Healing Dashby TheGentlemanCreeperChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5EpilogueChapter 1After a day and a half of walking, you finally make it to your destination: Ponyville. From what you’ve heard, it’s supposed to be a quiet little town and not as noisy or busy as the city was. Just the way you wanted it. The winding road leads you to the outskirts of town and you relish the thought of being able to rest your hooves. They taught a lot at Canterlot Medical School, but teleportation magic wasn’t on the curriculum and you’ve been walking for almost a full day. Taking in a deep breath, the country air was a nice change from the thick, stagnant air of the Manehattan. Just as you begin to daydream of lazy summer days, sitting on your front porch without a care in the world, a voice cries out to. “LOOK OUT!” Looking up, you see a rainbow colored streak coming towards you and coming towards you fast. Before you have a chance to react, it hits you and knocks you off your hooves. You and the unidentified flying rainbow tumble through the streets of Ponyville, knocking over at least three other unlucky individuals who got in the way. “What just hit me…” you mumble as you rub your head. You try to get up but feel a weight pressing down on you. Opening your eyes, you find yourself staring at a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane lying on top of you. “Sorry about that!” she says as she helps you up “I’m trying to nail down this new trick I’m working on and…” she stops and looks you over a few times. “Hey, you’re new here aren’t you?” You chuckle as you dust yourself off and pick up your saddlebag. “That I am. And thanks, you sure know how to make a stallion feel welcomed. You wouldn’t happen to know where the nearest hospital is, would you?” The mare’s eyes widen in horror. “Oh come on! I couldn’t have hurt you that badly! You’re not going to tell them it was me, are you? Oh man, Mayor is going to fire me and-“ “Hey, hey, hey! It was a joke, honest.” you say, trying to calm her down. “But if you could point me in that direction, that would be great. I’m looking for work.” She blinks a few times, trying to wrap her head around what you’re saying. “I’m a doctor.” you tell her “I came from Manehattan to get a change of scenery and settle down.” “Oh, I see.” she says with a nod “So you don’t know where anything is, do you? Well, lemme show you around Ponyville. You know, like the grand tour! It’s the least I can do after plowing into you like that.” You can’t help but smile, not believing how nice she was being. No pony has ever been this friendly to you. “Thank you very much Ms…” “Ms…Oh! Duh!” she says as she brings a hoof to her forehead. She jumps high into the air, does three front flips, sticks the landing, and spreads her wings out. “Rainbow Dash, the best flier in all of Equestria!” she declares with a final flourish. You stifle a laugh at the odd display. “Lead on, Ms. Dash.” Rainbow Dash trots off and you follow after her, taking in all the sights that Ponyville has to offer. **************** By the end of it all, you’ve got a rough idea where everything is and are now sitting in the café with Rainbow Dash, enjoying your lunch. “What about that pink pony that screamed and ran away the moment she saw me? What was that all about?” you ask, referring to your trip to Sugar Cube Corner. “That’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She gets all excited when someone new shows up in town.” “And why’s that?” you ask. Rainbow Dash smiles mischievously and bites into her sandwich. “You’ll see,” she says through a mouth full of daffodils. You take a sip of your coffee and think back to the rest of the tour. “Do you know anything about Ponyville Urgent Care?” you ask, hoping to get a feel for your potential new stomping grounds. Rainbow Dash swallows the last bit of her sandwich and shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been inside. I’d ask Nurse Redheart if you really wanted to know.” You nod and finish the last of your coffee and motion for the waiter over. “Check please.” The stallion saunters off and returns shortly with a receipt. “Well Ms. Dash, I’ve got to say, it’s been fun and you’ve been really helpful. I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to start house hunting or I’m going to sleep in the streets tonight. Thanks for everything.” You pay the waiter enough to cover yours and Dash's meal, plus a small tip. “No problem. I’m glad I was able to make your arrival to Ponyville at least a little more awesome.” With that, she takes tothe skies. You watch as she rockets off and out of sight, leaving a rainbow colored trail in her wake. “Now where was that realtor again?” you ask aloud. * * * * * * Finding a house in Ponyville was much easier than you thought. Back in Manehattan, home was a stuffy apartment building with a leaky roof and loud neighbors, so you couldn’t help but be excited at the idea of owning your own house. The locals told you of a Parasprite attack and how they ate the houses when a spell to stop them went awry and left a lot of ponies homeless. But when the construction force rebuilt, they got a little to excited and built one too many houses. The realtor was more than happy to sell you a small cottage that had yet to be lived in and after signing the appropriate paperwork and paying the asking price, you walked to your new home, deed in hoof. It looked much like the realtor had described: quaint and modest with a white picket fence out front. Perfect in every way, you think as you unlock the door. Stepping into your new home, you squint into the darkness. The inside of the house was pitch black and you had trouble navigating around. “Where’s that blasted light switch…” you mutter as you feel along the walls. The lights go on and you find yourself assaulted by screaming from all directions. “SURPRISE!” You scream as well, but not in joy. You jump backwards and press your back to the wall while you clutched at your chest. Every pony in the room is silent, except for the bubbly pink mare you met earlier, who was bouncing around the room laughing. “We sure scared you, didn’t we? We were all like ‘SURPRISE!’ and you were all like ‘AHHHHHH!’ So? What do you think?” Pinkie Pie asks. “I think I’m going into atrial fibrillation! What is all this?” you ask as you tried to catch your breath. Looking around the room, you saw nearly half of the town stuffed into your home, wearing party hats and helping themselves to drinks and sweets. Hanging from the ceiling was a banner that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville!’ “It’s a party, silly! For you!” Pinkie Pie said as you put two and two together. “Okay… Not to be rude, but… why?” you ask. “Cause you’re new here, duh!” she states plainly “When Dashie came by with you I didn’t recognize you and if I didn’t recognize you that means you’re new here because I know EVERYPONY in Ponyville and if you’re new that means you don’t have any friends and what better way is there to make friends then with a party?!?” You blink a few times, trying to wrap your head around everything she was telling you. “Uhh… Thank you? I’m sorry, it’s just I’ve never been welcomed into a town like this before. The closest thing Manehattan gave me to a welcoming was a citizen’s tax," you say with a chuckle. From the crowd, you hear a shrill cry as you say the word ‘Manehattan’ A white unicorn with a purple mane runs up to you and unceremoniously pushes Pinkie Pie out of the way. “YOU’RE from Manehattan? Oh darling, you have to tell me all about it! Where you lived, the latest fashion, the styles that are in, and that’s just for starters!” she says, not holding her excitement back. “I…Well, um, you see…” you sputtered out. Before she could ask anything else, an orange earth pony with a blonde mane and cowbow hat puts a hoof over her mouth. “Now hold up Rarity, this feller don’t look like he’s likin’ yer fourth degree. Get a hold of yerself ‘fore ya scare him off.” Rarity looks at you for a moment and nods. “Alright then. But please, stop by the Carousel Boutique later on. We have much to discuss.” And with that, she walks off. “Sorry ‘bout that. Rarity can get a ‘lil obsessive at times. I’m Applejack, pleasure to meet ya.” she says, extending a hoof. You take her hoof and shake, somewhat surprised by her strength. “Oh, it’s not a problem. I’m just a little overwhelmed at all this attention. I’m used to seeing people one at a time back at the clinic.” Applejack doesn’t seem to understand for a moment, but she perks up after a second. “Oh right! Rainbow said you were a doctor! Uh, I hope this isn’t too much trouble, but could I ask you for a favor?” she says above a hushed tone. You give her a nod and let her continue. “Granny Smith’s back has been actin’ up somethin’ fierce. She doesn’t want to go down to the hospital and she keeps saying she’s fine. Is there any chance you can come on up to Sweet Apple Acres and take a look at her?” You don't even hesitate to answer. “I’d be happy to make a house call. My first, actually. Tell her to stay off her feet and get some bed rest. I’ll be by in the morning.” Applejack grimaces at the words ‘bed rest’. “Easier said than done. She can be mighty violent with that walker of hers," she says grimly, leaving you to enjoy yourself. Walking over to the punch table, you grab a nearby bottle and begin to pour yourself a glass when a purple unicorn stops you. “I’d read the label first, if I were you.” Puzzled, you set it down and realize you almost poured yourself a glass of hot sauce. “Don’t worry, I did that too.” she says with a laugh. Grabbing the right bottle this time, you pour yourself some punch and find a place to sit down. Scanning the room, you see Rainbow Dash sitting on the couch, nursing a glass of punch. “Oh hey. How’s the party?” she asks. “Good, good. I guess this is what you meant by ‘You’ll see’. Does Pinkie do this for every new arrival?” you ask. Rainbow Dash smirks. “Pretty much. For her it’s just one party after another.” You don’t say anything for a few moments and try to find something to talk about before the awkward silence kicks in. “So, you’ve been talking about me, I take it?” “Well, yeah. You’re new here. And you’re like a doctor. That’s cool,” she says before taking another sip of punch. “Yeah, it can be pretty cool.” you say as you bring your own cup of punch to your lips. Dash hits your side, almost knocking it out of your grip and points to the other side of the room where a white earth pony with a light pink mane stood. “That’s Nurse Redheart. You wanted a job, why don’t you talk to her?” You follow Dash’s advice and walk towards her. She smiles at you as approach. You clear your throat and put on your best professional tone. “Hello, I’m-“ “You’re the unicorn from Manehattan that Dash was telling me about!” she exclaims. You glance behind you to see Dash grinning ear to ear. Oh, she's good... you think with a grin. “We could really use some help at Ponyville Urgent Care. It’s shorthanded with just me and Nurse Tenderheart and we could really use someone with you’re kind of training. Are you interested in a job?” she asks. The only thing you can do is laugh. “That’s the reason why I came to Ponyville in the first place. When can I start?” “I’ll have to run it by Mayor first and get her approval, but you should be able to start tomorrow afternoon.” You take Nurse Redheart’s hoof and shake it. “Thank you very much. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” You say before trotting back to Dash. “I owe you for that.” You say, still grinning over getting the job. “Heck yeah, you do.” The party came and went, as all parties do, and when the last pony left for home, you happily retire to your new bedroom. Falling into your bed, you pass out before you even touch the pillow. Chapter 2You couldn’t help but get up early this morning. You were very excited about your first case. The morning rituals you preform each day didn't seem to matter and you had to force yourself to take a shower. The only thing that seemed to matter this morning was your patient. You were up so early, in fact, the streets of Ponyville were silent and empty, allowing you to take in the glory of Celestia’s rising the sun. The only thing that made it better was the walk to Sweet Apple Acres. The apple trees were just blooming and they seemed to go on forever in a cascade of whites and pinks. Along the way, you come across a red stallion looking out on the field of apple trees. “They’re quite beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them.” The stallion doesn’t turn around, but gives you a single “Eeyup.” “Well, I’m here to see Granny Smith, is she around?” you ask. Once again, you’re given a single “Eeyup.” You sigh, thinking you’re not going to get much out of him and make your way towards the farm. Remembering back to Applejack’s words, you stop and give it one final shot. “Granny Smith can’t be as violent as Applejack made her out to be, can she?” you ask. You wince as the stallion turns to you and reveals a massive shiner. “What do you think?” he asks. “I think you need an cold pack.” you say as you reach into your saddlebag. Pulling out a plastic pouch, you squeeze it until you hear an audible pop. Shaking the contents together, you give it to him as it starts to chill. “Five minutes on and five minutes off,” you tell him before walking off. “Watch out for her left hook.” The stallion says as you approach the farm. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you knock on the door. “Well lookee here!” Applejack greets you “been wondering when you’d show up. Come on, I’ll show you to Granny Smith.” Without a word, you follow her through the house and to a room in the back. Applejack opens the door for you. “Is there anything you can t-“ before you can say anything else, Applejack slams the door. “Good luck doc!” you hear her say before running off. There, lying in the bed was an elderly mare with a green coat and white mane. She’s staring at you with contempt, as if your very presence was an insult. You couldn’t believe this little old mare was causing all this trouble. “So, Applejack told me that you’re having problems with your back, is that right?” “My back is FINE!” she yells “I don’t need no snake oil salesman coming into my home and tellin’ me there’s something wrong with me!” Sighing heavily, you realize this wasn’t going to be easy. “She sounded very concerned about you when I talked to her. She doesn’t seem like the kind of pony who would ask for help when there was no problem.” “I SAID I’M FINE AND I’LL PROVE IT!” she yells again, this time jumping out of bed and standing without assistance. Surprised, you start to think that they were just overreacting. That is, until you hear something sounding like a branch snap and see Granny Smith’s eyes go wide. “OW OW OW!” she yells as she falls back into bed. “Mrs. Smith, I’m sorry but that doesn’t sound like ‘nothing’.” “I said I’m fine! Just getting’ old, that’s all.” She says, trying to force a smile. You’ve seen a lot of ponies in pain before and know what it looks like when they’re trying to hide it. “Mrs. Smith, I’m just here to help. I’m not going to give you anything. I’m not even going to examine you. Just tell me what you’re feeling and we’ll go from there. Is that alright?” you ask. She crosses her forelegs and looks away, silent. “Could you at least humor me?” She looks like she’s going to protest again, but sighs, defeated. “Fine.” Levitating a piece of paper and a pen, you get ready to write down what she tells you. “My back hurts. That’s nothing new for me, being older than the hills and all. But this is different. It goes down through my back legs and into my hooves, making it impossible to walk.” she says as she rubs her calves. “On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, how would you rate this pain?” you ask. “Eight...Maybe Nine.” she says. You jot down the number and nod. “And when did this start?” She lets out a heavy sigh. “I was trying to lift a box of apple jam out of the cellar. It wasn’t even that heavy! Two jars at the most! But then my back sort of...Made a sound.” You wonder how she could or would hide all of this and jot down more notes. “Kinda of like just now?” Granny Smith nods. “Yeah. But uh… Doctor, there’s somethin’ else.” You look up from your notes. “Yes?” “It’s really embarrassing and I don’t want the others findin’ out.” she says sheepishly. “Mrs. Smith, there is nothing you can tell me that I haven’t heard before. And the only way someone is going to find out is if you tell them. I promise.” Your words reassure her and she takes a deep breath. “I can’t hold my piss. There, I said it.” she says, putting her hoofs to her face in shame. “I’ve had times where it felt like I was going to lose it in front of my family. What would they think of me if they saw me wet myself like a foal?” Rolling up your notes, you smile at her and shift into full doctor mode. “I think I know exactly what’s wrong with you, Mrs. Smith.” The elderly mare's eyes seem to light up at these words. Clearing your throat, you begin. “It sounds like you have a slipped disk in your lumbar spine. You’re age has made your bones weaker and the stress on your back actually cause part of your spine to herniate. The pain you’re feeling in your back is the pressure the herniation is causing on the spinal cord itself. The pain down your back legs is called sciatica and it’s caused when pressure is being put on the sciatic nerve. As for your incontinence, the herniation could be affecting the nerves that control your bladder, actually making it numb. You wouldn't notice that you had to urinate until your bladder actually released itself.” You think you went over Granny Smith’s head with some of the technical speak and try to tone it down for her. “Whether from old age or over exertion, you hurt your back and it’s causing all of your problems. Now let’s talk about treatment.” Granny Smith eyes you cautiously. “What can we do?” “Well, if it’s a simple herniation, then it will actually get better with rest and anti-inflammatories.” “What if it isn’t ‘simple’. What then?” she asks. “Then we may have to consider surgery.” Granny Smith’s eyes go wide and her mouth droops a bit at the word ‘surgery’. “But only as a last resort,” you add, trying to calm her fears “I don’t want you undergoing any needless operations, so let’s try the simple approach first.” Reaching into your pack, you pull out two cloth patches, both about a foot long in length. “These are Cold-Fire patches.” you explain. “They get cold at first, but then warm up and alternate between states. Put one on in the morning and replace it with the other when you go to bed. I also want you to pick up some Willow-Bark pills, 800 milligrams and take as directed. They’re not expensive and will help your back.” She looks at the pieces of cloth skeptically and then back to you. “Is that all?” You nod. “Over the next week, I don’t want you lifting, stretching, bending, or anything else you think will strain your back. If it doesn’t get better by then, I want you to schedule an appointment with Nurse Redheart and we’ll go from there. Any questions?” Granny Smith takes the patches and looks at you, smiling. “No. And thank you doctor. I’d still be acting like a darned idiot if you didn’t show up. Back in my day, doctors were more focused on cures, rather than the people they were pushing it on. Thanks for showing me different.” Grabbing your saddlebag, you head for the door. “Glad I could help. If you need me for anything, just holler.” “Uh, Doctor. Wait,” Granny Smith says nervously, stopping you. “What do I tell Applejack and Big Macintosh?” You shrug plainly. “Whatever you feel comfortable with. But I think ‘I’m sorry’ would be a good place to start.” Walking out the door, you find yourself face to face with Applejack, who was looking over you. “Ya still got all yer teeth and limbs. What happened?” “She’s going to be fine and she should recover.” you say with a comforting smile. Applejack lets out a sigh of relief and guides you to the front door. “Thank you so much, doc. I don’t know how ya did it, but you did.” “Any time, AJ. If you need me, you know where I am.” You were quite happy as you walked back to Ponville Urgent Care. Your first house call went great and you were able to start your new career on the right hoof. Walking through the automatic doors of P.U.C, you greet Nurse Redheart with a smile. “Good afternoon, nurse.” She looks at you and smiles back. “Good afternoon doctor. You have your first patient waiting for you in room one. She asked to see you specifically.” Giving Nurse Redheart a puzzled look, you make your way for the exam room. Looking through the glass, you're surprised to see Rainbow Dash, sitting on the exam table with a bored look on her face. As you enter, she smiles when she sees your face. “Heya doc. I’m here for my check-up. Mayor says I’ve been putting it off for too long." “Not a problem, Ms. Dash I-“ “Can you not call me ‘Ms. Dash’?” she says, slightly annoyed. “It sounds way too formal for me. Dash is fine.” “Of course, Dash. Now, can you hop on the scale?” you say, patting the platform. Dash trots over and steps up on it. The electronic display flickers between numbers for a few moments and finally stops. “Average weight…” you muse aloud, making sure to jot down the number. Bringing up the ruler, you lower it and rest it on top of her shoulder. “Average height.” You motion her off of the scale and bring a stethoscope to her chest. She jumps back a bit and blushes. “Sorry. Cold.” You give her a nod and listen carefully. “Average resting heart rate.” you say with a smile. “I’m anything BUT average!” Dash exclaims as she spreads her wings out. “Ah good!” you say with a smirk. “You already know the next part.” Reaching into a nearby drawer, you fish around until you find a roll of tape measure. “Just stay like that.” you tell her as you unroll it. You take both ends of the roll and touch the tip of her wing to the base. She lets out a gasp as you touch her wing. “I’m sorry, did that hurt?” you ask. Dash shakes her head and stays quiet. You continue to measure her wing and finally finish. “Okay…” you say as you jot down more notes. Dash lets out a sigh of relief for a moment until you say “Now for the other one.” By the end of the examination, Dash’s face is bright red and she’s really quiet. “Alright Dash, everything checks out. You’re as healthy as you can be, but you’re looking a little flushed.” “Well I’m okay, it’s just that I-“ Dash tries to say before you move away some of her rainbow mane and place a hoof on her forehead. “You’re not running a fever.” Dash jumps back, stumbling as she does. “Well thanks doc you’ve been real great bye!” she says quickly before bolting out of the exam room, leaving you there, confused. You don’t have much time to ponder this when you hear Nurse Redheart call out to you. “You have a patient in room two!” Sighing, you push it to the back of your mind and get to work. *********** Your lunch hour came and you decided to go out and find a nice quiet spot where you can enjoy it. The park turned out to be the best and most obvious choice. Sitting down on a bench, you take out the salad you made this morning and about to dig in when something whizzes just above your head. Looking around, you see a familiar rainbow colored streak in the air. Rainbow Dash does a series of flips, rolls, and loop de loops before landing in the middle of the park, but tripping up a bit as she does so. “Stupid! Stick the landing next time!” she says as she stomps her hooves in frustration. “I thought it was pretty good.” you say as you take a bite into your lunch. Rainbow Dash spins around shocked. “What are you doing here?” she asks, blushing slightly. “Well, this is a public park and it is time for lunch. But please, don’t stop on my part,” you say with a smile. “Your performance was quite spectacular.” “It doesn’t matter,” she says sullenly “If it’s not perfect, than it’s not good.” “Well, then…” you say as put aside your half eaten salad “Show me what perfect looks like. I’ve got time.” Dash smiles. “You got it.” Taking off to the skies again, she performs a series of flight maneuvers you’ve only seen pulled off by the Wonderbolts. Your heart leaps and soars at the spectacle and you can’t help but give her a round of applause when she’s done. “That was beautiful! Where did you learn that?” you ask excitedly. Dash rubs the back of her head with her hoof, looking a little bashful from the praise. “I learned the basics from flight school and picked the rest up as I went along. I’m hoping to try out for the Wonderbolts as soon as I get good enough!” “And I’m sure you’ll make it in, no problem,” you say as you get up. Your lunch hour was over, but you still wanted to see Dash perform. “Hey, are you always practicing around this time?” you ask. Dash nods. “Every day.” “Then do you think we can make this a regular thing? I swing by on my lunch hour and watch you practice? I had a lot of fun.” you say with a smile. Dash smiles back at you. “Sure! It was pretty cool having an audience for a change, even if it was like one pony. So, see you tomorrow?” “See you tomorrow.” you say as you make your back for Ponyville Urgent Care. ************** It soon became a regular thing for you to watch Rainbow Dash practice as you ate your lunch. On more than one occasion, you shared what you had with her, something she was very grateful for. Naturally, she was quite happy when you showed up with a whole basket filled with food. Picnic in the park with Rainbow Dash became a normal thing for over a month for you. That’s why you were surprised when she didn’t show up one day. “Huh… She must be busy today,” you say to yourself on the way back to Ponyville Urgent Care. The day slowly crept to an end and you were just about to leave when you were knocked over by Pinkie Pie, who was speaking too fast for you to understand. “DoctordoctoryouhavetohurryDashwastryingtodothisnewtrickandshefelland-“ “Pinkie! Slow down and tell me what’s wrong!” Pinkie Pie takes a deep breath and looks at you, her eyes tearing up. “Dashie’s hurt! Twilight and Applejack are coming here with her!” Your heart sinks at the thought of Dash hurt enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. You stop yourself from getting too emotional and turn to the two nurses standing behind you. “Nurse Tenderheart, you’re with me. Get a gurney ready. Nurse Redheart, prep the O.R. just in case.” The Nurses run off without asking any questions, leaving you with Pinkie Pie, who was on the verge of tears. “Pinkie, how bad is it?” She starts to cry openly. “Bad.” Chapter 3“COMING THROUGH, MAKE WAY!” Applejack yells as she hauled a wagon in through the front door of the hospital. In the back was Twilight, who has doing everything she could to keep Dash calm. However, she wasn’t doing such a good job at keeping herself calm. “Y-You’re going to be fine Dash! We’re here and you’re going to be fine!” Twilight repeated, trying to choke back tears. Grabbing the gurney, you and Nurse Tenderheart wheel it over and finally get to see the extent of Dash’s injuries. Her front left leg was obviously broken. Bloody white bone stuck out of her leg like a spear. Her back left leg looked fine, albeit a little swollen, but the thing that really made your heart sink was her pride and joy. Her left wing was bent at an awkward angle and dripped crimson blood every so often. She didn’t even seem to notice you, her friends, or anything around her. She just cried rivers of tears as she moaned in pain. All you wanted to do was hold the blue angel in front of you and make her pain go away, but you knew what you had to do. “Alright! Applejack, Twilight, you slip a hoof under her belly on her right side, Nurse Tenderheart, you and I on left. On three, we move her to the gurney.” Rainbow Dash winced as you and the others got ready to move her. “Watch her leg Nurse and make sure to set her down gently. Okay… One. Two. Three!” All at once you and the others lift up on Dash and ease her onto the gurney. You wince as she screams out in pain as her broken leg bumps into the side of the gurney. “I SAID WATCH HER LEG, DAMNIT!” you yell at Nurse Tenderheart. She shrinks back in shock. “I’m sorry! I-“ “We don’t have time for this! Go to O.R. and scrub up with Nurse Redheat!” Nurse Tenderheart ran off as quickly as she can, leaving you with Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Dash sobs heavily as you run a hoof through her mane. “Dash, it’s going to be okay.” you say, trying to comfort her. She looks up at you, her eyes full of tears. “I’m going to put you to sleep for now and when you wake up, you’ll be fine, I promise.” You focus on the magic inside of you and bring it through your body to your horn. Touching it to Dash’s head, her eyes close and she goes quiet. With her under, you grab a hold of the gurney and move it as fast as you dared towards the operating room. Nurse Redheart and Nurse Tenderheart were fully dressed in scrubs, waiting for you. “Get her prepped while I wash up!” you tell them as you throw off your coat and don a set of scrubs. You’ve done this many times before and let the ritual take over as you let your mind wander for a moment. What happened? Was it really an accident? Is she going to be okay? You push those intrusive thoughts to the back to your mind and walk through the doors leading to the operating room. Dash had an I.V. full of anesthetic going into her left left leg and a tube down her throat, which was hooked up to a pump that Nurse Tenderheart was pushing on manually. “Just keep the respirator going, Nurse Tenderheart. Redheart, hang a blood bag. You’re with me. Let’s take a look at the damage.” Turning to Dash, you bring the magic up from within you again and spread it above Dash’s body. The magic aura shimmers as it hung in the air and looking through it, the skeleton beneath the flesh was revealed, creating a perfect x-ray. “Her metacarpal bone is broken, but it’ll heal on its own once we set it. Her back ankle is twisted, not broken, so that’s a relief. But her wing… She’s broken her humerus, ulna, and carpometacarpus.” “She may never fly again…” Nurse Redheart says aloud. You let the magic fade and ignore Nurse Redheart. Levitating a scalpel, you begin. * * * * * * * * Six hours later, you walk out of the operating room, exhausted. Slipping off your scrubs, you throw them away and stagger into the