A Heart as Red as Love

by sharkray24

Rating: teen
Tags: Nurse Redheart, Other, Princess Luna, Original Character, Crossover, Gore, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 8208

Nurse Reeda Heartley (Red Heart as most ponies call her) has a very stressful job and finally she meets her breaking point. Can she go on like this?

I am Nurse Reeda Heartly, I work 12 hour shifts every-other day, and I'm under a lot of stress. I of all ponies should know how bad stress can be on the body, but I think I realized that a little too late.
(Please note this is a Medical Fic, so there is some Hospital gore, and there is no descriptive sexual activities, but it mentions that it's a thing that happens.)

Published 2013-08-31 18:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-10-07 20:40:18 UTC

12 Hours

Typical work day, I get up at around midnight, brush my teeth, take a shower and shampoo, make my bed, check the calendar, today is October 15. “Oh great,” I mutter to myself, “Pinkie is having the costume party tomorrow. No sleep for me it seems.” I walk downstairs look at the clock. “Darn, I knew I needed to fix my alarm clock.” Now my alarm clock may only be slow by two minutes, but in my line of work, every second could mean life or death.

I make my typical breakfast which is toast and if I’m lucky enough to be ahead of time, buttered toast. I grab my coat and lanyard for work. I grab my toast as it pops out of the toaster and inhale it in one swift movement.

I walk down the dark streets that are lonely and bare. I don’t need to wonder why Luna became angry, I knew, I had known from the first day of work. The night was beautiful, but ignored.

I guess you’re wondering who I am, my name is Reeda Heartly, though most ponies call me Red Heart. I work as a nurse at Ponyville General Hospital.

I walk through the automatic doors up to the main desk and sign in. Turn left through the employee entrance. As I’m putting my thing in my locker a deep but feminine voice says to me, “Hey-a Red!” I didn't need to turn to see who it was; anypony could recognize that voice a mile away.

“Hey Sugar Spoon” (no relation to Silver Spoon) I grumble. I didn't like Sugar Spoon, she was loud and obnoxious and anything but what her name implied. She was a yellow unicorn with a blue mane which was always fish-tail braided despite our dress code of mane in a bun. Her cutie mark was a bottle of medicine and not the good tasting kind.

“Cutting it a little close today.” She says with her condescending smirk.

“My alarm clock is still a little slow.” I reply, grabbing my uniform hat from its hook.

“Just get the damn thing fixed.” That’s another thing; she has a vocabulary that a sailor would be offended by. “I mean Time Turner is great with clocks.”

“I haven’t had time.” I reply checking a mirror to see if my hat was straight.

“Yeah, or maybe you just don’t want to get too friendly with him.” She squints at me with her dark green irises and one eyebrow raised.

“You know I’m not dating anymore.” I say “After what happened with Lucky Clover.”

“Oh yeah, because one stallion cheats on you you’re going to stop dating, stallions I mean.”

“What are you insinuating?”

“Nothing at all. But I don’t judge you. It’s very popular these days. Lyra and BonBon, Berry Punch and Colgate, even celebrities; DJ-Pon3 just proposed to her marefriend Octavia last week.”

“Stop talking. I don’t tend to go in that direction of affection anyway.” I growl. I check myself in the mirror to see if my hat was straight.

“I’m just saying the way you’re always blushing when you come out of that certain patient’s room.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“Don’t worry,” she says wrapping her hoof around my shoulder, making my hat go crooked, “your secret is safe with me.” She winks at me, and sloppily puts on her uniform and goes through the door that led to the main hospital.

I sat there puzzled and decided it was just Sugar being herself. I straighten my hat again and follow her.

First thing we do in the morning is rounds for meds. Most of the patients take their medicine with no complaint, but a few of them are more difficult.

Being the Head Nurse of the entire hospital can be hectic. Like for instance when you are in the middle of giving a patient a bath and you get called down to the Nursery, or if you are filling out paperwork and there is a patient refusing to take his medicine, or when you are in surgery and you are needed in the ER.
The reason that I am the head nurse for the whole hospital is because we are short on staff, being that Ponyville doesn't have a medical school. I myself am from Manehatten and was re-located here because they needed more help. The closest teacher of medicine is Zecora and the head doctor is what you might call, skeptical. In fact most of the doctors and nurses and other medical staff are from Canterlot, Manehatten, or Cloudsdale. Most of us have to double up on jobs, if we’re lucky there will be somepony trained in medicine that passes through Ponyville.

All the workers work 12 hour shifts every-other day, half the staff on one day, the other half the next day. It’s not bad once you get used to it, it’s better than being a weather pony who might need to be called to work out of the blue at any given moment. Thank Celestia I’m not a Pegasus. But I do admit my work hours have made me sort of a, recluse.

