Chapter 37
Betrayal.
Just a single word, but it carries such immense weight, that putting it into a word does not do its meaning justice. Entire books can, and have been written about that one word. Wars have been fought in the name of betrayal, and hearts shattered because of it. Everyone gets betrayed sometimes during their life in one way or another, and it often stays with us, like a shadow that always remains in the back of our minds. And it was what Ethan was currently feeling.
Ethan was down for the count, broken and battered, barely holding on. He had no more strength to keep going, and as he laid there a he knew, deep down, that this was the end.
A shadow loomed over Ethan, slowly advancing on him, and his terror grew with every passing second.
He cursed himself for not having seen it before, but then again, how could he? For he had been betrayed by one of his allies, of those that he had trusted the most, his family. He forced himself up as the figure finally came into view, forced himself to look at the one that had stabbed him in the back.
And there she was, slowly coming down towards him, power was in her every step, she knew that she had won, and she let it show. It had been a long battle, but she had taken him by surprise, and had quickly gotten the upper paw in the battle. He had tried to escape, but in the end it had done him no good, only serving to delay the inevitable. He could only watch in horror as Chii stepped into view, a triumphant grin upon her face.
“Ready to finally give up?” She asked with her usual smile, it was like none of it had mattered to her. She had betrayed him with as much ease as one had when breathing. He had let his guard down, and she had ruthlessly taken advantage of it.
“Why?” Ethan forced out, he had to ask. He had to know.
“Why, because it was necessary, of course.” This was no longer the kind and loving Chii that he knew. No, sometime, during their recent events, that Chii had been thrown out of the window and been replaced by the ruthless killing machine that now stood before him. “So, any last words?”
In a final last effort, Ethan forced his body to stand up. He was battered, he was tired, and he was emotionally broken. But he would not lay down and simply take the finishing blow.
“P-please, you don't have to do this.” Ethan pleaded to her. “Think of everything that we have been through.” He looked to Chii, pleading, begging her for another option. And for a moment, he thought that he saw something in her eyes, a glimmer of the old Chii that used to be. But, as soon as it had come, or disappeared and she shook her head.
“No, this is how it has to be.” Chii said, her voice steeled for what was to come. She readied herself for the final strike, the blow that would end it all and…
The die rattled as they rolled on the table.
“All sixes, Chii wipes out Ethan and the remainder of his army.” Ethan could only stare down at the table in horror as a childlike cheer erupted besides him and Chii started hopping up and down.
“I won, I won, I won again!” Chii sang as she bounced up and down, ignorant to all the stares that she was getting.
“...She is a natural at this.” Brawly smiled and shook his head. “And she has the luck on her side.” He put a hand on Ethan's shoulder, who was still just staring at Chii continuing her celebration dance. “You never had a chance, none of us did.”
Ethan and the rest of his family was all gathered back in their home for what appeared to be a few friendly and fun day of board games. The idea had first been suggested when they had discovered the heavy rain that had been scheduled for that day, and while Chii had wanted to play in the rain, the rest of them had decided that a day indoors, spent together would do them all good.
It had been first suggested as a way for all of them to have some harmless fun together, because it had been a while since all of them had sat down and done something like that. Chii had been new to everything, having no experience with any kind of board game. But she was more than happy to join and she wanted to learn.
They had put it on luck when she had taken the first victory; every board game had some amount of luck to it, it was just the nature of it. But it was not long before they had discovered that Chii had to be the reincarnated spirit of some kind of game god. It mattered little what game they chose, or the fact that Chii was completely new to it. They could only watch in horror as the little Skitty tore them apart in a ruthless, clean, and calculated manner. Maybe Victini itself was favoring her.
In the end, the score had been ten victories for Chii, and zero for everyone else. And while it was all just in good fun, the constant losing was getting to some of them.
“Please tell me your secrets!” Ethan begged in a jokingly fashion as Chii jumped around him. “Share your wisdom with us lowly mortals, oh great Chii.” He could have accepted the first nine losses without batting an eye, and while he was glad for Chii, that last one had been his game, the one that he was supposed to have been good at. The one that even Vernus, the self proclaimed game master of their family even had trouble with beating him in. But Chii had done it without even the slightest amount of difficulty.
