> The Blood Doctor > by Obsedian_Flame > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: Oath To Do No Harm > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Blood Doctor Written By: Obsedian Flame Chapter 1 Oath To Do No Harm Today is the day. My first day on the job. More specifically my first day at my dream job. I have spent years of my life studying and practicing to reach this point. I made sure to set my alarm extra early this morning followed by a second one to make sure I didn’t skip the first. Surely enough my clock rang out loud in my apartment when the hour hand hit 5:00 AM. Without missing a beat, I tapped the clock with my hoof to stop it and rose from my comfortable bed before stretching my limbs. After getting up and onto my hooves, I made my way to the bathroom to start my day with a nice warm shower. While walking through the hall I looked out the window to see the silhouettes of trees only faintly illuminated by Princess Celestia’s slowly rising sun. If my calendar hadn’t already reminded me, I could definitely tell that fall was approaching just by the shorter daylight hours. Most of my friends prefer seasons like spring or summer for the warmer weather and brighter days, but for me fall will always be my favorite. If somepony were to ask my why I’d likely lie and tell them I like the colors or the holidays, while in reality, the coming of fall means I get to return to studying and working. As I walked into the bathroom, I flipped the light on before turning the tap to medium high heat. I usually wait a few moments as the water gets nice and warm before I enter the shower, but today I decided to step right in before the water even had a chance to heat up. The chilling drops felt like cold hail raining down on me but luckily warmed up shortly after. While running my hoof through my mane with shampoo, I thought about how my first day would be like and what to expect. I’d worked in hospitals many times before both as an intern and as a nurse, but never as an assistant surgeon. Despite being qualified for the job and having studied for years, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. After finishing rinsing the shampoo from my mane and tail, I turned the tap closed and stepped out of the shower before drying myself with a soft towel. With my mane dry, I took out my hairband and tied up most of my mane into a high ponytail while parting my bangs to the side. I know a lot of mares like to wear their manes out, but I’ve grown accustomed to this style and it helps keep my hair out of my face when I put a mask on. With that done, I went to exit the bathroom before my ears picked up a faint ringing noise from up ahead. I raised my brow, confused as to what this could be so early in the morning before it hit me. I’d forgotten to cancel my second alarm… After rushing through the hall I heard the sound more clearly. I could only hope the commotion hadn’t woken my roommate up. As I entered my dim room I quickly tapped on my clock to stop it for good. Rolling my eyes at my own ignorance, I turned around before seeing a figure standing outside my door. “Scarlet, I know it’s your first day on the job, but could you at least try to be quiet?” Said the voice at my doorway. I rubbed my neck in sheepishly before replying, “Sorry Sheryl…” While I could tell she wanted to yell at me, I was relieved to hear her begin to snicker before breaking into a small chuckle. “It’s fine. I know how much this means to you Scarlet.” I didn’t really know what to say, so instead I simply smiled. Truth be told, I’m incredibly lucky to have a roommate as nice as her. Sheryl Shine and I met in high school and we stayed close even while I was going through med school in Manehattan. Her shift at the hoof salon doesn’t start until 9 so I know I woke her up much earlier than she’s used to. Without wasting anymore time I respond, “I’d better get going. Sorry again for waking you up Sheryl.” She raised a brow but looked at me with a devious smile, “If you buy dinner tonight we’re even.” I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Alright, alright! Garlic fried rice at Manny’s?” Sheryl nodded, “You bet! Now go on and be the best doctor yet!” “Assistant surgeon!” I corrected her as I walked out my room and down the stairs. “They’re the same thing!” I heard her call down to me as she went back to her room to go back to sleep. My stubborn side wanted me to argue back, but knowing how much commotion I’d already caused, I decided to leave it at that and pour myself a bowl of oatmeal. After filling my bowl, I opened our fridge and poured myself a glass of fresh 2% milk and got to eating. If there’s one thing my studies have taught me it’s that a good healthy meal is always the right choice despite what our stomachs say. Once I finished eating, I put my dishes in the sink knowing I’d wash them when I got home later. I then made sure to brush my teeth and floss thoroughly before preparing to head out and catch my train. As I rummaged through the front hall closet, I took out my purse and my scarf to keep me warm. With that, I was ready. As I opened the door and stepped outside, I was greeted by the cool and misty fall morning. Visibility was not great, but the street lamps illuminated the road well enough for me to see where I was going. I then set out to catch the train that would depart soon. The walk to the train station was not far but still gave my body a chance to fully wake up. As I stepped onto platform 6, I approached the ticket booth to purchase a pass. I always prefer to ride coach over sleeper if only for the more affordable price. While waiting for the train to arrive, I checked my purse to make sure I had all the belongings I needed for the day. My notepad, pencil, paperclips, and most importantly my new name tag and lanyard which had come in the mail recently. The card read: Tramplevania Hospital Scarlet Vessel Assistant Surgeon Department C I felt great pride seeing those two words after my name, however, I could only cringe after looking at my photo on the right corner of the tag. I had been incredibly nervous that day and it certainly showed in this picture. Before I could lament any further, I heard a loud hoot from down the track. Moments later, the train arrived with a cloud of steam coming from its funnel. The doors opened shortly after and I wasted no time in boarding and finding my seat. The train was relatively empty for the most part so I felt