On this particular day I was sitting at the nurse’s station when I was called down to the nursery. A little foal had just been born, and he was a little, well little, which meant we needed to run some tests and let the parents know. I walked into the room where the mother was still having her fluids removed and waited until the other nurses were done. I walk to the foot of the bed and look down at the mother; she was a dark green Pegasus with an orange mane and tail. I couldn't see her cutie mark so I couldn't tell you what it was. I grab the clipboard hanging on her bed, “Mrs. Mary May” I start.

“Um…Just Ms. May.” she says timidly

“OK understood. You’re foal was born underweight so we are running standard procedures. During that time I will have to ask you a few routine questions.”

“Is there any family history of trouble at childbirth?”

“No.”

“Was there any problems during pregnancy?”

“No.”

“This next question is for the father, where is he?”

“He is away.”

“For work?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have contact information like hotel number?”

“He’s not staying in a hotel…”

“What about the city.”

“It’s not exactly in a city.”

“Any contact information at all.”

“No.”

“What exactly does the father do for a living?”

“He’s in the military.”

I hadn't been keeping up with news recently because I had canceled my newspaper subscription. Between work, sleep, and personal issues, I didn't have time to read it. But I had heard snippets of conversations that our allies the Saddle Arabian’s had requested military assistance. I didn't want to sound stupid or be rude so I continued with my lining of questions. “Maybe you can answer for him. Does he have any testicular issues?”

“No.”

“What is his species?”

“Unicorn.”

“Name?”

“Martin Marcher.”

“Whose name will the foal be taking?”

“Both.”

“What name do you give your offspring?”

“You haven’t told me the gender.”

“Male.”

“Michael.”

“That is all.”

“I’m just so nervous.”

“About being a mom?”

“That, and what my parents will think. You see I’m only fifteen and my parents are not home a lot so Martin came over and, well things happen. But I haven’t told my parents yet and they’re coming to visit next week.”

“Well being a Nurse I can’t help you with that,” I look in both direction and take off my hat, “but you could always have a friend over for moral support. And you didn't hear it from me.”

“OK. Also, what kind of pony is my baby?”

“Earth” I reply.

“Wonderful.” She says with a sincere grin.

“Hey Red!” I hear a stallion’s voice from behind to see Dr. Hugh Bris, a light brown unicorn with glasses and a white mane, come running down the hall after me. “I need you to go help in the patient cafeteria.”

“Why, did somepony get sick?”

“Yes and I need you to clean up the mess.”

“Ask a janitor, I’m busy.”

“Well now don’t get your hooves in a knot, I just meant I thought it would be more, your area of expertise.”

“Was that supposed to be smart?”

“Not really, considering it’s about earth ponies.”

I was ready to introduce my earth pony hoof to his face when my pager told me I was on Lunch break. “Well, it looks like I’m on break, I guess you’ll have to find somepony else.” I walk away with a smirk.

Lunch was to say the very least, bad. I was sitting in my normal spot in the Employee Break Room. I had gotten a lettuce and tomato sandwich with water and a side of fries. I was talking with some of the other nurses when Sugar Spoon plops down next to me, speaking to me through corn and hay. She swallowed and said, “Can you go get me some water? My throat feels like a bucking desert.”

I was about to protest, when I realized that I could get away from her a while. “Sure.” I stood up and turned around straight into Knee Knocker, the clumsiest pony in all Equestria, who somehow managed to become a physical therapist. He was a white unicorn with a grey mane and bones for his cutie mark his face was covered in freckles and he wore a pair of all but broken glasses. His food got all over me, I was covered in lettuce, tomato, ketchup, sugar, and worst of all, an extra-large diet soda, and I hate diet.

“Oh, I’m sorry let me help,” he grabbed a bunch of napkins with his glowing horn and tried to wipe me off, only spreading around the gunk. “Oh maybe they need to be wet?” for some reason he thought the water cooler was the best water source in the room, grabbed it with his magic, and of course, it opens and all the water falls on me. “Oh no, um here this should dry you off.” He gets out a fan, one of those little cheap ones that run on batteries that you can get for like, one bit, and turns it on.

“Knee Knocker,” I say calmly, “I think you've helped enough.” I walk towards the mare’s room but Knee Knocker comes after me saying he wants to help, trips, and his face lands right on my plot. I freeze; the whole room is looking at me, in a mess, with a clumsy unicorn’s face in my plot. A few seconds go past and I calmly say, “Knee Knocker, please move from your current position.”

“About that, I’m stuck.”

I let my rage explode “What do you mean you’re stuck? You just like my plot don’t you, you little pervert! Get out of there now!”

“I can’t!”

“Why not? Because you’re suffering from pervert disease?”

“No, my glasses are hooked on your tail!”

“Then take off your glasses.”

“I can’t”

“Why?”

“Because they’re hooked on my mane!”

“You've got to be bucking kidding me.”

“I’m not”

“Then somepony do something!”

A silence falls over the room. Nopony moves, at all.

“Well if we have no volunteers, then I guess we’ll have to draft! You there with the stethoscope, get over here!”
The large stallion doctor walks over and manages to separate us.

