Chapter XII: Flatline
Chapter XII: Flatline
Hailing a cab, Twilight and the others were able to direct the driver to 53rd Sonata Avenue. The bad news was, it would take at least twenty minutes to get there. Had there been no traffic, jams, or street-walking at nearly ten o'clock in the evening, they probably would have made it to the hospital in less than ten minutes.
But along the way there, they happened to be caught in a much bigger set of traffic, one that cut them off for at least a minute or two. Regardless of how much he tried to make his way through, the cab driver had no other choice but to wait.
As the traffic moved forward, the driver and the girls were able to get a better view of what exactly was slowing them down.
But when the sight caught their eyes---they nearly turned away in horror.
The sight before them was nothing more than a crime scene. And even with things covered up, it was still frightening nonetheless. It had been the first time any of them had seen something so---grotesque.
Though they were quickly riding by the scene by the time they got near it, they were able to get a pretty decent, but disturbing, view of the environment. But Twilight was quick to shield Fluttershy from the view. No matter how old she was---she didn't need to see it.
Two sheets lay on the ground, bulging to indicate that there was a pony lying beneath it. It was all it took to send shivers down all of their spines. Knowing that they were looking at ponies that were no longer alive---It was just chilling.
They never believed something like this could happen --- especially in Equestria.
However, it seemed that one of the ponies of the scene was still alive. But it wasn't much to show that he was nothing but a criminal, having been hoofcuffed and being dragged into a police wagon.
As the scene now lay behind them, Rarity quietly said, "Monsters," as she took one final look at the despair before the cab turned a corner.
Looking towards the mare, Rainbow added, "Well, at least they're going to prison, right?"
Even as the wagon turned the corner, Rarity continued to look outside the back window. Her face, while mixed with anger and frustration as the scene had rolled by, was more blank, like she didn't know what to feel at the moment.
But after a few seconds, she eventually replied to Rainbow's comment.
"...I suppose so."
Rainbow and Twilight seemed to notice Rarity's troubled expression, but they didn't question her of it, so they kept quiet. But the silence only lasted for what must have felt like mere seconds, before the sounds of water-drops began to bombard the roof of the wagon. The windows quickly became wet with raindrops, and the cab driver was forced to turn on his windshield wipers so he could properly see the road ahead of him.
And for those few seconds, in the pitter-patter of falling rain, it was very quiet between the six girls. None of them knew what to say, or if they did, they didn't seem to speak very much. Twilight wanted more for the cab to get to the hospital. It was honestly quite shocking how packed the roads were with wagons and ponies moving about. Sure, Twilight should've expected something like that in a city such as Manehattan, but regardless, she was still baffled by it all.
Rainbow, on the other hoof, had a different mindset to her. She wasn't thinking about the traffic. She wasn't thinking about the ponies crossing the street, or the rain.
She was thinking about him.
Sure, an hour ago, she said she wanted him to "walk away and never come back" just before he walked out that door. But now? She just wanted him to come back.
Her worries only increased after that sudden phone-call. Twilight had played it before the cab arrived, and the fact that Spike sounded terrified, worried, and scared---along with the fact that he didn't say anything---and the fact that they're both at the hospital---
It not only concerned her greatly. It worried her greatly. And she had a right to be so.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Rarity slowly began to turn back around, aiming towards the front of the cab. While she didn't say anything for the first few seconds, she seemed questionable. With another few seconds ticking by, she began to open her mouth. At first, she didn't seem to know what to ask or say.
But once she knew it, she started to speak.
"You... You don't... think that Spike being at the hospital---had anything to do with---back there... right?"
And just from that question alone, it sparked a fearsome curiosity in Twilight and Rainbow's mind. Fearsome because they didn't want to believe so. It could just have been a coincidence.
But then again---it could not.
With this scary thought in mind, Rarity added, "... You don't think the reason Spike's at the hospital is---because---"
It didn't take very long for the others to know what Rarity was getting at.
But regardless, it brought up questions in their mind. For the moment, it seemed foolish, stupid even, to automatically assumed the worst before they saw for themselves. But the crime scene only having been recent, as well as Spike's chilling call minutes ago---
---It was a feared connection that they just didn't want to believe.
Even Rainbow let out a chuckle. But they knew it wasn't a real one. The laugh seemed forced and pushed out, her laughter seeming to contain a bit of worry within it. It was very noticeable to them that she was just as worried as they were. But she continued to play the role that had already slipped through.
"You don't actually...believe that---do you? He... He may be..."
Already halfway in, her game died down, and her tone returned to its normalcy.
"... He may be clumsy, but... But he'd never let anything... bad happen to him..."
Looking up towards Twilight, she questioned the mare.
"... Right?"
For the moment, Twilight didn't reply. The princess could see the look of worry in Rainbow's eyes, knowing she wanted an answer. But she didn't have one to give right now. Not for a while.
After a few moments of tense exchanging of looks, Twilight turned away, the worry very present on her face as she looked out the window, into the rainy streets.
"... Twilight?" Rainbow called her name, her voice full of emotional concern and worry.
Twilight looked down, towards the paved road of the street, regardless of how blurry the windows had been. Her ears drooped as her own worry rose. Rarity's thoughts were already getting to her head, and as much as she didn't want to admit it---
---She might be right.
"... I don't know, Rainbow," Twilight spoke up after the lingered silence. Twilight knew that answer was a lie. But at the same time, it wasn't the truth, either. They would never know until they got there.
And the fear only grew as they got closer to the answer.
After another ten minutes of going through traffic and streetwalkers, the cab finally made its way to 53rd Sonata Avenue. Upon stopping, the girls all got out, Twilight paid the driver, and he took off. And as quick as they could, the girls all began to run their way to the dry underpass of the hospital entrance.
All but Twilight, who found herself staring at the massive building. Even though she had spent most of her life in Canterlot, she had never seen hospitals as tall as this one.
The floor must have been nearly seventy stories tall. There must have been hundreds of ponies in there, recovering, dying---or dead.
And somewhere, in that whole mess of care and tragedy---he was there.
And she only hoped it wasn't bad.
"Twilight, come on!" Rainbow yelled over the deafening rain from the entrance.
