Beer. Wine. Vodka. More beer. Orange juice. Soda. Purple stuff. Even more beer.
It was a bartender's dream, and it was the reality of what lie within Berry Punch's fridge.
Nurse Redheart shook her head, disappointed that the vast amount of alcohol within the fridge did not surprise her. Finding a beverage to go along with the lunch she was making for Berry was going to be somewhat difficult if she intended to avoid alcohol at all costs. She sniffed the orange juice. Sure enough, there was already vodka mixed in. The soda was already mixed as well, with rum. As for the purple stuff, she didn't even know what it was. It certainly didn't look like any grape juice she'd ever seen.
"Berry?" Redheart called from the kitchen. "What is this purple stuff in the fridge?"
"Raspberry liqueur, grain alcohol, and club soda," Berry called back. "It's called a Leg Spreader."
"Classy," Redheart muttered. She searched the fridge some more, finally happening upon a drawer full of boxed juice, which she assumed was for Pinchy. She pulled one out of the package, poking the straw into its opening and setting it on the tray she'd placed Berry's salad on. It would have to do. She took a breath and equipped her best patient smile. Somehow she had a feeling that she'd need a lot of patience to deal with Berry.
"Really?" Berry said with a scowl as the tray was placed in front of her. "A box drink. Do you think I'm eight or something?"
"It was the only non-alcoholic thing in your fridge," Redheart said, with as much calmness as she could muster.
"I guess running water doesn't exist," Berry shot back. "I should write to the water company! Dunno why I'm paying a water bill when it's apparently not working!" Redheart gritted her teeth just a bit beneath her smile. It was going to be a long 30 days.
"The water works just fine," Redheart said, her voice deceptively cheery. "I just figured you'd like something flavorful with your meal. And before you say anything, I mean something flavorful and non-alcoholic."
"Uh-huh," Berry said, clearly unamused. "You do realize that I keep these around for Pinchy, right?"
"I figured as much," Redheart replied, sitting herself down at the opposite side of the table.
"So you're wasting my daughter's drinks," Berry said. "Gee, thanks. What a help you've been so far."
Redheart felt her neck muscles tense up. Her response came without thinking.
"You know, it's probably not the only way your drinking is affecting her," Redheart said. She regretted the words the instant they came out of her mouth; she had been trained better than to commit such a rookie mistake. She slowly turned her gaze up towards Berry, and was greeted with an expression exactly as angry as she'd expected.
"How dare you speak like that to me about my daughter?" Berry shouted, both front hooves planted firmly on the table. Redheart sighed inwardly; it was definitely too soon to be saying things like that. Perhaps this was a battle that she should stand down from.
"You're right," Redheart replied. "That was inconsiderate of me. I apologize."
Berry opened her mouth to yell again, but stopped. She glared at Redheart for a few brutally-silent moments before nodding.
"Yeah, you better be sorry," Berry said through a sneer, though Redheart could tell that her frown had diminished somewhat. Then she turned to her salad and began digging into it. Redheart considered beginning a conversation, but give the small blowup from a moment ago, she decided it best to wait and let Berry initiate. It was important to let the patient feel as comfortable around her as possible. It would be no easy feat, but it was one which she hoped to do her best to accomplish. She simply ate her own salad in silence.
Redheart looked at Berry calmly as Berry looked up from her meal. Her mouth began to open, and Redheart prepared herself for whatever Berry had to say. Perhaps it would be something helpful for the situation. It was certainly too early to expect a huge revelation or anything, but maybe whatever she decided to say would be a step towards making their relationship easier.
"This salad tastes like shit," Berry said. Redheart's mouth contorted into a frown, but she took a breath and did her best to keep her cool.
"It's just regular vegetables," Redheart told her. "I didn't even do anything to them."
"Uh-huh," Berry said. "You coulda used some better vegetables."
"I used the vegetables in your fridge," Redheart replied, forcing a serene smile onto her face. "But I guess I could pick up some other vegetables soon." She decided to attempt a joke to lighten the mood. "Are you sure you don't dislike it just because I made it for you?" She smiled to Berry, expecting...or at least hoping for a little chuckle.
