Pinkie slowly pushed the door open, looking inside at Rainbow Dash. She was lying in the white bed, peacefully as always. Choking back a sob Pinkie slowly tread into the room. She pulled the flowers from the vase and dropped them in the wastebasket by the door before replacing the water from the tap and inserting the new bunch. She sat down in the chair beside the bed as she'd done every day for nearly two months now, and just looked at her.
"Come on Dashie," Pinkie whispered, "please, please, wake up."
Pinkie stared for several minutes, tears slowly filling her eyes. It was no different than it had been every day before, but she still couldn't stop herself from hoping. Leaning forward to rest her hooves on the bed Pinkie let her tears fall. She didn't want to, she never wanted to cry in front of Dash, especially if she actually could hear her. She didn't want her to feel bad while she slept.
After a long time, Pinkie sniffled and looked up. She looked at her friend's peaceful face and thought for the hundredth time /she looks like she's just sleeping./ Pinkie reached her hoof out to caress her spectral mane and fought back another sob.
"Dashie," she slowly began, "I– I don't know if you can hear me. The nurses say you can. If you can please come back. I–" Pinkie tried and failed to stop herself from sobbing again. "I miss you. We all do. And it's all just so different without you here. After the accident they said you would be okay in just a few days, that they could get you better and wake you up. They said" – the tears were streaming freely down her face again – "That you'd be back doing tricks and pranks in no time. But then – but then –" Pinkie broke off and buried her face in the sheets.
"Dashie please!" she pleaded to the unconscious pegasus, "The Wonderbolts need you, your friends need you. I need you." Pinkie wasn't sure what had happened, she never talked like this when she came here. "I just– I just want you back. I want you back so bad that it hurts Dashie. Please. The doctors don't even know what's wrong anymore, they keep telling me that you'll wake up when you're ready! Why can't you be ready?"
Pinkie stopped herself, she sounded like a spoiled kid, making it all about her. Still crying she looked at the pegasus and sat back in her chair.
"I'm sorry." Pinkie whispered looking at the floor, "I'm so sorry Dashie. This isn't about me. Take your time. I'll – I'll be here when you wake up." She barely finished before she burst into tears and threw herself on the comatose mare.
Gripping Rainbow Dash in hug pinkie sobbed into her shoulder for a long time. When she finally stopped she had no idea how much time had passed. She knew the nurses would be upset with her if they caught on the bed again but decided to hold the pegasus for a while longer.
Eventually one of the nurses walked through the hall and peeked inside the room. Pinkie pulled her face away from her lover and looked at her with forlorn-pleading eyes, a tear-stained face, and drooping pink hair. The nurse met Pinkie's eyes and whispered, "I won't tell, but don't let the other nurses catch you Pinkie."
Pinkie smiled a little and thanked her. She waited five more minutes before drying her eyes and Rainbow Dash's shoulder and climbing back down to her chair. She pulled one of the books from the bedside-table drawers, Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone, it was Dashie's favorite, opened it and began reading aloud.
It was getting close to the end of visiting hours as she finished the last chapter, Daring Do had just barely escaped peril, retrieved the treasure and was on her way home. She closed the book and took the other mare's hoof in her own.
"Goodbye Dashie," Pinkie whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." She leaned in and kissed Rainbow Dash's forehead. And she felt a hoof tighten around hers.