"It hurts! It hurts so much!"
"I know, Dashie, just hang in there! Another push," Twilight was at her best friend's side. Her hoof was hurting, but compared to the pain her friend was in, it was nothing she couldn't hide with a fake, though reassuring, smile.
"A little more, Ms. Dash, it's almost over. One more-"
"AAAAAAH!"
The doctor overseeing the delivery was cut off by a scream of pain from the multi-color pegasus. Rainbow's grip on Twilight's hoof was that equal of a choke hold, making Twilight gasp, "H-Hang in there, Dashie!"
"I... I can't... Please make it stop," Dash was panting her words, the miracle of birth clearly showing her the underbelly of its beauty. She started to black out from the excruciating feeling, her body wanting to shut down, but something suddenly brought her back. Something that she feared she would never get to hear, "Is... Is that?"
"It is, Ms. Dash," The doctor held up the bawling creature slightly, so Rainbow could see and hear its cries, "It's your foal. A filly unicorn."
"My... My foal," Rainbow repeated the words, tears of joy starting roll down her sweaty cheeks. The foal was freed from her mother, diapered, and wrapped into a blanket before being given back to Rainbow, "My little filly. She’s so adorable."
Twilight smiled brightly, leaning over to get a better look at the sleeping foal, "She's got her mother's mane and eyes, both burning with determination."
Rainbow laughed gently before a nurse came in, "Hello, Ms. Dash. Let me be the first to say congratulations. Now, I am going to be here to fetch you medicine, inspect your vitals as well the foals, and make sure your recovery is quick and comfortable."
"Alright," Rainbow nodded, but a frown quickly grew on her face when she read the nurse's name tag, "Please... Can't I just stay with her a little longer."
The nurse's cheerful smile reversed itself, "I'm sorry, Ms. Dash. It's my job to make sure nothing is wrong with the foal. As part of the intensive care unit, I must take samples from her and see if any unnatural defects are inside her. This is to help your foal, Ms. Dash. If something is wrong, we'll do everything we can and then some. Your foal will be in the second top care, and once cleared, she'll be moved to the best," the nurse leaned down, gently placed a hoof on Rainbow’s side, and smiled warmly,"Her mother."
Rainbow paused for a moment, defensively holding her foal. She stared at the nurse, and after a few long moments of self convincing, reluctantly gave the nurse the foal, "Please, make sure I see her again. I want her back."
"Of course, Ms. Dash," the nurse nodded before taking the foal. She looked down at her, "She really is a beautiful filly."
"Thank you," Rainbow smiled a bit, relaxing into her pillow. "She really i-"
Rainbow suddenly began coughing as if the air had become thin. She almost fell out of the bed if she had not caught herself with her shaking hooves. Her eyes widen, pulse increasing, and body shivering. Blood gurgled in her throat as she groaned in pain.
"Rainbow," Twilight screamed for her friend, making the foal cry from the loud noise while trying to help Dash stay upright, "What's wrong?!"
"Doctor! Doctor Cotton! Come quick," the nurse called for the doctor, "It's an emergency!"
"What's going on," Cotton came running in, seeing Rainbow still in her coughing fit.
"She's coughing up blood," Twilight exclaimed, "Please do something!"
Doctor Cotton rushed up to Rainbow, "Ms. Dash. If you can hear me, focus for a second. Where do you feel pain?"
Though gasping for air, she was able to move her hoof over her abdominal cavity.
"Nurse Crib, fetch the drainage crew," Cotton ordered, "I think she's fallen under 274. Princess Twilight, I'm sorry, but I need you to leave, now."
"Hold on," Twilight frowned, standing tall and glaring at the doctor, "I demand to know what you are going to do to her."
"Please, Princess," Cotton was trying use his stance to clear Twilight out, "I don't have time to explain. If we don't... air in her... coma... operate..."
#
“Heart Rate…”
“Normal…”
“... Scalpel…”
“... This is Doctor Cotton… Test 23C results… negative…”
“Heart rate… normal. She sure is a fighter…”
#
Beep... Beep... Beep...