"Yeah, that's probably it," Berry said matter-of-factly, taking another bite of salad.
Redheart rolled her eyes, but kept her smile. That could have gone worse.
"How about we let you decide what you have for dinner?" Redheart offered, trying to get on Berry's good side.
"Oh gosh, really?" Berry asked, her eyes wide with mock excitement. "You mean I get to pick my own meal just like a real grown-up? Gee, thank you so much for the privilege!" She then scoffed as she took the next bite of her salad.
Redheart let out a deep sigh and rested her chin on one hoof, her ears falling. She hadn't expected this to be easy, but she also hadn't expected it to be this hard.
Berry, meanwhile, looked back up from her salad and at the dejected Redheart. She sighed lightly.
"Okay, okay, now I'm sorry," Berry said. "You might be doing this job that I don't need you for, but I can admit when I'm being a sarcastic bitch. Thanks for the lunch."
"You're welcome," Redheart said, a relieved smile crossing her face. "See? We can be friends again."
"Don't push your luck," Berry replied. "Just because I'm gonna try to not yell at you constantly doesn't mean we're all buddy-buddy, got it?"
"Uh-huh," Redheart answered, her smile a distant memory.
Minutes passed like they were hours as the two ate in silence, and Redheart began to wonder if she had made a mistake in taking this job. She had tried so many times when they were younger to dissuade Berry from her destructive behavior, and she had clearly never managed to find success, or else they wouldn't be here today. From all the signs that she'd been exhibiting, Berry did not want Redheart's help, leaving the nurse wondering if it was even worth trying.
Then she shook her head. Throughout her tenure as a nurse, she had never given up on a patient. Berry might have been more stubborn than most of her patients, but there was no way that she would give up on her. Perhaps a rekindling of their friendship was out of the question, but as long as she had a say in it, Berry would receive the help that she didn't realize she needed. She nodded resolutely as she steeled her mental resolve.
"What are you shaking your head and nodding at?" Berry asked. "I thought you said I was the one with problems."
"Nothing, nothing," Redheart responded, a bit embarrassed.
"Uh-huh," Berry responded. "You always were weird." And then she was back to eating.
Redheart steamed. She was not weird. It frustrated her to no end to hear that, and even more that Berry knew how much it frustrated her. Part of her was crushed to hear those words from her, and from the look Berry had given her while speaking those words, she knew exactly what effect they had. Within moments, the anger she felt from those words had faded into something completely different.
"...I'm going to go do the laundry,. Redheart said softly. She got up from her seat, leaving her plate half-full.
Berry looked up from her meal as Redheart dragged her hooves out of the room. Part of her wanted to feel good about getting the verbal one-up on Redheart, but for some reason, she just couldn't muster up the urge to be happy about it. Once Redheart was out of the room, Berry looked back down at her partially-finished meal. Her appetite had seemed to leave just as Redheart had. With a sigh, she combined the two plates of food into one and put it in the fridge. She eyed the various bottle of alcohol as she did so. Something inside her was screaming for her to grab one and down it, and she spent a good few moments trying to decide which she was in the mood for. She finally decided on the Leg Spreader, and poured herself a glass.
Berry stared at her glass once it was full. She could almost hear Redheart's voice of disapproval, and the thought of it made her frown. The battle in her mind only lasted a brief few moments before she picked up the glass and downed its contents. The fact that there was a battle to begin with might have made some manner of impact on Berry if she hadn't been so enamored with the refreshing taste flooding her mouth. The empty glass quickly found its way into the sink. Berry figured she'd do the dishes later; right now, she had to take care of the little niggling thoughts of regret popping up in her mind, and she had to do it now, before the alcohol's influence cleared them away. Besides, Redheart didn't even know where her laundry room was. She exited the kitchen, forgetting to even shut the refrigerator door. She'd take care of that later, too.
"Nurse" was not Nurse Redheart's first name. Although it very well may have been.
