A Nurse Story

Chapters

The Accident
Cherry
Aftermath

The Accident

„QUICK, HELP ME! SHE JUST BROKE HER LEG!“ Paper Clip was worried and bowed with tears in her eyes over her little daughter Redheart. Redheart did not know what happened to her when she suddenly tripped over the curb and then, somehow her leg was stuck in the gully. After that, you could hear a loud cracking which brushed through the air and woke the birds from their afternoon nap. The little filly could feel how the pain gathered in her right front leg, which stuck out from her torso in an unnatural angle. She started to scream and screech loudly in her high voice:

„MOMMY it hurts so much!! HELP ME!“ Tears from pain and agony ran down the little redhaired filly’s face who was called Redheart by everyone. She was paralysed and clung with her unharmed legs to her mothers right front hoof. „For Celestias sake, please help me!“ The scenery called some ponies, who were walking along the pavemant, attention and rushed towards her. Among them was an elderly mare, known under the name of Smiling Sun, who was Redheart‘s teacher. She immediately realized that her student was in danger and galloped quickly towards the location of the accident. „How could that happen, what did you do, dear child?“ she asked and gazed at the broken hoof which was still in an akward position towards Redhearts body. She answered in a squeaky voice, her face still distorted by pain1: „I… I got stuck in the gully!“ That was all she could say before starting again to weep and sob.

Paper Clip was completely desperate. She was considered a good and caring mother, but she never found herself in a similar situation. She reasoned nervously what she had to to do while her daughter was still holding tightly to her hoof. „Don’t worry Sweetheart, I’ll get some help, do you remeber the story I told you? About the place form where the white angels came?“ She bowed down to Redheart and tried to appease her little child. Her heart was pondering in her chest, but she had to comfort her the filly. „The one where the white angels took care of daddy and made him come out of the white building healthy and fine again?“ Redheart was still sobbing, but the pain developd into a dull throbbing. „Exactly, this is the story I mean. Just don’t worry. I’ll get some help there and then you will be as good as new!“ Her daughter had a fast breath. „Do you promise?“ she asked with a shivery voice. „Of course I promise!!“ answered Paper Clip bravely and told Smiling Sun to take care of her daughter. „Please keep an eye on my little Redheart, I’ll be back in a moment…“ She did not even quite finished the sentence when she already had dashed of.

Smiling Sun buckled down to her student and took her into her hooves like a loving mother. It was at first a little bit akward for Redheart because it was her teacher but it was not that bad. At least she was not alone with some ponies she did not even know. The little filly was still moaning a bit but she clenched her teeth to bear the pain which was coming still coming from her right leg. „It… it hurts soooooo much!“ she lamented. The pain had been grown slowly but steadly insufferable for her. The peasants who were standing in a circle around the injured filly looked worried down to her. „Shhhhhhhh everything is going to be alright, I am sure that your mother will be back right away.“ Smiling Sun hummed a calming melody and tried to appease her student.
It actually did help a little, even though it did not ease the pain, but at least Redheart felt safe near her teacher. After some while she could see her mother galloping towards her, accompanied by two strong attendant ponies, who were carrying a supporting frame for a stretcher which enabled the fastest possible ambulance to the Ponyville hospital.
The ponies rushed quickly through the small town’s streets und arrived soon at the infirmary. They immediately went to the emergency room where a doctor took care of Redheart and examined her. He was Soft Syringe, in his capacity as the deputy of the Ponyville Hospital. „Well my dear. That looks really ugly. I fear we have to perform a surgery. Alas!“ he smiled at Redheart confidently but she was weeping nonetheless. „Please doctor, do everyting you can!“ was all she could respond. She could not think anymore because of all the pain she was suffering. All she wanted was to be rid of this terrible pain.

„Well, lets then get started.“ The following hours seemed to Redheart like an eternity. Her dreams passed by her metal eye like a transparent curtain. Sometimes, she could see images of white ponies, but those were just short pictures in her deep sleep. The surgeons did a solid work and after the three hours that this difficult surgery took, Redheart was taken to a single room on the children’s ward. Slowly, the filly opened her eyes and blinked a bit due to the bright lamp which was hanging above the sick bed.
„She is waking up!“ said Paper Clip, who was sitting next to the window and who was also talking with another pony the whole time. Redheart blinked again and lifted her head a little bit. She realised that the pain was gone and that her front hoof was covered by a cast. A tube was leading from the cast to a small bag that was filled with a clear fluid. However, she did not care. All that counted to her now was that the pain was gone and there was somebody who cared for her. Then, the second pony came to her point of view. It was her father Ever Line. He bowed down to her and stroked anxiously her hair. „What have you done to yourself, my dear?“ She held her answer short and said „Hi Dad, it… it is all over, isn’t it?“ Her father frowned. „Well it ain’t that easy. I fear you will have to stay here for quite a while.“ At first, Redheart wanted to whine a bit, but then she thought about it for a while and realised that ist was useless. „Will you come and pay me a visit?“, she asked a little bit worried.

