When Lightning Cracks, Thunder Rumbles

A feeling of cold dampness stirred Hutton from his deep sleep. Something pressed against his forehead once, twice, then three times. Cold water trickles down his forehead and cheeks as the object is pulled away. He can hear voices, but they are extremely muffled. Hutton rolled his head left, or at least he tried to. His mind said he turned his head, but it still remained in the same position, a clear sign of sleep paralysis.

As quickly as he regained consciousness, Hutton slipped back under into the deep sleep.

...

A voice awakens Hutton. It's soft, almost a whisper. It sounded nearby, yet distant at the same time. He strained his sluggish mind to focus on the voice to understand what is being said.

"...experience with his kind before. I would appreciate it if..."

The voice is feminine, that much Hutton could make out. He slipped out of focus again, but another voice brought Hutton back around. The new voice is deeper, probably a male.

"...been in and out of consciousness for a few days..."

A few days? To Hutton, it's only felt like a few hours. The male voice continued.

"...call you when it wakes up, your Highness."

Hutton's mind could not keep its' focus. As if there was a mental switch being thrown, he is dragged back into his deep sleep.

...

Soft warmth hits Hutton's cheek. With heavy eyelids, Hutton struggled to open his eyes, barely managing to accomplish the simple act. Almost immediately, his vision is greeted by the bright sunshine pouring through a nearby window. Hutton grunted with simple shock as he threw up a hand to shield his eyes. The sounds of shifting metal filled the air, alerting Hutton to the fact that he was not alone.

"Easy there, freak." said a gruff voice. Hutton blinked a few time to clear his vision. As his surroundings begin to come into focus, he sees that he was in a medical room of some kind. Beneath his body, five beds were set up side by side long ways to accompany his height. Directly in front of him, two more of those odd ponies stood in defensive stances. These ones however, wore bright gold armor of some kind, complete with feathered helmets like those worn by Ancient Romans. The two ponies wielded long pikes, their sharpened ends mere inches from his face.

"Get those sticks outta my face." Hutton grumbled, knocking the spears aside. The armored ponies are quick to react though, and within seconds the pike tips were back in his face. He simply blinked, irritation starting to spark in his mind. Before he could do anything else though, another pony poked its' head into the room. This one wore the white uniform of a nurse, and looked feminine compared to the armored grunts.

"Oh, you're awake! I'll let Doctor Scalpel know." she said cheerfully before darting away.

"Oh great, more of these talking horses." Hutton thought to himself. Deciding against retaliation against the armored ponies, he simply dropped his hands on his thighs and gives a huff of waning irritation. A couple minutes passed by, and soon another male pony entered the room, this one a unicorn. He wore the jacket of a doctor, complete with a stethoscope draped around his neck. Behind him the nurse trailed him, a clipboard clenched between her teeth.

"And a good morning to you," Scalpel started before gesturing for the clipboard. The nurse released her bite as Scalpel's horn illuminated with a field of soft white, floating the clipboard in front of him. "Mister Hutton, is it?" he asked. Hutton simply stared at the doctor in confusion. How the hell did it know his name?

"How the hell do you know my name?" Hutton asked, an eyebrow

"I can answer that." called another feminine voice. At that moment, the purple pony from the crash site entered the room. She gave a warm smile as she made eye contact with Hutton. She turned her attention to the two armored ponies and nodded to them. "You two are dismissed. The medical staff and I can take it from here." she said. The two guards nod, withdrew their pikes, and marched out of the room.

Now, it was just Hutton, Scalpel, the nurse, and the purple pony.

The purple one approached Hutton, clearing her throat before speaking. "Hello, I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. I have a few question I wish to ask of you, Mister Hutton." she said, her horn flaring as she pulled a nearby chair closer to Hutton. She took a seat, all while a clipboard and feathered quill materialized out of the blue beside her. Hutton glared at the three ponies, keeping his mouth shut. The atmosphere grew awkward as they exchanged uneasy glances.

"Please-" Twilight started, but Hutton was quick to cut her off.

"I ain't saying anything until you explain how you know my name and where the hell I am." Hutton grumbled. Twilight gave a small chuckle and nodded her head in understanding.

