Rotten Apple

Chapter 3: Recovery?

Applejack woke up the next day with her fur sticking slightly to her pillow as she lifted her head off of it. She smiled sadly as she pulled the pillow off her face, remembering the last time she cried herself to sleep. It was right after Applebloom was born, and their mother passed. Her father had been helping to build the dam, and her mother went into labor. The news shocked him so much that he slipped into the river and drowned. In a sort of sad irony the news of his death caused her mother to become comatose during Applebloom's birth, which lasted long enough to cause her to pass away in her sleep. Granny had come home with Applebloom and told Big Mac everything, but Applejack had been spying on them at the time, and spent the rest of the day crying in her room.

"Applejack. breakfast!" Big Mac shouted from the bottom of the stairs, snapping Applejack back to the present. When she went to get off her bed she felt a tear run down her face. Even eight years after her parents death she still managed to cry about it, despite constantly reminding herself that crying never solved anything. Wiping away her tears, Applejack left her room, running into Applebloom in the hallway.

"Sis" Applebloom said sadly, her eyes shooting to the floor as she started walking beside Applejack. She kept looking down before running towards the table, where a breakfast of apple cinnamon oatmeal waited for her and Applejack. Without any hesitation she chomped down on her oatmeal, eating it happily before running back upstairs to grab her things for school. Applejack watched sadly as she came back downstairs, gave Big Mac and Granny hugs, and then left the house so she could meet up with the other Crusaders before school. Big Mac noticed Applejack sadly looking at Applebloom through the front window as she ran down the path off the farm.

"Something bothering you sis?" Big Mac asked as he walked up next to her, putting a hoof onto her shoulder.

"I don't know, it's just that..." Applejack trailed off as she looked back out the window, "It seems like Applebloom is trying to avoid me now"

"I noticed, but she's young remember?" Big Mac said as he moved his face towards her face, "The news probably has her shaken up"

"Yeah, I guess..." Applejack said slowly as she started to make her way towards her breakfast, noticing a note on the fridge with her name on it. Doctor's appointment for Applejack, Thursday at 2:30 PM. Applejack sighed as she looked at it, seeing it as just another reminder of her current situation. She decided to push it out of her mind for the meanwhile as she ate her oatmeal, the usual sweet taste being soured by the note on the fridge, which was sitting just on the edge of Applejack's peripheral vision.

"Doctor Stable is waiting in his office" Nurse Redheart said as Applejack came into the hospital as she filed her hooves. Applejack nodded and headed down the hallway, stopping at the door to Doctor Stable's office, somewhat afraid of what he had planned for her. He had mentioned that today would be the beginning of her treatment, but other than that she had no idea what was going to happen to her. As she debated whether or not to go into the room the door opened, with Doctor Stable standing on the other side.

"Redheart said you were here" he said as he beckoned Applejack into his office, motioning for her to sit down on the other side of his desk. Applejack looked around nervously as she entered the room, the inside of it being entirely foreign to her. On the walls hang commendations from schools across Equestria, along with a picture of him and many of his colleagues standing next to Celestia. Her nerves calmed down about seeing how decorated he was, but only a little.

"Now Applejack, today we're going to start the chemotherapy to see if we can get rid of the cancer" Doctor Stable said as he sat down in his chair, spinning it around so he could look at Applejack as he spoke, "This kind of treatment can have some side effects though"

"Chemo what?" Applejack asked, never having heard the word before. Doctor Stable smiled before telling her about it, having to admittedly dumb it down so it would make sense.

"Basically we're going to see if we can't kill the cancer's infection by hitting you with a special kind of magic" Doctor Stable said as somepony knocked on the door, startling Applejack, "Come in!" Applejack turned around to see white Unicorn with a black mane come in, the only color on his body being his cutie mark, which appeared to be a rainbow of sorts.

"Afternoon" the pony said as he smiled at Applejack, moving to stand next to Doctor Stable. Sensing Applejack's confusion Doctor Stable decided to introduce the pony that had just walked in.

"Applejack, this is Spectrum, he will be administering the treatment" Doctor Stable said while motioning to the pony next to him, who waved as his name was mentioned, "He is a trained professional, so there's nothing to worry about" Applejack relaxed a little bit, but when both Doctor Stable and Spectrum started walking towards her she started to panic, but relaxed again as soon as they were past her.

"Come now, we should get this over with as fast as possible, I'm sure you're a busy mare" Doctor Stable said with a laugh as he exited the room with the other two ponies following after him. After a small bit of walking they arrived at two doors, one leading to a well lit room with some tables, the other led to a room that was completely empty. Applejack was told to go stand in the empty room while Doctor Stable and Spectrum moved to the other.

"Applejack, you may want to take your hat off for now" Doctor Stable advised through a speaker in the room. Listening to his advice Applejack took off her hat and placed it near the door, returning to the middle of the room as she waited to get another direction from the speaker.

"Ok, now this may tickle a little bit" Spectrum said through the speaker as something white poked through the wall, which Applejack assumed to be his horn. After a few seconds the tip of his horn turned white, and a strange sensation passed over Applejack's body, making her giggle because, as Spectrum had said, it tickled a little bit. When the door to the room opened Doctor Stable came in, with Spectrum not far behind.

"Ok, we're done for today, but you do have to come back next week for another session" Doctor Stable said, quickly writing Applejack a note using the notepad he had in his lab coat, "Thank you for being so cooperative today"

"No problem Doctor, I'll see you next week" Applejack said as she took the note and her hat as she left the room, not noticing as a few hairs fell out of her mane and tail. As far as Applejack knew she was in good hooves, and the side effects didn't seem to be affecting her at all. Now all she had to do was keep coming here every week and she'll be good in no time at all, or so she thought.