„As often a possible, sweetheart.“ Redhearts Mother smiled at her. At that moment, Soft Syringe entered the room. „Ahh, you have to be the parents. We have have met just before.“ He flashed Paper Clip an comfortable glance before turning to Ever Line. „So you have to be little Redheart’s father. Nice to meet you even though these cirsumstances are not that fortunate.“ He shook hooves with the other colt and took position right in front of the bed. „Well I see that you seem to be fine. I am happy about that, but sadly, I have to inform you that you will have to stay here for a couple weeks.“ Soft Syringe planned for the worst because he knew how fillies of that certain age were likely to react, but he was quite surprised when Redheart answered rather calmly „Okay.“ „Oh well, uhm… good. May I trouble you to let the patient sleep? Otherwise it is getting to much for her.“

Now, Redheaert was not able to hold herself back anymore. „Can’t they stay a little bit longer? Please please PLEASE doctor!2“ She tried it with her puppy dog eyes, which convinced her mother sometimes, but it did not work with the doctor. He just answered: „Listen to me little one. Now, you need to get some sleep. You had a rough day and we just want that your hoof will heal as soon as possible, am I right?“ „Fair enough.“ Redheart sighed audible. Then Paper Clip came to the head of the sick bed an kissed her on her forehead. „Don’t worry sweetheart. We will come again. I promise!“ After winking again at her little daughter, she left the room. At last, Ever Line came close to her and stroked softly her cheek. „Keep your chin up. I will come again as soon as I am done with my work at the factory.“ „I love you daddy!“ said Redheart and tried to smile at him, but she realised she got a lumb in her throat. She tried to ignore it and hide the tears. She wanted to prove that she could act like a grown-up and that she also could grow up. „I am so proud of you. I will see you tomorrow.“ After having said that, he also turned his back to her and left the room. The heavy wooden door clunk shut and Redheart was alone. The lapm above her head hummed monotonous and the room seemed sterile and lonely. The filly could not hold it anymore and began to weep terribly. She doomed herself and her stupidity. Unfortuntately, she was not accustomed to sleep that far from her parents. Otherwise she slept in her snow white canopy bed, but now, all she had was the hard mattress.
Redheart cried a little bit more, but after some time, she finally fell asleep. It became night around her and everything began to dissolve. She slept placidlyand dreamed of white figures made of light.

Cherry

It was still early in the morning when Redheart woke with a start. She rubbed her eyes with her good hoof and lifted her blanket to inspect her plastered hoof. It looked like the day before, but it throbbed a bit. Her sight wandered over the tube to a catheter. The dropping noises were annoying and it it felt also a bit strange how the colourless fluid made its way to her front hoof. Sighing, she turned to her side and gazed at the big clock that was hanging at the far side of the room. She thought about it and realised that it was 5.50 am. She learned how to read a clock very early, she was in general a pretty intelligent pony. “If the white angels will come fluttering to wish me a good morning?”

Redheart did not know why she said that out loud. It was a little bit strange, but it probably had something to do with the bitter loneliness she was exposed to. She missed her mommy and her daddy. She turned back on her back and embraced her plush pony, which she got form the night shift nurse. The nurses gave it to her with when she woke up in the middle of the night and drew their attention by snivelling in her lonely room. They plucked up courage and gave Redheart the small stuffed pony they called “Cherry” to have something to cuddle with. Cautiously, Redheart embraced the small toy animal with her left front hoof and pressed it against her chest. “Soon, my parents will come visit me and then I will introduce you to them” she said with a monotone voice and stroked affectingly the stuffed pony’s mane. But suddenly, she was interrupted by an orange pony with a blonde mane and a bandage as her cutie mark who opened the heavy door to the sick room.
“Good Morning little one, time to get up” said Honey Bandage to little Redheart and stopped confused as she realised that her young patient was already fully awake. “Well what do we have here, you are up early.” She smiled at Redheart happily and walked to the window to open the curtains and open the window. Honey Bandage was still a very young Nurse, but she could work very well with fillies, so she was assigned to the children’s ward. Redheart gazed at the new Nurse with big eyes and followed her with her eyes through the room. “Good morning Mrs Angel, how are you?” she asked with her squeaky, sweet as sugar-voice.

