Summer (The Fence)

by 206-Ginge

Chapter 2

I awoke to daylight dripping in through the shuttered window in my private room. There wasn’t a clock for reference, but I figured I’d probably slept for a solid ten hours. How much of that rest was the result of the anesthetic, I couldn’t be sure, but I did know my wings were feeling a lot less irritated. I fumbled for the remote and raised the bed’s angle so I could see them.

The reality of the situation hit me. My wings were fully disabled. The plaster casts on both of them prevented me from moving them even if I wanted to. I was grounded. I was fucking grounded. By a pigeon. I shuddered as I recalled the event that somehow felt so distant, despite the fact that it literally happened yesterday.

Well, I wasn’t going to get anywhere in the world feeling sorry for myself. I flipped on the TV. Instant distraction.

A few hours and an uninspiring breakfast passed before I realized that I was bored out of my fucking head. No amount of over-rehearsed fake pony escapades could entertain my griffin mind. Or maybe daytime television just sucked. I couldn’t tell. I turned off the TV.

Sleeping was my main method of passing the time between the three meals that day. The painkillers made me tired all the time, so even after twelve hours of sleep in one day my body happily allowed me to rest once more after lunch. It wasn’t until later that day that I got the good news.

A nurse came in without knocking. I didn’t mind, since she came with dinner. “Hello, Jack. In addition to bringing food, I wanted to let you know that Doctor Stable thinks you should be all clear to walk around now. We’re going to put you on oral painkillers so you don’t have to have this IV drip hooked up to you, and we’re also going to have you switch rooms after dinner.”

So I could make use of my paws, great. I was certainly getting restless, because while drug-induced sleep is certainly one of the better pleasures you can experience, it was losing its appeal rapidly. I ate heartily, the dinner being much more enjoyable than the breakfast. The nurse unhooked me from the IV, removing the needle from my hind legs with such precision and carefulness that I didn’t feel a thing. I popped the two pills the nurse had given me. She helped me slowly sit upright, and after I got over the stiffness, I slid off the side of the bed and put my paws and talons down.

I was standing. I hadn’t done that in at least twenty-four hours. In that moment, I was glad I landed on my wings and not my legs. That moment did not last long.

“So, to the new room, then?” I asked. The nurse nodded, and led me out into the hallway. My mind briefly had to relearn how to walk, but it taught itself quickly, and I had little trouble after I exited the room.

I walked down the bleached white hallway, following the lavender earth pony whose name I didn’t know. I didn’t know any of the nurses’ names, actually. Doctor Stable was the only one who ever bothered to introduce himself. I couldn’t decide if they just enjoyed privacy or they didn’t think names were all that important. Either way, they certainly weren’t encouraging patient-nurse connection here.

We wound up walking out of the ICU where I had been and into a more dorm-like area of the hospital. The nurse took me to the third door on the right, and I entered the room to find three beds, all of which were empty.

“We haven’t been getting a lot of traffic lately,” the nurse explained, seeing my puzzled expression. “I guess that’s a good thing, but unfortunately it means you might not have company in here for a while.”

Continuing to inspect the room as the nurse led me to the bed to the far left, I noticed there was only one TV. I didn’t look forward to having a roommate.

I lied down and the nurse turned to leave. “Excuse me,” I called. The nurse turned on the spot and put on a smile that seemed just a tad forced. “Twilight Sparkle said to send word for her if I needed some company?”

“Oh. Of course,” the nurse turned and left. I needed to find some place to stay, and right now the purple unicorn, as prying as she might be, was my only connection to the town. All roads out went through her.

As my mind turned to long-term plans, I suddenly realized the plethora of action I would need to take soon. My sister had to know. My boss had to know. I needed to tell all my friends back in Baltimare not to expect me home for a while. I had been living in my own little hospital world for the last twenty-four hours, and I needed to start considering the bigger picture.

I turned the TV on and started channel surfing to pass the time. A replay of a Wonderbolts show I had seen at least three times. Desperate Housemares talking about something stupid. Some pony making a run at winning a million bits. Ponies ponies ponies. I turned off the TV.

