Rainbow Dash removed the moist towel from Peter's forehead, and pressed a hoof to the bare skin. He was burning up.

Replacing the towel, she turned to Fluttershy. "Is there a way to break this fever, Fluttershy?"

The yellow Pegasus sighed.

"I'm afraid that, since I know nothing of the human body, I can't really help him. The most I can do is...give him an ice bath, to help lower his body temperature."

Peter coughed, his ears stinging as his throat was chafed once more. He tried to talk, but his migraine reduced his words to a wheeze. He could feel it coming for him, and soon.

"We're going to help you get better, Peter. You just have to be strong, for me, and for our foal."

Fluttershy smiled sadly as Rainbow Dash lay a hoof on Peter's hand, and she walked towards the other side of the train, the letter from Celestia weighing heavy on her mind.

She trotted up to Twilight, and sighed.

"I'm afraid that, without a doctor, it's just as you said. He'll be dead by tomorrow, the latest. The most we can do is try to delay it..."

The two of them shook their heads, equally shocked by Celestia's decision to 'let nature run its course'.

"Anyway, we need to give him an ice bath, if only to lower his fever..."

Twilight nodded, and glanced at Pinkie Pie, who was seated to her left.

"Any chance you have a tub in that mane?"

Pinkie Pie didn't say anything, but, rather, pulled a metal basin out of her pink mane, as well as a bag of ice.

"Thank you."

Pinkie merely nodded, whilst repeating what she had said many times that day.

"Celestia will pay for this. For not sending us straight to the doctor..."

Fluttershy nodded. She, too, longed to expose this injustice to the world...

To the lavender unicorn's right, Applejack wiped her snout with a hoof.

"Ah barely even knew 'im..."

Fluttershy looked at her, shocked. "You say that as if he's already dead, Applejack."

"Well, he's as good as, ain't he? Ah mean, Celestia has essentially condemned him to death!"

Fluttershy shuddered, the truth of the words, and the cold of the now-ice filled metal tub stinging her.

After a few moments of pushing the tub, in vain, Twilight walked over to help. After a few moments, they had pushed the tub up to Peter's bedside.

Her magical glow ensnaring him, Twilight undressed the human, ignoring the unseemly organ as she placed him in the ice bath.

"It's cold...it's cold...so cold..."

Rainbow Dash sniffed, careful to keep her tears out of the ice bath.

"Just...just, hang in there, okay, Peter?"

He nodded. He could feel his grip loosening...

The cold shocked his nervous system once more, and he took a shuddering breath. It felt as though time was slowing down...

Everything went black, and his body slumped over in the bath.

"Wh...what happened!? Is he okay!?"

Twilight immediately pulled him out of the bath. She pressed her horn to his chest. She immediately straightened, speaking more to Fluttershy than Rainbow Dash. "He's gone into cardiac arrest. He needs CPR, now!"

Fluttershy nodded. Normally, she would cower if a friend was in cardiac arrest. However, being the only certified pony there, she immediately snapped into business mode.

The customary Ring of Death formed around her, and she began the recuperative process immediately.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten..."

She winced as she felt a rib break. And another.

Applejack watched in wonder as Fluttershy displayed how able she was, especially at applying force.

Pinching Peter's nose with a hoof, she angled his head back, and pressed her mouth to his, giving him two breaths. Rainbow Dash winced, but said nothing.

She went back to his chest.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten..."

Rainbow Dash sobbed, in relief. Fluttershy had managed to stabilize Peter, but he had immediately blacked out soon afterwards. Twilight and Fluttershy were currently huddled together at the far end of the train, having a small argument, occasionally glancing back at Peter and Rainbow Dash.

She sighed, the stress getting to her. She expelled it in the form of a shout.

"Would you two just tell me what the buck is wrong with him!?"

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged a glance, and sighed. The lavender unicorn placed a hoof on the Pegasus' shoulder, and approached Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash, he's slipped into a coma, and, well...it's just a guess as to how long he has left."

Rainbow Dash sniffed, and placed a hoof on Peter's hand.

"Can I...can I have some privacy?"

Twilight nodded, and closed the membrane of the compartment, wiping away tears.