One and A Half

Chapters

Chapter 1 - The First Day
Chapter 2 - Rewrap
Chapter 3 - First Movement
Chapter 4 - Apple Sweet Apple

Chapter 1 - The First Day

Her eyes closed tighter for a moment before they opened, her violet eyes squinting at the seemingly bright light. She was lying in a hospital bed, and she didn’t realize it until her eyes had fully adjusted. Her vision was still a tad bit blurry, and she saw a woman in a white coat scribbling away on a clipboard. After her eyes finally focused, she saw the nurse had pink hair, and a red cross with a heart at each interior corner. Scootaloo tried to talk, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper.

“Where am I?” She croaked out, seeing the nurse jump slightly. She guessed the nurse hadn’t notice her wake up.

“Goodness, you startled me…” She put a hand to her chest before letting out a soft giggle. “It’s good to see you’re awake, Scootaloo. You’re in the Canterlot Medical Center. You’ve been out for a few hours or so. We-”

“What happened?” She cut Nurse Redheart off. All she remembered was Applejack driving herself, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom towards the market in her truck, and everything after that was blank.

“You were in a car accident. A drunk driver ran a red light right as Applejack started to move and hit the passenger side. Since you were sitting on the passenger side, you took the brunt of the force. Your frie-“

“Are they all okay?” She could hear the heart monitor jump slightly as her heartbeat picked up. She was worried that they were hurt, too.

“Applejack escaped with some minor cuts and bruises, as well as Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle has a sprained wrist, but that’s the extent of everyone’s injuries.” The Nurse put the clipboard at the holder on the foot of the hospital bed, and a knock at the door was heard. Applejack, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom all stood at the door, weak smiles on their faces. Nurse Redheart walked over to Applejack, whispering something to her and left the room.

“Howdy, Scoots.” Applejack said rather timidly. “How ya feelin’?” She sat down next to the bed in one of the chairs, and Apple Bloom sat on her knee. Sweetie Belle took the chair next to the two sisters, and Rarity entered the room shortly after. Her hair looked a little messy, as if she were in a rush to get ready.

“I got here as soon as I could.” She announced, taking the chair next to Sweetie Belle. “Hello, Scootaloo, darling. How do you feel?”

Scootaloo adjusted herself in the bed a bit before she answered softly. “My head really hurts…” She moved her legs, but her left leg didn’t seem to want to move. Nor could she feel it. She figured it was just the crash getting to her, and that the feeling in it would return after a while. “My entire body really hurts…” She mumbled afterwards, hearing Applejack sniffle softly. She looked over to her, seeing a few tears rolling down her face.

“Ah’m so sorry, Sugarcube… Ah didn’t mean to get us into this whole mess, honest!” Applejack wiped the tears away, but more came after, and she sniffed again. “Ah wish none a’ this never happened… That stupid God damn drunk moron’s gonna pay fer what he did. Ah swear.”

Scootaloo reached her hand over towards the edge of the bed, and she felt Applejack’s hand come to it momentarily. It was shaking in her grip, but her reassuring squeeze was all Applejack needed to calm down a little, it seemed. “AJ, it’s okay. I’m not blaming you for what happened. Nurse Redheart told me everything.”

Sweetie Belle stood up and walked over to the nightstand, putting a bunch of movies and books on it. “I got these for you, Scootaloo. They’re from my collection. You can have them as long as you want. You can even keep them.”

Apple Bloom stood up and walked to the other side of the bed, putting an apple on the other side. “Big Mac sent this over. He figured y’all wouldn’t want none a’ that cruddy hospital food, so he picked an apple for ya. But this is from all of the Apple family.”

Scootaloo smiled and held out her arms, hugging her friends after they leaned in towards her. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.” She realized something was a bit off about the whole situation, and she looked around the room after she released her friends. “Hey, where’s Rainbow?”

“She’s on her way, darling.” Rarity crossed her legs and sat back in the chair a bit. “Cloudsdale is a fair distance away from here. She said she’s bringing a few things with her, too.” She checked her cellphone, which had a case on it made of jewels of some sort. No doubt fake, since Rarity left them for making dresses and accessories. “She said she’s almost here. Rainbow sent a text a couple minutes ago saying the train arrived.”

“Speakin’ a’ trains, we should probably head on out a’ here if we wanna catch ours. Plus, Scootaloo needs her rest.” Applejack’s voice was still shaky, and she heard a couple sniffles, too.

“Thanks again, guys.” Scootaloo told them all, lying back down entirely in her bed since she had been sitting up. They all said their goodbyes, and after a few moments, the Nurse came back into the room.

“If you need anything at all, Scootaloo, or if something hurts or you feel something is wrong, press this button. A Nurse will come in and see what the matter is as soon as possible, okay?” She saw Scootaloo nod, and Redheart smiled softly. “Here’s a glass of water. Your lunch will be in shortly.” She placed the glass down next to the apple, and she sighed, laying her head back and closing her eyes. She fell asleep a few moments later, dreaming about riding Rainbow’s motorcycle with her.