no guilt putting my purse on the empty seat next to me. As the train’s doors closed once more, we began to set off. The ride to the hospital was a little less than half an hour so I figured I’d read today’s paper to pass the time. The front page had all the usual headlines ranging from wonderbolt events to the re-emergence of the Crystal Empire, but after turning to the second page I was surprised to see a local story. Tramplevania isn’t a terribly popular city in Equestria even at the best of times. Our main attractions are the tall mountains and ancient castles, but apart from that we normally get overshadowed by places like Canterlot and Manehattan. ‘Kidnapped or Vanished? The eerie city of Tramplevania has recently been plagued with the disappearance of another pony last Friday 13th. Guards from the city as well as local law enforcement are searching tirelessly to find the victim; Garnet Gash. Local residents and close family members of the victim suggest that these events may be connected to prior disappearances dating back as far as the year 3422. Some say supernatural forces are to blame. Some even claim they are the work of a monster that strikes at the darkest hour of night. Could these urban myths hold any truth? If you have any information as to the whereabouts of the victim, please report it to the authorities immediately.’ After reading the article I could only roll my eyes. I’ve never believed in urban myths nor in supernatural forces. Of course I knew that Unicorns can cast spells with magic, and that Pegasi can fly and stand atop clouds effortlessly, however, my career in science has shown me that these myths are nothing but folly. After another half hour ride, the train had reached its destination; Oak Leaf Station. Once the doors to the car opened, I thanked the conductor before stepping out into the cold air once more. The walk to the hospital was no more than several minutes and before I knew it I was standing at the doors. As I entered the atrium I made my way past the reception desk before hearing a voice from behind, “Excuse me Mrs, you know where you’re going, right?” I looked back to see the Unicorn Mare behind the desk before answering, “Yes I do. Department C on floor 4.” The receptionist looked shocked, “Dr. Acardio’s section? Okay. Are you new to the department?” I nodded without fail, “Yes. Today’s my first day.” Upon hearing my response, the Mare smiled warmly, “Oh okay. Glad to have you Mrs-” “Vessel. Scarlet Vessel.” I stated, finishing her sentence. “Well, if it’s your first day and you know where you’re going I won’t take up any more of your time. Best of luck!” She kindly stated. Another thing I don’t believe in. Luck. Regardless I politely thanked the Mare and made my way to the staircase. As I scaled the flights of stairs, I thought of the name the receptionist had mentioned. I’d never met this ‘Doctor Acardio’ and I could only assume he was the chief physician of the department which would likely make him my new boss. After a short climb up, I had finally reached the fourth floor. As I walked through the hall I passed both departments A and B before arriving where I needed to be. ‘Okay Scarlet. Just be calm.’ I told myself as I took a deep breath and slipped my name tag lanyard on. Not wanting to waste another minute, I pushed the door open and entered Department C. Once inside, I took note just how large the room was. To my left I could see an assortment of stretchers and tool carts lined up in perfect order. While on my right was a large waiting room with enough chairs to seat an entire classroom full of Ponies. Straight ahead I could see another hallway with a number of operating rooms and a series of floor to ceiling windows which strangely had all their blinds down. After examining the room, I decided to delve further into the department to find somepony I could ask for directions. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before I found a pair of Unicorn Stallions each wearing similar lanyards to myself. “Excuse me?” I called to them politely. They each turned their heads to face me. The one on the left had an olive green coat and a short mane while the one on the right had a cyan coat and a longer brushed mane. The one on the left addressed me first, “Good morning Mrs, can we help you with anything?” I nodded, “It’s Scarlet. This is my first day on the job and I was just wondering where to go. The Mare at the office told me this is Doctor Acardio’s section?” After explaining myself, the two Stallions looked down and noticed my name tag. The blue coated Stallion replied once again, “Oh okay, welcome aboard Scarlet! I’m Rem and this is Sporin.” The Unicorn then extended his hoof as if to shake mine. I didn’t hesitate to do the same as I shook both Stallions hooves. “Pleased to meet you both! It’ll be great getting to work with you.” The one named Rem nodded, “Totally! It’s great to get some new blood on the team! Here, let us show you around.” The Stallion then turned and motioned for me to follow to which I did. “We have four operating rooms on this wing and several checkup rooms right here.” Stated Rem as he guided me along the hallway. “As you can tell, our equipment is state of the art and we keep good care of it. We transport any tools and instruments we use on these carts and always clean them thoroughly when done.” He continued. “We have a few sanitation rooms where we clean our instruments and those can be found at the far end of the hall. Other than that there isn’t a whole lot more to show.” The Stallion finished as we came to a halt near the entrance. “Perhaps we could show Scarlet the interior of one of the operating rooms? Seeing as how it’s her first day.” Spoke the other blue coated Unicorn. I became a bit apprehensive upon hearing this. Operating rooms weren’t meant to be used unless a patient was being tended to. “Is that a good idea? I thought we weren’t supposed to go in those rooms unless during an operation.” I protested. Rem looked ready to respond before a loud sound emanated from the entrance. The two doors flung open as a stretcher was quickly wheeled into the department with what looked to be a pony lying on top. The cart was being pushed along by several other Ponies followed by a third and rather unusual looking winged Pony from behind. I immediately moved out of their way as they rushed past, however, I could not help but stare at the strange Pony. I had never seen such a large