The ungodly buzzing of my alarm tore me from the pleasant dream I was having, forcing my hand down upon it. My eyes opened to the sight of an empty bed and a long morning ahead of me. It didn't take long for me to take a shower, shave, get my keys and leave the apartment. For as fast as I was going, everything on the streets of the city seemed faster than usual, perhaps due to my imagination or negative public image. I stopped at my favorite coffee shop and got the usual on-the-go breakfast and coffee, ignoring the glares from everyone inside enjoying their morning.

I stopped on my usual route only once, right after I had left the coffee shop. I looked over to across the street to where the carriage had crashed. I took a sip of my brew and thought about how long ago that was, though it only seemed like yesterday. The storefronts had changed ownership— probably due to the negative image of having a carriage crash into your shop. Not very good advertisement there. I began to wonder what had happened to those patients that had survived the crash. Maybe they had a new lease on life, considering how close to death they were. Maybe they were doing something— or someone —they loved and left the old life behind.

"C—Carter?" came an apprehensive voice from my left. It was Sylvia, wearing her scrubs and no doubt on her way to the office.

I smiled. "Hey, you come this way too? I'm surprised we haven't bumped into each other sooner," I mentioned, surprised by the sudden social interaction. "You getting a coffee or just gonna go straight to work?"

Sylvia couldn't meet my eyes, looking down at the cobble road or at the passersby. "Y-yea... I'm just gonna head to work."

"Well, let's get going then," I said gleefully. "Don't want to be late, or else Cross will kill me early." The gryphon winced, but said nothing.

We started down the road in a continuous pattern: Sylvia would look at something, look down, and then to me. I would say nothing and munch on the egg and sausage sandwich in my hand. It was when Canterlot Central was in sight that I finally got fed up with the constant staring.

"You know," I started, looking directly towards her, "you can just say it. I don't mind— really! It's better than this weird neck exercise you keep doing."

This seemed to finally break the barrier she had put up because she sighed with the force of a jet engine. "Carter, you're dying! How can you be so... so relaxed?!"

I shrugged. "Is there anything you can do to help me?" Sylvia looked at me strangely, but just shook her head dejectedly. "Then stop worrying about it. There's nothing I can do either, so I'm not gonna waste my time speeding up the process with ulcers."

"It's not just me, though! Everyone's worried!" she explained. "When Cross saw that letter, she almost lost her mind! She was redder than I'd ever seen her before!"

"Wait, like mad?" I asked.

"Furious! And don't even get me started on the rest of them! There was a whole rainbow of emotions in that room! The Elements of Harmony in particular were devastated!"

A sharp whips of wind hissed through my teeth. "Yikes... there's not much I can do about that. Though, now I'm kind of worried."

"Oh, now you're worried?"

I was taken aback in a good way. "I think that was the first time I've ever heard you use sarcasm! Cross and I must be rubbing off on you!" Sylvia groaned and smacked my arm, making me laugh a little as we approached the glass entrance of the hospital. "Yes, I am in fact worried. Not because of the blood, but because the Elements— especially Twilight —can... overreact? They do some crazy shit sometimes, and boy are those days quite funny to watch as the fuck everything up."

"So you're worried about... well, you'd say shenanigans, right?" she asked as I reached out and held the door open for her.

"Yea, pretty much. I mean if it ever happens, it'd be... what the fuck is this?"

Standing there in the main reception of the hospital was Cross, looking quite cross, along with a team consisting of most of the heads of departments of the hospital. Sitting in front of them was an empty wheelchair, and a small cluster of confused-looking, early morning patients. They weren't the only confused ones, however. The staff passing though going about their usual routines gave Cross a strange look as she glared daggers at me.

Sylvia was silent for a moment, before finishing my sentence. "...obvious? Bad? Awkward?"

"I bet you a hundred bits the Elements are standing behind us," I offered as I took a sip of my almost empty coffee.

"I thought you didn't bet money?" she quipped.

"This hardly counts as a bet."

The gryphon looked at me, and I to her before we both turned and found not only the Elements of Harmony, but Redheart and Stables as well, all of whom had a stern look on their face. I let out a hum of surprise. "Maybe I have magical coincidence powers now that I'm dying," I said, flexing my hand into weird shapes. "I'm going to fly away from this situation! I don't have a deadly blood disease!" When nothing happened, I took another sip of coffee. "Yea, didn't think so."

"Carter," Twilight started, "this is for your own good. If you just cooperate, I'm sure we can find a cure for you in no time!"

