HUMANEHATTAN MEDICAL GROUP, HUMANEHATTAN - 11:15 AM, TUESDAY
"Granny Smith!" I called out loudly in a doctor's office waiting room.
"I am coming." She responded in a rippled voice while slowly tossing the magazine on the magazine table.
Granny Smith carefully ascended from her seat with her cane, walked slowly towards me with a grin.
"How is my precious Sunset doing this late morning?"
"I am doing good, and my, oh my, you look so high-spirited today."
"Yeah, but it won't last long till my life tank runs on empty." She chuckled.
"Don't say that."
Granny smith and I made our slow entrance to the patient room, and helped her sit on the exam table. I reached for a disposable thermometer from the medical bin that was hung on the wall behind Granny Smith.
"Say uhhh for me, sweetie."
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh..."
I lightly placed the thermometer in her mouth, "Now close your mouth." and waited for the beep for the result of the temperature.
"Ninety-eight point five, good." I said brightly as disposing the thermometer into the red, bio-hazard symboled trash can.
"Okay, sweetie, give me one of your arms, I'm going to check your blood pressure." Granny Smith held out her right arm, I wrapped it with the blood pressure cuff, securing it with a hook and loop fastener. I carefully pumped the pressure cuff to the limit, and read the meter.
"One-twenty over eighty. That's an excellent blood pressure reading, Granny, I am so proud of you!" I said delightfully as setting away the blood pressure cuff in the medical supply cabinet above Granny Smith.
"Well, you know me, I am very compliant when it comes to my health. I never miss a day without taking my medications."
Granny Smith is One-hundred and three years old, and still has a spectacular mindset of making right decisions, she passed her memory test no problem.
I smiled, "Dr. Whooves will be here shortly."
"Thank you for ev'ry thang, Sunset Shimmer, I don't care what they say about you, I think you're the best nurse ever. Apple Jack would be so proud to see how successful you've become."
My grin gradually changed when she mentioned Apple Jack, "Thanks... That means a lot to me, sweetie."
I looked at the clock in the patient room, I am five minutes late for my lunch. I was supposed to meet Pinkie at Donut Joes. I left the patient room, notified Dr. Whooves that Granny Smith is waiting patiently in the exam room, rushed to my nurse station grabbing my coat and purse, and made haste towards the exit of the office.
It was indeed another sunny day walk in HuManehattan, but very cold. I pulled my phone out to read Pinkie Pie's text message:
"I am going to be five minutes late, order my usual reduced-fat bagel w/ light cream cheese, pls and ty, c yah."
Here I thought I was the tardy one, but it seems like she was caught up at work also.
The chime sounded somewhat similar to Sugar Cube Corner's as I walked in to Donut Joes. The line extended almost to the entrance door, but the line movement was quick. Employees were prompt and thorough with their food service. I Gazed through the wall menu, contemplating on what to get for myself. Pinkie Pie's order was easy, she simply wanted a Joe Deluxe number three, with a medium iced coffee. The restaurant was somewhat rowdy. I saw a couple of familiar nurses from HuManehattan Hospital that ate here for a quick lunch.
"Next guest, please." The employee at the register hustled.
I approached her, with an index finger slightly buried on the edge of my lip, still gazing at the wall menu. Feeling rushed as the employee grew impatient, I quickly requested Pinkie's order first, "Ummmm There's going to be two orders... Lemme get a Joe deluxe number 3, medium and uhhhh..." Feeling cut-loose at this point, "And a Joe deluxe number one, medium." The Joe deluxe number one consisted of two choices of donuts and an iced coffee.
"What kinds of donuts would you like, ma'am?"
"I'll just get two plain donuts."
"Lemme get a J-3 and a J-1!" She yelled across the kitchen line in the back.
The employee began to input my orders at her touch screen computer, then pulled out two medium plastic cups from the stack, scooped the ice from the bin, and dispensed the cups with iced coffee from the dispenser behind her. She trotted back up with the coffees and popped the top lids.
"Anything else ma'am?"
"That would be all."
The grand total price showed on the price screen:
$8.56
I rummaged through my big purse, pulled out my Visa card, then swiped my credit card through the swipe reader:
Approved
As I took a couple of steps to the left of the register, under a big hanging poster which read 'Pick Up', My two orders were all ready on a tray before I even got there. I grabbed the tray, turned around and saw Pinkie Pie's waving hand. She chose a bistro table next to the window. I cautiously walked with a full tray, dodging the cute little kids that ran passed before me, towards the table and sat myself the opposite of Pinkie Pie.
I initiated, "So, how's your Tuesday coming along?"
"Same crap, different toilet." Pinkie Pie jokingly remarked as unwrapping her bagel sandwich from a waxed paper.
"We should've gotten tacos, it's Taco Tuesday."
Pinkie Pie chuckled sarcastically, "Sunset, when was the last time you ever cared about that? I mean.. Really?" As taking a bite of her bagel.
"It's a nice day, hun." I took a bite of my donut.
Pinkie Pie chewing her food, then swallowed, "Yeah, but not necessarily for Lyra."
"Did you get a chance to ask what had happened that night?"
Pinkie Pie took a sip of her iced coffee, "No..."
"Why not?"
"I couldn't find the right moment. But she persisted on wanting to go back to her own place, but I didn't allow her. She had a suspicion tone of her voice.. So I hid her apartment keys."
"What do you mean?"
"Sunset, if you were there, you would've known." Pinkie taking another bite of her sandwich.
