Wasted Days: A Fallout Equestria Tale

Chapter Two: The Clinic

As far as accommodations go, I guess the Wasteland could offer worse. Sure, a playground filled with garbage wasn't exactly the healthiest place to sleep, but neither was simply finding a hole in the ground outside the town. If the radiation didn't kill you, a Raider or Slaver probably would. So, again I really couldn't say that I had much to complain about. It rained a little bit, but only briefly, and even that was more than welcomed.

As far as my day? I spent more than my preferred amount of time searching Little Cliffside for a Clinic. I felt a bit stupid when I realized that the  clinic was right next to the playground. I had literally wandered the entire town to come back where I had started. Multiple times I smashed my hoof into my face in frustration.  How stupid could I have been to miss THAT?

It wasn't for another few minutes that I had honestly stopped to think about my situation and how I could even consider explaining it to a Doctor or Nurse in a clinic. "Hi my name might be Thunder, but it might not be too, and I can't remember anything since before waking up in a ditch outside the town yesterday! Can you please fix me?" Yeah, even I could tell that I sounded like an invalid. I didn't even know if anyone had taken me seriously in the Tavern the night before! Flip MIGHT have, as she seemed a bit concerned about me. As for Orange and Skye, I couldn't tell.

Skye to me, felt skeptical but also more focused on more important things. As for Orange, well I couldn't tell where her feelings were laid. Sure, she helped me a LOT with finding these clothes. But she also was so bubbly and happy despite the world clearly being depressing. Though that might have just been the gravity of my own situation still being very much on my mind.

I was rather happy though when I managed to find myself some food. Tinned item's surprisingly still without radiation, or at least I hoped they didn't have radiation, were remarkably good.  Though, having no memory of good or bad experiences with food may have had a bit of influence on that. Still, they fed me and kept me strong.  And that alone made them all the better. But now, I needed to get my head looked at. Maybe, just maybe, the clinic ponies could bring my memories back!

Staring at the doors to the clinic I thought I had wasted hours when in fact it had only been minutes. But even so, my thoughts were interrupted by none other than Orange. Once again, fate it seems have brought us together even if it was probably coincidence.

"Heya Thunder! Heading in to get your head looked at?" She asked of me and I could've sworn I saw a bounce or two in her steps. I noted that her appearance hadn't changed since yesterday. Still wearing the armor and weapons she had before. But still, I took her presence as a helpful pony better than I expected. In the Wasteland you're taught quickly, either through word of mouth or by experience that trusting anypony immediately could probably get you killed or worse. But she hadn't done wrong by me yet so I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

I looked at her and then the clinic, "Yeah I'm gonna see if they can do anything about my head. Maybe I'll get lucky and they can fix my memory."

She nodded as she moved towards the door, I then noted that there were other figures inside. Probably the medical staff who ran the clinic. But oddly enough, there was Flip, working hard on a terminal with a screwdriver firmly placed between her teeth. What she could be doing I haven't the faintest but she still looked hard at work. I hadn't even noticed the lone figure who had wandered up behind me until he said something.

"In or out amicus, but don't block the doorway." His tone was gruff and hoarse. And he desperately looked as if he needed water and food. Something told me I needed to get the hell out of his way.

"Go on in, I'm sorry I blocked the door." Perhaps that was the total wrong thing to say and do. As I motioned towards the door his face scrunched up into a look of disbelief and suspicion. He motioned me forwards as he took a tentative step backward, away from me and the door. I shook my head, once again, idiot. If the Wasteland had also taught ponies anything, it was to never lower your guard or turn your back on strangers. Even the most innocent and polite pony could turn out to be a Raider or psycho waiting to pounce.

I sighed as I walked into the clinic, apparently catching the eye of the Zebra who was setting up a chess board in front of Flip. All the while talking about how it was good for making smart skills more developed. I had the thought to maybe walk over and watch. But the room was rapidly filling up. Ponies of all shapes and colors filled the room, but I had noted a single common color amongst us. And that was red. If it wasn't blood, it was somewhere on articles of clothing or on the walls themselves. So much red and none of it natural, I almost heaved on the spot.

"So who's next or hurt?" A taller Orderly boomer across the room, having escorted another pony out moments before. And as if on cue, Orange spoke up.

"I'm okay! But Thunder here has lost his memory! Maybe you can help him?" She asked almost too cheerily as she spoke. I felt once again, the size of a pea. I could already tell I hated being singled out in a room full of ponies that needed real help.