With a shake of her head, Twilight came out of her trance and quickly made her way towards the front. By the time she made it inside, she was more drenched than the others, who were already walking their way towards the elevator on the opposite side of the building.
Looking towards Twilight in confusion, Rainbow wanted to ask what Twilight was doing. But she figured there were more important matters to focus on, so she didn't say anything.
Once Twilight shook herself off as best as she could, Rainbow said, "C'mon, let's go catch up with the others."
Nodding, Twilight began to follow Rainbow Dash. The two of them caught up with the others, who been standing at the front desk. The pony at the front desk was a mare, probably ten or so years older than they were. Somewhat humorous, she reminded them of Ponyville's Nurse Redheart, the only difference being her manestyle and cutie-mark.
When they caught the desk-mare's attention, Twilight asked where their two friends were. After a couple of checks and looking through papers, they found their stallion and dragon friend on the 17th floor.
But before they left, the mare asked the six of them if they were the stallion's friends.
When they all nodded, the mare's curious face drooped to that of sympathy and sadness. While it only increased their worries, the girls decided not to ask why.
Without hesitation, they all made their way towards the elevators. Getting into the only available one, they all hopped in, pressed button '17', and within less than half a minute, the elevator slid all the way to the floor.
Once the doors opened, they got out and took in their surroundings. The one thing they noticed right away was how---empty this floor was. The bottom floor, while they didn't acknowledge it all that much, was packed with ponies, from children to elders. But on this floor, it was very empty, only a couple of ponies walking by every few minutes or so.
They started walking down the long hallway, the first thing on their minds being to find Spike. If anything, the first place he'd be in would be a waiting room, so now their search was narrowed to a simple waiting room. Surely, there wasn't more than one on this floor.
As they walked through the massive hallways, they never really realized until they turned almost five corners how massive the floor and structural design really was. Sure, the hospital back in Ponyville had similar designs, but it wasn't as big as this hospital.
Walking through the hallways, Rainbow eventually found herself looking through the windows of hospital doors as she passed by them. While only a few of them were empty, the vast majority of them were filled with ponies, old and young, laying in bed, trying to walk, being read bedtime stories, or having a friendly talk with their families or friends.
But as she would expect, a trip to the hospital was never as cheery as she first sees it.
Turning back in front of her, she looked into the distance, near the end of the hallway. If she looked really closely, she could see---she---she could see...a filled stretcher, being carried out of a room.
...And the bulge beneath its blanket was small.
She had to block out the echoing screams of the family at the end so she could focus more on looking with the others. As cruel as it was to ignore those cries and shrills of tragedy, they were not her family.
Catching up with the others, not knowing that she had slowed down, she stopped looking through the windows. She didn't want to see through the rooms after that.
She was afraid of getting anymore dark surprises.
After a few minutes of twists and turns on the floor---which seemed much bigger than how it seemed on the outside---they eventually found a waiting room area. It wasn't much of a room, really, but rather, a section of the floor consisting of chairs for families and friends of patients and tables plastered with magazines, books, and even a cooler in the center with drinks inside.
It was already much more different from Ponyville Hospital by a lot.
Upon first entering the waiting area, many of the chairs were empty and unused, but there were a couple of ponies who sat about, waiting to hear anymore news on their loved ones, or to simply visit their doctor or nurse for whatever it is they were here for.
But after a couple of moments, as they looked around the chairs, they eventually found their dragon friend. It was quite hard to see him from where they stood, but nonetheless, he was there.
But their relief quickly turned to concern as they took a look at Spike. Upon looking closer at him, they noticed that he was curled up into a ball and---and... just staring.
From just looking at Spike alone, Twilight could already tell whatever happened...it wasn't---in any way---good.
"...Spike?" Twilight gently called out.
At first, the young dragon didn't even seem to acknowledge their existence; it was as if he was in some kind of---trance, like he was in very deep thought.
Twilight could only wonder in fear at what was going on inside his head right now.
After a few seconds, Spike eventually snapped himself out of his disturbed train of thought. With a slow turn of his head, his eyes slowly, but eventually, met Twilight's.
He stared at them intently for a few more moments, somewhat as if he had seen ghosts, or rather, six of them. He seemed amazed, worried, sad, but more importantly, relieved that they arrived.
When the time passed, Spike got up from his chair and ran over to Twilight. With a wrap of his arms around her body, he cried into her chest.
Twilight found herself somewhat shocked and surprised from Spike's sudden reaction. But she was more worried than surprised.
After what felt like an eternity of crying and hugging, Spike eventually pulled himself away from Twilight, but still held onto her with teary eyes.
"Twilight...I'm sorry---I'm so sorry, Twilight...I didn't mean it, I didn't know what to do!"
Despite his please of forgiveness, Twilight had no idea what he was talking about. What was he sorry for? What did he do?
But---his words brought a thought to Twilight's head, and for a second, it made her think: Was he in there because of Spike?
No. She would never think of that happening. Not between the two of them. Not between two brothers.
"Spike, stop."
Spike's sorrowful words immediately stopped upon Twilight's demand. Her face showed a faint sternness to it, but it quickly faded into a look of concern and worry.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"I had no other choice! They were...They were going to-"
"'They'?"
Spike looked up at Twilight for a moment like she was somewhat dumb. But after a few seconds, the realization came to him.
He never told her yet.
"Spike... What happened?"
The young dragon looked at the six girls, all with worried and concerned looks on their faces. Spike was breathing in and out somewhat heavily, and his eyes were still watered with tears.
With a close of his eyes, he let out a sigh, which seemed to calm his breath just a bit. When he opened them back up, he wiped the water from his eyes.
Once he seemed more relax---even though he looked more afraid and scared---he eventually walked back to the chairs and sat down in the same chair from before. The girls took this as a sign to sit down, as well. All finding seats around the young dragon, they sat down and looked towards him, Twilight once more asking what happened.
Spike didn't seem to say anything at first, but seemed more to be thinking in thought again, as if trying to recollect the story.
When his train of thought stopped, he looked towards Twilight for a moment, the worry still very clear on her face, before he looked back down towards the ground.
"We... We started making our way back to the hotel. We were just walking and talking. He was so hopeful... you should've seen his face.