Scootaloo woke up when there was a knock at her door, seeing Rainbow and smiling groggily. “Hey Rainbow!” She stretched out, her arms high above her head, her foot on her right leg straightening out. Her left leg still wasn’t cooperating, nor could she feel it, from where her knee and downward.

“Hey squirt.” A few tears were already threatening to fall from her eyes, sniffles coming out every second or two. “How ya feelin’? Ya doin’ okay? How’re the nurses treating you?”

“I’m okay, I guess. The nurse I have, Nurse Redheart, is really nice.” Scootaloo watched her prismatic-haired friend take a seat beside her bed, scooting it over so she could lean on it and taking her hand.

Rainbow’s cyan sweatshirt she wore was tear-stained on the sleeve, and her ripped jeans were the same at the tops of her thighs. It looked like she had been crying on the train as she was sitting on the way here. “I brought you a couple cards. Fluttershy and Twilight made these for you.” She put them on top of the books and movies Sweetie Belle gave her, looking back to her after a couple moments. Rainbow couldn't stop crying.

“Rainbow, what’s wrong? I’m okay! I’m all in one piece!”

“They didn't tell you?” Rainbow heaved a very shaky sigh, more tears dropping onto her sleeve. She used her arm to wipe the tears away, and she put her head in her hands, shaking her head. “How could they not have told you yet?”

“Tell me what? What happened?” Scootaloo’s brow furrowed. She was extremely confused.

Rainbow looked up to her, wiping her face again from the tears. “Your left leg was shattered when they pulled you out of the wreckage. They said it was crushed between the center console and the dashboard.”

“Why can’t I move it at all, then? I can’t feel it, either.”

“They amputated it. They said it was beyond repair and it would take years to heal, not to mention it would be much more physical therapy.”

“What are you talking about? What does ‘amputated’ even mean? Why do I have to go through physical therapy?” Questions were rising in her mind faster than she could even rationalize any possible answers.

“Your left leg is…” Rainbow couldn't even muster the courage to say it. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, wiping her eyes with her hands and nearly sobbing. “It’s…” Her breath caught in her throat, as if the word didn't want to leave her body.

“What? What’s wrong with my leg?”

“It’s gone. From the knee down.” Rainbow shut her eyes tightly, putting her face into her hands.

“What?” Scootaloo’s skin paled. Her leg couldn't be gone. How was that even possible? Wouldn't she be dead if her leg was gone? But yet, here she was, sitting in the hospital bed with Rainbow Dash, her adopted sister, sitting right next to her, crying her eyes out.

“They said you’ll have to go through physical therapy after you get out of the hospital, and that if all goes well today you’ll be taken to Ponyville General.” Rainbow looked down to the rather hollow spot where her left foot should be, seeing nothing there and quickly averting her gaze back up to Scootaloo, who still seemed to be in shock. “I’ll be here every step of the way, though! I’m here for you, okay?” Rainbow took Scootaloo’s hand and squeezed it tightly, and Scootaloo used her other to throw the sheets off of her.

What she saw shook her to the core. Rather than a perfectly normal leg in a cast, all she saw was a bandaged stump. Tears welled up in Scootaloo's eyes, falling without any resistance whatsoever. How was she going to ride a motorcycle now, just like Rainbow, when she grew up? How would she run track, like Rainbow had in school? How was she going to help Apple Bloom around the farm? How could she ride her scooter anymore? Thoughts and questions and things that she was going to miss piled on top of each other as the tears rolled down her cheeks, starting to cry.

“B-But… My leg c-can’t be g-gone! I need it!”

“I know, Scoots.”

“It’s not fair!” Scootaloo’s nose started running, and she sniffled a few times as she brought up the stump towards her, feeling it gingerly. She started crying more, and her fears had been confirmed. This wasn’t a bad dream she could wake up from. It was real. And it hurt. “It’s not FAIR!” She slammed her fists down into the bed as her left leg fell back to the soft cushion where it rested before.

Rainbow said nothing. She just sat silently and cried.

“Rainbow, it’s not fair!” She leaned over and threw her arms around her sister’s neck, crying into her shoulder.

“I know, squirt.” Rainbow’s arms went around Scootaloo’s back, one rubbing her back and the other on the back of her head.

“Why’d they have to take my leg away? I wish I had it back. Even if it had been shattered…”

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo.” Rainbow Dash squeezed her tighter into the hug, and Scootaloo reciprocated before she let her go and sat back into the chair, starting to calm down a little. She wasn't crying nearly as hard as she had been before, but a few tears still rolled down her cheek every so often.

Scootaloo sat in her bed, looking down to her lap blankly, lip still quivering and her cheeks red from crying as hard as she had. She let out a quivering sigh, shivering as she looked down to her leg again.

Rainbow pulled the covers up to her waist, taking Scootaloo’s hand again. “Applejack’s beside herself. She keeps texting me and telling me to apologize to you for her. She’s saying it’s all her fault, when really it isn’t at all.” Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she pulled it out. “Another text from her.” She giggled a little, wiping her eye. “She says ‘Tell her I hope she’s back on her feet soon, and if there’s anything I can do to make it up to her that I’ll do it in a heartbeat’. Lemme text her back real quick.”

