Silver Lining’s P.O.V
There I was, once again lying in a bed at the hospital waiting for yet another surgery.
After leaving me here, both of my parents had headed back to work, leaving me all alone.
It may sound like my parents don’t care about me, but I actually asked if I could go through my final surgery alone. Partly because I wanted to learn how to do things for myself, but it was mostly because I was afraid of what I might tell my parents when I’m still drugged down on painkillers.
At least I had made them promise me that they’d pick me up around eight P.M later today, so I wouldn’t have to take the bus home like last time about two or three years ago. Though the surgery I’d be going through in about two or three hours.
The surgery itself wasn’t that big, they would simply remove a titanium plate, which was shaped like the number eight, and a few screws that held it in place from the underside of my knee. For some reason, the doctors had told me that I wouldn’t be needing crutches after the surgery. But I could still get a pair if I wanted to, because it wouldn’t really be painless to walk around right after a surgery in my knee.
Though, the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything or even had anything except for water to drink since yesterday wasn’t too nice. But other than that, everything was pretty nice. I could simply relax on my comfortable bed with a few hoses and tubes going right into my left arm, just waiting to inject the liquids which would put me into a deep slumber.
“But what if something goes wrong?’’ A colt-like voice shouted from the corridors.
“Sweetie, calm down. Everything is going to be fine.’’ A female voice said reassuringly, probably the little colt’s mother.
Well, I guess somepony’s having bad day. I thought and turned my head towards the door to the room to see if I could spot the frightened colt.
“How can you be so sure?’’ the colt’s voice asked, now a bit closer than before. “You don’t know any of the surgeons!’’
“Midnight, they’ve done this a thousand times before, there’s nothing to worry about.’’ the female voice assured.
“That’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one who’s getting a piece of your bone sawed of!’’ the colt’s voice said, now sounding somewhat calmer.
A few moments later, a bed got rolled into the room by one of the hospital staff. Beside the bed walked a quite tall unicorn-mare with a short-cut black mane, vermilion coat and wore what looked like a typical outfit for a lawyer.
“Alright sweetie, mommy’s just going to make a few calls. I promise that I’ll be back before your surgery, okay?’’ she asked.
Midnight groaned. “Sure, whatever,’’ the denim coated pegasus-colt said. “I just… I just need some time to calm down, alright?’’ he sighed and leaned back in the bed. “Bye mom, I’ll miss you.’’
His mother smiled. “I’ll miss you too, I’m proud of you, don’t forget that.’’ his mother told him before giving him a kiss on his forehead and then exited the room.
“Alright bud, if you need anything, just press this button and I’ll be right with you, got it?’’ the male-nurse asked and smiled faintly towards Midnight.
“Yeah, I’ll remember that.’’ Midnight confirmed with a heavy sigh.
“Good, I’ll be heading to another room with another patient now.’’ the male-nurse said and left the room, leaving me alone with Midnight, whose bed had been placed about two meters to the left of my own.
A few minutes passed by in silence, with an exception for an occasional grunt or sigh from the other bed. I do admit that it would’ve been nice to have some of my friends to talk to, just to make the time pass by a little bit faster. But unfortunately all of them were stuck in school for the moment. And the fact that I had forgotten my book at home before leaving didn’t make it any better.
I sighed heavily and scratched the back of my right ear before putting my hands behind my head and leaned back. Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have something to read at least. I thought for myself as I stared up into the plain, white ceiling. And my glasses too, so I’d be able to see further than just a few meters without everything getting all blurry and stuff. I thought and let out yet another sigh.
Yeah, my eyesight isn’t really the best, which I partly blame all my reading for.
“So, what are you here for?’’ A male’s voice suddenly asked to the left of me, breaking the silence in the room.
I turned my head towards the source of the voice, and found the denim colt sitting straight up in his bed with his head turned towards me.
“Eh, just having a titanium plate removed from the underside of my knee.’’ I shrugged and offered the colt a faint, wry smile.
“Hold on a second, just having a- aren’t you scared? Not even in the slightest?’’ Midnight asked, with what I assumed was a confused expression, but it was hard to tell due to my bad eyesight.
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my bed. “Well, I wasn’t when I was six, thirteen, fifteen and now,’’ I replied casually. “I guess I just don’t think too much about it, really.’’ I explained a moment later.