“I’m really sorry.” Knee Knocker said “Maybe I can-”

“I believe you have done enough. Let me leave, with the little dignity I have left.” I walk over to the restroom and halfway through the door Knee Knocker informs me, “That’s the stallion’s room.”

I turn around and walk to the other bathroom.

After my lunch-less lunch break, I am asked to escort some visitors to a room. I walk to the front lobby to see Mr. Filthy Rich and his young daughter, Diamond Tiara. I lead them to the room that they are visiting, and have to stand by the door. I hear the conversation pretty clearly, it’s hard not to.

“Hi honey” Said Mr. Rich.

“Hello” the patient replied.

“Diamond,” said Mr. Rich, “give your mom a hug.”

“I missed you so much” the patient said. “You hardly visit.” There is no response from Diamond. “Why don’t you tell me about your day? How has school been?’

“Fine.” Diamond mumbled.

“How is your friend, what’s her name? Applebloom?”

“We’re not friends.”

“Why not.”

“Because she’s lame. She doesn't even have her cutie mark. And she’s friends with a clumsy unicorn and a Pegasus who can’t even fly.”

“Then who are some of friends?”

“Silver Spoon.”

“And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’?”

“Who are your other friends?”

“Nopony.”

“Why don’t you try to make friends?”

“Because they don’t like me.”

“Have you talked to Cheerilee?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Because she always says the same thing ‘Be nicer’. How lame?”

“Why would she need to say that?”

“Because, I call the other ponies blank flanks, and make fun of their families, like Dinky Doo, her mom is a freak of nature and Applebloom’s granny is loco.” Diamond started to cry.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because, I think that maybe if I put their family down, I can feel like you are, normal.” Diamond said sobbing. There was a long pause.

“Honey, what makes you think I’m not normal?”

“Because you’re not supposed to have Cancer! It’s totally lame!” Diamond screams.

“Don’t say that.”

“But if anypony found out, they would treat me differently, and they might not think that I’m a strong leader if I show my emotions. That’s all I want to be, a good leader like daddy. Leaders aren't supposed to cry.”

“But a leader doesn't keep secrets from the ones they’re leading.” Cut in Mr. Rich.

“I don’t care! I don’t want pity, I want respect, and I’m gonna’ earn it! I’ll be the best darn leader in the history of Equestria, and nopony will ever see me cry!”

Another long silence fills the room. “I think it’s time for us to head home.” Mr. Rich said. I escorted them to the entrance and returned to the nurses’ station.

I begin reading my book when a call light from, that room, starts to glow. I sigh and walk over to room 113-A.

“What do you want Rainbow Dash?” I ask.

“I’m bored.”

“Read the book I gave you.”

“I already read it.”

“Then read it again, see if the ending is any different.”

“I don’t think books can do that.”

“Yeah I know. Do you want to eat something?”

“No thanks. Do you have an arcade?”

“No we are not a hotel, we are a hospital.”

“Do you have a pool?”

“The pool is strictly for aqua therapy patients.”

“Can I go to the restroom?”

“You have a catheter.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you want to go to the restroom?”

“To stretch my legs.”

“You are suffering from a torn wing ligament, nothing is stopping you from getting up and walking.”

“This IV thing is.”

“It has wheels for a reason.”

“So can I get up?”

“If you want to.”

“Yes! I’m going to the library.”

“You are not allowed to leave the Hospital let alone this room without proper supervision.”

“Man this stinks!”

“Yeah well it’s not that bad” I turn to leave and halfway across the room she says the thing. The thing she always says that makes me furious.

“Wing injuries are the worst.”

I stopped, I wanted to tell her, I wanted to tell her about other ponies that had it way worse. A Pegasus with a cracked hoof, a foal who died seconds after birth, the ponies with Alzheimer’s, the royal guard with PTSD, ponies who suffered pain too great to imagine, and this stupid Pegasus thinks a wing injury is the worst thing that could happen. I wonder if she’s ever had to see the pain in a family’s eyes when you tell them their loved one didn't make it. She never had a suffering pony begging her for death. She never had to be the one to pull the plugs on a heart monitor. She doesn't know what pain and suffering is. All she thinks it is, is an injured wing.

I was immobilized by rage. She asked if there was something wrong. “No I’m fine, rest up.”

Walking from her room Sugar Spoon trotted up to me, “You are blushing, just like I said.” I ignore her.

“It’s ok, I know you must feel torn between job and romance, but you will find a solution.”

“You can shut your mouth now, or I can shut it for you.”

“Why such a fuss, you upset because of your dilemma?”

“My dilemma is that I am the only one here, it seems, to understand that ponies lives are in our hooves.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Well for starters you. You and your big mouth always blabbing away to the other nurses when there are five call lights on. And who do you think goes to those rooms? Me. And I have to take a bet as to which is more urgent, because I know ponies lives are at stake. Meanwhile I've got the doctors who think they own the world, going around putting all the jobs on us, and by that I mean me. Meanwhile there are visitors who need to be shown in, call lights to answer, and I’m the only one doing anything about it.”