“Foot.” Scootaloo said aloud after she had finished. “Lemme get back to my foot soon.” She still looked pretty sad, and she heard Rainbow chuckle softly. “What’s so funny?”

“No, it’s nothing.” She smiled and looked up to Scootaloo from her phone, putting it on the edge of the bed. “But, it’ll be okay, Scoots. It’ll all be fine in the end.”

“No it won’t.” She mumbled, glancing up to the vacant spot where her leg would be. “How am I gonna do all the stuff I used to do with two legs? Like ride my scooter? And how am I gonna get a motorcycle like you when I get older? How am I gonna run track now?”

“I’m tellin’ you, Scoots, you’ll be in a lot better shape than you think you will. Just trust me on this one, okay?”

Scootaloo looked back up to Rainbow, seeing her reassuring smile. It somehow made her feel a little better about the whole situation. She nodded weakly and smiled equally so. “Okay, Rainbow. I trust you.”

She lay back in her bed, and she talked with Rainbow about meaningless things for around a half an hour until she fell asleep with Rainbow sitting next to her bed.

Chapter 2 - Rewrap

It had already been a week since the car accident. Her welcome to Ponyville General Hospital had been more than gracious. The second day, her first day at Ponyville General, was spent entirely with Rainbow Dash at her side, talking up a storm with her and sleeping whenever they weren’t. On the third day, she got a massive card from the school, signed by every single student in her class, presented by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The next day, Rainbow ran an errand to Twilight’s house and came back with a copy of The Princess Mare, which was a fantasy about a unicorn who fought with a sword, a blonde Pegasus stallion with a black mask over his face, and a giant earth pony stallion who all went on a massive adventure to rescue a mare from certain unhappy arranged marriage. She couldn’t remember the names of the ponies, but there were a lot of funny lines within the story that she would remember fondly. The fifth day was a bit boring, since Rainbow had to go to work and Applejack had Apple Bloom working on the farm with her, and was spent mostly with Nurse Redheart helping her and doing stretches and some basic exercises. Sweetie Belle was at home with Rarity that day, too, so she spent some time watching the movies and reading the books she lent her, which she was thankful to have.

The sixth day, which was a Friday, Rainbow came in and told her that she overheard the Nurses saying they wanted to give Scootaloo a wheelchair for a while, to give her some freedom of movement and build up her strength. Rainbow also brought in her guitar and started playing for her, and she instantly knew that she had to start to learn how to play. That day was spent learning the basics for the most part, and on the seventh, which was today, Nurse Redheart came in with a folded wheelchair in her hand. Rainbow looked over to Scootaloo and winked at her, smiling as she looked back to the nurse.

“Scootaloo, I’ve got some good news for you.” She had a soft and warm smile on her face, and it seemed genuine and kind. It made Scootaloo smile brightly. “We’re going to give you a wheelchair to give you a bit of freedom of movement, and also we’re giving you these special gloves. Put these on whenever you’re in it, it’ll keep your hands from getting cut up.”

Scootaloo threw off the covers off of herself, seeing her bandaged stump again. She hadn’t fully accepted it just yet, but she was a lot more used to the fact now than she was when she had woke up the first day. She took the gloves from Nurse Redheart with a simple nod as her thanks, putting them on and flexing them to make sure they fit properly. After adjusting the strap on the back to make them fit tighter, she hoisted herself over to the side of her bed, using her right leg to shift her off so she was sitting on its edge. “Rainbow, can you help me into the chair?”

Rainbow reached forward and grabbed Scootaloo’s hands, standing up with her and letting her get her bearing for a couple seconds. This had been the first time she had stood since the accident, and she was noticeably a bit wobbly. “You got it, squirt?”

“Yeah.” She hopped over a step to in front of the chair, sitting down a lot quicker than she had expected to. Her right leg had almost given out in the action. “Whoa.” She looked up to Rainbow and chuckled a little, thought Rainbow didn't seem to share in her enthusiasm.

“You alright? That was a lot quicker than I thought you’d sit down.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. My leg almost gave out, but I’m good.”

“That’s why we’re going to start you on some different exercises, too. All the different positions we had you laying in were to make sure that you don’t have a hard time with the physical therapy. You’ll do some balance and basic walking exercises first, and then we’ll move you up to some agility training, too. You’ll be completely independent if all of it goes right by the end.”

Scootaloo hadn’t really been paying attention, she was already doing experiments of her own, figuring out how to turn the wheelchair in different directions and simply nodding once she was done talking.

“When you’re done with the exercises and actually start walking, we’ll send you home with a prosthetic. That most likely won’t be for at least another couple weeks, though.”

Scootaloo groaned, her head lolling backward as she shut her eyes tight. She felt Rainbow’s hand ruffle her hair, and she looked up to her.

