• Published 6th Jan 2021
  • 955 Views, 67 Comments

My Little Dashie: 2020 - Rdasher12



2020 was quite a tumultuous year from start to finish. My Little Dashie skipped over this year in the original, but this twelve-part month-by-month story offers a glimpse into what life was like for a pony who had been quarantining from the get-go.

  • ...
4
 67
 955

August

*August 10th, 2020* (30th Birthday)

It's been a long time since I've carried Dashie around for more than a moment or two. It's safe to say that she's put on a few pounds since she was a filly, but that doesn't matter now. The only thing that I need to be focusing on right now is getting her to the hospital as quickly as my worn-out feet will get us there.

The thing that I dreaded more than anything else this year finally occurred only a few short days ago. Dashie caught the virus. At first, she was just tired all day. But soon after, she lost her sense of smell and taste, and that was when I began to really worry. I did what I could over the following couple of days, but it wasn't like there were some over-the-counter medications that could treat it. Then again, I couldn't be certain that she had it without a COVID-test. Either way, she needs medical attention as soon as she can get it if I want her to live. If I said that I wanted her to live it would be the understatement of the century...

I now carry her in my arms while running to the nearest hospital, about three miles from our home. It's nothing I haven't done before, even if it has been a long time, I can't tell. My throbbing legs and feet go unnoticed as I hold Dashie close. I don't care if I get sick because of her, I'd give away every limb I have if it meant keeping her alive and well.

She had only gotten worse leading up to now. I tried to hold off on doing anything drastic like this for as long as I could, but it got to the point where I just couldn't keep going like that.

My shoes continue to pound the crumbling sidewalk as the hospital comes into view. I had probably only been running for 25 minutes or so, but it felt like hours seeing Dashie so helpless. I was fortunate that the sun was only just rising, otherwise, she may've been seen on the way there. Although I suppose that it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

I finally reach the front door of the Emergency Room, completely ignoring the bizarre looks of those just outside as well as the mask policies. I burst inside the thankfully empty waiting room spare a receptionist. She looks up at me and smiles...

She waves at me from her desk. "Hey there, sir. We've been expecting you!"

----------

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!"

I'm suddenly awoken by a very much alive and well Dashie as she jumps around my bed.

"Okay, okay, okay Dashie. I'm up, I'm up!"

Dashie giggles as she stops jumping. I'm glad that she stopped, but to be honest, I wish that she could've jumped on my bed earlier if it meant not having to experience a dream like that one. I'm a bit surprised that I haven't gotten one like it yet given the circumstances.

Dashie tells me to meet her in the dining room in five minutes. I nod my head, still not entirely sure that I've woken up. I pinch myself as she trots out of the room and confirm to myself that this is indeed real. Then again, having Dashie in my life has made me question that at the best of times, worst of times, as well as everywhere in between. I'm still not totally convinced that the last 8 years have been real if I'm honest, but it's real enough for me.

----------

The rest of the day goes off without a hitch. It's hard to believe that I'm now 30 years old. It seems like just a year or two ago that I found Dashie. Funnily enough, it sometimes seems like a lifetime ago with this pandemic going around. The scary dream that I had certainly didn't help things, but Dashie's plans for my birthday were more than enough to get my mind off of it.

It may be a Monday, but I was able to get the day off from work so that we could celebrate. Dashie may be in her teen years by now, but she's worlds better than some of the angsty teens you see every now and again. I'd like to think that's partially down to me, but it's hard to say. Regardless, she's still more than caring enough to plan and prepare an entire day's worth of activities for the two of us, within the limits of the house, of course.

Even though she's grown out of a lot of the old games that we used to play, I think that she already understands how much I miss the days of doing just the goofiest things around the house. Whether it be building a box fort, playing hide and seek, or just simply drawing, we did it all. I could sort of tell that she wasn't as into what we were doing specifically anymore, but once she was able to get past that, I think she came to enjoy our senseless fun with one another. I don't think that I could've asked for a more relaxing day...

