Warm Red Hearts

by RedStar76

Part 1- An evening at Ponyville Hospital

This story, is dedicated to spending time with elder family. It's the time you spend with them that counts, even if you only get the chance to see them during the holidays. -RedStar

Walking down the stairs, Red Heart quietly sighed to herself as she trotted towards the kitchen, smelling the baking cookies at their utmost peak.

"I honestly can't believe its been so long since i've seen him," Red Heart said to herself as she carefully brought the steaming cookies out of the oven. It has been what, six months since Red Heart last saw him? It sure felt like it was longer. It was already Hearth's Warming Eve for Celestia's sake! "There, all set," the table had been lavishly set with wonderful food all around. Happily sighing to herself, she trotted out of the kitchen, but not without passing by a certain picture first.

"Oh my... it truly has been that long,"

I can remember that day, all those years ago...

"Please Red Heart, you honestly don't have to."

"It's not a problem at all Tender Heart, really, I would be more than happy to treat us both lunch today at Sugar Cube Corner." Red Heart replied warmly to her co-worker and friend.

It was another average day in Ponyville General Hospital. Nothing of true interest really happened around there, Ponyville was a small town after all. The last real major event that took place in the hospital was the birth of the cake twins, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. Even births weren't extremely frequent at the hospital, perhaps one or two a month, rarely three but it happened. In terms of sick or injured patients, there were quite a few. They also handled some patients for Cloudsdale if they didn't have enough beds, mainly due to flying accidents, but it wasn't as much rare as it was uncommon on a regular basis.

"You truly are too kind Red, I'll see you after work then," Tender Heart gave a warm smile to her friend as she went to check on some of the patients to see if they needed anything. Very happy with her friend's answer and looking forward to later this evening, Red Heart went back to writing in the chart. She usually worked behind the desk in the lobby, which was of course no different today. Nope, nothing different about it at all. Nothing was different. Nothing.

"Red Heart?" Nurse Red Heart was immediately snapped out of her day dream like state.

"Hm? Uh, yes?"

"Are you alright, you seem a little out of it today," it was Doctor Stable. The two have known each other ever since Red Heart first started working at Ponyville General Hospital, and the two have become great friends. "Red Heart?"

"Yes, I'm alright. Maybe a little sleepy."

"Don't tell me you're working too hard again, it is important not overwork yourself when it comes to the paperwork," ah yes, the paperwork. Most of the patients that stayed at Ponyville Hospital are short term, consequently with that, there was often a lot of standard admission paperwork. It all honesty, it was frustrating at times, but what type of paperwork isn't from time to time?

"No, no, I'm fine truly, just a little sleepy. I didn't get too much sleep last night," Come to think of it, Red Heart hadn't really gotten a good night's sleep as of late, which was bewildering her as to why.

"Sleep troubles? Well, I'm afraid I'm not expert when come to the science of sleep, but please do try to feel better Red Heart." Smiling, the doctor trotted off in order to continue his duties.

"Hm..." Red Heart didn't seem to think something was wrong with her. She just had some trouble sleeping is all. Perhaps she was overworking herself again.

"Ow-owie..." she heard a whimper. Looking over the desk, she saw a young filly with an yellow mane and orange coat holding up another small colt with a black mane and white coat.

"You'll be fine Chess, just hang in there," the filly was trying to calm down her distraught friend.

"B-but Orange Blossom, it hurts..."

"Almost there!" Looking straight down, RedHeart saw another young colt trying to reach up to the desk in order to ring the bell. Trotting around the desk, the colt reaching up for the bell froze.

"Oh, hehe, um, hi..."

"It's alright, all you needed to do was ask," this seemed to make him much less tense. Smiling, she turned to the other two young ponies. "What is your name?"

"Uh, it's Onyx Rush, but I'm not the one who needs help," he pointed his hoof over to his friends.

"Now what seems to be the problem?" Red Heart asked calmly.

"He got a bad scrape on his fore hoof," the young filly said, seemingly crest-fallen by the entire event.

"Alright, please come with me," leading the young colt out of the filly's arms, she took him to small examining room. Looking at the damage herself, it wasn't much to speak for. " Looks like most of the pain is probably because of the torn off fur, leaving a pink patch just above his hoof. As for the scrape itself, it's not infected, so that's very good."

"O-okay," the young colt sniffed. It was fairly obvious that he was crying before he came to the hospital with his two friends. Which reminded Red Heart of the question she forgot to ask.

"I apologize, I never asked your name."

"C-Chess Piece. My name is Chess Piece," he looked down on the floor with some tears streaming down his face. He was really upset about this.

"Is it alright for me to ask you how this happened?" Red Heart said as she wrapped the bandages around his small right fore hoof.

"W-we were playing, there was branch, a-and I tripped," frowning, Red Heart lifted his face up and wiped away is tears.

"It was an accident sweetie, everything is going to be fine, okay?"

"Okay..."

"You're parents must be worried sick, would you like me to help you back home?" Chess Piece visibly froze at her words.

"No, um, I-I'm okay, I can go by myself..." he quickly hopped off the small examination table, "Thank you, though..."

"Not a problem, just be more careful next time, okay?" Chess Piece nodded as he exited the hospital with his friends following suit. Red Heart found herself slightly perplexed at the colt's slightly abnormal response, but perhaps it was truly nothing.

But perhaps it wasn't.

"Everything alright with ya Chess?" Onyx Rush asked.

"W-what?"

"You kinda seem shaken up," Orange Blossom added.

"It's nothing, really. I'm gonna stop by Sugar Cube corner..."

"If you say so buddy, we'll see you back at the orphanage," Onyx trotted onwards.

"Please, be safe, okay Chess?"

"Yeah," Chess nodded, "I promise," Orange Blossom smiled and went on ahead with Onyx, "Not like anyone's gonna keep me safe..."

Author's Note:

The first of three parts. Thank you truely for taking the time to read it if you did so.

Comments

[APoeticHeart]

Oh, this is very interesting yet sad. Oh, gosh, it sounds like some pony is hurting Onyx Rush intentionally. I hope Nurse Redheart or his friends will find out the truth before it's too late.

[RedStar76]

3347438 Indeed