Stallion before. His coat resembled a fresh piece of parchment while his long burgundy mane provided a stark contrast. His most defining feature, however, were his dark bat-like wings. But before I could ponder his appearance further, I heard the Stallion speak, “Remedy. Sporin. What are you two doing?” His voice was powerful and his accent was equally noticeable. It sounded almost aristocratic in nature. “Sorry Doctor. We were just showing the new recruit around. What’s going on here?” Rem asked on our behalf. The Batpony raised one of his sharp eyebrows as he glanced my way. Though I couldn’t explain it, my body felt cold all of a sudden with my fur perking up around my limbs. The Stallion proceeded to examine me with his pure red reptilian-like eyes. Between the cold sensation and his peering gaze, I felt more awkward than I could ever remember. “Our patient is having a stroke. We need to act quickly if we are to save him. I want you two to follow me to operating room 3. And bring our new recruit as well.” The Batpony spoke as he turned his back and caught up with the cart which was being wheeled into the room. Before I could even react, Rem glanced my way, “Well, you heard him Scarlet. Come on! You can learn a thing or two!” Knowing there was no time to waste, I nodded and followed the two into the operating room. After walking in, the two other ponies lifted the stretcher onto the operating table and set the cart aside. I noticed as Sporin opened one of the drawers and pulled out a box of unused masks and mitts. Without any questions, I took one of the masks and several mitts for my front two hooves. Once ready, I joined the others beside the table. “Rem, bring the tube and mask and place the patient under anesthesia set to stage 3. Sporin, bring the cart of instruments here.” Ordered the Batpony. Rem did as our supervisor told him and levitated the mask in position before placing it on the patient’s mouth and turning it on to keep the distressed pony sedated. Not a moment later, Sporin returned with a cart full of surgical equipment ranging from scalpels, syringes, clothes, and forceps. Before conducting any operations, Rem and Sporin wheeled another cart right next to the operating table and attach several velcro straps and pads to the patient’s chest and his left front hoof. These pads connected to a small case on the cart which I recognized from my internship training. This was a new piece of equipment known as a heartrate monitor which would track pulses through a body and display a pony’s bpm using a dial on the case. Currently our patient’s heart rate was at 150 bpm which was extraordinarily high. I then watched as the Batpony brought his head right next to the patient’s chest. Though I expected him to use a stethoscope or some other tool to determine where the clot was, he appeared to be only using his ears. “Cerebral artery clot. It needs a thrombectomy. Bring me the size 7 scalpel.” The Doctor spoke as he lifted his head. Sporin used his unicorn magic to delicately levitate the blade before handing it off to the Batpony who used the claws on his wing to grip the blade carefully. “Rotate the patient 60 degrees left and keep him steady.” He stated. Both Rem and Sporin proceeded to turn the patient over until he was on his side. The Batpony then made his way to the back of the patient’s neck before using his scalpel to make a small incision down the patient’s neck while being careful to avoid any blood vessels or nerves. However, the Batpony stopped abruptly before turning his head to face me, “New one. Bring me a huck cloth and a 2x magnifying glass.” I was shocked to hear him giving me orders, but knowing there was no time to waste, I made my way to the tool cart. My education and training thankfully made identifying the items easy and I brought them to our supervisor as quickly as I could. The Batpony took the cloth and cleaned up the blood that had been spilled from the incision. He then passed the bloodied cloth back to me before taking the magnifying glass from my hoof. As he opened the incision, the Batpony began examining the patient’s cerebral artery. To any normal Pony, the sight of such a cut in the skin would be unnerving, however, as a medical practitioner I’d gotten used to such things. While I could not see in as much detail as my supervisor, I could not pick up on any blood clots in the artery. After a few minutes of examination, the Batpony looked up as if contemplating something, “How can this be… He has all the symptoms of a stroke. Yet the flow in his cerebral artery is not hindered…” I began to worry as I knew that with a heart rate as high as this patient’s he was likely not going to last much longer unless we quickly fixed the problem. “Doctor? Is everything okay?” Asked Rem who looked equally concerned. “Quiet Remedy, I need to think.” The Batpony shot back. As I looked at the struggling patient, however, a thought then dawned on me. “Wait, Doctor? Sir? Does this patient have any prior heart conditions?” The Batpony looked at me with a raised brow, “No. He does not. His only recorded medical conditions are viral infections which he has been treated for. But these do not have any stakehold on his current condition.” Upon hearing this information, a metaphoric light bulb lit up in my mind. “Actually sir, they might! What if the patient isn’t suffering from a stroke at all?” The Batpony looked insulted by what I said, “Excuse me?” Both Rem and Sporin looked at one another and then back to me, “Wait, what are you implying Scarlet?” Rem asked. “Well, if this Pony has never had any prior heart conditions and he has symptoms of a stroke then it’s possible he’s instead suffering from a brain aneurysm. That may be why he has no blot clots. It’s likely that one of the walls of his artery has thinned.” I stated while glancing at both Rem and Sporin as well as the Batpony who was eyeing me skeptically. There was a brief pause in the room before Rem spoke up, “Wait, you might be right Scarlet! If that’s true then the problem is likely within his Aorta!” As I looked back at the Batpony Doctor, I felt compelled to speak up, “Please sir, I took an oath to do no harm. Please let me help this patient.” Despite his eyebrow still raised, he nodded, “Very well, but we must act quickly. He hasn’t much time. Sporin, please retrieve an aortic graft.” With that, the Batpony made another careful incision at the patient’s upper chest just above the rib