And They Call It Puppy Love

by kudzuhaiku

Chapter 13

Mint Jewelup had trouble wrapping her mind around what she had heard from Screwloose. After more water and a light meal of canned apple and pear slices, Screwloose had been able to mumble out vague details of what had happened. Troubling details. Painful details. Mind erasing. An entire life lost. How many times? Screwloose’s rescue had been timely. After a few more rounds of electro-shock, a more nefarious treatment had awaited.

Mint shuddered, still looking at the sleeping Screwloose. Fleagle was beside her, his face looking troubled, his eyes sad. He said nothing, his houndish face the epitome of sorrow.

Mint still had no clue what to do. They were prisoners now in this cabin, at least for the time being. There was no clear plan what to do next, how to move forward, how to go on with their lives. What might happen to them? What if they were taken? What if they were… Erased?

Mint felt that she would never sleep again out of fear of what may come when she closed her eyes. Her coat felt damp and somewhat sweaty. Things had gotten out of hoof. Spiraled out of control. The center had not held. Her gaze fell on the empty glass jar on the bedside, a metal spoon down inside of it. It was empty, even the syrup gone.

Parasol was standing watch now, outside, and the two sisters were eating a meal in the kitchen. The house was mostly quiet, with nopony wanting to disturb the sleeping Screwloose. She certainly needed the rest. Fleagle moved, stretching carefully, not disturbing Screwloose who slumbered beside him, and carefully licked her nose. She stirred faintly in her sleep, not waking, but moving closer to Fleagle, one foreleg extending, seeking, finally touching, causing her to go still once again, her barrel rising and falling.

“Fleagle?” Mint said in low careful tones.

“Yes?” Fleagle replied, his voice barely a raspy whisper.

“I think I love you.” Mint said, her voice warm and soft as she blanket on which she sat.

Fleagle’s eyes glanced at Mint, taking her in, studying her. “Fleagle thinks me understands. Friends?”

“Yes Fleagle. Always and forever. Seeing you with Screwloose is the only thing that keeps my heart from breaking.” Mint shifted, kicking out a leg, feeling a cramp in her stomach. “After everything that’s happened, I almost feel like hating somepony, and that’s not like me at all. It is ruining my insides and hurting my heart.”

“Fleagle not understand why this happen.” His tail thumped on the bed, once, twice, and then it folded up against his side and went still. “What will happen to us?”

“I don’t know Fleagle.” Mint said, her voice full of worry. “If we get caught, I suspect things will go badly for us.”

Fleagle nodded slightly, his long ears dropping.

“While she sleeps soundly, we should go get something to eat Fleagle.” Mint said, rising up off of the bed and standing on her hooves. “Come on, let us both go see what we can find.” She lifted the jar, the spoon, and the lid in her magic, leaving behind the glass of water, which had been refilled. Fleagle carefully rose up off of the bed, stepping over Screwloose, dropping down to the floor on all fours. He followed Mint as she left the room.

---

Five ponies and a dog sat around a table, playing cards. It was an odd image, perhaps something that some mad painter might paint, desperate for fame and attention. Every ear was perked, straining to hear noise, either from the bedroom or from outside.

“I suppose we had better settle into doing this.” Thunderlane said. “I suspect we're going to be playing cards until this deck wears out.” His brow furrowed, his ears pitching forward over his eyes.

“Either this or Conveyor Belts and Cookie Chutes.” Parasol said, studying her cards.

Fleagle leaned over and showed his cards to Flitter, whispering into her ear. She threw her own cards down on the table with an exasperated sigh. Fleagle gave a faint smile, a strained smile. The sort of smile one gives when trying to present a brave face whilst stuck in a bad situation. Thunderlane looked concerned after Flitter quit, but did not tap out. He tossed a spoon into the middle of the table, where there was an assorted pile of trinkets. Cloudchaser raised her eyebrow, her eyes moving shiftily back and forth to the other occupants of the table.

“I’ll raise with one kiss. On the cheek. And not the plot cheek either. Mint.” Cloudchaser said, studying her cards.

Mint gave a halfhearted smile, trying to show some sort of interest. Flitter snorted, shooting glance at Fleagle and then her sister, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Parasol tossed a mason jar lid into the center of the table.

“I’ll raise a two minute backrub.” Mint said, shrugging, eyeing her cards. “With hooves and magic.”

“Oh buck me, I want that.” Thunderlane whined.

“No happy ending.” Mint added.

Thunderlane sulked and settled into his cushion on the floor.

“Full house.” Cloudchaser said. “Eights and tens.”

Thunderlane threw down his cards. “Nuts.” He grumbled.

Parasol set down her cards, frowning. Mint did the same, sighing.

“Four white ponies with horns and wings.” Fleagle said, setting his cards down, face up. He glanced at Flitter, he nodded and grinned slightly.

“Oh bother.” Cloudchaser said.

Fleagle win finally?” Fleagle said, unsure and hesitant.

“Yeah.” Flitter said. “You did. You get a kiss, a message, and everything in the middle of the table if you want it.”

“Fleagle has everything me wants. Almost.” Fleagle said, taking nothing from the pile in the center of the table.

“What is it that you want Fleagle?” Cloudchaser questioned.

“Me Screwloose.” Fleagle said in sad houndish tones. “Fleagle want her well.”

“We all do.” Parasol added.

“I’m done.” Flitter said. “I am going to hunt through the pantry and the surrounding woods and see what I can find for dinner tonight. I’m thinking soup or stew of some sort.”

“I’ll help.” Cloudchaser added. “We should go outside in pairs, just in case.”