“Can we play that one with the cars again?” Chii looked up to Ethan with her big pleading eyes. “That one was fun!”
“Sure, why not.” Ethan smiled and reached down to ruffle the fur on top of her head slightly. A gesture that she accepted happily. “I just need to check up on Uncle Vernus first, you can do a quick game with Brawly in the meantime.” He could see a small amount of disappointment and sadness in her eyes as he said that.
“Is he going to be okay?” Chii asked in a low tone. Vernus had been gone for a little while, something that was not unusual for him at all. But what had been unusual was the state that he had been in when Zoey had brought him in the morning after.
“He is a tough one. Something like this won't keep him down.” Ethan reassured Chii who beamed in return.
“Okay, I hope he gets better soon… he said that he was not feeling so well a little while ago. Do you think this has something to do with that?” That made Ethan slightly curious. Vernus was not someone that got sick often, nearly not at all. And he was the type to keep it to himself and tough it out when it did happen. He just wished that he had told the rest of them before it got so bad.
“Maybe, but we will make him better. Don't you worry about that.” Ethan reassured Chii once more before he turned and started walking over to the bed where Vernus was lying. Most of the other inhabitants of the warehouse had vacated into another part of the building to let Vernus have some peace and quiet. Something that he dearly needed. Only Zoey remained at his side, gently talking with him and replacing the warm cloth he had on his forehead every now and again. In fact, they had been inseparable ever since she had brought Vernus back home.
He was tucked in with several blankets covering him, but despite all of that, he was still shivering like he was in the middle of a blizzard. Cold sweat kept pouring down his face, which was why Zoey had to keep replacing and wettening the cloths so often. In truth, Ethan could not remember the last time he had seen his dear friend in such a bad shape.
“How is he?” Ethan asked once he arrived at Zoey's side. He spoke in a soft voice, since Vernus had his eyes shut for the moment. Every moment of sleep that he got would be of great help.
“A little better.” Zoey sighed softly, exhaustion in her voice. “He finally managed to fall asleep, and he even ate a little something before he did.” It was not much, but it was something.
“It hurts to see him like this.” Ethan said, and he knew that Zoey felt the same way. “How do you think it got this bad?” Ethan asked her. “Did he say anything to you?”
But Zoey only shook her head. “You know Vernus. He would not want to worry any of us. He probably just caught some kind of disease from this new world and thought that he could tough it out.”
Zoey ran through the forest, moving as fast as her two legs would allow while she carried an unresponsive Vernus in her arms.
“Please no… please.” She kept repeating to herself as she ran. Tears streaming down her face, some dripping down onto the Leafeon in her arms.
She had panicked after she had found him with that syringe in his shoulder. At first she had simply refused to believe that what she had seen was true, instead hoping, begging that it was some kind of sick, twisted nightmare instead.
But it had been real; she found that out when she had promptly slapped herself. At first, she had simply started hyperventilating, her mind failing her in her hour of need. She knew that she needed to do something, and fast too. But all she could think about was the sight that was before her, and the laugh that kept flowing out of Vernus.
She knew of his past, of course she did. He had told her himself, he had gone into every little detail about the past that he was so ashamed of, and how hard it had been for him to put all of that behind him. It had taken years for him to recover properly. And it was because of this knowledge that Zoey refused to believe that the sight before her was true, even though she knew it was.
What could have driven him to do such a thing… or more importantly, why had she not seen the signs before.
But as much as she wanted to berate herself, she could not afford to waste anymore time. No, instead she had ignored Olivia and picked Vernus up, he barely even reacted at her touch. And as she fled from the secret hideout, she did not look back, not even once.
She had to get back home, that was the only thing present on her mind. She had been with Ethan for years and learned a tremendous amount during that time, but even so, she had no idea what to do in her current situation. She cared for Vernus, more than she could ever explain. He was family, and he was one of her best… he was, her best friend. That was why she had to get him back to Ethan. He would know what to do… he had to know.
Zoey was so focused on her goal that she did not notice it when Vernus stirred slightly, however she did notice it when he spoke up.