“At least you’re not gonna be in here as long as I was when I broke my ankle. And you got a wheelchair, too! Wheelchairs are so much more awesome than crutches. I wish I had one when I broke my ankle. It was a pain in the ass to get around with ‘em without my arms hurting after like… 5 minutes.” Rainbow ruffled her hair again, a reassuring smile on her face.

Scootaloo fixed her purple hair for a second before she smiled up to Rainbow. She was right. Looking back over to the nurse, she turned the chair towards her and stopped it, making the chair move forward and back a couple inches. “So, what kinds of exercises are they? What am I going to be doing?”

“Some of them will have you lying on your side and stretching your leg as far back as you can, others will have you using your body weight and your stump to build more strength for walking with your prosthetic. Have you been lying on your stomach like we asked you to?”

“Yup! I’ve been reading my books doing that. I’ve spent a couple nights on my stomach, too. What does that do?” Scootaloo’s head tilted to the side a bit as she asked her question, still rolling back and forth.

“It helps prevent muscle contracture. It’s a really fancy way of saying that the muscles in your leg tighten and make physical therapy much harder than it needs to be. But since you have been doing that, we don’t need to really worry about it. So, just for today, we’re going to have Rainbow take you out around Ponyville for a while so you can get used to rolling around.”

Scootaloo looked up to Rainbow Dash excitedly, and Rainbow looked equally so. “We need to go to Sugarcube Corner and see Pinkie! I need ACTUAL food!” She told her, turning towards Rainbow and using the chair to bump into her leg incessantly. “And we have to go see Apple Bloom! And Sweetie Belle! And get my clothes! And-“

“Okay, okay, Scoots, we’ll do everything you want to do, alright? Today’s all about you.” Rainbow smiled and used her foot to stop one of the wheels and prevent Scootaloo from bumping into her anymore.

Nurse Redheart suppressed a small laugh, and she smiled. “Before you go, Scootaloo, we’re going to have to replace your bandages.”

“Do you have to wrap them around my stomach still? It makes it hard to breathe sometimes.”

“No. After today, we’re only going to be wrapping your leg.”

“Oh thank God.” Scootaloo let her head loll back and she laughed, looking up to Rainbow. “I’ll be out in a couple minutes, okay?”

“It might take a bit longer than usual. We’re going to have you try wrapping it, so this way you can learn how. Rainbow, you can stay in here, if you want.” Redheart corrected Scootaloo, who seemed a little surprised. After a couple seconds, Scootaloo realized that if she was going to be independent that she couldn't have someone looking over her shoulder and making sure her bandages were correctly wrapped.

“Alright, I’ll sit over here, okay, Scoots?” She pointed to the chair off to the side of the room, sitting in it so she was out of the way.

Scootaloo nodded, and she got back into the bed with the help of Nurse Redheart, laying on her right side like she always did when she had to have her bandages changed. After about half a minute of unraveling, all of her old bandages were off and disposed of.

“Okay, so, I’m going to start you off and show you how to do it. Can you hold this bit over here?” Once Scootaloo did, Redheart started wrapping the bandages. “When you’re wrapping, you need to make sure it’s a little tight. Always follow the bandages with your hand right behind it to make sure there’s no slack. It doesn’t need to be super tight, just tight enough to where it’ll stay once you take your hands away.” After one circle of her leg, she changed spots with Scootaloo and let her start to do it.

Scootaloo did exactly as Nurse Redheart told her, following the bandages as she unrolled them with her hand. Once she came to the bottom of her thigh, she looked a bit confused. “How do I go around the bottom?”

“Make one more circle, and then aim it down this way.” She used her pointed to show the direction she needed to go. “After that, go back up to here, and then work your way back.” She pointed to the middle of Scootaloo’s thigh, watching her make another circle and wrap it around the bottom of her stump.

“Like that?” Scootaloo moved her wrists out of the way so the Nurse could see.

“It’s a little loose. Can you try again for me?”

“Okay.” She unwrapped it to a certain point, wrapping the bandages up to the cylinder they were in before, trying again. It was much tighter this time around, she could feel it. “How’s this?”

“Much better. You’re getting the hang of this! Keep going until there’s nothing left, and then we’ll get a fastener for you.”

Scootaloo smiled to herself and kept wrapping the bandages around half of her half-leg like the Nurse told her to, and she looked over to Rainbow as she was getting a fastener. Rainbow gave her a quick thumbs up with a big smile, and it made Scootaloo chuckle a little. Once the wrappings were fastened, she was helped back into her wheelchair. After a short race to the elevator, much to the protest of Nurse Redheart, they went to the receptionist to get the paperwork done.

Once everything was all set at the front desk, Scootaloo and Rainbow moved out of the hospital and into the open. The warm spring air greeted her, running through her hair and down her back. The sun felt amazing on her skin. She couldn’t have asked for a better day to be with her sister. “It’s such a beautiful day!”

“It absolutely is.” Rainbow smiled and took in the weather for a moment, taking in a deep breath through her nose and letting out a content sigh. “Okay, squirt, where to first?”