I stared at the purple princess for a moment, then down to my coffee. "Can I finish this first, or are you in that much of a hurry to steal my blood again?"

"No!" called Cross from the other side of the room. "Just get in the damn chair already!"

I turned to face my boss, taking another sip of coffee to spite her. "And what if I say that if I do, you'll all be arrested?"

"In the chair, now!" she ordered, pointing to the device in front of her.

I gave a sigh of annoyance. I couldn't get in that chair— the first thing they'd do is blood tests! If any great amount of my blood came out of my body in any way, there'd be trouble in no time at all. "Look," I started, raising my hands in defeat, "I can't. You read that letter, Cross. I'm pretty much a walking bio-hazard now. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have ordered that my blood be considered a weapon, and if any should be spilled, that it be collected and destroyed post haste."

Cross remained cross. "I don't believe you," she stated simply and angrily.

"I have the decree right here, Cross." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and waved it in front of her.

"That's a napkin," she deadpanned.

"What? Decrees can't be written on napkins?" I argued, but it was in vain. I felt arms shoot underneath my shoulders and lift me up off of my feet. Somehow, I managed to keep my coffee from spilling as Applejack and Rainbow Dash began to carry me to the wheelchair. "Hey hey hey! I literally just told you—!"

"Sorry, Sugarcube, but ya need this. You of all people should know that these things need ta' be done for ponies to be healthy."

"I'm not a pony!" I struggled against the two powerhouses, but I knew from the start it was in vain. In a last-ditch attempt at freedom, I revisited my older joke with a newfound prayer. "And then Discord saved me!" I shouted as I closed my eyes from the strain.

The sudden weightlessness honestly scared me a lot before I was plopped back down into a familiar, faux-leather chair. I slowly opened my eyes to find my office, and sitting in the chair on the other side of my desk was the blessed spirit himself. "Holy shit," I said in wonder, "I didn't think that'd work."

I looked up to my savior expectantly, but he shook his head in disappointment. "I'm afraid I've been watching this mishap unfold since yesterday. That, and the H.M.I.C. said to keep an eye on you. Well, more like around you, just in case someone tries to pull a "me" on the entire world again."

"Oh," I said in plain contempt for the truth, "that's disappointing. I was starting to like the idea of convenience magic..." I lamented a bit before I realized something. "So, I guess maybe I shouldn't have said that bit about my blood, huh?"

"Probably."

I sighed and slammed my head into my hands. "How the hell am I going to work with the lynch mob after me?"

I massaged my face for a few seconds, hoping Discord might actually have the answer, but I was greatly disappointed. "I don't know, and I really don't care," he chuckled. "This is the least of your worries, after all. People are still after that tasty blood of yours."

"Yea, I know," I deadpanned, "I was stabbed, remember? I'm kind of aware of the fact that people want me dead. Why do they even want me dead in the first place? They could just— I dunno —abduct me or something."

"If you want my two cents, it's probably easier to transport a dead body or blood bags out of the country than a live person who's screaming and kicking," the spirit of chaos added. "It's rather disconcerting for me— considering my hide in on the line —that this is a very real possibility, which is why I've decided to help you out!"

At this, he slid something across the desk: a strange medallion of sorts, attached to what seemed to be a string. "Wait, is this an arcade cabinet button attached to a shoelace?" I marveled. "What the hell is this going to do?"

Discord frowned. "Honestly, if you're going to judge things by appearance, then forget it. I'll just take my teleportation button back."

I reeled back with the button as he reached for it. "No, no. It's mine now. I'm keeping this."

"Even thought you don't know what it does?"

"It teleports me," I smirked.

Discord smirked as well, leaning back in the chair. "Where?"

I took a moment to think about it. "To Celestia?" I wagered sheepishly.

There was a brief pause in the conversation until the spirit scowled. I laughed smugly and hung the button around my neck, hiding it within my shirt. "Damn it. Lucky guess..." Discord lamented. "Either way, my job's done here. I'll be keeping an eye out for you every now and again, but when I'm not, use that to slip away."

"Wait, wait, wait— every now and again?" I asked in panic. "What do you mean, "every now and again"?! People are trying to kill me, or take my blood! Why not all the time?!"

"I have a life," he said looking kind of hurt at the assumption. "I do things too, you know. I'll have you know that I also have a job!"

It took me a moment to register that he had just said. I leaned forward and looked at him ludicrously. "You have a job?"

