Episode 18: Dr. Whooves on the Daily Show

There is some debate on the explanation of the phenomenon known as déjà vu, where a subject experiences a sensation that they’ve lived the same event twice.

Psychologically there hasn’t been an exact answer to this everyday occurrence but what some scientists have theorized is that the reason this happens has to do with the subject’s mind playing tricks on them by making them think what they’ve experienced isn’t new information. This theory suggests that the reason something seems so familiar is because it literally just happened and that’s what you're remembering, like your brain is a record and it just skipped a beat so it forgets to register it the first time.

However for Jon the eerie sense of familiarity he felt the night before was one that was not from any subconscious tomfoolery but one he could logically make a connection with. Getting a letter from Celestia, talking with her on a cold New York night, staying up lost in thought about personal issues... he knew exactly why this was all too familiar. Only this time Celestia wanted to help Jon in a different way.

As Jon sat in the hospital’s emergency room level of Canterlot Castle he couldn't help but feel nervous about what was about to happen; mostly because he had no idea what it was. The last person he expected to contact him the night before was Celestia, especially since she’d been dodging his calls for the past couple of days and historically speaking Jon was the one who called her, not the other way around. But she did call and it was regarding Trixie but despite this being what he wanted all along, Jon still felt uneasy about this whole situation; which could easily be explained given his current location.

“Waiting rooms,” Jon thought to himself. “Why did it have to be a waiting room?”

The feeling of having to wait in an environment such as this made Jon squirm in his seat, which was about a size too small, but that’s not what made him the most uncomfortable... it was knowing that at any moment he would be called in to Trixie’s room where he would see her for the first time since the attack on his show... he had no idea what to expect.

Much like what one would expect from a hospital his surroundings were tailored to help folks like Jon feel less anxiety for having to be here in the first place. The interior was a light shade of sterile purple, and while most hospitals would have consciously painted their walls that color for a soothing effect the pony architects who designed this wing of the castle were fortunate enough to work with the Castle’s default appearance.

Canterlot Castle was constructed from an obscure type of limestone that was not indigenous to the human world, with certain interior additions made later on from sandstone, giving both the outside and inside a natural hue of purple. And since some portions of the castle were added on later, the surfaces of older areas of the castle had faded into either a pure white or an off blue color.

This meant when the hospital wing was added it already had a color scheme typical for conveying a safe and calming environment. And much like the rest of the castle this area also came complete with stained glass windows as well as the occasional statue which to Jon made it seem more like a church than a hospital. However the further one ventured into the built in clinic the more modern things became.

The entrance leading to the hospital was the same as the rest of the Castle, a combination of brightly colored fixtures, spiral designs, and carefully woven tapestries to either admire or walk on. The hospital lobby and waiting area were more or less the same to help ease the transition; if anything it was cluttered with many outlets to keep ponies occupied. It wasn’t until one started to explore the patient’s rooms, offices, and hallways that lead to them, did the look lean more conservative with less distracting decorations and amenities but the all important color scheme still ever present.

But for now Jon was still stuck sitting in the middle portion of the transition stage where things were half hospital and half castle. And while normally this would be the part where he would have to explain to some random fan what kind of circumstances would lead him back to the world of ponies, out of respect no pony waiting dared talk to the out of place human.

The most common question asked of Jon by a pony was why he was visiting the particular location he was currently occupying, but since this was a hospital a few of them could hazard a guess and figured that the last thing he wanted to deal with was a fan asking him for an autograph and picture. Not that there was any shortage of ponies nearby that could have done so.

Even in a private hospital located at the heart of a Castle the waiting room was somewhat densely packed, with a variety of ponies most of whom were, like Jon, only visiting and not patients themselves. When Jon looked over he saw a little colt pointing in his direction and asking his mother a question, he assumed it was something ill-mannered since he was immediately scolded

In stark contrast to the wide spectrum of ponies waiting with him Jon noticed that the ponies on staff today were virtually all of the same race. There was an assumption on his part that most doctors in Equestria were Unicorns since, in lieu of any significant technology, Equestria’s culture and foundation were built on magic, and as he sat waiting for his turn he soon discovered that his assumption was in fact true.

Every nurse or doctor that passed by on their way to a new patient was a Unicorn with every other support position being anything but. In truth, much like the arts, the medical field was a largely Unicorn dominated branch of society, this was because not only did having access to spells give them an advantage in the world of medicine but because a large amount of modern pony medical techniques were healing spells, something which Jon had experienced first hand.

Jon watched pony after pony scurry by him and could tell the hierarchy based on which race of pony was doing what. Doctors and nurses were Unicorns, Orderlies and those who transported supplies were Pegasus, and janitors or those who did nothing but welcome guests were Earth Ponies. And since he had been waiting for quite some time he had the opportunity to see this up close.

