Seasons

"Master Nite."

"Hmmm?"

"Master Nite?"

"Huh, what?"

"It is time to get up Master Nite, it's nearly a half past noon and you're needed at the hospital." Came a old refined voice

Of course it is. Niteo thought, right when I was having a wonderful dream.

"Master Nite wake up." Jasper rasped, a hint of command creeping in his voice.

"Okay Penny Worth, okay. I hear you." Niteo shifted in bed, "Anything going on that I should know about?"

"Besides the hospital, no sir, now will you be needing anything special for breakfast this morning?" Penny Worth stated thickly accented voice.

"No thank you Penny Worth just get me some water, I'm not hungry right now." Niteo said sluggishly escaping his mass of gray blankets and pillows of his giant bed. He turned to look at his exquisite room full of expensive objects he didn't really care for.

"Very well sir, you know where I am if you need me." Penny Worth said walking out of the room.

Niteo gave a short grunt in response before finally rising from his silk sheets. Niteo couldn't shake the thought that he was living like a king while others starved in the streets, but what could he do about it? He was just one pony. He gave his mane a few shakes before walking to the bathroom to start the day. I really hope there's nothing serious going on at the hospital right now, I can't take another night like friday. Too many patients, not enough doctors, there's no hope in this damned city. Water fell from the steel faucet as Niteo brushed his teeth and combed his mane. Indoor plumbing, though well-known, wasn't readily available to most in New Canterlot. To Niteo, it was just another commodity that he had that guilted him. Rushing himself so he could get to work, Niteo quickly showered and galloped down the stairs only to have Penny Worth stop him.

"Yes  Penny Worth, what is it?" Niteo questioned with polite annoyance

"Master Nite, Spell is here to see you" Penny Worth disclosed, waiting for Niteo to give a response.

"Really?" Niteo said with a smile forming on his lips "Well what are you waiting for? Let him in!"

Niteo waited silently. He heard a energized voice exchange pleasantries with and older one, before being crashed into by a  medium built brown stallion with glasses and a green mohawk.

"NITEO!" Spell said with the upmost excitement

"Spell!" Niteo responded with genuine happiness.

"What's up?" Spell asked with a giant smile.

"Not much, just about to go the hospital to check up on some patients."

"Man you're so lucky to be a doctor, I would love to help ponies like that. I just don't have the amazingly awesome skills that you have." Spell joked mockingly to Niteo.

"Oh yes, if only you could have endured the easy and clean training of the army's medical school." Niteo replied back, disgust dripping from his voice.

"Well learning how to be a doctor in a crappy place, is better than not learning to be a doctor at all." Spell told Niteo, "But meanwhile your mark is looking more red than usual." Spell said twisting his head around to see Niteo's mark more clearly.

"Well thanks, I just had it dyed last night, does it make my flank look big?" NIteo replied sarcastically, looking back at his cutie mark. It consisted of a pony's skull encased by machine cog, both colored a blood crimson. Many colts whispered to each other about it being from a game they played, but Niteo's special talent wasn't chainsawing ponies. To him the symbol ran much more deep.

"In like my opinion, it like totally does." Spell responded, doing the most stereotypical picky mare's voice he could, drawing a smile from Niteo.

"Haha course it does, but enough about me, how are you doing?" Niteo questioned looking at Spell.

Spell's face instantly drooped, looking very unhappy and depressed.

"Is something wrong?" Niteo asked, concern darkening his face.

"No, not really. Just had some ponies bothering me about my mom again. This time they had guns" Spell answered softly, his voice trailing off.

Niteo snorted, he knew very well about the ponies that harassed Spell due to his mixed heritage. Spell was half zebra and half equine, born outside New Canterlot like most mixed heritage ponies are. At first his family was turned away, but from special pushing from a certain pony's father they were let in.

"Don't worry about them Spell, they don't have the guts to shoot you. They're just hicks who have nothing better to do than annoy others. And don't forget, Celesita damns all prejudice" Niteo said firmly, remembering how there were only a few "mixed" familes in New Canterlot, and how Spell's seemed to take most flak of them all.