"And then this...this stallion came out of nowhere, behind us. He had a knife in his hoof and threatened to... you know."
As the girls all gasped quietly in shock, Rarity found herself even more afraid than them. The fact that her 'Spikey-Wikey' was threatened to die was chilling. Regardless of the gasps, Spike continued.
"He told the stallion not to hurt us, and...and we got into this alleyway he wanted us to go in. When we did get in, he just---locked the door.
Spike told them how he tried to bargain with the stallion in order to save their lives. While there were breaths of relief when Spike mentioned the stallion saying they wouldn't kill him---that relief was very short.
"Then there was this...other stallion that came out of the alleyway," Spike adds, recalling that he seemed to recognize him just from saying his name.
"What was his name?" Twilight asked.
"...Swift Shadow."
And just from that name, Twilight's eyes, even the others', went wide, the name becoming spontaneously recognizable to them. At first Spike himself didn't seem to remember the name, even then, but when he really thought about it, his face grew with curious worry.
Through their worry, Spike was able to ask them a question, just one to confirm his thoughts.
"...Isn't that the...the guy he was talking about...? At the mall?"
And as he expected, his thoughts and fears were confirmed with a simple, but slow, nod from Twilight. Even as he looked at the others, they nodded a bit, the fear on their faces were just as much as on Twilight's. Twilight, after a few moments, put a hoof up to her mouth, the shock of it having overtaken her somewhat. If Spike listened closely, she could hear her say something like, "Oh Celestia" or "Oh my goddess..."
As Spike looked at the others, they were more or less speechless, unable to say or think anything. It was a set of reactions he expected to see from them. But then he looked towards Rainbow. And when his eyes set upon the mare, he saw nothing but fear, and only that.
He knew Rainbow. She didn't scare easy. But this... this was different.
After a couple of seconds of nothing but expressing the worry on her face, she eventually gained the ability to open her mouth, her words stuttered and tripped over.
"B... But he's ok-kay---right?"
Spike wanted to tell her yes, that he was okay and he would recover. Another part of him wanted to tell her no, that he was not okay and he could... He didn't want to finish that thought. But a third part of him wanted to say---he didn't know, because that was more true. He just---didn't know right now.
But before he could even give a proper answer, Twilight interjected, causing him to turn to her as she asked, "What.....What did he do?"
As much as Spike didn't want to continue, he didn't want to keep them anymore worried as they were. But even if he didn't say anything, they would be worried regardless. Nonetheless, he simply decided to continue to Twilight's demand.
"... H-He...-"
But before Spike could ever fully answer her question, he was cut off as a couple of doctors and nurses zipped by the waiting area. At first, they wanted to ignore it, probably having been a simple hospital emergency.
Then there came the scream, "We got a flat-liner in ER!" and they disappeared behind doors.
The girls had wondered what it was about for a moment. Eventually, they disregarded it as a hospital issue. But when they looked back towards Spike, his face was wide with horror, his eyes open as far as they could have been.
"...ER? He's in there!"
Getting down from his chair, he immediately made a sprint down the hallway, towards the windowed doors of the ER. The girls almost immediately followed after him, all with looks of horror, worry, and fear still very present on their faces, especially after Spike's words.
But the one who had been worried the most was Rainbow.
Why wouldn't she be worried?
As the girls all followed Spike towards where the ER had been, only a few doors down, surprisingly, they saw him try to make his way into the room, only to be pushed back by a doctor from inside. By the time they got to Spike, the doctor had already shut the doors and locked them out.
But they had forgotten to cover the windows. And so, as their fears and thoughts came into reality, their eyes darted their way into the Emergency Room, only to find their friend lying on the operation table, his head bruised and bloodied beyond compare --- and his heart monitor dead flat.
And as they looked on at him, something in their hearts dropped, overwhelming them with vast amounts of fear. There was no other way to describe the things they felt in that moment---nothing other than that. Because that's all they were.
They were scared.
"No...Nonononononono, this can't be---this can't be happening-NO!" Twilight yelled as they peered on through the windows.
The long beep echoed in her mind.
As the doctors and nurses cleared everything around them, and one of the doctors immediately stood up on his hind hooves and began applying CPR, hoping to get a pulse.
"One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand---" the doctor counted as he pumped onto their friend's chest, trying to restart his heart.
After reaching ten one-thousands, one of the unicorn nurses grabbed what appeared to be a defibrilator unit and ran to the stretcher.
"Stand back," the nurse said, and immediately, the doctor moved away, the nurse standing in his place.
Rubbing the two ends of the defib unit together, it gathered an electric charge. Releasing them away, she hovered it over their friend. With a loud, "Clear!" she pressed them down onto his chest. With a sudden jerk, his chest flew upward, his muscles having jolted from the charge.
But regardless of the charge, his heart still did not restart, his monitor still gone flat.
"Keep pumping," the nurse said to the doctor, who immediately transferred to the other side of the table, and with his hooves ready, he began to pump his chest as the nurse continued to recharge the defib units.
After a few more seconds, she instructed the doctor to move away, and with another, "Clear!", she pressed them onto his chest, and as before, it jolted upward, before falling back down onto the table.
But also as before, his monitor still did not register a beat. But regardless of the negative results, they did not stop trying. Again with the CPR, and again with the defibrilator, they tried it again for a third time. No result. A fifth time. No result. A sixth time. No result.
By the seventh time, Spike and the girls' hearts were beyond pounding, their eyes drenched with tears, their breathing ragged and mentally pained. They were beyond scared. While the others couldn't think of anything to say or even do --- not even Twilight could figure out what to do --- Rainbow just watched on, salty water drenching her cheeks and neck.
Fight for life, fight for another moment to see the light. Fight for her.
"Please," she whispered, "Please don't die --- Please fight... Please... Please --- Please... Fight... Fight..."
But as she whispered these pleas and begs to her friend, Twilight slowly found herself turning towards the mare, having heard her cries as they grow slightly louder. It was the first time she had seen her this afraid before. The first time she had ever seen her scared.