cage. Already knowing the drill, I brought a clean huck cloth and this time cleaned the incision myself. Once ready, the doctor opened the cut ever so slightly which revealed a number of the patient’s organs. His lungs were functioning, but his breathing was sporadic. Just above the Pony’s rapidly beating heart was his upper aorta; the largest of the body’s blood vessels. Upon further inspection using his 2x magnifying glass, the Batpony’s eyes went wide as if shocked by what he saw. “You were correct. His aorta has a bulge and the wall has thinned. Bring us the synthetic graft quickly.” Sporin arrived not a moment later with the small metal filament coil and handed it to our supervisor. Before the Batpony did anything else, however, he glanced my way, “Have you been trained on endovascular grafting?” I nodded without falter as I recalled my training. “Then I shall give you the honor.” He continued as he passed the material to me. This action came as a surprise, but there was no time to waste. I quickly put on a pair of hoof tweezers and took the graft from him. As I looked inside the chest of the patient, I could easily see the distressed area on his aorta. Being as delicate as I could, I wrapped the material around the weak spot before attaching it and clamping it to the large blood vessel. Once finished, I immediately noticed the Pony’s heart begin to calm as blood flow returned to normal. As I removed my hoof from the incision, I glanced back to the Doctor who looked strangely impressed. “Well done.” He blurted out. I could not help but smile as I realized what I had just accomplished. But as much as I wanted to celebrate, I knew the procedure wasn’t finished yet. “Remedy, please retrieve the size 2 suture line.” The Batpony asked. Rem quickly brought the stitching line and handed it off. With that, the Doctor began to close the incisions one by one. After a few minutes of precise work, the Doctor had sealed both cuts and set his tools down on a cart with a small sigh. After looking at the heartrate monitor I was relieved to see the Pony’s pulse had dropped to 100 beats per minute and had stabilized itself. I watched as the Batpony removed the anesthetic tube from the patient’s mouth before taking off his own mask. “We should notify his next of kin that he is going to make it. Remedy, Sporin, have Ana keep watch of our patient and make sure he does not stress the sutures on his neck and chest.” The Batpony ordered as he stood up. “Yes Doctor.” Rem answered as both he and Sporin left the room. The air in the room had gotten a lot quieter now. And I couldn’t deny I felt a bit awkward. “Come. We should return to the foyer to notify his family.” The Batpony said before stepping out. While I wanted nothing more than to wait a moment to contemplate what had happened, I knew I should do what I was told. I removed my own mask and made my way out before following the Doctor down the hall. It didn’t take long before the both of us arrived at the waiting room where we could see several anxious Mares sitting beside one another. The one on the right noticed us immediately and rose from her chair before approaching. She looked incredibly stressed as her messy mane and shaking hooves showed. “Well!? Is he alright!?” She asked with a tone of dread and fear. The Batpony remained relaxed as he nodded, “Yes. He is going to make it.” The fearful expressions on the two Pony’s faces instantly changed as they heard the news. Tears of happiness fell from the older Mare’s face as she felt relieved. “I don’t know what to say… Thank you! Thank you so much!” “You need not thank me. It is our new recruit here who found the problem and saved your husband. She is the one who deserves praise.” I went still upon hearing those words. I’d only known this Batpony for a little under an hour, but I knew he was a very serious type. Yet hearing words of praise come from his mouth felt strange. So strange that I was not sure how to react. All I could think of was to smile as genuinely as I could. The mare looked at me with a warmth I’d never seen in anypony before. “Thank you so much! I owe you everything! We owe you everything!” In all honesty, I felt overwhelmed with all the praise. “It’s okay Mrs, I was just doing my duty. I wish your husband a great recovery.” I answered. “We will let your husband out in a few days after he has properly healed. For the time being I’d advise against any physical exertion and keep him on a low carb diet.” The Batpony stated. “We can do that. Thank you again for everything!” She replied with a gleeful smile. The Batpony then spoke on our behalf, “We should return to our work now.” He then let abruptly leaving me behind. I couldn’t help but feel his comment was terse, so I looked back to the mare with a smile of my own, “You’re welcome Mrs. I hope everything works out for your family.” With that, I left and went to rejoin my supervisor who was making his way down the hall. After catching up to him, I heard him speak to me, “You did well back there. But I’m curious, how did you know?” In all honesty, I was unsure how I’d known either. Ever since I was little I just felt a natural gift with medicine and anatomy. “I’m not sure sir, I just knew…” He seemed unconvinced with this, not that I could blame him. Regardless he carried on, “I suppose it does not matter for the time being. You saved him, and that’s what truly matters.” I nodded but noticed him stop in his tracks and letting me pass him slightly. I looked back confused, but before I could talk to him, he addressed me again, “I never properly introduced myself. I am Doctor Acardio, chief physician of Department C.” Suddenly, a lot of things in my brain now made sense. “I’m Scarlet. Scarlet Vessel. Pleasure to meet you Sir.” I answered as I extended my hoof to his. Without a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and shook my hoof. “Perhaps I should show you the rest of the department to finish off your first day.” “I’d appreciate that sir.” I answered again. As if acknowledging my answer, he began on a saunter again leaving me to follow. Our tour of the department was much longer than when Rem and Sporin had shown me around. I could tell he was far more experienced than them if his title hadn’t already revealed that. But while my brain was busy soaking up all the information I could, I couldn’t help but sense a peculiar feeling from this Batpony Stallion. Though at first I felt it was simply the nature