“Mister Cooper?”
My eye drifted open to a familiar face. Snowy white… Pink mane… Blue, worry-filled eyes…

“Nurse Redheart?”
The mare smiled, seemingly relieved at something.

“Welcome back. You’ve been gone a long time,” she explained, scribbling something on her clipboard.
My first question was the most obvious… And the most burning…

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?”
The nurse stopped and looked to me, sorrow filling her already-gloomy eyes.

“She’s dead.Broken neck, among other injuries.”
I sighed at this and attempted to sit up, only to groan and lie back down.

“My ribs…”
With my eye closed, I only heard the mare chuckle.

“Five cracked. Five broken. You also separated vertebrae in three places on your spine, as well as shattered each of your limbs at your wrists, elbows, ankles, and knees. We had to set your jaw back in place too. You’re lucky to be alive.” She sounded solemn all of a sudden. “Why do you always put yourself in danger like that?”
I opened my eye again to look at her.

“It’s a matter of principle. I can take the punishment.”
Nurse Red Heart seemed to realize something at this.

“How far did you fall?”

“Five thousand feet.”
After the look of shock was shaken from her face, she nodded.

“Looks like you’re tougher than we thought…”
I nodded.

“So, how long do I have to lie here, eating out of a tube?”
This seemed to amuse her, bringing a smile to her face.

“About two months, with the way your body heals. But you won’t be eating out of a tube. I’ll be the one taking care of you. That means feeding you too…”
A soft blush, probably out of embarrassment lit up her features as she explained.

“Well then, looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other.” I stated with a smile.
It struck me then that my wings had gone. Twilight said they’d last three days…

“Nurse,” I said, causing her to look up once again. “You said I’d been gone a long time… How long have I been out?”
Her retort caught me off guard.

“Five days.”
My jaw fell slack. Five days… I’d been in a coma for almost a week!

“You’re joking, right!?”
She shook her head, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“And,” she began before I could speak again. “You can stop calling me ‘Nurse’. Call me Martha.”
A welcome shift of subject to dull my shock…

Martha Redheart…

“I take it you weren’t born here in Equestria?”

“Nope. I was actually born in south Portland.” She smiled once again.

“Portland, Maine?”
A nod.
I smiled myself. She was standing over me with a look I hadn’t seen in a long time… Content… Her eyes held a look of a woman who had just seen a friend after a long time… “Friend”… Hm…

“Martha?”

“Yes, Mister Cooper?”

“We’re… Friends… Right?”
She couldn’t hold back a small chuckle.

“I’d say so. After all, we see too much of each other not to be. Besides, you’ll be living here for a while.”

“I see… Then… Call me Sebastian.”
She nodded once again, her smile widening.