Lending out a hoof, she gently grabbed Rainbow's own, who didn't hesitate in returning the favor. Rainbow squeezed Twilight's hoof pretty tightly, but Twilight's mind was never on that to begin with. She too was begging and pleading for his life.
And for the moment, a hope grew in their minds, as if they had begun to believe their pleads were working, that he would hear them somehow, and he would fight. But as the doctors continued to give him CPR and give him a shock, their hope was already quickly beginning to fade.
A minute had passed since their atttempts began, and his heart still did not beat. And as another minute passed---they could already feel themselves losing their patient.
But one of the doctors still didn't stop.
"Dammit," he yelled, "I am NOT losing you tonight!"
Pumping the patient's chest harder, he began to beg him to breathe.
"C'mon! Breath, dammit! BREATHE!"
But regardless of his begs, he still did not move or give a beat. And the doctor's yells only rose in volume, until he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"BREATHE!"
All of the girls at this point, even Spike, were all tear-eyed and tried to keep their tears in. Spike tried to keep his emotions in, his breathing ragged and he too begged for his friend to just breathe.
But Rainbow? She couldn't bare to look anymore. Turning away from the window, she broke herself free from the group, and turning in the opposite direction, she started running back towards the waiting area. But she only fell to her hind knees before she ever got halfway.
And as she fell to the ground, she clutched her sides tightly, as if trying to hold or hug herself. Her face was bent down towards the floor. It wasn't a sign of physical pain, but more along---emotional. With the strength she could have been able to bear, she pushed herself against the wall of the hallway. Twilight turned towards her, barely able to see her friend through her blurred, watery vision.
And though she tried to hold it in, no matter what, in the blind panic of it all, Rainbow Dash let out an agonizing cry, everything already crumbling on top of her, her mind broken down so quickly, so... painfully.
With the strength that remained in her throat, she was only able to let out six words. And those six words pierced Twilight's heart with distress and emotional pain in itself.
"I DON'T WANT HIM TO GO~!"
Her screams were so loud, the whole floor could have heard them. And though a few ponies did look in their direction, even turn the corners to see what the commotion was about, they said nothing to them. When some of those ponies realized why she cried, they could do nothing more but show sorrow.
And as Rainbow cried and screamed in mental agony, the whole floor fell silent, while the others continued to peer on into the Emergency Room. Almost all of the doctors were ready to give up, one of the nurses even looking at a clock, ready to determine the time of death.
But the doctor that begged his patient to live again still did not give up. At some point, however, he stopped pumping his chest, and went with his one last resort: The Defib Unit. Grabbing the units from the nurse's hooves, he rubbed them together as quick as he could, and with a single, loud, stern, and final:
"CLEAR!"
He pressed them against his patient's chest. And as his body jolted into the air --- that was when his monitor began to beep. His chest began to expand and contract, and his mouth opened to let in the breath that was life itself. The girls, as they stood at the doorway, all watched in the room, their expressions turning into shock and disbelief. While they wanted to express the emotions they wanted to, they felt themselves unable to.
"We've got a pulse!" the doctor said, quickly putting the defib units away before adding, "Give him an oxygen tank, now!"
One of the doctors nodded, immediately heading towards the opposite side of the room, in a nearby storage container, to grab one of the few oxygen tanks stored inside. And after a few moments of basking in the relief that he saved his patient's life, he found his friends, his witnesses, staring at him. He saw many emotions just from their eyes---fear, relief, shock, horror.
But it was mostly a mixture of fear and relief. He too wanted to smile at them, as they had faintly done to them, but they didn't need to see anymore.
"Rider," he said to one nurse, "Please close those windows."
The nurse known as Rider nodded towards him and immediately walked over to the windows and covered them with a set of blinds. The five girls and Spike were now no longer able to see their friend.
But regardless of whether or not they could see him... he was alive.
Amidst the silent relief, Rainbow was still crying, likely not having heard the doctors at all. Twilight made her way away from the window and started walking over towards her friend. And without hesitating a single bit, she hugged Rainbow tightly and didn't plan on letting go. Rainbow wrapped her own arms around Twilight and brought her closer to her, hugging her tighter than Twilight had.
The unicorn felt Rainbow's head sink into her shoulder, her tears drenching her fur as they had done before. It was a scene that was very reminiscent of what had happened an hour prior, when death was not a fear.
After a couple of moments of Rainbow's cries, Twilight calmly quieted her friend. But this time, her words were different.
"It's okay --- he's alive... he's okay... He'll be okay."
And it seemed that, as Rainbow heard those very words---her grip on Twilight only grew. But at the same time, as her grip increased, her cries died down. And what replaced them seemed to be... laughter.
But it was not full on laughter. It sounded like a mixture of crying and laughing at the same time. It was like the mare wanted to cry, but at the same time, she wanted to laugh in relief or happiness. It was as if she was a mixed bag of emotions, and she didn't know which one to express the most, so she simply expressed them both.
So as the two of them sat down on that hospital floor, the sounds of crying filled the hallways.
But at the same time, so did laughter.
Eventually, the laughing and the crying stopped, and the six mares and the young dragon all returned to the waiting area, still empty, regardless of how much time had passed by.
At this point, there was nothing else for them to do. Nothing more except wait.
So the seven all stayed in the waiting area, never leaving except having to use the restroom, but only that. They all sat in the chairs, which seemed rather uncomfortable, in Rarity's opinion, and waited for anything to come up. While they waited, they did whatever they possibly could to make time go by faster.
But no matter what they had done, they stopped within just minutes, their bodies and minds still shaken up and wracked from before. But it seemed Rainbow had the worst of it. As the others played tic-tac-toe or read magazines, she just stared off into the distance, dry and wet tears still down her face, like she was frozen in time, or she was paralyzed. It took a few shakes of her body from Twilight to get her to come back to reality, but even then, she still felt numb.
An hour came and went, and Rainbow felt an odd feeling in her stomach. It was a feeling she was familiar with only rarely in her life, but when it came, she felt sick.
"I'll... I'll be right back," she said before making her way towards the restroom.
Twilight called her name, but that didn't stop her. Rainbow ran down the hallway, past a few patients and doctors, before ultimately making it to the restroom. Picking one of the five stalls that stood side by side, she got into the closet one, opened the toilet seat, got down onto her knees, and vomited chunks into the toilet, her sounds of retching and puking and crying echoing around the empty bathroom.
