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“There we go, hon, fresh bandages!”
Downburst winced, trying to adjust her wrapped wing, which didn’t end successfully. Her response was the same as it had been for the past few days, monotone and cold. “Thanks, Nurse Sweetheart.”
“Of course, dear.” Tossing the old gauze in the trash bin next to Downburst’s hospital bed, she gave an optimistic grin. “I heard you have someone visiting you today, how exciting! Peachy Plume said she could keep her company at the front desk until I finished spiffing you up.”
“It’s probably just my sister again. Or Mom.”
Nurse Sweetheart scoffed lightly and readjusted her patient’s blanket, smoothing it out the best she could. “Peachy told me your visitor’s a friend of yours, one of those cadets from the Wonderbolts. And rumor has it that she brought you a sweet treat.”
As if on cue, a soft knocking came from the door before it creaked open, a bright blue eye peering through. Once the nurse motioned for her to come in, she swung the door open, grinning.
“I baked cookies!” Easy Breezy announced, bounding over to Downburst’s bed within a few large strides. “That baker who brings you all those deliveries at Headquarters gave me the recipe when I said I wanted to come visit you, so I hope they’re good!”
“Breezy, hey —” Downy started to speak, but the pegasus excitedly handed her a cookie before she could get a full sentence out. With a look filled with such anticipation, she could hardly resist taking a bite before Easy Breezy made one of those hurt puppy faces all pretty mares do when they get sad. So she all but shoved the entire cookie into her mouth, chewing and giving a smile until her forehead stitches gave her a twinge of pain.
“Delicious, Breeze. Thanks.” She managed to get out, wincing as she desperately tried to not put a hoof on her bandaged forehead.
“Well, thanks! Would you like to try one, ma’am?” Easy Breezy lifted the tray towards the nurse, but she shook her head.
“No, thank you. I’ve gotta go check on my other patients. You enjoy your visit.” Nurse Sweetheart gave a polite smile and excused herself, closing the door on her way out.
Breezy turned back to Downburst, who was already eyeing the plate of goodies in her friend’s hoof. With a soft smile, she passed another cookie to her injured friend before setting the dish on a side table and sitting down next to the bed.
“Your bed looks super comfy. I bet it’s a nice change to just get to relax all day, huh?”
Downburst shook her head slowly, swallowing the rest of her bite before speaking. “I’ve actually never been so tired of being in bed my entire life. It’s not even been that long and I’m itching to get out of here already.”
Easy Breezy gave a soft ‘oh’, but quickly replaced it with more cheer. “Well, accidents happen all the time for Wonderbolts, especially cadets! I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time and back to betting on yourself to win!”
With the dull headache fueling her frustrations, Downburst gritted her teeth. “Did my sister actually tell you my injuries? I know she wanted to warn anyone that was interested in visiting how rough I look, she’s not slick.”
“Um… no. She didn’t.” The orange pegasus responded quietly, her smile disappearing.
“Concussion and stitches in my head. Got various cuts on my face, side, and legs. I fractured my right front leg when I hit the ground. A-And my wing…” She took a deep, shaky breath, desperately trying to hold back tears. “M-My wing is broken in 3 places.”
Breezy was silent, sitting back on her haunches as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She was right before, it was common for fliers to be injured, but this was bad. After a moment of quiet between the two, she spoke, tears starting to appear in the corners of her own eyes. “Well, that just means you’ll need a buddy to hang out with you while you’re getting better. And I’m more than happy to help in anyway I can. Tomorrow I can bring you some puzzles we can work on together, and on weekends we can have movie nights!”
Downburst gave out a chuckle, her voice breaking from holding back on showing how truly upset she was. “You can’t do all that, you’ve got practice almost every day.”
And it took a moment for it to dawn on her, but the moment she realized, her eyes moved to the clock on the wall before turning back to the mare. “Breezy, why aren’t you at practice right now?”
Breezy gave another smile, this one the saddest so far. “No more practice for me, I’m not a cadet anymore.”
It took everything for Downburst to not jump out of bed in shock, and at the same time all she could do was sit there, frozen. “What do you mean you’re not a cadet anymore?! Did you quit?!”
“When you crashed, I flew down to help you. Since you were injured, you got a pass from the race. But since I willingly left the race, it was different. You know the rules…”
“…the pony who comes last in this race will be eliminated from training.” The grey mare finished her sentence for her. The two stared at each other for a moment, their gazes locked on the other. “If you knew that, then why did you help me? You could have been a Wonderbolt.”
Breezy started to cry, tears now streaming down her cheeks, but still doing her best to hold up her smile. She put her hoof gently in between Downburst’s, making sure to be mindful of her cast. “Because you’re my friend. I would have never been able to go on with training if I knew I left you behind.”
Before she could stop herself, Downy felt the tears rise again, quickly looking away in hopes that her friend couldn’t see her break down. She gripped Breezy’s hoof with her own, gulping to choke down sobs. Not wanting to have a crying fest, Downburst cleared her throat and gave a weak smile.
“You better pick out your favorite movies for this weekend, then. No sad flicks, I don’t want to see you crying. You’ll make me all emotional.” She lifted her good hoof, wiping away a tear from Easy Breezy’s cheek, and they both smiled.
“I’ve got enough movies to keep us entertained for weeks!” Breezy giggled. “Do you think your nurse will let me sleep over on movie nights? I see a perfectly good couch in the corner!”
Downburst chuckled at her question, already moving to click a button on the side table that read ‘nurse help’.
