Skyfire's Story
Chapter Five - The Opportunity
Previous ChapterSkyfire opened her eyes again when she heard Nurse Scope's pen click closed. Making a halfhearted attempt at pushing her mane out of her face, Sky met the Nurse's magenta eyes. "So... Is everything alright?" The pegasus asked, referring to her own vitals. Scope used her magic to place the clipboard down, oddly quiet for a second.
"Yes, everything's looking fine. But are you okay, Skyfire?" She asked, moving to stand next to the younger pony. "Please, Sky, tell me. I want to know, and I'm worried about you."
Skyfire mentally debated confiding in the unicorn, who had always asked about her. She had always at least tried to see if she was feeling okay. And here she was, asking again.
"I just... I never saw this coming. I was set on a career as a stunt flyer, and then, well... You know. What... What am I supposed to do? I'm meaningless now." Sky whimpered, tears beginning to fill her eyes again. She felt a hoof wrap around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "Honey, that's for you to find out, okay? But you are not meaningless, and don't you ever forget that. You mean the world to your mother, and I'm positive you mean a lot to Rainbow Dash, too; you're practically her own foal. Never, ever say you're meaningless."
Skyfire's mouth seemed to fill with bile. "What about my dad? He never even had the decency to just come out and say he's my Father, I'm sure that I'm perfectly meaningless to him."
Nurse Scope but her lip for a second. "I can't answer that question, Skyfire, because that's not my place or in my knowledge. But you have a meaning to Everypony, that's for sure. I'm sure your Father loves you, Sky, he's just afraid to say that he does."
Scope then released her patient and turned around to retrieve her board. Once it was clasped in her magic grip, the Nurse Started out of the door. "So, I'm going to go and get Wingbeat, and he'll give you the all clear to leave. Your mother's in the hall with Rainbow, so I guess I'll go on ahead and send them in. I'll be right back, dear."
The blue unicorn departed, leaving the door open for the visitors the walk in. Two Pegasi, cyan and gold, made their way inside with worried eyes.
"Hey, Fireball." Spitfire murmured, giving her daughter a hug. "How's it going?" Sky just shrugged in response. "Fine, I guess. Scope said that I could be discharged today." The one-winged pony responded, briefly returning the hug. Rainbow Dash offered a small smile. "That's good, right? You'll be out of this place soon, and that gives us an opportunity!" Now Rainbow's eyes sparkled with excitement, and whenever Skyfire turned in question to Spitfire, she saw that her Mom's general demeanor had changed to one that was happier and hopeful, leaving Sky to be even more confused.
"What do you guys mean? What kind of opportunity?" She asked them, furrowing her eyebrows together in confusion. Spitfire grinned in excitement. "Well, hon, I did some research and found out that the hospital has a pony who can make prosthetics. I asked Mrs. Heart Scope to see if she would look into it, and turns out that she knows him personally. She said there would be no promises, but she could try. Can you believe that?! Honey, you might actually fly again!!!"
Skyfire suddenly felt as if she were soaring, not just flying. She might get a wing back? She might fly again?
Sky quickly snatched up both of the mares into a tight hug, her heart fluttering with hope. She could actually fly again!! Quickly she released both Spitfire and Rainbow, eagerly looking between the two of them. "Oh, please, tell me everything!!!!" She begged them, feeling the happiest she had ever been. "Starting with this; who in the name of Celestia is Heart Scope?"
Spitfire and Rainbow exchanged a quick look. "Well, you already know her. She's Nurse Scope!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air. Spitfire nuzzled her daughter's cheek happily. "Isn't it great?!"
"I'll tell you what's great, and it's that Skyfire may be officially discharged from the hospital this afternoon."
All three Pegasi looked up to see Doctor Wingbeat standing there, with a smile on his face for once, and Nurse Scope beside him, who was wearing a knowing smile as well. Spitfire walked towards him, with Rainbow Dash trailing behind her. "That's great, Doctor. Really. Where do I sign the paperwork?" Spitfire asked him eagerly. Wingbeat nodded, gesturing with his hooves. "Both of you, if you could please step into my office."