“Don’t- they’re going to cut your bloody knee open! How can you not think about it?’’ Midnight questioned with an audible surprise.
I shrugged in my bed. “I just… don’t, I guess,’’ I replied and turned my head towards the blurry colt again. “Why are you so worried about yours?’’ I asked and blew away a stripe of my mauve mane from my eyes.
The colt, from what I could see blinked a few times. “They’re going to saw off a bit of cartilage on the side of my right knee,’’ he deadpanned and threw himself backwards on the bed. “Do you think that I should I be cheering about it in joy and happiness instead?’’ he added a moment later.
I rolled my eyes. “Not really,’’ I replied with a light shrug. “Though, I think that you’re overreacting quite a bit right now.’’ I informed and looked up in the ceiling again.
“Overreacting? A bunch of ponies who I’ve never met before, nor have any idea of who they are, are going to cut my knee open and saw off a piece of my bone!’’ Midnight exclaimed from his bed. “And you’re saying that I am overreacting?’’ he asked.
I sighed, sat up in my bed and turned my face towards Midnight. “Yes, I think that you are overreacting quite a bit to be honest,’’ I confirmed with a firm nod. “It’s just a surgery, there is no reason for you to freak out about this.’’ I exclaimed.
There was a knock by the door. “Excuse me, can the two of you keep it down a bit?’’ A mare asked, who I assumed was a doctor.
“Yeah, sorry.’’ me and Midnight said in unison.
“Good, thank you.’’ The mare said and left, leaving me and Midnight alone in the room once again.
I turned my head towards Midnight again. “Look, I’ve been through over six surgeries in my life, maybe even eight. Yet, I’m still here, waiting for what I assume will be my final surgery.’’ I said in a lower and a bit softer tone than before.
The colt blinked a few times. “But… you only mentioned four surgeries earlier.’’ he said.
I scratched the back of my head. “Well, I also went through a few when I was about six months old, but I’ll not bother you with that story, for now at least.’’ I explained with a light chuckle.
“… You went through a surgery when you were only six months old?’’ Midnight asked with a tense tone.
“Yeah, don’t exactly remember anything of it, though,’’ I shrugged. “Look, if there’s anything that I’ve learned from this, is that it’s not worth to worry about, that will only make it worse,’’ I informed and shifted around so I sat on the edge of the bed. “You weren’t afraid when they put that needle in your arm, right?’’ I asked and offered the colt a faint smile.
Midnight shook his head. “No… it was just a needle.’’ he replied calmly.
My smiled brightened. “Well, from what I can remember, I was scared of that needle when I was younger, but not of the surgery,’’ I told with a light shrug. “It was just a fear that I had to face, and got over.’’
Midnight sighed. “I… guess you have a point there,’’ he admitted and lowered his gaze slightly. “But… I still can’t help but feel, uncomfortable, with the fact that they’re going to saw of a piece of my bone, will I ever be the same?’’
I sighed. “Look, the surgeons know what they’re doing,’’ I said assumingly. “And if it’d make you feel better, during the surgery I went through when I was six months, they actually moved a bone from my left shin to my right one.
Then replaced the bone they just had taken in my left shin with a slice of a bone from my left shin, which later on grew into a normal bone. And despite all this, I learned how to walk, practiced sports and even got quite good at martial arts.’’
Midnight looked up at me. “Wait, they actually… they moved one of your bones? And you got quite good at martial arts after all that? Despite being an unicorn?’’ he asked with his mouth half open.
“Well, I guess my genes helped me out a bit on that part,’’ I admitted. “Look, if you don’t believe me, I have three quite big scars across my shins to prove it.’’ I offered with a light shrug.
Midnight stayed silent for a moment and scratched the back of his head. “Alright, prove it.’’ he said.
I nodded. “Alright, just give me a moment.’’ I said and jumped down on the cold, plastic floor. Fortunately, there weren’t any tubes attached to the needle in my arm just yet, so I only had to keep it straight as I trotted over to Midnights bed.
As I got closer, I got a better look on the colt. He, just like me, wore a short white robe and seemed to be quite fit for his age. His eyes were jade-green and he had a small stripe of teal hair in his lilac mane. “Alright, do you mind if I use your bed for support? My balance isn’t really the best.’’ I asked. I have to admit, it was a bit awkward to stand in front of a colt like this, and the fact that I basically wore a short dress didn’t make it any better.