"Yes, I do," he stated proudly. "I'm a... well, I'm... I work with Fluttershy at her house!"

"So you're an assistant? Man servant? Husband? What is it?" I retorted. "Do you even get paid?"

"No, but the company is nice," he admitted honestly. "It doesn't matter, what matters is that your door is about to break down."

"What?"

At that, Discord vanished in a cloud of confetti, leaving tiny bits of paper all over my office. In the second after, my door bend inwards with a grunt and crack. Then again, and again, until finally the locking mechanism broke entirely and the door slammed open.

In stormed Applejack, Cross, and Redheart, all of whom looked particularly upset. "There ya are!" AJ said though her panting breath. "Why are ya being so stubborn about this! It could very well save yer life!"

"Stubborn?! I'm not the one who just broke my door!" I said, getting up from my chair and motioning behind the three.

"Carter," Red began, "you know that we need to do this! If this condition isn't treated and another human appears anywhere in the world, then they might suffer through what you're going though right now!"

"We're doing this one way or another, Carter," Cross finalized.

"Yea? What about consent then, huh?" I countered. "I don't intend to give it anytime soon! Frankly, you're just wasting your time, along with the hospital's! I know it's sad that I'm dying, but get over it! I have— and I'm the one who's going in six months! Give it a break already and let me to my job!"

There was silence between the four of us for a moment. Everyone in the room didn't seem to budge from their stance even an inch, but then Cross of all people gave. "Fine," she relented, but insisted on staying angered and frustrated as she threw her hands up into the air. "If you're so damned sure you want to die early, then that's just fine. However, I don't really see the reason that you're so fucking uptight about a few tests— I mean you already did one a few weeks ago."

My heart stopped early. "W-what? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I mean you sent in some blood to have the diagnosis done, right?" she added, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her snout. "I mean if you're fine with that, then there shou—"

Cross was shoved aside forcefully as I sprinted pass her into the halls of the hospital. "Carter!" AJ called out from behind as I thought about the layout of each floor. "What in tarnation is—!?"

There was no time left to talk or think. I sprinted past patients, nurses, doctors and janitors as I descended and descended the stairs over and over again, flight after flight until I got to the basement. The thick metal doors that lined the hallway were plastered with nameplates, and I read each and every one of them until finally...

"Hematology!" The blood lab. I practically kicked the door down as burst into the room, drawing the attention of everyone inside. "Which one of you is Sugar Cycle?!" I pleaded in a blind panic. A rose-coloured mare in the back sheepishly raised her hand.

I wasted no time in approaching her with all the intent I could muster. "Doctor Bowman," she started as I approached, "I know it's hard news to bare, but you—"

"No! It's not that!" I explained quickly. "Did you destroy the sample?! My blood sample! Is it gone?!"

"Well, no I—"

"No time— just give it to me, I need to know if it's here!" I practically screamed at this point.

Sweat was dripping off of my head and audibly onto the tiled floor of the lab. My panting and heaving rushed my thumping heart into my hears as I looked into the eyes of the mortified technician.

"If you'd let me finish, I'll tell you where the blood is!" she started, frustrated. "I already gave it to that resident for you! The one you sent to pick it up just now! The gryphon you're always with!"

"Sylvia?" I questioned, shock gripping my stomach tightly. "She said that I sent her? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes," she confirmed with worry instead of frustration, most likely due to my change in tone. "Did something ha—?"

"Carter!" Redheart chided from the door, getting everyone's attention. "What is this all—?!"

I ran to White Cross who had just entered the room and forcefully grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did you see Sylvia? I need to know— we need to know right now. I'm not fucking around, Cross— you know when I am."

Cross was stunned by my sudden aggression, though she made no attempt to stop it. The look in her eyes said it all: she knew fear was driving me at this point, and if I really wasn't afraid to die, then this had to have been worse. "I... I did see her go down the stairs when we were coming up to your office, but I mean—"

"We need to find her now— not in a few minutes —right fucking now, Cross, or else a whole lot of shit is about to go down."

She nodded and we raced up the stairs. I split off into the lobby. I looked and looked, but there didn't seem to be a gryphon in sight. I raced out into the street, but the crowds of the early morning were blocking all hopes of progress.

Sylvia was gone, and so was the blood.

Author's Note

It's pretty late and I actually forgot to add this, though it's not really that important.

Updating might not be constantly, but I got this one done quick since I had time. Due to university however, it might not be as quick next time.

Let me know what you thought of the chapter below!