Hoofington Clinic (Open to all)

[silverpine]

A wooden door can be pushed open into a spacious waiting area, where the light tinkle of a bell announces the arrival of guests. Open windows on every wall allow natural light, while letting in views of rosemary, mahonia, calendula, cow parsley, burdock, and honeysuckle that grow around the clinic. The bare walls are a light green colour with light red borders. Soft and hard chairs are close to the windows, and upon the low table in the middle of the room lays an assortment of picture books and newspapers for guests to browse through. Various potted herbs grow around the room, although these are only a fraction of the clinic's supply of growing herbs. Behind the clinic, a small greenhouse grows more varieties of herbs and medicinal plants.

Across from the door is an entrance into a hallway - leading off of that is the examination room, a surgery room, the storage room for herbs and tonics, and, at the end, Silver Pine's bedroom (along with a kitchen and restroom connected to that in turn). Next to the hallway entrance is a counter, where behind it lies a shelf of common herbs and medicines in clearly labeled bottles.

On the counter, a sign reads: "Please be patient - I'll be with you shortly".

---

Silver Pine enjoyed the morning air - the crisp winter chill stirred up her tired senses, and she sighed contentedly. She sat on the wooden bench next to her clinic entrance, wrapped up in her thick winter cloak. She felt a bit under the weather, more than usual that is, but she couldn't stand being inside anymore. What else would she do, lie in bed and sleep? Haha, she wished.

Next to her was her canteen of dandelion leaf tea, sweetened with honey; not as hot as it was earlier that morning, but still desirable. She sipped some, and the bittersweet flavors freshened her up a bit. Silver never tired of tasting the same tea every day.

If only spring would come. Then she could bring back her annual flowers and enjoy the smells of her garden. There would be more colour, more life... But for now, life lay dormant under the snow.

Must be nice, sleeping under a blanket such as this... Silver smiled a tired smile, and chuckled. Ever since she got deep into her study of medicine did she lose the ability to sleep soundly. Perhaps it was the stress of the job. Then again, this was her calling. Her talent.

Silver yawned. Whatever it was that triggered her condition, she only had to roll with the punches and deal with it. Moving to Hoofington seemed like a good idea at the time... Canterlot was too hustle and bustle - she would get faint just walking around. Compared to that, it was so peaceful here. Even with the recent monster attack...

She closed her eyes...

[bygoneera]

The brown pony was trotting along the path, getting closer and closer to Hoofington. He panted his way up a steep hill and was rewarded with a great view of the town; a pristine blanket of snow lay over the town and the fields around it. Smoke rose gently from a few of the chimneys, warm glows emanating from some of the windows of the houses.

Bygone smiled. Yes, I think this is exactly the kind of vacation that I need... quiet, peaceful, and homey. This is going to be great! thought the history student. So busy was he admiring the scenery and thinking that he didn't notice a small indent in the road.

He stepped in it, tripped, and fell, rolling partway down the other side of the hill. He heard a sickening pop from his left fore hoof, and felt an accompanying explosion of pain. Bygone tried to stand up, but the weight of his pack held him down. He grunted and loosened the straps, then staggered to his feet.

Bygone was reluctant to leave his bag and its precious contents behind, so he started dragging it the last quarter mile to Hoofington. It was exhausting, but he pushed on, and made it to the front of the clinic before collapsing against the door.

[silverpine]

Behind the veil of darkness, she heard something. Hard breathing? A dragging sound? Between consciousness and sleep, she tried to succumb to her exhaustion.

... No... I just... I just want to sleep...

But the sounds thrust her back. The cold air, refreshing before, now clung to her mind like the remnants of a sedative. And yet, she was burning, too. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to try and take a nap outdoors. That cold must have caught up to her.

Thump.