"I can assure you that you are not in danger. As the Princess of Friendship, I formally welcome you to the great land of Equestria." she said, spreading her forelegs open, as if putting on a small show. Hutton simply raised an eyebrow in slight skepticism. With a small sag in her shoulders, Twilight gave an awkward smile before continuing.

"Anyway, we found your identification papers on your persons. According to them, you are a Lieutenant in some kind of military branch?" Twilight asked. Hutton turns his attention away, opting to not divulge any information. Doctor Scalpel cleared his throat and addressed Twilight.

"Ma'am, if he is military, he will not divulge any information pertaining to who he is deployed under. Having spent fifteen years in the Army as a combat medic, it's common practice for lost or captured soldiers to keep their mouths closed." he said. Twilight gave a small "Ah." before nodding and thanking Scalpel for the input. Turning back to Hutton, Twilight tried another jab at getting him to speak.

"You know, you're not the first human I have interacted with." Twilight started. Hutton looked to her again, his eyebrow raised yet again at this statement. Seeing his uncertainty, Twilight pushed on. "Yep! The story is long and convoluted, involving magic mirrors and power hungry she-demons, but this is the first time a human has come into Equestria!" Twilight continued. She gives an eager smile, hoping for Hutton to speak.

"Well..." he started. "You say you found my identification papers?" he asked. Twilight nodded in response, her horn flaring once again. In an instant, a small selection of papers materialized between the two of them. Hutton reached up and grabbed them, feeling the magical aura surrounding the papers. It felt cold, but also felt welcoming at the same time.

"Odd..." Hutton mumbled as the magic field vanished. He fingered through the papers, making sure all was accounted for. Seeing that the information was all there, he placed the papers on the bed stand and looked back to Twilight. "Did anyone else survive the crash?" he asked simply. Twilight's ears folded back slightly, a grimace coming to her features.

"Sadly...you were the only one to emerge. The others were dead, presumably on impact." she said softly. Hutton took a moment to take this in. Out of a crew of eleven, and he was the only survivor? Heaviness weighed down on his heart, spreading to his shoulders as the knowledge that he failed in protecting his crew overcame him. He let a sigh escape his lips as he put a hand against his face in growing despair.

"We transferred the bodies to Canterlot, our capital, to the mortician. When you are ready, we can bury them under your supervision." Twilight continued, trying to rest a hoof on his leg. While she said this in an attempt to put his mind at ease, Hutton only felt guilt and anger. It was his duty as the pilot to get those under his command home safely. He knew he already failed when nearly half his crew was lost to the flak, but to know that he failed entirely just gave him nothing but grief.

"Get out." Hutton growled. Twilight reached forward to put a hoof on his shoulder, but Hutton looked up and glared at the mare. She stops in her tracks, withdrawing the hoof. "Now." he said firmly. Twilight looked back to Scalpel and the nurse. The two nod in agreement, stepping back to free up the door for her. As she made the quill and clipboard vanish, Twilight got to her hooves and gave a slight bow to Hutton.

"I apologize, sir. If you wish to talk further, simply let Doctor Scalpel know." she said, turning to leave the room. Before she crossed over the rooms' threshold, Twilight stopped to take once last glance back. Hutton sat with his face buried in his hands, his shoulders beginning to shudder. Twilight sighed and signaled for the other two ponies to follow her out. As the nurse closed the door behind them, she dismisses herself from Scalpel and Twilight. Scalpel glanced to the room door for a moment before speaking.

"You cannot blame him for his behavior, Princess. Someone of his rank is generally given a large dose of responsibility to be held accounted for. I've seen plenty of officers in his current position before. It will be a while before he opens up again." Scalpel said. Twilight sighed yet again, nodding in understanding.

"I get what you're saying, Doctor. There are many who share great responsibilities, but I cannot imagine completely failing with something so vital." she said. Scalpel gave a low chuckle and shook his head a bit.

"If you don't mind my saying, Princess, but not all of us can perform our duties without issue. If I recall, you've had your fair share of problems to overcome as well? Some of which resulted with you under my care for physical strain, no?" Scalpel said, elbowing Twilight in a friendly manner. Twilight chuckled as she nodded.