“Well, let’s find out.”
Downburst winced, trying to adjust her wrapped wing, which didn’t end successfully. Her response was the same as it had been for the past few days, monotone and cold. “Thanks, Nurse Sweetheart.”
“Of course, dear.” Tossing the old gauze in the trash bin next to Downburst’s hospital bed, she gave an optimistic grin. “I heard you have someone visiting you today, how exciting! Peachy Plume said she could keep her company at the front desk until I finished spiffing you up.”
“It’s probably just my sister again. Or Mom.”
Nurse Sweetheart scoffed lightly and readjusted her patient’s blanket, smoothing it out the best she could. “Peachy told me your visitor’s a friend of yours, one of those cadets from the Wonderbolts. And rumor has it that she brought you a sweet treat.”
As if on cue, a soft knocking came from the door before it creaked open, a bright blue eye peering through. Once the nurse motioned for her to come in, she swung the door open, grinning.
“I baked cookies!” Easy Breezy announced, bounding over to Downburst’s bed within a few large strides. “That baker who brings you all those deliveries at Headquarters gave me the recipe when I said I wanted to come visit you, so I hope they’re good!”
“Breezy, hey —” Downy started to speak, but the pegasus excitedly handed her a cookie before she could get a full sentence out. With a look filled with such anticipation, she could hardly resist taking a bite before Easy Breezy made one of those hurt puppy faces all pretty mares do when they get sad. So she all but shoved the entire cookie into her mouth, chewing and giving a smile until her forehead stitches gave her a twinge of pain.
“Delicious, Breeze. Thanks.” She managed to get out, wincing as she desperately tried to not put a hoof on her bandaged forehead.
“Well, thanks! Would you like to try one, ma’am?” Easy Breezy lifted the tray towards the nurse, but she shook her head.
“No, thank you. I’ve gotta go check on my other patients. You enjoy your visit.” Nurse Sweetheart gave a polite smile and excused herself, closing the door on her way out.
Breezy turned back to Downburst, who was already eyeing the plate of goodies in her friend’s hoof. With a soft smile, she passed another cookie to her injured friend before setting the dish on a side table and sitting down next to the bed.
“Your bed looks super comfy. I bet it’s a nice change to just get to relax all day, huh?”
Downburst shook her head slowly, swallowing the rest of her bite before speaking. “I’ve actually never been so tired of being in bed my entire life. It’s not even been that long and I’m itching to get out of here already.”
Easy Breezy gave a soft ‘oh’, but quickly replaced it with more cheer. “Well, accidents happen all the time for Wonderbolts, especially cadets! I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time and back to betting on yourself to win!”
With the dull headache fueling her frustrations, Downburst gritted her teeth. “Did my sister actually tell you my injuries? I know she wanted to warn anyone that was interested in visiting how rough I look, she’s not slick.”
“Um… no. She didn’t.” The orange pegasus responded quietly, her smile disappearing.
“Concussion and stitches in my head. Got various cuts on my face, side, and legs. I fractured my right front leg when I hit the ground. A-And my wing…” She took a deep, shaky breath, desperately trying to hold back tears. “M-My wing is broken in 3 places.”
Breezy was silent, sitting back on her haunches as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She was right before, it was common for fliers to be injured, but this was bad. After a moment of quiet between the two, she spoke, tears starting to appear in the corners of her own eyes. “Well, that just means you’ll need a buddy to hang out with you while you’re getting better. And I’m more than happy to help in anyway I can. Tomorrow I can bring you some puzzles we can work on together, and on weekends we can have movie nights!”
Downburst gave out a chuckle, her voice breaking from holding back on showing how truly upset she was. “You can’t do all that, you’ve got practice almost every day.”
And it took a moment for it to dawn on her, but the moment she realized, her eyes moved to the clock on the wall before turning back to the mare. “Breezy, why aren’t you at practice right now?”
Breezy gave another smile, this one the saddest so far. “No more practice for me, I’m not a cadet anymore.”
It took everything for Downburst to not jump out of bed in shock, and at the same time all she could do was sit there, frozen. “What do you mean you’re not a cadet anymore?! Did you quit?!”
“When you crashed, I flew down to help you. Since you were injured, you got a pass from the race. But since I willingly left the race, it was different. You know the rules…”
“…the pony who comes last in this race will be eliminated from training.” The grey mare finished her sentence for her. The two stared at each other for a moment, their gazes locked on the other. “If you knew that, then why did you help me? You could have been a Wonderbolt.”
Breezy started to cry, tears now streaming down her cheeks, but still doing her best to hold up her smile. She put her hoof gently in between Downburst’s, making sure to be mindful of her cast. “Because you’re my friend. I would have never been able to go on with training if I knew I left you behind.”
Before she could stop herself, Downy felt the tears rise again, quickly looking away in hopes that her friend couldn’t see her break down. She gripped Breezy’s hoof with her own, gulping to choke down sobs. Not wanting to have a crying fest, Downburst cleared her throat and gave a weak smile.
“You better pick out your favorite movies for this weekend, then. No sad flicks, I don’t want to see you crying. You’ll make me all emotional.” She lifted her good hoof, wiping away a tear from Easy Breezy’s cheek, and they both smiled.
“I’ve got enough movies to keep us entertained for weeks!” Breezy giggled. “Do you think your nurse will let me sleep over on movie nights? I see a perfectly good couch in the corner!”
Downburst chuckled at her question, already moving to click a button on the side table that read ‘nurse help’.
“Well, let’s find out.”
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