The Diary of Matt

by Ribe_FireRain

Diary Entry Two - Hope on a Thread

Today, we got a doctor in to give us all a diagnosis on Apple Bloom's current condition as all of us waited as patient as we could at the opposite side of the bed to the doctor as he examined her with one of those things that allows you to hear the patient's heartbeat through vibrations in the metal it was made from and feeling around her limbs with his hooves where he suspected her bones may be broken.

He did this for a while, much to our ever so increasing impatience (especially Applejack's) and once he finished diagnosing her, he turned to us with a small frown. Catching on this, Granny was the first to ask him how she was and thankfully, he told us that whilst some of her bones were either broken in one or more places or badly bruised, she was going to make a full recovery.

He later advised that in the case of something happening while she was recovering, somepony or rather someone should watch her every now and then. (Namely, me.).

For the first half of the second day and having no luck on Apple Bloom waking up, Applejack decided to join me to keep me company. She sat next to her sister on the bed and I kept my gaze fixated on the still motionless mare who laid under her covers from my standing position beside her.

As much as I knew Applejack was trying to hide her eyes from me, I could easily tell she was crying. Given the situation, it was okay to cry. In an attempt to redeem myself, I came closer to her and pulled her into a hug.

I never even realized how soft her coat was before and to be feeling it now against my bare skin, it felt rather relaxing. Even more so when she wrapped her hooves around my back, allowing me to feel just how strong they were from all the farm activities she does on a daily basis.

I knew all too well in such a short time how much her little sister meant to her and to be the cause of her current condition was like having a thunderbolt strike through my heart and every ounce of that pain kept growing and growing with each passing minute during every day that she still hasn't woken up.

Waiting was the only option left for all of us and for both me and Applejack, we knew deep down that we had to stay strong for the others, especially if we are to make it through this. It's what Apple Bloom would want instead of us falling apart in our own heartache over her.

Like it or not, we didn't really have much of a choice.

Around the farm, in hopes of redeeming myself, I did all I could wherever I could to help make it up to the family for what my actions caused. Whether that be outside helping Applejack with the orchards occasionally alongside Big Mac or helping Granny Smith in the kitchen when she needed it.

With thanks to my various woodwork skills and DIY knowledge and experience, I even managed to pass the time by helping Applejack rebuild some parts of the barn so they were all ready to be nailed back into their rightful places. It didn't matter to me that I ended up getting cut here or there on my skin or my clothes. All that mattered to me was doing right by the Apples for all of their hospitality.

It was the least I could do to return the favor.

On my night shifts alone upstairs when everypony else was fast asleep in the increasingly late night, I would often watch Apple Bloom sleep silently through the light that her bedside lamp provided along with the moonlight from outside that was allowed in through her window.

Every night was always the same: pure quietness within darkness that was only broken by the dim light from her lamp and her short breaths each time she breathed.

It made me smile but frown at the same time, seeing how helpless she looked. With my hand, I gently stroked her mane, the softness of it still the same, silky-like feeling that I remembered. From my touch, I was surprised to see that a small, comfortable smile had formed on her lips.

Smiling back to her blind eyes, I hugged her loosely, transferring some of my bodily heat to her slightly colder figure. As I was hugging her, I could hear what sounded like the door creaking open behind me, followed by what sounded like small taps against the wooden floorboards.

I didn't even need to look up when the source of the noise came in front of me and I could see the face of Winona, the family sheep dog. Her brown and white coat were as smooth as ever and being a well cared for animal, she always looked as if she had a bath, despite it was a well known fact that dogs absolutely dread having baths for insecurity reasons.

She came up beside Apple Bloom's expressionless face and sat down next to her, nuzzling her cheek with her nose, whining at her injured co-owner. I smiled to her, giving her a reassuring pat on the head.

Through my stay with the Apples, Winona has gotten used to my presence and now allows me to pet her. I would always remember how affectionate she was towards Apple Bloom when I first met her and that gave me a hint as to how deep their bond was with each other.

Winona cuddled up beside her cheek and rested her small, furry chin beneath the crook of Apple Bloom's neck.

Poor girl.

Well, this is probably the longest I've ever bothered writing a diary entry for and I guess I best be wrapping this one up. Right now, I'm gonna go to sleep by my friend's side. Even if I know that chances of her waking up tomorrow or later on this evening are slim, I'm going to sleep here anyway in case she does wake up.

Maybe my dreams will manage to bring a smile to my lips for a change from this depressing sea of decreasing hope.