As I tried to think of another way to pass some time, I heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” I answered, knowing who to expect. Sure enough, the door opened, revealing the smiling Twilight. She walked in, followed by Spike, who was carrying some parchment and a quill.

“Hey there, Jack,” she said airily. “I brought Spike with me because I figured you might need to send out some letters to your friends.”

“I brought my writing supplies and everything!” Spike eagerly added.

A mind reader. I never knew that unicorns were capable of that kind of magic. “As a matter of fact, I do. Thanks.”

“So how’d the surgery go?” she asked, eying my casts.

“It was fine, I guess. I kinda slept through it, so...” We both chuckled awkwardly. “Anyway, I would like to send a few letters out.” I cut off the conversation before it could even begin.

“Oh. Sure,” she said, taken aback by the awkward transition. “Spike’s good at taking diction, so just tell him what to write and who to send it to. We’ll send it out for you.”

“Errm...” I paused. I was kind of hoping to make these a bit more private. This unicorn was certainly determined to get to know me. Maybe it was time I let down my guard a bit. I did need her to help me find a place to stay, and I needed to start making connections to the locals if I wanted to enjoy my time here. “Okay,” I finally replied. Spike readied his quill.

“We’ll start with my sister. She’s in Los Pegasus, 1783 Apple Lane.” Spike jotted down the address and looked at me when he finished. “Dear Jen,” I continued, resigning myself to getting personal in front of the intruders. “I’ve suffered a...minor setback in my journey to visit you. I won’t be able to reach Los Pegasus for another six weeks. It’s nothing to worry about, but I broke both my wings. I’m not sure where you should send a reply-”

“Write in our address, Spike,” Twilight said. Great, she really was taking over my life.

I gave Spike some time to finish and continued, “Right, so, don’t worry too much about me. I’ll be fine. Keep working your job, and I’ll take care of myself. Love, Jack.”

I suddenly remembered that she wasn’t actually in the room with me and felt blood enter my cheeks over the last two lines. I had decided to let down my guard, but this was a bit much. My letter to my boss was a lot more formal, and I only sent one other letter, to Darren. I told him to tell everyone in our village about the accident so no one would be too concerned when I didn’t come home after my trip.

“So, will these letters get there quickly?” I asked. I was worried my sister would get anxious if I didn’t show up on schedule, and I didn’t want to cause her any pain.

“Oh, sure,” Twilight reassured me. “We’ve got the finest mail team in Equestria!”

I smiled at her petty civic pride. “Great,” I mumbled, feeling awkward after such a personal interaction. Spike walked out with the three rolls of parchment, but Twilight stayed behind.

“Six weeks, huh? You can’t possibly be planning on staying in the hospital for that long.”

How did...? Okay, so, in some ways this was great. I hadn’t brought up anything and I already was getting two topics off of the floor. At the same time, she was uncanny.

“Yeah, I definitely need a place to stay, but I don’t have any money for a hotel.”

“You’d be out of luck even if you did. We’ve only got one hotel here, and it’s packed full of ponies who wanted to go somewhere quiet on their summer vacations.”

“Oh,” I sighed. Just my luck.

“Don’t worry, though!” She seemed guilty, almost like she blamed herself for my predicament. “I’m sure we can find somepony for you to stay with!”

Fantastic. I would have to stay with somepony.

“I’ll ask around town to see if anypony has a vacant room you could stay in. I’d have you stay with me, but, the library only has the one bed, and I don’t think Doctor Stable would recommend you sleep on the floor in your condition.”

Well, at least I’d dodged that bullet. The unicorn seemed a bit obsessive, and I don’t think we’d have ever gotten along too well. I’d just have to rely on her to find me some decent ponies to stay with.

“I’ll come back tomorrow at around six. Hope you feel better!” Twilight exited the room, and I relaxed. I didn’t realize how tense I had gotten until my muscles just stopped contracting. I felt better with her out of the room, more comfortable.