When the first wave of vomit fell into the toilet water, Rainbow coughed a couple of chunks into the seat.
"O... Oh---Oh f-"
Another wave came out mid-sentence. Her sounds would have been violent to anyone who heard it, but she wouldn't have cared anyway. As the contents from her stomach poured into the toilet, she had to put her hooves onto the seat to support herself, already having grown weak from just two waves.
And as she felt a third wave come on, she tried, with all the strength she had in her, to keep it down. But regardless of how hard she tried, it crept up on her, and before she knew it, she was blowing a third wave of chunks into the bowl.
By the time the third wave was finished, the bowl was already very full, a mixture of water and chunks of pizza from prior. Her stomach, now having been mostly drained of her food, was already beginning to growl slightly, now feeling empty.
No longer feeling the need to vomit any further, she weakly grabbed a bit of toilet paper from the nearby dispenser and began wiping her mouth. Once she had gotten all of it off, she threw the piece of toilet paper into the bowl and reached for the lever.
With a single pull, the tan liquid formed into a whirlpool, spinning all the contents within it down the toilet, before being replaced with a fresh set of clean toilet water.
But even after Rainbow felt better, she felt no need to leave the stall for the time being. Her mind wanted to go. But her body, being so weak, just wanted to stay. So she listened to her body instead, and slid down the stall wall, until she reached the floor. When she felt as comfortable as she could have been at the moment, she tried to take everything off her mind for now.
Closing her eyes, she let in a deep breath, the deepest she possibly could have. And with a clearer, more relaxed mind, she let it out. But then the tears came back to haunt her.
And for the while that she was in there, the only sounds that echoed through the bathroom were her cries. Only this time, there was no one there to hold her.
By the time Rainbow's sobs died down and she left the restroom, her friends had all fallen asleep. It had been more than an hour since the... thing.
It was really the only way Rainbow could possibly think of it. She really didn't want to think of it as 'the time her friend died'.
Not wanting to wake the others up, Rainbow gently flew her way over to a chair, any one of them, and carefully landed into it. She did admit that, while they weren't the most comfortable chairs in the world, it was no wonder her friends had fallen asleep so fast.
Getting into a position that she deemed as 'comfortable', she tried to get herself to doze off. At first, her attempts didn't seem to work, as didn't necessarily feel tired, regardless of how weak her body was or how dizzy she felt.
But after a couple of minutes, she felt her body begin to shut down. Her eyes grew weak and heavy, and she could feel herself slowly slipping into unconsciousness with every ticking second, as every fiber in her body slowly came to a halt.
Then with a close of her eyes, she was out like a light.
As quick as she had fallen asleep, Rainbow felt herself being shaken awake. She stirred and moaned as her brain began to reactivate. She extended her fore and hind legs, stretching them as far as they could go.
When her mind became as active as it could upon awakening, she started opening her eyes. Expecting Twilight or Applejack to be the ones shaking her awake, she found herself surprised---and somewhat worried---when she found herself staring directly at a doctor.
"...Huh?" Rainbow sluggishly replied.
The mare looked around, noticing that all of her friends were up or waking up like her. She looked back towards the doctor, a dark-tan looking unicorn with a doctor's coat around him, and asked who he was.
"I am Dr. Cobalt Nectar," the stallion responds calmly to Rainbow's appreciation. "I am the doctor currently taking care of your friend."
And then it dawned on Rainbow why he seemed so familiar to her. He was the one who saved his life. While she wanted to thank him for what he did---there would be time for that later.
Right now, she just wanted some answers.
"I...Is he okay?" she asks, her voice much more clearer upon recognizing the doctor.
The doctor's face is mixed, but mostly calm, clear, and serious. He nodded.
"For now, yes. We've managed to get him into a stable enough position, but---..."
Cobalt stopped midway, seeming unable to finish the sentence. He didn't seem pained by what he thought about, but he didn't seem to have the nerve to tell Rainbow.
"---But what?" the mare asked, not demanding an answer---but needing it.
A few times, Cobalt opened his mouth, seeming as if trying to tell her the answer, and at a point, he readily opened it, but before a word could get out, he turned his head away to look at the others. Seeing that they had all awakened, he turned back to Rainbow. He spoke in a louder sense, loud enough so that the others could hear him too.
"I think it's best that all of you hear this, so you can all properly deal with it."
"A-About what?" Fluttershy asks with concern to her voice.
"Is everything okay?" Spike called out. Once his voice was heard, he immediately started asking about his friend, his injuries... if he made it.
Cobalt turned towards the young dragon. While he didn't have a big smile on his face, there was indeed a faint one, one that was able to give Spike hope he was looking for.
"Your friend is okay. Surgery went extremely well. It was a difficult process, but---it went better than we had originally hoped."
Twilight stepped forward, asking, "How bad are the injuries?" her voice clearly containing worry within it.
And just from that question, the small smile Cobalt held faded to nothing, becoming nothing more than a frown. The doctor let out a sigh, which had worried the girls just a bit. Cobalt tightened up a bit, his face contorting as if disturbed.
"... In community terms --- This is the worst attack this city has ever experienced in nearly a century."
As shocked as they were on that news, they didn't add in anything.
"In personal terms --- They're quite severe."
The term 'severe' worried all of them, mostly Rainbow. Cobalt lifted his hoof containing a clipboard. Flipping the pages open, he began to read what appeared to be a list of their friend's apparent injuries. And every single mention worried them even further.
"By the time your friend arrived at the hospital, he had already lost more than half his blood. Had he arrived only minutes late, his chances of survival would have been impossible."
"How could he have lost so much blood?" Rarity asked.
Spike wanted to look at them odd, but then he remembered --- they don't even know what happened --- until Cobalt spoke.
"Your friend was... stabbed multiple times."
And as he mentioned the word 'stabbed', the girls' eyes went wide with horror, unable to properly comprehend what the doctor had just said. Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof.
But Rainbow... she was frozen.
"S... Stabbed?" Twilight said, finding the information difficult to take in.
