//------------------------------//
// 2 part 1 
// Story: Life & Death 
// by SoulTheCatzgod 
//------------------------------//

“Umm, hel-hello? Rise and shine, sleepy head. That is, well, you've been asleep for a long time now, and I thought that, um, you might be hungry or thirsty. I hope I'm not disturbing you, it's just I don't want you to be hungry or anything,” Whoever was talking had a very sweet, if not shy, voice. Jonathan couldn't help but feel calm. The giant lizard and the hospital was just a bad dream. He opened his eyes and his entire body went stiff with shock. It was a good thing he wasn’t a screamer or he might have done so. Jonathan wasn't in his apartment or in the hospital, but back in the cartoon surroundings staring at a cartoon ceiling.
This must be a dream… Please, God, let it be a dream… He knew this must mean that he was alive and in a coma at some hospital. There was no way this could be real.
“Oh, okay, you’re awake. How are you feeling? You got hit pretty hard by that giant Gila monster.”
Jonathan didn’t respond, he only stared at the ceiling. She persisted, “Are you hungry or thirsty?” Jonathan realized that yes, in fact, he was rather thirsty. He sat up and saw that his hostess was the yellow Pegasus with the pink mane and tail.
“Who are you?”Jonathan asked, a little more gruffly than intended.
“Oh, my name? It’s Fluttershy,” She answered nervously.
“Well, Fluttershy, some water would be fine,” He told her, softening his voice.
“Okay, I'll go and get that. You just make yourself comfortable. I won’t be a minute,” she said cheerfully, flying out of the room.
Jonathan sat up and looked around. He was in a nice room. All the colors were warm and pleasing to the eye. The furniture and very style of the room was mostly Victorian inspired. The bed, though comfortable, was far too small for someone of his size. Jonathan’s body hurt all over, but not as bad as he thought it would, considering he was recently hit by a tree sized tail.
That never happened, Jonathan. This is a dream, remember? Jonathan reminded himself. It sure feels fucking real, though.
Jonathan sat in silence until Fluttershy came flying back in with a tray balancing a large pitcher of water and two cups in her hooves. She set it on the bed-side table.
“Thank you,” Jonathan said quietly, taking a glass and filling it.
Fluttershy asked tentatively, “So… what's your name?”
Jonathan drank and said, “Jonathan Thucker.”
“That's a nice name,” Fluttershy paused and looked around the room, as if looking for the right words. “I hope I'm not bothering you with these questions but, well, I was just wondering, um… what are you? It's just that I've never seen an animal like you before,” She turned her face away, letting her hair hide what Jonathan sensed was embarrassment over such a question.
“I’m human,” Jonathan replied.
“Oh…” She stood there trying to recall that word, “I've never heard of a human before,” Fluttershy paused again as Jonathan drank more water before asking, “Where are you from? How did you get here?”
“Please one question at a time,” Jonathan said.
“Sorry…”
“It's all right,” Jonathan tried to think of the best way to tell her. Obviously he couldn't tell her that he had attempted suicide and was now laying in some hospital bed in a coma. He had the feeling that she wouldn’t understand, and if she did she would be horrified. So Jonathan finally settled with, “I'm from a little town very far away from here and how I got here is anyone's guess. I fell asleep and woke up in the forest,” Fluttershy looked confused but he continued, “Now I have a question for you - Where am I and how did I get here?”
Fluttershy answered quickly, “Well, you’re in the spare bedroom in my cottage, which is right outside of Ponyville in the Kingdom of Equestria. As for how you got here, you were dragged back her after you saved me from the Gila monster. You’re very heavy,” She noted before quickly adding, “Of course I-I don't mean that in a bad way!”
Jonathan grabbed one of the bed posts and slowly, painfully stood up. Fluttershy looked worried, “I don't think you should be walking around in your condition, but of course if you want to that would be okay, I suppose," Jonathan looked down at Fluttershy. He must've have been a full two feet taller than her. He walked to the mirror right next to the window and looked at himself. He was surprised by how much he hadn’t changed. His cartoon reflection looked a lot like his real self. He also looked as he felt - like a train wreck. Jonathan’s long blond hair was rather messy but his full beard looked untouched.
