Chapter three

Foal Alcohol Syndrome affects every one in 25 foals born in Equestria every year. It is most commonly found in Las Pegasus, and it is caused when a mare drinks while pregnant. It causes mental deficiencies and physical deformities, and, rarely, death.
Ponyville General Hospital had never birthed a foal affected with FAS before. Until now.

Lily Blossom’s drinking problems had been getting serious again. She was careless, either hung-over or a constant drunk. She didn’t even now she was pregnant until she started getting labor pains.
She was admitted to the hospital, and put under the care of two nurses/midwives she knew well, Nurse Cloverheart and Nurse Pinkheart.

After hours of labor, a foal was successfully birthed. One nurse washed and bundled the filly in a pink blanket while the other went to fetch Written Script. He was sitting in the waiting room reading a paper while his second youngest, Ditzy Doo, scribbled with crayon under the semi-watchful gaze of her older brothers and sister.
“It’s a filly.” Nurse Cloverheart beamed. Ditzy, the five year old silver maned Pegasus, looked up and gasped. “A sister!”
Leaving his paper, Written Script trotted quickly to the birthing room, eager to see his new daughter. Nurse Pinkheart had just handed a pink bundle to Lily, and she two gave the stallion a big grin. “Congratulations!”
Lily Blossomed, seeing her husband, carefully pulled the blanket back off of her new foal’s face. Then…
She screamed.
“She’s hideous! Oh my lord, what’s wrong with it?”
The two nurses rushed forwards anxiously, the green one snatched the bundle away.
“What am I going to do? It’s hideous!”
As Cloverheart rocked the foal, Written Script stepped forwards to see his new daughter for the first time. The filly’s eyes were scrunched shut, and she was sucking on one hoof. She had her father’s grey coat and her mother’s blonde mane. “What’s wrong with her?” He asked as the foal cooed. And the he looked back down.
She had opened her eyes, which were a common shade of golden yellow. But… something wasn’t right with one eye. It swiveled in its socket like it couldn’t be controlled, spinning and rolling. Occasionally, it would pause, and then start up again.
“You see! It’s hideous! She’s… she’s a derp!” Lily cried as Nurse Pinkheart rushed around, crying to calm her down.
“Well, it’s YOUR fault!” Written Script bellowed back. “If you hadn’t gone around drinking cocktails behind my back every night, this never would have happened!”
Shocked, his wife muttered, “My reputation is ruined…”
“And that’s YOUR fault!” Written Script stormed out of the room, leaving behind three stunned mares and one wailing infant.
Both nurses exchanged glances, having a battle with their eyes, and Pinkheart lost. “A name for the filly?” She asked timidly.
“Derpy! She’s derpy! A disgrace!” Lily Blossomed continued to trash around and sob. And so, knowing they would never get a straight answer out of her, the nurses shrugged and the name put on the birth certificate was the following; Derpy Hooves.

Two days later, Lily Blossomed was discharged from the hospital. She never did pick up her filly from the nursery, instead running out with only her purse. She never returned home, never contacted her husband or saw her children after that. The Mayor at the time later swore she stopped by his office to sign divorce papers, and some claim they saw her board a train bound to Canterlot. Whatever she did do, one thing was clear- she didn’t want to be seen in Ponyville again.

After work, Written Script, accompanied by Ditzy, stopped by at the nursery. He had just been harassed by the Mayor’s assistant about divorce papers and frantic nurses had told him the entire story of his wife’s departure. His wife wasn’t coming back… He had lost his wife, his love, because of this… this disabled filly. He watched through the window soundless, thoughts running through his head as a nurse picked Derpy out of her cot, stripped her, put on a fresh diaper and a little onesie, and then bundled her up again. When the nurse placed Derpy in his hooves, and the filly turned to give him her first ever smile, he didn’t feel love or joy like he had with his other children. He felt growing hatred. Repulsion.

Once the trio got home, it was clear by the smell that Derpy had taken care of business- more than once. But instead of changing her diaper and giving her a bottle, Written Script simply plopped the foal into the crib, closed the curtains, and locked the doors. As the filly wailed, he sat on the couch in a near comatose state.
“Come on, Ditzy.” Silver Script called his sister who was sitting at the top of the staircase, watching her daddy. “It’s bedtime.”
As Derpy let out a fresh wail, she asked, “Shouldn’t we do something?”
“It’s okay. She’s just hungry. Dad will take care of her tomorrow; just give him some time, Ditz.” Silver Script answered in what he hoped was a convincing voice.
As her own stomach growled, the toddler ran up the stairs. “I want my mommy!”
“I do to. I do to.” Silver Script whispered before retreating up the stairs. “But don’t worry, she’ll be back in no time!” He called after his sister.
“Liar.” Written Script thought.

Two hours later, when the older children were asleep and even Derpy’s wails had turned into sleepy hiccups, Written Script got up. He went to the master bedroom, and collected everything that belonging to Lily Blossomed. Then, in the backyard, he smashed every perfume bottle, burned every article of clothing, and buried all jewelry. All while thinking of his newest family addition.
The derp.

Author's Note

I'm sorry! I really love Derpy too, but I think this is an important part of her story that needs to be shared!