waiting room. There, you find Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy sleeping on the couch. You figure that they fell asleep, waiting for any word about their friend. “You’ve got good friends, Dash," you say aloud as you try to stifle a yawn. You take a look at the clock on the wall and sigh. Three AM… I’ll just take a nap for a bit… you say as you sit down on the couch with them. Slowly, but surely, you drift to sleep. * * * * * * * * “How are you feeling, Ms. Dash?” you ask as you walk into the hospital room. “Ms…Dash? Is that my name?” “I was afraid of this…” you say as you sit down by her side. “When you came in, you were very hurt. You almost didn’t make the trip here. But there you were in my O.R., clinging onto life. I made the decision to use my magic to heal you, but there were some side effects.” “Side effects? What do you mean?” “Ms. Dash, I’m afraid you have…Amnesia.” Dash looks at you with a look of panic. “What am I supposed to do, Doctor? I don’t know anything!” she yells, tears streaking down her face. Taking her hoof in yours, you move closer to her. “Know this. I love you and will help you through this.” you lean forward and kiss her. At first she protests, but she’s soon moaning in ecstasy as the kisses come hot and faster. “Doctor…I-“ * * * * * * * * Before you realize it, you’re being shaken awake by Nurse Tenderheart. “Doctor, wake up. The patient is awake” Looking around, you realize that you were dreaming. No more Stable Hospital for me… you think, trying to push the remnant feelings of the dream away. “She’s awake? Then that means the surgery went okay?” you hear a voice say to your side. Looking, you find Twilight staring at you, waiting for an answer. “Yes, the surgery went well. Wake up the others and let them know what’s going on. I want to check on her before she has any visitors.” you say. You follow Nurse Tenderheart to Dash’s room and find Nurse Redheart hanging a new I.V. “She was complaining of pain, so I give her a Five-Poppy drip.” Nurse Redheart explains. “Thank you Nurse. If the pain gets worse, bump her up to four," you say as you examine the I.V. "How are you feeling Dash?” Rainbow Dash looks up at you as she’s lying on her belly. Her left front leg was wrapped in a cast and splayed out over the bed. Her left wing was wrapped in bandages and tied to her side. “Lousy…” she says groggily. “Your friends are here. They’re asking to see you.” Dash looks nervous for a moment, but nods. “O-Okay.” You look to Nurse Redheart and she leaves the room, only to return later with the five mares in tow. Rainbow Dash forces a smile. “Hey guys. Don’t worry. It’s not as bad as it looks.” The five don’t say anything and just look at their friend, who was trying to make her injuries sound like nothing. Surpisingly, Fluttershy was the first to speak up. “Is she going to be okay?” “The leg was the easy part. We set the bone and it will heal on its own. The wing was what took the longest. What we did was reassemble the bone the best we could and then use magic to stimulate the healing process.” Dash looks at you, confused. “Stimulate? You couldn’t just, you know, abra kadabra it and heal it totally?” she asked. A smile breaks across Twilight’s face. “Of course! I’ve read about healing magic, we can-“ “No. No you can't.” you say plainly. Twilight looks at you, her face contorting in rage. “What do you mean by that? We can do it if we just-“ “NO, YOU CAN'T!” you yell, making everyone jump. “Don’t you think I would have done that in the first place? You can’t use magic to heal wounds completely! It’s caused everything from infections, atrophy, and even all sorts of cancers. I knit together a total quarter millimeter of bone and even that’s pushing it.” Twilight starts to tear up. “I’m-I’m sorry, I just want to do something to help.” Feeling bad for snapping, you move to Twilight's side and put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I know you do and I’m sorry for yelling. I’ve just seen too many ponies lose something from healing magic mishaps.” you say with remorse. Silence fills the air for a few minutes before Dash speaks up. “How long until I can fly again?” You sigh heavily and sit down on the bed next to her. “Best case scenario? Everything heals without any complications? I’d give you six, maybe eight weeks at the most.” Dash gasps aloud. “THAT long?!?” “And I can’t even guarantee that. I’m sorry Dash, there’s nothing else I can do.” Dash puts a hoof over her face and cries. “Rainbow Dash… Are you okay?” Rarity asks above a whisper. “I want to be alone…” she says with a ragged sob. Chapter 4The days passed and Dash barely said a single word. She wouldn’t even look at you when you came in to change her bandages. That all changed when you told her she was ready to be discharged. “But I can’t fly up to my home! Where do I go?” she asks with panic. “Can’t you stay with one of your friends?” you ask. Dash shakes her head. “No, I don’t want to be a bother to them. They all have their own thing they have to do and they can’t have me hanging around like a lump.” Her eyes perk up. “What if I stay with you? I mean, you’re a doctor! You’re supposed to take care of people!” she backs down a bit, realizing how forward she was being. “That is, if you’re okay with it.” Sighing, you give in and tussle Dash’s mane. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Dash. Is there anything you want from your house?” She blushes a bit and becomes a little less forward. “Uh, ya… Ya. Fluttershy can stop by and pick those up. I’ll-“ “You’ll stay here. I'll talk to Fluttershy.” you say as you step out of the room. Fluttershy was more than happy to pick up some of Dash’s things and went right to work packing up whatever she thought Dash wanted or needed for a speedy recovery. You planned to meet up with her when you wheeled Dash to your home. Dash was against using the wheelchair, but caved after you told her it was either that or be carried. Fluttershy was placing the last of the boxes in your living when you met up with her. You had told her where the key was and to let herself in. “Oh, hi. I grabbed some blankets, pajamas, and some things to make Dash feel more at home.” “Fluttershy, may I ask you a question?” “Of course, Doctor.” “Why do you have a turtle on your back?” you ask, pointing to the turtle with the blue shell and two yellow lightning bolts on its back. “Terry! Oh my gosh, I almost forgot about you!” Dash yells, reaching for the turtle. Fluttershy walks over to Dash and lets her scoop Terry off her back. "I took care of him while you were in the hospital, I hope you don't mind" Fluttershy says with a sheepish smile. "Not all, thanks 'shy." “Feeling better now?” you ask. Dash smiles at you. “Ya, I am.” “Good. Thanks for the help Fluttershy, I’ve got it from here.” “Okay. Get well soon, Dash.” she says before trotting off. You wheel dash into your living room and help her onto your couch. “I am never going to get used to being wheeled around in that thing.” she grumbles. You ignore her complaints and instead begin laying down the framework for Dash's stay with you. “You’ll stay in my room and I’ll take the guest room upstairs.” “No, don’t do that! Why don’t I use the guest room?” You point at her leg and she gets the idea. “Oh… Right.” You chuckle as you pick up a box and begin to take it into your room when Dash sees it and begins to visibly panic “WAIT! Give me that!” she yells as she struggles to get off of the couch. You stop and look at her, confused. “Uh, sure. Is there something wrong?” you say as you hand the box off to her. “I might need Fluttershy to take it back and-“ at that moment, Terry decided he was tired of being held and jumped out of Dash’s arms. This made her flail around and lose her grip on the box, spilling its contents over the floor. It was at that moment that things got very awkward. Dash’s face became bright red as you looked at the numerous copies of “PlayMare”, “Stableloft”, and an assortment of sex toys, some of which you’ve never seen before. Dash screams at the top of her lungs and dives for the floor as she tries to cover up what just happened. “OH DEAR CELESTIA! WHY DID FLUTTERSHY GRAB THIS?!? IT WAS HIDDEN UNDER MY BED! IT EVEN SAYS KEEP OUT!” she groans and covers her face. “YOU PROBABLY THINK I’M SOME BIG PERVERT NOW, PLEASE I CAN EXPLAIN I-” “Dash, calm down!” you yell. Dash stops screaming and looks up at you, tears in her eyes. You feel your face go red as what is now on your floor sinks in. “This is perfectly normal for a mare of your age and-“ A buzzing sound coming from underneath Dash makes you stop and causes Dash to freak out again. “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?” she yells. You leave Dash alone and let her pick up her things and return when she calls out to you. She's back on the couch, looking away from you as you enter the room. Once you sit down, she takes your hoof into hers. “I’m SO sorry for that. Please don’t be mad or anything it’s just that when I’m the air and everything and I get back down, I feel so… Well, you know and I to need well…You know. You Know?” she says quickly, her voice full of panic. You can’t help but laugh aloud at this display. Her face contorts in a mix of anger and hurt. “What’s so funny?!?” You take a breath and collect yourself. “You. Big, tough, Rainbow Dash goes to pieces when someone finds out her secret. And while yes, that was pretty much the definition of awkward, I couldn’t be mad at you. I’ve seen and heard just about everything, so just relax.” you say as you put a hoof on her shoulder. Dash lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I feel a lot better.” she says as she leans on you. “Speaking of which…” you begin “Give me a heads up if you’re going to do that so I can go for a walk or something. Or you know, if you need any help I can…” Dash jumps back, blushing heavily. You smile and she realizes you’re teasing her. She laughs aloud before punching your shoulder. "Shut up!" You laugh with her as you rub your shoulder. “You should get some sleep Dash. Here, lemme help you.” You maneuver yourself so Dash isn’t walking on her broken leg and help her into to the bed. Laying her down gently, you smile. “Good night Dash.” She doesn’t hear you. She’s already asleep. * * * * * * * * * * * * Holding the tray in your mouth, you back into the door and walk into Dash’s room. She was just waking up from a good night’s sleep and smiles as she sees what’s on the tray: Two eggs, sunny side up, wheat toast, and a glass of orange juice. “Breakfast in bed again? You’re making me feel like royalty.” She says as you set the tray down on her lap. A few days had passed since Rainbow Dash moved in and she was quite overwhelmed by the treatment. “It’s no trouble. Just get some rest, okay? I’ll stop by the café and pick something up for us around lunch. You know where the bathroom is and my personal number at the hospital if you need anything. In the meantime, get some rest.” You give her a quick hug and make your way out. “See you later!” Dash yells out through a mouthful of food. “Oh, and if you do have to get out of bed, I shouldn’t have to tell you to stay off that leg.” you yell to her as you slip on your white coat. “Use the other three if you really have to.” “I will!” On the way to Ponyville Urgent Care, you bump into Rarity, who was browsing the market for new fabrics. “Oh Doctor! It’s ever so good to see you! How is Rainbow Dash doing?” “She’s doing well. She seems to be taking it in strides.” Rarity smiles. “That’s wonderful news. Oh! Do you think you could stop by this afternoon? I’ve been working on a little something for her. A ‘get well soon gift’, if you will.” “Oh? What is it? Some sort of fashionable hospital gown?” you ask with a tease. “No, but that is something I should look into… It’s a quilt! I know how Rainbow Dash is so used to sleeping on clouds, so I’ve been working on something that’s just as soft!” You relish the thought of sleeping on a cloud. Especially since the guest bed was so rough on your back. “I’ll make sure to do that. I’m sure Dash will be grateful.” “Oh, I know she will. Goodbye Doctor. Have a nice day.” Rarity says as she trots off, new bolts of fabric in hoof. You make a mental note to stop by the Carousel Boutique after picking up dinner and continue on. “Good morning, Doctor.” Nurse Tenderheart says with a smile as you walk in. “Good morning. Got anything for me?” “Why in fact I do. Exam room two. Here’s the file.” she says as she hands the manila folder. Levitating the file in front of you, you look it over quickly before entering the room. “Hello Mrs. Doo. It says here that your daughter needs her flu shot, is that right?” you ask. You’re a little surprised as you notice the pegasus’ wall eyed expression. One eye was looking at you while the other was admiring the ceiling. Ditzy nods. “Yup! Muffin don’t need to get sick!” Looking around, you spy Dinky hiding behind her mother’s legs. “Well there you are. Come on, I don’t bite.” you say, trying to coax her out. Ditzy steps out of the way and lets you get a look at Dinky. The gray unicorn is shaking in fear as you look down at her, so it’s pretty clear that she doesn’t like doctors. You get down to her eye level and let her look at you. She stops shaking and takes a step closer. “See, I’m not so scary. Now you’re going to need a shot so you don’t get sick. Getting sick is worse than the shot. Trust me.” you say in a gentle tone “Now just hop up on the table and we can get this done with and then you won’t have to do it again for a whole year.” Dinky doesn’t say anything, but follows your directions and gets on the exam table. Walking over to the counter, you pull out the flu shot, making Dinky cringe in fright at the size of the needle. You levitate the needle into the air and look at Dinky, who was waiting for you to make your move. Instead, you slowly start to look up and stare at the ceiling. Dinky follows your gaze to the ceiling. You take this opportunity to put the needle into her foreleg and inject the contents in less time it takes for her to react. “OW OW! That hurt, you meanie!” she yells. “I’m sorry about that. Would a lollipop help you forgive me?” you ask as you pull out the candy from the same drawer you got the needle. Dinky smiles and takes the lollipop from you. “I forgive you.” “Well, that wraps it up, then. Come back if there’s any problems.” * * * * * * * * * Dinky and Ditzy were your only patients all day. You went back home with some takeout spaghetti from the café for your lunch hour, which you and Dash enjoyed. The day wrapped up quickly and you were coming home with the quilt that Rarity had made for Rainbow Dash. Not only did it look like a cloud, but it felt like one too. “I’m home Dash!” you yell “I’ve got dinner and you’ve got a present from Rarity!” “I’m coming!” Dash hobbles up and her, eyes light up at the sight of the quilt. “This is what Rarity made? It's SO cool!” She moves over carefully, making sure not to hit her leg and rubs her head against the quilt. “Oh wow, it feels just like a real cloud…" Dash's eyes darted hungrily to the bag you carried at your side "What did you get for dinner?” “Ever have a Coltpania style Pizza before?” you ask with a grin as you set the