The way the hospital was laid out resembled that of a large tree. The trunk of the hospital was the lobby which was large enough on both the left and right hand side to serve as a waiting room. From there hallways were sprawled out in all directions leading to designated rooms and stations, acting as the branches. With Jon waiting at the base of the hospital he saw many employees making their way to the center only to go down a new hallway to another area, all the while noticing the same pattern over and over again; Unicorns were the doctors and everyone else was a support member.

Even when Jon was teleported just outside the hospital he saw this chain of command right away. His objective was to give the envelope that Celestia had delivered to him to the secretary greeting all entering patrons. An Earthpony with a silver body and light blue mane was the first to help Jon, she explained that he would need to fill out some documents and show some identification before he could see a patient. This formality was quickly quashed when Jon gave her the document filled royal parcell explaining that none of that was necessary.

From there all Jon had to do was wait, and wait he did... which was what he hated most about waiting rooms.

Ironically, this was actually one time where he had hoped that someone would come up to talk to him. Sitting like this in silence while waiting for his name to be called out was beginning to make him more anxious than he thought possible. His leg began to shake uncontrollably and he had to loosen his tie which felt too tight around his neck. In typical fashion he showed up in a suit which only made him more uncomfortable in the summer heat.

Usually the waiting room at Canterlot Hospital wasn’t quite the level of quiet as what was being experienced by Jon, but it was a slow day and those who were waiting didn’t say anything due to their attention being on Jon, each of them speculating as to why he was here.

But just then, as if life wanted to give him a break, Jon began to feel something vibrating in his breast pocket followed by the sound of chirpy music. Anxiously, though he wasn’t sure why, he threw his hand into his pocket so hard he jabbed himself painfully. Some ponies watched as Jon took out his phone, looked at the screen with nervous excitement and then proceeded to slink back into his seat with a look of utter disappointment. It was work. With a swipe of his finger he picked up on the third ring.

“What is it?” Jon asked in a harsh tone.

“Jon, it’s me,” Selina said. “Where are you? Morning rehearsals have already started.” The last thing on Jon’s mind, and indeed the last thing he wanted to be on his mind was work but even now he couldn't help but feel guilty for not calling in sick.

“Oh right,” he blurted. “Sorry but... an emergency came up so I’ll... look, just tell them to go on without me I’ll try to come in as soon as possible.”

“... Alright,” she said. “Will this take long or should I have a back up episode on standby?”

Before answering Jon looked at his clock, a somewhat redundant thing to do since he wasn’t sure what time it was here in Equestria.

“Pssssh um... yeah I should be back in time but keep one handy just in case,” he said.

“Are you alright... you sound... perturbed,” she commented.

“I’m fine, I’m just... I’m at the hospital... the pony one, I’m here to see Trixie,” he explained, causing Selina to pause for a second. She, like everyone back home had no idea where he had went and now she was even more worried.

“O-oh... I see,” she stuttered. “You okay?”

“I already said I’m fine,” Jon snapped. “Now unless there’s anything else I really should--”

“Actually... there is one more thing,” Selina interjected.

“... What?” Jon sighed.

“About tomorrow’s show... don’t know if you recall but two weeks ago you made that announcement,” she reminded him. “That you’d be interviewing a pony guest for another segment of ‘Equestrian Interviews.’”

While Jon could wish for the luxury of being ignorant here he knew all too well what his assistant was referring to. Last week he promised the world that he would interview a pony on Thursday to end on a high note before his week long break.

“Oh... right,” Jon squirmed.

“So... who’s it going to be?” she asked.

“Uuuuuh... I don’t know,” he answered in a tone most uncaring.

“J-Jon I... I need to know,” Selina urged. “The interview is tomorrow and we already made a promise to--”

“I said I don’t know!” Jon barked, silencing his assistant and in the process making him feel guilty for doing so. “I’m sorry I’m just... okay look, just put up a poll on our website.”

“... A poll?” she echoed.

“Yeah, put up a poll asking the fans who they want to see the most,” Jon explained. “Let them do the footwork. Whoever they pick I’ll get to come on. Okay? Good, I need to go.”

“W-wait a minute!” Selina argued. “How are they going to--”

“Sorry Selina can’t hear you I’m going through a pony tunnel!” Jon rushed before hanging up. With a sigh he turned off his device and threw it back into his pocket. Again there was only silence, leaving Jon to concentrate on more pressing issues.

From there about the only thing he could hear, besides the idle flipping of magazine pages and clanging of medical supplies as doctors hurried from one room to the next, was the receptionist who would unfailingly say “good morning” when someone entered and “have a nice day” whenever someone left. Every single time someone passed by it was  “good morning” and “have a nice day” in a cheerful voice that probably took years of practice to obtain. And sometimes, just to spice things up, she’d hit them with a “we hope you feel better.” Her tone never wavered and her pitch stayed the same leaving Jon wondering if it was just a recording and she was lip synching.

