Being stabbed didn't hurt nearly as much as she thought it would.
But it still hurt like buck.
Wob collapsed to the ground as green blood began seeping from the would. Were there ponies yelling next to her? That's probably what the sound was. One of them was Rose, from what she could tell. The other she didn't recognize, though the pegasus seemed to be a guard of some kind. She was pretty sure he was the one who did that.
The thought that he was just trying to attack what he thought was a threat was pushed out of her mind by the fact that he just stabbed her, the bucking plothole!
“C-could someone get this knife out? Please?” Wob croaked out.
The guard rolled his eyes, and put his hoof on the dagger before starting to pull it out. Pain more intense than the one she was having coursed through her body.
“OW! OW! Leave it in! Leave it in!” Wob yelled quickly.
“I apologize.” The guard said.
“You better bucking apologize! You just stabbed me for no reason! And you better not say it's because I'm a changeling!”
“...It is because you're a-” The guard started to say.
“Aaaaarrrrrgghhh!!” Yelled the changeling. “Now, before you piss me off even further- Celestia knows how you'd pull that off, but I'm pretty sure you'll find a way- Will you let me pass out in peace?”
Ah, comforting blackness. Lovely how it doesn't have ponies that shank you on sight. Unlike certain other states of consciousness. Yeah, I'm looking at you, world. Motherbucker.
- - -
A familiar beeping, sterile air, a sense of unease, and the feeling of upcoming boredom.
She was in a hospital, wasn't she?
Wob cracked open an eye.
Horsefeathers.
Rose held her hoof on Wob, a concerned look on her muzzle.
Wob noticed she herself was back to black. She didn't have the energy to transform back to her more colorful self, but it didn't matter right now.
“So, am I fine?” Wob croaked out.
“I don't know.” Rose said with a shrug. “The doctors don't really know changeling anatomy. An expert of the subject is being brought in.”
“Ah, so until then I don't know if I'm dying or if it's just a flesh wound.” Wob groaned. “So, who was that jackass?”
“Huh?”
“The stabby-stabby guy.”
“Oh. Radiant Silver.” Rose replied.
“That name sounds familiar...” Wob said. She looked upwards in thought, then it hit her. “...The Knight of Loyalty. One of your friends.” She said flatly.
“Yeah.”
“...And he stabbed me.”
“To be fair, he jumps to conclusions sometimes.” Rose said.
“And he stabbed me.”
“He didn't know that you were a friendly changeling.” Rose said.
“And he stabbed me.”
“In his defense, he was trying to 'protect' me.” Rose replied.
“So he stabbed me.”
“Pretty much.” Rose said.
“...There aren't enough trees in Equestria to fully convey the amount of bucks I do not give right now.” Wob said flatly.
“Right. So, lousy first impressions aside...” Rose said, “How are you holding up?”
“In case you have forgotten, I was stabbed.”
“I'm aware. You brought it up one or two times.” Rose replied. “You're not in too much pain?”
“It aches a bit.” Wob admitted. “But nothing I can't handle. I've hurt worse.”
“Hm. A story for another time, perhaps.” Rose said.
“Yeah.”
- - -
Wob noticed the door opening. Rose took her hoof off of Wob's and trotted over.
In walked a pale green stallion, one without a mane. His dark green eyes seem delighted to see Wob. He had a long book bag that obscured his cutie mark. “Oh, hello! I am Dr. Web, from the University of Canterlot.”
“Doctorate-doctor and not medical doctor, I presume.” Rose said.
“Correct.” The stallion said with a nod. “Though, right now I'm technically doing both right now.” He added with a chuckle.
“Ah, so you're the expert being brought in.” Rose said. She looked at Wob, then walked over to the stallion before whispering something in his ear. He blushed a bit and chuckled again. “Well, no. Only the queen reproduces, after all.”
“Damn.” Rose said with a frown.
“Rose, this is not the time.” Wob said, blushing.
“Ahem, anyways... Well, this is most unusal.” Dr. Web said as he looked Wob over.
“What?” Wob asked.
“No horn.” He said, putting a hoof on Wob's head. “Peculiar. I assume it's a birth defect.”
Wob shrugged. “I wouldn't know. I wasn't born in this body, after all. I just sort of popped into it.”
“Right. Now, where were you when you 'popped into it'?” Dr. Web asked.
“Well, right outside of Crescent, actually.” Wob replied.
“Hm.” The stallion said as he pulled a notepad out of his bag and wrote something down. “Tell me, do you ever hear any voices in your head, or feel a large presence at the back of your mind?”
Wob shook her head. “Can't say I have.”
“Ah! So you are cut off from the hive.” Dr. Web said.
“Apparently?”
“You- Sorry, the changeling you took over was probably cast out of the hive due to a genetic defect. The missing horn.” He explained.
“Ah. Now can we please deal with the fact that I was bucking stabbed, please?” Wob suggested.
“Right, right. Apologies.” The stallion said as he slowly unwrapped the bandages.
Wob winced upon seeing the wound again. It was right behind her right shoulder.
“Hm...” Dr. Web said as he examined the wound closely. “It looks like it didn't hit any organs, so you should be fine.”
Both Wob and Rose gave a sigh of relief. Dr. Web wrapped the bandage back around the wound.
“Just be sure to rest often.” Web said. “I'll stay for a few days to monitor your condition.”
Wob frowned. “...How long am I going to be in this bed?”
“At least a week.”
Wob's jaw dropped. “A week?!”