“Awww, you are a sweet little filly” said Honey Bandage and smiled at Redheart delighted. “Now what’s your name?” “My… My name is Redheart.” The small Redheart now had her blanket pulled from her head and smiled at Honey Bandage as fresh as a daisy while she was still holding Cherry in her good hoof. She seemed to be fine for the moment. “Now that is a pretty name. By the way, my name is Honey Bandage, but for friends it is just Honey!” Honey Bandage smiled at Redheart and came closer to her sick bed. “So you are new here as I see…” Honey scanned the patient’s file and made some notes in her head. “Oh dear, that does not look well. Oh you poor little thing. And all that in your age. However what am I talking about. I am just 22 years old and sound like my own grandma.” Honey giggled a bit and entered the floor to get a cart with medical equipment.

“Please don’t go, Mrs Honey!” Redheart cried after her und hoped that she would not end alone again. But then she realised with a relieved sigh that she just went through the door to fetch some strange looking, longish instruments which were lying tidy on the roll cart. “I am sorry my dear, but I fear I have to take a blood sample from you.” Honey Bandage took a syringe with her hoof and fixed a long tube to the needle who was leading to a small vial. “Is it going to hurt, Mrs Honey?” Redheart asked a little bit shy. She had always been sceptical to new things introduced to her.

“It will prick just a little bit, I promise!” Redheart nodded relieved and put the red toy pony Cherry away. Then, she uncovered her right front hoof that the nurse could aim properly. Honey stuck the needle in her good hoof and the red lifeblood flew through the tube. “Ouch, that hurts!” cried Redheart with tears in her eyes and began to sob terribly. “I thought you said it won’t hurt at all!” said Redheart reproachfully to Honey Bandage, who removed the needle from her hoof and applied a plaster. “I am sorry I lied to you Redheart, but otherwise you would not have accepted the syringe. But I have something for you. Thank you for being so brave!” Honey smiled at Redheart and fetched a red Lollypop from a drawer from the roll cart. Like a miracle, the tears vanished from her face and were replaced by a childlike smile. Honey Bandage loved this facial expression from young fillies and gave the lollypop to Redheart, who started, without even thinking about it, to lick at it. “Thank you Honey. I feel much better yet, but please tell me dear angel… Why do you need my blood?”
She look curious to the now puzzled nurse. The question was quite unusual for such a young filly at her age. “I uhm…. I am going to analyse your blood later to see if everything is alright. But now for something completely different, my dear. Why are you interested in such a thing?” Redheart sucked happily at her lolly and answered: “Oh, just so.” Now with a comfortable smile on her face, she indirectly stated that the chat was over. The nurse nodded appreciative, smiled overjoyed when she saw little Redheart sucking at her lollypop with a happy smile and exited the room.

Later, she brought Redheart some hospital food. It was, like nearly every day, pasta, the hospital was well known for its excellent treating, but in the matter of nutrition and taste, the cooks did not cover themselves with glory. After Redheart had finished her lollypop (her mother was surely to reproach her for doing so), she tried some of the noodle soup. It tasted relatively boring, but she did not care. When Redheart was finished, she took Cherry again in her hooves and put the warm and cuddly blanket over her head. She cuddled herself to Cherry and slowly fell asleep. Time flew by because it just felt like five minutes when she was woken up by someone knocking at the door.

“Yes?” she asked towards the doors direction. Some seconds passed by and her parents entered the room. Ever Line still wore his working jacket and her mother had bought a bouquet from Rosepenny. “Hello my dear, how are you?” Paper Clip put the vase on Redheart’s night table and kissed her daughter full of love on her forehead. “Tell me my darling, how are you?” Ever Line stood a bit grumpy next to his wife and tried to smile at Redheart, which cost him quite some effort due to a hard day’s work. “So-so. Sometimes, I got some ouch in my hoof but it is not that bad like before.” Redheart showed her mother the red stuffed pony. “Look at what they gave me, mommy! Her name is Cherry and she is my best friend here! Well, beside Honey, of course.” When she said this, she had to smirk because the nurse pony really was really likeable and she even played with her a little bit Mau Mau with her before her lunch.

