Whole New World

Whole New World
Chapter 13
Recovery

Dano regained consciousness to the soft chirping of a song bird in the distance, the sweet smell of some sort of flower and the feeling of lying in a plush bed covered in warm blankets. Through his closed eyelids the survivor could see that the sun was up, and a small smile crept across his face. It felt like a typical Saturday morning to Dano, the beginning of a lazy day where he would get up late, and wander around looking for something to do.

Dano shifted in the bed, and a massive pain emanated from his chest and right arm. Memories flooded into his mind. Images of blood, dirt and chaos mingled with feelings of pain, rage and adrenaline. Dano’s eyes shot open, and the survivor tried to sit up to only receive the same skull shattering pain. A cry escaped his mouth before he let himself fall back into the bed, and Dano felt a bead of sweat move off of his forehead and traveled down the side of his face.

Dano didn’t want to risk another brain numbing spike of pain, so he was content with just observing what he could see with his head on the pillow. A lightly stained wooden ceiling dominated the survivor vision, and he couldn’t recognize where he was. The sound of light, fast moving footsteps brought Dano away from observing the ceiling.

The survivor heard a door open to his right, and the soft footsteps increased in volume until they stopped nearby. Dano shifted his head a bit, and was happy there was no pain. The survivor’s eyes caught the face of a very worried Fluttershy.

“Are you okay?”

Dano grunted.

Fluttershy blinked at the response.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

Dano’s voice was raspy and flat.

Fluttershy nodded before she took off back the way she came. Dano felt a little pang of regret for being so rude, but he was in a lot of pain. Plus the fact that being laid up could interfere with the whole mission he was on only made him feel even worse.

Fluttershy returned a few minutes later, and Dano heard the sound of a wooden tray being set down somewhere before the woman returned to his view. Dano tried to sit up, but without his right arm and the pain in his chest the survivor didn’t get anywhere fast. Fluttershy moved over to the struggling Dano quickly, wrapped her arms around his chest lightly and lifted. She made sure to put all of the force of her lift into Dano’s arm pits, and not on his wounds. Dano was surprised that Fluttershy actually lifted most of his weight, and as the woman lifted the survivor her hair fell onto his face. The scent of fresh mowed grass mixed with the smell of the world after a thunderstorm moved up his nostrils, and it turned Dano’s brain off.

Fluttershy released Dano when he was upright. He didn’t move, and he stared straight ahead as his mind processed the wonderful scent the woman’s hair. The survivor only snapped out of his mental haze when he felt a tray being placed in his lap. Dano looked down to see a dark wooden tray with legs supporting it on the bed. Resting on the tray was a bowl of steaming stew, a glass of water and a chunk of homemade bread. Dano guessed the stew had been cooking all day for Fluttershy to get it up to him so quickly.

As Dano gazed at his meal he caught a glance at his chest. The survivor was surprised to see it not only bare, but covered in white bandages. Dano did a quick clothing check using his sense of touch to figure out he was sitting in Fluttershy’s bed in his underwear. A brief feeling of embarrassment washed over the survivor’s brain before he set it aside.

After Fluttershy put the tray down she sat on the edge of the bed. She was wearing a canary yellow t-shirt, and a pair of pink sweatpants covering her legs. Dano felt a different vibe emanating from the shy woman as she sat and looked at him with a gaze of worry. She was in caring mode, and it made the survivor feel a little better about his recovery. Everything is going to be fine.

Dano tried to reach for the fork next to the bowl, but as he moved his right arm his bicep screamed in pain. Through gritted teeth the survivor sucked in a breath before the pain subsided. Dano decided he would have to use his non-dominant left hand to eat, but when he lifted the appendage into his view he sighed. Each of the fingers on the survivor’s left hand was wrapped in its own bandage, and the memory of the wolf bite flew into Dano’s mind. He turned his gaze to Fluttershy, and spoke in his dry voice.

“How bad was I?”

Fluttershy looked away from the survivor before she spoke.

“There was a lot of blood.”

Dano sighed.

“There usually is.”

Fluttershy didn’t look back at Dano as she continued to speak.

“Um… that wasn’t your first fight, was it?”

Dano shifted his gaze to his food, and remained silent for what felt like an eternity. When he returned his eyes forward he saw Fluttershy looking back at him, the worry even more present than before.

“How could you tell?”

Fluttershy locked eyes with Dano.

“You have another scar.”

Dano nodded, and he felt a little pang of embarrassment.

“You have already seen it, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded before looking away again.

“The one on your thigh.”

Dano sighed.

“That was a while ago.”

Fluttershy nodded without looking at Dano, and the survivor sighed again.

“You want to help me? I can’t seem to grip the utensils.”

Fluttershy looked at Dano with a bit of confusion as the survivor waved his left hand.

The shy woman audibly swallowed before she moved down the side of the bed and sat closer to Dano. Fluttershy picked up the spoon sitting next to the bowl, dipped the utensil into the creamy liquid and pulled out a large serving. Her left hand hovered under the spoon to catch any drippings as she slowly moved the utensil from the bowl to Dano’s mouth.