of his species. After all Batponies are rarely if ever seen in the healthcare industry. However, the more I pondered it there was something else entirely that I couldn’t yet comprehend. As the day passed on, Doctor Acardio continued to show me around the department, stopping to summarize each room, tool, and even introduce me to a lot of the other staff. As we entered the final operating room, the Batpony turned to face me, “Does this room look familiar to you?” I shrugged my shoulders as the room seemed fairly ordinary to me. Taking my gesture as an answer, he continued, “This is the room where the first ever coronary bypass was performed.” My eyes went wide with realization, “Wait… You’re serious?” He nodded, “Yes. I personally oversaw the procedure.” I didn’t know how to respond. This meant that my new boss was practically a celebrity in the world of medicine. I still found it odd how I’d never heard his name mentioned until today, but regardless, I was too excited to care. There were many fascinating pieces of equipment in the room, but the one that caught my eye the most was a large mirror on the other end. It was likely a two way mirror meaning others could view inside the room but anypony inside would not be able to see them. However, something seemed to be missing in the room. I could see my own reflection perfectly fine, but strangely the Batpony who was standing next to me was not there on the mirror. I rubbed my eyes with my hooves to make sure I wasn’t simply seeing things. “Is something the matter?” His voice startled me as I looked to my side and noticed him looking at me with concern. “Sorry. I just… It feels weird standing in such a famous room.” I lied as I glanced his way. To make things even stranger, the Batpony proceeded to smile. This was the first time I’d ever seen him express such an emotion and I wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or not. Only adding to the oddity of the moment, Doctor Acardio began to chuckle. ‘Was it something I said?’ I thought as embarrassment overtook me. “Forgive me Mrs Scarlet. I could not help but admire your affinity for the field. I have met few other surgeons as passionate as you. I believe you will make a very fine doctor in time.” He stated after calming down. This complement awakened a new feeling in me. It felt professional, yes. But I couldn’t help but feel my cheeks flush. Luckily the blush on my face was hidden by my crimson fur coat. “T-thank you Doctor Acardio.” I blurted out, trying to mask my emotions. As the Batpony nodded, he continued, “Come. We can finish your day off by tending to our patient from earlier.” I nodded in agreement before following him out of the room. But before the door closed, I had one last look at the mirror on the wall. Still, however, I saw only my own reflection. ‘Strange.’ I thought. As the sun set over Equestria, I stepped back onto the platform to catch my train that would arrive soon. As I sat down on one of the benches, my brain stayed busy remembering all the events that had happened over the day. I hadn’t ever expected the day to be as exciting as it was, however, I couldn’t complain. For the first time in my life I had saved a Pony’s life. I felt enormous pride knowing that I had given a family hope where there was none to be found. But while I was mostly focused on highlights such as the procedure, I couldn’t help but think back to the Batpony Doctor I’d met. Doctor Acardio was unlike any Pony I’d ever met before. And not because I’d never seen a real Batpony before, but rather of the mysterious way about him. Even for his kind he was incredibly large and imposing. Not to mention every time I got close to him I felt strange. And to top things off was the matter of the mirror not showing his reflection at all. Was it simply broken? Or was I just seeing things? Before I could ponder the events any further, the train pulled up to the station and stopped to let its current passengers off. I rose from the bench and made my way on board remembering to keep my ticket close. Once on board and in my seat I yawned after the long day. It felt good knowing I’d soon be back home, but I then remembered the promise I’d made to Sheryl earlier. ‘Buck… I promised her I’d buy her dinner at Manny’s.’ I supposed the evening would be a long one just as the day had been. Regardless, it’d be a nice time to tell her about everything. After a short ride back, the train had arrived at my stop. Before departing, I thanked the kind conductor and exited the train. The sun had since set and in its place was the pale white moon with the mare at its center. The air was now much colder and was accompanied by a chilling breeze that gusted leaves off the ground only for them to land elsewhere. I proceeded to wrap my warm scarf around my neck before heading home. Despite Fall being my favorite season, I couldn’t deny that it tended to have many eerie nights. And tonight was certainly one of those nights. As I walked down the street, I could hear the sound of the wind brushing up against houses and streetlights all the while making a ghostly whistling noise. Worse yet, every so often I’d hear what sounded like wing flaps not too far behind me as if a bird were swooping down from the sky. But since hawks and other raptors are day time predators it was more than likely simply an owl. As I continued on my way home, however, my trepidation remained. The flapping noises had quieted down, but I could still pick up on small flutters from time to time. Moreover, I could now see faint movements in my peripheral vision as if something was stalking me from behind. While I was too focused on my surroundings to notice it, my heart rate had risen as had my walking pace. As I looked from side to side, I kept getting the feeling that I was being followed. After a few more moments, the noises began to feel closer. And Closer, and closer, and closer until it felt as though something was directly behind me. I couldn’t handle the suspense anymore so I impulsively turned to see what was behind me. Only, there was nothing. The only thing I saw nearby was a street pole with my street name; Maple Street. After detecting nothing around me, I sighed in relief before turning my back. ‘Blasted owls…’ I thought as I rolled my eyes at my own mind for believing in such nonsense. Little did I know at the time, however, how lucky I’d been this night… > Chapter 2: Un-Settled In > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2 