La Femme Fatale

by bkc56

The Hospital

The first thing I noticed was the smell. That antiseptic odor that permeated everything. The bed was uncomfortable and I shivered despite a thin blanket. I was in a hospital. But why? What had happened? As I opened my eyes the brightness stabbed at them. I squeezed them shut and groaned as a wave of nausea washed over me.

A voice called out, “Go tell the Doctor he’s awake!” Then much softer, “Hey, Steel. You had us worried.”

I focused on the familiar voice. “Citrine? Is that you?” Peaking through narrow slits, I could see her face leaning in close. The worry lines faded away and her ears rotated forward.

“There you are.” She smiled. “Take it easy now. You were hurt pretty badly.”

With my eyes closed again, I took a quick inventory of myself. My whole body ached, but all my legs moved. A deep breath didn’t bring any pain to my barrel. I rolled my head side-to-side; nothing. “Where am I hurt?”

“You were hit by a powerful magic attack. The doctor said anypony else would have died there in the street, but you earth ponies are a hardy bunch.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “I’ve always known you were a tough stallion.”

I opened my eyes again, wider this time. The room wasn’t as bright as it first seemed, but it was still a barren white hospital room. And that antiseptic smell seemed to be getting stronger. I looked back to Citrine. “I don’t remember anything. What happened?”

“We don’t know. A beat cop said you galloped by, yelling that you needed help. He lost track of you in the crowd. It took him a while, but he finally found you unconscious in an alley. Any of that sound familiar?” I shook my head. Citrine continued, “He got help and they got you right to the hospital. The doctor said another hour… That cop saved your life.”

I rubbed my temples as I squeezed my eyes shut. “Why can’t I remember anything? What’s going on? What’s wrong with me?” I was starting to hyperventilate.

She laid a hoof on my shoulder. “Steel, look at me.” I opened my eyes once again and let my legs fall to the bed. “The doctor called it ‘mild retrograde amnesia’; a side effect of the spell that hit you. Imagine your memories are like books in a library. Someone ran through and knocked all the newest ones to the floor. You just need a little time to put ‘em back on the shelves.” She gave me a little reassuring shake. “You’ll be fine.”

“How long?” I forced myself to breathe slower and deeper.

“He said probably a few hours at most, once you woke up. The effects of the spell are fading.” She sat back in her chair as her smile fell away. “Steel, we’re trying to piece together what’s going on. I need to ask you some questions. They can’t wait.”

I felt a pinch in my foreleg and lifted it up to see an IV line inserted. I lowered it again. “Okay. Not sure I can help. Everything is a big blank.”

“The beat cop checked your saddlebags to try and figure out who you were. He found some case documents and a mare’s hat. He then contacted me. How exactly are you connected to Jasmine Chapeau?”

Miss Chapeau! A wave of panic flooded through me. “She was a recent client of mine. No… wait… I think she’s a current client.” My whole body tensed up. Something’s wrong. What is it? I’ve got to remember. I know it’s important.

“The thing is…” Citrine paused until I looked at her. “Miss Chapeau is missing. We’ve checked her home and work. Nopony has seen her since she left her house.”

“She’s missing?” I closed my eyes tight. “Missing… missing… No, wait. Not missing.” My eyes snapped open. “She was taken. Two ponies… two stallions grabbed her off the street. I was chasing them. I yelled at the cop for help. Streets… An alley…? Argh, why can’t I remember?” I snorted and slammed a foreleg down on the bed causing the IV tube to bounce around.

Her hoof was on my shoulder again. “Calm down, Steel. Give it some time. It’ll come back to you.”

I looked at Citrine. “We were to meet at… at eight. In the morning. At a coffee shop.” I glanced out the window. “It looks to be what, late morning? Near noon? So it’s only been a few hours. We need to hurry…!”

Her ears drooped and she winced. “Uhh, Steel… That was two days ago. You were unconscious that day and all of yesterday.” My mind struggled to do the math. No. Two days? It couldn’t be. Citrine cleared her throat. “If Jasmine Chapeau was taken right before you were attacked, that was over forty-eight hours ago.”

My mind went blank. I couldn’t breathe. My head spun with a flood of memories. The meeting at my office. Her crimson mane. Pictures of threatening notes. An abduction plan. Le Café Noir. A hat in an alley. Two stallions. Honeysuckle.

“Steel,” Citrine whispered. “What did you remember?”

I glanced at her. “Everything.” A kick of my hind legs sent the blanket into a high arc until it touched the floor while hanging from the bottom of the bed. Another brief wave of dizziness washed over me. I pushed through it as I rolled out of bed onto my hooves. I ripped the IV out with my teeth and a few drops of fluid fell to the floor. My saddlebags sat on a chair in the corner. A quick flick of my head flipped them up and over onto my back. I huffed from the impact. I topped it off with my trusty fedora from the back of the chair.

Her brow furrowed with concern, Citrine stepped forward. “Steel, what are you doing?”

“Leaving.” I glanced out the window to gauge the weather.

“But the doctor said you need to rest.” She took a step forward and held up a hoof at me.

“I’ve rested for two whole days. You can tell the doctor—”

“Tell the doctor what?” said a voice by the door. I spun around to see a lanky, light blue unicorn stallion in a white coat standing in the doorway. Another detective stood behind him in the hallway, but I couldn’t see the figure clearly.

As I took a couple slow steps towards the door, I replied, “You can tell the doctor that I have a missing client and a case I need to get working on. I can’t do that here.”

He shook his head. “Not on my watch. I have not released you. Now get back in that bed before I call a couple orderlies to put you there.” He centered himself in the doorway, blocking my exit.