“Uurgh…” Vernus groaned, and it caught Zoey completely by surprise, almost making her trip over an exposed tree root as a result. “W-where am I?”
“Vernus,” Zoey all but nearly screamed as she stumbled to a halt. “Are you alright?” She knew that she should be hurrying, that she should… needed to get him home. But seeing that he woke up, that he was alright, at least to some degree was a huge relief to her.
“Why are you carrying me?” Vernus asked, his voice was weak and strained, like someone with a severely dry throat.
“I…” the words came to a halt in Zoey's throat. She was scared, extremely so in fact. Scared of what would become of Vernus, if he truly had succumbed to his dark past once again. And scared about the possibility that he would resent her for finding him like that. “I found you in the hideout. You were laughing and crying, with a needle sticking out of your shoulder.” But even so, she had to tell him.
Shame, that word did not even begin to describe the look that came over Vernus as he looked up at Zoey. He seemed to shrink, his body collapsing in on itself, if only slightly. He looked defeated, disgusted, and empty all at the same time.
“Oh…” And just like that, his memories came flooding back into him.
“Why did you do it?” Zoey asked softly, she wanted to be tough on him, to be angry with him for having done such a thing to himself, but she just couldn't.
“How was Olivia?” Vernus asked, straining himself to look into Zoey's eyes. He wanted nothing more than to look away, to just fade away right then and there, but that was not an option. “Is she still alive?” That question made Zoey blink a couple of times.
“W-what? Why- no, forget about her.” Zoey shook her head, that Ranger was not what was currently important. “Why. Did. You. Do. It?” She asked, a little more force behind her voice this time, she would get her answer.
“Not everymon can handle an overdose like that, tell me if she is-” Vernus suddenly doubled over in a coughing fit, and Zoey had to hold him tightly so that he would not fall down. She even gently rubbed his back as it sounded like he was going to throw his own lungs up. “Tell… tell me if she is okay, and I will tell you why.” Vernus positively collapsed on himself, his body going almost entirely limp after that episode.
Zoey sighed out and shook her head. She had almost forgotten how stubborn he could be at times. “She is alive.” Zoey told him, and she could visibly see that Vernus relaxed at those words. He had never told her that this, their plan had been potentially lethal. “Now your turn.” Zoey said as she struggled to keep her tough face up. “W...why would you do something like that to yourself?” In truth, she wanted nothing more than to collapse with Vernus and cry softly. He was her friend, her family… she had been afraid, terrified of losing him. She could not lose him, she simply could not.
“... It seemed like a good… a tempting idea at the time.” Vernus said. And his words hurt Zoey even more. “I am a horrible Pokémon.” But hearing that, snapped Zoey out of her own hurt, and she hugged Vernus a little tighter.
“Don't say that… please don't say that.” She begged him. She had always cared for Vernus, but it had not been until that moment that she had realized just how much. “You are one of the kindest Pokémon that I know.”
Vernus let out a soft and pained laugh. “Then you haven't met that many or you are a really bad judge of character.” Even in his condition and the situation that they were in, he found some time to make small jokes, and that brought a smile to Zoey's face.
“Maybe so…” He had always been there for her, not it was her responsibility to be there for him. “We need to get you back home though, you are in a bad condition.” She was just about to continue, when Vernus stirred and struggled against her.
“No, no, we can't go back. Not yet.” Panic was evident in his voice and in his eyes. He was scared.
“We have to, I don't know how to make you better… Ethan does.” But Vernus still protested against her.
“I can't let him see me like this again… I… just can't. He has seen me like this before, he would recognize the symptoms… he would know.” He was scared of what Ethan would think of him, of his disappointment. In a way, Zoey could understand that.
“Then what?” She pleaded. “I don't know what else to do?” She had to take him somewhere.
“My garden.” Vernus spoke after a few, painfully long seconds. “He would know these symptoms, so I need to create some false ones.”
“Y-you can do that?”
“... Maybe,” Vernus grimaced as his body started shaking, and he had to bite down hard to keep his teeth from chattering. “I have to.”
Zoey did not like it, she did not like it one bit. He was already in such a bad shape… and he wanted to make it worse. But they had already gone so far, and if Vernus thought that it would be the right thing to do… she would trust him, just like he had trusted her in the past.
