Chapter 10
“Good grief, Vinyl. You've been in here for three days already. You'd think they would be able to tell us something about your prognosis by now,” Octavia quietly grumbled.
“Well, I have good news and I have bad news,” began a white-coated unicorn with a stethoscope draped around his neck as he strode into the room, attention focused on the clipboard hovering just in front of his face.
Well, speak of Discord . . .
Octavia paused in her quiet and mostly one-sided conversation with Vinyl, a cold knot of worry freezing in her stomach. She stood and moved to Vinyl's side in order to lay a supporting hoof on her shoulder. Through that contact she could feel the tension that belied her apparent lack of concern. “Okay doctor, let's hear it,” Octavia said with a calmness meant entirely for Vinyl's benefit. Vinyl simply nodded agreement, throat still burned and parched.
“Good news first; Vinyl's burns are only second-degree. That makes them painful but they will heal well without leaving obvious scars or burn tissue and your coat will grow back over them.” Vinyl's hoof pumped several times into the air in celebration of the fact that she wouldn't live the rest of her life as a scarred and deformed freak. “But now the bad news: recovery will take about two weeks and she will have to be hospitalized the whole time.”
Seeing Vinyl's ears droop at this revelation the doctor continued hurriedly, “It's not that bad; Octavia and anypony else can come visit you every day and if you do quite well there's a chance you might be released early.”
Vinyl smiled at that, nodding her head vigorously towards the doctor.
“Yes, thank you very much for the information, doctor,” Octavia said, interpreting for Vinyl.
“You're both welcome. Don't worry, Vinyl; you'll be back to spinning records before you know it,” the doctor said as he slipped from the room.
Vinyl turned her one unbandaged eye onto the other mare in the room, suddenly serious and worried. Octavia sighed, rubbing her hooves absently together as she decided how to breach the topic that she knew troubled her. “Yes, about the club . . .” she began.
The club was a total loss, anypony could see that. Octavia sighed, kicking disheartedly at a singed bit of wood that had fallen past the “no entry” tape the guards had erected. It crumbled at her touch, forming a small pile of carbon that defaced the sidewalk. Behind the guard lines the once-proud facade of Club P0n-3 lay in ruins. Roof and walls alike had collapsed inwards, leaving only an enormous pile of charred refuse that bore no resemblance whatsoever to what it had been. She sighed again and turned her back on the scene, beginning the long trek back to the hospital. She didn't know what had impelled her to come and see this while Vinyl slept; probably the sure knowledge that Vinyl herself would want to know. As she walked, head hung low, she tried not to imagine her favorite DJ's dreams burning to the ground along with the ill-fated club.
Vinyl's head slumped on her pillow, the vibrant red of her one visible eye dulled and distant. She seemed much wearier than she had even a moment ago. “Come on, Vinyl. You had insurance; I know you did. You can rebuild Club P0n-3,” Octavia said, desperately trying to make Vinyl stop acting so defeated.
Vinyl snorted in derision.
Octavia wracked her brain for a suitably encouraging reply. Finding nothing, she elected to change topics. “What about Heavyset, Cadia and Fresh? Do you want to know about them?”
A small trace of life returned to Vinyl. She nodded her head in agreement. Octavia continued, “I called them all from here after you were stabilized. They were horrified, of course, and promised to come and visit. And Cadia wanted to know if they were still going to get paid even if they can't work.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes at that, an amused smile on her face.
“I know, I know. Still, it's a valid question. I told them we had enough profits saved to pay them their regular wages until we figured something out. Is that alright?”
Vinyl nodded her head again.
“Good. I still need to call the insurance company. I presume they'll send a claims assessor out after I file the paperwork. Other than that the only thing left to do is get you well again,” Octavia said as she bent to nuzzle Vinyl affectionately. “And that's the most important thing.”
Octavia, about to pull away, halted when she felt Vinyl's hoof brushing lightly through her mane.
“Oh, alright, you silly pony. I'll stay here,” Octavia said. Tenderly she eased some of her weight onto the bed so that she could lean in to place a soft kiss on Vinyl’s lips, carefully not touching any burned area of her body or disturbing the numerous intravenous tubes still feeding vital medications into her.
In the dim light of her lonely apartment Octavia’s eyes scanned over the text of the document that lay on the table in front of her. She shook her head, sending her mane flying, as she tried to force herself to focus on its language; it felt like she was trying to keep her eyes open while enormous weights tried to pull them shut.