Without looking back, I asked, “Citrine, am I under arrest?”

“What? No. Of course not.”

I glared at the doctor. “Then you have no cause to keep me here.”

He was cold, detached. “You’re clearly a threat to your own well-being. I could put you on a medical hold right now.”

I winced. No need for evidence. No need for a court order. On his testimony and a bit of paperwork, I’d be behind a locked door for days. My ears drooped as I slumped. “Please. If she’s not already dead, Miss Chapeau is in incredible danger. I can’t just sit here waiting for the police to tell me they found a body. I have to go… Now!” My dry tongue failed to moisten dryer lips as I ended with a desperate, “Please.”

His head tipped back slightly as he looked down his muzzle at me. “Mr Steel, you are still recovering from a serious assault. You almost died. Even an earth pony doesn’t just merrily trot off after that.”

My gaze fell to the floor. “I know. But I’m well enough to stand, so I’m well enough to leave. The detectives will keep an eye on me.” I looked up at him again. “Please. There’s another life at even more risk right now.”

Everything went quiet as he regarded me. I could feel the room starting to spin but I willed myself to look him in the eye. Citrine’s hooves shuffled nervously behind me. Finally, he blinked with a soft sigh. “Very well. We’ll try it your way. But if you get hauled back here again, unconscious, then we do it my way. And I’ll use restraints if I must. I’ll expect you back here in a few days for an evaluation, from me… personally. Am I one-hundred percent clear?”

Citrine stepped up next to me. “Doctor, is he in any danger of a relapse?”

He shook his head. “No. The fact that he woke up means the spell has completely faded away. But it impacted him like an incredibly powerful physical attack. The memory loss is just a side effect.” His gaze shifted to me. “Your body will ache just as if you’d been clipped by the Friendship Express. You’ll be weak for several days, longer if you push yourself by leaving now. And you still may experience some memory gaps.” He paused for a moment. “You should not leave. Even twenty-four hours would help.” With a slight shake of his head, he added, “Again, you almost died. You get in another fight and it won’t be ‘almost’.”

“I can do a lot in twenty-four hours,” I raised a hoof, “but I absolutely understand, and you’re probably right. I just… I can’t… not do something.” As I put my hoof on my chest I added, “I promise, I won’t push myself too hard.”

He pursed his lips as his eyes scanned me from head to hoof, then he stepped back into the hallway.

I took the hint and added a “Thank you” as I blew past him, with Citrine and the other officer scrambling to keep up. I wasn’t scared of hospitals having had my share of visits over the years. Still, I didn’t like them and a sense of freedom filled me as I escaped into the warm sun.

A double row of fruit trees filled the gap between the hospital and the street, providing some shade and the occasional snack. I made a beeline towards one of the trees close to the walkway. Being a little light-headed, I fell against it. The rough bark scraped at my coat.

By Celestia I've bucked up bad. I've allowed this case to make me complacent and I’ve thrown my usual caution to the wind. As a result my client has been snatched and I almost died in a reckless rescue attempt. I closed my eyes as the weight of this settled on me like an impossibly heavy bale of hay.

Citrine dashed in front of me. “Steel, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I nodded as I opened my eyes. “I just need a minute.” I inhaled a deep breath of clean, not antiseptic-infused air.

Her brow furrowed. “You’re not as all better as you implied, are you?” I glanced at her without responding. “Figures. ‘Earth pony strong, earth pony stubborn.’ You know, he’s watching you right now…” I pushed off the tree and turned to look back at the hospital. “The big window next to the front door.”

There he was. As our eyes met, he shook his head, turned, and walked off. I felt like a school foal caught in a lie. Yeah, he knows. I just don’t care. I slumped against the tree trunk again, then looked up at the other unicorn detective. His tan coat and almost black mane reminded me of my dad. ‘Course my dad had been a big burly earth pony who’d never met a barroom brawl where he wasn’t last-pony-standing. He’d have wiped the floor with this little unicorn. Still, you can’t be a unicorn detective without some serious attack and defense magic training. He could probably hold his own. I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. And you are?”

Citrine stomped a hoof. “Shoot, sorry. This is my new partner, Detective Night Hunter.”

He nodded, “Mr Steel. And everyone just calls me ‘Nightly’.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Nightly?”

He snickered but I wasn’t in the mood for a funny story, and my face conveyed that. “Er, yeah. When I was at the academy, I was up late every night studying. And since it was a nightly ritual…”

“I see. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Nightly.” I started to raise a hoof, and then put it down again. “I think we’ll shake later.” I adjusted my stance so I wasn’t leaning on the tree as much. “How long you been on the force?”

“Some seven years, and a detective for two.” He glanced at Citrine. “We’ve been partners for about a year.” He looked back at me. “My little brother is on the force too.”

“Really. A family thing? What’s his name?”

Nightly stood up just a bit straighter. “We’re third-generation cops. And yes, it’s sort of a family tradition. His name is Shadow Hunter. He’s the smart one, and I expect he’ll pass the detective exam next month on his first try.”

“I’m sure he will.” I pushed off the tree with just a hint of dizziness that quickly passed. With a shake of my head, I took a couple tentative steps forward. “Well… I’m not ready for the Running of the Leaves, but I think I’m good to head to the precinct now. Let’s get to work.”

Comments

[Isuvyw]

Stubborn earth pony genes working up, eh?

I like Steel's determination and care for others' wellbeing above his own. And I'm glad that he has some emotional and social support from Citrine and Nightly, something he'll need for the next few chapters.