"I appreciate the insight, Doctor. I do need to be on my way, however. Do contact me when Mister Hutton wishes to continue speaking with me." Twilight requested, bowing her head to Scalpel. He returned the gesture before he turned to walk down the hallway to attend to the rest of his patients. Twilight looked to the placard that displayed the room information. Room 307, Hutton P. With another sigh, Twilight's horn flared as she readied her teleportation spell. With a crack, she vanished from the hallway.

As the hall fell silent, save for the nurses station down the hallway, the sounds of crying could be heard from within Room 307.

~ooo000ooo~

It had been roughly a week since Twilight visited Hutton in his room for the first time. He didn't count the medical staff as 'visitors' per say, they were just there to perform their daily duties. While the nurses and Doctor Scalpel attempted to make small talk with the human, Hutton was still tight lipped. Grief continued to linger within him. At night, the faces of his crew hovered over him, glaring at him, standing around his bed and turning their burning hatred to him. Their faces and bodies were mangled and barely recognizable, their limbs missing and internals spilling out. They looked like the living dead, screaming and shouting accusations of failure and incompetence at Hutton. All he could do was lay there and take the verbal abuse from his rotting crew. But when the sun rose, they would vanish, leaving Hutton alone in his room until the morning nurse came in to check on him.

Soon though, the isolation was starting to get to Hutton. He had become aware of every little thing. The cast on his lower leg itched as if he had fire ants biting away at his skin. The small creaking and settling of the hospital itself seemed to be amplified in the quiet room. Hutton became worried that the building might suddenly collapse on him, burying him and the other occupants. The voices outside his room and down the hall were clear as day, and Hutton could pick up every word, trying to determine if the medical diagnostics and terms were being applied to him.

On the afternoon of his eighth day at the hospital, Hutton finally opened his mouth to Doctor Scalpel.

"I would like to go outside."

The request was simple, yet it took Scalpel slightly aback. Clearing his confusion, Scalpel agreed to the request and ordered a passing nurse to grab a wheel chair. Taking a glance back at the man, Scalpel clarified the size of the wheelchair for the nurse.

Fifteen minutes later, and Scalpel had pushed Hutton out to the courtyard of Ponyville General. With such a limited space, the grounds crew had managed to make the best of the space. The courtyard looked like a miniature grotto, complete with a hidden pool of crystal clear water beneath a rock outcropping. The willow and oak trees hung low, providing plenty of top coverage from the sunlight. The air beneath the canopy was cool and relaxing, rushing through on the back of the wind.

While he maybe in a foreign land now, Hutton somehow felt right at home.

Maybe it was because the grotto reminded him of a hidden area in the woods behind his childhood home in eastern Montana. As he sat in the wheelchair, memories of running through the creeks and thick woods as a teenager began to play out in his mind. He chased his friends, and they in turn chased him right up until dinner time. Only the Lord knew how many girls he took on walks through the dense forests. However, he was the only one who knew how many he kissed in those woods.

A small smile came to his lips as the memories played out in his mind.

"Ah, a smile! A good sign indeed." Scalpel said, patting Hutton's shoulder with a hoof. "Means you're well on your way to recovery." he added.

Hutton scoffed and scratched at the stubble growing on his face.

"I was startin' to go stir crazy in that room, Doc. I needed this." he replied, taking a moment to look at his surroundings further. A Blue Jay flew past him, resting on a branch off to Hutton's right. At the same moment, a crimson red Cardinal darted in and out of his view. Hutton's breathing became deeper and relaxed, his shoulders beginning to sag.

"Lieutenant," Scalpel began. A feeling of slight dread creeps into Hutton now. Was the doctor really going to ruin this moment? "How...how are you taking the, erm..." Scalpel trailed off, knowing that if he said the wrong thing, Hutton would clam up again. However, Hutton knew where Scalpel was going with this.

It was about time he faced it.