bag down on the table. Dash furrows her brow as she sniffs the bag. “I’ve had pizza before, but not from Coltpania. What is it?” “It’s got a lot more tomato sauce in it and they used actual tomatoes, peppers, and spring onions from Coltpania, so it tastes great. I had it before while I was studying abroad and it was AMAZING. You have to try it.” Taking the dish out of the bag, you remove the plastic wrap from it and let the smell linger for a moment. Dash takes a deep breath. “Oh wow, that smells so good!” Carefully, you cut her a sizeable piece and set her plate on the table. She sits down and takes a big bite, only to stick out her tongue in pain. “HOT HOT HOT!” she yells. “Well of course it’s hot, you ditz!” you say with a laugh “It just came out of the oven not too long ago. Let it cool or you’ll burn your mouth.” Dash let’s it cool down this time before taking a big bit from it. “This IS good!” she says inbetween bites. “Glad you like it. Just don’t choke on it, jeez. Good thing there’s a doctor at least a foot away.” Dash giggles and takes another bite. “It wouldn’t be that bad. I’m fine with you giving me mouth to mouth.” You smile bashfully as your cheeks become red. I'm fine with it, too Dinner was easy to clean up and the night came quick. “It’s time for bed. Here, lemme spread out your new quilt.” You use your magic to levitate the quilt and spread it over and tuck it into the bed. With your help, Dash gingerly climbs onto the bed and lets out a contented sigh as she settles down. “Rarity may be uptight sometimes, but that pony knows how to sew! Come on, get in here. It feels awesome!” You crawl into bed with Dash and blush when you feel her snuggle right up to you. You remain quiet and enjoy the feeling of Dash pressed up against your body. “Why don’t you sleep with me tonight? I mean if you want to. It just that you do so much for me and it’s the least I can do for everything you’ve been doing for me.” You wrap your hooves around Dash, causing her face to go flush. “Go to sleep, Dash.” “Doctor’s orders?” she asks. You lean forward and plant a kiss on her lips. She looks at you, stunned. “Doctor’s orders.” you say with an ear to ear grin. Falling asleep on a cloud with Rainbow Dash in your hooves; you’ve never had a better night’s sleep. Chapter 5“Morning cutie.” Your eyes flicker open slowly and you find Rainbow Dash staring at you with a goofy smile. “You drool.” You lift your head off the pillow and wipe away the spittle. “Watching me sleep?” “I was going to wake you up, but you looked so peaceful.” Dash inches closer and places her lips on yours. You kiss her back, slowly at first, relishing the feeling. You feel Dash’s tongue press against your mouth and you gladly allow her entrance, letting your saliva mix and giving you a euphoric rush. You feel a bit disappointed when Dash breaks the kiss. “What are we doing today?” she asks. Getting out of bed, you stretch yourself out and yawn. “Well, Nurse Redheart told me not to come in today, saying something about working too hard and needing some time off, so I’m pretty much free.” Dash gingerly gets off of the bed and steps lightly on her once broken leg. It has been a month and a half since Rainbow Dash moved in and you two fell in love. She was ecstatic when you told her that the cast on her leg was ready to come off. She still feels a bit of pain and is very careful not to push herself, but she's happy that she doesn’t need to be carted around anymore ‘like an old gray mare’, as she put it. “So, what? We lounge around the house all day?” she asks as she sits down at the breakfast table. This had become a ritual for you two: Falling asleep in each others hooves, waking up, and then breakfast, cooked by you. Dash had attempted to make breakfast before, but the Ponyville Volunteer Fire Department discouraged her from trying again. You try to think of something to do today as you whip the eggs, milk, and vegetables together. “Well, what do you want to do?” you ask as you pour the contents into the frying pan. “Oh, do you want any cheese in your omelet?” “Honestly, I don’t care. I want to get out and about though. I’ve felt cooped up for so long.” Dash says as she looks out the window “And yes please.” You finish cooking breakfast without another word and pass Dash her plate. “Hmmm…” you muse as you bite into your omelet. “How about a date?” Dash looks at you, surprised. “A date? Like a date-date?” You give her a nod and smile. “Sure. Let’s just walk around Ponyville and enjoy ourselves. I’ve got some spending money that’s burning a hole in my wallet.” Dash blushes a bit and says something under her breath as she takes another bite into her breakfast. “What was that?” you ask. “I said I’ve never been a date before, okay. I just don’t know what to do or what the other ponies will think.” You lean forward and nuzzle her neck, causing her to giggle. “Come on, you don’t need to be embarrassed. And if anyone says anything mean to me, you can just beat them up.” “Oh? I thought it was supposed to be the other way around.” Dash says as she nuzzles back. “Hey, I made an oath to do no harm. But if you DID send them to the hospital, at least I can mess with them a bit. You know, tell them they need brain surgery, knock ‘em out, and put a bunch of bandages on their head.” Dash laughs at the idea. “Oh man, that would be SO mean!” “So how about it? Is it a date?” Dash gives you a quick peck on the cheek and smiles. “It’s a date.” You and Dash took a shower together after breakfast, another thing that had become ritual. You washed Dash down and she washed you. You make sure to be really careful around her left wing and pay special attention to the other. “Ohhhh…. That feels so nice….” Dash says as you massage and knead her wing. You knew all of her sensitive spots and by the end, she’s panting heavily and begging you not to stop. In all of a sudden, Dash screams out in pleasure and leans next to shower wall, trying not to fall over. “Ah…Ah….Ahhhhh…. That was…. Oh gosh…. “ Dash catches her breath and turns to you. “Your turn.” You’d do this for her and in return, she’d pay attention to your special area. “How’s that feel, baby?” she asks with a tease as she takes it out of her mouth. You give her a nod and grit your teeth as she starts to move faster. “I’ll never figure out why a unicorn’s horn is so sensitive. It’s weird.” she says aloud, taking her mouth off again. You look up to her and see her face bright red. “Says…Says the pony that’s... That’s getting off to it.” Dash looks at you, embarrassed. “Shut up.” Dash goes back down on your horn, swirling her tongue around it as she does, making your whole body spasm as she hits the ridges. You reach the apex and yell out in pleasure. Your legs give out and you crumple to the shower floor, panting heavily. Before you can get a chance to bask in your afterglow, you hear a laugh from above you. “You going to get ready or are we spending your day off in the shower?” Dash asks with a snicker. “Shut up…” you pant. You and Dash leave the shower behind and and hit the town. The first place you stop is Sugar Cube Corner after explaining to Dash that you’ve been having a craving for something sweet. “Welcome to-“ Pinkie Pie began as she heard the door open. “Oh my gosh! Doc and Dashie! This is a surprise! What’chya up to?” she asks. “Hi Pinkie. I was wondering if you had any cannolis.” Pinkie Pie looks at you, confused. “What’s a cannolis?” she asks. “From what he’s told me, it’s like a doughnut they’ve got overseas.” Dash tries to explain “It’s a little pastry tube filled with cream.” Pinkie Pie shakes her head at the explanation. “Sorry, we don’t have any of those. That’s too bad, they sound good.” “They are. And what if we make them? I’ve got an idea on how. I hung around the baker’s shop a lot when I did that exchange program.” “Oooh! That’s a great idea!" Pinkie yells excitedly "You guys can help and Mr. and Mrs. Cake would love to add something new to their selection!” You, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash set out to work, each doing their own thing. You got out the right ingredients and mixed it together while Pinkie Pie got the oil ready and Dash rolled the dough. “Ow!” Dash yelled out. “Are you okay? What happened?” you say as you rush over to Dash’s side. “Ya, I’m fine. It’s just my leg.” she says as she holds up her once broken leg. “Here, let me do it for you.” you say as you try to move her out of the way. Dash pushes you back and stays put. “No, I can do it!” You want to tell her not to push herself and to listen to you, as her doctor, but get a better idea. Getting onto her left side, you grab one end of the rolling pin. “I’ll get this side, you get the other. We’ll do it together.” Dash sighs. “Fine, fine.” You and Dash manage to work out a rhythm and laugh every time you and her go in the wrong direction. Pinkie Pie gasps aloud, making both of you stop. “Pinkie senses tingling! Ear flap, nose twitch-” she holds a hoof to her mouth and burps. “heartburn…” Pinkie Pie gasps even louder this time as she looks at both of you. “Ohmygosh! You two are in love! I’m so happy for you!” Both Dash and you blush heavily at the sudden revelation. “No! I mean, yes, but we’re ah well…” She sighs heavily. “What’s the point… Yes, Pinkie. We’re in love.” Pinkie Pie claps her hooves together. “This is like out of a romance novel! It’s so cute!” Laughing, you try to nudge Pinkie Pie back towards the oil. “Come one, watch the oil so it doesn’t catch on fire. We don’t need a visit from the fire department.” The cannolis didn’t take that long to cook and you were happy to have them. Dash leaned up against you as you walked, wearing a goofy smile. “The entire town is going to know now that Pinkie knows. And I’m fine with it. Feels great to get if off my chest and out there.” You reach into the bag and grab a cannoli. “Tat’s ‘ood a ‘ear.” You say before finishing it. “As long as you’re comfortable with it… Hey, what’s wrong?” Dash had stopped and was wiggling her back. “It’s my wing. It’s so itchy and tingly. Can you take a look at it?” You slowly start to unwrap Dash’s wing and look it over. “There’s nothing wrong with the wing on the outside. Lemme take a look on the inside real quick.” You bring forth the magic within and form the x-ray spell again and examine the bone itself. Looking at the wing, you gasp aloud. “Oh dear Celestia… That’s…” you feel your eyes begin to tear up at the sight. There's no way this is possible... Dash whips around and looks at you, panicking. “What’s wrong?” she asks. She sees the look on your face and starts to panic. “TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG!” she yells. “Dash…Your wing.” “WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY WING?!?” she yells, full on crying “TELL ME!” You wrap your hooves around her and embrace her. “Dash, your wing... It’s almost fully healed.” Epilogue“Okay Dash, now carefully, I want you to go through a full range of motions with your wing. Stop if anything hurts and don’t push yourself.” you tell Dash. When you told Dash that her wing was almost healed, she immediately wanted to celebrate with a nice, long fly around Ponyville, but you forbade her as her doctor. Instead, you were now at the hospital in the physical therapy room. “Tell me again why I can’t fly yet?” she asks, slowly moving her wing up and down. “I said ALMOST fully healed. It’s healed enough where the bandages can come off, but I’d rather not risk another injury. So I thought it would be best if we started physical therapy right away.” Dash sighs and starts to move her wing with more before scrunching up her face. “Something wrong?” “I don’t know.” Dash says. “My wing still feels really stiff and weak.” Walking over to her, you look her over before shrugging. “It’s probably muscle atrophy. You haven’t used it in a long time, so that’s no surprise. Don’t worry, it’ll go away in due time as long as you do the therapy.” “Come on! Let me fly! I’m itching to actually use it!” Dash pleads as she extends her wings fully. “Dash, I swear if you don’t listen to me, I’m going to tie you to the bed.” “That’s okay. I like kinky.” Dash says with a suggestive smile. Images of leather, riding crops, and bondage fill your mind, causing you to blush. “Maybe we can see about Rarity making something special for us. I hear she’s into that sort of thing.” Dash says with a playful nudge. You force yourself to focus on the task at hand and clear your throat. “Okay then. Let’s begin.” Dash stops teasing you and nods. “What do I do?” she asks. You’ve never done physical therapy with a Pegasus before, so nothing comes to mind immediately. Finally, you get an idea. “What were the basics you learned at Flight School?” you ask. “Well, we’d take a few steps, hop, and then flap our wings once.” “Let’s start with that then.” you say. Dash trots around the room, hoping into the air occasionally and flapping her wings to get momentary air. “Can’t we go onto the more advanced stuff? This is boooring.” she says with a groan. “Baby steps, Dash. Let’s just take this one day at a time.” Dash sighs heavily. “Fine….” And you did just that. Each day, Dash would complain about the exercises being stupid and boring, but she didn’t see the strides she was making each day. By the end of the first week, Dash was already flying through the air with ease. Although, she couldn’t pull off her famous aerial acrobatics just yet, that changed within the next week. “Ms. Rainbow Dash, it is with great pride that I can give you a clean bill of health.” you say beaming. Dash settles down in front of you as you finish your lunch, picking up the old routine where it left off. Dash stares at you for some time, which starts makes you uncomfortable. “Is there something wrong?” you ask “Well... Since I can fly again, that probably means you want me out of your house...” she says sullenly. Her words strike you heart. You had been so used to having her with you, that the idea of her leaving made your stomach sink into your hooves. “Well, I guess you could.” you say with a hint of sadness in your voice. Dash doesn’t say anything and you avoid eye contact. It isn’t until you hear sniffling that you actually look at her. She was doing everything she could to not breakdown right then and there. “I-I-I don’t want to... I want to stay.” Dash leaps forward and embraces you. “You’ve done so much for me. I probably would have given up right there at the beginning if it wasn’t for you. You were there for me every step of the way. I don’t want leave!” You hug Dash back and look into her eyes. “Dash, you’ve made me the happiest I've ever been. You’d break my heart if you left, but I don’t want to force you to do anything.” Dash kisses you softly on the lips and smiles. “Let’s go home.” You and Dash got looks and whispers as you walked through Ponyville, but you two didn’t care. You were too happy to be held in Dash’s warm, soft wing. When you finally make it home, you and Dash collapse on the bed and hold eachother. “What did I do to deserve an awesome boyfriend like you?” Dash asks. You kiss her tenderly and smile. “You crashed.” Dash smiles as she punches you in the shoulder. “Shut up and go to sleep before YOU’RE the one in the hospital.” You laugh and give Dash a quick kiss. “I love you.” “I love you too.”