“Who’s the closest to here?”

“That would be Pinkie.” Rainbow looked down to Scootaloo, seeing the eager look on her face. “I’m guessing that’s where we’re going first?”

“Yeah! I’m starving!” Scootaloo wheeled alongside Rainbow towards their first destination, her stomach rumbling loudly to validate her statement.

Chapter 3 - First Movement

She had been wheeling her way to Pinkie’s by herself since the hospital, and her arms were already starting to burn. To be quite honest, it was a bit frustrating for her. She knew Sugarcube Corner was a fair distance away but when she actually started to move across it, it seemed much, much longer. After around another five minutes, she was noticeably wincing a bit at the pain in her arms that screamed for her to stop.

“You alright, Scoots?” Rainbow asked her, looking down and seeing she had a bit of sweat present on her shirt. Her gloves were probably a bit wet, too. “I can wheel you around for a while if you’re getting tired.”

“No, I need to do this by myself!” She quickly told her, coming out a bit harsher than she intended. She didn’t seem to notice, and Rainbow didn’t say anything to it, either. “How am I gonna do this later if I can’t do it now?”

“You don’t NEED to do it NOW. They said practice, not do it by yourself all day!” Rainbow stopped in front of her, making Scootaloo stop. “The reason why they said practice is because you still got a long ways to go. You’re gonna hurt yourself if you just try and do it all now. Let me wheel you around for a while, okay?”

“But-“

“NO. BUTS.” Rainbow raised a fingers to her, poking her right knee.

Scootaloo deflated quite significantly at this. She wanted to be independent. She put her hands in her lap and sighed, looking down. “Fine.” Rainbow went around to the back of the chair and grabbed the two handles, pushing it the rest of the way to Pinkie’s. How am I going to make this work if I can’t do it for even ten minutes right now? She thought to herself, sighing shakily. “Rainbow?” She looked up to her sister. Her bottom lip was quivering slightly.

“What is it, Scoots?” Rainbow looked genuinely concerned when she saw that look on her face.

“Is Applejack still really upset?”

Rainbow stopped and thought about this for a couple moments. She still really hadn’t quite been the same since the accident. “I think she is.”

“Why? It’s not her fault!”

“It may not be her fault…” Rainbow knelt down in front of Scootaloo. They were only a short distance away from their destination, now. She could see it about a couple blocks away. “But she still feels responsible because she was the one driving. She’s threatening to sue the guy who was in the other car for the damages to her truck and your hospital tab, and she’s most likely going to go through with it.”

Scootaloo wiped her hand across her cheeks, even though there were no tears there. It felt like she was crying. “I hope Pinkie’s happier than me right now.” Her voice was shaky as if she was crying.

“Just take a couple deep breaths, squirt, okay? You’re going to make it through this. Remember what I said before?”

“What?”

“I’ll be here for you every step of the way. Okay? I’m gonna keep that promise. I mean it.”

“Okay.” Scootaloo held out her arms and Rainbow hugged her, and they sat like that for a good amount of time. Tears came down her cheeks and onto Rainbow’s sweatshirt as she cried. She hated feeling like this, being dependent on someone else to do something as simple as getting around. Rainbow’s hand rubbed her back, and she hugged her tighter. “I wish I could move around easier.”

“I know, Scoots.” She hugged her tighter, squeezing her and backing up for a moment, putting her forehead against hers. “We’re gonna get you through this, though. At the end of it all, it’s going to be like you never even had this whole thing happen to you, you’ll be walking so well.”

Scootaloo smiled at the thought of that. She chuckled and looked into Rainbow’s rose-colored eyes and then back down to her stump. “Let’s go to Pinkie’s.” She had quickly averted her stare back to Rainbow after a second or so, leaning back in her chair. “She’ll make me feel better.”

Rainbow nodded and stood back up. “That’s sounds like a good idea.” She pushed Scootaloo to Pinkie’s and literally lifted her chair up the steps, holding it above the step. “Kick the door, Scoots, like you’re knocking.”

Scootaloo laughed and kicked the door three times, and not two seconds later she saw Pinkie where the door would be if it hadn’t nearly been flung off its hinges when she opened it. She quickly moved to the side and let the two in, shutting the door behind them in a much more calm fashion.

“Hey Scootaloo! Hey Rainbow! I didn’t expect to see you guys here today, but that’s totally okay! Because I was making a batch of cupcakes and now you can try them and oh man Scootaloo you’re gonna love ‘em! They’re red velvet with vanilla icing and I even put cherries on top of them! I mean, I can take off the cherry if you want but-“

Scootaloo shook her head furiously and smiled the brightest she had all day. “No, I LOVE cherries! Keep them on there!”

“Okey dokey lokey!” Pinkie glanced down to her stump every so often, and she walked over and hugged Rainbow first, kneeling down in front of Scootaloo in a very calm fashion. It didn’t seem to be in her character, really. “So, how’re you doing? I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you in the hospital. I’ve been bogged down with making food for parties and babysitting the Cake twins. You doing okay?”