Finally she came to relevant section, just before the end. Her eyes narrowed as she read.
The joint investigation of the Canterlot Royal Guard and this insurance agency’s inspectors has determined that the cause of the fire in question and subsequent property and structural damage was a malfunction of the electrical systems that provided power to the building. No evidence was found to indicate foul play or arson, thus it has been ruled an accident. Payment under your insurance plan has been authorized and will be dispensed once we receive confirmation from the policy holder or the policy holder’s authorized representative. Please sign and date the enclosed agreement to receive payout and return it to our offices at your earliest convenience.
Octavia eagerly took up a quill in her mouth, dipped it in ink and dashed her signature down onto the paper. Gratefully, she spat out the ink-stained quill, gagging a little on the taste. She turned her attention to re-reading the document she had just signed, examining its minutiae closely. Satisfied that all was in order, she unceremoniously placed it in a waiting envelope to go out with the morning post.
There. The insurance is finally taken care of. With any luck we can start rebuilding soon. I'm sure that will cheer Vinyl right up.
“Rebuild? Don't be stupid,” Vinyl said flatly.
“But Vinyl, you can't mean that . . . we got the insurance money and everything. It's just a matter of finding a new building,” Octavia said.
“As if. The insurance money covers the cost of the building and my electronics. It doesn't pay for the tens of thousands of bits worth of renovations and rewiring any building would need to suit the purpose. I paid for all that out of my own pocket; I scrimped and saved for years. I put everything I had into it. I couldn't even afford an apartment by the time I was done but I didn't care; my dream had come true.”
“Oh, Vinyl,” Octavia said sadly.
“And now it's gone. All of that for nothing,” Vinyl spat bitterly. “Well, not entirely for nothing,” she amended in a softer voice. “I did get an amazing marefriend out of it.”
“Heh. Thanks. You're pretty amazing too,” Octavia said as she tenderly ran a hoof through Vinyl’s mane.
Octavia trotted happily through the hospital, her nose stung by the unmistakable smell of disinfectants. She passed medical ponies and patients all dealing with their own miseries and problems but her own spirits were lighter than they had been in weeks; Vinyl was coming home today and she couldn't help the ridiculous smile that plastered itself on her face at the thought.
Turning the final corner she made straight for the small room that had housed her wounded partner for what seemed like an eternity. As glad as she was to have Vinyl coming back she knew it paled in comparison to the energetic mare’s happiness at being free.
Easing quietly into the room, Octavia saw exactly what she had hoped for; Vinyl, sitting upright in her bed, unhooked from the myriad of tubes that had sustained her with painkillers and antibiotics. Her mane had mostly regrown to its former neon and disheveled glory and her pristine white coat had begun to regrow in the areas where it had been burned away. The carefree smile that flashed across her face when she heard Octavia enter sent a little shiver of happiness up the grey mare's spine. The sunlight spilling through the open window seemed to linger just for Vinyl, adding an otherworldly shine to her magnificently unique mane and turning her white coat to warm marble. Frankly, she was gorgeous.
Octavia’s expression must have revealed her thoughts; Vinyl grinned and struck a pose. “Yes, I do have that effect on ponies,” she said in a cultured accent.
Octavia snorted, the spell broken. “I'm glad to see you're back to normal. Are you ready to go home, dear?”
Vinyl all but lunged out of bed. “Oh, you'd better believe I am. This place is beyond lame!”
Octavia practically had to gallop to keep up with Vinyl as she fled the confines of the hospital.
That night, wrapped in familiar embraces, both mares slept soundly for the first time in weeks. Even if it did take them awhile to actually get around to sleeping.
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Holy crap are you kidding me? 1000 favs?
That's like 950 more than I hoped for in my wildest dreams!
Thank to everyone who's read, faved, commented or rated; I do this for you.
Awesome story, can't wait to see what Octy has up her hoof in terms of rebuilding plans. Oh, and first? after errant, of course...
My god, it's full of d'awwws! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Octavia_O_O.png
I
reading this story!!!
Only question is this: How did the fire start? I think it was planned. Only way to find out is to wait and see. Great chapter by the way!
