The Trotting Dead

It was only moments after Applejack and Zecora met when the orange mare passed out.

When Applejack came to, she was lying on a raised wooden table.  After opening her eyes, the earth pony noticed Zecora next to her, with the her neck craned over the rest of her body.

"Applejack, you have suffered much, but I'm afraid you may have to use a crutch," rhymed Zecora as she brought a makeshift wooden crutch into view.

At first, Applejack was confused, but as her eyes darted to the rest of her body, she noticed there was a gaping hole in one of her hind legs.  Surprisingly, it did not hurt.

Zecora noticed the mare's shock and explained, "While you were out, you know, I set your bone and made it so.  Then I took this special brew," she briefly paused and displayed a half-empty bottle, then continued, "and poured it on, just for you."

Applejack tried to sit up, but her leg's pain flared up.  With a strained face, she collapsed back on to the table.  Zecora put a hoof to the orange-coated pony and said, "For it to be painless, you cannot move; I poured a potion that's job is to soothe."

Applejack looked at the striped zebra with weary eyes as Zecora pulled out a needle and thread.  Zecora then removed a candle, some rubbing alcohol, and a cotton ball from her many drawers.

Taking a look at Applejack's deep cut, Zecora started to dab it with an alcohol-covered cotton ball.  Applejack clenched her teeth, bracing herself for pain, but then remembered that Zecora had numbed her leg.  The earth pony sat up to look at the medical operation, but felt her leg sting intensely as she did.  Applejack flopped down onto her bed in defeat; the pain was unbearable.

Zecora quickly noticed Applejack's apparent agony and put a hoof to her head, saying, "Now be still, my pony friend; otherwise the suffering will not end."

AJ suddenly understood the meaning of the wise zebra's words;  If she remained entirely still, her leg would continue to be numb.  If not, she would experience the torture of being conscious during the operation.

After the cut had been sterillized, Zecora got to work sewing up the rather large wound.  After soaking the thread in the alcohol and heating the needle in the candle to disinfect it, she tied the string in the eye of the needle.  Putting the now-ready stitching needle in her mouth, the zebra bent over Applejack.

Applejack closed her eyes as Zecora slowly threaded the needle from one side of her wound to the other.  She started around three millimeters outside the blood-coated area, then went to the other side, dragging the thread along with her.  She was around halfway done when Applejack started to be able to feel the needle poking into her skin.

"Hey, Zecora?"

Zecora looked at Applejack, who was staring up at the ceiling in worry.

"I think Ah can start to feel the needle."

The stripe-maned zebra look down at her work, then back at Applejack.  She explained, "The numbing, yes, it will wear off.  But I know from experience that you are quite tough."

Applejack payed no heed to the compliment given to her, and instead said worriedly, "Ya mean this'll wear off before the stitches are done?!  Can ya pour s'more on?"

Zecora shook her head and frowned.  "The amount I gave you so generously happened to the last dose for you and me."

"Well hurry it up, then!"

Zecora followed Applejack's advice and continued to pull the sewing needle from one side of the wound to the other, albeit faster.  Each time the zebra poked the needle into the orange mare's skin and pulled, Applejack could feel the pain more and more intensely.  Zecora only had about two stitches to go when Applejack could feel the wave of pain as if there was no numbing whatsoever.  The orange mare was clenching her teeth so hard it looked like they would shatter, and the edges of the wooden table appeared to be molded from  Applejack grasping them so furiously.

Zecora noticed this and, in an effort to calm down the mare, she said, "Not to fear, Applejack; there's two more stitches that I lack."  After hearing no intelligent response (other than a series of pained grunts), Zecora continued her work.  Picking  the needle back, she threaded it through another area of Applejack's skin.  Zecora then pulled the needle out hard, causing the skin to tighten and close.

Applejack screamed in agony.

Zecora hated seeing her friend like this, but the wise horse knew that the operation had to be done.  She quickly threaded the needle back through the skin on the other side and pulled tightly.

This time, Applejack was able to hold back from shouting.

Zecora started to tie the end knot with her tongue when Applejack opened her eyes and coyly asked, "Is it...  Done?"

After finishing the tie, the zebra responded happily, "Feel free to relax, my friend; for the operation has come to an end."

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and confessed, "Ah don't think Ah would 'ave been able to bear another stitch."

"Yes, that is probably true, but you are a tough one, aren't you?"

Applejack sat up.  "Yeah, Ah guess Ah am."

Zecora could tell the pony had something on her mind.  "What is it, my dearest Applejack?  Ask me whatever; I won't attack."

Applejack looked up at the zebra and confessed, "I was wondering...  Why do you rhyme?"

The yellow-maned mare could tell she that the question she had asked was too probing when Zecora looked at the ground with tears in her eyes.  She was about to take it back, to apologize, when Zecora responded, "It's to personal, the way I rhyme.  Let's not talk about this any other time."

Applejack nodded her head in agreement.

Zecora sighed, then looked over to the country pony and told her, "I'd rest easy if I were you, for there's something big tomorrow that we will do."

Applejack looked at Zecora, confused, and asked, "What's that?"

"Tomorrow will be a big day, that is for surest.  Tomorrow we will be moving out of the forest."