That was what nearly everypony called her, after all. Even when she wasn't on the job, ponies would always refer to her as Nurse Redheart. It didn't bother her in the least; she loved her job, and was more than happy to let it define her. The cutie mark on her flank said it all. Her special talent was caring for those who needed medical assistance, and she was quite proud of that fact.
This wasn't to say that her job was all fun and games. Far from it, actually. Dealing with sick ponies was no romp in the park, and it certainly took its toll on her at times. It was all worth it for the smiles on the faces of the ponies she helped to recover, but that didn't mean that dealing with the sicker ones didn't hurt her. What made it even worse was her connection to the town and its citizens. She had lived in Ponyville all her life and come to know so many of its citizens, a fact that didn't help when she had to see ponies she knew so well coming in with debilitating illnesses, injuries, or other situations. This was the unfortunate situation she'd found herself in for the last few days, although the situation was admittedly more unfortunate for the other pony involved.
This past Tuesday wasn't the first time that Berry Punch had been brought into the hospital in some state of extreme inebriation. She was a regular by this point, often finding herself admitted after her latest bender by either her friends or the bartender of her last stop of the night. Each time she was brought in, she would swear up and down that it was the last time anypony would see her there. She would typically be referring to the detox center, although during some of her darker moments she'd be referring to other things, things which Redheart didn't like to think about.
Redheart had known Berry for years. They had lived next door to each other and gone to school together. The close proximity of their houses made them friends by default when they were younger, but once they started school, the slow divide of their friendship began. To say they hung out with different crowds was an understatement. Redheart was always more at home with the quiet crowds, while Berry was more of a party animal even back in their teenage years. Redheart had warned her before college about the dangers she'd have to deal with if she kept up her rampant partying, but Berry had taken offense to her comments, and their friendship crashed and burned. It was the last time the two had interacted in a setting that didn't involve Berry getting her stomach pumped or being treated for an injury incurred during a drinking binge, and even those talks didn't go far given Berry's usual state of mind.
Redheart supposed she could have tried a little harder to reconcile with Berry over the years, but Berry hadn't made an effort either, so she wasn't the only one at fault. She figured, though, that this new assignment would pretty much force the two to speak. After all, if she was to be living with Berry as her "sober companion," it would be odd not to talk to her. This was hardly the type of situation that she'd envisioned the rekindling of a friendship to occur in, but at this point, she was pretty positive that such a rekindling wouldn't be happening. The two simply seemed to be too far apart. Redheart was living a moderately successful life and doing what she loved, and Berry was...in need of a sober companion. She had promised herself to try and not look down on Berry; she understood perfectly well that alcoholism was a legitimate problem. Given the situation, though it was hard to go into it with an unbiased mind.
Redheart's hoof made contact with Berry's front door, as she wondered what state of disrepair she would find her former friend in. It had been a number of days since she saw her in the hospital, and that was plenty of time for her to work herself into a negative mental state. That was fine, though. Well, not fine, per se, but it was something that she was here to help with, and something that she was prepared to see.
The door swung open, and Redheart admitted to herself that maybe she wasn't quite prepared for what she would see as she thought she was.
"Hello," the young filly who answered the door said with a smile. "Who are you?"
Redheart had heard talk that Berry had a child, but had never actually seen her. She shouldn't have been surprised; she had seen Berry's records, after all, and that was a piece of information that had been provided to her. For some reason, though, she still found herself mentally unprepared to face the reality that Berry was doing what she was doing to herself while she had a child to care for. She took a deep breath, trying not to think too much about what the poor filly had to be dealing with.
"Hi there," Redheart answered with a smile. "I'm Nurse Redheart, and-"
"Oh, you're mom's foalsitter," the filly answered nonchalantly. "I'm Ruby Berry Daiquiri Pinch! But my friends call me Pinchy." Redheart couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She seemed like such a precocious child, and the thought that she had to deal with her mom's problems was not a pleasant one.
"Why does mom need a foalsitter anyway?" Pinchy asked, looking the nurse up and down. "I'm twelve and I don't even need a foalsitter anymore." Redheart smiled awkwardly. There was no way that Pinchy could possibly be unaware of her mother's affliction, not with how bad she always was when she saw her.