For the sake of his own sanity Jon tried to ignore her. It wasn’t until a blue and yellow Pegasus, with a bandaged up left wing, entered the building did he turn his head in shock.

“Good afternoon,” the receptionist said in her typical cheery tone.

“Afternoon!?” Jon thought. “Christ, how long have I been here!?”

Vulnerability was not something that people like Jon, who lived in New York and worked in the entertainment industry, could afford to express, but anyone looking at him now could tell that he was rendered defenseless.

With his hands over his face Jon hunched over in his seat like he was about to pass out, something of a social faux pas in a hospital. The stress had finally gotten to him. The situation was becoming more clear with each passing second, he was here because Trixie had gotten worse... that was the only explanation for his presence being requested.

It was right then and there that Jon realized how much he didn’t want to be here. As much as he wished to be by Trixie’s side and bring her back home to his wife and kids a part of him couldn't bare the thought of seeing her so small and helpless.

Jon didn’t like to come off as vulnerable but he hated it even more when it was his own family.

Placing his hand on the armrest of his tiny chair Jon tried to hold on like he was afraid he would collapse at any moment. As if she felt the same way a pony approached Jon and placed a hoof on his shoulder, not to comfort him but to merely get his attention.

“Excuse me? Mr. Stewart?” the nurse Unicorn said, her yellow hair and a dark pink body unseen by Jon who still had his face in his hands. “I understand you’re here to visit one... Trixie. Visiting hours are now open so if you’d like I’ll show you to her room.”

The pony in question was surprised when Jon shot his head up so quickly he almost headbutted her in the face.

“Yes!” Jon blurted. “I mean... yes I would... I would like to see her p-please!”

“Alright then.” She extended her hoof to help him up. “Just follow me and we’ll be there in no time... did you sign in up front already?”

“Yes I... yes I did,” he answered as the two began to walk straight ahead, weaving in and out of incoming residents. “So uh... how is Trixie?” Jon’s heart bounced as the words exited his mouth. He barely remembered formulating the question in his head before blurting it.

“Oh I’m sorry I wouldn’t know,” she answered. “She’s not a patient of mine.”

“Oh... okay,” Jon sighed, almost with relief.

As the two walked further into the hospital Jon realized that this place was different from where he had been treated. When Chrysalis attacked both he and Trixie were hospitalized in a private room near the heart of the Castle. This structure however was located more towards the base of the Citadel and was much larger, as evident by how far in they had to walk.

Like a maze the two walked in several different directions, his overshadowing size not so much noticed as usual since ponies were hard at work, though he still got the more than occasional odd look. Like every hospital Jon was able to catch a glimpse of other patients either through an open door or clear window. Some of them were old while others were young, Jon could tell how some were more loved by how many flowers they had and could also tell how some were more healthy looking than others. But none of them looked as bad as Trixie when she was first brought in.

Jon’s legs actually began to feel tired as he continued to walk. He once again recalled when he was being treated here and thanked God that it was in that private room near the throne room rather than this place... otherwise his stealthy escape would have been impossible. Thinking about that day only made him think about Trixie again which in turn made him walk slower and breathe more heavily.

This was it. Finally after days of trying Jon was getting to see his Trixie again only now things seemed all too real, even with multi-colored talking horses walking around. He began to think that perhaps he wasn’t ready to face her again, not after all that had happened, but before he could doubt himself any further he heard a voice.

“Here we are,” the helpful nurse informed.

“I-- what?” Jon stumbled as he almost walked into her.

“Room 539... this is where Trixie is staying,” she explained. “Would you like me to come in with you?”

“... no... that’s.... that’s alright,” he said. “I’ll... I’ll be fine.” Knowing better than to offer again the nurse pony bowed then walked away, leaving Jon once more alone. From there he did nothing. A good five minutes passed and all he did was stare at the door while the background noise of hospital antics filled his ear.

A deviant thought crossed his mind, the thought that if he left now he could probably get away in time before anyone noticed. This idea was quickly set aside by his mind telling him how wrong it was and by his body commanding him to knock on the door. Jon felt as if he had no control over anything he was doing or thinking, so when it was decided for him that now was the time he had no choice but to accept it.

He held his breath and continued to do so till he heard something. And that something was the sound of whoever it was on the other end the door walking over. Moments away from what he wanted he found himself unable to move, time itself felt as if it was slowing down to a crawl while his heart beat and sped up to an unhealthy pace.

Soon the reality of the situation evolved to its next logical outcome. The door opened.