Unlikely visitor

After a long and tiring shift, I went to the pub the general asked me to meet him at. Flamehoof had a bunch of empty shot glasses next to him, which assured me that he was quite drunk.

"You celebrating?" I asked him as I sat down on the barstool, leaning forward.

"Yep." I grinned and put a coin purse on the table and Flamehoof took it.

"Well, how did it go?"

"She threw me out of her house after I told her I won a bet. Also , she hit me with a pan."

"Was it worth it?"

"Totally worth it. Kinda sad that such a mare like her is wasting her time as a nurse. She would earn a lot more as a model."

"Well, I have to admit that her beauty did catch my eye. However, I'm afraid to talk to her.”

"Afraid of what ? Dude, she's like an instrument waiting for a sonata, or progressive metal without a singer. Barman, roll another for my friend."

"No, thanks. I got to go."

"You just arrived. Come on, just one beer."

"No thanks, I really need to go." I stood up hurriedly and walked towards the door. The general shrugged and turned back to the barman.

"Goodbye, doc,” he said. I rolled my eyes as the door slammed behind me.

I then left the pub and decided to go on a walk. I was on the edge of the Evertree Forest when I saw a small camp. I moved closer to it and noticed a torn tent along with a small amount of blood. There was also a huge pile of leaves near one of trees. I was about to leave when I saw the pile move weakly. I moved closer to it and it rustled again. I started raking off the leaves with my hooves and was accompanied with mixed feelings. What if it was a wounded wolf that was set up as a trap ? It could also be a victim of some fight, bandits or someone who collected debts from debtors this way. I stopped when I saw a face of a mare under the leaves. Her face was beaten and had a lot of small bruises. She was also unconscius. I quickly dug her out of the leaves and noticed a deep wound on her chest. I immediately took the ruined tent and used it as a makeshift bandage and carried her to my house. After I got there, I put her on my bed and started looking for my medical kit. Just like always, I forgot where I put it.

"Where the hell is it?" I thought when I couldn't find it anywhere. Then I remembered that I take my work home and I automatically knew where to look. I finally found it in my coat and ran to the wounded mare. I don't usually have a problem with seeing blood, but seeing more than half of my bed covered in it is quite disturbing.

"Shall I take her to the hospital? No, she lost too much blood.... " I said. I then carefully took off the tent and started bandaging her wounds. After a while, she finally stopped bleeding. I threw the bloodstained tent into the washing machine and took a chair from the kitchen. I sat next to her and didn't take my eyes off her the whole night, hoping that she would surive the night. On the following day,  I stood up and decided to replace her bandages but she suddenly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was me, standing above her like a guardian angel. Unfortunately, the blood on my doctor's coat ruined the impression.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"That's not important. What's important is that you're safe now" I said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Random, I found you covered up with leaves near a small camp in the Evetree Forest."

She jumped from her bed and started looking for an exit.

"Please, stay in your bed, you're very weak now."

"Why should  ? It could have been you who beaten me ! I didn't see their faces !" she said and fell to the floor.

"Use logic. If I wanted you to do die, why would I bother with tending your wounds? Just like I said, I'm a doctor, not a killer." I said and looked sadly into her eyes.

"You... You care about me?"

"Well, since I'm a doctor, It's duty to care for the well-being of my patients." She hugged me and started crying. I wasn't  sure if from sadness or joy.

"A simple thanks would have been enough" I said.

"You don't like hugs?"

"Of course I do, it's just unusual to get a hug from someone I don't even know."

"I'm the Great and... just call me Trixie."

Suddenly I remembered who she was. She had ruined the town for a few days, making everything about her and nopony else. I couldn’t stand the thought of that egotistical mare staying in my house, tarnishing my reputation if anypony found out. She was not welcome here, and she had to get lost. I walked over to the dresser and pushed a couple garments out of the way, revealing my polished .22 revolver. I turned around and pointed at her head.

“Oh, so you’re the Trixie all the fuss was about?” I said, still aiming at her. “Well, you’re not wanted here. Not now, not ever again after what you did. That Ursa Minor could have seriously injured or killed somepony, and that would be on me. I’m a doctor after all.”

