Adjusting to a New Life

The sweet bliss of sleep that came suddenly and without warning did not last long. Macintosh stirred and shook me awake, nodding over at the work that still needed completion. "Aww....come on..." I had said, putting my clothes back together. My shirt looking funny since some of the buttons were torn off. I'd have to see Rarity later to get that fixed...

"No-way-no-how." Mac had said to me sternly, his face contorting into a grin. "Ah shouldn't have even slacked off, we gotta work double-time, now!" he said, getting to work immediately. After having done the 'do', I could actually focus on work instead of that hunky Stallions rear end. He seemed to feel the same way, not even giving a glance to me. He still communicated with me, though, giving me instructions on what to do.

"Okay, James, move as fast as you can and put the buckets under as many trees as you can, and once they're filled with apples, put them on the carts!" he ordered, running back and forth from trees, entire trees shuddering and dropping their bounties under the stallion's powerful muscles. Desperately trying to keep up with Mac's Equine strength, I frantically ran to-and-fro with him, picking up the filled Buckets, which were damn heavy, and moving them to the Carts, which were getting even heavier by the bucket-full. We were nearing sundown, and nearing the last buckets, but instead of being a good limb and not freaking out on my, my leg decided it wanted to stop working and run into rocks.

In other words, I tripped, and tripped hard. I landed with bucket-in-hand, effectively crushing and twisting my right wrist. No more fapping for a while... I yelped in pain, somehow not spilling a single apple as I rolled off of the barrel, holding my wrist. Macintosh, who was a mere few feet away, ran over to my side and in an attempt to pull me back up, grabbed onto my wrist with his teeth. I cannot stress enough how much that hurt. After another yelp and a swift, trigger-response to pain caused by someone else, punch to the side of his noggin, Mac let me go. He seemed a bit daze at my violent reaction, I had never shown any signs of violent behavior before, so it must have surprised him. "Sorry, Mac, that just really hurt.." I said, using my good hand to push myself up. He nodded, understanding.

He looked over to the over to the buckets, then at my wrist. "Ah'll get'm, go sit on one of the carts with space." Mac said, running over to the buckets and lifting them onto his back. I, as instructed, went to the largest cart and got up inside of it, leaning against the railing. With this small break, my arms and legs aching from all the work, I took a moment to watch Mac.

He moved quickly, putting the last few buckets onto a cart before going over to the cart I was seated on. "Okay, James, Ah'm gunna take you back, first, so's you can rest up." he said to me in his slow, concerned voice, making my heart flutter slightly.
I nodded, still holding my wrist like an infant. "Tell the family that ah'll be back before dinner is ready." Mac told me as he slipped into a harness, starting to drag me and the heavy apples back towards our farmhouse.

For some reason, whenever Mac referred to his Grandmother and two sisters as "the family", I always felt odd. I know that when he says that, he means me, too, but after today, it just seemed a bit...wrong. But, now is not the time to ponder that, the more important thing was his wrist, and how bad it hurt. I'll probably have to go see a Doctor about it, and man, do I hate Doctors.... It's not so much Doctor's as it is hospitals. And needles.

"Okay, James, hop out and go lay down." I heard Mac say, snapping me out of my stupor. I nodded and shifted my way upwards, jumping down off the cart. "Sorry, Mac, I really hate that I'm leaving you to your own devices..." I said awkwardly, averting my gaze from the red stallion. He shook his head and smiled. "James, not your fault that you hurt your hand, and heck, it's more my fault than anything, making you rush'n all..." Mac nodded towards the door. "Well, git'a'long, now." he said, detaching himself from the harness. I nodded in silent thanks, and headed indoors. Applebloom had probably been home from school for a long time now, and had greeted me as I came in. AJ, probably hearing her sister, came into the kitchen with a smile.

"Howdy James, where's Big Mac?" she asked, looking at my hand, which had begun to swell. "He'll be back before dinner is ready, he said." I told her, attempting to put my hand down. I could feel the blood rush down to it, which wasn't exactly an enjoyable feeling. I quickly brought it back upwards, making AJ give me the strangest of looks.

"What're y'all doing that fer?" AJ asked, cocking her head. "I hurt my wrist while carrying the buckets to the carts. I tripped and landed on it wrong." I told her, which got me another odd look. Duh, stupid ponies've never seen a wrist before!
I pointed a finger at the now swollen bone which connect my arm and hand together, pointing out how it is bigger than my other one.

"Oh, ah see." she said, getting real close to it. "Are you gunna go to the hospital, tomorrow?" she asked, looking up at me. I gulped, and shook my head. "Er, no, I'll just let it heal on its own." I said, wincing as I felt it throb and throw off heat slightly more, as if it were protesting to my statement. "Erm, okay, if you say so, but if it starts to hurt real bad, go see Nurse Redhart immediately, okay?" she said, looking straight into my eyes. "Don't worry, I will." I replied, I blatant lie.

I went upstairs and into my bedroom, shouting to AJ that I was going to skip dinner tonight. She hollered something back, but I didn't catch it. In my fit of exhaustion, I collapsed onto my bed, accidentally landing on my hand again. I bit my lip as more pain assaulted me, quickly making me roll over off of it. "Damned wrist..." I said, letting sleep take me once more.