I take a few deep breaths to steady my nerves. The stark white reflection of the linoleum flooring and walls does little to nothing to assuage my frantic heartbeat, as it only reminds me of where I am. The orderlies bopping about and gurneys squeaking on poorly-oiled wheels doesn't help, either.

My heartbeat begins to coincide with a small beeping noise in my ears, which I quickly realize is a phantom heartbeat monitor. At first I panic, as the frequency of the pulsations makes it seem as if a patient is awakening from anesthesia to find their skull open, and their dura mater spread apart like layers of a cake. After being engulfed by both scorching and chilling panic and a wave of nausea, I realize that it's just my own heartbeat, playing like a demented soundtrack in my ears.

I'm about to return to my breathing when a man clad in scrubs and a mask comes out of the operating move. I stand, expecting a gurney to follow, but he simply motions for me to stay in my seat.

"What's going on - is she okay?" I ask, a knot tying itself in my chest. I do my best to untangle the threads, but the small gray pony in the operating room refuses to release the strings.

"She's fine, Mr. Mactylan. In fact, the surgery is finished - I'm afraid we can't let you in to see her, as the area is still sterilized, and introducing you into the area could lead to the contamination of some very, very expensive equipment - as well as the stitches the interns are currently finishing up.

"After a few final preparations, we're moving her to the recovery ward, where you'll be able to wait for her expected full recovery."

I nod, grin, sigh, and cry - all at the same time. It's overwhelming, this feeling of relief, release, hope, and love - all because of one gray, quadrupedal airborne mammal that happens to be my daughter.

Life has a strange way of working out, doesn't it?

I pick up the phone and, standing in a fit of nervous and excited energy, speed dial Charles. Needless to say, I didn't expect Twilight to answer.

"Hello? Daddy?"

I blink a few times in confusion before speaking. "Uh...Twilight? You...picked up Charles' phone?"

"Yeah, he's a bit busy right now..."

I furrow my brow. I don't like the sound of that - did he leave my kids unsupervised? Then again, Barbara's there, too, so if Charles is busy...and doesn't have his phone...

Son of a bitch, he had better not be fucking her - for various reasons.

"Busy with what, sweetheart?" I ask, keeping my voice level. That son of a bitch - he uses my absence when my daughter has a brain tumor to get laid!?

"We're making him into a princess!"

I never had any negative thoughts about Charles. Nope. Never. Not even going to address the mental accusations I didn't make.

"Oh? Are you having fun?"

"Yeah - we're giving him and Big Mac a makeover!"

I chuckle lightly, and ask for him to be put on the phone. I hear Twilight's teeth clenching around the phone's plastic, and the heavy thud of her hooves as the speaker picks up the vibrations of her steps in her mouth. Eventually, I hear loud giggling and gentle sighing, and then everything becomes much clearer as the phone is removed from Twilight's mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Hey - make sure the kids can't hear this."

I immediately hear him saying, "I'll be right back, guys - I've gotta talk to your Daddy, okay? Don't worry, I won't wash the make up off." I hear a door close. "Okay, we can talk."

"Enjoying being a princess?" I ask with a smirk.

"I'm just trying to keep their mind off of things..."

"I understand. But, that's not why I called - I've got good news!" My face lights up again, and I convey the news to Charles. I hear him sigh, and laugh, and call out to Barbara. He shares the news with her, and I can practically feel her snatching the phone from Charles and laughing as she speaks with me.

"We'll be right there!" Is the last thing I hear from her before the phone goes silent.

"Wait - what? Hey - Barbara! Hello?" I pull the phone away and see the timer for the call flashing. "Son of a bitch," I mutter as I put the phone away. I turn back to thank the doctor again, and he simply nods and leads the way to the recovery ward - in fact, an isolated recovery ward to ensure that she'll be separate from human patients and prying eyes - and especially the media. Or anybody that would want to attack her. (Seriously, the world is full of crazies - I don't doubt for a second that there would be someone that would want to hurt her.)

I sigh as I begin to wait. I decide that I need to take my mind off of things for a little bit, so I decide to take out my phone and headbuds. I stick one in and leave the other hanging out, so that I can hear anything going on around me. I google good shows, and decide to watch a rather peculiar-looking one on Netflix, and start up the first episode. It seems rather promising at first, and even a bit heartfelt, and -

OH MY GOD THEIR MOTHER IS ON FIRE ON THE CEILING WHY!!!

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Dear God, I love this show.