Silver's eyes shot open - the light reflecting off the snow affected her vision, but she could make out the shape of a brown pony lying against her clinic door -

"Oh goodness!" Silver jumped off her bench, ignoring the sudden dizziness from her quick movements, and ran to the unconscious stallion. She checked his breathing - normal, but slightly elevated. Poor dear... He must be in a lot of pain.

She then looked at his legs, and immediately noticed the odd position of his left forehoof. His fetlock was already swelling, and when she lightly touched it, it burned. All throughout her examination, she sniffled.

"Hang in there, dear,"she whispered. Normally, she would have tried bringing him back to consciousness, but... there was something about this injury that made her reconsider. She didn't want him to feel more pain...

Silver pushed open the door and galloped inside to find her ice bags. Everything moved at a slight blur, but she shook her head repeatedly to shock reality back in its place. She found three, and bringing her towel rag, she rushed back outside. Silver placed the towel on his swelling fetlock joint and the surrounding tissue, then placed the ice bags on the swelling. Hopefully this would help somewhat, but judging from his reaction, this was no mild injury. And he carried his bag all the way here, too! She petted his mane softly.

I'd better see if I can manage bringing him inside. It's too cold out here...

[bygoneera]

Only slightly conscious, Bygone thought he heard somepony saying something, but there was no telling what it was. Everything was blurry. And painful. Faintly he could feel a coldness on his hoof, erasing some of the pain. And then, feeling even more distant, something brushing against his mane. Just before becoming completely unconscious, Bygone felt himself being moved.



((OoC: I know this one's kinda short, but it's hard to do stuff when you're unconscious... ;D))

[applecider]

Apple Cider stumbled into the Hoofington Clinic, looking easily like she was sick. Her pelt was faded and her eyes looked cloudy. She lethargically walked into waiting room, her head drooped as if the hat she was wearing weighed several pounds! The irony was that she was born and raised in Hoofington and as such she knew about the winter weather. Yet after being in hot dusty Appleoosa for some time and then returning to her hometown on vacation, her body seemed like it was unable to adjust to the climate change quick enough. Now she was so sick she hardly walk much less do anything else physical.

"Hello? (cough) Is there a doc in this place? Urg... so tired! Can't ... stand.. up..." Apple Cider flopped on one of the soft chairs, letting out a nasty hacking cough. If that didn't alert the doctor, nothing would.

[silverpine]

Silver sighed as she went back inside to grab a leg sling. That'll help keep his fetlock from getting damaged from movement. The physical therapy needed for this injury... Only an X-ray can give her insight on how his recovery will go.

But for now, he needed to get inside. She frowned as she saw how pale he was. The ice packs were already half melted. Not a good sign. She removed the ice packs to view the swelling. A dark bruise was already forming. She winced at the sight of it - despite her training, she never got used to these things. Just looking at it hurt...

She took his bag off, placing it by the door. Carefully, Silver cast the leg sling around his fetlock, allowing enough room for the swelling. She moved his leg up across the front of his chest, and attached the sling there. The moving process will be tricky, but she would not allow for that fetlock to get injured further.

For a moment, she stopped moving. The pounding against her temple was incessant. But she couldn't stop now. Maybe she could lie down later, take some herbal medicine... She shook her head, gritted her teeth, and began moving him inside. Poor dear... At least he was able to make it here. I don't know how I would have moved him otherwise.

((OOC: To be honest, I have no idea how she'd be able to move a male pony that's most likely heavier than she is, but let's say she dragged him slowly, and carefully... xD))

---

There were no patient rooms for him to stay in. The clinic's function was mostly to service the local community - ponies usually feel more comfortable staying within their homes, instead of living in a clinical setting. Home is more familiar.

But she herself lived here. And she had a room - a small one, but a serviceable one. Due to his injury, it would be more convenient for him to stay here for a while, instead of the local inn. She could keep an eye on his progress. And... that's what his parents would want.

Silver settled the pony into her bed. He already had new ice bags around his fetlock. Perhaps she'll do an x-ray later, when he wakes up... Perhaps he could tell her how he got this injury then.