“Well if you really feel that way, why don’t you just take a damn vacation?”

“Because I know you all are going to muck it up!” at that I turn around and go to the next patient.

He was a quiet stallion. Big, muscular, and gentle. His name was Ferdinand. He was a dark purple with green eyes. His mane was a light blue with a streak of white. When I came in he was reaching for something, I was about to offer help, when grabbed it. I had to look close to see that it was a small moth, which must have been caught in a web. Ferdinand stroked the moth with his gargantuan hoof to brush off the web without harming it in any way. Then it flew off.

“How are we doing today?”

“OK” he said in his deep resonating voice

“Well your blood tests came back negative, but the urinary test wasn't promising.” He nodded for me to continue, “And it looks like you have a very serious kidney infection. Serious enough that your kidney will need to be removed.” He nodded his head, showing no emotion. “When would you like to schedule it?”

“Is it enough to kill me?” he asked

“Yes” I answered surprised.

“How painful would death be?”

“Excruciating” I was wondering where this line of questioning would lead.

“How long would it take?”

“About a month and a half.”

“Month and a half, that should be enough time; to wrap up my odds and ends.”

“What are you saying?” I said concerned.

“I believe that Ma an’ Pa will want the keys to my room.”

“Ferdinand.”

“And Larry will want to go to camping with me one last time.”

“Ferdinand”

“Sally Lou will want a hug.”

“Ferdinand”

“And I guess I’ll have time to compete in one last rodeo”

“Ferdinand” I shouted, “what are you talking about?”

“Well, missy, it would seem that I have reached the end of my funds. So some big fancy surgery is out of the question. I couldn't even afford to have you put a Band-Aid on me.” I tried to think of something to say, but no words came. “Oh and Miss Reeda, don’t worry about me. I know that I will die soon, but that doesn't scare me. In fact I’m less scared now that I know it won’t jump out of the blue. But Miss Reeda, I want to let you know that, of all the ponies I've ever met, you have got to have the biggest, most loving, and most wonderful heart anypony could have. Your nickname should be Gold Heart. No matter what, remember this; it don’t matter what you look like, it don’t matter what the others think, it only matters that your heart is open, not just to receive love, but to give it, and you always get what you give.” With those words he stood up and left. I exited the room and he was nowhere to be seen.

I got called down to Dr. Goodwin’s office (the only decent doctor at this place). “As you know, the patient in room 225-C had surgery this morning to remove a tumor on her stomach. Well, there was a problem.”

“Is she OK?”

“Yes, she was un-harmed from the surgery, but we came across this.” He pulled out a picture from a folder and I didn't believe what I saw.

“That’s not possible. How did that happen?”

“I don’t know, but she just woke up, and I have to tell her.”

“Why do you need me?”

“Because I’m not strong enough to do it alone.” He said looking up with a tear in his eye.
We entered the dark room and a voice worn by time welcomed us in. Mrs. Withers was a large older pony with dark maroon fur and a mane bleached white by age. “How did the surgery go doc?” she asked.

“Well,” said Dr. Goodwin tears forming in his eyes, “We couldn't remove the tumor on your stomach.” He put his hoof to his eyes. “Because it has spread to your heart.” He sits down on the bed crying.

“There there sonny you done the best you could. That’s good enough for me.”

“But I should have done something sooner. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“You don’t need to be sorry.”

“This just proves I’m unfit to be a doctor.”

“Now listen to me sonny!” she said sharply, “You done the best you could. That makes you the best darn doctor in the world for all I care. Now I’m an old pony, I would die soon anyway. And don’t let one failure make your life one as well. Chin up, and go be the best damn doctor in the world. ‘Cause me, I’ll be watchin’ you and I will not rest until I see the day that you are given the highest award in medicine. And you will do it, because you've got heart, and a damn good’un at that!”

“Thank you.” He says. “I just hope someday I can thank you.”

“You can thank me by being the best doctor ever. Now go, I need my beauty sleep.”

I decided to take a smoke break. Nopony smokes at the Hospital it’s just called that because it’s fifteen minutes long. I went outside into the employee courtyard, which was really ten square feet surrounded by cement walls on three sides and a gate on the fourth. Today has been crazy; I’m only nine hours into my twelve hour shift and all this stuff has happened to me, just thinking about it stressed me out. I started feeling a pain in my chest which was weird considering I hadn't eaten at lunch. I looked over at the clock on the otherwise bare wall, “That’s funny,” I said starting to feel dizzy, “When did they put in that other clock?” I was really tired “I might just rest for…” then I realized what was happening. I was having a heart attack. I turned towards the door, but fell down on my first step. I had to fight it, to stay alive, not for me, but for my patients. I tried shouting, but couldn't get the words out. I reached for my pager and turned on the open signal that connected to all of the other doctor and nurses’ pagers. I could barely move, but managed to tap the ground with my hoof. Three short taps, three long taps, and three more short taps. That’s all I could do, “S.O.S.” the pager picked up on the Mare’s Code, now I just need to send it…

A new spike of pain plunged into my chest, I don’t know if I managed to hit send or not. I was blacking out. “Damn it. I can’t let go.” I thought. The last thing I remember was vomiting the little food I had eaten.