The survivor waited for the spoon to get close before he opened his maw to let the warm stew in. Once Fluttershy had crossed the threshold into Dano’s mouth he closed his lips around the spoon, and the shy woman pulled the utensil back out.

The stew was delicious, but it was just a blip in the back of Dano’s mind. He was staring intently at Fluttershy as he chewed, and saw a small blush spread across her face. With a mouth full of food Dano began to laugh. The chuckle started out small, but grew as the survivor tried his best not to choke on the stew in his mouth. Fluttershy had an expression of confusion as she watched Dano laugh.

“Um… what is so funny?”

Dano swallowed, and spoke between chuckles.

“I have no idea.”

Fluttershy blinked in confusion before her mouth contorted into a smile which turned into a giggle. As the shy woman’s laugh grew so did Dano’s, and Fluttershy’s grew in turn. Soon both of them were laughing uncontrollably, and the echo of their hysterics moved through the house. The awkward buffer between the two people melted away, much to the comfort of them both.

Eventually the couple stopped laughing, and after whipping their tears away, continued the meal. In between mouthfuls Dano and Fluttershy would talk. The shy woman was much more comfortable with the survivor than before, and the conversation flowed nicely. Once the meal was finished Fluttershy lifted the tray off of the bed, and left the room with the dirty dishes. With Fluttershy gone Dano began to take in his surroundings.

Dano was in a queen sized wooden bed that was stained a dark brown and rested perpendicular to the wall behind him. The head board the survivor was leaning on was intricately carved with images of birds and flowers, and Dano guessed it was an heirloom. The pink sheets, pink pillow cases and brown comforter of Fluttershy’s bed matched Dano’s, and was just as comfortable.

To the immediate right of the survivor was the doorway, which Fluttershy had left open. The threshold lead to a landing at the top of the stairs, and across the landing was another door that was cracked a bit. Dano could barely see into the dark room, but the white tile on the floor made the survivor guess that it was the bathroom of the house. Dano had never used the bathroom in Fluttershy’s abode, for he shaved and brushed his teeth in the downstairs sink. He only used the outhouse on the Apple Family farm or the one behind Fluttershy's house if he had to go relieve himself, and he would just stick his head in a water trough to wash himself. It never really occurred to the survivor that he could ask to use the bathroom here, but he felt a little awkward talking about things like that with Fluttershy.

Dano continued to scan the room, and his eyes fell upon a small, wooden vanity with a tall mirror attached to it between the door and the far wall. A short, wooden stool rested in front of the vanity, and the whole set up matched with a light stain painted on the wood that made up the make-up area.

The far wall was covered in a dark stained, wooden wardrobe that matched the bed in its intricate carving. Flanking the wardrobe was a pair of bookshelves, one on each side. The shelving was covered in tomes of varying sizes and colors, but they never grew to more than an inch wide. Dano guessed that Fluttershy wasn’t much of a reader, and only kept the books around in case she got bored. The far wall was an exterior wall, so a pair of square windows rested on the outside of each bookcase respectively. The sun beamed through the glass, and from the color Dano guessed it was the early afternoon.

The left wall was bare except for a pair of round windows, and to the left of the bed rested a small nightstand with a large candle sitting in its holder with a box of matches resting next to the light source. An oval area rug covered a bit of the wooden floor in front of the bed, and it matched the same pink and brown color scheme as the one that decorated the living room down stairs.

The room wasn’t large, but was still sparsely decorated. Dano knew you could tell a lot about a person on how their house looked, and Fluttershy’s appeared simple and clutter free. The whole house seemed to fit with the woman’s personality, and the survivor wondered if his house echoed his own character. The thought reminded Dano about his cabin, and his mind began to wander back to the clearing.

Before Dano could drift away into a day dream he heard two pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs. One pair was lighter than the other, and Dano guessed they were Fluttershy’s, but the other was new to him. They weren’t heavy by any means, but they did have a distinct sound to them. Dano guessed they belonged to a female wearing boots or heels.

Dano’s guess was validated when Fluttershy walked into the room with Applejack right behind her, and he guessed that she had just arrived. The farm girl was decked out in her normal garb, and a thin crust of dirt covered her. Dano had seen this happen to her, and himself, before. The woman had just finished working in the fields.

“Nice to see yah up.”

Dano smiled at the farm girl, and she returned the grin.

“We were awfully worried ‘bout yah.”

Dano chuckled a bit.

“Wasn’t my first time to the rodeo Applejack.”

Applejack chuckled.

“Ah could tell. Even with Echo helpin takin down an entire pack of wolves’ aint an easy feat.”

Dano shrugged at the praise, and the farm girl continued.

“Ya’ll have to teach me how to use a knife like that someday.”

Dano chuckled.

“Someday, maybe.”

Applejack smiled.

“Well, Ah’m gonna get outa yer hair. I just came by to drop off yer pay.”

Dano’s eyes drifted down to Applejack’s hands, where a small brown leather pouch rested. She opened the small sac to show the survivoir its contents. Inside was several dozen silver dollar coins, and Dano guessed the coin was used in lieu of the dollar bill because of survivability. Applejack spoke as Dano looked at the currency.