"Yes," he inquired, "It's a miracle he managed to stay alive for so long---despite having lost so much blood. But that was mostly due to the areas in which he had been pierced. One of his wounds was just near his heart. One inch further to the left, and it would have killed him. Another wound was just under his right lung. A few centimeters further up, and the blood would have suffocated him."
While Rainbow was still frozen in her state of horror, even more worried as the doctor went into further detail on the wounds, Twilight asked Cobalt further of their friend's injuries. The doctor looked again at the clipboard, eventually flipping to the second page, where he listed out another set of injuries.
"Other than stab marks, his body appeared to be covered in bruises, signaling that he was in some sort of fight, likely prior to the stabbing." Looking towards Spike, he asked, "Correct?"
Spike, while still somewhat stunned---having remembered the event clearer than Cobalt had---nodded in assurance.
"His stab wounds will take quite some time to heal, a couple of months, at best. As for his bruises---they should heal up in a week at best."
But when the doctor's faint smile faded, so did Twilight's.
"However..."
The girls found themselves once again worried as he said that word. That single word always meant something more was wrong, or it was just worse. But they let Cobalt continue.
"Despite the stab wounds... those aren't the worst of his injuries."
Twilight's face grew with worried confusion. She just had to ask what he meant by that. But when she did ask, she noticed Cobalt's discomfort and---sadness on his face. He stared at her in a way that asked, 'Do you really want to know?'
Though he never said it vocally, Twilight still nodded slightly. And Cobalt didn't protest. Looking back to his clipboard, he flipped to the last page.
"During the assault --- your friend appears to have sustained mass blunt trauma to the left side of his head. From the X-Rays, it shows that his skull is fractured in multiple areas. as a result, his brain appears to have swelled significantly. This has built up pressure in his brain, or Cerebral Compression, if you will. But the---..."
Cobalt stops for a moment, trying to read over the next statements. The others stood anxiously, waiting for him. They knew he seemed troubled, and it only increased their worries.
After a few moments, Cobalt continued.
"The swelling of his brain has... Well... it has significantly pushed down onto his brain stem---As a result, his... his RAS---the part that allows him to be aware and aroused... it's been severely damaged."
The others, though the damages were worrying, were confused about the particular area.
"... RAS?" Applejack asked, worried, but more confused.
"The Reticular Activating System---It's the part of his brain that allows him to become --- aroused or... aware... to be awake."
While they were only now understanding the RAS, Twilight knew exactly what it had been.
"RAS?" Twilight asked.
Her face showed great worry and fear on it as she took a step further towards Cobalt. She could feel a tear form in her right eye, but she didn't bother with it.
"... You... You don't mean..."
But she could never finish the question. Cobalt, however, knew what she meant to ask. With a disappointed and saddened look, he gently nodded towards her. The others only wondered what they meant by it. Then with a clear, calm-sounding voice, he gave the diagnosis she feared.
"Your friend is in a coma."
And with those six words, there came silent and somewhat audible gasps between the seven of them. Rarity once again covered her mouth with a hoof. Fluttershy gasped silently, tears already beginning to form in her eyes. Applejack covered her mouth with her hat, trying not to cry, though it was quickly becoming impossible. Pinkie, having been silent for a majority of the time, was also on the verge of crying. Twilight could feel warm tears dripping down her cheeks, and her breathing became slightly ragged.
Spike could only stare in disbelief, only able to say, "... No..." as he too tried not to cry.
But things that went on in Rainbow's mind were perhaps worse than theirs. It was as if her entire world was falling apart in the course of a single night, and with each passing minute, it got worse and worse. But the fact that her friend was in a coma...
She felt her mind begin to rupture. Holding her head in her hooves, she sat down on one of the chairs, her face frozen in disbelief. But it wasn't just a look of disbelief. It was a look of guilt.
After a minute of silence had passed, Rainbow lifted her head from her hooves and looked towards Cobalt.
"Can we..." she paused for a second, trying to keep herself composed. "...Can we see him?"
Cobalt looked towards her as she asked the question. With a very faint and almost unnoticeable smile, he nodded towards the mare.
"Of course. Follow me," he said to all of them, before walking down the hallway.
Rainbow got up from her seat and stood near the other six, as they all followed Cobalt. Within just moments, they once more passed the ER. Of course, it was empty for now, but just looking through its windows only brought back some... bad memories.
Eventually, the group reaches the end of the hallway, to which Cobalt turns left. They follow him, which leads to a hallway with no turns at the end, only a window that looked outward to the streets below. Cobalt continued walking down the hallway, and the others continued following him. Eventually, they reached their friend's room, the last door at the end.
Before they entered the room, Rainbow was able to get a good look through the window. Peering into the sky, the sun was only just rising, signaling it was the early morning. As much as she hated mornings sometimes, It actually felt nice.
Looking down below, the streets were filled with pony folk, young and old, walking along the sidewalks and crossing the streets, others hailing cab wagons and going to work. Even from seventeen floors up, Rainbow could see everything clearly. But what she couldn't hear was anything.
The streets, though filled with life, were quiet from where she stood. Not a single murmur of screams or talking. It was very... quiet.
Just like he said.
With a twist of a knob and the click of the door, Rainbow turned around to see Cobalt slowly opening her friend's hospital door. He was the first to walk in, with them all following behind him.
The first thing they noticed was the room design. It was bland, as most hospital rooms were. The walls were a simple light-gray, with the occasional green line in the center of it. Rainbow only half expected Rarity to make a statement about the hospital's choice of 'fashion'. But not a word came out of her mouth.
Because that wasn't the thing they were focused on. He was.
Slowly, as they were soon to have done, Rainbow's eyes fell upon the center of the room. And there he was. Laying on the bed was her friend that, only a night ago, was awake, talking to her, and eating pizza with her at her hotel table.
Now here he was, laying in a hospital bed a night later, attached to a heart monitor, had an oxygen tank strapped to his face, and now, unwillingly, was unable to wake up.
Cobalt stepped aside and allowed the girls and Spike to walk their way over to the bed. Once they all stood beside it, they were able to get a better look at their friend. But the damage, though not as bad as it may have been prior, was enough to make a couple of them turn away not only in disgust, but sorrow. Rainbow was the only one who couldn't seem to look away. But the longer she looked at him---the more her eyes began to tear up.