*Beep* I knew that sound, a heart monitor, and from the sound of the beeping, the patient was in severe condition. *Beep* I need to get the AED, for the patient, *Beep* who was the patient? *Beep* It was…me…*Beep*. I faded into darkness again.

Life is a War

I was standing in the middle of darkness, nothing but pitch black all around me, yet there was light, so bright it made my white coat gleam. It was almost like moonlight, it WAS moonlight. I looked up and saw Princess Luna standing in front of me, her star filled mane shimmered and her shoes sparkled. She looked at me in a loving but stern look a mother might give her child. “Greeting Miss Reeda Heartly.” She said.

I bowed and said, “Hello your highness. Am I dreaming?” I knew that Luna had the power to visit ponies in their dreams.

“In a sense.” She replied, and before I could ask anything else she said, “Come with me and I will show you something.” I stood up and followed her; soon the black faded and began to look like a forest. The forest had dead trees, thorny vines, bushes of black roses, and a beautiful view of the night sky and all the endless stars.

We walked silently through the silent forest. Finally we came upon a cave. Luna stopped, “You go first.” She said, “And then tell me what you find.”

“Ok.” I said. I took the lead into the dark cave; it was moist and dank, not from water. It felt stickier, almost like blood. I looked at my hooves and saw a stream of red liquid on the floor. I was spooked at first, then realized that it wasn't blood. It was just, red water. I continued on until I heard what sounded like moaning. I turned to Luna who just stared at me blankly.
I went towards the moaning and found a dark blue Unicorn in an Equestrian military uniform. He was wounded sitting against the cave wall and holding a hoof over his side. He looked over to me with a blank look in his eyes. “Help…me…” he managed to get out faintly.

I looked to Luna who said “Tell me what you see.”

I was puzzled, “A wounded Equestrian soldier.”

“I see.” She said, “Well you’re a nurse, you can help him.”

“But this isn't real.”

“Who told you that?”

I stared at her for a few seconds, then I turned back to the soldier, “Alright,” I said, “Where’s the wound?” He slowly lifted his hoof from his side revealing a deep hole, sticking out was a little bit of a spear. “Well firstly, take off that armor.”

“Yes ma’am.” He replied and took off his chest plate. Underneath he had a white shirt to prevent chafing from the chest plate. He had silver dog tags hanging around his neck; the name read “Martin Marcher.”

“Ok Martin.” I tell him, “I’m going to pull out the spear head, but before I do that…” I grabbed his shirt in my hoof and rip it off.

“Why did you do that?” he asked dazed.

“I need something to stop the bleeding.” Before he could say another word I had pulled out the spear head quicker than Rainbow Dash on her fourth glass of Pinkie Pie’s “Super-Secret Recipe Soda”.

He winced in pain and moaned, “A little warning would be nice.”

“If you know when it’s going to happen all you can focus on is the pain. Now tell me about yourself Martin.”

“I’m a Military Recorder; I keep records of everything that goes on in the camp. I’m usually not supposed to see action, but Charlie ambushed camp.” He started to cough up small drops of blood.

“You are one lucky soldier.” I inform him, “It was a near miss with your liver. But that’s not the only thing you've gotten lucky with if I’m correct.” I sort of smirked at the little joke.

“What do you mean?” he said, “Being drafted at age sixteen?” What I did next sort of surprised him, I grab his legs and looked between them, “What are you doing?” he said.

“Yup, no testicular problems, she had a luck guess.”

“What are you talking about?” he said sort of nervous. I continued working on the wound without answering his question. I was wrapping the wound when he asked a strange question, “Are you a pony?”
“What?” I say taken aback

“I mean, you don’t have a face, and your body looks like liquid silver.” He said.

“You are suffering from blood loss, you are probably hallucinating.” I inform him, “and one more thing.”

“What?” he asked. I lifted my hoof and bonked him on the head. “Ouch! What was that for?” he asked.

“For knocking-up your fifteen year old marefriend and leaving her to fend for herself.”

“How did you know about that?” he stammered.

“I just kno-” I looked back down at the wound which was starting to bleed through the bandage. “Oh crap.” I worked hard to treat the wound.

Suddenly three Equestria soldiers appeared at the entrance to the cave. “We found one in here!” one of them shouted. The other two had medic uniforms and carried a stretcher with magic. They lifted the wounded pony onto the stretcher and started to trot away. “Wait! What about her?” Martin cried weakly.

