Midnight

The last couple of days have been up and down until this evening. We've had plenty to do and accomplish between the business and the Chrysler... but there has been a marked change in Midnight. She's been quieter since this planned medical checkup came together, and some moments of her old irritability have come back – particularly when I've tried to pick her brain or lend an ear.

As the slight bump of tires meeting a concrete parking block announces our arrival, I kill the engine and switch the ignition onto accessory for the radio to provide a bit of white noise. In the fading evening light, I steal a glance at my passenger for the first time since she barked at me... for looking at her.

Midnight is still hunched down in her seat, though her gaze is directed out the passenger window rather than me – and looking forward to the building in front of us is likely out of the question.

'SouthWest Veterinary Clinic.'

I've passed this quaint sandstone brick building countless times, and never paid any mind to the name or even the function – both before Midnight came to stay with me and after, with her along for the ride numerous times. But now, this dimly lit building sticks out like a sore thumb. Nothing but what appears to be emergency lighting illuminates the glass foyer in front of the business, with a faded street lamp offering light to the sign above the door. In a sense, being here after close is unsettling; it feels like a building lost in time and abandoned.

"We're closer to getting this over now. That's a plus, right?" I comment, hoping to bring some glass-half-full energy to the cab of the truck.

Midnight turns her head at an agonizingly slow pace, her eyes hardened with mild irritation as she acknowledges my presence. "Yeah, I guess if that's what we want to go with," she mutters. "Doesn't make me anymore thrilled to be here."

"I know. I know it doesn't help at all, but I appreciate you agreeing to this, too," I console her, brushing a stray lock of hair back into her mane. She doesn't say anything back, preferring to turn and look straight ahead – or would be, if her eyes weren't lowered to bore holes through the dashboard. She sighs heavily, continuing to rue the moment.

At this point, we're waiting for Teddy to roll into the parking lot. Since he's our connection to this private exam, it only makes sense for him to be here. While I didn't divulge everything in regards to Midnight's apprehension regarding this visit, I did mention it might be a bit rough for her. Now, as I watch her brood over the wait, I wish I had been more transparent.

"Do you need a hug?" I ask her, trying to come off as sincere as I mean it.

"Shut up."

"I was just trying to offer some comfort, Mid."

"You can still shut up. I'm fine."

Thankfully, headlights briefly illuminate the cabin of our SUV as a vehicle pulls into the lot behind us. There's just enough light left in the evening to catch a glimpse of the 90s sea green paint on the truck before it cranks around and rolls to a stop a few spots to the left of us.

Backup has arrived – with backup. Starla's cheerful visage greets me from the passenger seat of Teddy's truck as I peek a glance to my left. She waves a friendly hello with a hoof, which I return – before checking in on Midnight's reaction.

She hasn't moved an inch, continuing to lock her eyes on the dashboard rather than acknowledge the world as a whole.

"Hey, Starla came along – I bet she insisted just to help since she's been here before."

My announcement breaks Midnight from her trance – if only briefly. She takes her own peek around my form to the truck next to us; however, the best she can muster up for big sis is a faint smile and a half-hearted wave. The bare minimum accomplished, Mid resumes her hunched, almost sulking demeanor. "I'm sure I'll get to hear about how nice the doc is and that there's absolutely nothing to worry about!" she suddenly spouts in a mocking tone, going so far as to slip some southern drawl into her voice.

"That was pretty good, Middie," I say, chuckling as I grasp at anything to lighten the mood. It's been a long time since I've seen her this sour, and it's beginning to unnerve me. How much is this really bothering her?

Asking isn't going to get me anywhere; at best, I'll get the tired phrase 'I'm fine' from her. Instead, I resort to the tried and true method – stroking one of her ears. "It will be over before you know it, now that Teddy's here getting the ball rolling," I speak up as I watch him hop out of his truck and head toward the front entrance.

At least I get a slight hum of approval for my actions as she leans into it. But I keep my eyes glued to the building as Teddy stands in front of the glass foyer. He pulls out his phone and fiddles with it before bringing it up to his ear, proceeding to pace about for a few moments. It doesn't take long before the lights in the building begin to illuminate; eventually, a chunky figure inside appears at the door.

He's certainly not a tall fellow – Midnight and Starla might be at eye level with him. He fiddles with the door inside and pushes it open for Teddy. A handshake and a few short words later, Teddy beckons us inside with a wave.

A few feet away in the other vehicle, Starla hurries out of the truck via the driver's door, left ajar by Teddy. A brief drop from sight and a *thunk* of the door being closed, and Starla joins up with Teddy, as the doctor has already retreated back into his practice and out of sight. Now, only two familiar faces await to greet us at the door.

"Well, you ready?"

"No – but I guess it's as good as I'm gonna get," Midnight mutters, her ears flattening against her skull. With a sigh of resignation, she sits up and cranks open her door, sliding out of the seat and onto the pavement.

