Chapter 3

The Hospital

A giant heart, beating in the sky over a cracked plain. To the side, a lung, contracting in time to the heart. However, this was incredibly slow, dangerous if in a living person. James was sat on a rock, in the centre of this lonely wasteland. He sighed slightly, looking at his bare chest. A gaping hole in his chest, where his heart and right lung would be, was starting to close, very slowly. laying back, he smiled lightly. At least he would no longer cause trouble for the ponies..

"What manner of creature art thou?" A voice was heard, very close. James opened his eyes slowly, looking up into the muzzle of a pony, one that he had not seen before.

The speaker, as he sat up to get a better look, was a dark blue pony, with both wings, and a horn. An alicorn. Her mane and tail was translucent, and flowed in the breeze. Except there was no breeze here. They were dark blue on the outside, going to a slightly lighter blue in the inside. On her head, was a very dark blue crown. with three rounded spikes on top of it. Around her neck, was a kind of scarf, with a picture of a moon. And on her feet, silver slippers.

"I am...someone who does not belong here. I am human." James said, smiling slightly at her, before sighing, and looking down. "I am dead, or asleep. And if I am in Ponyville still, I never want to wake up. I don't want them to be hurt.

Looking back at the alicorn, he saw fear, anger...and sadness in her eyes. As he opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off by her.
"It is true that thine species has hurt in the past. But you are a different one to the one before. As is the one suffering from his own mind." She said, looking up at the heart. It was speeding up now, getting healthier, as James chest closed up.
"I wish thee luck, human. Look after thineself, and thine friend."
James looked blank for a minute, then smiled widely, as the heart started to beat at a healthy pace. And then everything faded to black

"UGH~"
James sat up, his vision blurry, and his chest feeling like it was on fire. Breathing heavily, he rubbed his eyes. Then, opening them as his vision returned, he looked around the room that he was in. A white, sterile room, with equally sterile looking machinery, surface covers, and walls. Hearing a regular beep to his left, he turned to his left, to see a machine, with a spinning drum on the top. Attached to the drum was a needle, that was recording a line, going up and down regularly. A kind of seisometer? Then, he laughed, as he looked down. On his chest was a pad, that was shaking slightly.
He was connected to a rudimentary heart monitor.

Smiling happily at the sentiment of the heart monitor, he looked around him. The room was fairly small, as well as the bed being slightly too small for him. Rubbing his eyes, he could feel a slight weight on his left arm. Looking down, he could see a cyan head, with a rainbow mane. Rainbow Dash, sleeping peacefully on his arm. Moving his right arm over his chest, and then gasping slightly in pain. His chest ACHED. Chuckling painfully, he patted her head lightly, running his hand through her mane.

Rainbow squirmed slightly, then jerked away, looking up in a panic.
"HEY, WH-WHAT ARE YOU Do~ Oh. Hey there." She smiled very lightly at the human, albeit nervously. "Y..you're awake. Urm. Nurse Redheart said you can go if you are feeling better. And... I'm sorry for hitting you, big guy."
She looked away, sighing lightly, before looking back up at James. To her confusion, he was smiling.

"Don't worry about it. Well. Thanks for the apology, you almost killed me. But.. meh. How did you persuade them to help me?" He looked curious, then shrugged. "Probably cuz every body...Pony, trusts you, am I right?" He grinned lightly down at the brightly coloured mare, stroking her ear lightly.

A soft blush forming on Rainbow's cheek, she nodded proudly. "Of course! Everypony trusts Rainbow Dash! I asked the hospital to take care of you..After..yeah." She looked away, from the human's chest, as he sat up. His chest had a slight dent in it, from where her hooves had hit, but all of his ribs where in place again. If slightly misshapen.

"It's ok, Dash. Any idea where Mark is, anyhow?" James said, smiling lightly as he looked down himself, then under the blanket of his hospital bed. At least his boxers were still on. "And my clothes?" He chuckled lightly at the blush formed on Rainbow Dash's cheek.

"Umm... he has been doing odd jobs for the past few days. He'll be in town, most likely. Your clothes would...be in this." Dash dove under James' bed for a second, before pulling out a smallish plastic box with her mouth. Putting the box on James' lap, she looked up at him, and smiled softly.
"Thanks Dash" James said lightly, opening the container. In it were his jeans, socks, Converse shoes and hoodie, No shirt though. "Where is my shirt..?" He asked to himself, then looked down at his chest. "Let me guess, ruined from blood? Dash nodded slightly, embarrassed. "Oh well, could be worse. Gonna get dressed now." With that, James slipped his arms into the sleeves of his hoodie, leaving it unzipped, and then waiting for Rainbow Dash to turn away. After she did, he flicked his legs up, resting on his back, and then pulling his legs through his jeans, before sliding his legs over the side of the bed. Standing up, he slid on his shoes and socks, before poking Dash lightly.
"Lets find Mark, hmm?"

"YEAH!"

Author's Note

Lol - Scott

^My college mate. :D