"The losses?" he asked. Scalpel gave a small sigh of relief, nodding while giving a fatherly look to the man. Hutton took a moment to scratch his stubble again before shaking his head a bit. "I'll be honest, I fucking hate it." he started. In his chest, Hutton could feel his begin to heart pump faster. His throat constricted, as if it was an attempt to stop him from going into a rage fueled rant about the unfairness of war. The feeling of tears came to his eyes, and Scalpel could see this.

"Take your time, we're not going anywhere anytime soon. Think of me not only as your doctor, but your psychiatrist also." Scalpel added, trying to make a small joke to lighten the atmosphere. Hutton gives a humored grunt before casting his gaze to the cobblestone path.

"I was responsible for those boys, Doc." he started. In a blink, his gaze locks with Scalpels. "They were boys." he emphasizes. "Their lives were in my hands, and I failed them."

These words hurt Hutton deeply. He took pride in accomplishing his missions and going against the impossible, but coming to terms with his failure struck a deep cord in his heart, striking hard on his pride.

He began to cry.

"I...I can see them at night. Standing over me, screaming, pointing their rotting fingers. Condemning me to Hell for my failure." he continued, saying the words through gritted teeth as tears streamed down his features. He can see his crews ghoulish features in his mind now, their faces twisted and demonic with rot and anger. Scalpel rests a hoof on Hutton's shoulder, telling him it was okay.

"You were at war, weren't you?" he asked. Hutton simply nodded, his head hanging over his chest. "I figured. Look, I'm not going to baby you with this, sir." Scalpel continued. His tone had switched from one of professional comforter, to hardened fact giver. "But war is hell. I'm sure you heard last week, but I served as well. I have seen others in your position hundreds of times." Scalpel said, standing before the human.

"And do you know what I told the others?" he asked. Hutton looked up, his eyes puffy and red.

"What?" he croaked out.

"You failed, sir. Those boys are now dead, but you could only do so much to protect them. Knowing this, do you know what you do now? You pick yourself up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're a Lieutenant for Celestia sake! Others look to you for leadership in critical moments!" Now, Scalpel was in full blown Drill Sergeant mode. To an outsider, this scene would seem rather ridiculous and somewhat humorous, a talking pony screaming at a crying human man, but this was exactly what Hutton needed.

"Wipe your tears, suck it up, and learn from this failure. Those who do not learn from their past, are doomed to repeat it." Scalpel continued. He gave a hard look at Hutton. "Are you the kind to repeat yourself, Lieutenant Hutton?"

The question burned itself into Hutton's mind. In that moment, everything began to clear itself.

"N-No, I'm not." Hutton croaked again. His back straightened as he brought a hand up to wipe away his tears. The grief he held began to ebb away. The ghoulish visions in his mind began to vanish, their screaming voices softening to silence. Somehow, this talking pony had dragged Hutton through two years of PTSD and survivors' guilt therapy in five minutes. At that moment, Hutton realized Scalpel's horn was glowing. Following Hutton's glance, Scalpel put on a smile.

"Strong words and a simple memory eraser spell, sir." Scalpel said, turning off his magic. "You no longer remember the phantoms that tormented you, but you still remember those you lost. Take what I asked with you wherever you go. Whether it be here in Equestria, or back from where you're from, do not repeat your past. I cannot say it enough." Scalpel finished. Hutton looked at the doctor in disbelief. He wasn't offended that the unicorn had used magic on him, although he should be, rather he was grateful for his words and magical abilities.

"If I can ask, what was your rank?" Hutton asked. Scalpel blinks.

"Oh, me? I was a simple Lance Corporal in the Recovery Corps." Scalpel said proudly, bringing a hoof to his chest in a small show of pride. Hutton chuckled, a smile breaking through his features now. Scalpel shared the feeling, joining Hutton in the laughter.

"Look at me, a Lieutenant being scolded by a Lance Corporal." Hutton said, his laughter dying down a bit.

"I'll send my bill in the mail, and I request that you put me in for a promotion!" Scalpel joked, sending the two into another string of laughter. Hutton shook Scalpel's hoof with both hands and thanked him once again.

In that moment, sitting in a hospital grotto, Hutton made a new friend in this strange land. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay after all.