Scraps and Baps

Nurse Redheart's “Anonymous” Assistant
B_25

“I'm sorry, sir.” I limped past by the door when I heard her voice. It made me take a step back. “But you really do need to keep your arm still.” I caught the back of her head, a pink, fluffy mane done in a bun. “If we don't extract a blood sample, you'll—“

“I don't care!” There was elder stallion sitting in a big green chair. He huffed, glaring at her. “Find me another nurse to the test! I will not suffer anymore pain simply because this... this hospitalcouldn't have gotten more nurses with wings or a horn!”

Things looked like were going south... should I intervene?

“I'm sorry, sir.” The nurse sighed as she dipped her head. “But all other nurses in this wing have already gone home. Please understand that we're horribly understaffed, and that—“

“I don't want your excuses!” the elder yelled back. “I want better care! I want—“

“What you need,” I began to say to the room,having just limped in, “is a better set of manners. Don't worry! You're in luck.” I leaned on my cane as I walked, coming next to the stool the nurse was on. “The manner shop down is having a sale.”

“Who the heck are you!” the stallion said, his grey eyes falling down my frame. “What... are you?”

“Who am I? A nobody.” I took the stool next to the nurse, using it to roll over to the stallion's left side. “What am I? A human.” I patted my hand on the rest of his chair. “Don't ask how I got here though—spent the last six month spinning that question to no answer.”

“Well, whatever the heck you are, get out of here!”

“As soon as I'm sure this lovely mare will no longer have to deal with the likes of you, then consider it done!” I glanced over at the nurse. “Disinfect his left arm for me, will you? You've already made his right sore enough.”

Nurse Redheart looked more confused than the elder. “Who... are you?”

“Anon for the moment,” I said. “Best way to avoid those pesky medical malpractice suits.” I glared back at the elder. “Now then, having just heard that, will you lay your arm... hoof thing against the rest?”

“W-Why should I?”

“Because I'll hold it down myself if you don't,” I replied. Looking over to the tray of medical instruments, I picked up the needle, turning a new vial into its top. “That, and I find you really annoying. See this hand here?”

His eyes focused on my now raised hand, and when he did, I started to wiggle my fingers. “See those fingers wiggling? Those are called fingers. They allow to be precise with my movements.” I sighed, watching him slowly lower his arm. “I hit your vein, we get your blood, all go their separate ways. Deal?”

The elder glared at me for a long while, which was nothing, because I glared back at him. I was quite good at glaring: I did it all the time as a passive hobby. I was also quite good at, judging by all the ponies who either said so, or the rest who simply ran away at the sight of me.

“Sir, I'm not sure I can allow you to do this.”

I glanced over at Redheart, offering the best smile I could manage. “Listen, Nurse Redheart , right?” She nodded at the words, and I continued. “Let me ask you something: you care about this job, right?”

Redheart did her best to not roll her eyes—I could see it in the way her eyes twitch. “Of course I do. Which is the reason why—“

“Which is the reason why only you are taking the night shift in the elder wing.” I tossed a nod in the stallion's direction. “You wouldn't be putting up with Mr. 'Frowns and Occasionally Brown Tail' over here if you didn't.”

The glare of the elder intensified.

“But it seems like your supervisors and doctors don't care about this place, or else you would have more help here.” I sighed, letting my shoulders drop. “I used to be a doctor before this, but I don't think my medical inclines applies in horsey world.” I made a fist and held it up. “So how about you and I stick it to the man!”

“Man?”

“Everyone not us!”

Redheart looked conflicted. She glanced over at the stallion, who said, “Either he does it, or you try again using your teeth.” She tucked her lip inward, and with a shake of her head, came off the stool. She brought the tray over on the stool, first tying his arm with elastic, and then next, using a disinfected wipe across his arm.

“You may want to close your eyes, old-timer.” I traced my fingers underneath the hoof, feeling a limp vain along where his wrist was supposed to be. “Seeing blood may remind you of the war.”

“What war?”

“Right, my bad.” I pressed the needle into the vein, using my thumb to pull back on the cap. Blood lethargically flooded inside the vial. “I forgot that war wasn't a pony thing.” I sighed, watching the stream of blood. “But it is a human thing. I wonder why's that?”

I popped the first vial out of the needle. “How many capsules for the patient?”

“Only two.” I glanced over to my left, finding the second vial held between her hooves. “All to be properly filled.” I took the vial and loaded it into the needle, and with that, I handed the first one back to her. “You're... doing good work so far.”

“You should have seen me in diagnostics.” I watched the blood filling up, and to be honest, it made me smile a tad. It'd been... too long since I'd done something of importance. “This your last patient of the night?”

“It should be,” Redheart said. When I glanced over, she was filling out some sheet—someone who took their job seriously in an seriousness wing. Interesting. “You are not to say anything about this matter to anypony. Understand?”

“Now what would be the fun in that?” I popped the second vial out, slowly withdrawing the needle. Redheart took it gently and disposed of it properly. “You fancy a coffee after this? Think you earned it after a night like this.”

“Me too,” the elder said.

“You can get your coffee somewhere else.” I took a cotton ball from the tray, pinning it against where he bled, used tape to keep it in place. “For now, sit here and rest. You can leave whenever you fee ready... or sleep it off in that bed to the corner.”

I turned and took hold of my cane. Feeling my hand tremble against it, I lifted myself up, leaning heavily into it once more. I limped out the door, coming out of sight from the room, but going no further than that.

Perfect way to rush anybody.

“Y-Your blood results should be back within the week!” I could hear her scrambling in the other room, her hooves clopping against the ground. “Take as l-long as you need to recover. Shout if you need me!”

I could hear the squeak of the tray behind her. “Anon! A-Anon!”

I chuckled as she came out of the door running. Leaning into my cane, I grinned while she breathed heavily. “You didn't have to rush, you know.” My smirk grew. “Not exactly a runner with the cane.”

Nurse Redheart glared at me. Somepony was learning. “Just... what are you doing here, Anon?”

The question made my smirk drop. My eyes wandered downward at her words. “Here for my leg.” I laid a hand against it, holding it, squeezing it as I looked back up at her. “The transition to this world wasn't a pleasant one.”

A look of concern washed over her face. “I'm very sorry to hear that.”

“Don't worry about it,” I replied, “I wasn't doing much with it anyways. Besides, you know, walking and running and enjoying life and all that.” I gestured down the hall. “There's a coffee shop still open around these hours. You fancy a cup?”

Redheart seemed to consider it for the moment. I had to admit, for how mares went, she was pretty cute for one. Soft silky hair at the perfect amount of thinness. The bun was a good touch, if not for the collection of hair, but at how some of it came out, making her look slightly dishevelled but mostly sexy.

“Allow me to turn in these sample,” she said, “and I'll see about meeting you there.”

She came me a head start on getting a booth, which every crippled was thankful for.

Of course, she could have just been standing me up, but I hoped that wasn't the case, or else it would make bumping into her a lot more awkward. Out of all the nurses I'd been watching during my recover, she was the only one who caught my eye. I mean, her heavy flanks did that at first, but I knew there was more to that mare.

She was the only mare that did overtime in the elder wing. That's what had tipped me off at first. I stocked it up to her needing bits, but she never talked much about money, or ate anything extravagant. Redheart kept herself clean, but she didn't polish herself.