The tall buck moved over toward me and I almost felt like he was doing it on purpose to intimidate me. But surely an orderly wouldn't do that to anypony in need right?

He the spoke to me directly, "So your heads all messed up huh? Well follow me and we'll get you looked at before I wake up one of the doctors. We've been kind of busy patching ponies up after that crazy Pegasi, raid a few days back."

Pegasi raid? Maybe that was some kind of clue! Maybe whoever did this to me was part of that raid? I excitedly thought, but that came crashing down. Nopony here knew me, so that means anypony could have done this to me. My mood once again, plummeted into darkness.

The buck in front of me waved his hoof in front of me, "Hey! Still here?" He asked almost sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I can't remember anything from before yesterday so you can imagine how I feel right now." I said hoping to spurn some kind of response, maybe some other clue, maybe even someone knew me.

Instead, I got a comforting hoof on my shoulder from Flip, "Don't worry Thunder, I'm sure everything will end up being okay." Feeling the reassurance, even if it was from somepony I barely knew, felt good. In the grand scheme of things, I perhaps lucked out and woke up in a friendly town. Others I imagine didn't have it so lucky.

The orderly turned on his hooves and started to walk away, "Follow me, we'll set you up in the back room here."

"Do you want some company? Make sure they don't stick you with bad needles and drain your blood or something?" Orange asked excitedly, "Though I'm sure they'd sooner drug you but that's only if they're bad! And if they're bad I get to shoot them! But they seem nice so I won't!" I chuckled lightly at her once again excitable demeanor.

"Well if you're together then I don't see why you can't." The buck replied to her, which in response got a series of giggles.

"Oooooooooh nooooooo we're not together! I'm just helping make sure he doesn't die!" Orange replied as she moved forward. "No evil drugs right?"

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah if anything I'd put it more along the lines of friends looking out for each other. But yes, I could use the company." I said waving a hoof indicating she should follow. After a few short bounces she was right behind us as we approached the examination room. As expected the room was rather small, littered in interesting posters detailing pony anatomy. It would take me days to learn what they meant, but they felt oddly comforting seeing them hanging up.

"Hop up and please take a seat on the bed." The buck said waving a hoof towards the bed. I listened and obeyed, best not be difficult and get this over with. Already I could tell I'd prefer to not stay here any longer than I needed to. Sure, the place was supposed to be a place of healing and comfort but it just made me feel uncomfortable. The buck brought over a small tray of medical items.

He didn't make any other movements towards the tray. Instead he looked at me and asked, "So what exactly is wrong with you?" He asked bluntly. Bedside manner definitely needs some improvement.

"Well I can't remember anything prior to yesterday, I've had this nasty cough and I just feel nauseous as hell." I replied as fast as I could. He nodded multiple times as he listened. He raised his hoof up as if he was going to hit me in the head. However he gently placed it on my head near my horn. Although it was gentle I still jumped back in pain. Whatever he did, it hurt like hell.

He grunted and shook his head, "It looks like someone clunked you good. Could explain your memory loss." He looked at my head again and nodded, "Just wait here and I'll fetch the Doc." Who was I to argue with anypony?

Orange had taken a place by the curtain, watching carefully as she said she would. She had giggled multiple times at the orderly. "Well if he got hit hard enough he would've been killed! But he's a good pony so that'd be bad! But if he wasn't a good pony I'd have to shoot him, but I didn't so he's good!"

I guess she was right, but was she completely right? Was I always a good pony? Perhaps I was a raider who got what was coming to him? Or a slaver who was ambushed by another pony? So many questions flooded my mind. Of course Orange seemed to be a good judge of character...so I had a sneaking suspicion that I was totally wrong. I quietly sat there letting my mind wander for so long I didn't even notice the Doctor had entered the room.

"So what the hell is wrong with you?" She asked tiredly. Clearly this pony was just woken up to tend to me. And was that cake on her face? I could clearly see pink frosting on her muzzle. She had to have just eaten snack-cakes. And I noticed something else, she was a unicorn pony like myself. Though her coat was a bit more grey than my own bright orange, she must have been at least ten years older than myself.

She lifted a hoof and wiped the frosting from her muzzle and then promptly licked the stuff off and swallowed. Her face contorted to something that represented pure pleasure. I blinked multiple times thinking is everypony in this town going to be like this? It just seemed completely random at some of the interactions I had, especially with Orange. I had nothing against Orange mind you, it's just her bouncy and random nature was...well just that, random. It didn't seem to fit in the world that we were living, but yet, there it was right in front of me!

