You would think a stable dweller would live a life of luxury compared to any old wastelander, and you would be correct. So why did I leave it all behind? How did I transform from Stable 35’s head physician to a battle scarred combat medic? My story isn’t nice, but it’s one worth telling. You could say it started nine, no ten years ago when I met Valentine.
Hearths Warming eve, I had left the clinic in the capable hands of my assistant Heather. I on the other hand was taking a walk, clearing my head. I avoided the festivities, I wasn’t really a party pony. I passed one such party, the music blaring out into the corridor, and then all too abruptly it stopped.
A stallion burst into the hallway, his eyes became fixed upon me. “Oh thank Celestia! Quick, somepony collapsed!” I stood there, it was Hearths Warming eve for Celestia's sake! It was probably just somepony having too much to drink. “Well come on! That crest on your collar ain’t just for show is it?” I’ll see what had got him so worked up, it’s not like I was doing much anyway.
I followed him into the room where everypony had formed a semi-circle around the pink mare. I pushed through the crowd and examined her; thank Celestia I was just passing. She was ill and needed an operation, all the other medical ponies were out enjoying themselves and wouldn’t pay attention to their PipBucks. I would have to hope Heather was still down there.
I typed a message to her telling her to prepare, I got a quick response. At least I wouldn’t be completely alone. I asked a few stallions to help take the mare down. We moved in silence, the only sound being the clip clopping of hooves on metal. Heather had already prepared the clinics for our arrival, we slipped the mare into a bed.
She was beautiful, she had a pink coat and a long, red two-tone mane. I loved her, first I would save her, then, I’d ask her to dinner. She stirred in her sleep and lazily opened her eyes
It was just me and her, the stallions had run off and Heather was prepping the OR. “Are you alright? Can you tell me your name?” The mare looked at me, a pained expression on her face.
“I-I’m Valentine.”
I placed a hoof on her shoulder, she flinched but didn’t move away. “Well Valentine, you’re gonna be just fine. Alright?” The mare nodded nervously. With a flash of my horn Valentine fell asleep instantly.
Heather’s head poked around the corner. “It’s ready, let’s move.”
*** *** ***
And that’s how it started, you could say I got a very nice Hearths Warming present that year. We were in a relationship and were married about a year later. And finally, in early June we gained another wonderful present. Starlight.
“I don’t know sweetie, are you sure?” I looked to Valentine with a reassuring smile.
“She’s eight now and she really seems interested in what I do. Who knows? Maybe she could be a good medical pony just like her dad.”
Valentine smiled, “We should make her take a C.A.T.”
“She’s still a bit young for that, maybe in a year or two, let’s see if we can’t draw it out naturally first. It’s more fun that way”
The mare giggled before trotting up and pulling me into a hug. She gave me a small peck on the muzzle before hopping into bed. “Coming?”
As much as I wanted to say ‘yes’ I turned to leave, “I’m going to go check on Star, she’s got a big day tomorrow. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.” She giggled as I left. Just next door was Starlight’s room; I opened the door and a small ball of white and purple charged out and collided with my legs. I was on the floor in short order.
“I got you!” she said still lying on top of me, nuzzling my bare chest.
“Aw, darn. Can’t sneak up on you can I?” Starlight got off of me and ran back inside the room giggling, I got to my hooves and followed her in. She was already in bed again smiling as I entered. “You should be asleep Star.”
She frowned, and looked down at her hooves “I can’t.”
I chuckled, “Maybe it’s this room, I’ll have to complain about it.” I said in a sarcastic tone, the filly giggled. “Till they come and fix it why don’t you sleep with your mother and me?”
The filly’s mouth opened in an O of surprise. “I can? Really?”
I nodded.
“YAY!” the filly ran past me and into the bedroom at a frightening speed. I could hear Valentine squeal a little. That did it, no more snack cakes after dinner.
*** *** ***
Sounds good doesn’t it? All happiness and sunshine? That was the last good day I had in Stable 35, what followed was unthinkable. I had planned for Starlight to take a day helping me in the clinics in hope of her cutie mark appearing. Things didn’t go…according to plan.
Where were they? I checked the PipBuck, 18 minutes late. They were supposed to meet me here for lunch and then we would go down to the clinics together. Valentine was never very good with remembering, maybe she forgot the time, or place?
19 minutes. Could I have forgotten to mention lunch? It was possible that they were down there waiting for me. Yeah that was it, maybe, probably not.
20 minutes. I looked at the PipBuck and remembered, I could track HER PipBuck! We had prepared for something like this LONG in advance. I tapped in the data and received the signal…clinics. So she was there! But something wasn’t right, the little blip was moving incredibly fast down the corridors. What would have her charging down the corridors? I had to get down there.
Several flights of stairs later I almost collided with a member of a huge crowd massing in front of the door to the stairwell. I looked at my PipBuck, Valentine’s signal had stopped moving, time was running out. The crowd silenced as the Overmare herself flanked by two armed security guards stood in front of the door.
“Can I have your attention?” She didn’t even need to ask, everyone was already pretty much silent. “Until further notice the lower levels are off-limits.” She said in a commanding tone.
