Pain Can Heal

by Y Nahigara

Given A Second Chance

Sunset looked at each of her friends. They looked exhausted and even Rarity had bags under her eyes. "Can we talk about it later? I don't feel like explaining it right now,'' she said keeping her head down and twiddling her fingers, '' I'm sorry for causing you guys trouble.''

Fluttershy sat down on the bed and patted Sunset's lap,'' There's nothing to be sorry about,'' she spoke in her soft voice,'' we're just glad you're alright.''

''Yeah,'' Rainbow butted in,'' we're happy that you're still here with us.''

"Are you sure that your alright?'' Applejack spoke.

''Yeah, I'm sure.''

Applejack yawned,'' Ok, then I think we might as well be going. I'm mighty tired from stayin' up all day.''

"What time is it?'' Sunset asked.

Rainbow Dash checked her phone,'' It's a quarter past 1, it's been pretty dark outside for a while now.''

''You guys can go ahead and leave,'' Sunset smiled,'' I'll be fine on my own.''

''Oh no you don't,'' Rarity began,'' just so you don't get lonely,'' she grabbed Twilight by the shoulders,'' Twilight will be staying with you.''

"T-Twilight doesn't have to stay,'' Sunset said looking toward her friends,'' I promise I'll be totally ok on my own.''

Twilight moved from where she was standing and sat down on the hospital bed near Sunset's, '' It really is fine, I don't really want you to get lonely, and plus we kinda already told the nurses that I'd be staying,'' she smiled.

''Well if it's all settled then I think we will be going now,'' Rarity said as she and the others left the room.

The door closed and silence fell upon the room, it wasn't an awkward silence but a peaceful one to be exact.

Feeling the need to strike up a conversation Sunset spoke up,'' So how have you been?''

Having been surprised that Sunset spoke Twilight looked at her,'' Oh, um, I'm good just a little tired to be honest. Anyway, when did the doctors say they'll let you out of the hospital?'' Twilight yawned.

Sunset thought for a moment,'' Tomorrow actually, and the doctors said to take it easy for a while,'' seeing at how tired Twilight looked she added,'' you should probably get some rest, you've been up since yesterday if I'm correct.''

"Yeah you're probably right,'' Twilight said as she took off her shoes and laid down on the hospital bed,'' are you going to sleep too?''

''Nah, I'll stay up for a while.''

"Oh, ok, well goodnight Sunset,'' Twilight said before she drifted off to sleep.

'Goodnight Twilight,'' Sunset Replied.

* * *

Sunlight, it's a beautiful thing that paves way for a new day. Most people enjoyed and even welcomed it, but for Sunset, Sunrise was her least favorite time of day because it meant that you had to wake up, get out of bed, and face the hardships of life. But today it was actually pleasant to wake up.

Sunset opened her eyes and was greeted by a peaceful sight, Twilight sleeping. Her hair all frazzled and sticking out in places, and her cute little snore, all of it was just so adorable.

' Well if she's still sleeping,'' Sunset thought,'then i'll just watch some TV until she wakes up.''

* * *

It wasn't long before Twilight woke up from her slumber. She stretched and opened her eyes only to shield them from the cloudy but bright sunlight that was pouring in though the window. Twilight looked around and settled her eyes on the bacon haired girl that was on the hospital bed next to her.

''So you're finally awake,'' Sunset spoke.

Yawning, Twilight nodded and got up to head to the bathroom to her teeth and wash her face.

''It's a good thing that I always carry a toothbrush and some toothpaste,'' Twilight whispered to herself and smiled.

Once the bathroom door shut, Sunset sat up and stretched out a bit. She looked outside the window and noticed that it was cloudy and looked like it was about to rain.

" There isn't much to do,'' Sunset said to herself,'' well I guess I should go ask the nurse what time I'm getting out of here.'' Getting out of bed Sunset went up to the front desk and was greeted by a nurse with light pink hair who had a stack of papers in her hand.

''Hello, Ms. Shimmer, how're you doing today ,'' she said in her slightly country accent.

Sunset quietly walked up the desk,'' Pretty good,'' she said leaning against the counter.

"Well I'm almost done with you're paperwork so you'll be ready to go in the next...,'' she thought for a moment,''... thirty minutes or so.''

''Ok, thanks, I'll be heading back to my room then,'' with that she headed back to her hospital room, but, before she got to the room she began to feel an itchy, uncomfortable sensation on her wrist. 'Why does my wrist feel like this,' Sunset tried scratching her arm but it was of no use.

''Sunset,'' she heard a voice call out but she ignored it and headed straight to the bathroom. Locking herself in the big stall and searched for any objects that she could scratch her arm with and started rubbing her wrist against the teeth of the paper towel dispenser. It was like her whole body was just this one spot on her arm that was begging to be scratched, carved, cut -anything, anything- for relief. Finally, she felt a jab and saw bright beads of blood. But, instead of being only relieved she also felt ashamed.

'Why am I still doing this?' Sunset thought leaning against the wall. She used to only cut to relieve her stress but now she doing it for pleasure.