“Okay, lead the way…”
Zoey looked down at the shivering Vernus, she leaned down and wiped away some of the remains around his mouth from the last time he had thrown up before turning to Ethan once more.
“I just found him like this.” She spoke softly and with great concentration. Ethan was nothing short of a master at spotting liars, and while she hated… despised the fact that she had to lie to family, she knew that it was necessary. “I wish that he would have said something sooner.”
Ethan nodded, if he had seen through her lie, then he did not show it. Instead he only put a paw on Zoey's shoulder.
“It's good that you were there for him… and he will be alright now, that’s what’s important.” Zoey leaned a little against his touch, feeling the comfort of having someone else to rely on.
“Do you want a break? I would be more than happy to take care of him while you rest.”
And she did; Zoey was tired to the bone. She had been up all night worrying and taking care of Vernus. “No, I'm fine.” But despite all of that, she still had her pride, and she felt like she had to be the one to take care of Vernus. Because in a way, she was part of what had driven him so far. “You just continue playing with Chii, it looked like you were having fun over there.” A small smile grazed her lips. “And it looks like Chii might seriously consider killing Brawly if you leave the two of them alone any longer.”
Ethan looked over to where they had been playing board games, and while it did not seem like anything was going on. He knew that Chii would probably have been more than a little miffed if he left her there for too long.
“Yeah, you are probably right. You just say if you need a break or something though,” Ethan told her, and Zoey nodded accordingly. “For now, I have to go save my boyfriend from a fluffy death.” Zoey could only smile and shake her head slowly as she watched the three of them from a distance.
“W-why don't you join them.” Zoey heard a weak voice from coming from behind her. And had her head snapped around any faster, she would have most likely gotten a serious case of whiplash from it. “Seems like it… would be fun.”
“Someone has to watch over you, and it might as well be me.” Her smile faltered a little as she looked down on her friend. “How are you feeling?”
“Like absolute shit.” Vernus grinned and tried to laugh, but all he got was a few weak coughs, which each sent a jolt of pain through his chest. “You don't have to do this though, I'll be fine on my own.”
“Like hell you will be.” Zoey replaced the hot cloth on his forehead with a fresh one, as the other had been soaked in sweat already. “You never told me that it would be this bad…” Vernus looked up to meet her sad eyes and with a great effort, he moved his paw over and put it on top of hers.
“Had to make it look real.” He smiled weakly. He had to hide the effects and symptoms of the withdrawal, though there was a possibility that he had gone a bit too overboard. He had never even tried something like that before. “D-did you take care of-” Vernus took another glance over at Ethan and the others who were currently engaged in another boardgame, and were too far away to hear them. “Olivia?”
“Yeah…” Zoey nodded, she had reluctantly taken care of Olivia. Not that she had any lost love for the Ranger, but she had been forced to leave Vernus alone for some time during that night so she could move that Pokémon Ranger. “I put her on the trail leading into town, somepony is bound to find her… they most likely already have.” That was several hours ago, after all.
“Good… good.” Vernus sighed out. As much as he did not want to think about that problem any more, they had no other choice. Overdose from that particular drug was a nasty affair… and with how much he had given her, he had to make sure that it would work completely, but with that amount she would have died if she was not taken to a hospital and treated within a day. “Now that is taken care of…” He still remembered the glassy look on her eyes, and how she had struggled when he had put the first needle into her. In his mind, killing her would have been far easier, it would have been a mercy compared to what they did to her.
“W-what if it does not work, though?” Zoey asked in a hushed whisper, she had trusted Vernus all the way and done as he had told her. But she was still so nervous.
“There are two outcomes after she got that much injected into her body.” Vernus looked up at Zoey and saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “Either the plan goes like we planned, and when she wakes up she can't remember.” Exactly how much she would have forgotten though, that would still be a mystery. Vernus knew a lot… a tremendous amount about the different plants and berries that he used and how to change amounts based on what Pokémon would take it. He knew the basics about how a Manectric’s body worked and had given her the absolute maximum that she could have taken. So, he was completely sure that her mind would have been messed up in some way. And in the small… tiny chance that it did not work out that way, that she remembered. Well… he had been sure to make the needle wounds seem natural, as if she would have done it herself. And who would believe a junkie anyway. “The other is that she goes into a coma…” it was a small chance, but it was still there. He had seen it more than a few times. And if that ended up happening… well, they might as well have killed her.