Off limits? But…
“Why?” somepony in the crowd shouted.
The Overmare let out a deep breath before replying. “Quarantine.”
Oh no.
The crowd immediately began to object.
“You aren’t going to help?”
“Are we even safe?”
“What’s causing it?”
“QUIET!!!” the crowd immediately silenced. “We don’t know what it is, if it’s contagious or what we can even do to stop it. We have to sit and wait.” The crowd began muttering amongst each other again.
This was mad! They were just going to let an entire floor of ponies die, including Starlight and Val? Screw that! I pushed my way to the front of the crowd and glared at the Overmare. “Let me in.”
Every head in the room turned towards me. She blinked, “I’m sorry, what?”
“Open that door and let me help them.”
A few moments of silence passed. “I can’t let you.”
Screw that, I didn’t need her approval. I stepped forward towards the door ignoring the gun aimed squarely at my head, it was non-lethal ammunition but it would stop me.
“I won’t let you do this!” I opened the door; the idiots hadn’t locked it yet. The guard aiming the gun looked to the Overmare for guidance. “Don’t take another step! I’ll give the order!”
I turned to her, “Then give it, I won’t just abandon the ponies down there.” I turned back and took a few steps down the stairs before I heard the door slide shut and lock behind me.
*** *** ***
Call me what you like. Hero. Idiot. Madstallion. It doesn't matter; I've tried to forget the events of that day, when I walked knee deep into hell itself to save my family. But I can’t.
As I descended the last flight I stopped dead in my tracks, bodies, as far as the eye could see and all still alive. Their pained groans filled the air, who did this? One of them saw me and got to his hooves shakily. “Please…help me.” He managed to walk two steps before keeling over again.
“H-Hang on! I’ll get you help!” My horn wrapped the stallion in a red glow lifting him onto my back. The clinic was just around the corner. I passed so many sick ponies on the way, coughing, begging, some no more than foals. I had to find Valentine, but first I had to know what I was up against.
I deposited him on one of the clinic beds, “Hey, can you talk to me? What happened?” The stallion coughed, clutching at his chest. He needed treatment soon, or he wouldn’t last!
“E-Everypony just started to…collapse. Then *cough* they sealed us in.”
They didn't seal him in. He just couldn't make it. “They just…collapsed?” The stallion nodded. “Alright tell me what’s wrong.”
He looked at me, tapping his torso, “Chest…it hurts. Ngh...Agh!” He lurched over the side of the bed coughing up blood, it spattered the floor and some even got on my hooves, I tried to ignore it.
“Hang in there! Let me get you something.” As I turned he grabbed at my clothes, attempting to stop me.
“Doc…p-please… keep learning what you can…”I turned back and let him relax in the bed; I almost slipped in the pool of his blood.
“N-No! Treating you is more important right now.”
He grabbed the front of my barding, pulling me close, “Listen! I know…I probably won’t make it. W-Whatever I’ve got…everypony out there has as well! P-Please… f-find out what you can…while I can still co-operate, you might not get a second chance!”
He was right, of everypony I passed he was the only one who could get up, or even talk. “Damn… alright! I’ll unmask whatever you have right now.”
I quickly put together a list of everything wrong with him. Fever, chest pains, coughing up blood, bloodshot eyes, this wasn’t ordinary, this was something new.
The stallion coughed up another large amount of blood before passing out. He didn’t have much time; I had to operate on him.
*** *** ***
Little did I know that the stallion’s body was home something far worse than any regular ailment, he was home to something impossible, something I dread to learn the origins of.
I had quickly gathered all the tools I needed for the job, I hoped. This would be difficult even with help, and I was on my own, what if I couldn’t do it? No, no, I can’t think that way, I’ll just have to go with it.
He was coughing up blood; therefore it had to be afflicting his lungs. I floated over a scalpel and cut into the stallion’s torso. Opening him up revealed something else about his condition, lacerations on his lung? But how!? I concentrated on the cuts, my horn glowed red and the wounds sealed themselves shut in a flash of crimson light.
Well that was eas…WHAT WAS THAT?!? There was a small bulge inside the organ, and it was…moving. I watched, horrified as the culprit tore out of the stallion’s newly healed lung, leaving a hole.
Goddesses, what was it? It skittered across the organ leaving a cut in its wake. It was tearing up his insides! I grasped the parasite in my telekinesis, tearing it from the organ and brought it up to my eye.
The thing was a dark purple colour and looked like some sort of bug; it writhed about in my telekinesis, searching for a grip. I crushed it in my telekinetic grasp and for good measure threw it against the wall. It left a large purple splat on the once clean wall. Where the hell did that thing come from? It couldn’t have been natural, so somepony must have…created it. The pathogen wasn’t able to spread through the air either, so how did it infect this many?
I shrugged off the thought and concentrated on finishing healing the stallion. With a final glow of my horn he was good as new, I hoped.
Whatever the case now I knew how to treat it, whatever it was. I raised my PipBuck again and looked up Valentine’s location. She wasn’t far, I’m coming Val, just hold on a little longer!
