Cheating the Cycle of Life- A Padded Pony Collab

For the next several days, Nurse Redheart could do nothing but lay in the foal ward like a sick little foal, while her body battled the dreaded influenza that she had contracted.

Some of her fellow nurses, such as Tenderheart, took the opportunity to treat Redheart as if she were an actual foal. This was ironic, because Redheart often viewed herself as the most mature and responsible nurse on the entire staff. Yet, despite her age and seniority, she had been reduced to a helpless little foal that couldn’t even use the bathroom without adult supervision.

It didn’t help that influenza being influenza meant that Nurse Redheart sometimes found her control of her bodily functions weakened, and being changed by a fellow nurse was quite embarrassing.

But just when Redheart thought it couldn’t get any worse, she was forced to endure a visit from the one pony she had hoped never to encounter. Her boss, Deep Injection.

Deep Injection had transferred to Ponyville from overseas after years of studying the medical practices of other countries. The knowledge he brought home, was leading to a revolution in Equestrian medical practice and health care, particularly in the form of “Bedside Manner”.

Unfortunately, though his Equestrian was getting better by the day, he still spoke in a thick accent that Nurse Redheart found incredibly annoying to listen to.

And yet, here she was, having to endure a lecture from Deep Injection about her decision to come work even while suffering from the symptoms of influenza.

“You are lucky you did not collapse while tending to a patient,” Deep Injection scolded “Were you not the most experienced nurse on the staff, your deliberate ignorance in regards to your illness would’ve been grounds for dismissal!”

“Please, don’t lecture me, I’m in no mood for your scoldings!” Nurse Redheart pleaded, as she drank some hot soup from a bowl. Her illness had left her voice sounding noticeably raspy, to the point where just talking felt like a strain.

“I know you are suffering, but you need to understand how much your actions could’ve cost us!” Deep Injection said angrily “You could’ve gotten the doctors and other nurses infected, or even infected some of the patients! Do you have any idea how badly that would’ve looked?!”

“But I couldn’t just take a day off work, the hospital needed me!” Nurse Redheart insisted.

Deep Injection only shook his head “We could’ve managed just fine, while you stayed at home and recovered! Now, are you nothing but a sick little filly, and the hospital staff has to take time out of their busy lives to come and tend to you! The next time you come to work in a sick or weakened condition, I may not be so kind to you, you biroldo!” And with that, Deep Injection walked over to a nearby cabinet, pulled out a bottle of sickly green colored liquid, and poured a small amount of it onto a metal spoon “Now, take your medicine like a good little filly, and maybe I’ll see about promoting you to pull-ups. Unless you’d like to stay in your diapers for as long as you remain here.”