Of course she did not know how to play the game, but Honey Bandage taught it to her and after three rounds, Redheart beat her for real. The first two times, the nurse lost on purpose. The two liked each other straightaway. Paper Clip looked at the stuffed pony overjoyed and took it into her hooves. “Ooh, this is very nice. Mhh it is really cute.” She lifted the pony playfully and let it run over Redheart’s belly. The two played a little bit around und had a lot of fun together. But the father just had a tired smile remaining. He walked over to the window and gazed at the wide grassland which was stretching till Canterlot.

“Is something wrong, daddy?” Redheart asked curiously when she discovered after some time and several tickle attacks from her mother that her father, who was normally full of live, stood afflicted at the window. He smiled at her and just said: “Oh it is nothing darling. I just had some trouble at the factory.” In reality, he was worried about something different. Redheart was the only pony in her class who had not her cutie mark and therefor who had not found her destiny yet. That bothered Ever Line because he wanted not that his daughter turned to be a failure. He would love to introduce her to his boss. But somehow, she was still a little bit too young.

He sighed and turned back to the window. Paper Clip knew what was going on. Both had often talked about this matter in bed. She also realised that her daughter had not the much effort with her cutie mark, but she did not want to force it, Altough she knew, how it could go on in the world. The most exhausting job at the Ponyville town hall was the best example for that. In her spare time, Paper Clip enjoyed painting, especially happy ponies and she also lived by the philosophy that you should do your own thing. Because of that, she did not want to force her daughter. That still had time.

Even though Ever Line and Paper Clip were different in that matter, they almost never quarrelled about it. They had a dispute from time to time but till that day, it never grew injurious or off-topic. They liked each other from the mane to the tail. Redheart waved exited with her left hoof in front of her mother’s eyes. “Is everything alright, mommy?” Paper Clip was startled and realised that she was in lost in her thoughts a little bit too long. So, she smiled again as she she saw her daughter and embraced her. “Of course everything is alright, my little sugar pony.” The rest of the afternoon, Paper Clip and Redheart still had a lot of fun and even convinced Ever Line to play a round Mau Mau with them.

When her parents had to leave again, her emotions were again coming up, but she bravely fought them down and said goodbye to her parents. The rest of the evening was as the evening the day before, but this time she had the wonderful feeling that she had talked to someone. After thinking about the strange behaviour of her father, Redheart pressed the stuffed pony called Cherry to her chest and fell asleep with a mild smile on her face.

Aftermath

Smiling Sun looked around and found a sleeping Redheart. “Redheart? REDHEART!” she called from the blackboard where she wrote on a math question before. Redheart bolted up and was looking around dumbfounded, mumbling “Me... who... where... what?” Of course Redheart earned giggles from the whole class for this. With a distinct “SHHHH!!!” the teacher calmed down the class, while Redheart stared on the blackboard. “So Redheart, what’s 60/3?” asked Smiling Sun, smiling confidently to Redheart. If there weren’t the street noise coming from the open classroom window, you would have heard the gears turning in Redhearts head. She concentrated and thought hard about the math question, but no result came to her mind.

Smiling Sun sighed and changed the subject. “Okay class. Math lesion is over for today and now to a small organisational part. I present you the “job trial week”. In this week, everypony has the chance to try out his dream job.” the teacher said smiling confidently. The fillies and colts in class whispered a bit to each other, but the most were listening with rapt attention. Even the before sleepy looking Redheart was bright awake again and listened to her teacher with perked ears. Smiling Sun cleared her throat and continued. “So I need two things from you, for one the place where you want to try out your job and for second a signature of your parents!” with this Smiling Sun hoofed small forms to all her students. “Okay my beloved students you’re free for the rest of the day to think about where you want to be in the job trial week. ... Oh and don’t forget the signature of your parents. Good bye my little ponies!” With a simultaneous “GOODBYE, Ms. Sun!” the fillies and colts stormed out of class laughing and talking.

As Redheart wanted to leave the classroom too, she was held back softly on the shoulder by Smiling Sun. The white filly with her pink mane turned around and looked at her teacher who looked back with a worried face. “Redheart, we really have to talk about your school grades!” she said as she sat down at her desk and Redheart followed her. “Why? But they are good!” answered Redheart with her sweet filly voice. Smiling Sun took a notebook labelled with “grades” out of a drawer and put it on the desk opening it. “In mathematics it doesn’t look really good, dearie! There you just got barely a D! Why can’t you do the same as in equestrian or history? There you are on a flawless A+. And today you were completely out of it again. What’s the matter with you?” Redheart sighed and though shortly before answering “I... um... I think its cause that stupid technical stuff isn’t interesting at all!” Frustrated the little filly sat down on the chair in front of the teachers desk and crossed her hoofs pouting. The mare on the other side of the table gave an understanding nod. “I know how you feel. When I was your age I also wasn’t the best in this subject, but you really need mathematics everywhere.” Smiling Sun saw Redhearts glum face and comforted her with some encouraging words.