And he knew that he should not be thinking too much into it… that it had been the right thing to do, the only thing to do. But that did not change the fact that he was a horrible Pokémon for having done what he did.
“...Okay.” Zoey was quiet, her voice barely even a whisper and she leaned down against the Leafeon, gently holding a paw over him, a gesture that Vernus did not mind at all.
The two of them stayed like that for a while, Zoey gently resting against Vernus, who kept nodding off and waking up again every few minutes.
She did not say anything at first, because she did not want to ruin the moment, and because she was just so tired herself. But eventually, Zoey spoke up with a careful tone.
“I… listen… about what you said last night…” She was nervous, scared, and she honestly did not know what to think. She had put it off since it had not been important in that moment. Other things had been more pressing. But now that they were both safe and sound back in their home… she could no longer ignore it.
“You don't have to say anything.” Vernus sighed as he stared up into the ceiling. “I was scared, hurt and not in my right mind. I should not have laid that on you like that… I'm sorry.” And he truly was. His condition at the moment had been no excuse for behaving like that. He prided himself in the way he acted… most of the time. And he had put Zoey in a hard spot, in an already difficult situation. It had not been fair on her. “Just pretend that it never happened.”
That however, got on Zoey's nerves. “You think that I can just ignore something like that?!” Her anger seeping into her words, she was frustrated, and had a good reason for being so too. She did not meant to be angry, but she was just so tired. Exhausted in both her body and mind. “I can't do that… I… for Arceus sake, you said that you loved me.... I can't just pretend that it did not happen.” Zoey sunk down in her spot. “And it was pretty obvious how you meant it too… how could anyone ignore that.” It had taken all her effort, and even a little bit more for her to have delayed thinking about it until then. And with everything that had happened those last few days, it was no strange thing that Zoey's emotional walls were coming down.
“Zoey, I…” Vernus tried to speak, but his words died in his throat. Zoey's eyes were red, but she was not crying, though she was on the edge of doing so. What he had done had not been fair to her, it had been anything but that. He could blame it on the drugs, in fact, it would have been pretty easy for him to do so. But no. In his stupor, he had taken advantage of her emotional state and unloaded his feelings on her.
“How long?” Zoey stared down at Vernus as she spoke, though he did not meet her eyes. “How long have you felt that way?” She wanted to know, she had to know. And from the situation they were in, she damned well deserved to know.
“...” It was not exactly the situation Vernus had been picturing in his mind, when he first would confess his feelings for Zoey. But, considering their situation, he could understand her feelings. That being said did not make her anger hurt him any less though. “A few months after I first met you.”
“You…” Some of Zoey's anger melted away. “You mean that all this time?” She left the question hanging as she was desperately trying to sort out her own thoughts and feelings.
Vernus nodded solemnly as he kept inspecting their roof. “Yes.”
“Well why didn't you say anything sooner? I mean… I… maybe…” But even despite all her searching, her mind came up with no answers at all. Nothing that could make their situation any easier.
And Vernus did have a lot of reasons for not having said anything sooner. Not all of them were good reasons, in fact, most of them were rather shitty ones now that he thought back at it. And so he handled the situation the only way he knew how. “Because I am a silly Leafeon?” He said as he turned to Zoey, a goofy smile on his face.
They stared into each other's eyes in that moment, into each other's soul. Vernus could see how hurt Zoey was in that moment, how vulnerable that she had actually been. And Zoey could in turn see how Vernus felt, how sincere that he had actually been with his words the night before. And it was more than Zoey could take at that moment.
She collapsed on the side of the bed, her head buried into the blanket that Vernus was laying under, and her paws in turn covering her head.
“You stupid… stupid Leafeon.” She cried, and her whole body shook. “Stupid… stupid…” She kept quietly repeating that word between her sobs as her emotions were completely overwhelming her.
Vernus could only gently place a paw on her back as she cried. Zoey flinched at his touch at first, but she quickly accepted it, and even unconsciously leaned against him.