Happy 1000 faves, you deserve a meme
never mind, I don't know how to add pics
993720 Umm... You're Welcome I guess... but it's a good story. something tells me this will end with chaos unbound yet not at all. though the noble ponies might think it is unbound.
Ahhhh, so the suspense continues... Jolly good, jolly good.
Only too happy to contrivute to that number. This is an amazing story and I am hanging on every update.
daaaawwwww
awwww yyyaaa update!!!
so much daw and so much happiness
hmmm is going a bit fast no? could have stressed out actavia with all kinds of jobs and all just to get a little bit of bits togeter to cover the payments, vinyl seening her getting worse for the better, scoling her and have a heated argument only to make out in the end... should atleast got a other thousend words maby 2k if it detailed the jobs and all, but who am i to tell you that.
asome chapter again, respect dude v-.-
yea octy seems like she can have a devious mind if she wants to she will definately get the club up and running again, but what i really want to know is how the fire started in the first place and spread so fast that it left vinyl no time to escape.
Congrats on the 1k favs! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Vinyl_Scratch.png
)
It really is worth it faving and tracking this story.
Now, we must find out how Octavia revives Vinyl's dream (or at least attempts to
Ten bits on it being that drunken colt who tried to take advantage of Octavia that set the place ablaze
Yes, this has made me happy.
I only wish we could have seen a bit more in the way of recovery time, and the weight that all of a sudden everypony was jobless and a dream had just cracked in two.
993720
Still needs more faves. When it gets to above 6.5 billion, then it's okay.
Also, this is missing a pony, stare at it 'till you find out who.
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/200/422/we_must_go_deeper.gif?1321408049
994047
That's so trippy. My eyes started to cross after looking at it for 10 seconds.
Tavi's got a goal, and prolly a plan to get there. Go Tavi!
994047
Applejack.
994192
I know right? Why'd she get left out?
Day = Made
I love it when new chapter of this come out. Can't wait to find out what happens to them next!
Need a new building and the funds to run it into a club? This calls for a montage.
993720 Your very welcome Dang ive been enjoying your story just saying so
*Suddenly ninjas everywhere 
*
I went to click the 'next' button, but it wasn't there.
Fix this. NOW.
gifs.gifbin.com/1233928590_citizen%20kane%20clapping.gif
bravo. just bravo.
congrats on the fave's and i hope ya get the next one out soon!
Dear you have a wonderfully romantic story and I can't wait for future updates.
...more plz.
I just wish the chapters were longer. This is a great story. it nice to see a story with a hard down like the club burning down.
wait... no I couldn't do that much damage even in pony form wai, Pyro did it
Yay! Update! I seriously think someone planed that fire and it wasn't Vinyl or Octavia. Pinkie grab my magnifying glass and follow me. We've got a mystery to solve!
I am waiting for Tavi to figure out that Ponyville land is obscenely cheap and that it's a town not far from Canterlot... making it perfect. They can move there as well, if they want, and Tavi's still in contact with high society via proximity! haha!
Now the horrible moment between an update,
.
Well, speak of Discord . . .
Talkin' About ME Sir???
By The WAy,SAD but Good Chapter.
Always Enjoy Reading this story no matter what happens.Hopes That dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Vinyl_Scratch.png 's Club Will Be BAck!
Feel Kindadl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_unsuresweetie_flip.png
So much freaking D'awwwww. This is one of the 5 non HiE fics I read.
8 ponies missed the thumbs up button
993720
Probably more than a thousand by now, and i know that for sure since i couldn't stop reading.
Now if you would be so kind as to release the next chapter that would be lovely.
But what about her I?
WHAT ABOUT HER I!?!?
dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/reactions/nooo.png
993925 My thoughts too. And Errant, grats on all the favs...as a matter of fact, In fact you just got one more. This is without a doubt my fav VinylXOctavia fic.
993720 Cause it got featured
993720
First off: Congrats! You deserve each and everyone of those faves!
Secondly, this chapter is easily my favorite one so far. I thought you would have trouble "beating" the previous chapter but damn, you already did.
Keep on trucking, can't wait for the next chapter!
Hnnnnng!
The cuteness! it hurts! lol, honestly, I love this. The tone shifts about too much for my liking, but it's within tolerance.
994047
Applejack! ... My eyes are derping from that
1010732
your welcome
This is truly my favorite fic im always waiting for the next chapter both me and my friends in the equestrian mafia like this 100% APPROVAL