"Well," Redheart said, rubbing the back of her mane with a hoof. "You see, your mom-"
"Who's at the door, Pinchy Pinch?" Berry's voice sang from the kitchen. Redheart watched with a slight frown on her face as Berry trotted through the doorway. She could tell from her gait that she was already well on her way to inebriation. She looked down to Pinchy, afraid to see her expression.
"Your foalsitter's here," Pinchy said, seemingly indifferent to her mother's current state. "Can I go hang out with my friends?" Redheart offered Berry a weak smile, a smile which Berry did not reciprocate.
"Yeah, sure," Berry said, frowning. "Go ahead. Me and the foalsitter gotta talk." Redheart sighed at her tone. She had imagined that this might be a bit difficult, but she had hoped that there would at least be no hostility.
"Kay!" Pinchy said cheerfully. She turned around to leave, but was stopped by a clearing of her mom's throat.
"I think you're forgetting something," Berry said in a stern tone. Redheart winced, afraid that Berry was about to yell at her poor little daughter for some forgotten chore.
"O-oh," Pinchy said, looking sheepish. "Right..." Redheart watched Pinchy trot up to her mom, preparing for the worst. Then she let out a sigh of relief as Berry scooped Pinchy up in a big hug.
"I love you, my little Ruby," Berry slurred, nuzzling the little filly.
"Heh...I love ya too, mom!" Pinchy responded. "But you're embarrassing me in front of your foalsitter!"
"Don't even think about her," Berry told her with a scoff. "Just pretend she's isn't even here." She gave Pinchy a kiss on the forehead and placed her back on the ground, waving her off as she galloped out the door. Redheart gave her a wave as well, but she was paid no heed, just as Berry had instructed. The nurse turned back to look at Berry, and was met with the same scowl as before.
"So," Berry sneered. "Youuuu think you're here to fix me, huh? Miss hero's here t'save the day and make the quote unquote outta control party animal all better, that it?" Redheart winced slightly, Berry's words stinging her as she gave her a harsh reminder of the last name she'd called her on the day their friendship ended.
"Berry," Redheart spoke, as calmly as possible. "You need help. You have a problem, and-"
"I don't have a problem!" Berry spat coldly. The nurse groaned and shook her head. Berry was exactly as stubborn as she'd remembered.
"First off, it's 12 PM on a Friday and you're drunk," Redheart told her. "And second, like I was saying, you have a problem, and I can't help you properly until you can admit it."
"Like you even wanna help!" Berry shot back.
"I do want to help!" Redheart responded. She stopped herself before she could say her next thoughts, but they rang clear in her head: "Like you even want to change."
In truth, Redheart had very little confidence that Berry would turn things around for herself. She vividly recalled Berry coming to her while they were still in high school, telling her how last night was her last night of partying ever. Of course, it never was, and Redheart had been given very little reason to believe that anything had changed for her since then.
"Then why don'tchu help by getting outta here!" Berry growled, slamming a hoof on the table. The table's shaking was enough to knock her beer bottle over, and she quickly scrambled to clean it up. Redheart watched, unamused, as Berry soaked the spill up with some paper towels. Then she glared at Redheart. "See? I don't have a problem! Somepony with a problem woulda drank that off the table!"
"Well, like it or not, I'm spending the next 30 days, at the very least, staying here and helping you out," Redheart replied, crossing her forelegs. "You agreed to this program, after all."
"Yeah, when I was drunk!" Berry shot back.
"Exacty," Redheart replied. The two stared each other down for a few tense moments.
"Fine, whatever," Berry finally said, throwing the beer-soaked paper towels away. "But I don't need it."
"Yes, you do," Redheart responded. "Now just sit down and take some time to relax. I'll make us a nice lunch to talk over." Berry responded with a noncommittal grunt, a better answer than Redheart had honestly expected. Redheart gave Berry one more quick look, even trying to offer a bit of a smile. Berry refused to reciprocate, and Redheart shook her head as she entered Berry's kitchen. She always was stubborn.