“S-sure, go ahead.’’ Midnight nodded firmly.
I put my right hand on the bed and lifted my right hoof from the floor, angled the leg to the side so Midnight could see the twelve inch long scar that leaped across my shin, easily noticeable through the lack of beige fur. “Alright, this is the first one, as you can see this is where there was a bone missing, which is why they had to cut my shin open and put in a new one.’’ I told and drew my finger across the scar.
“So, that’s why your shin is a bit, thin I assume?’’ Midnight asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, looks kind of funny, doesn’t it?’’ I asked and gave a light chuckle.
Midnight smiled faintly. “Yeah, I guess.’’ he said, somewhat calmer than before.
“Alright, moving on to my left shin,’’ I said and put my hoof down on the floor, then raised my left leg instead, angling it so the long scar would be visible. “This is the second one, I have a similar one on the other side of the shin, but it would be a bit tricky to show.’’ I told and looked up at the colt, who from what it looked like, was staring at my scar.
Midnight scratched the back of his head. “You really practiced martial arts with these scars?’’ he asked after a moment of silence.
“Yeah, it doesn’t really make much sense, does it?’’ I chuckled lightly and put down my hoof on the floor again.
Midnight smiled faintly. “No, it doesn’t,’’ he chuckled as well. “I… I guess did overreact a bit earlier, I guess I thought that I’d lose a lot of my training.’’ he sighed and leaned back in the bed.
“Well, you might get a bit stiff in your knee for a while, but nothing some stretching can’t fix.’’ I said and glanced towards the entrance to if any hospital-staff was looking at us, but saw none.
Midnight smiled. “Hey, I knew that already,’’ he said and turned his head towards me. “But still, thank you.’’ he smiled.
“Hey, no problem, just helping a scared colt over here.’’ I chuckled and returned the smile.
Midnight rolled his eyes. “Well, is there anything else you think I should be worried about?’’ he asked.
“As long as you used the soap they gave you twice yesterday, once this morning and didn’t have anything to eat or drink except for water I think that you should be fine,’’ I replied and scratched the back of my head. “Though you should probably make sure to go to the bathroom before the surgery, otherwise the wakeup might be a bit, painful around your groin.’’ I warned and smiled nervously towards Midnight.
Midnight lowered his gaze. “Well, I could’ve lived without hearing that,’’ he said and sighed. “Still, thank you.’’ he smiled towards me.
I rolled my eyes. “Again, no problem,’’ I said and returned the smile. “Well, I guess I should head back to my bed now before any of the hospital staff comes by.’’ I said and glanced towards the entrance.
“Yeah, probably a good idea,’’ Midnight said and rolled his eyes. “Also, before you go, do you think that we could keep in touch after this?’’ he asked hesitantly.
I scratched the back of my head. “Um… sure, why not?’’ I replied and smiled faintly towards Midnight. “And idea how though?’’ I asked and titled my head to the side slightly.
“Well, my mom should be back in just a few minutes, I could ask her to add your number on her phone,’’ Midnight suggested with a light shrug. “If you don’t mind, that is.’’ he added a moment later.
“No, I don’t mind at all,’’ I replied and smiled. “Well, I’ll just be heading back to my bed now, I guess I’ll talk to you later?’’
“Yeah, sounds good.’’ Midnight confirmed and leaned back in his bed.
I walked back to my bed and jumped up on it.
“Is it later now?’’ Midnight called out jokingly from his bed.
I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I guess it is.’’ I replied. Celestia I like this guy already. I thought and turned my head towards my new friend.
Author's Note
: I feel like I made Midnight a little bit too scared of surgeries… If that’s the case, I am sorry.
This story was posted the same morning I went to the surgery that our dear Silver Lining will go through, with my own experience of what it’s like to go through a surgery. My goal with this story is to make at least a few people at least a little bit less scared of surgeries in general. I hope I was able to do that with this story, which will most likely have a sequel.
Also, all of the surgeries that Silver have gone through, I’ve gone through myself. It made it easier to describe Silver’s shins. But I am not bothered by these scars at all, and have never been that either.
Actually, feel free to laugh at me for my scars, I'll probably just end up laughing with you xD