His face was not really mangled, but it was heavily bruised and mostly bandaged. A respirator was plastered on the lower half of his face, allowing him to keep a steady amount of oxygen to his lungs. Being as careful as she could, she lifted the blanket upward, allowing her to have a closer look at his stab wounds. They were properly bandaged, wrapped around his body, and were durable in keeping blood from seeping through. As long as he didn't subconsciously panic, that is.
The heart monitor he was attached to kept a steady beeping pattern, showing that his heart was having no trouble functioning, despite a knife having nearly pierced it. Looking down slightly, Rainbow noticed his forelegs laying on the blanket that covered him, close to his sides. Being to his right of the bed, she gently took his right forelegs in her hoofs and carefully lifted it.
Then slowly, she began to shake it, as if doing so would wake him up, make him open his eyes and see her lying there. But no matter how long she waited, that moment never came. After ten seconds of gentle shaking, she let go of his foreleg and let it drop back to the bed, limp like a rag-doll.
She felt tears coming on, but she held them back; she didn't want to cry---Not now.
In the stillness and almost quietness of the room, Rainbow, without turning her head away from her friend, asked Cobalt, "...When will he wake up?"
And though she didn't see his face, she knew Cobalt was just as saddened as she was, but seemingly more disappointed.
With a sigh, he could only say, "...I don't know."
That wasn't the answer she wanted. Almost immediately snapping back at him, Rainbow asked in a frustrated manner, "How the hell can you not know?! You're a doctor, dammit! You know everything about him, how could you not know---!"
"Rainbow!" Twilight stopped the mare before she could go any further. Rainbow, having realized what she had done, stopped to Twilight's demand. She didn't apologize, but the look of sorrow and guilt on her face made up for it. But Cobalt only seemed more sorry for Rainbow than he did for himself.
Sighing again, he explained to the best of his abilities.
"The damage to his brain was more severe than anything we've ever dealt with... and I've worked at this hospital for nearly twenty years. For all we know, he could wake up in an hour, a day, a week, a month... a year. Or maybe it's not a question of 'when', but... whether he'll wake up at all."
The way he said it --- it chilled Rainbow to the bone. The thought that her friend could never wake up again scared her. She tried to knock that thought away, but it just came back again. And Cobalt wasn't finished.
"He's the only patient in this hospital --- maybe in this entire city --- who's suffered from severe brain damage. If he does wake up, he may never be the same."
Once the silence returned, Dash could only hear Cobalt's words play in her mind over and over as she looked upon her friend. All she wanted now, more than anything, was to hear him say something, see him do something. But no matter what---he was not going to wake up anytime soon, no matter how hard she wished it.
Suddenly, the sound of the intercom could be heard outside the hospital door, enough for them all to hear.
"Dr. Cobalt Nectar to Elderly Services, please," the feminine voice instructed.
As he sighed, not really in frustration or annoyance, but more along sadness---as if he didn't want to leave them---Cobalt flipped his clipboard to the front page.
"I'm sorry," he said to them all, "I need to check on some other patients of mine. I'll be back to check on you shortly."
With a quick 180 degree turn, Cobalt headed over to the door and walked out, leaving the six mares and the young dragon alone with their friend.
As the door closed, the room was once more silent, the only noise being the beeping of the heart monitor.
None of them moved for a good half a minute, their minds trying to comprehend everything that had happened in the span of a single night, not to mention the new information they only recently received.
When half a minute came and went, Spike eventually found himself walking further to the bed in order to get a closer look at his friend. When his eyes met his friend's face, he seemed---frozen. He couldn't say or do anything. All he did was just---stare.
But they could see the pain his eyes as he looked on, the pain that only grew until it began to push the salty tears from his eyes. His face was truly sad, even as he tried to hold it back. However---though the tears continued to flow from his face---his look of sadness and despair---quickly turned to that of frustration and anger.
But it wasn't towards his friend or Twilight or Rarity or any of them---not even himself.
It was towards Rainbow Dash.
"Spike...?" Twilight asked with worry, noticing her assistant's sudden change in emotion.
And without a single bit of hesitation---
---Spike snapped his head up at Rainbow Dash and screamed at her.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Rainbow quickly jumped slightly backwards from Spike's sudden outburst; even the others took a step back, also having been startled.
But before Rainbow or any of them could have the time to say anything, Spike continued to yell.
"IF YOU JUST CARED ABOUT HIM---ACTUALLY CARED ABOUT HIM AND SAID YOU WERE SORRY---HE'D PROBABLY BE BACK AT THE HOTEL AND OKAY, NOT LAYING HERE IN A HOSPITAL AND DYING! MY BEST FRIEND COULD DIE AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Dash was frozen from Spike's words and anger. She didn't know even how to react. She was, really, more afraid to.
Before Twilight could say anything to Spike or tell him to stop, the young dragon storms out of the room in a depressed fury, slamming the door behind him, causing all of them to flinch. Stunned from the outburst, it takes the mares a few seconds to react to Spike having left. Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy quickly run after Spike, hoping he didn't run off too far.
That left only Applejack, Twilight---and Rainbow standing in the room, Rainbow more or less sitting on the ground, having fallen from Spike's yelling. Other than the sound of a ticking clock on the wall and their friend's heart monitor still keeping a steady pace of beat, the silence was deafening.
"...Rainbow?" Twilight asked, noticing her friend having been 'frozen' in her state of shock.
But it wasn't long before that shock became realization. And it was then and there that Rainbow realized something.
Spike was right.
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Whoa........ This chapter had my heart pounding with anticipation, and at the same time sadness. This is truly an amazing story.
Oh God... my heart... my feels... they kept fluctuating between fear, and hope, and fear, and then dread... like a sine wave...
I am genuinely feeling terrified right now.
6205455 Agreed
I Am The Night is one of the best authors on here. And one of the most active. Thank you.
Jesus.
This whole situation is going to shit fast.
If only I would wake up.
Oh my god why do you do this to me?
WHY DO YOU MAKE ME FEEL THESE THINGS?! DX
//criez//
Dude... just... I can't take this but I need to know more ;v;
He'll never be the same...