“Okay, I offer you a math coaching, but I do this just for you, cause I know that it’s not that easy for you and cause I know your parents!” Redheart looked back up at her teacher with a sly smile, through still having a queasy feeling. Smiling Sun stood up, walked around her desk and stroked the mane of the filly affectionately. “Don’t worry! We’ll solve your little problem. And now you should head home and think about what you wanna do next week!” She smiled down at the little filly, which smiled back factitious. Redheart stood up and trotted outside heeding home. On her way home she got taunted from some classmates, because she still didn’t earn her cutie mark. She ignored the calls from the twerps and knocked on the front door of her home. Her mother Paper Clip opened the door and pulled her daughter into a warm hug smiling at her motherly. “How was school today, sweetie?” asked Paper Clip and closed the door after the little filly and walked into the kitchen. “Uummm... good” answered Redheart uneasy. She followed her mother into the kitchen and sat down at the dining table, where a steaming bowl of tasty hay soup was already waiting for her. “Thanks mommy!” Redheart smiled cutely at her mother and dug right into her meal with gusto. Paper Clip gave her daughter a sly smile and sat down beside her, wrapping a hoof around her back. Redheart finished her soup with a slurp and a small burp. “Sowy Mommy!” Redheart looked up at her mother with a giggle, who already looked at her playfully.

“Ms. Sun introduced the job trial week to us today and there we can try out the job we wanna do later. Then she gave us this form here!” Redheart then galloped off to the entrance room where she placed her saddlebags earlier. The little filly took the form for the job trial week out of her saddlebags and galloped back to her mother, who took the paper looking at it and then at Redheart. “And you already know where you want to go?” Redheart pondered shortly, remembering about the last weeks in the hospital and how much fun she had there. Honey Bandage checked up every day and played with the small filly, bringing joy to her. Redheart was even weeping bitterly as she got released from the hospital, because she thought she’d never see her friend again. “I think I want back to Honey!” the little filly said with a beaming smile. Paper Clip already expected this answer and stroked her daughters mane with a smile. “Why not? You two really understood each other and to be a nurse is a very respectable profession. Also she gave you Cherry, who is sleeping in your bed upstairs.” She smiled happily and signed the form. “Now we just have to ask the hospital for permission, but I don’t think they won’t say no. Anyway you want to help them.” Paper Clip said nuzzling Redhearts mane. “I’m so happy to see her again!” the filly said standing on her hind hoofs and waving with her little hoofsies.

They heard a knock on the door and Paper Clip rushed to the front door to open it for her husband. Ever Line looked worn out. He still wore his vest and kissed Paper Clip. Redheart saw her father coming in and leapt on him, to give him a welcome hug. Ever Line hugged his daughter back lovingly. “How is my small sweetheart doing?” he asked while he went to the kitchen to wash his hoofs. “I’m great daddy!... Ms. Sun told us today about the job trial week. We can try out the job there where we want to work later when we are grown up. Isn’t that great?” Redheart smiled up to her father with her cute smile. Ever Line furrowed his brow shortly while thinking about the news. It was THE opportunity to get Redheart interested into technology and to convince her to try out the job at his work. “That’s great sweetie! Then I can introduce you to my boss tomorrow morning. For sure he will be happy, that you want to come to us.” Redheart deadpanned immediately. She wanted to work with her friend. It was her dream job. “But I … uhm... don’t want to go there daddy. I really wanna go to Honey!” Ever Line put his hoof on his temple and thought about what he should say now.

