Chapter 11: Ease the Pain

Matt slowly creaked open his eyes and all he saw was white. Or in his case, white curtains, a white ceiling, while also laying on top of a white hospital bed. He felt nothing but only minor pain. He couldn't feel anything at all coming from multiple signals, he couldn't feel his arm but it was there in front of him, moving but not feeling alive. The same could be said for his back. He questioned himself if he was even conscience at this point or was he having another dream.

He looking around him as multiple packs of flora, balloons and cards were around him. He tested any other senses to be completely sure he was still alive or conscience. He tested his smell and all he could smell was the refreshing flora that was near him and a surprisingly citrus like aroma from the clean white marble floors of his room. He sight was completely fine as he could pretty much see the situation he was in, a bed with restrictions and casts around both of his arms and his right leg. His sense of hearing felt fine, although all he could hear was a mediocre beeping sound which he could only assume as a heart monitor, and a small chit chatter coming from outside his door. He was curious as to who was outside, but none of the voices he recognized. As for taste, all he could taste in his mouth was the same taste of alcohol, old and rancid from the lack of proper dental care.

Finally he tested his sense of touch, with only feeling the silkiness and smoothness on his neck from his bed sheets. Unfortunately like earlier, he cannot feel his arms and leg as well as his back. He assessed the situation carefully until he heard his door slowly creak open. He saw a familiar unicorn he had sworn he'd seen before. He came in levitating a clipboard and coffee around him, but he looked absolutely stressed with noticeable bags under his eyes and a five o'clock shadow on his chin. "Ah, you're actually stable and awake." He walked up to Matt and placed the coffee next to him, it was poured close to the rim of the mug so it looked like it was freshly brewed. "I'm very much happy that you're alive right now." He softly exclaimed with a happy and tired tone to his voice, like a frog was stuck in it.

"Wha.....Where am I?"

"Well......Matt is it? You're in the hospital after the whole mess we were in last night."

"W-What happened last night? What happened to my arms and leg? I can't feel anything!" Matt's toned quickly began to pace with no recollection of the past night. The unicorn placed his coffee on a table next to Matt as he dragged his hoof down across his face in stress make a notable 'Bwaugh' sound.

"Don't worry Matt you're okay. I believe by my studies are a few broken limbs and bones. The reason you can't feel anything nor any pain as because of our painkillers and magic currently healing you right now." The unicorn explained as he levitated his mug for a sip of coffee. "Might I say Matt, you were quite the challenge for me today since I had no idea what kind of anatomy had in store for me. And might I say that it was an honor helping you."

Matt had quite the confused look on his face. "H-honored? T-Thanks I guess. So how long am I gonna be in this bed till?"

The unicorn pulled out a clipboard hanging from the front of the hospital bed frame and took a look at his diagnosis. "Well judging from my medical experience and with the help of Princess Twilight Sparkle's books on primate and dragon anatomy, I would say about just one day and your bones should be all healed up."

Matt was quite stunned, bones healing at a rate faster than age. "Just one day and all my broken bones are good? How the fuck is that even possible? I thought I was gonna be stuck like this for months."

"You didn't know bones could heal like that? Don't you have magic where you come from?" Matt slowly shook his head in denial.

"No, what we do have is science. Magic was only a myth where I'm from. Science was the only thing we could use for medicine, and we as my kind's society came pretty advanced." The unicorn smiled in curiosity.

"Mmmm? Do tell, I'd love to hear this as a doctor myself."

"Well I would, but can you tell me how I ended up here? What happened last night?" The doctor explained the events of the heroic actions that Matt had performed at the burning house fire. He told him what he had done, and that the same doctor was there to tend to the victims' aid. He also told him how he ignored all fear from Matt and ordered the nurses and ambulance to tend to your care no matter what. For he sees no monster in Matt, but only a hero. Matt felt a small pinching pain, but could remember some of the details of the accident. "Hang on, where's my stuff?" Matt asked looking around the room with no sight of his weapons.

"Oh uh, Princess Twilight requested to keep them inside her castle upon inspection." Matt gave a deep sigh as he laid back on hi bed.

