A New Family

Re-opening the door Derpy just stood there awkwardly for a few moments, with Doctor Whooves doing the same, though eventually she gathers her mind together to say:

"I'm so-sorry, you seem l-like a very nice st-stallion, but I can't r-risk getting hurt ag-again. Even more so t-that I have my li-little Dinky to look af-after."

Derpy then allowed the stallion inside, and Dinky bounced up and down with joy as she hoped to have some of those muffins the new pony brought. Doctor Whooves noticed and took a muffin from the bouquet, giving it to the excited filly, who then sped off back to her room. Derpy and the Doctor sat down on the comfy couch and Derpy explained her whole past with Ponet and what he did to her, and why she is hesitant about trusting other stallions in that way again. Doctor Whooves was more than understanding and assured Derpy he would never do that to her, stating her eyes or stutter meant in no way affected how he felt for her.

"W-Well, okay then, b-but we only just met a co-couple of weeks ago, l-let's take things sl-slowly."

"That's fine by me Derpy. Then I shall see you tomorrow morning as I wait for my mail. I bid you farewell."

After taking a bow the Doctor graciously leaves the pegasus' home and closes the door behind him. A few moments later Derpy was shocked by the sound of her daughter crying "Mommy" as it pierced the air. She ran into Dinky's room to  see a half eaten muffin on the floor and Dinky rolling around in her bed, intensely crying in pain as she held both of her eyes closed with her hooves. Derpy instantly thought to herself:

"Oh no! Please Celestia don't let my little Dinky have my eyes, Please!"

She then ran over to her bawling filly and gave her a comforting hug.

"There th-there Dinky. Mommy is h-here now."

"But Mommy!! WUAAAHHH!! My eye it!! WUAAAHHH!! Hurts!!"

"I-I know Dinky."

Dinky looked up at her mom uncovering and opening her left eye, still leaving her right eye covered by her hoof. It nearly tore Derpy to pieces having to hold her daughter as she cried intensely in pain, unable to help her. Dinky's expression was both helpless, and hopeful her mother could do something. This reminded Derpy of when she was DInky's age, and how she dealt with it. One of her eyes would be extremely painful when her condition acted up as she was settling into it, and the eye would go Derp for about an hour afterwards. She also remembered her parents gave her an eye patch to wear, which helped keep her eyes from acting up, also making it less painful even when they did. Though when Derpy hit her teenage mare years the fits of pain stopped altogether and her eyes were permanently Derped. Derpy just cradled Dinky tightly for the remainder of the fit, and when it ended she told her daughter:

"Its o-okay Dinky, it's over f-for now. Hold yo-your eye closed still a-as I go get you so-something for it."

Derpy then quickly trotted off to her room and rummaged through her closet until she found her old eye patch. When she returned to Dinky's room she affixed it on to Dinky's head and said:

"Th-There you go, Muffin. Just k-keep that on for n-now."

The old cotton eye patch instantly causes Dinky to fidget and attempt to mess with it, as it is somewhat itchy. She is almost about to take it off when Derpy stops her.

"N-No Dinky! You m-must leave it on!"

"But Mommy! It itches, I want it off!"

"But muffin, i-it will help k-keep the pain away. Y-you want that r-right?"

"Yes Mommy, thank you."

"N-Now get ready for bed D-Dinky. No school f-for you tomorrow, y-you are going to the d-doctor. "

"Oh... Okay mommy."

Dinky then walked off to go take her bath as her mother cleaned the muffin and crumbs off the floor. After that Derpy went to her bed to read the latest issue of Muffin Monthly, and after some time Dinky walked in sniffling almost crying and interrupted her.

"Mommy?"

"Y-Yes Dinky?"

"I looked at in the mirror, I have your eyes, if they stay like that will you still love me?"

"Why o-of course Dinky, you a-are my littlest muffin, a-and I will always l-love and be there f-for you."

Dinky perks up some and walks over to Derpy to give her a hug. She looks up at her and says:

"Mommy, can I sleep with you tonight? Just in case my eyes hurt again?"

Derpy wipes the tears off of Dinky's face and strokes her mane:

"S-Sure Dinky, I'll b-be right here t-to help you."

Dinky jumped up onto the bed with joy and quickly ran underneath the blanket, to resurface snuggled up next to Derpy.

:"Goodnight Mommy. I love you." *drawn out yawn*

Dinky then drifted off to sleep.

"I love y-you too Muffin."

Derpy gave Dinky a goodnight kiss and set the magazine on the nightstand, and turned off the lamp. She better settled into bed and wrapped her legs around Dinky. She had to readjust several times as Dinky would turn in her sleep and her horn would poke Derpy, the main reason she didn't let Dinky sleep with her anymore.

Dinky woke up with the sensation of being gently pushed around, and couldn't see anything. She could feel canvas walls which told her she must be in her mother's saddlebag. Dinky quickly shuffled around to poke her head out of the bag, and had to squint as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. Derpy noticed her daughter waking up and said:

"Good mo-morning Dinky."

"Where are we going mommy?"

"T-To the Doctor's o-office. We need to g-get there early."

"Okay mommy, but I'm hungry. Can we stop to eat?"

"Yes Muffin."

After about half an hour of walking Derpy stopped at a snack cart on the side of the road and bought Dinky a foal's meal that contained a sippy cup of cider, a small bunch of hayfries, and a daffodil sandwich.

"That'll be six bits ma'am."

"H-Here you go."

Derpy reached into her other saddlebag and picked up a small bag of bits with her mouth, and shook out six bits onto the cart. Dinky had already readjusted herself so that she sat up with her front legs hanging over the bag. Derpy handed the bag to Dinky who quickly snatched. The filly began eating the hayfries first as they were her favorite. After finishing the last bite of her sandwich Dinky lets out a satisfying burp and falls back asleep in the saddlebag, suckling her now empty sippy cup.