Through Crimson Eyes

by Level Dasher

Chapter 55: Welcome Home

“Ah, at last! I have to say, filling out paperwork is much nicer when it’s something you want to fill out!” Mom said as she walked back into my room. “But it still takes way too long.”

“I can imagine,” Gramma replied, gathering a few of my bags near the wall.

The room was nearly bare. Mom had taken Starry’s painting, Tesla’s lamp, and my telescope home right after I had my PICC taken out last night. She said it would be best to take the most delicate things back first before we lugged out all my other stuff so they wouldn’t get damaged in the process. Now all I had were my games, books, and a few odds and ends to bring back.

I took a look at myself. The stickers were off, the PICC was out, and the only thing I really seemed to have to show for this whole ordeal was the button. My coat was clean, my mane was brushed—my tail hadn’t grown in enough to brush it yet—overall, I felt pretty good.

There was a knock at the door, and a few of the doctors, along with High Flyer, came in. “Well, Crimson,” one of the doctors started, “as we say with all of our recovered patients, we’re sorry to see you go, but we’re very glad to see you go!”

I laughed. “Thanks. Thank you for everything. It was hard, but thank Luna it’s over!”

“That it is,” one of the other doctors said. “For now. Be careful with that button. We’ll have you check back in with us in two weeks, then four. If everything looks good on the fourth week, we’ll take that button out, let you heal up, and then it’ll all be over.”

“Sounds good,” I responded. I didn’t want to be a smart aleck right before getting discharged.

“Is there anything else we need to do in the meantime?” Mom asked.

“Nothing that we haven’t already covered,” the last doctor said. “Go about your normal routine, eat well, don’t lift anything heavy, and stick to mild physical activity. That includes flying— light lift and simple gliding at most. Everything else should take care of itself. If you feel anything strange, do not hesitate to contact us. If anything does happen, the sooner we take care of it, the better.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Gramma said.

I let out a relieved sigh. “So… is that it?” I asked.

The doctors all looked at each other, smiled, then turned back to me and said in unison, “That’s it.”

I smiled back and just said, “Awesome.”

As the doctors filed out, High Flyer stayed behind. He came up to me and said, “Buddy, I’ve gotta tell ya, it’s been a pleasure taking care of you while you were here. You dealt with a lot, but you held out and pulled through. It thrills me to see patients with the kind of strength and courage you’ve got. It gives me hope for all the other patients that come here.” He put a hoof on my shoulder, but I reached out and gave him a hug.

“Thanks, High Flyer. It was awesome having you as my nurse,” I said.

“Thank you, buddy. I’m gonna miss ya, but like the docs said, I’m really glad to see you go.” He let go and patted me on the back.

“Yeah, me too,” I chuckled.

“Have a great school year,” he said as he walked out the door.

“I will!” I called after him. I took a deep breath and looked around the room. Everything seemed to be in order. I looked at Mom and Gramma and asked, “Well? Shall we go?”

“Let’s,” Mom answered.

“Indeed,” Gramma said. “So, what’s the first item on the menu tonight?”

Walking outside felt amazing. I had to check my bandana when I took that first step out of the hospital to make sure that I was actually awake, but that knot wasn’t going anywhere. The near-end of summer sun and a soft breeze felt like I was flying without any effort. Oh Luna, what a day to get out of the hospital.

As we walked through town, I got a couple of waves from neighbors going through the market. Some of my classmates stopped and said hello. I finally felt normal again. When we got back to my house, I found Starry and Tesla at the front door.

“Dude, you did it! Welcome back to the real world!” Starry said as he offered me a hoofbump.

“Haha thanks, but get over here, ya bum,” I laughed, pulling him into a hug.

“Hey, Tess told me we had to be careful— I was just tryin’ not to screw something up,” he said, returning the hug gladly.

“That’s why you’re only on my right side.” I tilted my head towards the button. “That’s what you need to be careful of.”

“Gotcha. That looks fun. Sorry I didn’t come and see you sooner, I was—”

“Oh shut up, ya nut. If you’re painting, you’re painting. Everything doesn’t revolve around me,” I quipped, nudging him in the shoulder.

“Actually, it wasn’t that…” Starry said.

“Then what have you been up to?” I asked him.

“Uh… something else,” he answered. I saw him glancing at Tess, who was glaring daggers at him.

“Whatever, s’all good,” I said. Starry let out a breath. I figured I’d find out soon enough.

Stepping through a door other than one at the hospital felt great. I walked into the front hall and took in a deep breath. “Aaaah, the good old smell of home,” I said. I turned and walked into the living room to find that some remodeling had been done: Starry’s painting hung over the fireplace, with Tess’s lamp right underneath it on the mantel. “Hey! Mom, did you put those up there last night?”

Mom smiled. “I did. I think they make great additions to the room,” she said, heading into the kitchen. I looked over at Starry and Tess, and saw both of them blushing. I guess they didn’t know Mom had placed their artwork front and center in our house.

“Yeah, they do! They look great!” I looked over at another picture on our mantel— a picture of Mom, Dad, and me. When I saw it, I remembered something. I opened one of my bags. I’d fit Dad’s feather softly inside; I took it out and walked up to the mantel. Careful of the button, I took a small hop and placed the quill inside the picture frame. “There we go. That way he’s always here,” I said.

Gramma smiled. “I like that. A wonderful sentiment. A family room indeed.”

I looked around the room, but I didn’t see… it. I called into the kitchen, “Hey Mom, where’d you put my telescope?”

“It’s up in your room, sweetie. I thought we’d need a little room in here tonight.”

“For what?”

She came back into the room carrying a tray of cupcakes. “To celebrate, of course! After almost ten months, you’re finally out and about! I think that calls for a celebration, don’t you? I picked these up last-minute from Pumpkin Cake last night. We’ll plan something bigger for another day.”

“Sounds good to me,” I answered, grabbing a cupcake. “We’re still having hayburgers later, right?”

“Of course,” Gramma said. “We can’t be skimping on your nutrients right after you’ve gotten out. This is a celebratory snack, not dinner.”

Starry and Tess both took their own cupcakes and downed them in one gulp, but I restrained myself. I didn’t want to go back to the hospital over something stupid, so I actually ate mine in smaller bites.

Unfortunately, there was only so much we could do to actually celebrate, considering I still had to keep my physical activity low-key. We did get in a few rounds of cards, though. When the sun began to set, Starry and Tess stood up.

“Are you two going home?” I asked. “I know there’s not really much to do. I could go upstairs and—”

“We’ll be right back!” Tess said, cutting me off. Starry nodded in agreement, and they both headed out the door.

“What’s with them?” I asked Mom.

“Not sure,” she answered. “Perhaps they have something planned for you.”

“Maybe that’s why they’d been acting all fidgety while we were hanging out,” I said. I didn’t know what to expect, but I guess I would find out soon enough.

Comments

[Dreams of Ponies]

Careful of the button, I took a small hop and placed the quill inside the picture frame. “There we go. That way he’s always here,” I said.

Ow, my feels

Having this many chapters to go, I wonder what the final arc of the story will be?