“Do you have a brush I can use?” Brushing his hair had become a morning routine he had never broken. It helped to feel normal, in the same way a morning cup of coffee did for most people.
“Yes, I do,” Fluttershy said, flying out of the room again before quickly returning. Jonathan took the brush and tried to brush his hair but couldn't. Every time he reached up his neck burst into pain. Fluttershy, seeing Jonathan's discomfort, came to his side, “Are you in pain?” She sounded very worried.
“Yes,” he rubbed his neck. “My neck, I must've tweaked it when that damned lizard hit me,” I'm lucky that’s all I tweaked. Jonathan took his head in both hands and twisted, first to the right then to the left, cracking his neck loudly. It helped a little bit, but it still hurt. Fluttershy cringed, “Doesn’t that hurt your neck?”
“Not much,” Jonathan tried to brush his hair again but he was still in too much pain.
“I can brush your mane if you like,” Jonathan nodded and gave Fluttershy the brush. He didn't bother to tell her that humans have hair, not manes. She had to fly over him to do it properly though, but she did a good job.
“Thank you,” Jonathan said when she finished.
“Oh, it was no problem. Now I think you should get back into bed and recover,” Fluttershy urged, nudging Jonathan towards the bed with her two front hooves. He lay down in the same position he woke up in, and Fluttershy, to Jonathan's chagrin, insisted on tucking him in like a child.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said sweetly when she was finished adjusting his pillow.
“For what?” Jonathan was confused.
“For saving me. I don't know anypony, or any creature, that would fight a monster like that, head-on. I'm just sorry you both had to hit each other so hard.”
“Hmm, yes…” Jonathan said under his breath, “How long was I asleep for?”
“The rest of yesterday and this morning,” Fluttershy informed him.
“Have you told anyone about me?” Jonathan asked.
Fluttershy looked down and nervously pawed the floor, “Well, umm, I didn't exactly tell anypony. I mean, well, a few of my friends saw you and helped me drag you inside and, well, they started to ask questions, and… I didn't want to lie so I told them how you saved me. I hope you're not angry with me. Please don't be angry!” She was so nervous that it made her sound fearful. Jonathan saw how nervous his question made her. So he put on a warm smile and said, “I’m not angry at you.”
“You're not?” She asked, still nervous.
“Not at all. As a matter of fact I would love to meet some of these friends of yours,” Jonathan was lying through his teeth. Frankly, he didn't feel like meeting all the happy prancing ponies that he vaguely remembered from TV, but he knew that saying so would make Fluttershy feel better, and it did. Jonathan was about to say something more when a white rabbit bounded into the room and stole Fluttershy’s attention.
“What is it, Angel Bunny?” She asked. Angel pointed towards the door.
“Is there somepony downstairs?” Angel shook his head, then walked around the room flapping his little arms like a chicken.
“Oh my! I forgot, I need to feed the chickens,” Fluttershy flew out of the room. She popped her head back into the doorway to say, “Feeding chickens doesn't take very long.”
Jonathan needed to process his new surroundings in solitude, anyway, “You take as much time as you want, I'm not going anywhere,” Fluttershy smiled and left. When he heard what he assumed was the front door clicking shut, the smile he had pasted on for Fluttershy was gone and replaced by a frown that perfectly described how he was feeling – pissed off. He laid there, trying to hold back tears of regret and self-loathing. All he wanted was to die and stay dead, was that too much to ask? He rolled over onto his side and let self-pity overwhelm him. For the first time since his daughter's funeral, he cried. Not tears of rage like when his gun broke. These were tears of despair. He despaired because he failed, failed to be a good father, a good husband, a good human being, for that matter. How selfish I am… Jonathan thought and let tears flow freely.