The Saga Of The Caramel Mare.

by BurningBright

Beginnings and endings

From the Zeal family residence came a scream of pain, realising what was happening Mighty Zeal charged around the house in a panic. Rosemary was going into labour, first off a panicked call to the hospital, he quickly lit the scroll watching for a moment as it made its way to the hospital, he hoped it wouldn't take too long for help to arrive. Next up he had to grab her case quickly luckily rosie had had the foresight to keep a case of essentials ready packed to go when the time came, thank Celestia one of em at least was organised, he didn't want to leave her side even for a moment right now but the ambulance was on the way. Dashing back upstairs mighty contiued scrambling to keep it together as he heard hooves outside, they were here,
Thank Celestia for that.

Helping his wife to her hooves he half walked , half carried her to the door, from there the hospital staff took over oh so carefully lifting her to a gurney and gently wheeling her out of the door being extremely careful not to bump or jolt her in any way to the waiting ambulance. Mighty clambered into the back beside his wife suddenly remembered the case, ran back to get it, after all she'd need it while she was recovering from this, forget the front door he was fairly sure the neighbours would keep an eye out for the house while they were at the hospital given the circumstances, climbed back into the carriage once more pulling the case in behind him and slammng the ambulance doors shut behind him. Then the colts set off pulling her quickly towards canterlot general hospital. Mighty hanging onto Rosies hoof and trying his level best to keep her calm while the medical technician
looked out for the stuff he couldn't do, at least he could do this much.

The next few hours went by in a blur, Mighty held his wifes hoof as gently as he could while her screams echoed around the room. The doctor doing his level best to keep Rosemary calm during the birth, then suddenly the doctors expression changed, he called in two orderlies from outside who grabbed Mighty not roughly, but insistently, and escorted him out of the room as the labour room became a hive of activity. Doctors and nurses swarming round told Mighty something was wrong, he decided to struggle against the orderlies his panic rapidly rising but they wouldn't let him get to her. More orderlies were called and they stood blocking the entire doorway, eventually Mighty Zeal realised that the struggle was hopeless and settled to anxiously pacing the room like a caged tiger. He just hoped these doctors knew what the hay they were doing.

Hours passed by with Mighty looking up every time a staff member passed the doors, his nerves frayed raw with worry for his wife. Eventually the doctor reappeared and approached him with a carefully neutral expression, “how is she?” Mighty asked.

Mighty could have sworn he saw a fleeting look of sadness wash over the doctors features as he looked at him, sympathetically Doctor stable laid a hoof on his shoulder.“Maybe we'd better go somewhere more private mister zeal” replied the doctor leading mighty into his office.

As everypony knows by now there is no place on earth more terrifying than a doctors office when you are unsure what the news will be. The doctor seated himself and motioned Mighty to do the same, as soon as he was seated the doctor once again started to talk. “The good news is you have a son Mister zeal” .

At that Mighty's heart swelled with pride, a col? But the sinking feeling rapidly returned as the doctor continued. “However there were complications.” The sinking feeling in the pit of Mighty's stomach grew as the doctor explained the baby had not come into the world in the expected manner. It felt like a stranger was listening to the conversation in his place when the doctor explained the damage a baby can do if they wedge during birth, that while their son was expected to be fine Rosemary was not expected to make a recovery.

At that moment it felt like ice flooded his veins. “LET ME SEE HER,” he snarled, almost surprised when the doctor complied leading him through the halls to her room. There on the bed lay rosie, looking completely drained, but still just as beautiful to him as the day he married her.

Slowly she turned to him and smiled, “don't fret love” she said “the baby made it through just fine, and I even have a name for him, let's call him caramel.” She said passing her new son over to Mighty, then still smiling she fell asleep. Yes just asleep, she'd wake up soon and feel better, she'd prove all thoise doctors wrong. Then they'd all go home together and celebrate. It sure was nice of the doctor to see him out of the room so they didn't disturb her he thought to himself as his world crumbled in around him leaving nothing behind in the rubble but his pain, sadness and crying softly in his forelegs his first and only son, one he could barely stand to look at so much did he remind Mighty of Rosemary.

A few days later they laid Rosemary to rest in a small ceremony in the ground beside her favourite cherry tree, it was a sunny day, couldn't the weather at least have shown some curtesy and at least allowed the clouds to shed a few tears on his behalf? All he felt right now was numbness where the hurt should have been, and a slow burning rage over the injustice of it all, I mean how in celestias name was this fair?
many who had been asked to attend too shocked by what had happened struggled to understand why and so did not attend, or politely showed up and then as soon as they could made their excuses and slipped away. Caramel cried throughout the entire thing, never stopping even for a moment until Rosemaries casket was lowered down into the cold earth then just as if somebody had flipped a switch he looked up at the sun above him and gave a gurgling laugh. Then drifted off in his fathers forelegs.