I took a sip of my coffee, with a concerned look, "I know how you feel, whatever happened, I know it has to be dealt with."
Pinkie Pie, with food still in her mouth, took another sip of her coffee and swallowed, "You think something happened on that date night?"
"I sensed it had something to do with Wind Rider, he's not a friendly person. I know he probably did something that made Lyra cry like that."
"Why didn't you say something before?"
"She was on meltdown. I thought it was a smart idea to just forget whatever took place and called it a night."
Pinkie Pie with a solid expression, "It's been two nights since it happened, and you had said nothing, until now."
"Thus why we're having this lunch? Is to talk about it?"
"But why waited? We could've done something that night."
"Are you trying to say that I am all to blame for? You were a part of this whole bad element too." I analytically retorted.
"Oh okay, but except I thought it was some stupid guy who stood her up for a date, that was my idea of calling it a night." Pinkie Pie put away her half eaten bagel sandwich in the wrapper and crumpled it up with a bit of infuriation, "But it was literally something we should've fixed... I don't know, like... Turned the van around, and look for the son-of-a-bitch?"
"Shhhh, lower your tone.." I said in a low, standardized voice.
She continued, "The worse part was, you knew this guy.. All of this could've been prevented if we took some course of action. C'mon Sunset, we both got her text message that day.."
"Yeah but, I never knew that it was going to be that bad." I refuted.
"Well, you were at least knowledgeable enough to know that it wasn't the right guy to date, right?" Pinkie Pie threw the crumpled up waxed paper, that had a half eaten sandwich, in the trash, "If I knew the guy, I would've called the guy myself to piss off and leave her alone. Sadly, wasn't the case for you."
"I understand where you're coming from, and you're right... But Lyra needs to realize at one point or another that we can't be there twenty-four seven to make decisions for her. She needs to learn."
"Sunset?! What the hell is wrong with you? This is Lyra we're talking about... Why are you defending him?!"
"Defending him?! I am not defending him!"
Pinkie Pie's Cell Phone Rings
"Hold that thought. . . . . .No, you know what. . . . . Don't hold that thought, I've had enough for today." She pulled out her phone from her purse and answered, "Hello? Oh, hey, whats up. . . . Okay, I was just having lunch. . . . ." Pinkie Pie took a quick glance at me with glower, "By myself. But I'll be on my way, I have lots of checklist to do anyway, okay.. bye now, yeah, see ya then." Pinkie Pie turned her cell phone screen off and threw it back in her purse. She stood up from the chair indignantly as sliding the chair back into the table and grabbed her coat and purse.
"Where're you going?"
"Vinyl needs my help, and I am very upset with you, so I'm leaving." Before escorting herself to the exit door, she turned around to me one last time, "Wait... What did you think happen to Lyra that night?"
Five second pause as I struggled to answer Pinkie, not because I was holding back on my words, it's because I was also clueless myself. I faintly shook my head, "Pinkie... I really don't know... That's why communication is important. I am not all to blame here... She spent two nights in your place, and you dared not to ask what had happened."
Pinkie Pie had no response to my comment, "Whatever, bye." Pinkie stormed out which gave people a fright who sat close near the exit. I let out a heavy sigh with a downcast expression, leaning on the table with both hands placed on both sides of my head.
Bickering came to an end between Pinkie Pie and I. We both had a point about Lyra's situation, but neither of us faced her consequence.
I had lost my appetite. I placed the half-eaten donuts back in the paper bag and hid it inside my big purse for later. I took my cell phone out and began drafting a text message to Pinkie Pie:
"Pinkie Pie, I'm very sorry about today. I'll stop by tonight and we can all discuss about the situation altogether. Love you, take care always." Message Sent
Placing the phone back in my purse, I casually carried it with my shoulder and headed towards the exit.
32ND STREET AND 3RD AVENUE, HUMANEHATTAN - 5:32 PM, SAME DAY
Dusk began to cover the city of HuManehattan, as lamp posts illuminated on every corner of the streets. Beautiful as always. I was supposed to be out at 5 pm, but was caught up with one patient who needed to come in for a quick check up because of a sty. Pinkie Pie never texted me back. I took a different path tonight than usual to Pinkie Pie's place. Concluding the reaction to tonight's discussion with the girls, I wondered if I should spend the night there with them. I pulled out my cell phone and called Lyra.
The sound of a phone being picked on the other end, and Lyra answered on second ring, "Hi Sunset." Lyra answered lively.
"Hi, how are you feeling tonight, hun, I missed you."
"I miss you too, Pinkie texted me that you were coming over tonight?"
Pinkie Pie texted Lyra, but never texted me back. I let in a shallow breath and replied, "Yes, and I thought about ordering pizza tonight, I hope you still have room in your stomach."
"Oh no, you don't need to, I've already ordered, it's scheduled to arrive at seven. Pinkie Pie will be here then."
"Okay."
"Sunset... Where are you right now?"
"Thirty-second street and third avenue."
"Hun, why don't you just take a cab."
"Nah, I figured since I am going to eat Pizza, I should...." I quizzically took a sudden stop, bewilderment had caught my tongue from my conversation with Lyra, "Lyra, lemme call you back." I turned my phone screen off then hid it back in my coat pocket.
A man with blonde hair with blue eyes stood against the shuttered door, with one foot against it, next to an open convenience store. He gazed at me with a grin and took a puff of a cancer stick. I looked at him with lack of humanity, my thought of implication from what had happened in my apartment, already gave him a sense of understanding. But I should know better that Trenderhoof, the arrogant jerk, is not one to take down that easy.