Nurse Ratchet put her hoof over her mouth to stifle a yawn as she manned the front desk. Absently dividing her attention between the romance novel she had smuggled in while at the same time keeping an eye out for the few administration staff still roaming around knowing full well the reprimand she would get if they caught her reading on the job.
Broadhoof Memorial had been pretty quiet for the holiday. Already the sun was starting to make its downward decent behind the horizon. Already the shadows of the bare trees that bordered the hospital were beginning to stretch their skeletal limbs across the snowy ground like hungry predators blindly hunting for any prey foolish enough to get caught in their always hungry limbs.
Visiting hours had ended hours ago with dinner beginning for the patients shortly followed by a few Hearth's Warming games planned for those that could play before lights out. Some of the staff had even taken the time to put up a few decorations around the hospital making the place feel a little more cheerful but a little more sad at the same time.
Ratchet could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. Felt her heart start to beat heavily in her chest as she worked her way to the steamier parts where the handsome pirate captain ‘Steal EverythingthatNtnaileddown’ had taken his prisoner the fair damsel ‘Petuna Pureheart’ to his bed for the first time when the front doors slammed open. The harsh winter wind smashing both doors into the walls. Their noise echoed throughout the intake causing Nurse Ratchet to yelp in surprise as she hastily threw her book under the desk.
Heavy snow poured through the entrance blasting the nurse with freezing wind as she fought a losing battle to keep everything on her desk from blowing away all the while being pelted by heavy flakes of snow carried in the breeze. Too busy fighting the chaos and escaping papers that surrounded her. It had taken a few minutes to notice the pony standing in front of her making the poor nurse yelp a second time.
He was a middle aged pony by the look of it. Bald with a shock of grey hair around the sides of his head. Heavily bundled from the horrible weather but still showing off a good size pot belly. He was the type of pony that looked like he wandered off some holiday postcard as he stood in front of her stomping the snow off his hooves while unwrapping himself of the many layers of his winter wear. Showing the nurse a tired smile that spoke without speaking that the pony would have rather been anywhere but here for the holiday..
“Visiting hours are over sir,” she quipped. Her mood turning sour from being surprised, “Sorry but you will have to come back tomorrow.”
The middle-aged pony spoke not a word as it started to reach into his many coat pockets searching for something. It took a few minutes to find making the nurse fume even more but she hid it gracefully with ever deepening frown on her face. Wondering if she should just call one of the orderlies to deal with him so she could go back to her reading. Already her hoof was hovering over the call button when she heard a gasp of triumph as he pulled out a letter and handed it to her.
Nurse Ratchet did a quick scan of the letter. immediately recognized the official seal proudly imprinted at the very top along with the scrawls of acclaimed Leaders in the field of medicine. Her expression slowly changed with the realization that he was a pony of some importance in the medical field. Why he was at a mental institution on today of all days she would have given everything to know. Betting there was some juicy gossip behind his visit. However such things were above her paygrade she lamented buzzing him back towards the administration wing.
“Doctor Iodine is on today. She should be in her office right about now. Fourth door on the right,” she nearly screamed as he silently walked past her. Cutting her off as she wished him a Happy Hearth’s Warming the shutting the door behind him. Leaving a confused nurse to wonder what that was all about.
Doctor Placebo rubbed the sleep from his eyes following the orderly down the suicide wing. Cursing himself for arriving so late in the day to visit his once very good and very close friend. Especially on Hearth’s Warming Eve of all days. After the death of his wife he would usually celebrate the holiday nestled in his favorite recliner next to the fireplace with a nice hot cup of cider to help keep the cold away as he slowly fell asleep listening to some Hearth's Warming music instead of what he was doing now. Traveling through Celestia forbidden weather like this. Truth to be told he really didn’t want to see him. To many sleepless nights overcome by so many bad memories that kept hovering around.
His friend once a respected pathologist rapidly rising to the top of his field to now somepony the hospital had spent over a year trying its best in hushing up the incident and forgetting he even existed. Especially himself being the first one to find him huddles on the floor a heaping blubbering mess holding that poor girl in his limbs. What drove such a promising examiner to become such a scourge in the field of medicine?
Two weeks ago was when the news of his failed suicide attempt had finally reached him through the grapevine the Doctor found himself overcome by a wave of gilt and remorse for the loss of his once good friend and how he ignored him during that nightmare of a time that guilted him into making the time to visit him for the holiday. Almost to the very day when it all happened. But still, despite all his feelings for his friend Doctor Placebo would have given his right hoof to have been anywhere but here.
“Three more doors down,” Barked the burley orderly. Clearly not too happy to be called away from the small party the staff had organized just so he could escort some privileged pony around. He just knew none of the food would be left when he got back. Especially with Cloverfield working today. He was such a pig, “ We got you a chair to sit on during your visit.”
“Thank you,” Doctor Placebo replied meekly having to quicken his pace to keep up with the orderly, “How has he been?”