Un-Settled In It was yet another cool and misty morning out as I walked toward the Hospital. While I didn’t mind the cold autumn mornings for now, I knew I’d have to start bundling up more fairly soon. Still, as I walked through the Hospital doors, I was greeted by the warmer conditioned air. After unwrapping my scarf I was politely greeted by the mare behind the counter who had no doubt seen me enter, “Good morning Scarlet.” Her tone was much friendlier than it had been the day before, yet I shrugged it off and greeted her in return, “Likewise!” I said. I felt a bit embarrassed that I did not yet know her name. I had been so preoccupied with my first day yesterday that I’d completely neglected to look at her name tag. Today, however, I would do just that. “How was your first day yesterday?” The Mare asked as I approached. After getting closer I snuck a brief glance towards the name tag on her chest. It read; Nadine Note. In an attempt to avoid being awkward I answered her question, “It was nice! I even assisted in my first surgery.” Nadine looked impressed as she raised a brow, “Are you serious? How did it go?” I was surprised to see the Mare so interested in my story, but regardless I replied, “It went great! We saved the patient from an aneurysm. He should make a full recovery.” “That’s awesome! Who else did you get to work with?” She asked in response. Her enthusiasm with my story continued to amaze me, “It was myself, Remedy, Sporin and Doctor Acardio.” At this the Mare raised her brow again and was silent for a moment before looking both ways and addressing me again with a hushed tone, “What did you think of him? Doctor Acardio I mean.” I couldn’t help but glance at her suspiciously, “Think of him?” I asked to clarify. “I mean what was he like. I’ve heard a lot of rumors and just wanted to hear it from you.” She replied still in a quiet tone. This comment made me think for a moment as I recalled my experience with the Batpony the day prior. I pondered whether I should tell the mare about the many strange things I’d noticed about him, but I know that gossip is hardly appropriate especially at work. “I’m not sure. He seems very professional and skilled. And he’s already helped me to settle into the job a lot. I’m glad to have him as my boss.” Nadine shrugged, “Okay, well either way I’m glad you’re settling in okay! I’ll avoid taking up any more of your time.” At this I nodded, “Thanks Nadine, have a nice day!” The Mare smiled and nodded in return. With this I went on my way to Department C. After pushing the doors to my department open, I walked towards the break room and put my purse and scarf in my new locker. Unlike many of my other colleagues in the department, my locker was undecorated and fairly plain. I don’t have much talent for artistic expression so I know I’m likely never going to get around to doing any sort of display on it. As I went to shut my locker I heard the door open only for my new friend Remedy to walk in. The blue coated Stallion smiled and immediately addressed me, “Good morning Scarlet!” I couldn’t help but smile back, “Hi Rem!” “Ready to get back to work today?” He asked as he used his own locker. I nodded, “Yep! Although I hope we don’t have to conduct too many operations like yesterday’s.” He chuckled, “Yeah, those kinds of cases aren’t common. Most of our cases are lacerations or skin grafts.” I nodded in understanding. While neither of these cases were fun to deal with for the patient, they were far better off than the aneurysm we had treated the day before. Still, it was reassuring knowing that kind of condition was rare. “Well, I’ll see you in the Foyer.” I stated as I shut my locker. “See you!” Remedy replied. As I waited in the hall, I couldn’t help but notice again that all the blinds for the windows were shut while the lights were turned on. It felt odd to leave them down seeing as how the weather was supposed to clear up today so I decided to take the initiative and open them. However, when I went to lift the first blind, my hooves were stopped by another. “Do not do that.” The action startled me as I quickly turned to face the culprit who was none other than my own boss Doctor Acardio. He looked very serious as he stared at me with his red irises. “I-I’m sorry sir. I didn’t know we aren’t allowed to lift the blinds.” I blurted out, not knowing what else to say in the moment. He seemed to relax after noticing my distress as he removed his cold hoof from mine. “It’s quite alright. Others have made the same mistake before. However, I would request that you leave them shut. My kind function better outside of natural light.” This explanation made sense to me. Batponies were after all nocturnal creatures. “I understand. It won’t happen again sir.” I answered while composing myself. My answer seemed to satisfy him as he then replied, “Thank you Scarlet Vessel.” A brief silence ensued after his comment, however, just as I was about to ask him what I should do, I noticed his nose twitch rather weirdly. He spoke up again, “Pardon me, but did you happen happen to eat something with garlic recently?” This question caught me completely off guard. I’d of course gone out to Manny’s with Sheryl last night, but I’d brushed my teeth very thoroughly last night and this morning. How could he have possibly known? “Is it that obvious?” I asked in response. The Doctor nodded with a chuckle, “I apologize. My senses are quite powerful.” He made yet another valid point. However, it still felt odd that he’d bring it up at all. Regardless I shrugged it off and asked my question, “So how can I help today?” “We have several scheduled operations at 10:00 and 1:30. I would appreciate your assistance for both of them.” The Batpony answered. Without hesitation I nodded and accompanied the Doctor as we made our way to an operating room to get set up. Much later into the day, I found myself assisting with my third surgery. It was much less stressful than yesterday’s, however, I still needed to remain focused as the work was just as delicate as ever. To my delight, Doctor Acardio had entrusted me with a few more tasks and responsibilities during this operation as we currently performed a discectomy on our patient. Throughout most of the day the Batpony had observed me closely to make sure I was not making mistakes. However, every so often I’d catch him staring at me curiously. I could not truly explain it, nor did I know for sure, but it felt