''Sunset?'' they're was a few knocks on the door and what seemed to be Twilight on the other side,'' Are you alright? Why did you suddenly run into the bathroom.''

'Oh, no,' Sunset stood up from her leaning position, ''Umm, I just really needed to use the restroom,'' she said, flushing the toilet to make the lie more believable. Sunset washed the blood from where she had cut herself, dried it with some paper towels, and came out of the stall.

''The nurse said I'm good to go so let's change and get out of here,'' she said nervously while holding her hands behind her back.

''Really? Well ok then,'' Twilight replied walking back with Sunset to the hospital room.

Sunset signed with relief that Twilight hadn't noticed anything suspicious, but, in the back of her head she felt bad about lying to her. Pushing the bad feeling away she walked alongside Twilight to their room.

On the way she was handed some papers from the nurse that she spoke to earlier that gave her the ''ok'' to leave. Sunset packed her so called ''stuff'' and left the hospital with Twilight in tow.

''Maybe we should call Fluttershy to come pick us up,'' Sunset suggested getting her phone that her friends brought when they visited, and called Fluttershy.

''Hello,'' the sound of a shy and timid voice answered.

''Hey Flutteshy, do you think you could come pick me and Twilight up from the hospital,'' Sunset asked.

"Sure,'' the voice brightened, ''how about I bring everyone and we all go out to eat.''

"Umm, I'm not sure I'm ready to meet everyone all at once yet,'' Sunset said awkwardly.

''Well,'' Fluttershy thought for a moment,'' how about just the three of us go out to eat then?''

''Yeah, sure,'' Sunset smiled.

''Ok,'' Fluttershy confirmed,'' I'll be there in 15 minutes.''

''Ok, bye,'' Sunset replied as she hung up.

Author's Note:

Hey, everyone, so I FINALLY posted another chapter. I know it wasn't very long but I hoped you enjoyed it. I'm sorry I didn't post sooner I had a bad case of writer's block for a while. Anyways I hope all of you are having a great October and have a Happy Halloween. (And if you go trick or treating don't get attacked by clowns!!!) Criticism appreciated (please don't be too harsh)

Comments

[Dragonwaz]

static.grindtv.com/images/1/00/40/97/61/409761.jpg
My suspension of disbelief as they drop talking about her suicide attempt and the doctors let her go.

[Sharpshooter]

Pretty good I have to say I like how Sunset still has struggle from hurting herself and that she would open up to her friends about it

[Y Nahigara]

7675432 Fixed it

[Y Nahigara]

7674091 Oh yeah I see it now, gosh darn it why didn't I think of that sooner, thanks for giving that critique

[Atashi Desu]

I see you have never had any experience with hospitalization for suicidal behavior. Might want to do some solid research before attempting a story like this, or find yourself a pre-reader/beta who DOES know what would actually happen.

She would be in a behavioral health ward (aka “psych ward”), not a general hospital room; her friends would not be there when she woke up, because A: there are very strict visiting hours (usually a couple hours over the course of the day) and would not be able to get to her any other time (since the ward is locked), and B: they would need her permission to come visit her (and, in fact, to even be told by she was there requires permission from the patient in a behavioral health ward). Twilight certainly would not have been allowed to stay overnight.

There would be NO sharp objects in the ward; she would have to either break something to get a sharp edge or use her own nails/teeth. Also, she wouldn’t have nothing to do; they keep a pretty full schedule (including multiple group therapy sessions per day in which they journal, talk, and/or learn coping techniques).

Most importantly, she would NOT be leaving the hospital until the doctor on her case believes that she is no longer a threat to herself. This could be a couple days or a few weeks. It definitely wouldn’t be the morning after she got there, especially without ever even having a session with her doctor.

Other than that, I liked the story... I just can’t suspend my disbelief enough to get past how incredibly unrealistic this portion of the story was. Fix the inaccuracies and you’ve got yourself a pretty good story here.

[reboot-this-pc]

yeah while I don’t have the experience 8550924 has with this matter but I have volunteered at a hospital before. And let me tell ya, that whole wing is monitored heavily.

Most (if not all) hospitals have it separated from general care and the other recovery areas. And yeah visiting hours are Strict, like they will come in and physically remove your visitors if they stay past time , or feel they are interfering with your wellbeing. (Not saying twilight and Co. are , but there’s no way they’d be allowed to stay there overnight or anything.

Now don’t get me wrong I really enjoy this story , but if you want to write it closer to reality that’s a change that need’s addressing. But likewise if that’s your creative liberty than that’s just that. So you know it’s whatever

[wheelie-wolf]

I really like this story. I hope you continue it soon. I love the realistic portrayal of someone going through depression.

[Maldarach]

By how much this is a good story (and I prefer mention it; not always about that kind of "Dark - Self-Harm" stuff here, but rather how authors are making their stories, the way they're trying to show them or how we see them - well in my opinion), waiting for it is worth in my book.

Take your time and keep going!

[Hoping for death]

Do any of you ever hear the words "End your life" echo in your heads?