Applejack stared at the little green line as it ran across the screen, bouncing up and down every time Rainbow's heart beat. She turned to her unconscious, cyan friend as a masked covered Rainbow’s muzzle, helping her breath. Applejack’s hat laid low over her eyes, almost as if she was trying to not see the pegasus like this.
"How long has she been like this," Applejack asked, tearing her eyes away from the horrible scene.
"Three months now," Twilight replied from the hospital chair she was in, "They've been operating every other week on her, assessing the damage while keeping it stable enough."
"Stable enough? Why only enough?"
"They aren't exactly sure what could happen if they stitched it all the way. Unsure how her body will react to the permanency of a foreign object. The best they can do is use a temporary patch, that needs to be reapplied constantly, and hope she doesn't wake up before they're ready. They originally didn’t want her in a coma, but they’ve told me that it’s best she stays this way. If she moved around, the patch could easily fall apart."
"I just... I just don't understand. What exactly is wrong with her."
Twilight groaned, rubbing the bags under her eyes from countless, sleepless nights, "Pegasi organs are a bit more subjectable to piercing. It’s highly uncommon for a pegasus to have a unicorn foal, pegasi genes are more dominant, and even rarer for it to cause internal bleeding. So rare that only one other case has ever been reported. The tissue damaged is very difficult to stitch, and that’s assuming her body won’t attack it, but without it patched, she will die from blood loss."
Applejack looked down at the floor, trying to comprehend the situation, “So how much longer ‘till the doctors decide what to do?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight snapped, “I don’t have all the answers, AJ!”
Applejack ears folded down as she looked away like a scared puppy, Twilight’s frown faded as guilt settled in, “I’m sorry, AJ. I’m just tired and frustrated. Celestia has been a huge help with the medical expenses, but the gross is starting to add up fast. She can’t keep using Equestrian funds forever.”
“It’s ok, Twilight,” Applejack walked up to Twilight and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder, “Ya should go home. Ya need rest, I’ll stay here and watch over her.”
“Are you sure you’ll be fine here by yourself,” Twilight stared at Applejack with concern.
“Sure will,” Applejack nodded, helping Twilight out of the chair, “Go home, rest, and get better.”
“Thank you,” Twilight gave a relieving smile, “I’ll ask Fluttershy to come by and visit later this afternoon… If you’d like… the doctors said there might be a small chance she is conscious. Talking to her might help her… and you.”
“I will,” Applejack said. She paused again and waited until Twilight had left the room, leaving only the two ponies and the busy machines. Applejack pulled over a chair, climbing up into it and sitting next to Rainbow.
“Hey… Rainbow, can ya hear me? It’s me, AJ. Uh… sorry I haven’t… y’know, visited ya or anything. I wanted to the moment I got word of your labor, but when I arrived, they told me… well, I guess ya know that part. Your foal is doing fine by the way, no defects or vile illness or nothing, looks like that scumbag’s dirty hooves couldn’t touch such a pure thing, hehe… yeah, Big Mac and I have been taking care of the child, Granny Smith spoiling her, of course, and Applebloom can’t stop fawning over her. We don’t have a name for it, cause I feel like that’s your honor, but we do call it RD the Second, cause she sure does like to cause mischief, just like her mother,” Applejack could not stop herself from a laugh that, momentarily, almost took away the grief, “So uh... Yeah, I guess I’ll let ya rest. Ya’d probably try to beat some sense into me right now for being so sappy with ya. If ya need anything, I’ll be right here, sitting in this chair.”
Applejack smiled softly, slowly placing a hoof on Rainbow’s. She could feel the warm heat and the comforting soft texture of Rainbow’s coat, something she never dreamed she would appreciate and be grateful that she could. Applejack chuckled, “Ya wanna prove you’re the fastest? Get well fast, Rainbow, then we’ll talk…”
(To Be Continued…)