as though he was admiring me. As embarrassing and stupid as that was to conceive of… Luckily despite these feelings I still kept my concentration up making no mistakes as I worked. As I carefully removed a harmful disc from the patient’s spine, I heard the Batpony speak, “Very good.” I acknowledged his compliment and then allowed the Doctor some space to close the incision on the patient’s back. As the Batpony worked, however, a question formed in my mind, “Sorry to ask this sir-” “You may call me Doctor Acardio if you wish.” He stated, cutting me off mid sentence. His response had once again caught me off guard. It felt weird to refer to my boss’ own name after only knowing him for several days. His behavior continued to puzzle me, however, I left it be seeing as I’d yet to have asked my question. “Okay, my question is how long have you been working here at the hospital?” He raised a brow and briefly turned my way, “I’m not exactly sure myself. But it has been quite a long time.” Yet another answer I didn’t expect. You’d think a highly accomplished Doctor would remember how many years he’d worked at his own job. I could only suppose he’d lost count over the many years and wasn’t concerned with it. Still, it felt odd nonetheless. As he began stitching up the incision, Doctor Acardio spoke to me once more, “When you have worked at a place as long as I have the years begin to blend together. I focus less on how long I’ve been here and rather on what I’ve accomplished in that time.” His words seemed wise, but I could tell there was more to it than his answer. Still, it had left me with another question I wanted to ask. “What made you want to become a surgeon?” At this he halted his work and glanced at me as though I were ignorant, “Likely the same reason as yourself. I have a natural affinity for anatomy.” While his compliment filled me with pride, his assessment wasn’t entirely correct. “Thank you Doctor Acardio, but I didn’t just become an assistant surgeon because of my talent. I did it to help save the lives other Ponies who need me.” The Batpony raised a brow before shrugging his shoulders with a huff and returning to his work. A moment later I subconsciously cursed myself for making this comment. It wasn’t my place to say such a thing to somepony as prestigious as him. I supposed my pride had gotten the better of me. At any rate, the Doctor soon finished stitching the sutures on our patient’s back. With the procedure complete, I used a huck cloth to clean the area before setting it down on the used equipment table along with the rest of the tools I’d used. It would be some time before our patient’s anesthetic shot would wear off so I figured I’d take the time to have my lunch break. As if reading my mind, the Batpony addressed me, “You may have your break. I will take it from here.” Without thinking too much about it I nodded and removed my mask and mitts before heading out the door. My day had been rather uneventful ever since the two surgeries earlier. After having taken my break I’d spent some more time familiarizing myself with the equipment and the layout of the building. Before the day was over I’d volunteered to help assist my other colleague Sporin with a simple laceration surgery. Unlike Remedy, Sporin was far less extroverted, much like myself. As such, the procedure had been fairly quiet throughout. This was hardly an issue, however, as the two of us got along just fine. In a way it was comforting knowing there were others like me at the Hospital. Now as my shift was nearly over, I prepared to head home for the night. After packing my things I made my way through the foyer before bumping into something. As I looked up, I was shocked to see it was none other than Doctor Acardio. “S-sorry!” I exclaimed as I backed up slightly. The Batpony did not look bothered in the slightest as he stood tall before me. “You did well today.” He spoke very simply. Hearing his words of praise filled me with praise. I subtly turned my head to hide the blush on my cheeks, hoping my hair would conceal if from him. “Thank you sir-” “I mean thank you Doctor Acardio! It’s my pleasure.” I corrected as I foolishly fumbled my words. The Batpony clearly saw right through my unconvincing front and grinned with a small chuckle. It was then that I noticed his very long abnormal canine teeth. Although his expression looked genuinely friendly, I made sure not to show my discomfort as I stared at the tall Stallion’s fangs. “In any case, I wish you a pleasant evening, Scarlet Vessel.” He stated before concealing his fangs once more. “Thank you! Same to you sir!” I answered before passing him heading on my way. After closing the door to my apartment, I breathed a heavy sigh before placing my purse and my scarf on the nearby coat hanger. Although today had been shorter and less stressful than my first day, it had been no less busy. However, I was thankful to once again be in the comfort of my home. Knowing my roommate Sheryl wouldn’t be home for another hour, I decided to fix some dinner so it would be ready when she arrived. A salad seemed like as good an option as any and it tended to be my go-to meal. Without wasting any time, I got to work cooking. Unlike many other chores, cooking never seemed to bother me as much. In many ways it felt similar to performing a surgery. But instead of making an incision with a scalpel I used a kitchen knife to slice vegetables into proper bite sized chunks. After having finished making the salad, I covered it up to keep it fresh for when Sheryl would get home. Although I could already start eating myself, I always preferred to wait until others were at the table like my parents had taught me. Seeing as my roommate would be here soon, I decided to take a seat in the living room and reflect on my day. I was thrilled that my colleagues were kind hearted Ponies. It felt good to feel welcomed after only 2 days on the job. Even better I was glad that I was getting a chance to truly put my skills to work helping and even saving other Ponies. It had been my dream since I got my cutie mark. Still, despite things at work going great, something still felt off. On one hoof, Doctor Acardio seemed like he meant well, however, there were also times when he would come across as cold and downright erratic. I’d never met another Batpony before him, however, I could tell even now that he likely wasn’t normal even among his own kind. It almost felt as though he was hiding