Chapter 44: The Alicorn Flu Part 2

Applejack was on her last limb. Every couple hours it was something. "Fluff my pillows pleas?" or "A glass of Apple Juice/Orange Juice/Zippy Cola/Water please?" And let's not forget the demands for hugs. Not that she minded those much but she had work to do! Thank Celestia's Sun that he was supposedly on his last week of the Flu. But that's when it took a turn...

It was a Thursday afternoon. Applebloom was still in school and Big Mac was plowing the garden in front of the house. Applejack was on a short break from farmwork AND taking care of a sick foal. She loved her little sugarcube but when he was sick he could be so demandy pants as Pinkie Pie would put it.

"Momma-" Harry slowly opened the door to the kitchen wheezing. He needed his mommy. He hurt all over. Worst part was now he can't seem to catch his breath!"

"WHAT IS IT?" Applejack slapped her book shut with a SNAP!. "I've filled yer drink, I borrowed a small television from Rarity so you could watch yer Vampony Slayer show, I've bent over backwards all-"

"I*GASP&Can't*WHEEZE*breathe..." Harry suddenly collapsed."

"BIG MAC!" Big Macintosh heard and suddenly he snapped his attention to the house and ran like heck. He saw his nephew on the floor and Applejack panickin'."

"He can't breathe Mac!" Applejack shouted. Trying chest compressions. "My Baby's dyin'!"

"Nnope." Big Mac hoisted his nephew onto his back and galloped into town as fast as his four hooves could let him. No nephew of his was dyin' today. Applejack was right behind him.

Beep Beep CUSH CUSH...The sight of her little foal hooked up with breathing tubes up his nose and a oxygen mask was too much for Applejack, She wept. The last thing she had done was she snapped at him.

"Its going to be fine darling." Rarity assured Applejack rubbing her back with a hoof.

"Yeah, the kids a fighter. He won't let this stupid flu beat him." Rainbow Dash commented. Though she had to admit the sight of a foal hooked up to all this medical equipment disturbed her.

Applejack sniffled. "Y'all don't understand. Ya don't have foals yet. Its different when a foal you raised yerself since he was a tiny little baby hooked up to hospital machines like this." She burst into tears again. She placed the teddy Big Macintosh in Harry's hospital bed next to him. Apparently his magic approved of this teddy cause it hadn't been changed since.

Nurse Redheart walked in. "Good news first or bad?" She asked.

"Good." All ponies not crying said at once.

"He's responding to the inhalant medication included in the oxygen, and his vitals are stabalizing."

"What's the bad news doc?" Applejack interrupted. Sniffling.

"With the time that it took you to get him to the hospital...and for us to gather the equipment we needed...well over six minutes had passed. six minutes of him being deprived of full breathing function for his brain to get oxygen..."

"So what are you saying doc?" Rainbow Dash asked. Afraid of the answer.

Nurse Redheart had a tear in her eyes. "Unless a miracle happens...there's a strong possibility that...he could have brain damage when he wakes up."

The mares gasped as AJ bawled again.

"So your saying that there's a good chance that Harry's going to be like those ponies in the daycare centers for older ponies?" Fluttershy asked tearfully. She volunteered there every week because the ponies with brain damage, ponies who didn't get enough oxygen at birth and those ponies who had Alzhermers really responded positively to her presence.

"As of now its only a possibility, we won't know anything until..."

"Mommy?" Came a weak voice.

"Sugarcube!" Applejack softly embraced her foal and nuzzled him to death. "How're ya feeling?"

"Really tired...my head achies." Harry said pitifully.

"Well I'll be damned." Redheart said. "I guess we got our miracle. I'll go get you some aspirin sweetie." She left to get the Crown Prince some headache meds and juice. "Hey everypony! The Prince made it!"

The mares and Harry heard cheers through the hallway. Harry's ears layed back. He was touched so many strangers cared for his wellbeing.

Applejack started humming a lullaby and cuddling her foal.

"Uh...girls lets go. We need to update Twilight on the situation." Rarity told the girls. "Come on, come on." She dragged Rainbow by the hoof out of the room. Giving the mother and foal privacy.

The Next Day...

KNock knock...

Applejack looked to the door to see Big Mac, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"How's the young'un?" Granny asked leaving a care basket next to a chair full of apple based goodies. and a couple of Harry's favorite juice boxes.

"He's doin' better. I'm telling ya Granny I was real scared yesterday. The Nurse came in and said he could have brain damage...

"Like Rambling Larry?" Scootaloo asked bluntly. Rambling Larry was an earth pony who was constantly muttering to himself and checking behind him to see if anypony was following him. Muttering about something called cachistis.

