Broken Wings, Chapter 1 - Lucky Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQjFHxJ9IKs
>It’s been…you know what? Why do you still count the days?
>You’ve been in Equestria for awhile.
>The last thing you remembered before coming here was preparing a mare for surgery.
>Colon torsion is a nasty thing.
>Apparently one of your techs hadn’t properly sedated the animal…either that or the pain the horse was feeling was worse than you thought.
>When she bucked you square in the chest, you were sent flying across the room.
>The last thing you remember was striking something with the back of your head before you blacked out.
>When you woke up…well, the horses were smaller.
>And they talked.
>Suffice to say, you…did not react well.
>You lucked out though. The town you found yourself in, P0nyville, had a hospital.
>Since the world was populated by magic talking animals, what had been a specialized field for you back home was a common occurrence here.
>And so you went from being a two-bit country vet surgeon to a general surgeon.
>Oh, if those twits who laughed at you for shirking med school to study veterinary medicine could see you now.
>Well, back to the matter at hand.
>You look over the chart of the little filly laying in the recovery bed. She’s sleeping soundly, her brown mane drooping over her little tan face.
>The mother looks more pronouncedly worried.
>If you had to bring your child in to have a lump excised, you’d be worried too.
>….
>You smile. You love delivering good news, especially when your patients can understand you.
“Blueberry, the tests are back, and the growth we removed from your foal’s shoulder was benign.”
>The relief that washes over the earth p0ny’s face warms your heart, just making you smile more.
“We’re going to keep her overnight for observation while she comes out from the anesthesia, but I don’t expect anything less than a full recovery. She should be able to go home first thing in the morning.”
>Blueberry sniffles and wipes away a tear, stroking the filly’s mane.
>”Thank you, doctor…I can’t imagine what I would have done…”
“Just happy to be of help, ma’am. Now, if you’ll excuse me, the nurse will be in shortly to check on her. Have a good day.”
>This job got so much better when your patients became capable of talking back to you.
>Well, that’s not entirely true. Sometimes that ability can wrench your heart, especially when things go wrong.
>Things going wrong is inevitable. Medicine is a science, but it is not a perfect science.
>None of that today so far, luckily.
>You stretch as you enter your office, tossing your white coat on the hook.
>Nothing too palatial or grandiose. Four walls, a desk, a bookshelf, a chair specially made for your primate posterior, and a window to look out of.
>It’s not much, but it’s a great place to relax in peace and quiet.
>You plop down in your chair, picking up the book you were reading before Blueberry’s foal’s results came in.
>”Advanced Flight Anatomy for Pegasi.”
>Apparently, Unicorns and Pegasi are “things” here, and that means you had some catching up to do.
>You sigh. Medical manuals were just as boring and dry in this world as they are back in yours.
>You sigh and lean back in your chair, looking out the window to the setting sun.
>Your shift ends in a few hours…drinks sound nice.
>You wonder if…
>Your door slams open forcefully.
>Speak of the devil. Only one p0ny you know would kick your door in without knocking first.
“Hello AJ. Did Winona get into the chocolate again?”
>Applejack, for what it’s worth, doesn’t respond immediately. She’s too busy catching her breath.
>You set your book down. Something’s wrong, and it’s not a case of a dog with an upset stomach.
>”Anon, it’s Rainbow. She’s hurt, somethin’ bad.”
>Now, you don’t know Rainbow very well. You know she’s one of AJ’s and Fluttershy’s friends, however…
>Something about her tone, or the pained expression on her face, it feels like a lead weight has been dropped in your gut as you stand.
>Not such a lucky day after all.

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>You follow Applejack down the hallway towards the emergency room.
>You see Horse, M.D. coming out of one of the rooms.
>When he looks up at you, it seems like your arrival is the best news he’s had all hour.
>”Oh, good, Dr. Anon, I was about to call for you.”
“AJ came and got me. What happened?”
>”Mare, pegasus. Suffered quite a fall…”
>AJ chimes in. ”RD was out practicin’ her routine, an’ ah guess she just pulled a turn too tight, ‘cause she blacked out an’ jus’ fell from really high up!”
>Horse M.D. clears his throat. He gets so annoyed when he gets interrupted.
>”She came in unconscious, with two broken wings, a compound fracture of the left radius and the right metacarpal…”
>That lead weight in your gut gets ten pounds heavier.
>”…and we’re still waiting on x-rays, but there’s strong evidence for a punctured lung.”
>So much for luck.
>It must have been a fall from really high up.
>If you were back home, all you would prescribe was a round to the braincase from a .357 Magnum.
>But you weren’t back home. You were in Equestria, and any of these p0nies were just as much a person as you were.
“Doctor, do me a favor and get the patient to the OR. I’ll be there in a second. Applejack…”
>You kneel down to AJ’s level as tears well in her eyes.
>You feel like crying too, if only because your friend is in so much pain, but you don’t have time for that.
>”You…you can save her, right Anon?”
>You place your hands on Applejack’s shoulders.
“AJ…medicine and surgery is not magic, and it’s not all powerful…all I can promise you is that I will do my very best to save Rainbow Dash’s life.”
>AJ sniffles and nods gently, those green eyes still fraught with worry.
“Now…I need you to let Dash’s friends know what is going on. You and everyone else can wait in the surgical waiting area…”
>You try to put on a comforting smile.
>You were never good at faking it.
“Run along AJ, I need to get to work now.”