something from everypony. Still, I could not deny that something about him interested me. He felt like an incomplete puzzle that I needed to solve in order to truly connect with him. ‘Why is he so tall? Why did his reflection not show in the mirror that day? Why is he oddly very charming and handso-’ I shook my head before snapping myself out of my daze. “Where the hay did that come from?” I asked myself as I stood up from the chair. I couldn’t explain what had come over me in that moment. Luckily I then heard the door open, effectively breaking my weird train of thoughts. “Hey Sheryl! How was your day?” I asked as I entered the hall to greet my roommate. “Hey Scarlet, it was alright! You been home for long?” I nodded, “Yep. I figured you’d be hungry so I made us dinner.” She laughed, “You making dinner? Is it another salad?” “Yup!” I answered with a knowing smile. “Alright, give me a second and I’ll join you.” While my salad certainly wasn’t as good as the dinner we had at Manny’s last night, it was still quite enjoyable. “Thanks again for making this Scarlet.” Sheryl said before taking another forkful of the greens. “You’re welcome Sheryl. Did anything fun happen at the Salon today?” I asked, trying to spark a conversation. “Well, we got a visit from that eccentric stallion again today… So I guess that was fun.” She answered with a vexed expression. I giggled, “You mean that turquoise coated Stallion with the blonde mane you talked about last week? What was his name again?” “Zephyr Breeze… And yes, he tried to hit on me again today.” Sheryl answered with disdain. Although I found humor in this story, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous of her. Sheryl seemed to easily attract Stallions wherever she went even when she wasn’t trying. Still, I supposed this was one of the pros and cons of working in the cosmetics industry. “What about you? You told me you saved that Pony yesterday, is he doing okay now?” Sheryl asked, changing the subject. I nodded, “Yeah, he’s recovering at one of the other wings of the Hospital. He should be able to leave in a week or so.” Sheryl smiled, “That’s great! Look at you saving the world one pony at a time!” I smiled proudly in return, “You know it!” As the conversation had died down, I figured I’d take a drink from my glass before Sheryl spoke up once more, “And what about that strange Batpony you talked about yesterday?” My eyes widened at her question, and while I tried desperately to stop it, I failed spectacularly and spit out the water in my mouth. Both Sheryl and I were speechless afterward for a few seconds before she burst out in an uncontrollable laughter. I hung my head in shame as I looked at the mess I’d made on our table cloth… “I’ll get a rag.” I answered before trotting off. My ears hung down in embarrassment as I mopped up the scattered droplets of water. Sheryl was still laughing which only made me more ashamed. ‘Why did I do that?’ I asked myself as I shook my head at my mistake. As Sheryl’s laughter died down, she commented, “Sorry Scarlet. But I’ve never seen you do something like that! Especially over a Stallion!” “What!? That’s not true! I was just… It was an accident!” I retorted immediately. Sheryl chuckled again, “You’re a terrible liar Scarlet. You talked about him a lot last night. You like him, don’t you?” “I don’t like him!” I fought as my cheeks began to flush. “Besides! He’s my boss and it’s totally inappropriate to date in the workplace!” I answered factually as I returned to the table after cleaning up. “So if you weren’t working together you would totally go out with him then. Is that what you’re saying?” Sheryl prodded with a devious grin. “Yes-I mean NO! No! I wouldn’t!” I answered with a huff. To my dismay, Sheryl began laughing again. I rolled my eyes before shouting over her, “I don’t like him! He’s creepy! And he has big fangs! And he’s way way older than me!” Thankfully Sheryl’s annoying smug laughter stopped, but sadly her questions did not. “Alright, but why were you talking so much about him if you’re not interested in him?” I now regretted having ever spoken about it yesterday night as I wished this conversation could have been avoided altogether. Regardless I figured I’d explain myself, “Because there’s something weird about him Sheryl. Even for a Stallion he’s really tall! Like as tall as Princess Celestia tall.” My roommate shrugged her shoulders, “Good genetics?” “And what about the mirror! I swear I wasn’t lying when I said his reflection was missing!” I added, trying to further prove my point. “Maybe he wasn’t in the frame of the mirror. Or maybe the mirror was just dirty?” She replied again. These excuses were total folly and I didn’t buy either of them for a second. “And then there was today! I asked him how long he’d been working there and he couldn’t even remember!” Sheryl raised a brow sarcastically, “Ooo! Doctors are allowed to forget things!? Who would have thought!?” I grumbled before rolling my eyes again, “Alright, then answer this! When I went to open one of the blinds in the department, he stopped me and said his kind doesn’t like light. But yet all the lights were on in the building!” “Maybe he just means sunlight? I heard a lot of Batponies work for Princess Luna’s guard too.” She answered. I sighed but decided to give it up. There were some times I simply couldn’t out-argue Sheryl, and right now I didn’t have the mental capacity to continue the conversation. “Fine, you win.” “Of course I do.” She responded with another smug grin. Luckily, as the conversation had gone on so long, I’d finally finished my portion of the salad. I went to go clean up my dishes in the sink before Sheryl spoke up again, “Honestly Scarlet, I think you should lighten up about the whole thing. He may be a bit weird, but weird can sometimes be good right?” “I guess.” I answered. As I rinsed my clean dishes in the sink, I left them on a towel to dry until the morning. It had been a long day and I knew tomorrow would likely be the same, so I figured I’d get some early shut eye tonight. “Well, I’m gonna go to bed early tonight. See you in the morning Sheryl.” My roommate nodded, “Have a good night Scarlet!” After getting myself ready for the night, I stepped into my bed before glancing up at the ceiling of my room in thought. While I wanted to forget all about the conversation over dinner, I couldn’t help but ponder a single thought that was bothering me. ‘Do I really like him?’