Accidental Harmony: Chapter 10

"Good grief, Vinyl. You've been in here for three days already. You'd think they would be able to tell us something about your prognosis by now," Octavia quietly grumbled.

"Well, I have good news and I have bad news," began a white-coated unicorn doctor as he strode into the room.

Well, speak of Discord . . .

Octavia paused in her quiet and mostly one-sided conversation with Vinyl, a cold knot of worry forming in her stomach. She stood and moved to Vinyl's side in order to lay a supporting hoof on the mare's shoulder. Through that contact she could feel the tension that belied Vinyl's apparent lack of concern.

"Okay doctor, let's hear it," Octavia said with a calmness meant entirely for Vinyl's benefit. Vinyl simply nodded agreement, throat still burned and parched.

"Good news first; Vinyl's burns are only second-degree. That makes them painful but they will heal well without leaving obvious scars or burn tissue and your coat will grow back over them."

Vinyl's hoof pumped several times into the air in celebration of the fact that she wouldn't live the rest of her life as a scarred and deformed freak.

"But now the bad news: recovery will take about two weeks and she will have to be hospitalized the whole time."

Seeing Vinyl's ears droop at this revelation the doctor continued hurriedly, "It's not that bad; Octavia and anypony else can come visit you every day and if you do quite well there's a chance you might be released early."

Vinyl smiled at that, nodding her head vigorously towards the doctor.

"Yes, thank you very much for the information, doctor," Octavia said, interpreting for Vinyl.

"You're both welcome. Don't worry Vinyl, you'll be back to spinning records before you know it," the doctor called as he slipped from the room.

Vinyl turned her one unbandaged eye on Octavia, suddenly serious and worried. The cellist knew exactly what troubled her.

"Yes, about the club . . ."

---

The club was a total loss, anypony could see that. Octavia sighed, kicking disheartedly at a singed bit of wood that had fallen past the "no entry" tape the guards had erected. It crumbled at her touch, forming a small pile of carbon to deface the sidewalk. Behind the guard lines the once-proud facade of Club P0n-3 lay in ruins. Roof and walls alike had collapsed inwards, leaving only an enormous pile of charred refuse that bore no resemblance whatsoever to what it had been. She sighed again and turned her back on the scene, beginning the long trek back to the hospital. She didn't know what had impelled her to come and see this while Vinyl slept; probably the sure knowledge that Vinyl herself would want to know. As she walked she tried not to imagine her favorite DJ's dreams burning to the ground along with the ill-fated club.

---

Vinyl's head slumped on her pillow, the vibrant red of her one visible eye dulled and distant. She seemed much wearier than she had even a moment ago.

"Come on, Vinyl. You had insurance; I know you did. You can rebuild Club P0n-3," Octavia said, desperately imploring Vinyl to stop acting so defeated.

Vinyl snorted in derision.

Octavia wracked her brain for a suitably encouraging reply. Finding nothing, she elected to change topics.

"What about Heavyset, Cadia and Fresh? Do you want to know about them?"

A small trace of life returned to Vinyl. She nodded her head in agreement.

"I called them all from here after you were stabilized. They were horrified, of course, and promised to come and visit. And Cadia wanted to know if they were still going to get paid even if they can't work."

Vinyl rolled her eyes at that, an amused smile on her face.

"I know, I know. Still, it's a valid question. I told them we had enough profits saved to pay them their regular wages until we figured something out. Is that alright?"

Vinyl nodded her head again.

"Good. I still need to call the insurance company. I presume they'll send a claims assessor out after I file the paperwork. Other than that the only thing left to do is get you well again," Octavia said as she bent to nuzzle Vinyl affectionately. "And that's the most important thing."

Octavia, about to pull away, halted when she felt Vinyl's hoof brushing lightly through her mane.

"Oh alright, you silly pony. I'll stay here," Octavia said. Tenderly she eased herself onto the bed to lay beside Vinyl, carefully not touching any burned area of her body or disturbing the numerous intravenous tubes still feeding vital medications into her.

---

In the dim light of her lonely apartment Octavia contemplated the weeks she had spent wrangling with the insurance company. They had objected to paying out at every possible opportunity, seemingly convinced that their customers were fraudsters of the worst kind. Eventually Octavia's stubbornness had prevailed and they had finally agreed to pay.

Gratefully, Octavia spat out the ink-stained quill she had grasped in her mouth. She turned her attention to re-reading the document she had just signed, examining its minutiae closely. Satisfied that all was in order, she unceremoniously placed it in a waiting envelope to go out with the morning post.

There. The insurance is finally taken care of. With any luck we can start rebuilding soon. I'm sure that will cheer Vinyl right up.

---

"Rebuild? Don't be stupid," Vinyl said flatly.

"But Vinyl, you can't mean that . . . we got the insurance money and everything. It's just a matter of finding a new building."

"As if. The insurance money covers the cost of the building and my electronics. It doesn't pay for the tens of thousands of bits worth of renovations and rewiring any building would need to suit the purpose. I paid for all that out of my own pocket; I scrimped and saved for years. I put everything I had into it. I couldn't even afford an apartment by the time I was done but I didn't care; my dream had come true."

"Oh, Vinyl," Octavia began.

"And now it's gone. All that for nothing," Vinyl spat bitterly. "Well, not entirely for nothing," she amended in a softer voice. "I did get an amazing marefriend out of the bargain."

"Heh. Thanks. You're pretty amazing too."

And I'm going to find a way to save your dream. One way or another.

---

Octavia trotted happily through the hospital, its hallways filled with the unmistakable smell of disinfectants. She passed medical ponies and patients all dealing with their own miseries and problems but her own spirits were lighter than they had been in weeks; Vinyl was coming home today and she couldn't help the ridiculous smile that plastered itself on her face at the thought.

Turning the final corner she made straight for the small room that had housed her wounded partner for what seemed like an eternity. As glad as she was to have Vinyl coming back she knew it paled in comparison to the energetic unicorn's happiness at being free.

Easing quietly into the room, Octavia saw exactly what she had hoped for; Vinyl, sitting upright in her bed, unhooked from the myriad of tubes that had sustained her with painkillers and antibiotics. Her mane had mostly regrown to its former neon and disheveled glory and her pristine white coat had begun to regrow in the areas where it had been singed away. The carefree smile that flashed across her face when she heard Octavia enter sent a little shiver of happiness up the grey mare's spine. The sunlight spilling through the open window seemed to linger just for Vinyl, adding an otherworldly shine to her magnificently unique mane and turning her white coat to warm marble. Frankly, she was gorgeous.

Octavia's expression must have revealed her thoughts; Vinyl grinned and struck a pose. "Yes, I do have that effect on ponies," she said in a cultured accent.

Octavia snorted, the spell broken. "I'm glad to see you're back to normal. Are you ready to go home?"

Vinyl all but lunged out of bed. "Oh, you'd better believe I am. This place is beyond lame!"

Octavia practically had to gallop to keep up with Vinyl as she fled the confines of the hospital.

---

That night, wrapped in familiar embraces, both mares slept soundly for the first time in weeks. Even if it did take them awhile to actually get around to sleeping.