Sniff, sniff.
Sniff, sniff.
What the actual fuck is that god-awful smell? It smells like vomit. I wake up with scrunched up facial expressions, looking at the dark, lumpy fluid all over the blankets and bedsheets. "Luna, wake up! Luna? Please wake up!"
"D, daddy?" She wearily opens her eyes, struggling to get up only to fall back onto the bed. This has got to be a fathers worst fears come to life. I scoop her up, not caring about getting the sick all over myself, running into the bathroom as I turn on the shower and lay her down in my lap to clean everything off the both of us.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Are you ok?" Well clearly she's not but it's instinct to ask.
"I don't know, my stomach feels all..." Luna projectile-vomits all over the tub with enough potential force to have drilled through (like a pressurized water cutter) the ceramic tub! Holding her close, idly stroking the wet fur trying to soothe and comfort the sick filly.
I'm sobbing at this point "It's ok, everything will be ok. I'm here for you, I'll make you all better."
"Daddy? I'm scared."
"I'll go get you some medicine, wait here."
As much as I hate to, I had to leave her in the shower, although I pointed the shower head away from her so the water flows around her to help with the sickness, whatever it might be. I'm no expert on equine medicine by any stretch, some of the stuff in the medicine cabinet might make it worse or better. There's no way to know for sure, so I grab a tray of painkillers, antibiotics, and a bottle of cold medicine and return to the bathroom.
"Here" I say, putting an antibiotic into her mouth and holding a glass of water to her lips. "Swallow this, it'll help make you better." This time it was the painkiller. "Ok, just one more." They seemed to go down with ease accompanied by the taste of a small dose of the cold medicine in the glass of water, but I had no idea if they were going to work. "Is the water helping you at all?" Luna weakly nods, managing a squeak as she speaks. "It's soothing." The water tank runs off a wood boiler, so I'm going to have to keep it stoked throughout the day.
"I'll make you some soup to help, ok?"
She only manages a weak nod followed by an "Mmhmm".
Soup it is. Normally being sick would've called for chicken noodle, but... yeah... Instead I make a nice smooth tomato soup with a vegetable broth as the base with freshly squeezed orange juice to boot. Bringing a chair into the bathroom I sit on it, removing Luna from the shower temporarily and holding her like a new born to feed her.
The spoon didn't work, she kept spilling it from not being able to get it in her mouth, so I voted for putting a straw in the soup bowl. Luna is content sipping the soup and OJ as her leisure, and I can't help but smile, sniffle, wipe away the tears and give her a kiss on the horn. When I do, however, it sparks again. The last time that happened was when I made the Pinkie Promise. I shrug it off for the time being; there's more important stuff to worry about. Like taking care of your daughter.
Eventually she dozes off and I put her back in the shower and stoke the boiler so the water stays warm and flows around her. As depressing as this whole situation is, I'm surprised that nothing comes back up to say hello. Whenever I've been sick, I always find that simply sitting in the shower and letting the nice hot water flow over me does absolute wanders for morale, and it helps ease the, for lack of a better word, "pains" that come with being sick.
Normally I drink lots when ill, but as a I found out one time drinking copious amounts of blue sports drink will shoot right through you and come out the same colour. Not pretty, but I found it funny. I then told people that purely to exert a disgusted reaction from them. Hey, you gotta have fun while sick or moping around won't get you anywhere.
I can't bear to see Luna like this, it makes me break down in tears again. Now, I'm not religious by any means, but, kneeling down by the bathtub I do something I never ever thought I'd catch myself doing. Praying. "Dear god" Wait, who am I trying to kid? If there was a god then he could've prevented this! So I try focusing my efforts on something that I know exists in this situation. "Dear Princess Celestia. I don't know if you can hear me, but all I ask is you make my daughter, your sister, better. I love her too much to see something happen to her. I hope you hear me." Moments later, all I see is a brilliant flash of white light from an unknown source envelop the room and I pass out.
I wake up some hours later hanging over the edge of the bathtub, shower still running.
Luna is gone.
"No no no NO! Please don-"
"Hey daddy!"
I jump around in fright. "Oh Luna, you scared me! How are you feeling, all better?"
"Much better!" She exclaimed, buzzing around the steamy room.
I pull her down into a hug. Did I mention how much I love hugs? Especially from princesses!
"You had me scared so much, never do that again!" I scold.
Luna's ears flatten against her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"It's alright, it's not your fault. I'm glad you're all better."