The Doctor pony had looked me up and down and waited for me to reply, "I believe the list was that my memory has disappeared and that my head hurts like hell." I said raising a hoof up to where the orderly had touched a few minutes ago. The Doctor stepped forward and looked at the spot carefully.

"Whoever hit you, hit you in just the right spot...you're lucky you ain't dead." She said taking a single step back. She then looked down at the tray of medical devices. "Now I can give you a general anesthetic that'll simply put you to sleep for an hour or so. Or I can give a local one and dull the pain around the spot you were whacked. Though that one is a bit more expensive." Oh...damn. It just hit me. I have no way of paying for ANY of this.

The look on my face must have been like an open book, "You can't afford any of this can you?" she asked of me as I shook my head. "Well...if that's the case, this is going to feel very VERY weird." Weird? That's definitely one way I already could put it. She wasn't throwing me out of the clinic and was still going to treat me?

She lowered herself down onto her haunches and inhaled, "You're gonna feel both extremes of pleasure and agony. I'm sorry I can't do much about the pain. Believe me, a few colts have actually made rather embarrassing messes before, but I am going to ask that you do your absolute best to control yourself." she said giving me a look of sympathy. "Ready?"

I inhaled deeply and nodded, "Do it." She exhaled slowly and then inhaled even quicker as her horn glowed pink. For a few moments I felt absolutely nothing. And then whoa nelly did it slam into me like a ton of bricks. At first it simply felt good, REALLY good. Like I was wrapped up in a warm blanket and could snuggle with it.

The next instant I knew my face contorted into a mesh of pain and confusion. The pleasure was replaced by pure agony. I felt my legs go out from underneath me and I laid down on the bed and just squirmed. Oh Goddesses did I feel like absolute road kill. My head felt like a thousand knives were stabbing me over and over. I silently cursed the creature that did this to me in the first place. I whimpered under the onslaught of strange feelings from the unicorn healing the fracture in my head. I could have sworn I felt the bones actually sealing up.

Thankfully, the feelings didn't last longer than five minutes. I felt so weak. And the unicorn in front of me was just as weak. I panted looking at her and realized she was still using her magic. I gagged feeling a snack-cake being rammed into my muzzle.

Through full mouth she said, "Eat, after that you need it for your strength." I almost gagged, the snack-cake was too sugary for my taste but I complied. Eating the cake oddly was making me feel better. The Doctor smiled once again as she swallowed the snack-cake.

"Even after sitting in a wrapper for two hundred years they still taste amazing!" she said with a small giggle. I spat up a bit of the cake. Two hundred year old cake!? Are you out of your mind?! That stuff is WAY past its expiration date! I instantly felt the cold stare of the Doctor once again, "Eat it and keep it down. I swear, some ponies are way too picky. Better get used to old crap quick otherwise you're going to starve." She then pushed off of the floor and shook her head.

I slowly began pushing myself off of the bed and shakily lowered to the floor. "Thank you Doctor." I managed weakly as I got used to my surroundings once again. Though my head definitely felt much more clear than when I had first woken up. But even so, my memories hadn't returned. "Do you think they will come back?" I asked aloud even though I hadn't meant to.

"Nopony can say for sure. Maybe with time? Maybe never." she said quietly turning her back on me. "Be glad you're alive and go from there. Other ponies aren't so lucky." She was right, unfortunately, but she was still right. I felt my heart slam against the bottom of my hooves. I was faced with the reality that I was in fact starting over and might never go back to what I was.

I sighed and hung my head, "Thank you for your help, truly. And I am sorry I couldn't pay for what you did."

"Don't mention it. Just next time you come in here, have some bottle caps to pay with. Or snack-cakes to barter with." she said with a nod of her head. Bottle caps, I'll remember that for whenever I needed to pay for anything. Surely I could find some of those lying around somewhere. "Oh and try to find some work or something, they usually pay caps for work done. Just be careful you don't do anything that is illegal...then again that isn't really much. This is the Wasteland after all, it's not like we're in a Stable." she said I think mostly to herself and not directly at me. But even so, what she said had merit and I had to agree. I needed to find something to do here to get started once again.  I now had a plan of action! But first, I REALLY needed to get out of this clinic!