I took stock of my room. To my right a nightstand sat covered in various pony-related magazines. I had put the TV remote on top of it as well. Above it was a light switch, which I discovered controlled a lamp directly above my head, presumably for reading. Another light switch next to it controlled the lights in the whole room, minus the various medical devices which gave off a green glow in the dark. My left toe was hooked up to a heart monitor, for some reason. I never knew bone damage as something particularly indicative of heart problems, so I don’t even know why they bothered.

Around me, the walls were painted a pastel green. A clock sat above the door out to the hallway, which was across from the middle bed in the room. The TV was slightly to the left of the clock.

My bed wasn’t one of the fancy ones like I had earlier. There was no remote-controlled elevation mechanics, and it was permanently propped up at about my neck level. It wasn’t the most comfortable slant, but I was definitely capable of sleeping on it.

Again I turned the TV on, and again I was reminded why I kept turning the damn thing off. I decided that, while I had slept nearly sixteen hours already, there was only one real way to pass the time. I turned off the lights and sat in expectation as my brain continued to think, despite my constant urgings to just shut up and go to sleep. The next thing I heard was the sound of the hall door opening and the lights turning on.

I kept my eyes shut in order to prevent any kind of interaction with what I assumed was my new roommate. I heard the sound of a curtain being dragged across a runner and knew that I had been given privacy by one of the nurses. Hushed voices and the sound of springs crunching to compensate for a weight placed on them let me know that somepony certainly was joining me. Judging by the volume, they were probably in the middle bed, just to my right. The lights were again turned off and the door closed, and the sound of breathing confirmed my suspicions: I was no longer alone.

---

The next morning I awoke to find that the curtain between myself and my roommate was still fully drawn. The glow of the electric instruments allowed me to read the clock, which told me that it was 8. Not wanting to disturb my new roommate, I turned on the reading light and gingerly stepped out of bed to make use of the restrooms.

My curiosity piqued, I tried to get a glimpse of my roommate, but the curtain wrapped all the way around the middle bed, not letting me see him. I noticed a seam where two curtains met to form the bubble surrounding the bed. I reached out with my talon and moved one of them slightly aside. An elderly green earth pony was lying there, sleeping. I dropped the curtain and headed out the door.

I walked down the hall until I reached the nurse’s desk. The active nurse looked up at me with one of those not-quite-genuine smiles. “Good morning, Jack.”

“Mornin’,” I replied groggily. “Would you mind telling me where the bathrooms are?”

“Of course, there’s one right back down the hall you came from just past your room on the left.”

“Thanks,” I replied, starting off down the hall.

“Breakfast is served at nine!” she called after me. I looked over my shoulder and gave a quick nod of acknowledgement as I went down the hall.

I took care of business and instinctively moved to preen my wings before I realized that I couldn’t move them, nor could I get to my feathers. Damn.

Breakfast came and went with a couple more pills. The pony next to me said a few words of thanks to the nurse when breakfast was brought in, and I was able to identify her as a mare. I wondered for a minute why they’d put a male griffin and a female pony in the same room, but I guess with the curtains it wasn’t that big of a deal.

I noticed the TV remote wasn’t on my nightstand anymore. I guess they decided the elderly pony would appreciate it a little more than I would, which was probably true. Still, I didn’t look forward to hearing whatever show she wanted to watch all day long.

I passed the time scanning some of the three-month-old magazines on my nightstand. I stumbled across a few interesting articles on the Wonderbolts, but other than that there wasn’t anything to really sink my talons into. Lo and behold, at eleven o’clock the TV turned on and flipped to a show about ponies finding houses in Canterlot. Figures.

The day went by with lunch and boredom. I found myself watching the show just because it was on, and I actually found it kind of interesting after a while. It was running on a marathon schedule, so I was able to watch it until dinner arrived at five.

Another meal of apples, peanut butter and celery, and milk. Lunch was just the same. I wondered if they just got lazy or something. I didn’t complain too much, since I was fairly hungry. I scarfed down the food and looked at the clock. Twilight was coming in forty-five minutes. I let out another sigh of boredom and turned to the nightstand, looking for a magazine I hadn’t skimmed through yet.