"Yeah..." Spell looked at Niteo with a smug look. "I can't wait for fictional deities to come save me from this horrible place! Mabe if I just pray and hold my hooves to the sky, they will come down and take me away!" Spell said, mock praying." Niteo for the hundredth time, Celestia and Luna are just tales to keep colts and fillies in line. Nothing more." Spell rolled his eyes, "But, I hope you have good day at the hospital."

"You can believe in whatever you think is true, but they are out there. And thanks" Niteo spoke, looking outside his kitchen window at the cobbled streets of New Canterlot. He knew the princess were out there watching over all ponies. Even with New Canterlot in the state that it was, he knew they wouldn't abandon the ponies they promised to protect. He didn't need signs or a preacher, he just knew.

"Um Nite, you okay?" Spell asked poking the transfixed Niteo in the neck.

"Hm? Oh, yes, yes I am, but I am late to the hospital. Niteo replied, "I wish you luck with the new mare you met last night!" Niteo shouted over his shoulder, quickly racing down the gray cobble he traveled so many times before. The path to the hospital almost seemed like a second home to Niteo, seeing the same ponies day after day, smelling the fresh baked bread, watching the water run down the streets into the gutter. All these things made Niteo's day a little brighter, sometimes the only thing that kept him going these days was the walk to the hospital.

While lost in a reverie walking to the hospital, a flash of red caught Niteo's eye, sending his heart racing and stomach clenching. After seeing it was just a cart Niteo shook his head and continued on his way. Trying to drive the emotions from his head.

He eventually came up from the grey city to a large gray building, the highest in the city; castle notwithstanding, with a crimson cross protruding about 30 hooves up with the words Royal Hospital etched into it.

New Canterlot, powered by steam, had little in the way of public electricity; but the hospital was depended on to provide constant medical care for even the most terminal patients. So the majority of the electricity produced in the city was directed there. That being said, even the hospital had major blackouts monthly, often costing patients their lives.

Blackouts were just party of the city, but the last one the hospital had on Friday was exceptionally bad. It was hard to think about all the ponies that died in surgery that night.

Entering the doors, Niteo headed to the nurse's secretary booth looking for Kandi Glow, the bubbly black pegasus pony with multicolored spots on her mane. He had no idea how she kept her job due to her endless partying; but the administration liked her and that was good enough for him.

"Kandi, I would like to know why I was called in today." Niteo announced letting a bit too much anger flow into his voice.

"Geez Dr. Glacialis you don't have to be a mean to me, but you look cute when you're angry." Kandi replied with a slurred tone, "Dr. Aeschere needs see out you now...."

"Aeschere? The anesthesiologist?" Niteo asked puzzled, "What does he need a internal medicine doc for?" Niteo questioned, he quite surprised at the mention of Aeschere's name. He knew him, just like every other pony in the hospital, but he didn't really know him. Not to mention his black tattoos on his snow white mane always intimidated Niteo.

"Don't knows, all I knows is that I have a really bad headache, do you think you could get me some narcotics, and why were you late?" Kandi sputtered rubbing her head

"I was talking to Spell, he.." Niteo started

"Oh him" Kandi interrupted, becoming much more serious. "Why don't you tell him to play in a busy street."

"Yeah I'll be sure to tell him you said that. Lay off the partying for a while Kandi, and I want to know if anyone else needs me, I don't want to go home and get called back while I'm sleeping. Understand?" Niteo commanded with a firm voice.

"Whatever doc. Aeschere is on the sixteenth floor in fifth operating room." Kandi said, back to her hangover state.

"Okay Kandi" Thanked Niteo, "Tell him I'm on my way."

Kandi tried to respond but instead gave a loud garble that attracted disapproving faces from the other nurses in the room. Niteo sighed as he entered the elevator, pushing the the large number sixteen. The elevator ride didn't take long, minus the fifteenth floor where some coated neurologists got on. Exiting the elevator and turning right, Niteo entered the operating room 5 where Aeschere was waiting for him.