We ended up playing some old board games after a nice simple dinner. If today has reminded me of anything, it's just how competitive Dashie can be with even the most mundane things. She absolutely would not trade me any properties when we played Monopoly, nor would she let me shuffle my own deck of cards when we played War. Luckily I've never had a hard time brushing it off and even coming to love her for it.

After we got bored of playing The Game of Life, Dashie got the cake that she made all on her own out of the fridge and lit the candles with my help.

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to my Pops
Happy Birthday to you

I can't help but emit a big smile as she sang to me. It's definitely not something that I hear very often... Despite what she tells me, she has a beautiful singing voice. Once she finishes, I close my eyes and think of a wish. After pondering my options for a moment, I choose a wish and blow out the thirty candles that Dashie had managed to squeeze onto the rather small chocolate cake.

Before I even have a chance to thank my little girl for all of that, she zips to her bedroom and dashes back in a flash with my birthday gift.

"Open it, open it! Your face when you see your gift is going to be priceless!" Dashie only continued to try and rush me into opening the gift bag. I even recognized it as the gift bag that she used for my birthday last year, not that I care. After all, what else was she supposed to use? It's not like she can go and buy a different one, and she and I both know that she can't use wrapping paper on her own. She did the best that she could and I'm proud of her.

I chuckle at Dashie's insistence while I take my time with the bag. I had no idea what she could've gotten me. She hasn't had me bring her anything home from the store in months and we've both used whatever I have brought home plenty. I really am in the dark here and I can't say that I mind. Surprises have been hard to come by with the kind of life we lead.

I peer into the bag to the relief of Dashie, and what I find inside is... something... I pull the something out of the bag and take a closer look at it. I really had no idea what it was or how to describe it, let alone how she got it or what she found around the house to make it...

Dashie can barely hold back her laughter as I speak up. "Oh, wow... Uh, thank you Dashie. I'm speechless. But what exactly is this thing?"

Dashie starts crying from laughter as she falls onto the dining room floor. I guess my face when I saw the gift really was priceless after all...

----------

She never did end up telling me what it was exactly... I can't tell if she was expecting me to not know what it was, or if she was merely laughing at how I couldn't. Either way, the mysterious object now lays upon my nightstand in my bedroom. I now lay in my bed with Dashie deciding to bunk with me as one last birthday gift. I didn't make a big deal out of it when she said it, but deep down I was ecstatic. We haven't done anything like that in years now. Even her simple presence in the room is enough to bring back nostalgic memories.

With Dashie having fallen asleep by now, I turn on my bedside lamp and pull out our scrapbook. Dashie had managed to take a few to add to our collection throughout the day, so I carefully flipped to the first blank page available and added them to it. I know that a decade is a long time and all, but it's crazy to think about all that has changed since I was 20 years old. The area was still in the process of falling apart and my parents and grandparents were still alive, not to mention Dashie coming into my life which came with its own changes.

To be honest, the only things that haven't really changed in the past 10 years have been my house and my job, probably the two things that I really would've wanted to change the most back then. Life sure is one hell of a rollercoaster, and I honestly can't wait for the next big drop.

I put the scrapbook away and turn off the bedside lamp before leaning over and kissing my daughter on the forehead and telling her goodnight. I lay down on my side and get comfortable, feeling content with how the day had gone. I hadn't even checked my phone all day for any birthday messages that I might've gotten from old friends, distant family, or coworkers. It just goes to show how well Dashie fulfills my needs for socialization. I can only hope that I have been able to do the same for her.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading this chapter! At this point, my third year of college has well and truly gotten underway. Thankfully, I was able to get this one out before my homework piled on too heavily. On another note, I have found a good deal of free time that will be coming my way in between certain classes, so I hope that I am able to get the last four chapters out in decent time. Anyways, I hope you all have a great day!

Rdasher12