Life's Left Hook

After about 15 minutes of cuddling with Octavia, the door swings open.

Octavia and Trixie hop off the bed.

You don't.

Well, actually, you tried.

You just didn't succeed.

You see the doctor trot in, her ridiculously large suitcase in tow.

"You know, I think I need to start charghig extra for zis..." she mutters, setting her bag down on the side of the bed.

Cadance sighs, and Trixie and Octavia sit on the other end of the bed.

"What, exactly, is wrong with Anonymous?" Trixie asks, raising an eyebrow at the doctor.

Dr. Cuore looks up for a moment. "Oh, so you're ze new vone Cadance mentioned."

With a knowing smile on her face, she continues. "...Vell, he suffered some severe trauma to his abdomen and stomach. He's hemorrhaging, and may have a collapsed lung."

"Vhatever ze hell he fell on must've been blunt, and he must've fell pretty hard..."

She shot a look at Trixie.

Did she know?

You never told the truth to anyone, and Cadance never said anything...

Afterwards, she looks at you.

By now, she has most everything set up.

"Just going to check and see vhat's wrong. Hopefully it's nothing too incredibly bad."

She takes out her stethoscope, and slides it under your shirt.

It goes right below your sternum.

And, holy shit, is it cold.

"Okay, breathe."

You take a deep breath in.

Her eyebrows hit the sky.

"Ooookay, I know ze problem," she says, shaking her head.

She looks bewildered.

"What's wrong?"

"Your lung."

"What about it?"

"Vant ze science and medical terminology, or just ze blunt vay to put it?"

"Blunt, please."

"It's not working."

You raise your eyebrows.

"It's not working?"

"Nope."

"At all?"

"Nope."

"Should I be alive?"

"I vouldn't go zat far, but... It's a simple fix."

"Should I be awake for this?"

"Probably not. I'm going to have to cut you open for a minute. It von't be major, though," she says, with an oddly giddy and sadistic tone in her voice.

Joy.

She sets the IV up on the side of the bed.

She takes out the sheets from under you, as well, and puts down a waterproof cloth for you to lie on.

Likely for the blood.

Once everything is in place, she grabs a small cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol.

She wipes off your stomach, as well as the areas where the IV is to be put in.

After that, she hooks you up to the IV again.

Christ, at this rate, ponies are going to start thinking you're on heroine...

After a grumble and a shock of pain at the needles, she nods

"Oookay, I'm going to put you under, and I'll start. For those of you vith veak stomachs, you should likely go out of ze room."

Octavia nods, and hops off of the bed.

"I never was much one for... Blood. Eugh. Blood alone gives me shivers. I don't want to know what would happen if I saw... This."

With that, she takes her leave.

Trixie, however, stays.

As does Cadance.

Trixie seemed... Intrigued.

Cadance just didn't give a shit.

You aren't surprised.

The doctor smiles, looking at everything.

Soon, she rummages through her bags, starting to speak.

"All right, it looks like ve're ready to go! I just need to knock you out, and-"

"...Vait."

Her eyes show some sudden concern, and she rummages even faster.

"Vhere is it?"

FUCK.

You wanted to scream, but you didn't dare.

It'd hurt too much.

"Vell," the doctor sighs, looking at her equipment, "evidently I'm out of anesthetics. I'm not going to go through vith ze operation vithout them."

"Wait, but what about my-"

"It's non-lethal. But it may very vell be if I cut you open, concerning your heart rate vould go through ze roof."

"Blood. EVERYVHERE."

She shakes her head.

"Bad, bad idea. I've done it before, and it's vone hell of a mess."

You think you just shit your pants a little.

"But. Cadance," she says, turning. "You need to send in an order for it. Ze royalty is ze vone paying for my services, after all."

Cadance sighs.

"I will. After the concert tonight, I'll make a phone call," she says, nodding. "Where should I send it to?"

She pauses.

"Erm... Make it so a specific courier brings it to us. Concerning ve'll be moving, it'll be hard to pin down vhere to be. Just... Find out vhere ve'll be in 'X' amount of time, and have zem sent it zere."

Cadance nods. "Our next stop is... Erm..."

"Vindsoar," Aperta says, nodding. "Cloud city. About half the size of Cloudsdale, but still huge nonzeless. It's just across the river, actually, so ze trip isn't far."

"Excellent," Cadance says, nodding. "I'll just have to find out where our hotel is."

"Mmm, yes. But. Take good care of Anonymous until ze time comes. I don't vant to have to go through another operation vith a conscious patient."

With a sigh, she starts packing up again.

"And by careful, I mean very careful. As in, treat him like a baby."

"But, Cadance? Don't do vhat you and... Shining... Did..."

You look over at Cadance, and her face was as red as a tomato.

"Wh-HEY! I thought you said you'd never bring that up!"

"And I von't. I'm just saying, ze embarassment might get Anonymous going again. And zat is bad. Zat is very bad."

Cadance shoots her a glare. "...Gee, thanks. Makes me feel good."

Aperta chuckles, yanking out your needles.

"Oh, I know, Cadance. I got qvite a show."

Now she was gritting her teeth.

"I never took you for ze kind of pony to take to a hospital bed... Merda sacra."

