Pain.
That was the first thought to enter my head. A single aimalistic emotion was running rampant through my mind, screaming at me to make it stop.
When I finally fully awoke, the pain had lessened to a dull roar, though occasionally a burst shot from my side to my brain, like I was being shocked. It was dark; my first assumption was that it was at least ten. Or you could have just found your way into a cave again, I thought dryly. But... why had I thought that? Nopony just finds their way into a cave and forgets how it happened. I'm such a moron, I thought, mentally scolding myself.
I couldn't remember much of anything that had happened previously. But a strange little voice at the back of my mind told me that it wasn't at all strange for me to wake up in an unfamiliar place.
I sat up from where I was, allowing yet another short burst of pain to escape from my right side. I blinked rapidly, trying to allow just a little light into my eyes. I was in a soft bed, in a small room quaintly decorated with flowers and animals and such. The carvings in the corners were quite ornate, and the colors were... almost neon bright. There was a thick chest in the left-hand corner of the room, along with a candle lamp on the bedside tabl-
Urgh. Another wave flew through my body. My side was throbbing. I looked down at my abdomen, and saw my stomach wrapped neatly and cleanly with medical gauze, along with a faux-sling made of gauze that went onto my right shoulder.
Drowsily, I reached for the candle lamp - but leaning to the left put too much weight on my injured muscles. I fell forwards, onto the bed, thankfully, but the lamp fell to the floor. I winced as I heard the glass case around the lamp shatter. I didn't need to see to know that it was ruined... I hoped my host wouldn't be too angry.
As the lamp broke, I heard a shrill yelp that sounded like it was directly adjacent to me. This frightened me, and I whipped my head quickly from left to right. The pony that made that sound wasn't in the room with me; that was one thing to be glad for.
However, I did hear somepony disctinctly open and close a door, and trotting quickly to the room I was in. It sounded like the pony was in the next room, the one to my back. I looked hurriedly to my right, and saw the heavy-looking wooden door swing rather quickly open, and a yellow pegasus, feathers aflutter, trotted quickly into the doorway (if only just). She stopped as soon as her gaze met mine.
Her form was defined by the moonlight; her sleek, lean body, her small, gentle wings, and the features of her smooth, pale yellow face that were outlined softly by the whitish-blue light entering through the window. Every few seconds, a shadow cast by the window curtains would pass across her face. She was smaller than me, definitely - by almost two inches. She looked fragile and helpless, the way she reeled away from me demurely.
Was there something wrong with me? Should I be here? I tried to remedy the situation the best way I knew how: through words. "I-I'm so sorry, ma'am, I don't even know h-"
I tried to exit the bed, but the sheets wouldn't allow me. I kicked, and my back leg was caught momentarily in the covers. I fell to the wooden floor headfirst with a sickening 'thud'. Unbearable agony was released from my wound.
"AAAAGH!" I cried, biting my tongue as to discourage further shouting. I shuddered, but the pain was too much. I shouted again in malady.
The small yellow mare rushed over to me, all previous diffidence gone. She moved my head and positioned my body on the ground, so as to avoid putting me in more pain. She grabbed a pillow and threw it under my head. She must have felt a warm spot, because she lifted her hoof to the light. It shone red.
"Oh Celestia, now you're bleeding again. Stay here, I'll go get the gauze." She turned and galloped out of the room, leaving me bleeding on the floor. Now, when you're in pain like I was, you don't have much time to think. I could really comprehend what had just happened... it felt like my insides were spilling out. Or on fire. Or both.
She returned soon, holding a roll of medical gauze in her mouth. She moved down to my midsection and began unwrapping me, placing the bloodstained gauze on the floor next to her. She worked in silence, except for my breathing and groaning. When she said, "Oh, no, you've broken your stitches," though, I began to panic.
"Calm down," she said, laying a gentle hoof on my rapidly rising and falling chest and smiling. "I know how to do this."
Talk about bedside manner. Her voice alone calmed me down. Such a gentle tone. She opened the drawer in the bedside table next to me and pulled out a red medical bag. Why didn't she use - why did she have to go g - why did she put a medical -
She pulled out a wrapped syringe and unwrapped it slowly with her hooves. It was sterile, after all. Before I knew what was happening, the needle, followed by four others, were in and out. I couldn't feel much other than my skin being open, so I paid them no mind. Then, she waited for maybe thirty seconds (seemed to me like hours) and pulled out a hooked needle and plastic thread.
She continued to work silently, like an absolute expert. I'm sure, whatever happened, I was lucky to have somepony find me with my wound who knew... medical things. I'm glad it wasn't just, like, a farmer or an artist or something.
She was finished quickly, and began to regauze me slowly. The pain had stopped with the shots, but I was still sweating and clammy, not to mention unsure of what to say. I might have bled out before this amazing mare had come to the rescue. I felt my eyelids closing slowly as I was picked up (with difficulty) and placed into bed. I would need to thank her profusely.
"Wait," I said as the mare turned to leave. "can you tell me your name, so Ican dream about you tonight?" It was a lame pickup line, but at least I came up with it myself.
She blushed. I could even see it in the dark. Woah, wait... this young Pegasus stitched me up in the DARK? I just caught that -- that - that's amazing!
Anyway, she muttered something in response. I leaned forwards as well as i could with my wound.
"One more time, please?"
"It's, um... it's Fluttershy."
"Thanks, Fluttershy," I said, yawning. "Thank you so much."
Every ounce of adrenaline that came with my pain left. And as she smiled gently and turned to leave, only one thought passed through my mind.
That was one sexy mare.