//------------------------------// // Traumatized // Story: Cutie Mark // by Betty-tea-dead //------------------------------// The young mare had broken into desperate, nearly crazed pleas for help, for forgiveness and for time to turn their hands back for single do over. She wanted a second chance so Applebloom could live out the rest of her life that had been rich with potential. She wanted it more than she wanted the second chance for her own life to not of turned out like it did. Useless and burdensome. She plodded around in a nearly drunken way around the barn whimpering out to the lonely farm land for a few minutes before she returned inside to try and lift that impossibly heavy beam to free her friend. She nudge her softly pleading in a broken voice for her to give her any sign she was awake but it was useless. It was all useless. All the while she continued to lose blood and she felt herself starting to go faint. A strange laughter tumbled from her lips as she collapsed next her friend, blood pooling and mixing with the other puddle that formed around the crushed body of the late Applebloom. "W...why'd you have to go and say a thing like that?" she choked out, resting her head on the beam. The young, but not so young anymore pegasus continued to let words fall out, most of which nonsense. "...cu...cutie mark crusaders..." Getting help would of been useless. Applebloom was dead the moment she was crushed and that was a fact. But she wouldn't of died if she hadn't pushed her. That made her a killer. She smiled weakly at the thought of dying too, as she continued to feel herself get weaker. Sweetie Bell would be so sad... oh. Oh Sweetie Bell... "..n...never....s....jorn....y... Her eyes start to flutter closed just as a horrified scream filled the air, echoing off those damned moldy barn walls. Scootaloo was never sure what out happen after death. If anything happened at all. But her back ached, and her leg felt stiff. She felt the rough texture of a cheap blanket and something blindingly bright hung above her. Even a blank flank like her could tell that this was a hospital room. Moaning softly, she tries to open her eyes. For a moment, everything was a blur but as her sight began to focus she could start to make out shapes in the room. A chair. A curtain. And the now grey mained Nurse Red Heart off in one corner looking over some charts. Well. Doctor now at least. "D-Doc?" she whimpered out, struggling to move. Instantly the old mare was at her side just as a good medical practitioner would be. She hushed the injured pony softly with the same kindness she'd show anypony else. This placed Scootaloo back at ease. "Easy now, easy... you've just been through a terrible ordeal. You lost a lot of blood..." Her hoof gestured to a hanging baggie of blood, feeding into her veins. "...is...is there anyone I can get for you Scootaloo? There isn't anyone on your emergency contacts so..." Of course there wouldn't. Rainbowdash used to be there, but Scootaloo had long ago updated her information to erase her from that role. Besides her former 'sister' there was no one. She shook her head stiffly, feeling her eyes water. She knew it'd be useless but she croaked out a name in questioning. "..a....Appleb-" Again she was hushed gently. Scootaloo could tell by that face what the answer would be. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She couldn't muster up anymore tears for her dead friend. She could only feel a cold emptiness feel her up instead. "Rest now, you-" "How DARE you?!" The harsh scream accompanied by the sound of the hospital rooms door crashing open echoed throughout the entire hospital. Scootaloo cringed and tried to press herself as far back into the bed as possible as Apple Jack came at her in all her grief stricken fury. Red Heart tried to put herself between the two but was shoved aside with startling ease as the Earth pony slammed her hooves on the young mares shoulders. Up close, Scootaloo could see just how red AJ's eyes were and every ounce of rage she must be feeling now. "A-Applejack-!" she tried to choke out, but it was useless. Applejack managed to slam her hoof against the others face before being yanked back by her much larger older brother, who thankfully seemed to enter just seconds after his sister had barged in. "Let me go Big Mac! She killed her, she killed my baby sis!" Applejack squirmed and thrashed in Big Macs hold but eventually gave in, breaking down in intelligible sobbing. Big Mac doesn't say anything, but adjusts his hold so he could hold her in a more comforting manner, gently stroking her mane to ease her down. Red Heart collected herself, and repositioned herself between the grieving family and the injured pegasus. "Please, I know this is a difficult time for everyone but this isn't the way to handle it. Big Mac, take your sister out to the hall, I'll see to you both shortly." Big Mac nods solemnly, not making eye contact with anyone. He was barely holding it together himself, but he was the eldest Apple now. And he knew better than to take his feelings out on a bed ridden mare, as easy as it would be to pin the blame on something more physical than simple misfortune. When he heard of the accident, he rushed to the farm as quickly as he could for his sister's sake, knowing how emotionally shattered she would be and hasn't rested since. Even so, he keeps steady as ever as he ushered Applejack back outside the hall. The doctor turns back to Scootaloo to check on the swelling bruise on her cheek but Scootaloo brushed her off quickly. "I'm fine. Please... I want to be alone right now." If the hospital wasn't so thinly staffed, she wouldn't of listened to her. But it was, so she agreed with little enthusiasm. She gives her a wet towel to press to her face and offers a small sad smile. "I'll be right back Scootaloo. Keep this on your face, it will help with the bruising." Scootaloo nods, indicating she understood, allowing the doctor to leave the room to check on the Apple siblings. Alone, Scootaloo laid onto her side letting the cloth fall to the ground. She couldn't care less about a little bruising. Or scarring on her flank. And with the chaos out of the room, she was frightened to find how numb she felt about Apple Jacks outburst.