“It aint much, but yah earned it.”

Dano returned his gaze back to the farmer.

“Give it to Fluttershy.”

Applejack blinked in confusion as Fluttershy, who had been standing next to the farmer politely, spoke up.

“Oh no. I couldn’t take your money.”

Dano shrugged.

“Then think of it as a gift for letting me stay here.”

Fluttershy tried to voice another excuse, but Dano cut her off.

“Fluttershy, either you are going to take the money, or I’m giving it back to Applejack.”

Fluttershy ducked behind her hair.

“O-okay.”

With that Applejack handed Fluttershy the pouch, and the shy woman left the room to go put the money away. Applejack turned to follow, but right before she left the farm girl looked over her left shoulder at Dano.

“That was mighty nice of yah.”

Dano shrugged.

“She deserves every penny.”

Applejack nodded and smiled before she left the room. Dano felt a grin spread across his face as the warm fuzzy feeling associated with doing something good washed over him.

Fluttershy returned after a few minutes, and took her seat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t face Dano, and the survivor felt a vibe emanating from her as if she had something to say. Dano waited for the shy woman to organize her thoughts before he spoke, and eventually Fluttershy worked up the courage to begin the conversation.

“T-thank you for the money.”

Fluttershy’s gaze drifted to Dano.

“Don’t worry about it. I would have eaten you out of house and home eventually.”

Dano chuckled and Fluttershy smiled a bit, but she was still putting out the vibe that she wanted to say something.

“I um… I also want to apologize for p-putting you in so much danger. If I hadn’t fallen you wouldn’t have had to run off to protect me, and you would have gotten out without getting hurt.”

Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair, and her voice began to crack.

“I’m sorry…”

Dano leaned forward despite the pain in his chest and placed his left hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. She didn’t flinch at the contact like she usually did, but actually looked up at Dano’s face. The survivor put on a comforting smile as the sight of the upset woman filled his vision, tears beginning to grow in her eyes.

“You are forgiven.”

Fluttershy looked confused for a moment before it clicked in her mind. Dano had never even thought about blaming her for his wounds, and never would. The shy woman gently wrapped her arms around the survivor and embraced him, her head resting in the center of his chest.

Dano let his good arm wrap around Fluttershy’s shoulders, and he could feel the warmth emanate from her body. The smell of her hair drifted up his nostrils, and the beat of her heart could be felt on his own chest. The feeling the survivor felt was indescribably, but it was a great. As if all his problems had vanished, and that he was safe right there.

Dano couldn’t tell how long the embrace lasted, but he did know that when it ended it was too soon. Fluttershy gently pushed away from the survivor, and he released the shy woman. Fluttershy stood and spoke.

“I’m going to go make dinner. Um… do you want anything special?”

Dano shrugged.

“Surprise me.”

Fluttershy made a small nod before she left the room, leaving Dano by himself.

After a few minutes of doing nothing Dano let his gaze drift around the room until it fell on something of interest. Dano has caught sight of a blue jay resting on the windowsill that belonged to one of the round windows closest to the survivor. The bird hopped around on its perch, its head constantly shifting as it scanned for predators. Dano was hypnotized the blue jay, and he lost track of time.

Dano was pulled from his trance an unknown amount of time later by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned his head to see Fluttershy move through the door a pair of bowls in her hands. She handed one to the survivor, and he took it with his left hand. As Dano placed the bowl onto his lap Fluttershy took her seat at the edge of the bed.

Dano looked into the bowl once it was resting on his lap, and a leafy green salad with nuts and berries filled his vision. The meal looked wonderful, and Dano could eat it on his own using a fork to stab the colorful salad instead of scooping stew. Once sitting Fluttershy handed Dano a fork, and the survivor tried his best to grip it in his good hand. The casts on his fingers made them ridged, but Dano managed to get a good grip on the utensil albeit looking rather silly.

The couple made small talk as they ate, with major topics being weather and friends. Once the food was eaten Fluttershy helped Dano lay down without hurting himself too much, wished the survivor a good night and then left with the dirty dishes, closing the door as she left. Dano found himself lying on his back as the last dregs of light left the room. His body was full of unused energy, and the survivor knew that sleep was going to be difficult to find. Dano sighed, and closed his eyes as the last light of the day disappeared.

Sleep came slowly, just as Dano had predicted. His body wanted to move, to expel energy and not sleep. Eventually slumber pulled the survivor into unconsciousness, and the wounded man had a small smile on his face as thoughts and dreams of Fluttershy’s embraced snaked their way through his brain.

So, what do you think.
not your longest chapter, is made up of mostly fill and it took you over a week to write
i know, but in my defense the sun was out a lot this week.
i had so much fun in the sun, i think im starting to tan!
Pinkie, fur can't tan
BUCK YOU, I CAN TAN ALL I WANT
*facehoof* Invictus?
yes?
have you been showing Pinkie youtube videos?
maybe...

confound this weather, it drives me to go outside.
my bad for such a long wait before the update guys.
hopefully you like this chapter, with all its mushy shipping goodness
cuz thats what this one was about...
if you couldnt tell....
...
dont forget to comment btw
that is all
kthanxbai