Oh shit, I forgot to call into work! What's the time? Oh no, it's 2pm! Whipping out my mobile and dialing Anne she angrily answers. "Where the hell were you today!? I get a call at eleven o'clock saying that you hadn't turned up for work so I had to come in on MY day off!!" "Look, I'm terribly sorry. I woke up very ill and spent most of the morning being sick and still don't feel 100%, but not to worry I'll be better by tomorrow."
"Well, alright then, get better. Just count yourself lucky it was quiet today!" That went well. You kind of have to "know" people to understand when they joke about that sort of thing, and Anne saying "Count yourself lucky that it wasn't busy" is her way of saying you're forgiven.
I put Luna to sleep on the couch while I change the sheets on the bed and put the dirty ones in the wash. I hope it'll come out, but hell if I know. It was foul. Since I didn't get around to changing the sheets to begin with the smell had permeated everything on the bed, fortunately the mattress is safe from any smell. Great, now there's no duvet. I'm going to have to buy another one tomorrow after work.
I decided it would be a good idea to open the window, put an air freshener in the middle of the room, leave the door closed. With nowhere to sleep I sit on the couch next to Luna who is already fast asleep. Gently, picking her up and putting her on my lap I lay down on the couch, drifting happily off to sleep knowing Luna is safe and sound.
I can't help but wander. What was that light? Was it Luna? Celestia?
Only time will tell.
I swear this was 2 minutes after midnight
Seriously, I think this fic has secured the spot of "Minimoog Voyager's Favorite Fic."
Yeah, I'm already dreading the ending, because of how much My Little Dashie made me cry
3436577
I'm from New Zealand. Keep in mind the colossal time differences. I posted Chapter 6 at around 10am. It is currently 8:50pm. Date is the 3rd of November.
There, that should be enough information for you to figure out the time differential.
3436741
You sir, deserve the highest of fives for giving me the biggest f*cking smile with your comment!
3434694
Your profile picture with the kitten is too adorable to be legal :3
I don't think there are many people fussed about god and all that here
3436963
Maybe not, but I put the disclaimer there to be sure.
Gods are as real as we believe they are, so one should pray to whoever they think will be listening. Like if someone actually believed that, for example, Mystra, Goddess of Magic, was real, then she must be real. ;-)
3436839 I meant every word of it, too
This strikes me pretty good since Luna is my favorite pony, and the fact that I've always wanted a filly Woona to take care of is a factor, too!
(Also, not as big a deal, but I'm a girl :P)
3436921 Ah! Thank you! I would have a pic of my OC, except I don't have an OC yet. But yes, I know my profile pic is adorable. That's why I picked it. And I give many thanks for your comment. Yay for you!
Random moustache!
Hey you have your beliefs and I have mine, I'm not gonna judge you for what you believe, and I prefer not to argue over why what side is right like millions have done over hundreds of years.
It was peculiar that Celestia heard his call though o.0 didn't expect that. :P
3440507
Au contraire my friend, we don't know what it was yet!
3439325
I would put up my OC but Nightmare Rarity is so much cooler looking :D
4026839 Why was this necessary? I'm atheist and I don't think god is real, but you don't have to take this seriously.
Bro, it's fine for you to be atheist, but directly putting your own views into something cute and un-polluted is kinda a dick-move. Please refrain from doing so.
4511212
Putting his beliefs into his own work is not a dick move.
You saying it was a dick move, is in itself a dick move.
4026839
You've been offended by someones belief and opinion.
Please go cry in a corner and realize how pathetic you are.
3436963
You'd be surprised
if you analyse all of human history you will find one irrefutable fact: RELIGION=DEATH, and a lot of it, too, and sometimes even genocide
You know what I just realized? I think that god is an alien. All religions share the same aspect; beings came from the sky and are revered as gods.
I don't believe in god sooooo yea
Bro you can believe in whatever you want and you should never let other people change tha way you think or who you are. God is as real as you want him to be and that's all that matters
5420497
That's deep.
Huh did not catch that untill I read the author's notes. It IS offensive. The flippant disregard of what so many believe in to inject some comedy? But if you ask if I am butt hurt over it, naw.
What made me really cringe was the medicating of Luna. The use of antibiotics would need a whole treatment regimen. The one pill would do nothing and misuse of antibiotics like this is the reason there are so many bacteria that are immune to antibiotics witch countless people have died because. The other medications carry the risk of hurting the filly. You have to weigh the risk. Tell a veterinarian that has taken an oath of patient-doctor confidentiality and mabee he or she would break causing a lot of hassle or the possible death of your daughter.
Oh sure! That'll work!