“Who?” asked one of the med ponies, “There’s nopony else in there.”

“You have some major blood loss, you are probably hallucinating.” said the other.

I stood and watched as they carried him off. I turn to Princess Luna and she looks down at me with caring eyes. “Life is a constant war. Every fiber, every cell of our being is constantly trying to overcome the others in order to keep us healthy. Every heartbeat pumps blood through our veins that gives oxygen to all our organs. Every breath we take fuels the oxygen-rich blood, and every breath out releases toxic gasses from the remainders. Every step we take wears away at our bone’s cartilage, every time we eat; we are giving different supplies to our different cells. Every second, nay every instant, we have the possibility of dropping dead, and it could happen all because one soldier is wounded. Reeda Heartly, what I will tell you now you must remember for as long as your fight continues, ‘Don’t surrender, keep fighting, stay on the battlefield of life. You are destined for great things.’.” at that Luna glowed the color of moonlight and disappeared in a shining flash. And I felt darkness closing in on me.

Awake and Walk

When I woke up there was silence, and after a few seconds, noise erupted around me. The slow beep of the heart monitor, the flipping of papers, the voices of several different ponies. I saw blurs as different ponies moved across the room. I slowly started to be able to make out the different shapes of ponies. Slowly, ever so slowly, the sounds became more audible. When the chaos had died down, a doctor came up next to me, and I heard him say “Miss Red Heart, can you hear and understand what I am saying? If yes blink twice.”

I strain my mind, trying to make myself blink, once. It was harder to re-open them than it was to close them. I strained again and gave a second slow blink. The tension in the room seemed to loosen its grip by quite a bit.

“OK Red, this is a very interesting situation you've found yourself in, you see, you were dead for about three minutes.” He paused to let that sink in. “Dr. Bris was about to unplug you after one minute, but Dr. Goodwin stopped and insisted on giving you more time, they got into an argument which soon became physical and they are both in their offices cooling off. We've sent word to them that you are awake again.”

I heard a familiar deep, feminine voice say, “It’s like she rose from the dead or something like that. Damn.” It was Sugar Spoon standing on the right side of my bed.

Just then the door opened and Dr. Bris, and Dr. Goodwin entered the room, the pale yellow walls outlining their figures. The ceiling fan turned around and made a click with every rotation. “See I told you she would be OK!” snapped Dr. Goodwin.
“Don’t be stupid, it’s only mere chance that your constant screaming brought her to.” Dr. Bris snapped back. “Besides, it’s a lost cause anyway.”

“There’s no such thing as a lost cause.” retorted Dr. Goodwin.

“Yes there is, sometimes it’s better to know when to not waste the resources so you don’t lose more lives than you have to.”

“Dear Luna, shut up!” the shout came from a place nopony could tell. Until that is, they noticed me sitting up in my bed.” My heart monitor was beeping at a fast rate; my mane had been taken out of its bun and hung over my eyes. I turned to get out of bed and stepped onto the cold tile floor.

“Red. You shouldn't be doing that.” Said the first Doctor who I had seen when I woke up.

I didn't listen to him; I continued walking towards Dr. Hugh Bris, with every step pulling off another wire and occasionally a tube. Where the tubes had been pulled out, blood started to seep out. “You are the most coldblooded, no-good; low down, sorry excuse for a Doctor I have ever met Mr. Bris.”

“That’s Dr. Bris!” he replied sharply.

“See, you before you think about the harm happening to your patients, you’re concerned if everypony knows you have a piece of paper with three letters on it. You do not deserve the title of ‘Doctor’ or any other title worthy of mention.” I stopped in front of him, looking at him through my mane. He showed no emotion what so ever. He was so pathetic; I just wanted to kill him. But instead I tilted my head up to his face and spat. What came out was a mixture of saliva and blood. As my blood splattered on the lenses of his glasses, his emotion didn't change; he kept a straight look, even as the blood made contact with his face. I gritted my teeth for about a second and then started coughing up blood violently onto the floor. As I stood there, blood running down my chin, neck, torso, and even to my leg I heard the muffled sound of Dr. Bris’s voice saying, “Miss Heart, you’re fired.” in a flat, emotionless tone.

I looked up in disbelief, what? Fired? No that can’t be, I had patients to take care of, and they expected to see me every other day. What would happen if there was a change in routine, especially to the younger or less stable patients? Little Jingle Bells who had always loved to see me every day, to be honest, I think he had some puppy love for me, he would be heartbroken. I couldn't perceive what reality was and what was not. The room was spinning, and my knees became weak. I felt tears running down my face, and then, I blacked out.

Descent

After the visit, several days past, days turned into weeks, weeks slipped into months, and after the third month, I lost count, as if it mattered anymore. I was nothing, a hollow shell of myself, my ears could not see, my eyes could not hear, my lips to feel or my hooves to touch, I myself was a void of nothingness and darkness contained in a shell of white.