Chapter 1After a day and a half of walking, you finally make it to your destination: Ponyville. From what you’ve heard, it’s supposed to be a quiet little town and not as noisy or busy as the city was. Just the way you wanted it. The winding road leads you to the outskirts of town and you relish the thought of being able to rest your hooves. They taught a lot at Canterlot Medical School, but teleportation magic wasn’t on the curriculum and you’ve been walking for almost a full day. Taking in a deep breath, the country air was a nice change from the thick, stagnant air of the Manehattan. Just as you begin to daydream of lazy summer days, sitting on your front porch without a care in the world, a voice cries out to. “LOOK OUT!” Looking up, you see a rainbow colored streak coming towards you and coming towards you fast. Before you have a chance to react, it hits you and knocks you off your hooves. You and the unidentified flying rainbow tumble through the streets of Ponyville, knocking over at least three other unlucky individuals who got in the way. “What just hit me…” you mumble as you rub your head. You try to get up but feel a weight pressing down on you. Opening your eyes, you find yourself staring at a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane lying on top of you. “Sorry about that!” she says as she helps you up “I’m trying to nail down this new trick I’m working on and…” she stops and looks you over a few times. “Hey, you’re new here aren’t you?” You chuckle as you dust yourself off and pick up your saddlebag. “That I am. And thanks, you sure know how to make a stallion feel welcomed. You wouldn’t happen to know where the nearest hospital is, would you?” The mare’s eyes widen in horror. “Oh come on! I couldn’t have hurt you that badly! You’re not going to tell them it was me, are you? Oh man, Mayor is going to fire me and-“ “Hey, hey, hey! It was a joke, honest.” you say, trying to calm her down. “But if you could point me in that direction, that would be great. I’m looking for work.” She blinks a few times, trying to wrap her head around what you’re saying. “I’m a doctor.” you tell her “I came from Manehattan to get a change of scenery and settle down.” “Oh, I see.” she says with a nod “So you don’t know where anything is, do you? Well, lemme show you around Ponyville. You know, like the grand tour! It’s the least I can do after plowing into you like that.” You can’t help but smile, not believing how nice she was being. No pony has ever been this friendly to you. “Thank you very much Ms…” “Ms…Oh! Duh!” she says as she brings a hoof to her forehead. She jumps high into the air, does three front flips, sticks the landing, and spreads her wings out. “Rainbow Dash, the best flier in all of Equestria!” she declares with a final flourish. You stifle a laugh at the odd display. “Lead on, Ms. Dash.” Rainbow Dash trots off and you follow after her, taking in all the sights that Ponyville has to offer. **************** By the end of it all, you’ve got a rough idea where everything is and are now sitting in the café with Rainbow Dash, enjoying your lunch. “What about that pink pony that screamed and ran away the moment she saw me? What was that all about?” you ask, referring to your trip to Sugar Cube Corner. “That’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She gets all excited when someone new shows up in town.” “And why’s that?” you ask. Rainbow Dash smiles mischievously and bites into her sandwich. “You’ll see,” she says through a mouth full of daffodils. You take a sip of your coffee and think back to the rest of the tour. “Do you know anything about Ponyville Urgent Care?” you ask, hoping to get a feel for your potential new stomping grounds. Rainbow Dash swallows the last bit of her sandwich and shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been inside. I’d ask Nurse Redheart if you really wanted to know.” You nod and finish the last of your coffee and motion for the waiter over. “Check please.” The stallion saunters off and returns shortly with a receipt. “Well Ms. Dash, I’ve got to say, it’s been fun and you’ve been really helpful. I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to start house hunting or I’m going to sleep in the streets tonight. Thanks for everything.” You pay the waiter enough to cover yours and Dash's meal, plus a small tip. “No problem. I’m glad I was able to make your arrival to Ponyville at least a little more awesome.” With that, she takes tothe skies. You watch as she rockets off and out of sight, leaving a rainbow colored trail in her wake. “Now where was that realtor again?” you ask aloud. * * * * * * Finding a house in Ponyville was much easier than you thought. Back in Manehattan, home was a stuffy apartment building with a leaky roof and loud neighbors, so you couldn’t help but be excited at the idea of owning your own house. The locals told you of a Parasprite attack and how they ate the houses when a spell to stop them went awry and left a lot of ponies homeless. But when the construction force rebuilt, they got a little to excited and built one too many houses. The realtor was more than happy to sell you a small cottage that had yet to be lived in and after signing the appropriate paperwork and paying the asking price, you walked to your new home, deed in hoof. It looked much like the realtor had described: quaint and modest with a white picket fence out front. Perfect in every way, you think as you unlock the door. Stepping into your new home, you squint into the darkness. The inside of the house was pitch black and you had trouble navigating around. “Where’s that blasted light switch…” you mutter as you feel along the walls. The lights go on and you find yourself assaulted by screaming from all directions. “SURPRISE!” You scream as well, but not in joy. You jump backwards and press your back to the wall while you clutched at your chest. Every pony in the room is silent, except for the bubbly pink mare you met earlier, who was bouncing around the room laughing. “We sure scared you, didn’t we? We were all like ‘SURPRISE!’ and you were all like ‘AHHHHHH!’ So? What do you think?” Pinkie Pie asks. “I think I’m going into atrial fibrillation! What is all this?” you ask as you tried to catch your breath. Looking around the room, you saw nearly half of the town stuffed into your home, wearing party hats and helping themselves to drinks and sweets. Hanging from the ceiling was a banner that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville!’ “It’s a party, silly! For you!” Pinkie Pie said as you put two and two together. “Okay… Not to be rude, but… why?” you ask. “Cause you’re new here, duh!” she states plainly “When Dashie came by with you I didn’t recognize you and if I didn’t recognize you that means you’re new here because I know EVERYPONY in Ponyville and if you’re new that means you don’t have any friends and what better way is there to make friends then with a party?!?” You blink a few times, trying to wrap your head around everything she was telling you. “Uhh… Thank you? I’m sorry, it’s just I’ve never been welcomed into a town like this before. The closest thing Manehattan gave me to a welcoming was a citizen’s tax," you say with a chuckle. From the crowd, you hear a shrill cry as you say the word ‘Manehattan’ A white unicorn with a purple mane runs up to you and unceremoniously pushes Pinkie Pie out of the way. “YOU’RE from Manehattan? Oh darling, you have to tell me all about it! Where you lived, the latest fashion, the styles that are in, and that’s just for starters!” she says, not holding her excitement back. “I…Well, um, you see…” you sputtered out. Before she could ask anything else, an orange earth pony with a blonde mane and cowbow hat puts a hoof over her mouth. “Now hold up Rarity, this feller don’t look like he’s likin’ yer fourth degree. Get a hold of yerself ‘fore ya scare him off.” Rarity looks at you for a moment and nods. “Alright then. But please, stop by the Carousel Boutique later on. We have much to discuss.” And with that, she walks off. “Sorry ‘bout that. Rarity can get a ‘lil obsessive at times. I’m Applejack, pleasure to meet ya.” she says, extending a hoof. You take her hoof and shake, somewhat surprised by her strength. “Oh, it’s not a problem. I’m just a little overwhelmed at all this attention. I’m used to seeing people one at a time back at the clinic.” Applejack doesn’t seem to understand for a moment, but she perks up after a second. “Oh right! Rainbow said you were a doctor! Uh, I hope this isn’t too much trouble, but could I ask you for a favor?” she says above a hushed tone. You give her a nod and let her continue. “Granny Smith’s back has been actin’ up somethin’ fierce. She doesn’t want to go down to the hospital and she keeps saying she’s fine. Is there any chance you can come on up to Sweet Apple Acres and take a look at her?” You don't even hesitate to answer. “I’d be happy to make a house call. My first, actually. Tell her to stay off her feet and get some bed rest. I’ll be by in the morning.” Applejack grimaces at the words ‘bed rest’. “Easier said than done. She can be mighty violent with that walker of hers," she says grimly, leaving you to enjoy yourself. Walking over to the punch table, you grab a nearby bottle and begin to pour yourself a glass when a purple unicorn stops you. “I’d read the label first, if I were you.” Puzzled, you set it down and realize you almost poured yourself a glass of hot sauce. “Don’t worry, I did that too.” she says with a laugh. Grabbing the right bottle this time, you pour yourself some punch and find a place to sit down. Scanning the room, you see Rainbow Dash sitting on the couch, nursing a glass of punch. “Oh hey. How’s the party?” she asks. “Good, good. I guess this is what you meant by ‘You’ll see’. Does Pinkie do this for every new arrival?” you ask. Rainbow Dash smirks. “Pretty much. For her it’s just one party after another.” You don’t say anything for a few moments and try to find something to talk about before the awkward silence kicks in. “So, you’ve been talking about me, I take it?” “Well, yeah. You’re new here. And you’re like a doctor. That’s cool,” she says before taking another sip of punch. “Yeah, it can be pretty cool.” you say as you bring your own cup of punch to your lips. Dash hits your side, almost knocking it out of your grip and points to the other side of the room where a white earth pony with a light pink mane stood. “That’s Nurse Redheart. You wanted a job, why don’t you talk to her?” You follow Dash’s advice and walk towards her. She smiles at you as approach. You clear your throat and put on your best professional tone. “Hello, I’m-“ “You’re the unicorn from Manehattan that Dash was telling me about!” she exclaims. You glance behind you to see Dash grinning ear to ear. Oh, she's good... you think with a grin. “We could really use some help at Ponyville Urgent Care. It’s shorthanded with just me and Nurse Tenderheart and we could really use someone with you’re kind of training. Are you interested in a job?” she asks. The only thing you can do is laugh. “That’s the reason why I came to Ponyville in the first place. When can I start?” “I’ll have to run it by Mayor first and get her approval, but you should be able to start tomorrow afternoon.” You take Nurse Redheart’s hoof and shake it. “Thank you very much. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” You say before trotting back to Dash. “I owe you for that.” You say, still grinning over getting the job. “Heck yeah, you do.” The party came and went, as all parties do, and when the last pony left for home, you happily retire to your new bedroom. Falling into your bed, you pass out before you even touch the pillow.
Chapter 2You couldn’t help but get up early this morning. You were very excited about your first case. The morning rituals you preform each day didn't seem to matter and you had to force yourself to take a shower. The only thing that seemed to matter this morning was your patient. You were up so early, in fact, the streets of Ponyville were silent and empty, allowing you to take in the glory of Celestia’s rising the sun. The only thing that made it better was the walk to Sweet Apple Acres. The apple trees were just blooming and they seemed to go on forever in a cascade of whites and pinks. Along the way, you come across a red stallion looking out on the field of apple trees. “They’re quite beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them.” The stallion doesn’t turn around, but gives you a single “Eeyup.” “Well, I’m here to see Granny Smith, is she around?” you ask. Once again, you’re given a single “Eeyup.” You sigh, thinking you’re not going to get much out of him and make your way towards the farm. Remembering back to Applejack’s words, you stop and give it one final shot. “Granny Smith can’t be as violent as Applejack made her out to be, can she?” you ask. You wince as the stallion turns to you and reveals a massive shiner. “What do you think?” he asks. “I think you need an cold pack.” you say as you reach into your saddlebag. Pulling out a plastic pouch, you squeeze it until you hear an audible pop. Shaking the contents together, you give it to him as it starts to chill. “Five minutes on and five minutes off,” you tell him before walking off. “Watch out for her left hook.” The stallion says as you approach the farm. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you knock on the door. “Well lookee here!” Applejack greets you “been wondering when you’d show up. Come on, I’ll show you to Granny Smith.” Without a word, you follow her through the house and to a room in the back. Applejack opens the door for you. “Is there anything you can t-“ before you can say anything else, Applejack slams the door. “Good luck doc!” you hear her say before running off. There, lying in the bed was an elderly mare with a green coat and white mane. She’s staring at you with contempt, as if your very presence was an insult. You couldn’t believe this little old mare was causing all this trouble. “So, Applejack told me that you’re having problems with your back, is that right?” “My back is FINE!” she yells “I don’t need no snake oil salesman coming into my home and tellin’ me there’s something wrong with me!” Sighing heavily, you realize this wasn’t going to be easy. “She sounded very concerned about you when I talked to her. She doesn’t seem like the kind of pony who would ask for help when there was no problem.” “I SAID I’M FINE AND I’LL PROVE IT!” she yells again, this time jumping out of bed and standing without assistance. Surprised, you start to think that they were just overreacting. That is, until you hear something sounding like a branch snap and see Granny Smith’s eyes go wide. “OW OW OW!” she yells as she falls back into bed. “Mrs. Smith, I’m sorry but that doesn’t sound like ‘nothing’.” “I said I’m fine! Just getting’ old, that’s all.” She says, trying to force a smile. You’ve seen a lot of ponies in pain before and know what it looks like when they’re trying to hide it. “Mrs. Smith, I’m just here to help. I’m not going to give you anything. I’m not even going to examine you. Just tell me what you’re feeling and we’ll go from there. Is that alright?” you ask. She crosses her forelegs and looks away, silent. “Could you at least humor me?” She looks like she’s going to protest again, but sighs, defeated. “Fine.” Levitating a piece of paper and a pen, you get ready to write down what she tells you. “My back hurts. That’s nothing new for me, being older than the hills and all. But this is different. It goes down through my back legs and into my hooves, making it impossible to walk.” she says as she rubs her calves. “On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, how would you rate this pain?” you ask. “Eight...Maybe Nine.” she says. You jot down the number and nod. “And when did this start?” She lets out a heavy sigh. “I was trying to lift a box of apple jam out of the cellar. It wasn’t even that heavy! Two jars at the most! But then my back sort of...Made a sound.” You wonder how she could or would hide all of this and jot down more notes. “Kinda of like just now?” Granny Smith nods. “Yeah. But uh… Doctor, there’s somethin’ else.” You look up from your notes. “Yes?” “It’s really embarrassing and I don’t want the others findin’ out.” she says sheepishly. “Mrs. Smith, there is nothing you can tell me that I haven’t heard before. And the only way someone is going to find out is if you tell them. I promise.” Your words reassure her and she takes a deep breath. “I can’t hold my piss. There, I said it.” she says, putting her hoofs to her face in shame. “I’ve had times where it felt like I was going to lose it in front of my family. What would they think of me if they saw me wet myself like a foal?” Rolling up your notes, you smile at her and shift into full doctor mode. “I think I know exactly what’s wrong with you, Mrs. Smith.” The elderly mare's eyes seem to light up at these words. Clearing your throat, you begin. “It sounds like you have a slipped disk in your lumbar spine. You’re age has made your bones weaker and the stress on your back actually cause part of your spine to herniate. The pain you’re feeling in your back is the pressure the herniation is causing on the spinal cord itself. The pain down your back legs is called sciatica and it’s caused when pressure is being put on the sciatic nerve. As for your incontinence, the herniation could be affecting the nerves that control your bladder, actually making it numb. You wouldn't notice that you had to urinate until your bladder actually released itself.” You think you went over Granny Smith’s head with some of the technical speak and try to tone it down for her. “Whether from old age or over exertion, you hurt your back and it’s causing all of your problems. Now let’s talk about treatment.” Granny Smith eyes you cautiously. “What can we do?” “Well, if it’s a simple herniation, then it will actually get better with rest and anti-inflammatories.” “What if it isn’t ‘simple’. What then?” she asks. “Then we may have to consider surgery.” Granny Smith’s eyes go wide and her mouth droops a bit at the word ‘surgery’. “But only as a last resort,” you add, trying to calm her fears “I don’t want you undergoing any needless operations, so let’s try the simple approach first.” Reaching into your pack, you pull out two cloth patches, both about a foot long in length. “These are Cold-Fire patches.” you explain. “They get cold at first, but then warm up and alternate between states. Put one on in the morning and replace it with the other when you go to bed. I also want you to pick up some Willow-Bark pills, 800 milligrams and take as directed. They’re not expensive and will help your back.” She looks at the pieces of cloth skeptically and then back to you. “Is that all?” You nod. “Over the next week, I don’t want you lifting, stretching, bending, or anything else you think will strain your back. If it doesn’t get better by then, I want you to schedule an appointment with Nurse Redheart and we’ll go from there. Any questions?” Granny Smith takes the patches and looks at you, smiling. “No. And thank you doctor. I’d still be acting like a darned idiot if you didn’t show up. Back in my day, doctors were more focused on cures, rather than the people they were pushing it on. Thanks for showing me different.” Grabbing your saddlebag, you head for the door. “Glad I could help. If you need me for anything, just holler.” “Uh, Doctor. Wait,” Granny Smith says nervously, stopping you. “What do I tell Applejack and Big Macintosh?” You shrug plainly. “Whatever you feel comfortable with. But I think ‘I’m sorry’ would be a good place to start.” Walking out the door, you find yourself face to face with Applejack, who was looking over you. “Ya still got all yer teeth and limbs. What happened?” “She’s going to be fine and she should recover.” you say with a comforting smile. Applejack lets out a sigh of relief and guides you to the front door. “Thank you so much, doc. I don’t know how ya did it, but you did.” “Any time, AJ. If you need me, you know where I am.” You were quite happy as you walked back to Ponville Urgent Care. Your first house call went great and you were able to start your new career on the right hoof. Walking through the automatic doors of P.U.C, you greet Nurse Redheart with a smile. “Good afternoon, nurse.” She looks at you and smiles back. “Good afternoon doctor. You have your first patient waiting for you in room one. She asked to see you specifically.” Giving Nurse Redheart a puzzled look, you make your way for the exam room. Looking through the glass, you're surprised to see Rainbow Dash, sitting on the exam table with a bored look on her face. As you enter, she smiles when she sees your face. “Heya doc. I’m here for my check-up. Mayor says I’ve been putting it off for too long." “Not a problem, Ms. Dash I-“ “Can you not call me ‘Ms. Dash’?” she says, slightly annoyed. “It sounds way too formal for me. Dash is fine.” “Of course, Dash. Now, can you hop on the scale?” you say, patting the platform. Dash trots over and steps up on it. The electronic display flickers between numbers for a few moments and finally stops. “Average weight…” you muse aloud, making sure to jot down the number. Bringing up the ruler, you lower it and rest it on top of her shoulder. “Average height.” You motion her off of the scale and bring a stethoscope to her chest. She jumps back a bit and blushes. “Sorry. Cold.” You give her a nod and listen carefully. “Average resting heart rate.” you say with a smile. “I’m anything BUT average!” Dash exclaims as she spreads her wings out. “Ah good!” you say with a smirk. “You already know the next part.” Reaching into a nearby drawer, you fish around until you find a roll of tape measure. “Just stay like that.” you tell her as you unroll it. You take both ends of the roll and touch the tip of her wing to the base. She lets out a gasp as you touch her wing. “I’m sorry, did that hurt?” you ask. Dash shakes her head and stays quiet. You continue to measure her wing and finally finish. “Okay…” you say as you jot down more notes. Dash lets out a sigh of relief for a moment until you say “Now for the other one.” By the end of the examination, Dash’s face is bright red and she’s really quiet. “Alright Dash, everything checks out. You’re as healthy as you can be, but you’re looking a little flushed.” “Well I’m okay, it’s just that I-“ Dash tries to say before you move away some of her rainbow mane and place a hoof on her forehead. “You’re not running a fever.” Dash jumps back, stumbling as she does. “Well thanks doc you’ve been real great bye!” she says quickly before bolting out of the exam room, leaving you there, confused. You don’t have much time to ponder this when you hear Nurse Redheart call out to you. “You have a patient in room two!” Sighing, you push it to the back of your mind and get to work. *********** Your lunch hour came and you decided to go out and find a nice quiet spot where you can enjoy it. The park turned out to be the best and most obvious choice. Sitting down on a bench, you take out the salad you made this morning and about to dig in when something whizzes just above your head. Looking around, you see a familiar rainbow colored streak in the air. Rainbow Dash does a series of flips, rolls, and loop de loops before landing in the middle of the park, but tripping up a bit as she does so. “Stupid! Stick the landing next time!” she says as she stomps her hooves in frustration. “I thought it was pretty good.” you say as you take a bite into your lunch. Rainbow Dash spins around shocked. “What are you doing here?” she asks, blushing slightly. “Well, this is a public park and it is time for lunch. But please, don’t stop on my part,” you say with a smile. “Your performance was quite spectacular.” “It doesn’t matter,” she says sullenly “If it’s not perfect, than it’s not good.” “Well, then…” you say as put aside your half eaten salad “Show me what perfect looks like. I’ve got time.” Dash smiles. “You got it.” Taking off to the skies again, she performs a series of flight maneuvers you’ve only seen pulled off by the Wonderbolts. Your heart leaps and soars at the spectacle and you can’t help but give her a round of applause when she’s done. “That was beautiful! Where did you learn that?” you ask excitedly. Dash rubs the back of her head with her hoof, looking a little bashful from the praise. “I learned the basics from flight school and picked the rest up as I went along. I’m hoping to try out for the Wonderbolts as soon as I get good enough!” “And I’m sure you’ll make it in, no problem,” you say as you get up. Your lunch hour was over, but you still wanted to see Dash perform. “Hey, are you always practicing around this time?” you ask. Dash nods. “Every day.” “Then do you think we can make this a regular thing? I swing by on my lunch hour and watch you practice? I had a lot of fun.” you say with a smile. Dash smiles back at you. “Sure! It was pretty cool having an audience for a change, even if it was like one pony. So, see you tomorrow?” “See you tomorrow.” you say as you make your back for Ponyville Urgent Care. ************** It soon became a regular thing for you to watch Rainbow Dash practice as you ate your lunch. On more than one occasion, you shared what you had with her, something she was very grateful for. Naturally, she was quite happy when you showed up with a whole basket filled with food. Picnic in the park with Rainbow Dash became a normal thing for over a month for you. That’s why you were surprised when she didn’t show up one day. “Huh… She must be busy today,” you say to yourself on the way back to Ponyville Urgent Care. The day slowly crept to an end and you were just about to leave when you were knocked over by Pinkie Pie, who was speaking too fast for you to understand. “DoctordoctoryouhavetohurryDashwastryingtodothisnewtrickandshefelland-“ “Pinkie! Slow down and tell me what’s wrong!” Pinkie Pie takes a deep breath and looks at you, her eyes tearing up. “Dashie’s hurt! Twilight and Applejack are coming here with her!” Your heart sinks at the thought of Dash hurt enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. You stop yourself from getting too emotional and turn to the two nurses standing behind you. “Nurse Tenderheart, you’re with me. Get a gurney ready. Nurse Redheart, prep the O.R. just in case.” The Nurses run off without asking any questions, leaving you with Pinkie Pie, who was on the verge of tears. “Pinkie, how bad is it?” She starts to cry openly. “Bad.”
Chapter 3“COMING THROUGH, MAKE WAY!” Applejack yells as she hauled a wagon in through the front door of the hospital. In the back was Twilight, who has doing everything she could to keep Dash calm. However, she wasn’t doing such a good job at keeping herself calm. “Y-You’re going to be fine Dash! We’re here and you’re going to be fine!” Twilight repeated, trying to choke back tears. Grabbing the gurney, you and Nurse Tenderheart wheel it over and finally get to see the extent of Dash’s injuries. Her front left leg was obviously broken. Bloody white bone stuck out of her leg like a spear. Her back left leg looked fine, albeit a little swollen, but the thing that really made your heart sink was her pride and joy. Her left wing was bent at an awkward angle and dripped crimson blood every so often. She didn’t even seem to notice you, her friends, or anything around her. She just cried rivers of tears as she moaned in pain. All you wanted to do was hold the blue angel in front of you and make her pain go away, but you knew what you had to do. “Alright! Applejack, Twilight, you slip a hoof under her belly on her right side, Nurse Tenderheart, you and I on left. On three, we move her to the gurney.” Rainbow Dash winced as you and the others got ready to move her. “Watch her leg Nurse and make sure to set her down gently. Okay… One. Two. Three!” All at once you and the others lift up on Dash and ease her onto the gurney. You wince as she screams out in pain as her broken leg bumps into the side of the gurney. “I SAID WATCH HER LEG, DAMNIT!” you yell at Nurse Tenderheart. She shrinks back in shock. “I’m sorry! I-“ “We don’t have time for this! Go to O.R. and scrub up with Nurse Redheat!” Nurse Tenderheart ran off as quickly as she can, leaving you with Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Dash sobs heavily as you run a hoof through her mane. “Dash, it’s going to be okay.” you say, trying to comfort her. She looks up at you, her eyes full of tears. “I’m going to put you to sleep for now and when you wake up, you’ll be fine, I promise.” You focus on the magic inside of you and bring it through your body to your horn. Touching it to Dash’s head, her eyes close and she goes quiet. With her under, you grab a hold of the gurney and move it as fast as you dared towards the operating room. Nurse Redheart and Nurse Tenderheart were fully dressed in scrubs, waiting for you. “Get her prepped while I wash up!” you tell them as you throw off your coat and don a set of scrubs. You’ve done this many times before and let the ritual take over as you let your mind wander for a moment. What happened? Was it really an accident? Is she going to be okay? You push those intrusive thoughts to the back to your mind and walk through the doors leading to the operating room. Dash had an I.V. full of anesthetic going into her left left leg and a tube down her throat, which was hooked up to a pump that Nurse Tenderheart was pushing on manually. “Just keep the respirator going, Nurse Tenderheart. Redheart, hang a blood bag. You’re with me. Let’s take a look at the damage.” Turning to Dash, you bring the magic up from within you again and spread it above Dash’s body. The magic aura shimmers as it hung in the air and looking through it, the skeleton beneath the flesh was revealed, creating a perfect x-ray. “Her metacarpal bone is broken, but it’ll heal on its own once we set it. Her back ankle is twisted, not broken, so that’s a relief. But her wing… She’s broken her humerus, ulna, and carpometacarpus.” “She may never fly again…” Nurse Redheart says aloud. You let the magic fade and ignore Nurse Redheart. Levitating a scalpel, you begin. * * * * * * * * Six hours later, you walk out of the operating room, exhausted. Slipping off your scrubs, you throw them away and stagger into the waiting room. There, you find Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy sleeping on the couch. You figure that they fell asleep, waiting for any word about their friend. “You’ve got good friends, Dash," you say aloud as you try to stifle a yawn. You take a look at the clock on the wall and sigh. Three AM… I’ll just take a nap for a bit… you say as you sit down on the couch with them. Slowly, but surely, you drift to sleep. * * * * * * * * “How are you feeling, Ms. Dash?” you ask as you walk into the hospital room. “Ms…Dash? Is that my name?” “I was afraid of this…” you say as you sit down by her side. “When you came in, you were very hurt. You almost didn’t make the trip here. But there you were in my O.R., clinging onto life. I made the decision to use my magic to heal you, but there were some side effects.” “Side effects? What do you mean?” “Ms. Dash, I’m afraid you have…Amnesia.” Dash looks at you with a look of panic. “What am I supposed to do, Doctor? I don’t know anything!” she yells, tears streaking down her face. Taking her hoof in yours, you move closer to her. “Know this. I love you and will help you through this.” you lean forward and kiss her. At first she protests, but she’s soon moaning in ecstasy as the kisses come hot and faster. “Doctor…I-“ * * * * * * * * Before you realize it, you’re being shaken awake by Nurse Tenderheart. “Doctor, wake up. The patient is awake” Looking around, you realize that you were dreaming. No more Stable Hospital for me… you think, trying to push the remnant feelings of the dream away. “She’s awake? Then that means the surgery went okay?” you hear a voice say to your side. Looking, you find Twilight staring at you, waiting for an answer. “Yes, the surgery went well. Wake up the others and let them know what’s going on. I want to check on her before she has any visitors.” you say. You follow Nurse Tenderheart to Dash’s room and find Nurse Redheart hanging a new I.V. “She was complaining of pain, so I give her a Five-Poppy drip.” Nurse Redheart explains. “Thank you Nurse. If the pain gets worse, bump her up to four," you say as you examine the I.V. "How are you feeling Dash?” Rainbow Dash looks up at you as she’s lying on her belly. Her left front leg was wrapped in a cast and splayed out over the bed. Her left wing was wrapped in bandages and tied to her side. “Lousy…” she says groggily. “Your friends are here. They’re asking to see you.” Dash looks nervous for a moment, but nods. “O-Okay.” You look to Nurse Redheart and she leaves the room, only to return later with the five mares in tow. Rainbow Dash forces a smile. “Hey guys. Don’t worry. It’s not as bad as it looks.” The five don’t say anything and just look at their friend, who was trying to make her injuries sound like nothing. Surpisingly, Fluttershy was the first to speak up. “Is she going to be okay?” “The leg was the easy part. We set the bone and it will heal on its own. The wing was what took the longest. What we did was reassemble the bone the best we could and then use magic to stimulate the healing process.” Dash looks at you, confused. “Stimulate? You couldn’t just, you know, abra kadabra it and heal it totally?” she asked. A smile breaks across Twilight’s face. “Of course! I’ve read about healing magic, we can-“ “No. No you can't.” you say plainly. Twilight looks at you, her face contorting in rage. “What do you mean by that? We can do it if we just-“ “NO, YOU CAN'T!” you yell, making everyone jump. “Don’t you think I would have done that in the first place? You can’t use magic to heal wounds completely! It’s caused everything from infections, atrophy, and even all sorts of cancers. I knit together a total quarter millimeter of bone and even that’s pushing it.” Twilight starts to tear up. “I’m-I’m sorry, I just want to do something to help.” Feeling bad for snapping, you move to Twilight's side and put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I know you do and I’m sorry for yelling. I’ve just seen too many ponies lose something from healing magic mishaps.” you say with remorse. Silence fills the air for a few minutes before Dash speaks up. “How long until I can fly again?” You sigh heavily and sit down on the bed next to her. “Best case scenario? Everything heals without any complications? I’d give you six, maybe eight weeks at the most.” Dash gasps aloud. “THAT long?!?” “And I can’t even guarantee that. I’m sorry Dash, there’s nothing else I can do.” Dash puts a hoof over her face and cries. “Rainbow Dash… Are you okay?” Rarity asks above a whisper. “I want to be alone…” she says with a ragged sob.
Chapter 4The days passed and Dash barely said a single word. She wouldn’t even look at you when you came in to change her bandages. That all changed when you told her she was ready to be discharged. “But I can’t fly up to my home! Where do I go?” she asks with panic. “Can’t you stay with one of your friends?” you ask. Dash shakes her head. “No, I don’t want to be a bother to them. They all have their own thing they have to do and they can’t have me hanging around like a lump.” Her eyes perk up. “What if I stay with you? I mean, you’re a doctor! You’re supposed to take care of people!” she backs down a bit, realizing how forward she was being. “That is, if you’re okay with it.” Sighing, you give in and tussle Dash’s mane. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Dash. Is there anything you want from your house?” She blushes a bit and becomes a little less forward. “Uh, ya… Ya. Fluttershy can stop by and pick those up. I’ll-“ “You’ll stay here. I'll talk to Fluttershy.” you say as you step out of the room. Fluttershy was more than happy to pick up some of Dash’s things and went right to work packing up whatever she thought Dash wanted or needed for a speedy recovery. You planned to meet up with her when you wheeled Dash to your home. Dash was against using the wheelchair, but caved after you told her it was either that or be carried. Fluttershy was placing the last of the boxes in your living when you met up with her. You had told her where the key was and to let herself in. “Oh, hi. I grabbed some blankets, pajamas, and some things to make Dash feel more at home.” “Fluttershy, may I ask you a question?” “Of course, Doctor.” “Why do you have a turtle on your back?” you ask, pointing to the turtle with the blue shell and two yellow lightning bolts on its back. “Terry! Oh my gosh, I almost forgot about you!” Dash yells, reaching for the turtle. Fluttershy walks over to Dash and lets her scoop Terry off her back. "I took care of him while you were in the hospital, I hope you don't mind" Fluttershy says with a sheepish smile. "Not all, thanks 'shy." “Feeling better now?” you ask. Dash smiles at you. “Ya, I am.” “Good. Thanks for the help Fluttershy, I’ve got it from here.” “Okay. Get well soon, Dash.” she says before trotting off. You wheel dash into your living room and help her onto your couch. “I am never going to get used to being wheeled around in that thing.” she grumbles. You ignore her complaints and instead begin laying down the framework for Dash's stay with you. “You’ll stay in my room and I’ll take the guest room upstairs.” “No, don’t do that! Why don’t I use the guest room?” You point at her leg and she gets the idea. “Oh… Right.” You chuckle as you pick up a box and begin to take it into your room when Dash sees it and begins to visibly panic “WAIT! Give me that!” she yells as she struggles to get off of the couch. You stop and look at her, confused. “Uh, sure. Is there something wrong?” you say as you hand the box off to her. “I might need Fluttershy to take it back and-“ at that moment, Terry decided he was tired of being held and jumped out of Dash’s arms. This made her flail around and lose her grip on the box, spilling its contents over the floor. It was at that moment that things got very awkward. Dash’s face became bright red as you looked at the numerous copies of “PlayMare”, “Stableloft”, and an assortment of sex toys, some of which you’ve never seen before. Dash screams at the top of her lungs and dives for the floor as she tries to cover up what just happened. “OH DEAR CELESTIA! WHY DID FLUTTERSHY GRAB THIS?!? IT WAS HIDDEN UNDER MY BED! IT EVEN SAYS KEEP OUT!” she groans and covers her face. “YOU PROBABLY THINK I’M SOME BIG PERVERT NOW, PLEASE I CAN EXPLAIN I-” “Dash, calm down!” you yell. Dash stops screaming and looks up at you, tears in her eyes. You feel your face go red as what is now on your floor sinks in. “This is perfectly normal for a mare of your age and-“ A buzzing sound coming from underneath Dash makes you stop and causes Dash to freak out again. “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?” she yells. You leave Dash alone and let her pick up her things and return when she calls out to you. She's back on the couch, looking away from you as you enter the room. Once you sit down, she takes your hoof into hers. “I’m SO sorry for that. Please don’t be mad or anything it’s just that when I’m the air and everything and I get back down, I feel so… Well, you know and I to need well…You know. You Know?” she says quickly, her voice full of panic. You can’t help but laugh aloud at this display. Her face contorts in a mix of anger and hurt. “What’s so funny?!?” You take a breath and collect yourself. “You. Big, tough, Rainbow Dash goes to pieces when someone finds out her secret. And while yes, that was pretty much the definition of awkward, I couldn’t be mad at you. I’ve seen and heard just about everything, so just relax.” you say as you put a hoof on her shoulder. Dash lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I feel a lot better.” she says as she leans on you. “Speaking of which…” you begin “Give me a heads up if you’re going to do that so I can go for a walk or something. Or you know, if you need any help I can…” Dash jumps back, blushing heavily. You smile and she realizes you’re teasing her. She laughs aloud before punching your shoulder. "Shut up!" You laugh with her as you rub your shoulder. “You should get some sleep Dash. Here, lemme help you.” You maneuver yourself so Dash isn’t walking on her broken leg and help her into to the bed. Laying her down gently, you smile. “Good night Dash.” She doesn’t hear you. She’s already asleep. * * * * * * * * * * * * Holding the tray in your mouth, you back into the door and walk into Dash’s room. She was just waking up from a good night’s sleep and smiles as she sees what’s on the tray: Two eggs, sunny side up, wheat toast, and a glass of orange juice. “Breakfast in bed again? You’re making me feel like royalty.” She says as you set the tray down on her lap. A few days had passed since Rainbow Dash moved in and she was quite overwhelmed by the treatment. “It’s no trouble. Just get some rest, okay? I’ll stop by the café and pick something up for us around lunch. You know where the bathroom is and my personal number at the hospital if you need anything. In the meantime, get some rest.” You give her a quick hug and make your way out. “See you later!” Dash yells out through a mouthful of food. “Oh, and if you do have to get out of bed, I shouldn’t have to tell you to stay off that leg.” you yell to her as you slip on your white coat. “Use the other three if you really have to.” “I will!” On the way to Ponyville Urgent Care, you bump into Rarity, who was browsing the market for new fabrics. “Oh Doctor! It’s ever so good to see you! How is Rainbow Dash doing?” “She’s doing well. She seems to be taking it in strides.” Rarity smiles. “That’s wonderful news. Oh! Do you think you could stop by this afternoon? I’ve been working on a little something for her. A ‘get well soon gift’, if you will.” “Oh? What is it? Some sort of fashionable hospital gown?” you ask with a tease. “No, but that is something I should look into… It’s a quilt! I know how Rainbow Dash is so used to sleeping on clouds, so I’ve been working on something that’s just as soft!” You relish the thought of sleeping on a cloud. Especially since the guest bed was so rough on your back. “I’ll make sure to do that. I’m sure Dash will be grateful.” “Oh, I know she will. Goodbye Doctor. Have a nice day.” Rarity says as she trots off, new bolts of fabric in hoof. You make a mental note to stop by the Carousel Boutique after picking up dinner and continue on. “Good morning, Doctor.” Nurse Tenderheart says with a smile as you walk in. “Good morning. Got anything for me?” “Why in fact I do. Exam room two. Here’s the file.” she says as she hands the manila folder. Levitating the file in front of you, you look it over quickly before entering the room. “Hello Mrs. Doo. It says here that your daughter needs her flu shot, is that right?” you ask. You’re a little surprised as you notice the pegasus’ wall eyed expression. One eye was looking at you while the other was admiring the ceiling. Ditzy nods. “Yup! Muffin don’t need to get sick!” Looking around, you spy Dinky hiding behind her mother’s legs. “Well there you are. Come on, I don’t bite.” you say, trying to coax her out. Ditzy steps out of the way and lets you get a look at Dinky. The gray unicorn is shaking in fear as you look down at her, so it’s pretty clear that she doesn’t like doctors. You get down to her eye level and let her look at you. She stops shaking and takes a step closer. “See, I’m not so scary. Now you’re going to need a shot so you don’t get sick. Getting sick is worse than the shot. Trust me.” you say in a gentle tone “Now just hop up on the table and we can get this done with and then you won’t have to do it again for a whole year.” Dinky doesn’t say anything, but follows your directions and gets on the exam table. Walking over to the counter, you pull out the flu shot, making Dinky cringe in fright at the size of the needle. You levitate the needle into the air and look at Dinky, who was waiting for you to make your move. Instead, you slowly start to look up and stare at the ceiling. Dinky follows your gaze to the ceiling. You take this opportunity to put the needle into her foreleg and inject the contents in less time it takes for her to react. “OW OW! That hurt, you meanie!” she yells. “I’m sorry about that. Would a lollipop help you forgive me?” you ask as you pull out the candy from the same drawer you got the needle. Dinky smiles and takes the lollipop from you. “I forgive you.” “Well, that wraps it up, then. Come back if there’s any problems.” * * * * * * * * * Dinky and Ditzy were your only patients all day. You went back home with some takeout spaghetti from the café for your lunch hour, which you and Dash enjoyed. The day wrapped up quickly and you were coming home with the quilt that Rarity had made for Rainbow Dash. Not only did it look like a cloud, but it felt like one too. “I’m home Dash!” you yell “I’ve got dinner and you’ve got a present from Rarity!” “I’m coming!” Dash hobbles up and her, eyes light up at the sight of the quilt. “This is what Rarity made? It's SO cool!” She moves over carefully, making sure not to hit her leg and rubs her head against the quilt. “Oh wow, it feels just like a real cloud…" Dash's eyes darted hungrily to the bag you carried at your side "What did you get for dinner?” “Ever have a Coltpania style Pizza before?” you ask with a grin as you set the bag down on the table. Dash furrows her brow as she sniffs the bag. “I’ve had pizza before, but not from Coltpania. What is it?” “It’s got a lot more tomato sauce in it and they used actual tomatoes, peppers, and spring onions from Coltpania, so it tastes great. I had it before while I was studying abroad and it was AMAZING. You have to try it.” Taking the dish out of the bag, you remove the plastic wrap from it and let the smell linger for a moment. Dash takes a deep breath. “Oh wow, that smells so good!” Carefully, you cut her a sizeable piece and set her plate on the table. She sits down and takes a big bite, only to stick out her tongue in pain. “HOT HOT HOT!” she yells. “Well of course it’s hot, you ditz!” you say with a laugh “It just came out of the oven not too long ago. Let it cool or you’ll burn your mouth.” Dash let’s it cool down this time before taking a big bit from it. “This IS good!” she says inbetween bites. “Glad you like it. Just don’t choke on it, jeez. Good thing there’s a doctor at least a foot away.” Dash giggles and takes another bite. “It wouldn’t be that bad. I’m fine with you giving me mouth to mouth.” You smile bashfully as your cheeks become red. I'm fine with it, too Dinner was easy to clean up and the night came quick. “It’s time for bed. Here, lemme spread out your new quilt.” You use your magic to levitate the quilt and spread it over and tuck it into the bed. With your help, Dash gingerly climbs onto the bed and lets out a contented sigh as she settles down. “Rarity may be uptight sometimes, but that pony knows how to sew! Come on, get in here. It feels awesome!” You crawl into bed with Dash and blush when you feel her snuggle right up to you. You remain quiet and enjoy the feeling of Dash pressed up against your body. “Why don’t you sleep with me tonight? I mean if you want to. It just that you do so much for me and it’s the least I can do for everything you’ve been doing for me.” You wrap your hooves around Dash, causing her face to go flush. “Go to sleep, Dash.” “Doctor’s orders?” she asks. You lean forward and plant a kiss on her lips. She looks at you, stunned. “Doctor’s orders.” you say with an ear to ear grin. Falling asleep on a cloud with Rainbow Dash in your hooves; you’ve never had a better night’s sleep.
