Shed a tear 'cause I'm missing you
Patience
Written & Edited by Seven81493
Silence. That’s what had overtaken the hospital room Vinyl Scratch found herself in. No noise was heard, save the occasional breaths she found herself short of. She couldn’t imagine a situation worse than the one she found herself in. Her beloved Octavia, the one constant in her life, was no longer a constant. She was in a coma, and the doctors didn’t know if she would ever wake up. ‘Blunt force trauma to the head’ was what Doctor Stable had said.
But hey, at least she was alive, right? The doctors said that she was incredibly lucky in the regard. She had hit her head on the sharp corner of a counter, after all. Maybe this was a gift from Celestia. If that was the case, she’d have woken up by now, though. No, she was gonna be like this for a while. Vinyl would just have to get used to it.
“...but I can’t. Please, Octavia, wake up. I need you…”
It was true. Before Octavia had come into her life, she had been at rock bottom for years. She couldn’t help but recall the day they first met, and Octavia had shown that not all of the Canterlot elite were self-centered jerks.
Vinyl sat on the ground outside of her favorite liquor store, watching ponies come and go. Nopony ever bothered to give her change, so she had given up even asking. To think today would be any different was just silly.
“Um, hello?” came a mysterious voice from above, breaking Vinyl away from her thoughts. Had somepony actually spoken to her?
Looking up, the alabaster unicorn saw a sight she thought she’d never see again. A pony actually looking directly at her! And talking to her, no less!
“Um, are you alright, Miss? Do I have something on my face?”
Vinyl quickly realized she had been ignoring the mare’s words, and took a second to formulate a response. “Erm, no, sorry. I’m just not used to ponies talking to me…”
“That’s exactly why I’m here, Miss…?”
“Oh! Uh, the name’s Vinyl!”
“A beautiful name. I am Octavia Philharmonica.”
“Um, no offense, but why are you talking to someone like me? I’m just a dirty bum…”
For a second, Octavia pondered what Vinyl had just said, putting a hoof to her chin. “Maybe you don’t have to be, darling. Come with me,” she concluded, offering a hoof to Vinyl.
In return, she gladly took said hoof and rose up on all four legs, beaming the whole time.
It seemed as if that had happened yesterday. Nopony had shown her any true kindness until Octavia had shown up. So why, then, would Celestia let her beloved Octy suffer? She was too good for something like this to happen to her. And yet, it did…
“Whoa, this is your house? It’s like, totally huge!”
“Oh come now, it’s nothing much. I mean, it only has--”
“Like a bajillion rooms?” Vinyl guessed, to which Octavia blushed in embarrassment.
“Well, when you put it like that…”
“Hey, don’t take offense. I think it’s cool that someone as nice as you would have a house as cool as this one. You totally deserve it,” finished Vinyl, causing Octavia to blush once more.
“Please, come in, Vinyl. I’m sure you could use a shower after everything you’ve been through.”
Nopony else would have simply offered their home to a homeless pony. She had done nothing to deserve that house, so why had Octavia let her live there? One of life’s great mysteries, she supposed. Most ponies would have told her to vamoose if she had even gone near their property. But Tavi was… different. Heck, she had even cursed at the composer of the Royal Canterlot Orchestra for changing the music they were to play last minute. The other ponies had been too scared, but not her.
It had been weeks since their initial meeting, and Octavia noticed something… different about Vinyl.
“Vinyl, you look… amazing.”
“What’s the big deal? I just straightened my hair, Octy.”
“Oh, so now I have a nickname?” asked Octavia, feigning annoyance.
“I think it’s cute, kind of like the pony who’s being called by it.”
Vinyl’s statement made Octavia blush, and she moved in for the kill. As Octavia went to say something, Vinyl cut her off with a kiss, stunning the grey mare. She wanted to push Vinyl away and tell her how glad she was. How happy she was. But Octavia simply sunk into it, too happy for words.
That had been exactly one year ago. A great day for both of them, as it was the first time either had a significant other in their lives. One who would be there for them no matter what. And right now, Octavia needed Vinyl to be there for her. To be strong for her. But how could she be strong right now? Her marefriend-- no, her best friend ever, was in a coma.
“Said woman, take it slow, it’ll work itself out fine…”
“All we need is just a little patience…”
“Said sugar, make it slow, and we’ll come together fine…”
“All we need is just a little patience…”
As Vinyl concluded her short song, Octavia gave a few claps with her hooves. “That was beautiful, Vinyl. When did you learn to play guitar?”
“I used to try playing it to earn a few bits. Nopony ever listened, though Apparently guitar is ‘ghastly’.”
“Well I think it was beautiful,” Octavia complimented Vinyl before planting a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for taking the time to play it for me.”
That was it! Vinyl had thought that that song was just a simple one-time thing, but she never could have guessed the implications it would play later in her life. It had a message to it. Taking the time to sit up in her chair and look at Octavia, she spoke her first words in hours.
“I’ll be patient and wait for you, Octavia. Because I need you, and things that you need are worth waiting for...”