I fall, slowly and roughly into a dark sea of knives, that cut and slash and slice and slit all that I have ever known. They shred what you've believed to ribbons that crinkle and wrinkle to dry stems of nothing and crumple to dust that dries the air. They destroy everything you've ever believed about your world, your life, and your self. Who am I? What have I been doing my whole life? Was it worth it? Why do I continue?

I descend into the heart of that void of darkness. There is nothing there but truth, the dark truths that we hide in the back of our minds out of fear. The negatives of every thing we have ever done, and this truth, these dark truths, they make you not only question yourself, but you grow to the point as to brand yourself a villain. What I did was wrong. They asked for death and I kept them from their wishes. Who am I to try to alter the patterns of life and death?

I descend into the inner most center of the heart of that void where a voice speaks to me, as if like thunder. I am not able to understand it...it says, "Hoftk Ixnuk eftek! Oftek Ifshnef ektnuk! Otenra tak tok Foteshn Ifnet Kentuk!" The voice seems to get louder and more angry with every word. "Iftek Iftek Oksnuk! Ilsect Eftet Ishnush Foten Moten Ra!

I woke to find four sets of hooves holding down my struggling body, "Sedate her! Sedate her now!" yelled the owner of one set of hooves.

"I'm trying but I can't get a good vein, she's jerking too much!" yelled another.

"Let me handle this!" this voice was not the owner of any of these sets of hooves, it was the voice of Dr. Hugh Bris, or as his real name I found out was, Dr. Sin Cyanide. He had taken the name of Hugh Bris for "personal reasons" I saw the magic of his horn glow teal as he picked up a needle. Quickly, and without warning, he lunged the needle at my neck, and I felt the cold needle, like ice break into a vein. As the cold syrupy sedation fluid oozed out into my bloodstream, I saw him smirk that devilish smirk. Then I began my descent again.

The New Doctor

I was told a few month had passed since I was admitted into the Psyche Ward. The visions I had been having had slowly faded away into a distant memory. By the end of my year long treatment for what started out as a stress-induced heart attack, I was up on my hooves working at the hospital again. But I looked back at the things I had seen, and one thing bothered me still, Dr Hugh Bris never had the name Sin Cyanide, his real name was actually Dr. Bandage Bind, so how had I gotten "Sin Cyanide"? A new Doctor had started working at the Hospital today, and he insisted on working a 24 hour shift. He was a grey, Earth Pony stallion, with a black mane that was combed yet wild at the same time, and he also wore a Bowtie over his hospital uniform. He went by the name Dr. Time Turner, or sometimes just "The Doctor". But the strangest thing about him was his cutie mark, it had nothing to do with medicine, it was an hourglass.

I was working the day shift, and Dr. Turner was starting his second consecutive twelve hour shift. I was sitting at the Nurse's station reading a magazine when he trotted past, I found my eyes drawn to him.

"Hey-a Red." came an annoying voice from behind. It was, you guessed it, Nurse Sugar Spoon, "I can't help but notice you've got your eye on somepony there." she said, looking over my shoulder at Dr. Turner.

"What about it?" I asked, flipping the page of my magazine.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you fancy him 'ay?" she replied.

"Nope." I replied simply. There was a pause, then it hit me like a pile of bricks, "Sugar Spoon," I said.

"Hmmm?"

"Don't you find it strange that Time Turner moved away about two months before Dr. Time Turner moved in?" I asked.

"What are you talkin' about? Who moved?" she asked genuinely.

"Y'know, the clock maker, Time Turner." I prodded.

"Nope, never heard of 'im. Is he new to Ponyville? And why does he 'ave the same name as Dr. Turner?" She seemed puzzled.

I turned to look back at Dr. Turner who only a moment ago had been standing talking to a patient in a wheelchair, but now wasn't there. I got out from behind the Nurses desk, "Sugar Spoon." I said.

"Whu- Me!?" she replied flustered.

"Thanks." I said back, "Glad you understand." I turned and trotted down the hall and took a right. "Doctor Turner!" I called.

"Yes?" came a voice that sounded like it was from Trottingham. His grey and black head stuck out form around the next corner. "Oh, 'ello there, I'm the Doctor." he said and whizzed back around the corner.

"Hold on." I said, galloping after him. I turned the corner, and I was in a hallway I don't think I ever remember being in. It looked the same as all the other hallways, but something was off. The moment I turned the corner the Doctor wrapped his hoof around my mouth.

"Now," he said calmly, "Be very quiet when I let you go, we are both in great danger." and he let go of my mouth.

"What the hay did you just say!?" I shouted, "Are you threatening me Doctor?" I was furious, but now I can see that perhaps I overreacted.

Just then a voice that sounded as clumsy as the owner was turning the corner, "Hello? Who's there?" it was Knee Knocker, "Oh, Nurse Reeda. I hope I'm not disturbing you and Dr. Turner." he said adjusting his glasses.

