Diamond In the Rough

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Frederick paced in the waiting room of the hospital. Saint Vincent’s had been a restoration project by the Catholic Church in an attempt to provide low cost medical care to those in need. Even though he, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon (thanks to the both of them) had medical insurance they still would be hard pressed to go to a Glossman operated hospital. Instead they were here, and he was told that because of the potential for surgery he would have to wait out in the waiting room.

“Frederick, it’s going to be okay,” Diamond said as she held Shiny.

Ruby had finally fell asleep, next to her mother, on the old couch that sat in the waiting room. The waiting room itself had chairs and couches that didn’t have any connection ports or USB ports, or even an audio jack for headsets. They were simply designed for setting, a tale tale sign that they were older, but at least well cared for. Frederick thought about that, trying to calm down, and finally he took a seat across from Diamond Tiara.

“Surgery, you didn’t have to have surgery,” he replied.

She nodded, gently rocking Shiny, “I know. I’m worried too, but we’re in a hospital, they are trained for this, and they should be letting us know what’s happening.”

The truth was she was maybe even more worried than he was. Memories of her mother in the hospital came to mind, but she pushed them back. Silver Spoon wasn’t her mother. She didn’t refuse to be seen until it was beyond the point of hope. No, she had let them know right away, and both her and Frederick had done everything possible to get her to the hospital. Still, Diamond knew that one didn’t just simply get past feeling anxiety toward a place without facing the cause of that anxiety.

She held her son, happy that he was being a good colt, glad that he seemed to have his father’s temperament, and more than happy that she wasn’t having to plicate Ruby right now. The last thing she needed, or wanted, was to have to settle her daughter down. Still, as she sat there she felt her nerves trying to get the better of her. Shiny, her wonderful little colt, seemed to snuggle closer to her, his breathing slow and deep, his eyes closed, and finally, he was asleep. She laid him down beside his sister only to watch as Ruby hugged him.

The two didn’t have to be awake for one to reach out for the other. They seemed to know when one was close. She looked at Frederick who seemed to be lost in his own world. She understood all too well. She leaned over, touching his hand, getting his attention. She expected him to grab her hand, to hold it close, but instead he moved toward her. She felt a hand snake its way under her shirt. She didn’t say anything, not wanting to get the attention of the hospital staff, and she didn’t want Frederick to think that she didn’t want him to touch her. She longed for his touch, she longed to be taken, hard, by her stallion, but this simply wasn’t the place for it. She looked at him, and her words failed her. He was lost. She could see how lost he was, how in need of comfort he was. Gently, she moved his hand, seeing his eyes moving toward her own, and she kissed him.

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered.

He hugged her, latching onto her, and she understood completely. He loved her. His love for her had never changed, he didn’t have less for her than when they first admitted what they felt, but Silvy was in his heart too now. She was a part of him, and she realized that was exactly the way it needed to be. Silvy needed to be in his heart, she needed to be a part of him, and the reason was because she was a part of her.

Their talk, before this happened, had brought them closer, or at least she hoped that it did. She silently hoped that everything between them had been worked out. She needed it to be worked out. A sound caught her attention, her ears moving toward its direction even before her head did. She looked to see the doctor that had went back with Silvy. The doctor looked relaxed, and slowly she moved toward them.

“Madam and Sir, she’s doing well, the baby, or foal, is also in good health,” she looked at the two of them, “She’s going to be groggy when you see her. That’s normal. She, and the baby, should be ready to leave and head home by tomorrow. Now, before I go, I’m sure that you have some questions.”

“Is… Is this going to cause any problems? We knew that her baby was different,” Frederick said.

“No, she is going to be fine. She should be completely back to herself in a day or so, and she should be ready for anything else, including intercourse, within a few weeks.”

“I… I really wasn’t meaning that,” Frederick stammered.

“It’s quite alright, and besides I told you for her sake as much as for yours. She, and your other fine young bride, are not the first Equestrians we’ve served in this hospital. We’ve had another one in here a while back. She gave birth to a set of twins. At any rate she was wanting to know quite a bit of information, and I figured that the best thing to do is to give you the information now, and that way you could give it to her without having us tied up for an hour.”

With that the doctor stretched, smiled and looked at us, “The nurse will take you to the recovery room. Just know that right now she’s going to be out of it.”

The two of them headed toward the nurses’ station, got the attention of a nurse, and headed back to see the other part of their herd. The door opened and they saw Silver Spoon on her side, the large belly she had carried because of the foal was gone now. She wasn’t slim, not by a long shot, but she didn’t look like she pregnant either. Frederick touched her shoulder, her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at him.

“Hi,” she mumbled.

Diamond could smell the sterileness of the room. It wasn’t a bad smell, but it certainly made it smell like a hospital. She looked toward her friend that was once again sleeping, and she gently touched her hooves. A moment later a nurse stopped by with a small bassinet that obviously was one of the hospital’s. Diamond prepared herself. She had accepted that this foal was going to be different, that she wasn’t going to look like a pony, but what she saw wasn’t some freak or monster. She was a soft silver with a light red mane, her muzzle was a little sharper than a normal pony’s but not much, her nose was small, but more delicate. What offset her the most was where her hooves should have been. Ruby had hooves, Shiny had hooves, but she didn’t. Her feet were a mixture of hooves and almost human like feet. She seemed to have a single toe that was covered by a hoof, but behind it was an elongated foot.

Her tail was something different as well. It was bushy, unruly, almost fox like in its appearance, but regardless, she was a beautiful little foal.

“Silver, she’s beautiful,” Diamond whispered.

“Tea Cup, my little Tea Cup,” Silver Spoon mummered.

Diamond held the newborn foal, seeing so much of her best friend in Silver’s daughter. She looked at Frederick who offered his hands. She passed the foal to him, and she noticed how much more relaxed Tea Cup got while being held by the stallion that was going to be her father. It made sense, in several ways it made all kinds of sense. Ruby was similar in that she preferred to be held by her father, or as Ruby called him, her Mamamama.

Tea Cup was peaceful, she didn’t wail, she didn’t seem upset, but instead she was content to be held. Diamond watched her husband hold the herd’s newest foal, and she wondered how many more would they have? There was no doubt that between her work with F.E.M.A. and Frederick’s own work that the two of them had more than enough to bring up a large family. Her eyes drifted over to Silver Spoon, and while she saw potential in her best friend, she knew that more than likely Silver Spoon was going to end up being a stay a home mother.

There was nothing wrong with that. There was several mares in Ponyville that had been stay a home mothers that didn’t have another job besides that. Love Tap, Button Mash’s mother came to mind. But, before she laid that responsibility down at Silvy’s hooves she wanted to make sure that she would be okay with it.

Author's Note

(AN: Wow, it's been a while! So, to answer a question that's been going around, no, the Vogonverse is not dead. We're coming back, like a runaway train, and we're going to be updating several of the stories in the Vogonverse. Look for As Ye Sew, A Love as Steady as Stone, A Dance with the Moon, Real Magic, and Love and Muffins to be updated this and next week. Again, thanks for sticking around, reading, and keeping us going.)