Scootaloo nodded. “As okay as I can be, I guess. I mean, it’s never gonna be the same for me anymore, and I’m really bummed about it, but...” She sighed heavily before she smiled and looked back up to Pinkie. “Rainbow’s been there as much as she can. She even fell asleep in her chair next to me one night and woke me up when she snored.”

Pinkie giggled and snorted and giggled some more. “Dashie, I didn’t know you snore!” And just like that, she was back to her old self. Scootaloo was happy that Pinkie asked how she was. It showed she cared about her more than she had known. She never quite talked to Pinkie, but she had a feeling she would be talking to her a lot more in the near future.

The visit to Sugarcube Corner left her content and very full of all sorts of sweet treats. The red velvet cupcakes had been delicious, and Pinkie made a small cake for Scootaloo to take back to the hospital with her, as well as a couple brownies. The distance to Sweetie Belle’s house was much shorter than to Sugarcube Corner. It was only a couple blocks away, and Scootaloo wheeled the whole way there herself. Her arms hurt by the end, but she was glad she managed to get there on her own accord. She bumped into the step, getting her first pair of wheels over it. That wasn’t the issue. It was getting the back wheels over it.

“You got it, Scoots?”

“Lemme try something out here.” She pushed as hard as she could forward against the stairs. The chair started to move up, but it quickly fell back to the ground when she’d stop and start another attempt. She groaned in frustration, folding her arms and feeling defeated again. She couldn’t even go up stairs normally. It was to be expected, but now that she had actually tried it set in. “Help me up.” She mumbled. Rainbow barely heard her talk.

“What was that?”

“Help me up.” She said louder, sounding much more frustrated than her groan let off. Rainbow picked up the back of her chair and hoisted it over the step, letting Scootaloo knock. Rarity answered the door, and saw Rainbow.

“Hello, Rainbow!”

Rainbow cleared her throat and nodded downward, putting her hands in her pockets.

Rarity looked down and smiled. “Oh, hello, Scootaloo! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Come in! Can I offer you two something to drink at all? I’m sure Sweetie Belle will want to talk to you.” Rarity turned around and called into the house for her little sister, who nearly tripped down the stairs she was sprinting so fast.

The whole situation made Scootaloo’s stomach tie itself in a knot. Rarity hadn’t even bothered to look down to see if she was there. Not to mention the fact that she saw Sweetie Belle sprinting. Down an entire flight of stairs. Unaided. It made her envious, and she felt horrible that it did. She gave her wheels a solid push to get over the doorframe and quickly wheeled past Rarity, hugging Sweetie Belle once she got over to her.

The two of them went into another room to let Rainbow Dash and Rarity talk, and Sweetie Belle pulled up a chair at the kitchen and dining room table, sitting down and glancing at her stump every so often. “So, how’ve you been doing?” She asked simply, guessing she may as well try some small talk to get a better conversation going.

“I’ve been good. I could be a little better today.” She told her, folding her arms and looking at her stump angrily, as if it had personally wronged her. “I still can’t get over the fact that Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara actually signed the card. I thought they wouldn’t have signed it.”

Sweetie Belle laughed. “Originally they didn’t want to, but then Miss. Cheerilee told the two of them what happened and they did it in a heartbeat.” She shifted a little in her chair and sat cross-legged. “So, how’s the rehab stuff going? Rainbow told Rarity you’ve been doing good. She’s been updating everybody every so often.”

“Yeah, it’s been… Good. I guess. Uh… I mean, they’re giving me a wheelchair to mess around in.” She shrugged, sounding really down on herself. Seeing Sweetie Belle crossing her legs made her cheeks turn red with anger. She quickly looked out the window, leaning her head on her hand and covering her mouth. She didn’t want Sweetie Belle to see her quivering lip beneath her hand.

“Scootaloo, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She said quickly. “I still need to visit Apple Bloom and Applejack, though. And that’s a bit of a trip.”

Sweetie Belle sat up excitedly. “Can I go, too?”

“I think it’s better if you stay here. Applejack will probably want to talk to me. So…”

She deflated into her chair again, sighing. “Okay… Well, since tomorrow’s Saturday, I’ll go and visit you!”

“I have to start doing my physical therapy tomorrow, so that’s probably not a very good idea.”

Sweetie Belle groaned and pouted.

Scootaloo looked up at her and scoffed. “Well, I’m sorry that I lost my leg in a car crash, okay?” She sniffled and started to cry. “I’m sorry that this is so inconvenient to you and that I’m messing up your weekend plans. I’m sorry that my rehab and physical therapy is getting in the way of us hanging out together.”

Sweetie Belle’s face turned red, rather embarrassed and suddenly feeling extremely selfish. “Sorry, Scootaloo… I didn’t mean-“

“I know you didn’t mean it like that, but that’s how it came off.” She cut her off, wiping her nose on her sleeve and making Sweetie Belle give a small look of disgust she didn’t pick up on. “So…” She tried to calm down, taking a couple deep breaths and wiping her eyes. “I think Rainbow and Rarity stopped talking. They’ve probably run out of things to say. So, I’m gonna go now.” She held out her arms to Sweetie Belle, who quickly got up and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I guess I’m not as used to this as I thought I was.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you. And I’m sorry that I acted like that before.”