The pair of Wonderbolts trotted out of the door, following the Doctor, leaving Skyfire and Nurse Scope - Heart Scope - in the room.
Skyfire watched the unicorn mare as she began to disconnect Skyfire from the various machines, thinking to herself as the screens slowly faded to black. This nurse had agreed to try and help her out. She had agreed to try and give her her life back. This nurse was a miracle worker, and was properly named Heart Scope.
With brief hesitation, Sky cleared her throat to get her attention. "Nurse Scope?"
The pony looked up from double checking all of the cords, pushing some of her forelock out of her face. "Yes, dear?"
"Just... Thank you."
Nurse Scope grinned as she stood up, stretching out her legs. "Of course, Skyfire. There's no need to thank me." She responded, quickly removing a tube from one of Sky's forelegs and wrapping some gauze around the tiny hole it had left.
Skyfire rolled out of her hospital bed cautiously, setting one hoof down at a time, and stretched out her own legs before stepping over to the Nurse on shaky legs and giving her a quick hug. Nurse Scope smiled at her before turning to leave. "Good luck, Skyfire. And remember, you're not meaningless." With those final words, she saluted Sky and stepped out of the hospital room door for the last time.
Sky gave a tiny wave to the unicorn before walking over to the mirror and spreading her wing out to it's fullest extent. Her small smile seemed to vanish instantly, to be replaced by a slight frown.
I just hope that everything will work out okay...
Spitfire walked up behind Skyfire, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "You ready to go, champ?"
Skyfire took one long, last look in the mirror before turning away.
"Yes."
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Nurse Scope set her clipboard on the receptionist's desk, offering Inked Quill a smile as she did so; Skyfire had been her last patient of the day, and she was heading home now for some much needed rest.
Quill smiled back and took the clipboard and pen into her mouth. "How was your day, Mrs. Scope?" The Earth Pony asked as she removed the records from the board and placed them into a filing cabinet, then taking the clipboard and pen to set them under the desk. Nurse Scope answered as she wrote her name on the sign-out sheet, "Good, but very busy. What about you?"
"Just the same. Is that all for you today?" The receptionist responded. Nurse Scope nodded. "It is! I'll see you tomorrow, Quill." "Alright, Scope, I'll see you then!"
The Nurse waved before turning around and trotting away, towards one of the stairwells. Descending quickly, the unicorn reached the hospital's basement in a mere matter of minutes. As soon as she was on the lowest floor, Scope turned left and trotted down another hallway, approaching a door that had 'Morgue' etched into it. Before she even entered, she could already hear the two ponies inside having a rather one-sided conversation.
"I'm telling you, Rigor, this invention's going to save lives, I know it!"
"Either that, or you'll loose another hoof that I'll have to patch up. Again."
"Nonsense! So anyway, all you have to do is-"
Scope opened up the door to find just the ponies she had been trying to find; the white and heavily scarred pegasus stallion, Injury Prone, was standing next to a rather dangerous looking contraption, having a conversation with Rigor Mortis, a tan Earth Pony mare whose ears were folded back in concentration as she worked at her own table. When Scope entered, however, Rig's ears perked up. "Heart Scope? What're you doing down here? I haven't seen you in weeks!" Quickly wiping off her hooves with a rag, she trotted forward to meet her old mentor in the center of the room.
"At last, someone else to see! Heart Scope, you must see my newest creation!" Jury whooped, following up Rig. Scope smiled and offered them both hoof bumps. "I'm sorry, Jury, but I don't have any time right now. However, I could use a favor from both of you."
Rigor arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like it's story time. Come on, I'll get Ya some coffee." With a flick of her tail, she turned around and started walking towards the break room.
"So, I have this patient named Skyfire..."