“Good idea.” Thunderlane said. “I am going to refill the water basin. It’s almost empty already.”

“Fleagle can help.” Fleagle said, rising from the table. “Can carry bucket in each paw.”

Mint looked at Parasol. “I need some kind of release.” She whispered.

“What did you have in mind?” Parasol replied.

“I just need somepony to hold me for a while, nothing more, nothing less.” Mint said. “I need to love something. In a simple and direct way.”

“I can do that.” Parasol said. “Lets go cuddle on the couch.”

---

When Screwloose awoke again, it was dark. Fleagle was beside her in the bed. She was under a blanket, and Fleagle was curled into a ball against her belly. She lay there, silently, trying to collect her jumbled thoughts.

She felt extraordinarily lucky. This time, she had kept her memories. Dr. Hornwinkle hadn’t been able to steal them away from her. She had friends. Good friends. Friends who had placed themselves in harms way to rescue her.

Her mind was full of cobwebs. The drugs seemed to be clearing up a little. Her head ached. Fleagle’s warm wet breath blew against her barrel.

“Mint? Fleagle? Somepony?” She said, her voice scratchy. “I gotta pee. I need help. Hurry!”

Fleagle stirred, moving, yawning. In the other bed, Mint rose, apparently not sleeping. “Come on Screwloose. There’s an outhouse outside.”

Screwloose wobbled out of bed, Fleagle shoving her onto her hooves. His tail wagged as the blanket fell away. She nearly fell, toppling over onto Mint, who held her up. Parasol wiggled out of the bed.

“Hold on, I’ll get the other side.” Parasol said while yawning.

Both of them braced Screwloose between them and then guided her outside, Fleagle following along behind them, walking on all fours.

Screwloose didn’t make it to the outhouse, she began to leak a few steps out the door and then squatted, feeling embarrassed, feeling an odd need for privacy, thinking back to her earlier bathroom reflections. It didn’t help matters that Fleagle was watching. She felt oddly heated thinking about it.

The drugs must still be having an effect upon her mind, she thought to herself. She felt a final dribble, heard the droplets hitting the ground, and heaved a sigh of relief. It burned back there. She recalled the sensation of her bladder bursting as she was being electrocuted and winced, her eyes shutting for a moment, slightly longer than a normal blink.

“A true true friend helps a friend go pee… A friend will be there trying not to see…” Parasol sang to herself, looking away.

Screwloose blushed as Mint gave a three fourths hearted giggle.

“I still need to go.” Screwloose said in a low whisper. She shivered in the night air.

“You mares alright?” Thunderlane said, coming around the corner of the cabin. “I heard you coming, I was in the back holding open the door.”

“A true gentlepony.” Mint sighed. “Come on Screwloose, you’ve got to pinch a loaf.”

Screwloose choked on an embarrassed laugh. “Minty!” She grunted.

Parasol and Mint escorted Screwloose around the cabin, leaving Fleagle standing near the door. He scratched his ear with his hind paw, one eye scrunched shut, his head twisted around to get a better angle.

---

Screwloose wobbled on her cushion, sitting at the table, waiting for food. Fleagle was propping her up. Nothing wanted to work right. Her limbs were all twitchy and out of order. She felt oddly heavy.

But none of that really mattered. She leaned heavily on Fleagle, relishing his warmth and soft fur. His coat was silken. She rested her chin on his shoulder, wrapping her foreleg around his middle, pulling them together, closer, needing something to be near her. He ran his muzzle along the front of her neck, his nose trailing along her throat, sniffing, taking in her scent. His ear was scrunched and folded between the two of them.

“You two are adorable.” Parasol said sleepily. “I could watch this all night.”

“I fixed a little rice and there was canned vegetable soup.” Mint said, bringing food to the table. She set down a broad chipped bowl full of soup, bits of rice visible and floating in it.

Screwloose reached a trembling hoof for a spoon, which Mint snatched away with magic.

“Sorry Screwy, but I am too tired to give you another bath tonight.” Mint said, dipping the spoon into the soup.

Screwloose sagged a bit, sighing, but accepted the help. Her face was twitching on occasion. She suspected she was going to be covered in soup before the meal was through. She carefully took in the first spoonful, and then the second, spilling nothing. There was a slight dribble down her chin on the third one. Her mouth contorted severely on the fourth, causing most of her bite of soup to trickle down her chin and neck.

Mint sighed.

Fleagle went to work, licking off the soup, pulling Screwloose closer, causing her to giggle. “Mmm.” Fleagle mmmed. “Good soup. Screwloose has flavour.”

Mint and Parasol shared a smile as Mint went back to work, spooning in more soup.

Author's Note:

So. Screwloose has a flavour.

And a true true friend helps a friend go pee.

It is a little too late at night. Bother.

Comments

[lilbobchicago]

OH GOD the electroshock is why she has that tick.

[kudzuhaiku]

4216051

Yeah. Permanent nerve damage can most certainly happen after prolonged exposure.

Edit. Specifically, it can cause neuropathy and a number of palsy like symptoms. It can also lead to dementia, caused by nerve trunks popping like popcorn in the brain. Horrible thing to do to somebody.

[Kageshima]

I can't put into words just how much I've enjoyed this story thus far. It has made me happy, sad, extremely angry...Ahhh!

God, how I love this.

I've liked and faved so I can keep up with it. This is just seriously too damned good not to keep going. I'm also gonna follow you, and check out your other stuff.

I eagerly await more.

[Texus]

I think i don´t want this to and but even more i want the to be happy, i like the story very much. I thougth about the Doctor as a bad pony befor.
Well good work