"Doctor Glacialis, thank you for..."

"Please Aeschere, just call me Niteo, everypony else does." Niteo cut in trying to make the greeting less formal.

"Of course... Niteo, sorry." Aeschere responded a little off ease at being interrupted, "Anyways, I have a 25 year-old stallion here who needs a total knee replaced. He also has ITP which is were you come in." Aeschere added seeing the confused face on the lightning maned pony.

"Oh so that's why you need me. But do you really think we should operate on a ITP patient? I mean, even the incision will cause massive bleeding that could potentially kill him." Niteo stated his mind racing at the possibilities of the surgery. "He's also quite young, does he really need a knee replacement at 25?"

"The surgery has already been planned and paid for, he wishes to be treated and that is what we do as doctors." Aeschere looked sternly at Niteo. "You remember the oath you took in the army, don't abandon it now."

Niteo thought about his days in the army. All ponies of New Canterlot had to serve in the armed forces, but pegasi were quite sought after being so valuable in war. Rather than picking up a gun and getting killed, Niteo joined the medical academy as most doctors who work at the hospital had. He learned all of his medical skills there, along with some other skills he didn't care to mention. Him and Aeschere were actually in the same trauma class were Niteo first heard of the pony, soon after the class ended they both were shipped to the front lines. Where Aeschere saved nearly 40 ponies from death, selflessly flying from foxhole to foxhole putting himself in danger for others, and was awarded a medal commending his service.

Niteo knew that Aeschere was a highly spiritual and calm person, and his tattoos showed it. He believed in the heart of the warrior: never giving up. A believe that was well respected by those that knew him.

"Anyways we should get this started, I have three more cases to do after this." Aeschere disclosed preparing the IV for the patient.

"You're right, let's do this. Do you have the knee marked and cleaned?" Niteo questioned washing his hooves, and putting his mask on.

"Yes, if you can make the incision that would be great. I have a Bovie pencil standing by, and the tourniquet is attached."

"Even with with the tourniquet I don't feel safe doing this, how many units of blood did you get?"

"I have 3 units of earth pony blood, I can get more if we need. Thankfully he isn't a pegasus, we're down to our last 50 units, and that will only last about a week."

"I'm sure there's a spell for that, I'm making the incision now. Do you have the him stable?"

"Yes he's stable, I have a IV in him. He does have a high mercury percent in his blood for his age, but his vitals are fine."

"Okay just cauterized the open vessels, pulling the muscle back.... and there is his tibia. There's an unusual amount of blood but I can handle it. Hoof me the saw will you?"

"It's right here, the jig is already prepared"

"Sawing through the femur right now, do you have the trial components ready?"

"No need, I already have all of the parts to exact fix, the cement is to your left also.

"He has major arthritis on his femur, along with multiple osteo-spurs. I can see what's causing him pain."

"Are you ready for the femoral component yet?"

"Yes I just finished shaping the tibia, hoof me the cement please."

"Here you go"

"Thank you, and now for the components to be put in... Wow you're right they fit perfectly."

"Just as I said."

"Well I'm done here, the bleeding wasn't horrible but I'm going to send a nurse up to make sure that the hemoglobin and red blood cell counts are still okay, can you sew up the incision?" Niteo asked disposing of his gloves and heading for the door.

"Yes I can, and thank you Niteo, this patient would have fared much worse without you." Aeschere replied with genuine emotion.

"Don't thank me yet, he still has to wake up." Niteo joked, "I'll see you around Aeschere, maybe catch a few drinks tonight?"

"Possibly, if I finish with my cases. But it's not looking good. Thank you though." Said Aeschere, checking the vitals of the patient once more over.

"Alright, just tell..." Niteo began before the door to the operating room bursted open with a terrified looking Kandi.

"NITEO! NITEO! He's bleeding everywhere, so much blood!! I..I don't know what to do!"

"Okay Kandi I need you to calm down. Who's bleeding?" Niteo asked taken off guard by the mare's frantic entrance.

"Spell! He" Kandi took a gulp of air, "He's been shot!"