“I'm sorry Zoey… I truly am.”
Protocol was what most would consider a calm and controlled pony. One that did things by the book and was all around a pretty boring individual, despite his job. He did what was expected of him, and he did it in a tidy and orderly manner. He rarely let his emotions get the better of him; he could not afford to let them.
So, when the nurses and doctors of Neighagra Falls hospital saw the pure fury that was plastered on Protocol’s face as he walked in. Well, needless to say, it made for quite the scene.
The nearest nurses almost jumped out of their skin as Protocol walked past them, the sheer amount of fury that he expelled sending shivers up anypony that even looked at him. It was also because of this that nopony tried to stop him, they knew why he was there in any case.
Neighagra Falls Sanctuary was a fairly small village, and a closely knit one. So when news arrived, it spread like wildfire.
Protocol walked with a goal in mind, and he knew exactly where he was going. It was a place where he had been many a times before, and a place that he despised like the plague. Not because of what it did, but because of the fact that they needed a place like that in the first place.
He tried to calm himself as he trotted along in a brisk pace, not too fast so to disturb the other patients, but not too slow either. But he could not calm down, not just yet. He had to see it with his own eyes before he could even have a chance to do so. The possibilities was what was plaguing his mind and causing his anger, what he needed was facts. Cold hard facts.
He opened two doors with a small sign that read “Detox” next to them. It was a small section of the hospital. Most cases that involved drugs were moved to Canterlot or Manehattan, as they had better facilities that could deal with it. But they had to have something in case of emergency. Just like the one that had happened.
It was quiet on the other side of those doors. And the smell of the usual chemicals that accompany a hospital filled Protocol’s nose. The smell of medicine and disinfectants. It was a smell that he had learned to hate over the years.
He walked down the small corridor that opened up after the doors. It was not a particularly long corridor, and he could already see the end where a pegasus in a medical vest stood. His mane was sky blue, and his coat just a lighter shading of the same color. He had a stethoscope hanging around his neck, and a medical chart which he was holding with one of his wings. He had been inspecting the chart, until the noise from Protocol's hooves had alerted him to his presence.
“Sir, I-” The doctor started, but Protocol cut him off without a single second's hesitation.
“Where is she?” Protocol all but sneered as he approached, his emotions seeping out into his words, and the doctor actually flinched at them.
“S-sir, only close family is allowed to see her right now.” The doctor said as he tried to stand his ground. He knew who Protocol was, but not that he was a close friend of the patient. If he had, perhaps he would have let him pass without difficulty.
“She does not have any family, or if she does we don't know about it.” He took a deep breath, though he did not actually calm down. He only succeeded in suppressing his anger a tiny bit. “I am her friend… and there is nothing that you could do to stop me from seeing her.” It was not a threat, it was a fact, and the doctor knew it. He could see it in Protocol's eyes.
“I… y-yes, of course, sir.” The doctor gave in. “I assume that you know why she was brought in then?” He asked as he turned and the two of them slowly turned and walked to the last door in the corridor.
“I only know what I was told, give me everything, doc.” He wanted to hear it from the mouth of a medical professional, to make sure that there was no room for error.
“... If you say so.” The doctor shook his head gently. The two of them came to a stop in front of a large door. A good portion of the door was made out of glass, allowing anypony to see through it and into the room on the other side. And what they saw made Protocol freeze for a moment, and so much of his anger simply melted away.
It was a fairly small room on the other side of that door. It had no needless things at all, just a bed and a large IV stand on which there hang several bags of fluid and medicine of all kinds. Small and large tubes ran down from these bags, down the metal pole which they were attached to, up along the bed and into the patient that laid there.
Olivia.
It had been several days since he had last seen that Pokémon Ranger, but she was barely even recognizable as she laid there. Her fur was matted, the once magnificent, almost golden fur she had been so proud of had lost almost all of its shine and color. Her face was partially covered by the sheer amount of tubes that went into her through her mouth and nose, not to mention the other tubes that went into her legs. She did not look like the Pokémon that she had been as she laid there. Protocol barely even recognized her.