“But Trixie also needs shelter!” she squealed, trying to push the revolver out of her face. “The Everfree Forest is no place for Trixie!”

“If you weren’t so selfish, you would still have your home in one piece.” I replied. “Now, I want you to leave. Immediately.”

“No.” she said. “Trixie will not leave.” Without hesitation I aimed the gun above her head and pulled the trigger. A shot erupted out of the chamber and slammed into the drywall behind her, causing her to squeal and cower down. Now she knew I meant business.

“Next shot won’t miss.” I said. “Leave. Now.”

“I… I can’t.” she replied. Judging by her not speaking in third person, I figured out she really meant it.

“Why?” I asked. “What’s so hard about leaving?”

“I… Trixie… have nowhere to go.” she answered. “The home I had was my only one. You're the only one who cares about me in the last half year." Suddenly my mind clicked and I lowered the revolver, throwing it to the side. I ran a hoof through my mane and sighed, turning back to Trixie.

"You'll have to stay here for a couple of days until your wounds heal. I'm not saying this as a doctor, but as someone who doesn't want you to die." When Trixie heard this, she blushed slightly. I left the room and went to the kitchen.

"Where'd you go?"

"You're probably hungry" I said and returned to the room with an apple.

"Thanks, do you want some of it too?"

"Nah, I'll have to leave for a while."

"Why?"

"I need to get off work for the next couple of weeks to see to you."

"Will they let you?" she asked, a little bit of confusion creeping into her voice. I sighed.

“Probably, I haven’t taken time off in a couple years.” Trixie started to get off the bed and winced in pain. I pushed her back down. "You're wounded, It'll be better if you stayed here. Don't worry, I have the most secure door in whole of Equestria so no one will break in."

"Alright..." said Trixie, sadly. I then smiled and left the house. Of course, I didn't have the the most secure door in whole of Equestria, but I had to say something so that she wouldn't be worried. I arrived at the clinic and was greeted by my boss.

"Why are you late?" he said, crossing his arms in front of him and raising an eyebrow.

"My alarm clock broke and I overslept," I said with a fake smile.

"Come on Random, tell me the truth. Do you want to take some time off?"

"Yes." He sighed and dropped his arms to his side.

"Finally. You're working whole day and night for two years and you never took a break. How many days?"

"Two weeks."

"All right. Enjoy your vacation." The head doctor shook my hoof and I went home.

"I'm back" I said when I came to the hall.

"Hi," the mare said. I went inside the bedroom and Trixie was holding a book called Myths and Legends, but the cover was torn.

"What happened to the book?"

"I couldn't open it and when I did , I ruined the cover."

"It's alright, it wasn't the only copy and even if it was it would be okay" I said and took the book. A small note was sticking out of the torn cover. I took a knife for opening letters, cut up the cover and took out the note.

"What's that?"

"I dunno" I said and started reading.

“There , in the highest mountains, search. But on the very peak it is not.”

"Who would put a poem pointing to the highest mountains inside a book about myths and legends?"

"Someone who wanted to lure someone into a trap."

"A trap? I think it leads to some sort of treasure. Maybe we should go after it."

"Even if we wanted to find the treasure, you would have to stay here."

"Why?"

"You're still wounded, you have to stay for at least two days."

"Fine, two days won't kill me..." The two days passed very fast but I'll never forget them. I learned something new about her every day. However, when I asked her what exactly happened to her in the Evertree Forest, she started crying and so I promised to never ask her about that ever again. She was also the first and only one who actually laughted at my jokes. Even though she was ashamed of her laugh, I liked it. When I played chess with her, she told me to play nice since she's a beginner and I believed her. She then beated me seven times in a row. Really caught me off guard with that. I also finally got an opporturnity to dust off a bunch of my favourite cooperative games. I learned from my previous experience with chess and didn't spare her this time. Much to my suprise, she always got a higher score or found better weapons. What kind of sorcery is this? Nevertheless  it was good to finally have someone to spent time with. She also looked prettier without all those scars and bruises.