That part... got me... so hard... WHAT IF I FORGET?! //holds self//
Oh man, you are a damn good writer...
I need to hug Dashie ;;
Nice job mate!
Finally I've been dying to see this chapter, Pun totally attended. I see it's 10k long so I be here for a while time to set up music. I playing Riki's Tenderness, seems fitting.
(I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself.)
No worries, just drop him to the Lifestream and he'll be back good as new in a couple of hours.
In all seriousness, this is one strong chapter. Wish I could convey emotion half as good in my stories, but oh well.
6205663 I personally prefer this one
Dashie:
6205365
I just now thought about this...
Jesus Christ, mate, you almost SCARED me! I was about to break so hard! Very good chapter, but dammit, now I have to wait!
The feels...
Dang, this chapter was just crazy! I'm not gonna lie, I actually almost cried, that just shows you how good of a story this is, keep up the great work
You know, I was having a good day today. Happy as can be y'know?
Now, I don't know whether you made my day better by releasing another extraordinary chapter, or made it worse because of all these feels.
I'd say it's an equal half and half. And remember what I said about revenge hitting back?
I kinda regret it now...
HOLY MOLY THIS IS WHERE THE TITLE KICKS IN!!! ROLL THE CREDITS
Amazing work on this chapter! I hope he makes a miraculous recovery...
F*** ya im a boss. I was able to survive 10 stabs and a gun shot to the head.... if only I could wake up.
The hospital scene reminded me of when my dad suffered TBI last year, let me tell you that unless his brain is able to solve itself during his coma, he will have to through a very very long process of mental rehabilitation.
I do have a feeling he will wake up eventually though.
I did tear up a bit from remembering what happened last year and knowing how much Spike and the Mane Six must be suffering to see their friend like this.
Great chapter, probably the best one yet!
(If you ever want any help with symptoms of a TBI I'd always be able to help.)
man this was actually painfull to read this
6205797
I just thought of another song and it's kind of what's happening here.In the game from the song someone supposely dying and it's their finally end.
I have a question: is Twilight an alicorn or not?
"Alternate Universe for wingless Princess Twilight." - From the about page.
"The alicorn felt Rainbow's head..." - From chapter 12.
6210166 I knew I made a mistake somewhere. Thanks for pointing that out. :)
This is the only fic I've read that does 2nd person narration well. The emotions are spot on, and I can see the characters doing stuff like this in the show.
I am REALLY looking forward to future chapters. Hell, I pinned this page to the start screen on my phone so that I can check for updates every night before bed. Keep up the great work!
6206949 I'm sorry to hear about that....
6207924 Despite the fact that in this story she's completely OOC.
(No offense, Night.)
6217372 None taken. I agree with you 100%. :D
Let me know if you ever need an Editor
So its Sunday and ir read this...holy hell I'm a lil no im really beat up about what just went down...im sad and frustrated and upset that I can't go back and try to help him/me get out in a better condition than that...and how all the others react add to my emotion and spikes outburst and how Rainbow must feel I can't imagine the horrer in there heads seeing him almost die I mean wow...please tell me when I hit the chapter button I can see the next one...I want to feel better about this...thank you for this book I surely will not forget Night
So, I finally caught up, I've been reading for a few hours now. Holy ****. Just, wow. This is an amazing story. Reading this and especially this last chapter, my heart rate has been going crazy. I've immediately favorited this story. This has also earned you another follower. Not even kidding, this is one of the most well written stories I have read on this site ever. Seriously, great job. I can't help but think that he never will wake up though, because in the last chapter it said those were the last words he ever heard from her. God I hope not, but, I can't help but worry that's how it's going to happen. But don't let me distract you, keep writing!
6232173 Thanks! I appreciate it!
6240717
Hunter Killer: Rainbow Dash: Pardoned. New target: S- *Sounds of flesh being ripped off*
???: I'm sorry but I can't let you tell anyone.
6232189
Love the story! Still an emotional roller coaster of ups downs and all arounds, definitely my favorite fan fic hands down!
Really my favorite thing to read in a LONG time
So where's the chapter?
6248110 I've been a lazy writer. The next chapter has less than a thousand words left. If I work on it nonstop today, I should finish it soon...like later today.
But not right now. It's nearly 4 in the morning. :D
I will say that the chapter is somewhat emotional and cheesy at times, but it should be enjoyable. :)
Enjoying the story. Kind of think we were treating AJ horribly though. At least we were brutally honest with the element of honesty and told her we would prefer to pursue a mare who has antagonized us / hated us from day one rather than her, but we still dtf whenever.
I understand Rainbow feels horribly guilty here leading to her emotional anguish but she's consistently written to be worried about her Friend. She can't possibly consider that guy to be her friend? Can she? Is this just a quirk of the pov shift?
6250061
Can't wait to see it! Hope my emotions are fixed at the end of this story
6253961 The way Rainbow was written in this story, while terribly OOC, is described as her somewhat considering him as a friend, but is greatly annoyed by the many times he has caused trouble for her and others around Ponyville. What happened at the party was just one last straw for her, and throughout the course of the story, while we never see it from her POV, she feels a need to antagonize him, but at the same time, deep down, a small portion of her feels she may have gone a bit far, but that feeling is overshadowed with hate and frustration, causing her to act quite OOC at times a lot.
The chapter "Amends" does give a hint as to why she had acted the way she did, but it will be described later on in the next story. After I finish THIS story, the next one will be separated into acts, or "seasons". That way, I won't strain myself when it comes to making several chapters. The next story will likely be several chapters longer than this. :)
Chapter?
6255592
I definitely got the vibe our clumsiness may have really damaged RD's family/ home in the past and we just don't know / recall the details of that event. So I hesitate to judge her to harshly yet. Thx for the reply, look forward to next chapter^^.
I need more of this
NEW AND FINAL CHAPTER LATER TODAY!
Really pulling on the old heartstrings here...
So... Is anybody gonna say anything about how spike ended up having to kill two ponies because of rainbow too or...
is anybody gonna mention that spike almost died, killed 2 persons and witnessed his best friend almost die because of rainbowdash?
My name is Applejack and I approve this message