Chapter 5“Morning cutie.” Your eyes flicker open slowly and you find Rainbow Dash staring at you with a goofy smile. “You drool.” You lift your head off the pillow and wipe away the spittle. “Watching me sleep?” “I was going to wake you up, but you looked so peaceful.” Dash inches closer and places her lips on yours. You kiss her back, slowly at first, relishing the feeling. You feel Dash’s tongue press against your mouth and you gladly allow her entrance, letting your saliva mix and giving you a euphoric rush. You feel a bit disappointed when Dash breaks the kiss. “What are we doing today?” she asks. Getting out of bed, you stretch yourself out and yawn. “Well, Nurse Redheart told me not to come in today, saying something about working too hard and needing some time off, so I’m pretty much free.” Dash gingerly gets off of the bed and steps lightly on her once broken leg. It has been a month and a half since Rainbow Dash moved in and you two fell in love. She was ecstatic when you told her that the cast on her leg was ready to come off. She still feels a bit of pain and is very careful not to push herself, but she's happy that she doesn’t need to be carted around anymore ‘like an old gray mare’, as she put it. “So, what? We lounge around the house all day?” she asks as she sits down at the breakfast table. This had become a ritual for you two: Falling asleep in each others hooves, waking up, and then breakfast, cooked by you. Dash had attempted to make breakfast before, but the Ponyville Volunteer Fire Department discouraged her from trying again. You try to think of something to do today as you whip the eggs, milk, and vegetables together. “Well, what do you want to do?” you ask as you pour the contents into the frying pan. “Oh, do you want any cheese in your omelet?” “Honestly, I don’t care. I want to get out and about though. I’ve felt cooped up for so long.” Dash says as she looks out the window “And yes please.” You finish cooking breakfast without another word and pass Dash her plate. “Hmmm…” you muse as you bite into your omelet. “How about a date?” Dash looks at you, surprised. “A date? Like a date-date?” You give her a nod and smile. “Sure. Let’s just walk around Ponyville and enjoy ourselves. I’ve got some spending money that’s burning a hole in my wallet.” Dash blushes a bit and says something under her breath as she takes another bite into her breakfast. “What was that?” you ask. “I said I’ve never been a date before, okay. I just don’t know what to do or what the other ponies will think.” You lean forward and nuzzle her neck, causing her to giggle. “Come on, you don’t need to be embarrassed. And if anyone says anything mean to me, you can just beat them up.” “Oh? I thought it was supposed to be the other way around.” Dash says as she nuzzles back. “Hey, I made an oath to do no harm. But if you DID send them to the hospital, at least I can mess with them a bit. You know, tell them they need brain surgery, knock ‘em out, and put a bunch of bandages on their head.” Dash laughs at the idea. “Oh man, that would be SO mean!” “So how about it? Is it a date?” Dash gives you a quick peck on the cheek and smiles. “It’s a date.” You and Dash took a shower together after breakfast, another thing that had become ritual. You washed Dash down and she washed you. You make sure to be really careful around her left wing and pay special attention to the other. “Ohhhh…. That feels so nice….” Dash says as you massage and knead her wing. You knew all of her sensitive spots and by the end, she’s panting heavily and begging you not to stop. In all of a sudden, Dash screams out in pleasure and leans next to shower wall, trying not to fall over. “Ah…Ah….Ahhhhh…. That was…. Oh gosh…. “ Dash catches her breath and turns to you. “Your turn.” You’d do this for her and in return, she’d pay attention to your special area. “How’s that feel, baby?” she asks with a tease as she takes it out of her mouth. You give her a nod and grit your teeth as she starts to move faster. “I’ll never figure out why a unicorn’s horn is so sensitive. It’s weird.” she says aloud, taking her mouth off again. You look up to her and see her face bright red. “Says…Says the pony that’s... That’s getting off to it.” Dash looks at you, embarrassed. “Shut up.” Dash goes back down on your horn, swirling her tongue around it as she does, making your whole body spasm as she hits the ridges. You reach the apex and yell out in pleasure. Your legs give out and you crumple to the shower floor, panting heavily. Before you can get a chance to bask in your afterglow, you hear a laugh from above you. “You going to get ready or are we spending your day off in the shower?” Dash asks with a snicker. “Shut up…” you pant. You and Dash leave the shower behind and and hit the town. The first place you stop is Sugar Cube Corner after explaining to Dash that you’ve been having a craving for something sweet. “Welcome to-“ Pinkie Pie began as she heard the door open. “Oh my gosh! Doc and Dashie! This is a surprise! What’chya up to?” she asks. “Hi Pinkie. I was wondering if you had any cannolis.” Pinkie Pie looks at you, confused. “What’s a cannolis?” she asks. “From what he’s told me, it’s like a doughnut they’ve got overseas.” Dash tries to explain “It’s a little pastry tube filled with cream.” Pinkie Pie shakes her head at the explanation. “Sorry, we don’t have any of those. That’s too bad, they sound good.” “They are. And what if we make them? I’ve got an idea on how. I hung around the baker’s shop a lot when I did that exchange program.” “Oooh! That’s a great idea!" Pinkie yells excitedly "You guys can help and Mr. and Mrs. Cake would love to add something new to their selection!” You, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash set out to work, each doing their own thing. You got out the right ingredients and mixed it together while Pinkie Pie got the oil ready and Dash rolled the dough. “Ow!” Dash yelled out. “Are you okay? What happened?” you say as you rush over to Dash’s side. “Ya, I’m fine. It’s just my leg.” she says as she holds up her once broken leg. “Here, let me do it for you.” you say as you try to move her out of the way. Dash pushes you back and stays put. “No, I can do it!” You want to tell her not to push herself and to listen to you, as her doctor, but get a better idea. Getting onto her left side, you grab one end of the rolling pin. “I’ll get this side, you get the other. We’ll do it together.” Dash sighs. “Fine, fine.” You and Dash manage to work out a rhythm and laugh every time you and her go in the wrong direction. Pinkie Pie gasps aloud, making both of you stop. “Pinkie senses tingling! Ear flap, nose twitch-” she holds a hoof to her mouth and burps. “heartburn…” Pinkie Pie gasps even louder this time as she looks at both of you. “Ohmygosh! You two are in love! I’m so happy for you!” Both Dash and you blush heavily at the sudden revelation. “No! I mean, yes, but we’re ah well…” She sighs heavily. “What’s the point… Yes, Pinkie. We’re in love.” Pinkie Pie claps her hooves together. “This is like out of a romance novel! It’s so cute!” Laughing, you try to nudge Pinkie Pie back towards the oil. “Come one, watch the oil so it doesn’t catch on fire. We don’t need a visit from the fire department.” The cannolis didn’t take that long to cook and you were happy to have them. Dash leaned up against you as you walked, wearing a goofy smile. “The entire town is going to know now that Pinkie knows. And I’m fine with it. Feels great to get if off my chest and out there.” You reach into the bag and grab a cannoli. “Tat’s ‘ood a ‘ear.” You say before finishing it. “As long as you’re comfortable with it… Hey, what’s wrong?” Dash had stopped and was wiggling her back. “It’s my wing. It’s so itchy and tingly. Can you take a look at it?” You slowly start to unwrap Dash’s wing and look it over. “There’s nothing wrong with the wing on the outside. Lemme take a look on the inside real quick.” You bring forth the magic within and form the x-ray spell again and examine the bone itself. Looking at the wing, you gasp aloud. “Oh dear Celestia… That’s…” you feel your eyes begin to tear up at the sight. There's no way this is possible... Dash whips around and looks at you, panicking. “What’s wrong?” she asks. She sees the look on your face and starts to panic. “TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG!” she yells. “Dash…Your wing.” “WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY WING?!?” she yells, full on crying “TELL ME!” You wrap your hooves around her and embrace her. “Dash, your wing... It’s almost fully healed.”
Epilogue“Okay Dash, now carefully, I want you to go through a full range of motions with your wing. Stop if anything hurts and don’t push yourself.” you tell Dash. When you told Dash that her wing was almost healed, she immediately wanted to celebrate with a nice, long fly around Ponyville, but you forbade her as her doctor. Instead, you were now at the hospital in the physical therapy room. “Tell me again why I can’t fly yet?” she asks, slowly moving her wing up and down. “I said ALMOST fully healed. It’s healed enough where the bandages can come off, but I’d rather not risk another injury. So I thought it would be best if we started physical therapy right away.” Dash sighs and starts to move her wing with more before scrunching up her face. “Something wrong?” “I don’t know.” Dash says. “My wing still feels really stiff and weak.” Walking over to her, you look her over before shrugging. “It’s probably muscle atrophy. You haven’t used it in a long time, so that’s no surprise. Don’t worry, it’ll go away in due time as long as you do the therapy.” “Come on! Let me fly! I’m itching to actually use it!” Dash pleads as she extends her wings fully. “Dash, I swear if you don’t listen to me, I’m going to tie you to the bed.” “That’s okay. I like kinky.” Dash says with a suggestive smile. Images of leather, riding crops, and bondage fill your mind, causing you to blush. “Maybe we can see about Rarity making something special for us. I hear she’s into that sort of thing.” Dash says with a playful nudge. You force yourself to focus on the task at hand and clear your throat. “Okay then. Let’s begin.” Dash stops teasing you and nods. “What do I do?” she asks. You’ve never done physical therapy with a Pegasus before, so nothing comes to mind immediately. Finally, you get an idea. “What were the basics you learned at Flight School?” you ask. “Well, we’d take a few steps, hop, and then flap our wings once.” “Let’s start with that then.” you say. Dash trots around the room, hoping into the air occasionally and flapping her wings to get momentary air. “Can’t we go onto the more advanced stuff? This is boooring.” she says with a groan. “Baby steps, Dash. Let’s just take this one day at a time.” Dash sighs heavily. “Fine….” And you did just that. Each day, Dash would complain about the exercises being stupid and boring, but she didn’t see the strides she was making each day. By the end of the first week, Dash was already flying through the air with ease. Although, she couldn’t pull off her famous aerial acrobatics just yet, that changed within the next week. “Ms. Rainbow Dash, it is with great pride that I can give you a clean bill of health.” you say beaming. Dash settles down in front of you as you finish your lunch, picking up the old routine where it left off. Dash stares at you for some time, which starts makes you uncomfortable. “Is there something wrong?” you ask “Well... Since I can fly again, that probably means you want me out of your house...” she says sullenly. Her words strike you heart. You had been so used to having her with you, that the idea of her leaving made your stomach sink into your hooves. “Well, I guess you could.” you say with a hint of sadness in your voice. Dash doesn’t say anything and you avoid eye contact. It isn’t until you hear sniffling that you actually look at her. She was doing everything she could to not breakdown right then and there. “I-I-I don’t want to... I want to stay.” Dash leaps forward and embraces you. “You’ve done so much for me. I probably would have given up right there at the beginning if it wasn’t for you. You were there for me every step of the way. I don’t want leave!” You hug Dash back and look into her eyes. “Dash, you’ve made me the happiest I've ever been. You’d break my heart if you left, but I don’t want to force you to do anything.” Dash kisses you softly on the lips and smiles. “Let’s go home.” You and Dash got looks and whispers as you walked through Ponyville, but you two didn’t care. You were too happy to be held in Dash’s warm, soft wing. When you finally make it home, you and Dash collapse on the bed and hold eachother. “What did I do to deserve an awesome boyfriend like you?” Dash asks. You kiss her tenderly and smile. “You crashed.” Dash smiles as she punches you in the shoulder. “Shut up and go to sleep before YOU’RE the one in the hospital.” You laugh and give Dash a quick kiss. “I love you.” “I love you too.”