And to be honest... she was exhausted. Carrying him inside wasn't easy - she already mopped up the sweat off herself, but her cold and fatigue weren't helping. Still, she planned out what herbal medicines to use for her patient's fetlock - if it was broken, he'd need a lot of calcium, a diet with a lot of nuts to help in calcium absorption... Or perhaps it's just an injured tendon... A poultice made of Comfrey would help, too... Then...

As she daydreamed, she closed the drapes for her bedroom window, to allow him to sleep peacefully. He'll wake up sooner or later, but she'll be here with herbs in hoof for pain relief...

"Hello? (cough) Is there a doc in this place? Urg... so tired! Can't ... stand.. up..."

Silver's ears pricked up at the sound. Another patient. She closed her eyes, summoning up vestiges of her stamina. No matter what, she had to help everyone! Even if she was tired! She was a doctor for a reason! She opened her eyes, and put on her best game face.

"Coming!" She trotted out into the waiting room, and saw a familiar pony...

"Apple Cider! I remember you!" Silver approached the sick pony, noting her lackluster coat and tired posture. The cough worried her - perhaps it was the flu? It was the right season for it...

"I haven't seen you in a long while, dear. I only saw you once, right after I moved here... You were in Appleloosa, I believe? But first, tell me how long you've had these symptoms..."

She softly patted Cider's shoulder, and noticed her eyes. Cloudy? She frowned. That didn't fit a typical flu.

"How is your vision?"

[bygoneera]

Bygone couldn't tell how long it had been, but he suddenly found himself lying in a bed not his own, in an unfamiliar room. His left forehoof was killing him, although not as bad as he remembered. He looked around the room, familiarizing himself with it; it was fairly small, but still quite comfortable, at least compared to some of the places he'd stayed before. The bed, while not the best, was quite nice, especially after a day of hiking with a heavy pack.

A thought struck him. My pack. Where is my pack? Where IS it? He started to breathe faster, but forced himself to keep a semblence of calm. I dragged it all the way here, there's almost no way that it could have gone anywhere, just stay cool. Try to relax, Bygone.

The brown stallion shifted uneasily to a more comfortable position on the bed, trying to make sense of his situation.

[applecider]

"M..my symptoms? Maybe like fer a day or so. What's that? My vision? Wait a minute. I'm seein two of ye doc! Are ya the left one or the right one?"

[silverpine]

Uh oh. That wasn't a good sign... She forced herself to step back and examine Apple Cider overall once more: the faded coat, extreme fatigue, hacking cough, cloudy eyes, blurry vision... Everything Silver could think of that Cider had didn't bode well, or conflicted with each other. Maybe it's a really bad case of the flu, caught relatively early. But the eyes... They worried her. She'll have to ask more questions. Her mind was having trouble keeping up with her thoughts, and her headache started pounding again.

She wished she could bring Apple Cider to her examination room, but she looked too tired to walk any further. Silver knew that feeling - there were some days where she couldn't even get out of bed. For such a healthy pony like Apple Cider to be sick like this... Silver felt unusually sad. Ponies are so fragile sometimes. But that's why she's around.

"Excuse me dear, while I get my equipment from the examination room. I also have another patient to check-up on... Hang in there..."

Silver patted her gently, gave a tired, but reassuring smile, then walked towards her room to check on the brown stallion. She didn't expect him to be up already.

"Ah, you're awake! I was worried..." She moved forward to check on the hoof, talking as she looked it over. "You injured yourself quite badly. As you could probably feel... I'll make you a poultice right after this for the pain..."

[bygoneera]

Bygone winced as the other pony examined his hoof.

"T-thanks," said the stallion. "I um... I would appreciate that poultice, my hoof hurts pretty badly. But do whatever you needed to do first, I'll be okay for a little bit. I think."

