A Soldier's Pain

LOCATION PONYVILLE HOSPITAL ROOM 228

TIME 1553(3:53)

(FLASHBACK 3 MONTHS INTO TOUR)

HEY SLICE GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE ITS TIME FOR SOME FOOTBALL MAN YOUR ON D! My friend Jake yelled at me as I was headed to the smoking area talking to my other friends CC and Burger.

WHO WE PLAYIN AGINST? I yelled back.

ITS ABLE MORTAR TEAM VS THE IA (IRAQ ARMY) FIRST TO 30 WINS I WANT YOU AS NOES GUARD SO GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! He yelled.

UGH! Why do they always want to play us? I thought so far its us 23 them 3 and that three was because we got called up on a mission before the final play so we had to quit at the end, or get called to do a detail, hahaha but the i do have to give them props for persistants though but ill give them one thing they can kick our ass two ways till sunday in soccer though.

OK JUST HOLD ON A SEC ILL GET THE TERP AND SOME WATER! I yelled to him as i ran to grab the terp and water my sgt dick came running up to me yelling at me to grab the guys we got called up we got to do a mission. I ran and got the guys, all i could think is we just lost another game to the I.A.

As I ran and got my gear i double checked it to make sure everything was good and ran out to join the rest of the guys. We mounted up after the ramp brief and headed out to the gates that lead to one of the highways leading to the road outside our OP( outpost) and headed down RT Conooks to RT BullDog for a mounted patrol and once we got to the village do a small foot patrol and make sure everything was ok, we had gottin reports that there was a arms stash there so we were to check it out.

"Hey Slice what are you doin for R&R you leave in like two weeks right and please dont tell your just gonna sit at home with your parents and read man". My buddy burger said as we rolling down Conooks to our patrol area.

"Nah i dont know man my brother said he has a surprise for me but knowing him he'll have either weed or liquor hopefully some cognac, i hate beer makes me feel sick". I said as we stopped at a crossroad to dismount and start our foot patrol.

The ramp lowered and we dismounted check our fives and twenty fives for IEDs, we knew what we had to do meet up with the leader of the village and see what he needed help with and see if there had been any bad guys around that they could point out.

We were there for four hours while our captain talked to the village leader and we were dying from the heat and bordom, there were cows out in the field and we were all making jokes on if the meat would be any good as my sgt came up to us saying we should be rolling out soon.

"Thank god ah was bout to shoot myself im so fuckin borded, when we get back im soooo takin a six hour shower i still think we should take the cow though thats some gooood eatin right there boys yall dont know what yall missin out on i could grill yall up a nice fat mississippi burger boys". I said as we started to leave. A little iraq boy came up to us asking for candy, i had some jolly ranchers in my cargo pocket my mom sent me in a care package three days ago.

I gave the kid a box and told him to share it with the rest of his brothers and sisters i asked the terp if he could translate that to him so the terp told the boy what i said he looked like he didnt want to so i told the terp if he did the next time i come through town ill have a big bag just for him if he shared and asks the terp to translate for me, when he did i thought the boys face was gonna break he smiled so big i just laughed and told the boy to go on back to his family.

I never got the boys name as we left i saw the boy with his siblings all around him gettings some candy talking about the cool American that gave it to him as he pointed at me and started waving as were turning a corner. That was the last time i saw the boy i found out later that he and some of his friends were killed in a suicide bomber attack as they were in a market place getting food for there families. As we rolled away back to the OP we dismounted and had a debrief and went back to our tents for now till we get called out for another mission.

Hey Slice what you doin man you busy? My friend Carlson asked.

"Not really just gettin the sand out of Jessie here i hate bein in the rear vic, i gotta eat all the sand and shit the other strykers kick up it sucks, but aint know use and complaining aint know one gonna listen to it anyways, SO what'cha need jelly bean?" I said as i continued to clean my litte girl from the shit today, it sucks getting dust out the star chamber you got to bend you a Q-tip to get any of it out.

"Me and some guys from 3rd platoon need some help with fixin up tower two you know how the floor boards are loose? Well Jackson fell through the other night on duty and now we got to fix it cause he hurt his ankle, it was funny as shit though i heard him yell from the other end of the OP in tower one he sounded like a little girl screaming" He said laughing

"Ah dont see why not just let me put Jessie back together and we'll be off" I said as he nodded and left, I put jessie back together and went outside to help at tower two.

"Mister"

"Mister"

I turned around and looked to see who was there, it was nobody but i kept hearing mister being called out to me.I kept turning around and around nobody but i kept hearing it then it started to get really bright. I opened my eyes to see the same pretty green eyes looking back at me, it was then i realized i had been asleep. My eyes shot open when i realized that it was the horse calling out to me.