"Oh Knee Knocker perfect timing I was just about to explain to Nurse Reddy here why she shouldn't freak out. Now, I'm the Doctor, I'm a Time Pony from the Planet Gallopfrey, I'm 1000 years old, and I'm here to help. Also because my TARDIS needed to rest a bit so..." he seemed to say all at once, like it was more of a thought than of spoken words. That's when I realized, it was a thought, his mouth hadn't moved when he said it. "Ah I was wondering when you'd notice," said the Doctor, "when I made physical contact with you I set up a mental link between us, so now all we have to do is think and we'll all hear it." he turned around, "Now," he said changing to a rather serious tone, "have you ever been walking down the hall or street and you think you see something, you barely notice it, out of the corner of you eye? That's called a perception filter. Now when you do notice something out of the corner of your eye and you do a double take, but yet you still don't go explore...well that's just a lack of curiosity on your part. Meanwhile, I'm very curious as to see what's behind that door." he motioned down the hall with his head. Down at the end of the hall was a big metal door with "do not cross" tape all over it.

How had I not noticed that before?

"Ah, that's the perception filter working its science on you." the Doctor replied inside my head. "Now, let's see what's behind it." We slowly started walking towards the door. Knee Knocker seemed to be less stressed than one would think. The Doctor pulled out what seemed to be a wand of some sort, that glowed green at the tip, and made a buzzing sound. The door opened and we entered.

Author's Note

I just wanted to write a story that was going to be a message about love and such that was going to be super realist and now look at what I've done! Curse the day I started watching Doctor Who! JK, but yeah, this story took a big 180. I'm sorry if I "Deus Ex Machina"ed my way out of the last chapter but I was just suffering from complete writers block and I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who lately.

The Fall of an Angel

I sit, I stare, I stink, I stand, I stall, I start, I stop, I still, I strangle, I struggle, I step, I stomp, I stalk, I do nothing. All I do is lie in my bed and stare out the window. I sit in a wheelchair when they insist I get out of bed. I stare at the nothingness of the world around me. I stink because I haven't bathed since the accident. I stand in the darkness of my life. I stall when doctors try to give me my medicine. I start to contemplate death. I stop thinking about life. I still can't understand what is happening. I strangle that pony in my mind. I struggle from that pony's choking grasp. I step away from others. I stomp my hoof on my own image. I stalk every option of suicide. I do nothing as I fall into darkness.

What have I become? Is this my true self? A filthy, ragged, starving, whimpering, crying, dying, stinking, heart wrenching, maddening, ball of hair and flesh? Is that my true self? I can't see why not? I never was of any use to anypony. I couldn't even prevent myself from having a heart attack. What useless filth am I? I would rather be a starving dog in the Everfree Forest. My state is that of which rats look down upon and laugh. I am nothing. I am a burnt out star.

The Healing of the Foal

Apparently, the single mother that I had treated had heard of my accident, and the next day she came to me with her little foal, "Hello." she said with a soft voice. Mary May walked into my room. I didn't respond. "Um...I just wanted to say, thank you for helping me."

"I didn't do anything." I replied.

"Yes you did, you gave me the confidence to talk to my parents, when you took off your uniform at risk of being punished, just to help me, I promised myself that I would not let you down."

"Don't you think you're milking this a bit?" I asked.

"No not at all. I have always been very shy and timid, I never liked doing things that were 'unsafe'-"

"Except one thing." I added with a smirk.

"Well um...that's beside the point. I always thought that ponies were supposed to play it safe, but then you, a pony who's whole job is about safety, took a risk, not for yourself, but for me. That made me feel like, like, like a princess. Which I am obviously not, and I wanted to repay you."

"How?"

"By telling you my real name." she said.

Now this hospital (like most in Equestria) has patient privacy rules, but sometimes names need to be posted on a bulletin board or something. To protect patient privacy, they are allowed to use a code name if that's how you want to put it. Almost like a Jane Doe, but only the nurses and doctors know their names. It was not normal for a pony who took a fake name to give their real one, because once they do, the hospital is allowed to post their real name on bulletin boards and even the newspaper under the "Hospitalized" section. So by saying her real name on Hospital property, she would not have the protection of a fake name.

Also the Equestrian military gives false names to deployed soldiers to protect their relations at home.

"I wanted you to know that my real name, is Mustard Seed." she said and turned so that I could see her cutie mark was three round seeds being sewn into the dirt.

"Well, then...thank you, I guess." I replied.

"and my fiancé's name Deluge, and my colt's name is Green Hoof." she continued.

I lay there in bed and stared at her. "So he's okay?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, "he's healthy as can be."

"May I see?" I asked. She turned and revealed the foal held in swaddling clothes inside an under-wing foal basket. He was patchy white and black and had big golden irises. He seemed to stare right into my soul, and a sudden calm came over me, after which I felt the next dose of morphine course through my body from the IV.

I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep, but I could still see Green's golden irises staring at me, and then we both smiled.