"Sort of but different. Larry has a biological disease. He was born genetically predisposed to it. I asked Nurse Redheart about it when he started mumbling to himself and gettin' all paranoid and what not." Big Mac explained to the three fillies. "Which means that he had a higher risk of getting this illness when he was getting it. Brain Damage happens when a pony doesn't get enough oxygen to the brain for a set amount of time. We took a while gettin' Harry here and even longer for the hospital staff to gather tha equipment you see there that's helping him breathe."

"He's going to be okay though right?" Apple Bloom asked Applejack. Watching her nephew sleep with the aid of machines was disturbing.

"He might be a bit different from the lack of oxygen is all." Applejack told Applebloom who had tears in her eyes. "But he woke up yesterday!" She reassured Applebloom. "Not for long but he did call me Mommy. He only calls me that when he's sick or scared."

"Probably was both yesterday." Big Mac said watching the machines help his nephew breathe. CUSH CUSH beep beep. He then noticed the Teddy sized version of himself. "Never changed?" He asked with his ears perked up.

"Nnope, not since last week. You where the only male influence in his life big brother till we found out Shining Armor was his dad, you where his father figure even though you where his uncle."

"CACHISTIS!" They heard down the hall. "YOUR CACHISTIS ALL OF YOU I WILL...stop...you...hnn...hnn."

Big Mac looked outside the door to see Larry being put in slumber by orderlies.

"That's a good boy. Good boy. Go to sleepy now." A frantic looking Nurse Redheart said. "Get him to Psyche immediately."

"Yes Nurse."

Big Mac closed the door to the sad scene.

YAAWWWWNNN... Harry's eyes fluttered open. "Mommy?" He asked.

"I'm right here Sugarcube." Applejack said petting his hoof. A big wave of relief

"Can I take my mask off? Its hurting my throat."

"Sorry Sugarcube, mask is helpin' ya breath better." Applejack told him. "But we can get Nurse Redheart in to look ya over."

Three days later, Harry was still in the hospital, but breathing normally. A humungous ten pound chocolate bar was in a bouqet of smaller favorite candy bars of his. A get well gift from his Dad and Cadance. Shining Armor knowing his sweet tooth from the wedding reception. And showing him his trophy from the Fritter Eating Contest at the Family Reunion.

"So how much longer are you in here?" Featherweight asked. He was interviewing Harry about his Alicorn Flu experience for the Foal Free Press. As well as visiting his best friend with Shady Daze, his other best friend. The Staff Photographer thing was just a coincidence.

"Until Nurse Hatchet says I can go home."

Nurse Redheart smacked him outside the head. Lightly of course.

"Ow! Patient Abuse!" He called.

"He's right though. Until I clear him he's staying right here."

"Now that that's over with." Shady Daze said putting the camera down. "How are ya feeling?"

"A lot better than a few days ago. I was in a breathing mask."

"It was that serious?" Featherweight asked.

"Oh yes." Nurse Redheart said. "The Flu can be very serious. That's why you should ALWAYS wash your hooves regularly and sanitize them. Especially around foals, the elderly...AND?" Nurse Redheart asked Harry.

Harry sighed. He had bet Nurse Redheart that if he wasn't over it completely by the weekend he would do something humiliating in front of his two best friends. "I'm a little teapot short and stout." He sang complete with visuals. "Here is my handle, here is my spout."

Featherweight and Shady Daze wondered what the heck was going on.

"When I get all steamed up, I just shout; "Tip me over and Pour me out." Harry finished with a visual of a teapot being tipped over with his body.

The two traitors laughed.

"Yeah, laugh it up traitors." Harry grumbled. Crossing his forelegs.

"How's our little paitent doing?" Applejack came in.

"Momma!" Harry said eagerly opening his hooves and accepting a hug.

"He should be home by the weekend." Nurse Redheart told Applejack. "I'd like to keep observing for about two more days. Just in case."

"Here that Sugarcube, you'll be home soon!"

Harry was focusing on something else though. Shady Daze rreaching for a candy bar. While looking into his eyes. Harry glared. "Don't you do it. Ah...Ah...Ah...ZAP!" Harry erected a force field around his sweet bouquet of yumminess. Which zapped Shady Daze lightly.

"Stop bogarting the chocolate!" Shady Daze told the Prince.

Everypony laughed as Shady Daze crossed his hooves and pouted.

"My Chocolate!" Harry said with a glare.

End of Alicorn Flu

I wanted some humor after such dark scenery.

Today will be a double post! Alicorn Hibernation is next!