Well boy howdy mister Ah didnt think you was ever gonna wake up how you mister? The horse said as it looked at me with worry in its eyes. My names Applejack whats yours mister? I just stared at the horse as it looked at me waiting for my answer, I couldnt believe it this horse was really talkin and couldnt think of anything besides that ive gone crazy from the war or something so i desided to play along and introduce myself it'd be rude to just stare at it, my momma raised me right so i stuck out my hoof and introduced myself with a big smile and shook.

Ah'm Private First Class Slice of the 4-9 INF battalion, stryker division Ah'm 20 years young im from Mississippi and proud southern boy Ms. Applejack pleased to meet'cha if i do say so myself my friends call me Slice what can i do you for Ms. Applejack? I said as I shook her hoof.

I gotta say the girl was speechless and I might have shook her hoof a little to hard her eyes were going all loopy but she shook her head and smiled at me. I dont know why but her smile made me smile wider and i got the butterflys in my gut but i brushed off as to being in a strange place with talking ponys.

Well boy howdy id say thats a mighty fine greeting you got there and a mighty strong handshake to if i do say so myself, now how bout yall tell me how yall ended up in the Everfree forrest three days ago if you dont mind me askin? She said

The Everfree Forrest? Ah aint never heard of that place before, excuse me miss but you look real familar do i know you from somewhere?I said as l looked at her with a confused look on my face.

Yall aint never heard of the Everfree Forrest? Where you from cause ah aint never heard of this Mississippi either come to think of it." She asked. I was so confused hasnt heard of Mississippi how is that possible then i remember that i snaped and now im in a land of talking ponys and so decided to tell a little white lie dont need them thinking im a crazy and put me in a nut house even if i think i am.

"Well Ah'm from a far off land from this place call the United States ah dont suppose you heard of it, its past the um forrest place you were talkin bout and Mississippi is one of the states in our nation and i serve in the military there in the infantry like ah said earlier but just to clear things up um where am i ?Oh and just call me Slice miss." I said as i looked at her she had the same confused look on her face as i did mine.

Well alrighty Slice if you say so then just call me Applejack everypony else does, and i cant say ah ever heard of where your from maybe the princess will know more about it and as for where yer at yer in ponyville hospital in the kingdom of Equestria, ah'm just a farmer at Sweet Apple Acres with my brother Big Mac, Applebloom,and Granny Smith just down the road from here,we go visit once if yall want to surgarcube we sell the best apples in all Equestria." She stated proudly

"Well Applejack I do thank you kindly ah dont suppose yall know when ah'll be gettin out of this hospital would you" I asked her i hate hospitals because of all the times i had to stay in them myself or to visit family and friends, its also where i lost alot of them as well if i didnt loose them on the battlefield. Just as Applejack was about to reply a new pony came in with a clipboard, she looked up and smiled.

"Well sir im glad your awake we ran some test and your just fine besides the cuts, broken leg and stick that was in your arm your good to go you can pick up your things at the front and dont work those legs to much ok AJ you want to escort him out"? The nurse asked Applejack.

"Sure might as well give him a tour of ponyville while ah'm at it, so you ready to go surgarcube"? AJ asked me

"Lead the way Applejack".I said as i way led away from the room towards the front dest to get my gear from the security guard. We talked a little small talk on the walk down the stairs and outside.

"So Applejack what should ah expect from tha people here ah just hope it aint nothin like where i was before i got here"? I asked the last part i muttered hoping that she didnt hear me but i wasnt known for my luck.

"Well the ponys here are real nice yall be makin friends in no time at all, why is where yall from not that friendly?" asked AJ. I didnt want to say anything at first but seein has how she sounds like a southern girl i knew she wouldnt let up even if i tryed so i might as well tell her.

"You see Applejack where im from we'er at war and ah'm a soldier from that war ah've seen things and done things ah'm not proud of and ah'm not feelin up to talk about it if yall dont mind its just not tha kind of things i like to remember ok." I said with my head down with a far away look in my eyes as i heard the sounds of gunfire, screams of the wounded and dying. As i got my gear and weapons it made me feel a little better to be with something familar.

AJ saw the look in my eyes they were glazed over with a far away look on my face she didnt push the issue any further... for now.

"Ok surgarcube i wont ask yall bout the war lets get somethin ta eat at sugarcube corner ill buy."She said

I smiled at her and nodded my thanks as we were walkin i got a shit eating grin on my face as i saw the place we were going to eat at."So your gonna pay huh ah never had the girl pay for the first date." I teased as i looked at her face it was great she was doing a great inpression of a big red apple as I busted out laughing as i trotted to the cafe.