“She was found early this morning on the outside of the town.” The doctor started as he lifted up and read off the medical chart that he had been carrying with him. “She was unconscious and… she was found with a needle in her front leg, so she was hurried here as quickly as possible.” He flipped over a page. “Luckily, the Chansey we have here have been part of situations like this before, she knew what to do, and she is stable now but…” The doctor sighed and looked over to Protocol who was still staring in at Olivia. “She had overdosed, if she had not been found when she was…” He shook his head. “We are currently cleaning her system, and she is stable for the moment. But…” He paused as he drew a short breath. “We have no idea what was in her system, what kind of drug that she took for it to have done this to her body.”
That got Protocol's attention. And he felt his anger flare up once more.
“It is unlike anything that we have encountered before. Probably because it was not meant for ponies, but to her… we have no ways of knowing when she will wake up. If she will wake up. And what kinds of side effects this will have on her long term.” Both of them stood there for another moment or two, Protocol still staring in at Olivia, at his friend. “We are required to report to the police about drug abuse like this, but since you are here, I assume that has already been taken care of.”
Drugs.
It was one of the few things that he hated with an intense passion. To think that somepony could just potentially throw their life away on something like that. Not to mention all the others who were close to that pony who would be affected in some ways too. But Olivia? He could not imagine that she would have done something like this. In fact, he refused to believe it. He had seen more than a few junkies in his day, and she was not like any of them.
“C-can I go in?” His voice came out quiet, and he had hesitated to speak those words. He was still feeling angry, furious in fact. But he buried those feelings deep within himself; he had more important things to worry about now.
“Just don't stay too long.” The doctor just shook his head, knowing that it would be useless to argue with him anyway. “I will be out here if you need me.”
Protocol gently opened the door and entered, his steps slow and careful, as if he was afraid that she would wake up if he made too much sound.
“Why?” He stopped at her side and looked over her. “You were not the kind of individual who would do something like this. I would have sensed it if you were…”
Now that he was that much closer, a lot of other details jumped out at him. For starters how tired she looked. And that her fur looked damaged in certain places, but from where she had been found, she might have walked through some heavy brushes to get out onto the road that could have caused it.
“What happened to you?” Protocol asked, thinking out loud as he walked to the other side of the bed. She looked so tired, but peaceful at the same time as she laid there in the bed.
Protocol reached down and ran his hoof along her right front leg, feeling and seeing the needle wounds, just like the doctor had said.
“You did not do this.” He spoke in a low voice, his anger seeping up once again. “I know that you did not. Screw what the doctors say, somepony did this to you.” He had no real proof to go on. Only his gut. But that was more than enough for him. He had thought it weird when she had disappeared in the first place, and this only served to further that suspicion that something was up.
He turned and walked out of her room, his steps loud and heavy against the clean hospital floor.
“And I am going to find the scumbag that did it.”
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6642214
What?
Oh...oh... not sure how to react now. Yay
Forget Jenny missing, I foresee an even bigger shit storm on the horizon...
Oh...... welp get your umbrellas out folks, because i can smell the shit storm acomin.
'Manure hit the fan' isn't enough to discrive this... looking forwar for more.
And even when it was a joke start, I liked the description of betrayal. It is also quite fitting for this moment in the story.
Vernus confessed to Zoey? Was that in the last chapter, cause I must've missed that.
6644802
It happened off screen
6644848 Ah, ok. Just making sure.
6652462
... im sorry
I know that its a cheap way, but in this instance it felt like the right thing to do. Espesially if you think about the situation where it happened.
6640160 I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapter. Don't worry, no rush though.
6653023
Happy to hear it^^ It will be a fun one
You know that terrible feeling? That feeling in your gut that makes you want to cry?
I've caught up and now there are no new chapters to read...
I hope Vernus doesn't get into too much trouble.
6656451
Hope you enjoyed it up to this point then^^
And no worries, I try to update as frequently as possible^^
6656458
Of course I did! You weave a fantastic story, my good sir
UPDATE PLZ !!!
6710500
Heh, dont worry, I will update soon^^
Tomorrow in fact, since it is my one year anniversary for this story, and a little special chapter will follow then
6711334 good
I don't even know who to root for here.
This is intense.