Tales of Interest!

by Pascoite

In Need of Healing

Nurse Redheart poked her head into her patient’s room, hearing the familiar sounds of the heart monitor’s beeping, the heater’s low hum, and the rasp of labored breathing. She walked over to the bed to check the chart and see if the night staff had added any updates. Nothing.

Heading over to the window, she looked out at the fluffy snowflakes accumulating on the hedge and muting the weak sunlight that penetrated the clouds. She parted the curtains to let in what little natural light there was and chase back the room’s shadows, a few motes of dust hovering in the anemic glow. Redheart returned to the foot of the bed and ran her hoof over the occupant’s ankles. They were cool to the touch.

That’s one of the first lessons they teach in nursing school: don’t get attached to your patients. You can’t save them all. If you can keep your emotions locked up in a strongbox, you’ll be that much more effective, and can maybe save a few more borderline cases. It’s for the best.

A brief flurry of activity outside caught her attention. Flinging snowballs at each other, a pair of unicorn colts bounced around on the lawn as a smiling mare watched them from her wheelchair. Their laughter echoed in the yard, and Redheart briefly considered asking them to keep quiet, but they weren’t really disturbing anypony. It was just a bit of fun.

Indulging in a momentary laugh, she turned her attention back to the figure in the bed and raised her eyebrows at the faint sound escaping her patient’s lips.

“Redheart,” she whispered.

“Yes? I’m here,” Redheart said, her ears pricked.

“Redheart, thank you for the tea. It warms me so.” The mare’s mouth curled into a faint smile.

Just a dream. She patted her patient’s foreleg, noting that it didn’t feel quite as warm as it should, either. Declining circulation in the extremities. Redheart sat next to the bed and buried her head in her hooves, smoothing her mane back and inadvertently knocking her cap to the floor. Bending down to retrieve it, she left a smattering of teardrops in its place.

Rules be damned. Some cases are just too far outside the norm.

She leaned over and hugged the mare, who barely stirred in response. “I love you, mom.”

“Redheart,” came the whispered reply again.

But it wasn’t time yet. Not yet.

Comments

[Wyrmmaster]

.... Very well written.

[Admiral Biscuit]

Right in the feels.

[Zoetic Zebra]

Gorgeously written

[Godslittleprincess]

Oh. So sad.