Worms

I grabbed a coffee cup from the clinic's kitchen, as the coffee machine next to me started to drip coffee into the pot. I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up as I had to prepare for the day. My routine was going fine, starting with brewing my coffee, as I poured the finished contents into my cup and added a small amount of creamer, before heading out to the lobby, seeing my receptionist, Daisy Pailer entering the clinic with a donut in her mouth as she waved at me.

"Morning, Daisy," I smiled as I yawned softly. She mumbled into her donut as she sat down at her desk, and pulled the donut from her mouth.

"Morning, Dr. Green, still waking up?" I nodded as I yawned once more, taking a sip of coffee, and heading back to my office. I didn't even have time to enter my office as I heard the bell chime from the front door. "Hello, do you have an appointment?"

"No, but I really need to see Dr. Green, it's urgent," the voice sounded shaky and tired, no not tired, sleep-deprived. I resisted my urge to head out and look as I entered my office quietly to not draw attention to the fact that I wasn't already in my office. The early morning was always a hassle, I was never a morning pony, but with the added factor of drunken ponies looking for a miracle hangover remover or foals trying to play hooky by acting sick, it was a pain in my neck.

This morning was rather slow though, as I didn't have a scheduled appointment till around eight o'clock. I could probably do paperwork or something till then. That didn't last, however, as I got a message from Daisy asking me to come to the lobby. I stood up, chugging down the rest of the hot coffee, burning the roof of my mouth as I exited my office and entered the lobby. About halfway, I was met by Daisy.

"Dr. Green, this guy is demanding that he see you," Daisy told me as we entered the lobby. I looked at the pony in question, seeing it was a pony I knew was registered here. His name was Winding Flail, and he had been a patient of mine since I opened my clinic last year. "He says something is moving under his skin."

"Alright, I guess I can take him back, give him a quick examination," I told Daisy as I approached Flail. He had bags under his eyes, his mane, tail, and coat were disheveled. He reminded me of myself when I left Griffonia, he looks like he had just left a warzone. "Flail," I got his attention. "You can come back with me."

Flail gave no hesitation and stood up, giving me a better view of his body. He had bandages on his sides, and his upper arms, some of which were still being bled through. I walked Flail back to my office, had him sit down on the observation table, and sat in my chair.

"What brings you in, Flail?" I started.

"There is something under my skin, I can feel it moving when I lay down." He told me, shakily as his eyes remained locked to the floor.

"Something is under your skin?" I asked a bit confused. "Alright, have you taken any medication, whether it be a pain killer, alcohol, or any form of hallucinogen?"

"No, I'm not fucking hallucinating! I can feel it moving along my back, I can feel it coil around my muscles!" He yelled at me.

"Alright, just making sure. Have you managed to see what it is that is crawling beneath your skin?" I ask as I begin writing down stuff in a notebook. Name, feels something beneath his skin, says he isn't hallucinating.

"N-Not above my skin, but I've seen my skin bulge outward when I was taking a shower or brushing my teeth." He told me, as the thought sends a soft shiver up my spine, my horn twinkling softly as I write down more things."

"Okay, are you noticing anything? Fever? Cough? Sore Throat?" I ask.

"My nose is congested, my wings are stiff and I can't move them without extreme pain, and I feel extremely sore."

"Have you been eating, drinking, sleeping, going to the bathroom, okay?"

"I don't feel hungry, I can't sleep cause I feel it moving under my skin, I can drink fine, and I haven't gone to the bathroom in a few days."

"When did you notice this thing beneath your skin?"

"Two maybe three days ago," I nod, before standing up, grabbing my stethoscope, and approaching him, pushing it up against his chest. "Deep breath."

He breathed in deep, soft wheezing in his chest echoed in my ears, another deep breath, and I heard the same wheezing. I moved over to his heart, listening to it. It sounded normal, at most a bit quick. I took my stethoscope off and looked at the bandages.

"What happened here?"

"I cut my skin to get the things out," I slowly began peeling away at the bandages, looking at the wounds. They where hastially cut into his skin. "The last one I did was last night."

He pointed to one on his upper chest, close to his throat. The wound beneath it was still bleeding slowly.

"Well, I have no real evidence that something is beneath your skin, but I'm going to prescribe to you some medicine to help you sleep, to help with the wheezing in your chest, and I'm going to recommend you go to a therapist," I began writing down prescriptions for him, as I heard him start grunting. "Are you alright?"

I ask as I turn around, finding him ripping at his leg with his teeth, blood pooling from the wound. I quickly rush over, trying to restrain him.

"I SAW IT, LEAVE ME ALONE, I CAN GET IT OUT!" he screamed at me, pushing me away, as he kept tearing at his leg.

"DAISY, I NEED SOME HELP!" I call out, as I pull him off the table, and pin him to the floor, holding his head down. Daisy entered in, as I look up. "Call his parents, tell them to come pick him up!"

Daisy nods and runs to call his parents, as I keep Flail restrained. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long, as Flail's parents where right outside, having brought him here. I still had Flail restrained when his parents came in. I quickly explained what had happened, how he had began biting at his leg. They nod as I told them what I had prescribed Flail, and after finally getting Flail calmed down, they left. Leaving me alone again, staring at a small pool of blood.