That leaves me to take up the rear, hopping out myself and joining Midnight's side at the front of the Trailduster. "I'll be fine," she reiterates again in a cold voice. Whether that was for me or for her... I'm not sure.

"Try not to embarrass us, either," she adds, a comment definitely for me.

"You know I can't make guarantees like that," I reply.

"Doesn't hurt to remind you."

As we make our way up the short sidewalk to the building, Teddy grins and nods his head at us, propping the door open. Starla is the first to walk in, followed shortly thereafter by Midnight, whose stance and steps are unnaturally rigid.

"Good evening, Middie! How have you been?" Starla asks, eager to strike up some conversation – and seemingly oblivious to Midnight's reluctance to even be here.

I don't get to hear Midnight's response – Teddy grabs my attention via my shirt sleeve as I start to head in behind the mares. "How is she doing tonight so far?" he murmurs, hoping to keep this between us. "I told Keith a little bit about Midnight, but kept it brief and on point – let him know she might be a bit nervous."

"Yeah, she's under a little stress right now – but she's refused to talk about it," I answer him. Teddy's face grows a bit solemn at that piece of news but he releases my shirt and ushers me forward.

Entering the clinic feels like an awkward step back into the eighties. The faint hum of the fluorescent lighting is magnified by the waiting room's lack of carpeting. The speckled tile floors have seen years of wear to fade the finish, while the off-white plastered walls feel like they are begging to be updated, even if the finish seems to be relatively spotless.

"Well, this is... feels sorta retro in here," I quip, laughing at my own comment to assure Teddy I'm not complaining.

"Yeah, the doc puts his finances towards his equipment and patient care rather than decorum," Teddy answers with his own chuckle.

"Doctor Patterson is a really good doc – he's super sweet and gentle," Starla chimes in, offering Midnight a shoulder bump as they walk along, keen to make sure she's listening.

"I wasn't aware you knew a lot of doctors," Midnight replies, unswayed by big sister's short blurb.

"Well, I don't other than him and Teddy – and he's a different kind of doctor, I think," Starla admits, faltering in her delivery. However, she's quick to add pep into her step again "You'll see – there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure you'll like him."

"I'm not worried," comes Midnight's curt response. "Just wary."

As if on cue, footsteps audibly start to make their way toward our group from the other side of the single door that separates the waiting room from the rest of the office. When it opens, the same squat figure from before is there to greet everyone with a big, welcoming grin.

He's certainly got the doctor look down pat, with a white coat that looks a bit too long and wire-rimmed spectacles. His dark hair shows signs of age starting to just creep up with a hint of grey here and there, though to go with his somewhat portly figure, he has a soft face to match.

"Good evening, everyone," he announces in a surprisingly deep voice. His attention is quickly drawn to Starla as she waves at him excitedly. "Starla, this is a welcome surprise! How are you?"

"Hi, Dr. Patterson – I'm good!" she exclaims, trotting forward. Wrapping a foreleg around his waist, she gives him a hug, which he happily returns with a chuckle.

"Wonderful, wonderful. What brings you here in the dark of night?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tag along to see you," Starla replies, releasing him and taking a step back. "I'm also here to support my little sis tonight for her first visit."

As Starla takes another couple of steps back, Midnight now becomes the center of attention. She freezes like a statue, unwelcoming of the spotlight being thrust upon her so suddenly – even if she's the true reason we're visiting in the first place.

"And you must be Starla's little sister, Midnight," Dr Patterson says softly, picking up on Midnight's insecurity.

"You have a fifty-fifty shot – it's either me or him," Midnight replies in a rather gruff rebuke, unfurling a wing just to point at me.

I feel an overwhelming need to facepalm as the doctor gasps at what I assume is her response. But his widened eyes quickly flick to Teddy instead. "You didn't say anything about her having actual functioning wings," he murmurs in almost a trance-like monotone voice.

"There's... a lot to her. I didn't want to say too much over the phone," Teddy concedes, flashing back an awkward grin.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by that. You've always been a cautious fellow – borderline paranoid, to be honest," Patterson quips back, lightening the mood with a laugh. But he finally finds his way to you, putting a hand out as he steps forward. "And you must be John, yes?"

"Yeah, that's right. Midnight lives with me," I explain. "Sorry about the bit of sass from her, Dr. Patterson, she can be a bit rough."

"Oh please – just call me Keith. I'm off the clock now, and we don't need it getting too uptight and stuffy in here," he says, shaking my hand. "I'm only Dr. Patterson to my patients – who I can understand might be a little nervous seeing me. No harm done."

"Since I'm not your patient today, can I call you Keith?" Starla giggles, sticking her tongue out.

"I've always said you can call me Keith – you just want to be a silly filly tonight, don't you?" Keith retorts with his own bit of laughter, booping Starla on the nose. "But why don't we get started tonight? Follow me back and we'll begin with the basics."

As instructed, everyone files into a line behind the doctor as he leads us through the door and down a hall, lined with doors to exam and other rooms on either side.