The doctor was loving every second of this, and you could tell she was struggling to keep a straight face.

Cadance, meanwhile, was also struggling.

Except her issue was with rage.

And humiliation, it seems.

"Just... Stop talking," she demands, stern faced.

"As you vish, Princess."

With that, she finishes packing up the last of her gear and slides the gigantic backpack on her back.

"Oh, before I forget."

She pulls a giant paper tube out her packs.

"A map. You vanted to see it, yes? I have it."

She unrolls the map and holds it up to the wall.

Some pins float from her bag and tack it to the wall.

"Hmm. Ze train ride to Roama from Pawland vill be... Fun..."

You have a long trip ahead of you...

(Map: i.imgur.com/ujkFevK.jpg)

Everyone in the room just looks at the map with varying degrees of fucks to be given.

Cadance is interested, but hardly surprised.

You yourself had no idea exactly how far you would be going, and you were surprised.

Hell, you don't even think you've SEEN a full map before.

The doctor is absolutely exuberant.

Trixie's look is hard to pin down; she's looking at it, and you see her eyebrows raised, but she has an oddly stern and serious look.

You decide it's best to ask questions later.

"Vell, I best be off now. I'll see you at ze concert, yes?"

The three of you nod your heads.

"Good! Farevell for now, friends!"

And, just then, the door swings open and shuts behind the doctor.

Octavia came back inside a moment later, after you heard the doctor explain things as briefly as she could.

She trots in the room, immediately noticing the map.

"Oh, good. She did bring it back! I was worried I had lost it."

She turns to the three of you. "It's probably best we get going some time soon. Are you three ready to go?"

The other two nod.

You, however?

You aren't certain if you can walk with this pain in your chest.

Actually, you can, you're just a pussy about it.

That, and the doctor certainly didn't help your willingness to do so.

Well, you didn't have a wheelchair, so that was out of the picture.

Hopefully you can go for the next best thing.

"Hey, Cadance? You got a saddle?"

Cadance gives you the most bewildered of looks.

"...You... What? You want to go again?! Anon, we have to leave!"

wut

"What?! No, I'm not having sex again! I need a ride, and I don't think walking is the best idea right now!"

The silence is cold, and the awkwardness on Octavia's face is unbelievable.

"Anonymous."

"Yeah?"

"I take it you don't know exactly what a saddle is used for, other than for newborns?"

"Uh, I'm going to guess it'd be awkward for you to have a saddle on?"

"Very."

"Well. Good to know."

"I'd be willing to give you a ride," Octavia says. "I know I can haul more than the Princess."

Cadance was about to object, but then she realized it'd be pointless; not only was Octavia an earth pony, but she also effortlessly hauled around a giant string instrument.

The comment wasn't meant as rude, either, so Cadance didn't object.

Octavia smiles, looking up at you.

"Want a ride?"

You smile.

You were thrice her size...

But this deal was too good to pass up.

"Sure, why not?"

As you straddle Octavia, you can hear Cadance sigh as she dies a little inside from embarrassment.

Trixie stands beside Octavia, looking between the two of you as you mount her. (non-sexually, this time)

Octavia is...

Surprisingly well built.

You're held up nicely, and her back muscles are strong.

Sure, it's a little hard on your ass and crotch as you sit, but it's bearable.

She looks up at you and smiles.

"Ready to go?"

"'Course I am."

"Coming, Candy?"

"Hey! Only Nonnie can call me Candy!"

"Too late~"

Octavia opens the door and steps outside with a grin.

Cadance follows close behind, and Trixie trots to your right as you make your way down the halls.

"I have a cab in advance. The ride to the auditorium is... Fairly long, but nothing too terrible."

Octavia chuckles a bit. "Celestia knows how we are with carriage rides..."

Trixie gives you an odd look.

Heheh...

You smile wryly, chuckling a bit.

Trixie just shakes her head and looks forward.

"Sweet Celestia, and I thought I was bad..."

It doesn't take long for the three of you to step out the door and onto the sidewalks.

The ponies gawk at you just as much as they had before.

Princesses were usually ponies that caught attention.

You yourself might as well be Bigfoot.

No doubt Trixie has had her fair share of fame, and Octavia is just as noteworthy in her own respect.

Needless to say, some ponies gave a generous amount of room.

It felt good.

Octavia was happy, too, carrying you with a wide smile on her face.

Cadance looks like she's about to die from embarrassment.

And Trixie is...

...Trixie.

Even though you know how squishy and fickle she truly is, her facade of an arrogant, proud, boastful mare is so convincing it's almost real.

Then again, even she believes it's real.

That's how she escaped the pain before.

Shaking the depressing thoughts out of your mind, you sigh, and look forward.

"How long of a walk is it?"

"A long one."

"How long?"

"Pretty long."

Gee, Octavia was helpful.

You look up at the skyline.

Even though most of the city was about as clean as Trixie on a Saturday night, you have to admit.

There was a certain air of... Majesty, in cities like this.

The tall buildings, the sun shining off of the windows, the busy, bustling streets...

It was unique, and interesting.

Especially to you, who had lived his whole life out in the country.

A smile on your face, you ride forward.