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>It’s a routine you’ve come to expect, you’ve run through it enough.
>Scrubs. Disinfectant. Gloves.
>You never ask just how much it costs the hospital to get specially-made latex gloves for your hands, letting the thought wander from your mind.
>Nurse Trueheart gives them a final tug, making sure they’re on securely.
>You walk up to the patient, the beeping and whirring of the monitors and life support equipment fading away, like they do every time you operate.
>This time, it feels different though.
>Horse’s description of the cyan p0ny’s injuries really do not do it justice.
>You take a moment to brush her rainbow-colored mane as the nurses and assistants finish preparing her for surgery.
“Don’t worry Rainbow…I hear you’re a strong mare…I’m pretty strong too, but I’m asking you to help me pull you through this, OK?”
>You don’t know why you talk like this to an obviously unconscious patient…maybe it just makes you feel better.
>Soothes your frazzled nerves.
>Everything is ready, and the clock is ticking.
>It’s time.
“Scalpel.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zblZj5SgY4o
>Your perception of the world around you fades to gray.
>You have so much to do. So much you have to do.
>Even one slip up can snuff out the flame of life.
>This life.
>You forget fear, you forget worry and regret, regret you never knew this p0ny better.
>The wings can wait, life-threatening injuries first.
>Your mind is a whirl, you don’t even hear your own commands.
>In a way, Dash is lucky.
>Lucky that her life is in the practiced, stable hands of Anonymous.
>Flesh separates under your delicate touch as the blade of your scalpel meets shaved, exposed skin.
>You call for retractors. Suction.
>More cuts.
>In the back of your mind, you can see Applejack and the others, waiting nervously.
>You know Twilight would be there. Her help in finding medical books has been invaluable.
>In a way, if Dash makes it through this, Twilight would share in the responsibility.
>So would they all. Rarity, who custom made your clothes and scrubs.
>Fluttershy, who discovered your abilities and helped you get this job.
>AJ, who not only has been a great friend, but even lets you stay at her home on the farm.
>And Pinkie…well, she can plan the recovery party.
>Anon, focus!
>One of the nurses, a unicorn, levitates a rag and dabs the sweat from your forehead.
>Crazy thing, magic. You don’t think you’ll ever get used to it.
>You don’t hear it, but you feel it in your teeth, that long tone.
>You’re already inside her rib cage. You place your hand directly on Rainbow’s heart and start massaging.
>One…two…three…four…five...
>Ok, crisis averted. Her heart starts back up after some compressions.
>Need to hurry, not much time left.
>You glance at the legs.
>Have to be careful setting them. If marrow escapes the fractures into the bloodstream, it could cause an MI and stop the heart again.
>Maybe permanently.
>You’ll probably need pins and rods for both legs.
>Good thing there’s such things as titanium in this world.
>But first, you need to address this lung.
>Thusly, you carry out your craft…

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>Everyp0ny looks up at you when you walk into the waiting area.
>Their faces are ones of horror and shock as you stroll in, pulling your gloves off with a snap.
>You must be a sight, your scrubs are covered in blood.
>Good, everyone you thought would be here is here.
>Nobody speaks for a moment until AJ speaks up.
>”Well, Anon? How did it go? Is Rainbow going to be alright?”
>You do not smile. As much as you want to, you cannot give any p0ny false hope.
“I have done all I can…where I come from, we have a saying…”
“The rest is up to God.”
>You can’t tell how much time you spend relaying the events of the surgery to the assembled party.
>The true extent of Rainbow Dash’s injuries.
>Forget flying again, she’ll be lucky to see the morning.
>With that, you walk out.
>It’s a short trip to the locker room to change out of your bloody clothes and into fresh ones.
>Without a word to anyone, you walk in to the staff sleep room.
>You couldn’t make it back home even if you wanted to, and even then, you would be bombarded with questions about Rainbow Dash.
>You just keep telling yourself that Dash is the strongest, most fierce p0ny you know.
>If anyone can pull through this, it’s her.
>You cover your eyes with your arm as you lay on the bunk, clearly too small for you.
>For reasons beyond you, you manage to fall asleep.