“It’s alright.” She squeezed her friend into the hug more before she wheeled back into the main room, her eyes still a little red. “You ready to go to Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow?”

Rainbow nodded a bit and smiled, walking over to Scootaloo and wheeling her out. “See ya later, Rarity. Bye Sweetie Belle.”

“Bye guys.” Scootaloo sniffled once and waved to the two of them weakly, letting out a surprised squeak when Rainbow lifted up the chair to take her down the stairs, and the two began the trip to Sweet Apple Acres.

Chapter 4 - Apple Sweet Apple

After the two had left Rarity’s house, Rainbow looked down to Scootaloo. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she had just been crying. Not to mention the near constant sniffling. “Scoots, are you okay?” She stood in front of her and knelt down so she was eye level with her, grabbing her wheels to make her stop. She leaned down a little, having to blow some of her technicolored hair away from her eyes.

Scootaloo, however, kept looking downward to avoid Rainbow’s eyes. She blinked a couple times, a pair of tears streaming down her cheeks. “No. No I’m not.” She said shortly, putting her hands in her lap and leaning further downward, looking at her half-leg.

Rainbow put her finger under her chin and lifted Scootaloo’s face so she could look at her. “What happened? I thought seeing Sweetie Belle would cheer you up, not leave you in tears.”

Scootaloo sighed and leaned back in her chair, wiping away the tears from her eyes and taking a couple breaths to try and calm down. Much to her chagrin, it didn’t work. “Sweetie Belle wants to hang out with me, and she asked about today and I said that I had other places to go and I was still in the hospital. And then she asked about tomorrow, and I said I start my therapy. And she groaned and pouted at me, and I snapped at her.” She started crying more, her chest heaving unevenly with a gasp of breath every so often. Tears came down her cheeks rather steadily. “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t want to snap at her, it’s just how it came out!”

“What did you say to her?”

“I said that I was sorry that it was so inconvenient for her that I lost my leg in the accident. And that it was ruining us hanging out together.”

“She doesn’t understand the situation you’re in right now, you gotta take it easy o-“

“I know she doesn’t!” Scootaloo snapped, cutting Rainbow off. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I said those things to her! It makes me feel terrible!” Scootaloo looked back down to her lap until she felt Rainbow’s arms around her in a tight hug. She threw her arms around her neck and cried into her shoulder. “I just… I didn’t want to snap at her…”

“I know, sweetheart.” Rainbow rubbed her back as she hugged her, holding her close. She didn’t let go of her until she felt Scootaloo starting to pull back from the hug, hearing her sniffle a couple times.

“And now we have to talk to Applejack, and I know she’s going to be upset.”

“She still blames this on herself. You gotta stay strong for her, okay? And she said she’s got a few things to tell you when I talked to her on the phone last night. A couple things she thinks will make you happy.” Rainbow stood up and smiled, walking behind Scootaloo’s chair and pushing her along.

“Really?”

“Yup! She’s pret-ty dang sure that what she has to say’ll lift your spirits up!”

“Well, that’s good.” Scootaloo smiled softly, looking up to Rainbow for a moment and then back to where they were. Applejack’s Farm was still a bit of a ways away, so she felt happy that Rainbow was willing to push her for most of it. Being pretty sure that her arms would have given out (and being surprised they hadn’t already) only made her want to work on her arms strength more when her arms didn’t feel like a pair of limp wet noodles in her lap. Still, she couldn’t help but feel nervous about the whole situation before her. The fact that Applejack was going to tell her something that would apparently make her feel better did lift her spirits a bit, but not by much. Her optimism about the whole predicament she found herself in that she had this morning in the hospital had quickly left her when she saw stairs, and also her small argument with Sweetie Belle didn’t help.

The rest of the trip to Sweet Apple Acres was silent between the two, however when Scootaloo arrived with Rainbow she was nearly assaulted by Apple Bloom, who was overjoyed to see her. Big Mac wasn’t as physical as Apple Bloom was, but if somebody knew him well enough they’d be able to tell in an instant he was also very happy to see Scootaloo doing okay. After saying their hello’s and having small conversations, Big Mac took Scootaloo inside to see Applejack, who was in the kitchen finishing off an apple pie. “Hey Applejack.” She called in softly, wheeling into the kitchen and stopping a few feet behind her.

Applejack turned around, a sort of sad smile on her face. It was slightly forced, but she was happy to see her. “Howdy, Sugarcube. How’re ya holdin’ up?”

“Well, a lot better than I was this morning, that’s for sure.”

Applejack nodded and smiled, leaning back on the counter and folding her arms across her chest. “How’re the people at the hospital treatin’ ya? If y’all git any problems, you just lemme know and I’ll give ‘em what’s comin’.” She furrowed her brow, giving her a serious look before she went back to smiling. “Now, Ah bet Rainbow told ya that Ah got some good news for ya.”

