The Big City Hospital was one of the biggest (for lack of a better word) buildings in The Big City, which was a given, due to the amount of crime that goes on in cities like this. We pulled into the parking lot, which was filled with quite a few cars and ambulances, and drove straight to the EMS, where many doctors and nurses were milling around, without a job to do at the moment. The car had barely stopped when I leapt out, shouting at the doctors.

"HEY! MEDICAL PERSONNEL!" I raised my arms, waving them above my head. "WE'VE GOT A SITUATION OVER HERE!"

The doctors turned to us, cheering in unison since they now had an actual job to do. They began to jog towards us, pulling over one of those rolling tables on wheels and other medical equipment that I didn't know the name of.

"What's the situation?" one of the doctors asked me, as his associates picked up Ballora and lifted her onto the table.

"Well, she got shot, somewhere in the lower stomach, and almost drowned subsequently," I explained, sure that my terminology was far less complex than what they would say.

"Right, we're dealing with a vulnus sclopetarium, and a hemorrhage in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen," muttered the doctor to his associates. "The bullet has not yet been removed."

"Yeah...that." I replied slowly, having no idea what he meant. "You guys should go, we're slowing you down."

"Right," replied the doctor, and left with his comrades, wheeling the table into the hospital. I got back in the car, and Vision drove us to the main entrance, dropping us off so that he could find a parking space. We entered the hospital, walking straight to the reception desk.

"Hello, my good sir. Which way to the ER waiting room?" I asked the receptionist, a man wearing a red cap and blue overalls, with a prominent mustache and a name tag that read 'Mario'.

"Mama mia!" he exclaimed in an Italian accent. "Is-a someone you-a care about in-a trouble?"

"Not exactly," I replied.

"Okey dokey!" Mario pointed to the doors on our right. "The waiting room's down-a those halls, on the left!"

"Thanks."

Me and my friends quickly left the reception area and strode down the clean, white hallways, passing a few doctors as we walked. We followed Mario's instructions, and soon found ourself in a small white room, with some white, cushioned seats against the walls. As we sat down, I could hear muffled voices from a nearby door, which looked rather ominous with its curtains drawn.

"Clear!" a male doctor shouted from inside. "Up the voltage!"

"We're losing her!" a woman exclaimed.

A pang of fear shot through my heart as I heard these words. I looked quickly at my friends, who didn't seem as worried as me, and for a moment, I wished that I felt the same way as them. I have no idea why I had saved Ballora, and a part of me wished that I hadn't. Something within me had stopped me from walking away; what, I don't know. The fact that it had affected me so strongly scared me slightly, but I didn't know how to get rid of it, or even if I truly wanted to.

Vision caught up to us a few moments later, breaking me out of my reverie, just as a doctor called out "Flatlining!" from the other room.

"What's going on in there?" Glitch asked.

"Nothing good." Thor replied.

"I swear to god, if I jumped in that lake for nothing..." I muttered.

A few moments later, a male surgeon walked out of the room, pulling down his mask to reveal a look of sadness on his face.

"I'm sorry." he told us somberly. "We did everything we could."

"Oh goddamnit!" I shouted, stamping my foot in anger. I seemed to be the only one who had a noticeable reaction to this news, however.

"What happened?" Vision inquired.

"There was too much smoke in her lungs," the doctor explained. "She was left in the building for too-"

"Hol' up..." I interrupted. "S-Smoke? What is this? There was no smoke, it was quite the opposite! She drowned!"

"Are you not here for Pinkie Pie?" the doctor asked, thoroughly confusing us.

"No." we replied as one.

"We came for Ballora," I told him.

"Oh her?" the doctor scoffed. "She's completely fine. We successfully removed the bullet which, thankfully, hadn't hit any major internal organs, and no broken bones were suffered as a result of her getting shot. Did none of you know CPR?"

My friends shook their heads. I didn't feel like explaining to the doctor that we were enemies, and that I had refused to do CPR on her.

"Well, we're all very glad she's safe." Glitch said, very obviously lying. The doctor didn't seem to notice.

"Come, we'll take you to where she is." he offered, walking down a nearby hallway. At the same time, a group of nervous ponies trudged into the room, probably waiting for news on the one who had died. I didn't feel like prolonging my stay, and listening to their despair, so I quickly followed him.

After a bit of walking in even more white hallways lined with doors, the doctor stopped at a room and lead us inside. It was familiar to the other hospital rooms I've been in, save for the addition of Ballora, who was laying still, blissfully unaware of what had just happened moments ago. Even in her current condition, she still looked beautiful. I mentally slapped myself for thinking those thoughts again.

"What are we going to do now?" Glitch asked me. "Where will we keep her?"

A sudden thought occurred to me, and before I could push it away, I turned to Vision.

"Remember that apartment you offered me before we went to go see Hayward?"

Vision nodded. "Of course I do. It's still open for you, if you want it. Why do you ask?"

I turned back to Ballora, thoughts racing through my mind. The only one that stood prominent was the one I didn't want to think about, but it seemed we had no choice.

"Wonder?" Glitch murmured, gently setting a hand on my shoulder. "What are you thinking of?"

A small smile flitted on my face as I contemplated my stupidity. God only knows what will happen now.

"A terrible idea."

To be continued...