“Dear, rise and shine…”

“I don’t want to get up...” I whined, shoving my face into my pillow to block out the warm morning light pouring in through the window.

“Well dear breakfast is ready…”

“Fine.” I roll around and cast a distasteful look at the light brown goop on my tray. My nose wrinkled as I picked up the spoon and let it fall with a clunk and seep into the mystery slop.

“I think I’ll pass...”

“But you must eat something, dear.”

“Why do you call me dear?” I asked, trying to evade the moment when I must eat the hospital meal, “why don’t you just call me by my name?”

“Well de-...Dawnstrike, it’s what I do to most of my patients and they seem to appreciate it..” the nurse replied stiffly.

“Alright, but miss…”

“Tender Hoof.”

“Tender Hoof, I just need to get out of here and you need to stop calling me dear, alright?”

“But you can’t leave, Dawnstrike.”

“Why can’t I?”

“You’re in no fit condition to travel.”

“So? I’ll just wrap up my broken wing, get my stuff back, and be on my way.”

“But dea- Dawnstrike, it’s not that simple, wish it was, but it isn’t.”

“Well what do I have to do?”

“A doctor has to give you permission to leave.”

“Well, then where’s the doctor?”

“Please, just have some patience.” Tender Hoof snapped, exasperated, pushing me back into my pillows and placing the tray on my lap, “Dr.
Wingham will be in here soon enough. He was busy, though, there’s a patient with a manticore bite on floor five.”

“Well then I’m going to go see Dr.Wingham for myself and get out of here.” I declare, clambering out of bed and marching down the hall to the elevator where I take it down to the first floor. I stride up to the receptionist's desk and ask:

“Where’s Dr.Wingham?”

The yellow unicorn looked up at me from her paperwork and replied blandly, “Second floor. Room..” her horn lit up and she scanned the ceiling, “409”.

“Thanks,” I said, “That’s great”.

“Your welcome.”

I quickly take off again back to the elevator. After ascending to floor two and finding room 409, I cautiously extend a hoof and knock the door feebly. A muffled “It’s open.” came from inside. I peeked in and saw a blue pegasus wrapping bandages around a colt’s leg.

“Who are you?” the doctor asked sharply, glancing at me before returning to his work, “and can’t you wait? I’m in the middle of something here…”

“No, actually. I was wondering if you could please discharge me now. I have matters to attend to and I have to leave.”

“Well, what do you have to do?”

I gulped and tried to wriggle my way out of the situation by hastily muttering, “I just have to go and visit my aunt in Manehatten. She needs my assistance in running her... shop... because one of her favorite workers just passed. Poor thing,so distraught.”

“My condolences, but you can’t leave yet until I give you an examination, let me finish here and then I’ll look at you. Go wait in the hall, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Author's Note

Thanks to all of you who read this piece, action is coming soon!