haunches and took a sip, making her shudder and stick out her tongue “Bleech! Okay enough of that, I’m awake! And I’m staying awa—huh?” Rainbow Dash perked up her ears and listened carefully, she could hear a noise coming from the other side of the door. “But, there should be nobody in there except Trixie.” The mug was left on the ground while she reached for the door, carefully letting it swing open and stuck her head inside. She knew she was not allowed inside, but the noise was distressing and she could not just call a nurse on a hunch. She obviously had to check and make sure it was worth their time, yeah that was it. Nopony wanted a repeat of the last time she’d called the nurses in alarm because she thought she had heard Trixie stop breathing through the door. The room was dark, unlike the hallway there were no lights on. It took a few moments for her eyes to get used to the darkness, but even than she still did not see an intruder. She looked from corner to corner, then she heard the noise again and homed in on it. Certain she heard it coming from the bed she snuck closer to it, till she was close enough that she could make out who was responsible for it all. Trixie was twisting and turning in her, groaning weakly from under the covers. “No…don’t, please.. It’s nNuhm.” She swung a hoof out grasping at the air before it fell back down and she trembled. But her eyes were still closed. Rainbow Dash looked down on Trixie, a panicked look on the unicorns face while she struggled against something invisible and mumbled in her sleep. A nightmare? I-I guess that makes sense, Fluttershy said she’s been having them. Should I get a nurse? I doubt they have medicine for night terrors. She watched Trixie fight with her blanket, her fur clammy with sweat as she made another swing then curled up whimpering. It was hard to watch for Rainbow Dash, but it was not like she could shake Trixie awake. First of all she was not supposed to be here, and second shaking somepony with a head injury had to be the worst solution ever. She was not even sure if she could wake her, she’d been out for hours. Rainbow Dash raised up on her hind legs and rested the front pair on the bed so she could get a good look at Trixie, she was definitely still unconscious. Nothing seemed to be physically wrong so she supposed it was really a bad dream. The struggling had subsided for the moment though. Her eyes rested on Trixie while she thought it over, she seemed to have calmed down a bit again though her breathing was much faster. Okay so, I should go tell a nurse right? But after the last time they said not to call them unless she was either awake or dying for real. Maybe I should just get back to hall, or should I go get a nurse anyway? Rainbow dash felt constricted while she watched the unconscious unicorn, her stomach ached at the sight of her, or perhaps it was the coffee. The sound of hoofsteps out in the hall made Rainbow Dash jump. She stared at the wall, following the owner of the steps behind it till it reached the door, then kept going without a pause. “Ugh! Buck it, I’m going!” Rainbow Dash groaned, she’d find a nurse and drag them back here. What were they going to do, tell her to go home? She’d just hang out on the windowsill instead. She pushed herself away from the bed and began making her way towards the door when Trixie started struggling again and mumbled. “Dmnt leave alnuhm” Rainbow Dash froze in her tracks and looked back at Trixie, a hoof shot to her mouth. Oh no, did I wake her? I didn’t think I could wake her what did I… wait she’s not awake. She blinked slowly while she noticed Trixie struggle again, mumbling incoherently in content but it kept a pleading tone. Trixie still looked the same as before and after Rainbow Dash propped herself up on the bed again to make sure she made a swing with her hoof at nothing. Then she settled down again to just shaking and quick breaths. She seems kind of okay now. I guess it was just her reacting to my voice? The Doctor did say she might be able to hear or something. Okay I’ll go find that nurse then. She dropped back down on all fours and trotted towards the door, but then paused half way across the room, a few seconds past, then Trixie started struggling and mumbling again. Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder at the weakly thrashing bed. I-I don’t suppose? With a quick glance at the door, she turned around back to the bed and paused in front of it. “I’m doing something stupid again aren’t I?” Still she lifted her front up to it again, resting her hooves on the bed besides Trixie and observed. As she expected, Trixie’s thrashing lessened to just shaking when she could sense the pressure on the bed. She knew what to wait for next and once Trixie made the grasp with her hoof again she extended her own, letting Trixie capture it. The effect was immediate. She could see it on Trixie’s face. The panic melted to confusion as she pulled the warm hoof against her chest instead of the nothing, then a smile spread as she calmed down fully. Rainbow Dash was stunned, she had been more than ready for Trixie to have a seizure the second she touched her. But for once it was actually working out? The happy smile on Trixie’s face while she clutched whoever she thought she had so tightly was just too precious. Glancing through the window, Rainbow Dash looked at the moon and estimated it was probably just a bit past midnight. She hooked a chair with her hind leg and pulled it closer, getting more comfortable. She yawned. It probably won’t hurt to just let her stay like this for a little while. I’ll give her a few minutes then leave. Yeah.