I look up as a bed is wheeled into the room. I smile as I see Derpy, unconscious with a few wires and tubes attached to her forelegs. I notice that some of it seems to be slightly jerryrigged, mostly due to the fact that she's not human and they had to find out how to plug her into their systems. Probably figured it all out before the surgery...

I suddenly get a call before I can observe Derpy, and I notice that it's from Charles. I pick it up, and hear the ponies giggling and shouting in the background.

"Hey, we just left - we had to finish the make up first, they were really stubborn about it. Anyway, there's a bit of traffic, so we might be a while. See you then, 'k?"

I respond, and we have a short conversation before he hangs up. I put my phone aside, and stand over the young pony's bed. I smile as I place ah and on her cheek, feeling the warmth of her fur against my palm as I lean down to kiss her on the forehead. She has a bandage wrapped around her head, and only a small part of her head has been shaved - presumably where they inserted the corridor for surgery.

(Yes, I know some stuff about brain surgery.)

I kiss her on the forehead again, taking a deep whiff of her fur and hair - it soothes me, and allows for me to remove myself from the present as I gently cradle her.

I finally remove myself from her side, and turn to the doctor that has been patiently waiting by the edge of her bed.

"I understand," he announces with a sympathetic smile. "I have two children of my own."

I nod, and he continues. "So, I just need to have your permission for a battery of tests we plan to conduct - when she's recovered, of course."

I urge him to explain, and he does. "Vision acuity tests, IQ tests - the usual tests that take place after brain surgery."

We exchange a few more words, and after a while he leaves me with my daughter. I text Charles, and find out that there's too much traffic to be able to make it to the hospital within a reasonable time - they're going to have to come tomorrow. For now, they're going to go for Ice Cream to pacify the ponies. I smile as I imagine Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash having a race to see who can eat the ice cream faster. I them imagine Pinkie Pie surrounding the ice cream with an enlarged jaw and swallowing it whole. I shudder at the imagery, and think of Leviathans.

I know about Leviathans because I looked up jokes about Supernatural after I finished the first episode. Accidentally found spoilers. I can't wait to meet Cas - and Lucifer!

God (Chuck), that sounds so weird.

I sigh and shake my head, collecting my thoughts in an attempt to focus on the now. While I feel bad for trying to distract myself from the fact that my daughter just went through surgery with Supernatural, I...I just can't keep watching her, unconscious and in her bed. I know that it would be unhealthy and unwise to simply sit, watch, and wait, so I decide to simply...uh...

Sit...watch...and wait.

But I watch Supernatural. So that's a thing.

The entire time, I keep one eye on Derpy, and one ear out for anything happening. I sigh as I let Netflix wash away the time, thinking of what I'll say to the poor girl when she wakes up...

My elbows start to dig into my knees. My phone sits on the side table, its screen having been dark for hours now.

I tried to sleep. I tried to sleep so I could wake up and see Derpy smiling at me, but I...I just couldn't. Now, without the lights and sounds of the adventures of Sam and Dean Winchester to distract me, I simply sit and stare at the poor gray pony, my pulse massaging my fingers as I clasp them beneath my chin. I take a deep breath, and lean forward to kiss Derpy on the forehead. I grab hold of her tiny, delicate hoof, and look longingly at her lidded eyes, willing them to open...willing for her to be alright...

Jesus, what kind of father am I...sitting back and watching a T.V. show while my daughter is recovering from brain surgery...

With so many prominent flaws in my character, in my ethical code, and in my own soul, I don't know how I can ever be the perfect father for these ponies - the perfect father that they deserve, simply for being born. I rest my face in my hands, and watch as the darkness swirls in patterns of gentle patterns of both comfort and dismay. I reach for Derpy's hoof again, and swallow back tears as I begin my watch over the young pony, taking a vow not to be distracted again as I feel her coarse fur and gentle pulse.

I rest my head on the corner of her bed, and watch her sleep - as if I were a guardian angel, here to keep evil at bay while she lays her weary head to rest...

I pinch the bridge of my nose.

I really shouldn't have watched so many episodes of Supernatural in a row...

Author's Notes:

I say that because I know that this chapter is confusing and mixed. You're laughing at the other ponies, sighing in relief for Derpy, laughing at Supernatural, scowling at Peter's choices, and softly crying for Derpy and Peter's regret. I know I did it - minus the crying part, my tear ducts were all dried out after Season 9...

In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Expect more Supernatural jokes in the future, and possibly a gif in each author's note.

'Cus that is how I do.