The earth pony had turned the TV off when dinner arrived, and the room felt strangely quiet. I hadn’t heard too much from the mare, other than the thanks she gave to the nurses when her meals were brought in. I was grateful for the curtain.

After a few minutes of unfruitful searching, I gave up and picked up a magazine I’d already looked at but didn’t read much from. That helped pass all of twenty minutes. Waiting sucked.

The worry started to set in, unfortunately. Without anything to distract my conscious mind, it suddenly turned to Jen. She had been expecting a visit forever, and I was ridiculously concerned that she wouldn’t take the news of a delay well. We hadn’t had much correspondence since I moved out of Mom and Dad’s, and I had no idea what kind of person she’d evolved into over those twelve years. I saw her waving goodbye on the front lawn, a bittersweet smile upon her face...

The door burst open and a turquoise unicorn pranced through, a big, goofy grin on her face. I assumed she was here for the earth pony, until I saw that she was staring directly at me. Twilight followed her in, giving her a concerned look. A third pony, a cream-colored earth pony with a pink and blue mane, followed in, also wearing a smile, but a more restrained one than the unicorn.

Twilight was the first to speak. “Hi again, Jack. I found you a place to stay.” The turquoise unicorn let out a small squee of excitement. I had a feeling that this was going to be a fun six weeks...

“TWAH-LIGHT? THAT YOU?” The pony behind curtain #1 interrupted the conversation.

“Oh, Granny Smith!” Twilight exclaimed, slightly startled. She pulled back the curtain and stepped inside, leaving me with my new roommates. The turquoise one just continued grinning, while the earth pony stepped closer.

“Hi, I’m Bon Bon,” the earth pony introduced herself, reaching out a hoof. I took it in my talon and we shook.

“I’m Jack,” I answered. I noticed her cutie mark matched her name, coincidentally enough. Do ponies change their names when they get their cutie marks or something? I looked at the turquoise pony, who had some sort of harp thing on her flank.

Noticing my glance, she immediately identified herself. “I’m Lyra!” she proclaimed eagerly. She seemed quite happy to have a griffin enter her home, for some reason...

“Twilight told us about your predicament,” Bon Bon explained, “and we told her we had an extra room now that Lyra and I share one. We would be willing to welcome you into our home if you want to stay with us.” Lyra’s grin got wider.

I smiled lightly. “I certainly do need a place to stay.” The low mumbling of Twilight talking with my roommate reminded me of all the reasons the hospital had lost its appeal.

Lyra squeed for a second time, but still kept her distance. Bon Bon stayed in her position right next to my bed. “Great,” she said, “Doctor Stable says you’re clear to leave any time you want, and since we haven’t had any guests in a long time, the room’s all set up for you back at our house.” Quick movement sounded great. I was eager to regain control of my life after being dependent on the hospital’s food schedule for two days now.

“Yeah, I’m definitely eager to get off of this bed.” Stiffness defined everything about me right now, and movement sounded great. I had no idea how ponies dealt with travelling on trains.

I slowly shifted into a sitting position and Lyra squeed a third time. She was hiding something. I hopped down off the bed onto my paws and talons and stretched a bit. The room was fairly crowded with two ponies, a griffin, and a curtain preventing me from getting much space. Fortunately, my wings were quite literally glued to my sides, so I didn’t have to make room for them. Still, my claustrophobia set in a bit. I decided against saying goodbye to Twilight. “Shall we get going?” I asked Bon Bon, obviously the only one capable of speaking normally to me.

“Yeah, sure,” she said, slightly confused, probably by the fact that I barely acknowledged Twilight. I followed her out of the room, Lyra close behind, as she led me away from the overly sanitary hospital into the town in which I would spend the next six weeks of my life.

Comments

[Knighthawker]

....... Huh. Usually Lyra only sqweees if theres a human.

[Crimson Valor]

365476 I think its between a human and fingers. Seeing as Jack is a Griffon and they have..talons (or claws) she excited about that...I dunno, maybe she love Griffon's all together?

[-Brutus]

I love this one so far