Scootaloo nodded eagerly. Good news was welcome in her book. Very welcome.

“They figured out who the driver was of the other car.”

Scootaloo looked a bit confused. “Uh… Is that it?”

“No, not at all. Remember when Rarity went to the Gala with us a couple years back and she ranted and raved about how much she hated some fella named ‘Blueblood’?”

“Yeah. What about him?”

“He’s the driver.” Applejack smiled, almost sadistically. “He was drunk behind the wheel and passed out. Ah’m also takin’ legal action against him, and there ain’t no way Ah’m losin’ in court. Basically, when Ah’m done, he’s gonna be payin’ fer every single bill the hospital gives ya, as well as the prosthetics yer gettin’.”

“Prosthetics? I thought I was only getting one…” Scootaloo still was a bit confused. She could see why Applejack wanted to sue him, and also was thankful that she was in the first place, but then it all suddenly fell together. She remembered who Blueblood was now. “HE was the one who was in the other car?!”

“Eeyup. And yer getting’ one fer regular walkin’ around with, and then one for all the sporty stuff ya do. Ta make sure ya got all yer bases covered.” Applejack smiled confidently, looking back to Scootaloo. She was seething. Memories flowed through her mind of how Sweetie Belle always complained about Rarity whining about him, and all the things he had done to her. The stories in the newspapers of his antics, only to be bailed out of jail by Celestia herself, who was his Aunt, crept back to the forefront of her brain. “You uh… You okay, Sugarcube?”

“YES! I’m very okay! I’m glad you’re suing him! He deserves it! After all the stuff he’s done to other people, he should be sued!” Scootaloo folded her arms angrily across her chest, letting out a soft ‘humph’ as a result of how hard she did it without meaning to. Looking down to her lap, she heard Applejack walking over, looking up to see her as she saw her knees in her line of sight.

“Ah’m suin’ him fer what he did ta YOU. This is unforgiveable.” She removed her Stetson, and Scootaloo knew what was coming next. “And Ah’m sorry.” Her voice was shaky, her lower lip quivering. Applejack was trying her hardest not to cry, however it didn’t seem to be working very well at all. “Ah still can’t help but think it’s mah fault, and that Ah’m responsible fer this whole mess yer in. And-“

Scootaloo cut Applejack off by putting her hands on her shoulders. “You just said it yourself. Blueblood did this to me, not you.” It was a surprisingly adult thing to think, let alone say, but it calmed Applejack down and kept her from crying. However, she still wiped her hand across her face like she had been crying and put her Stetson back on top of her head like she just had. Applejack sniffled a couple times and nodded shortly.

“Yer right.” She nodded as she spoke, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. Standing up straight and straightening herself out, Applejack took another shaky breath, sniffling again and chuckling softly. “Y’all can’t blame me fer blamin’ mahself, can ya, though?”

Scootaloo shook her head. She remembered Rainbow explaining the fact that Applejack did feel responsible for this in great detail, and that she had been wanting to apologize to her for quite some time.

“Ah’m gonna go visit ya soon, Scoots. With updates and whatnot of how this whole ordeal is turnin’ out. DUI’s are a big deal here in Equestria. Blueblood most likely is gonna have a very hard time getting’ out a’ this one even with the best lawyers.”

Scootaloo tilted her head at the mention of ‘DUI’. “What’s DUI stand for?”

“Driving Under the Influence. It can be while you’re flyin’ high or, in Blueblood’s case, drunk, and you’re drivin’ when ya shouldn’t be.”

“Oooooh, okay…” She thought back to AJ’s previous statement, and held out her arms towards her, to which Applejack came down and gave her a hug. “Thanks, Applejack. You made me feel a lot better today.”

“Ah can say the same to you. You’ve lifted a pretty heavy burden off mah back.” Applejack squeezed Scootaloo lightly, and after a few more moments let her go. “Ah’m sure Rainbow’s runnin’ out a things to say to Big Mac. Let’s go save her, huh?”

Scootaloo chuckled and nodded, turning around and going wheeling out of the kitchen, only to be stopped short by Applejack grabbing one of the handles. “Ah almost fergot.” She took the apple pie off the counter, putting a slice on a plate and then into a Ziploc bag for her, putting it down on her lap. “If y’all want any more, you just Rainbow know. That goes fer anything, too.” Applejack let go of the wheelchair handle after Scootaloo nodded and smiled softly, wheeling out of the kitchen and outside, where Rainbow was talking with Apple Bloom about Scootaloo’s therapy and when she might be able to hang out.

After a rather short lived conversation with Apple Bloom, sadly cut short by Rainbow ushering Scootaloo that they needed to get back to the hospital, they all said their goodbyes. Scootaloo hugged Apple Bloom for a much longer time than really deemed necessary, and after roughly a half hour they found themselves back at the Ponyville General, reception desk, being checked back in.