“Sweety... we already talked about this.Why you have to make this so difficult!” He sat down at the kitchen table and chewed on his hay steak with an annoyed expression. Redheart looked up to her father intimidated, but then spoke up with determination in her voice “But I don’t want daddy. It’s too difficult for me.” She looked to her father with a saddened face. Ever Line was again rubbing his temples. “Listen sweetie. Why you don’t buckle down and learn something? It can’t be that hard!” He looked even more annoyed than before. “Stay out of this!” Ever Line said pointing to his wife, who opened her mouth to disagree with him. “Why can’t I do what I want? I don’t want to work in this stupid factory!” Redheart responded rebelliously, but it was definitely the work wording. Ever Line hated it when somepony talked to him like this. He was sick and tired of getting snarled at and snapped. “NOW LISTEN REDHEART! I DON’T PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR YOUR EDUCATION TO SEE YOU FAILING! LOOK AT YOURSELF. YOU ARE BAD IN MATHEMATICS AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A CUTIE MARK... DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE I HAVE TO DRAW THE CONSEQUENCES!” he was screaming at his own daughter. His own flesh and blood. It was already too late, as he realized what he has done. Tears were running down Redhearts cheeks and she galloped up to her bedroom crying.

“Wait... I...” Ever Line called after his daughter, but Redheart didn’t listen. She galloped up to her room slamming the door shut and leapt on her bed. In her bed she buried her little face into the pillow and soaked it with tears. Why couldn’t her father understand, that she didn’t wanted to work there? She didn’t understood it. He also hurt her feeling badly. “YOU ARE BAD IN MATHEMATICS AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A CUTIE MARK” Redheart heard the sentence again and again in her head and it burned into her memory. She pulled Cherry close and hugged the plushie, while she shed bitter tears.

“You really did fine there, again! Supper is off!” Paper Clip retorted sharply and walked out of the kitchen not even looking at her husband. Ever Line just looked blank at the opposite wall. Paper Clip walked up to her daughters room and knocked on the door. “Sweetie? It’s me!” she said in a soft comforting tone. Redheart didn’t hear her mother, because she had her tear stained face burrowed into the pillow. But then she heard her mother between her sobs. She sniffed shortly and let her mother in. Paper Clip directly picked her up and pulled her into a comforting hug sitting down on the bed. “Shhhh.... It’s okay darling. I’m here.” She took a hooferchief and wiped the tears out of the little fillies face. Redheart look on the ground with a downcast face and sobbed a little bit more.

Paper Clip picked up Redheart and cuddled the little filly to her chest. “Shhh Let it out sweetie!” The mare then stroked her daughters mane to calm her, as she started to cry again. Both stayed in this position for about half an hour until Redheart calmed down finally. After all the little fillies tears were shed, her mother tried to talk to her about the situation. “You should know sweetie, that it isn’t easy for your dad. Everyday they are mobbing him on work.” Redheart answered with her cute filly voice with a saddened undertone. “But why he took it out on me mommy? I don’t want that.” She looked up to her mother with a sad expression and saw her mother giving her an understanding nod. “I know that sweetie. I don’t want to force you to do something too, but you really should get better in math. I’ll have a talk with your father later.” Redheart sat up and sniffed shortly. “Ms. Sun offered me to coach me in math.” Paper Clip released a relieved sigh as she heard that. “There you go. Thats already half the battle!” She ruffled the mane of the filly playfully and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll bring you supper later okay? And tomorrow we’ll go together to the hospital.” Redheart nodded in higher spirits now and her mother left her room to go downstairs into the kitchen to prepare supper.

The hole time Ever Line was sitting in the living room, with his head lying on his hoof. How could he have done such thing? Why did he snap on his daughter? Why didn’t he control himself, instead of screaming at his beloved sweet little filly? He didn’t know. He was shocked and went to bed earlier.

After a delicious supper, cooked by Paper Clip, Redheart was lying in her bed satisfied. The pink maned filly pulled her blankie up till her neck and cuddled her plushie Cherry, while her mother read her a goodnight story. Paper Clip stopped reading, as her daughter fell asleep and whispered a silent “Awwww” She tucked Redheart in and gave her a motherly kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight and sweet dreams my little angel!” Paper Clip turned off the light and closed the door of the bedroom silently. She walked into her bedroom and laid down to her husband. She didn’t wanted to wake him up and bother him, but in the morning she would have a serious word with him. Paper Clip cuddled between the front hoofs of Ever Line and fell asleep peacefully.

Meanwhile Redheart was walking in her dream world, but this time there were ponies in white coats instead of blurry light figures. She blinked in her dream and a scene rushed up to her. “DOCTOR HURRY!... COME HERE, SHE IS DIEING ON US!... BUCK! I’LL BE THERE IN A MOMENT!” some nurses called out in a mix of voices. It was the perfect chaos. The whole hospital was sunk in chaos. So many injured. So many crying ponies. So much blood....