I galloped as fast as I could the tracker leading me straight to her. I rounded the corner and saw them slumped against the wall. I heard crying, Starlight. I trotted up and shook Valentine gently, she stirred but didn’t wake. Starlight saw me and looked up with tear filled eyes,
“D-D-Dad? I-It hurts!”
I got down and embraced her, my eyes welling up. “It’s okay, I’m here, dad’s here. I’m going to help you!”
She tried to force a smile and pointed a shaky hoof towards Valentine. “H-Help mommy too! I-I...” her hoof fell as she coughed up blood and passed out. Valentine opened her eyes lazily beside me.
“ ‘rion? Oh thank Celestia …” she began coughing too. I was openly weeping now, unable to contain myself.
“V-Val! I’m sorry this is all my fault! Let me see here…”
She raised a hoof to my head and stroked my muzzle as I examined her; I hung my head and punched the wall in frustration. They needed help now and I had left my tools back in the clinic, even if both of them survived the trip there would barely be any time to treat one, let alone both of them, I wanted to scream.
Maybe if I brought the equipment here…yeah that could work! I tried to get up to retrieve it but Valentine lurched forward and grabbed a hold of my tail. I looked back at her, “D-Don’t go…p-please…” She was going to die if I didn’t get help! But I wasn’t going to refuse her, this was what she wanted. I lay down beside her and pulled both her and Starlight close.
The corridors had fallen silent, the only audible sound being our sobs. Starlight convulsed and coughed up more and more blood; I could feel her go limp in my foreleg. Valentine and I tightened our grips on each other, she buried her muzzle into my neck, weeping into my mane.
A few minutes passed with us mourning our lost child. Suddenly she turned away and coughed up a large amount of blood, she looked back up at me with tear filled eyes. Then all too suddenly they rolled back in her head and she fell alongside Starlight.
I shook her, “Val? Val!” she was gone. I fell forward onto her lifeless body, crying into her chest. I brushed away her crimson mane and closed her eyes. I didn’t want to leave them, I wanted to stay here and watch over them but I still had work to do.
I got to my hooves with a weary slowness and sent a message via PipBuck to the Overmare. “Not contagious, send help.” The sound of ponies thundering down the stairs came almost immediately after.
*** *** ***
My family’s deaths tore at me inside, but they surged me forward. I was determined, I wouldn’t lose anypony else to this monstrosity. I treated patient after patient, it was a battle of endurance, and I would not lose.
We worked tirelessly treating as many of the afflicted ponies as we could. Though inexperienced the helpers could follow my instructions and could work quickly. When the worst of it was over a lot of ponies stayed, to examine samples and mourn their dead. I went upstairs…with Val and Star on my back.
I opened up the door and came face to face with the Overmare, she smiled at me, “I can’t tell you how pleased I am that…what’s wrong?” She noticed the tears in my eyes and then she saw what I was carrying, “So, that’s why you wanted to get down there. I-I’m sorry.”
I snorted hotly at her, and walked past her. They might have lived if she hadn’t tried to stop me. They could have had a chance. She placed a hoof on my shoulder, “Look, Orion is it? You saved hundreds of ponies today, you can’t be this way.”
I grunted, “I didn’t save all of them.”
She frowned at me and stamped a hoof impatiently. “Without you none of them would have had a chance! You risked your own life to go down there and help. Even if it was just for your family, that conduct must be rewarded, name anything, anything at all and I’ll try to make it happen.”
A favour from the Overmare herself, what to ask for? All my mind could think about was Val and Star, I wanted them back but that was impossible. “J-Just let me think about it.”
*** *** ***
During the following week I discovered something whilst studying the bugs and the computer system to the clinics. I was determined to find the cause of this outbreak, my results had left me reeling.
A quick analysis of the bug gave me insight on to why it acted so violently. The bug seemed like it was actually meant for good, its body was full of different substances, too many to count. 0.17% this, 0.36% that. But the names of the substances were easily recognisable, medicines, anti-toxins the lot of ‘em. But something had gone wrong causing the bug to attack its host. That I could not figure out.
The computer system yielded even more shocking results. This parasite was administered by the stable to the citizens. Obviously it had meant no harm but the imperfect pathogen had attempted to wipe the clinic clean. But, why didn’t it try to infect the whole stable? Once again I came to no conclusion.
But I had finally decided what I wanted to do with my favour, if this is what the stable was doing to ponies I didn’t want to become victim. I was going to ask to leave.
I had no more family ties here and perhaps a fresh start was what I needed. The Overmare had frowned at the idea and tried to shoot my request down immediately. But with some gentle persuasion she finally caved and agreed to let me out secretly with whatever I could carry. I packed and waited for the day, and when it finally came I couldn’t have been more ready.
I had food rations for weeks, medical supplies and even a small pistol which had been loaded with live ammunition. I had more ammo for said pistol and finally a few personal belongings.
The only pony to see me off was the guard opening the door. My escape was to be completely confidential. The large door of the stable was pulled out of the way revealing a small cavern with visible light at the end. I took a few tentative steps into the cavern before turning and seeing the large steel door clang back into place behind me.