“Eh,” the orderly grunted with a shrug of his shoulders, “Don’t know too much. He’s a quiet one, as far as crazy ponies go...Well until he tried to take his life that is.” He finished with a sidelong glance, “Is it true what I heard about him and tha-”
“Oh look here we are,” said Placebo hastily Interrupting the orderly as he shot inside and closed the door behind him, Immediately stopping before being nearly blinded when he entered.
It took some time to allow his eyes to adjust to the intense brightness. Not wanting to continue any further into the cell until all his senses were working properly. He never thought of his friend as a dangerous pony. But he also never thought his friend would try to commit suicide either.
Crystals, Everywhere light crystals had been placed all over the bare empty cell. Glued onto the walls, hung on the ceilings, Even randomly strung around on the floor without reason. Their light forcibly driving every habitat of darkness or shadow from every nook or cranny far far away. Making the bare white walls almost glow with their reflecting of the light which only created more light and more light upon that. Especially under the bed the Doctor noticed his friend had it filled with even more light crystals. Surprised upon finally seeing his friend quietly sitting there on the floor by the corner. Making Doctor Placebo gasp in how much he had changed in just one year.
Gone was the youthful vibrancy he seemed to always carry with him. Gone was the confidence, the joy he held. Looking like now a rather middle aged pony going on eighty. His body looked haggard. His brown trim fur had become a filthy, matted crusted mess. His mane that he always kept short and trim exposing a hint of grey around the temples sprouted wildly along his head and neck. Even worse was those eyes of his.Seeing nothing yet everything. A lost pony. A dead pony waiting for the rest of his body to catch up. Vanished was the stallion he called friend. What was left was a pony who barely belonged to the world of the living..
“Well, well look at what the cat dragged in,” said the stallion. Not bothering to mask the pain and anger smothered a top every spoken word, “So my old friend Doctor Placebo has decided to pay me a Hearth’s Warming visit. Well isn’t that nice. Came all this way just to gloat? Came to laugh at where I ended up in life?”
“Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Placebo murmured. Caught off guard by his former companions reaction. The intense heat of his anger made the Doctor take a few steps towards the refuge of the chair. Slightly heartbroken as he truly expected His friend Doctor Quick Stitch to have been happy to have seen him.
Crunch! Came the sound of a light crystal being squashed underfoot froze Placebo with a fear he had never known before. Knowing that he had just done something he shouldn’t have done. Able to only stare at him. Watching the anger drain with a desperate insanity he had never seen on anypony. A hazardous fear born with the madness of knowing things that no sane pony should ever know..
“You fat oat!” he screamed. Rising to his hooves like a rabid animal ready to pounce. A killer ready to end another life, “You stupid, stupid pony! Look at what you just did. I am going to…”
“Are you giving the Doctor trouble?” growled the orderly as he entered, “I heard you screaming and you know what that means don’t you?”
“Confinement with no crystals allowed,” whined Quick Stitch. His demeanor instantly changed as he slowly got back down to the floor.
“Do you want to go?”
“No sir.”
“So you’ll behave and be a good pony?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good.” barked the orderly before turning his attention to the Doctor. “I'll be right outside. If he causes any problems call me and I’ll take care of it,” he finished before shutting it.
Doctor Placebo could feel the moments passing by second by second before he found he could move again. Another moment longer before he let out a gasp of air not realizing he had been holding his breath for the entire time. Watching this strange foreign pony look at him in a mixture of fear, anger along with a surprising amount of loneliness too. Staring at each other when the madpony started to speak.
“I didn’t really try to kill myself. Trust me I have no intentions of harming myself or others,``he said finally. Dropping all acts of hostility from his being. Showing the barest sliver of the pony he used to be, “There is no place safer than here. She can’t get to me as long as there's light to keep me safe. She found me Placebo. She has finally found me.”
“Who?”
“Her.”
“Whose her?”
“Pffft.” replied the pony while waving his hooves dismissively at Placebo, “You didn’t believe me then. Why should you believe me now.”
“The last time I saw you were crying and holding a corpse. Mumbling nonsensical gibberish about the dead. What was I supposed to believe?” Doctor Placebo shot back. Matching the stare given to him. Truth to be told he tried his best to avoid all types of confrontations as much he could. Didn't like them at all as he finally lowered his gaze to the ground and made himself comfortable in the chair he was given.
His years as a forensic pathologist had taught him all about those secrets. Those special kinds of dark creepy secrets that everypony keeps under lock and key. Safely tucked away in the forbidden chambers in their heart of hearts. Doctor Placebo knew of secrets. How to find them. And where to look. His friend Doctor Quick Stitch wanted to tell him. Maybe even needed to tell him. Get it off his chest maybe? No one had really known what truly happened on that Hearth’s Warming Day a year ago.
And if Doctor Placebo had known what the future had in store he would have walked away before any of it started.
“This is all your fault. Everything is your fault,” said Quick Stitch finally without emotion or expression, “Everything that happened to me is all your fault.”
“Why is it all my fault?” asked Placebo. More out of Curiosity than anything.
“Because you were the one who sent that letter to me asking to come in and work....”