"Ah.....well good luck with the gun. That's all I need to say." After much conversation, coffee, and food; Matt could already start to feel the healing effects of medical magic as he started to feel his arms and legs again without any pain. He gently moved his fingers and arm and started to feel it again, the actual touch of his sheets felt soft and slightly warm. Through their conversations they started to know each other, although small and dry conversations could only spill out. They got to know each other's names more properly, interests, and hobbies; personal lives however were avoided and silent from Matt.

Matt finished his cup of coffee rather quickly, enjoying the taste of caffeine once again. "Jeezuz I thought I'd never taste this shit ever again."

"You mean coffee? You have coffee where you're from?"

"Have it? We all lived by it! It was the greatest thing to drink for adults, especially just to get through the day. I can't remember the last time I had coffee." With the coffee gone, the caffeine did it's magic as it cleansed his eyes from the inside out. "I'll tell you what though, do you guys have something called espressos?"

"Yea we do actually, though it's in another part of Equestria called Itrotly. Though they're the only ones to actually drink espresso, considering it's much more bitter than regular coffee here." Matt only chuckled with the idea in his head.

"Do they have espresso machines? Does anyone else here make espresso?" Matt asked desperately as he tried to endure the pain, leaning over closer to the doctor. The doctor in turn got a little nervous and confused as gulped.

"I-I think so, there is one coffee shop that has it. I'll tell you later though." A knock came from the door. "Hold on I will be there." The doctor said as he stood up. "I believe those are your friends. Would you like to see them?"

Matt crossed his arms and gave a heavy sigh. "Maybe, lemme think about it real quick. Can you ask them why while I think?" The doctor nodded, he opened the door and closed it behind him being greeted by Twilight and her friends.

"Ah Twilight, I assume you're all here to see Mr. Matt I assume?" They all nodded as Fluttershy stepped forward with streams of tears from her eyes.

"I-I-Is he okay? Oh please tell me he's okay doctor!" She pleaded as her face turned to desperation. The doctor put a hoof on her shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Fluttershy he'll be fine. As for your visit, he's currently thinking on it. Let me ask him really quick." The doctor opened the door and peaked his head out facing Matt. "Have you made your decision with their permission to see you yet?" Matt only gave him a simple nod. He turned back to the girls with a small smile. "Okay girls he's going to see you all, but I must tell you not to have him leave his bed or have any of you move him and damaged appendages around. Is this clear?" They all nodded as he fixed his glasses neatly. "Alright now I must attend to other patients, Nurse RedHeart should be here in about an hour to check up on him. Until then please watch over him.

All the girls walked in with low looks of sadness on their faces. They saw the broken and hurt human on the bed with a flat expression on his face. "Hey," was all he could say as Twilight walked toward him.

"Are you okay?"

He only slightly chuckled. "Yea." He said with a small grin. "Can't believe it, how many times did I almost die?" He stopped to count how many time, too many. "God......guess it was worth it." He said weakly as Rainbow Dash walked up to his face and slapped him. Soon all the ponies became shocked at her action.

"Jerk!" She then shocked everyone in the room by hugging the human softly to not injure him. "Don't you ever do that again." Matt, who lied there shocked with shrunken eyes stuttered to find words.

"R-Rainbow, why? I thought you didn't like me."

"No, I still don't like you. But not as much anymore!" She started sniffling into the human's chest as Matt could only lightly pat her on the back. He sighed heavily as soon all of Rainbow's friends started joining in to form a group hug. Deep down inside Matt's heart started to warm up, even with one arm down he felt like he could still hug all the ponies around him.

But he didn't.

"S-stop." He said flatly. "Stop please." There were slight sniffles from his nose, trying to hold back tears. "I-I can't feel this. I can't, otherwise. It'll jut remind me of my daughter and put me through more pain."

"But Matt, why? The more ya don't accept the fact that somebody is gone the more painful it's gonna be. Ah should know," Applejack said as she took off her hat and placed it on her chest. "I've lost people too, even in mah own hooves." Which made all the other ponies hug tighter.

"I-I.." He still didn't want to accept it yet. There was still an inch of rejection from all the kindness he was receiving. Suddenly all the ponies stopped hugging him when the door knocked. Through his tears Matt exclaimed "Come in." In came in a pair of ponies, a grey pegasus mare and a smaller purple gray unicorn foal both with small bandages and patches around them.

"Excuse me, are you Matt?" The pegasus mare asked as Matt nodded.

"Y-Yea. Who are you?"

