Lily squeezed the hoof of her brother who lay motionless on the hospital bed. His labored breathing barely rose above the din of the whirrs, buzzes, and beeps of the equipment that monitored his condition.
Just a few hours before everything had been fine. They had been galloping through the ancient meadows just on the edge of the Everfree Forest. The day was perfect, her and her brother had not a care in the world, until that simple mistake. It had all happened so suddenly that neither had a chance to react. The old boards that covered the abandoned well had been forgotten about long ago, and their weak, rotting structures were barely able to hold their own weight, let alone the weight of a young stallion. The sound of dull rotten snaps still echoed through her mind. That was the last time she had seen him awake.
Her parents sat on the other side of the bed. Her mother was softly weeping as she hugged Lily’s father, her tears had already soaked his mane. Lily continued to try and wake her brother up with kisses, hugs, and other seemingly magical acts of sisterly affection, but nothing could pull him from his coma. They had always brightened his day before, why wouldn’t they work now?
The incessant slow beeping was the only bearer of positive news, at the least his heart was still beating. Slowly but steadily it continued to pulse, sending the ever needed blood through his body.
“When is he going to wake up?” Lily asked, her voice sadly curious.
“We don’t know.” her father responded as he kissed her mother. “But we will be right here for him when he does.”
She looked from her father’s face. The usual steadfastness had given way to wrinkles of worry and deep pain. His mane was disheveled, caused by the innumerable times he had run his hoof through it as he tried to contemplate what to do. It was like a part of him had completely vanished.
Lily’s face lit up with childish idealism. “I know what will wake him up!” she exclaimed with volume that startled her mother. “I can get him some flowers!” Before her parents could protest she had bolted out of the door and into the hallway. The massive white tunnel stretched across an unfathomable distance to a door that stood far at its end. She galloped toward the exit, dodging gurneys, doctors, and patients as she closed the distance to her destination.
As she neared the doors, a large stallion wearing a lab coat stepped in front of her, causing her to slide to a stop just before the door. “Where do you think you are going?” he asked with a warm voice. “If you want to go outside you have to go through the front door.” He spun the little filly around and pointed her toward the lobby.
“Thanks mister,” she said as she bolted for the lobby. She skidded around the corner to the lobby and raced through the doors, giving little heed to those around her who stumbled as she brushed past their legs.
The outside air acted as a parachute, slowing her mad dash to a nice canter as she stepped into the cool night. She quickly trotted to the garden and strolled up and down the organized rows of flowers, looking for the most perfect flower that would revive her brother. It was obvious that a rose was proper, she had always had a unique appreciation of the flower, but the question of color still remained. Reds, pinks, yellows and oranges were scattered across the garden, but nothing struck her as perfect.
Several minutes passed as she shopped for the perfect flower. She would stop every now and again, thinking the flower she saw was perfect, but none were just right. Growing impatient, the little filly began to let her mind wander to her brother. I didn’t know ponies went to sleep when they got hurt, She thought as she tried to find the perfect flower.
Suddenly, it hit her. The flower she should get would not be a rose, but something more special and beautiful. She walked down the path that led out of the garden and to the small pond that was covered in lilypads. The small green disks that floated on top of the water were home to a few beautiful pink flowers.
“That’s it!” she exclaimed as she jumped into the water. Lily had never been one of the fillies that cared too much about staying clean and she would always take advantage of an opportunity to go swimming. She paddled over to the flower and gingerly took hold of it in her mouth. The pink blossom was perfectly shaped, surely this would wake her brother up. She exited the water and carefully walked back toward the hospital. There was not a moment to lose, but the fragile blossom threatened to tear itself away from her mouth if she hurried too quickly. Carefully she stepped into the hospital and blushed as a few of the patients cast angered looks at her, presumably annoyed at her escape escapade. She focused on the flower as she carefully made her way through the massive hallways to the room where her brother lay.
As she stepped inside the room her ears were assaulted with the sobering sounds of sadness and heart monitors. Her mother was crying even harder now, and the incessant beeping of the heart monitor was much slower than before.
“Where have you been?” her father asked, his voice carrying no emotion. “We were worried.”
Lily walked over to the bed and gingerly rested the flower on her brother’s slowly undulating chest. “I was getting him a flower,” she said quietly as she watched the flower bob up and down as if it were still in the pond. Slowly, her brother brought in a deep breath and weakly let it out.
A doctor stepped through the door and somberly looked at his clipboard. “I am afraid your son will be unconscious for quite some time.” The flower stood unmoving on her brother’s chest. “He’s in a coma and will be for several weeks at least, but that is a hopeful estimate.” He took a deep breath. “He may never wake up.”
“He’s just asleep,” she said, her tears beginning to blur the image of the flower. “He will wake up, I promise.”
“No sweetie, your brother isn’t going to wake up anytime soo-”
“I love lilies,” a soft mumble interrupted from the bed. Her brother’s eyes were cracked open just enough for him to perceive the beautiful flower on his chest. The corners of his mouth were barely displaying his delight. “They’re my favorite.”
“That’s impossible!” the doctor whispered as he walked to the side of the bed. “How do you feel?”
“Like I just got hit by a train, where am I?” he said as he labored to breathe.
“You're in the hospital.” Lily said as she hugged him. “But you are going to be okay. I brought you the flower and then you woke up!”
“Look,” he whispered as he placed the flower on Lily’s head and pointed behind her. “When did you get that?” On her flank were three small lilies, each one identical to the flower that had awoken her brother that now rested in her mane.
“When I found out that lilies were magic.”