[applecider]

Apple Cider saw the worried look on the doctor's face. Immediately her thoughts raced, especially about the possibility of her dying. Her poor parents, her coworkers at the cider mill in Appleoosa, her friends. No... she couldn't think like this. Hard work and positive thinking were what pushed her though life, mo matter how bad things seemed.

The earth pony sat back, waiting for the doctor again. The lights in the waiting room were bothering her, and tried as she could, she had to close her eyes... She hoped that the doctor would attend to her soon.

[silverpine]

"Oh, don't worry. Making a poultice is rather easy..." Thank goodness I always have hot water in the pot, Silver thought. Silver left the room and entered her storage room, where she grabbed several cuttings of Comfrey root, a tincture of Devil's Claw, lavender oil, and a soft, clean cloth. She then entered the kitchen that connected to her bedroom, and prepared the poultice there.

The kitchen quickly began filling up with the foul smell of Comfrey, but the lavender oil helped mask the smell... somewhat. Despite it all, this was her element. There was so much potential in plants... She couldn't help but smile. This will help his connective tissues heal, and perhaps stop the bruising... And the Devil's Claw will ease the pain, despite the unfortunate name. When the poultice was ready, she returned.

Silver looked over his hoof again. It seemed dislocated, now that she looked at it again. Why did she not notice this before...? Maybe she just... forgot? But... But... Even though it wasn't broken - a good thing - it... it...

"It seems that the joint directly above your hoof got dislocated, dear. I'll have to pop it back in... I-I'm sorry." Silver, confused and unhappy with her mistake, hesitated before popping his joint back into place. Please forgive me.

((OOC: Even though I'm pulling this information out of my horse medicine+medical herb book, don't take it as 100% fact that this poultice works the way it should, with how I mixed these three herbs together, and the form they're in. Yay for fiction... But the properties of all three by themselves are correct, I believe. ))

[bygoneera]

Bygone was about to say something when the doctor popped his hoof. His eyes twitched at the sudden burst of pain and a harsh croak slipped out his throat.

"Ow." After a pause, he continued.

"I'm sorry, I should be thanking you for taking care of me like this..."

[applecider]

As Apple Cider's condition worsened her head dipped forward, too weak for her to keep it even straight. Her hat then fell to the ground. Clearly Apple Cider was in really bad shape as on a regular day if she dropped her hat she would immediately pick it up, dust it off, and put it back on her head. In fact the only time she didn't have it on was either sleeping or taking a bath. "Hurry...doc," was the only thing she could say, and even that seemed to take as much effort of pulling a wagon cart full of apples.

[silverpine]

Wow, he's handling this better than I thought. Silverpine looked at him in awe, her eyes wide in surprise. She applied the poultice gently as she spoke: "It's alright, dear. I just wish I could do my job better..." A smile, but barely a smile formed on her face.

Then she remembered her other patient in the waiting room. Apple Cider...

"Excuse me... I have another patient..."
All this activity today was making her headache worse. She wanted nothing more than to lie down, and close her eyes... But she couldn't live with that. Silver grabbed the equipment from her exam room (making sure she chose the correct ones this time), and came back to see Apple Cider...

"Oh goodness..." She got worse, in such a short time... Whatever this was, she doubted that she could take care of her properly here. But she had to do her best.

"I'm so sorry I was gone, dear..." She already felt like she failed. Silver hurriedly poured a cup of green tea that she had on the stove and gave it to Cider. "This might help you, dear. Now, let's see..." She examined her eyes with the Ophthalmoscope. She didn't like what she saw - nothing was clear to her about Apple Cider's diagnosis. Perhaps she'll have to have Ailfend's help with this case... No matter how hard she thought, there was no obvious solution. Silver's headache wasn't helping either. She sighed as she picked up Cider's hat in her hooves, placing it beside her patient.

"Well dear, I'm afraid I can't offer much besides remedies to help you overcome the flu... I'll get you started on treatment immediately. As for your eyes, I'll have to call in Ailfend, from Ponyville. He'll know just what to do to get you back on your hooves again."