"So what is this... 'checkup' all about then? What kind of basics are we talking about?" Midnight questions. Though not directed toward anyone in particular, she says it loud enough that it's clearly meant to be answered by anyone.

"We just want to get a baseline of your health. Think along the lines of temperature, heart rate, blood pressure – nothing invasive," Keith replies. "From what little Teddy explained to me over the phone, you and Starla likely share some similarities."

"I think they come from the same genetic background. It's only been recently I've gathered clues pointing toward an actual connection, but their physical structure is remarkably similar besides that," Teddy clarifies.

"Mhmm – the little sister I never knew I had," Starla adds, still finding joy in the thought. Whether it be from hearing that again in such a short time frame or a growing impatience and frustration with this endeavor, I happen to catch Midnight rolling her eyes.

"Just what Teddy has gathered over the last few years and comparing Starla and Midnight's stats, I think we'll have a better idea of the similarities between the two by the end of the night."

"What Teddy's gathered over the last few years? He's wrangled you into this mess, too?" I wisecrack.

"For better or worse, I'm indirectly a part of it now," Keith replies with a laugh. Turning to the right and opening up one of the remaining doors in the hall, he pauses to flip on the lights in the room before ushering us in. "Hop up onto the table, Midnight," he instructs, patting the examination table that's roughly waist high – for me and Teddy, anyway. For Keith, it reaches well up his torso.

Midnight hunkers down in preparation to leap – but halts as her eyes lock onto... something. I trace her gaze to where it lays, behind the table and the doctor.

In a room that's rather spartan, it really isn't that hard to figure out her sudden focus. In the back of the room lays a glass cabinet, chock full of standard medical supplies. Yet 'standard' doesn't mean much if the only thing one is used to when seeing such items is a feeling of dread and pain. Particularly when it comes to the forceps, vials, and needles.

"None of that stuff is why we're here, Midnight," I assure her.

"I know that!" she snaps at me, finally tearing her eyes away from the sight that's held her transfixed for far too long to be a passing glance. Of course, that attention now gets directed at me in the form of an unhappy glare.

"I didn't get the full story, but I'm guessing my appearance and this room doesn't bring up good memories," Keith comments, calm and light-spoken.

"I can tell you I wasn't born with these or these," Midnight hisses, ruffling her wings and forcing her eyes to glow a little brighter. "What do you think the answer is? And stop treating me like I'm a dumb animal, too."

Dammit, come on, Midnight.

I was really hoping she would be calm and collected tonight, but it seems her attitude is out in full force. Kudos to the doc, he doesn't appear put off or concerned by the sharp little outburst as he leans on the exam table, just listening.

"Midnight, what did he say that you felt was demeaning?" I question her.

"...well, nothing yet. But we're at a vet clinic, so—"

"But we are closer to animals, Midnight," Starla interrupts. Her eyes practically beg Midnight to calm down as she steps forward. "No one means anything negative toward you or me by being here. It's just the best option we have in a world where we shouldn't be, you know?"

"Trust me, you make my job a lot easier in many ways – you can tell me what's bothering you. And you can tell me when you're nervous – which is normal. Nothing to be ashamed of," Keith adds.

Midnight remains mum for a moment as she clenches her jaw – I'm not sure whether she's fighting to prevent a proper tongue-lashing from bursting out like old times or deciding how to properly respond to either pony or person offering advice. But before I can come up with a comment to break the stalemate, Midnight jumps up onto the exam table next to Keith.

"No offense to you – this place just makes me uncomfortable. Particularly the idea of being poked and prodded for notes," Midnight murmurs in a calm voice that surprises even me.

Atta girl Mid. Why the hell did I doubt her?

...well, I've seen her at her worst when she's really worked up, that's why. I'm glad she's willing to stop and listen these days.

"I assure you I'm only looking to do a simple examination – I'll let you know everything I'm going to do before I do it. Scout's honor," Keith says, raising a hand and saluting her with a heartfelt grin. "Any tool I use, I'll show it to you and explain how it works – no surprises in store. Does that sound good?"

Midnight offers a shallow nod but turns her head to look at me. At that moment, I have a better understanding of why she's been difficult. Within those beautiful blue eyes lurks pure, unfiltered fear. This experience isn't just unnerving for her – it's terrifying. Being mouthy has always been a way for her to cope, but it's been the only thing keeping her from bolting out of the office thus far.

Yet... aside from some terse moments, she's still hanging in there. This may be harder for her than she or I anticipated but she's managing. But she knows I'm not going to let anything happen.

Regardless, I step next to her and idly stroke the feathers on one of her wings. "You had a couple messed up feathers there – I straightened em out," I tell her.

"Oh, thanks," she drones, acting as if she's uninterested. But her wing speaks volumes as it flits open just enough to snatch my hand and hold it next to her side.

I see no reason to say anything about it nor the slight quivering from her body. "No problemo."