"I know we weren't properly introduced but my name is Derpy Hooves and this is my little muffin Dinky." Derpy picked up Dinky and brought her up closer to Matt's face.

"Hi mister!" Derpy placed Dinky on Matt's bed by him. Dinky slowly slumped over Matt's chest and softly nuzzled her cheeks on him. "Thank you so much Mister Matt."

"F-For what? Forgive me but I don't kno-.........................You're the ones from the fire aren't you." Derpy nodded. "listen I don't want any praise for this, I don't deserve it." He sighed heavily and looked at the other ponies. "Besides, I'm still a monster to everyone out there."

"But I don't." Matt's ears twitch at Derpy's words, but his thoughts still stood.

"I do appreciate the kindness Derpy. But you're just one pony over....how many there are in this town." Matt started as his own hand. He stared at it for some time until his eyes began to shrank and began to clutch a fist tight. His breathing became swift as his heartbeat monitor became more active. Fluttershy being the first to react, she placed her hooves around Matt's fist. His breathing was paused as he took a long stare at Fluttershy.

Even though that a pony was a horse and that horses have solid hooves, her hoof felt soft and gently like a feather. Matt let out a large and heavy sigh as his monitor returned to his normal beat. He opened of his fist and gently grasped Fluttershy's hoof. He faced all the ponies and let out another sigh. "Listen girls, I'd like to be alone for a moment. Fluttershy, may you please stay?" She nodded with all the other ponies leaving the room and closing the door. Matt motioned his finger for Fluttershy to come a lot closer. She slowly put her ear near Matt's mouth as he began to whisper, "Fluttershy thank you, but I can't stay."

Fluttershy started to tear up and quiver her lips. "B-But you can't. I-I mean...."

"Fluttershy what good would I do here? Yea even though I saved those two ponies from a fire, that's something anyone could do. Heck you have a fire department in this town, that's their job. It also doesn't help that I'm a monster in this society, and that your town views me as some sort of beast or abomination that deserves to disappear. All I have on my hands and shoulders is death, death, and more death." He closed his eye, shedding one tear as he remembers his daughter.

"But please, if you see that none of these ponies truly mean that. Then you can stay!" From this point Fluttershy was streaming rivers of tears from he eyes.

"But why. Why do you want me here."

" *Sniff* Because I don't want you to die out there alone! Would you want to be alone for the rest of your life?!?"

"No I-... It's that.....I just don't want to be a pain or bother to you girls. You've given me so much but I have nothing to give back. And not only that but you-" He paused to say what he wanted, but through his will he went ahead and expressed his pain. "-you just remind me so much of her."

"Of who?"

"My daughter...... before she died. You act like her, timid, and shy of things, but also a lover of animals. She loved animals. But best of all she was always kind, no matter what." By this moment, Fluttershy's heart sank, feeling guilt and sorrow for the poor soul. She never meant to painfully remind him of his past or struggles. "I won't hold it against you though. It's not you're fault. But the more I stay here, the more pain I feel." He sighed again, heavier with his heart feeling the same pain from before, when he lost his family.

"M-May I a-ask you something Matt?" Matt nodded. "If you would want to die so badly and be alone forever, what would you're family want? Would they want you to die or live and be happy?" Matt paused immediately with his heart stopping. He never thought about a side conscience that wasn't his own being. He never asked himself this question.

"I.....I don't know. I never thought about that." He looked at his hand, a long good look to see that the invisible blood was still there. "I guess I was so blinded by anger towards myself, knowing that I failed to protect them...." Though his arms were cased, didn't mean they were restricted. He took this advantage and placed his hands together, taking a deep breath. "The question is, what do I do now? Do I simply move on? And how?"

Fluttershy wrapped a wing around Matt's back. The soothing silky texture of her wings touched Matt's heart with comfort. "It's okay Matt. I don't know the answer, but maybe we can help you find it. If there is anything you need from us, you could simply ask." The suggestion was kind and sincere to Matt.

Matt first separated his hands and then turned to Fluttershy. "May I be alone for a bit?" Fluttershy complied as quietly left the room, leaving Matt alone to think for himself. "What the fuck and I gonna do Catherine?"

Author's Note

Yup I'm back and after much struggle, I managed to make 1 fraking chapter. I do apologize for the inconvenience but like I said, I am trying my best. Thank you all and I love you all.