Monday, May 2, 2016

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Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Spring is a time of growth and change. Embrace the future.

Morning

During homeroom, Principal Celestia makes some announcements.

"Good morning, students and faculty. As of today, there are only six more weeks left in the school year. I know this late in the year everyone is getting worn out, and the last month of school can drag a bit, but let's all stay focused and stay sharp. Do your best, and don't let the thought of summer vacation distract you from learning.

"The Spring Fling is coming up on the 21st. Voting for Princess of the Spring Fling will begin next week, so girls, think about whether or not you want to run. Signups are open to juniors and seniors only.

"May 20th will be the final day for regular club activities. There will be no club or team activities during the last week of May so that you may all devote your time to studying for your final exams. Of course, during the final week of school in June, clubs and teams may feel free to have end-of-the-year parties if they so choose.

"Let's finish this year strong, everyone! Do your best!"

It's hard to believe we're already so close to the end of the year...

So much has happened...

The Spring Fling should be interesting. I wonder which of the girls in the dorm will run for princess...

After School

After school, I run into Applejack at the entrance. "Hey, uhh...y'got a minute?"

I nod.

She scratches the back of her left leg with the toe of her right boot. "Mind...comin' with me fer a little bit?"

I shrug. "Sure."

I follow Applejack to the bus stop. We board the bus when it arrives.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

Applejack swallows heavily. "T'see Papa," she says.

"Oh." I don't know what to say...

"Ah...didn't mean t' shanghai you inta this or nothin', it's jes'..."

"No, it's fine," I say.

The other passengers are engrossed in their phones or staring off into space.

"Ah been...kind of a horse's ass lately, huh?" Applejack says. "Like back at Spring Break, when Ah threw that little hissy."

I shake my head. "No, it's...it's our fault. We couldn't straight up tell you what was going on, but we were sneaking around so much, it's...it's easy to understand why you felt that way."

Applejack sighs. "Well...whut's done is done." She looks out the window. "Ah'm jes' glad...Ah know whut's really been goin' on." She looks down at her hands. "It's...it's nice t' have somethin' Ah can use mah own strength t' deal with."

She looks miserable...

After a long, uncomfortable silence, she looks up at me. "Things...ain't goin' so good."

The bus stops. "We're...we're here," she says.

We get off the bus and walk half a block to a sprawling complex with a sign out front that says "Greener Pastures Care Center". I wince at the name. "Wow."

"Yeah, Ah know," Applejack says with a distasteful grimace. "Ah mean, Ah know this is where old folks go t' die, but damn."

We walk in through the main entrance. The nurse at the front station looks up and smiles tiredly. "Hello, Applejack," she says.

"Howdy," Applejack replies. "Rough day?"

The nurse shrugs. "It's Monday." She glances at me, then back at Applejack.

"Friend o' mine from school," Applejack says.

The nurse nods.

Applejack leads me down a long hall. There are women in light blue scrubs scurrying every which way, and old people in wheelchairs rolling slowly up and down the halls or sitting in place. The smell here is...

We turn at a bend, walk down another hall, and stop at a door. Applejack takes a deep breath, then knocks twice and pushes it open.

I follow her in. The TV is on, but the volume is down. There's a man lying on the room's only bed, wearing flannel pajamas. He's hooked up to an IV. His red skin is faded, sallow, and hanging off his frame—I suspect he's lost a lot of weight and muscle mass in a short time. His face is pale, and he has very little hair. What little is left is thin and wispy. His green eyes flicker to Applejack, and he smiles. "AJ," he says in a raspy voice that sounds like the ghostly echo of what must have once been a powerful baritone.

"Papa," Applejack says. She pulls a chair up next to the bed and sits down.

Applejack's father glances at me, then back at Applejack. "Boyfriend?" he asks.

"Jes' a good friend," Applejack says with a smile. "Ah...Ah didn't wanna come alone, but everybody else is busy..."

"Li'l Bloom ain't comin'?"

Applejack sighs. "She...she don't wanna see you like this no more, Papa," she says.

Applejack's father lets out a breath that's too shallow to properly be called a sigh. "Kinda glad," he says. "Seein' how she was cryin' last time she was here done hurt mah ol' heart somethin' fierce." He tries to sit up, but Applejack gently presses him back down. He grunts, then relents. "How's th' farm?"

"Farm's doin' fine," Applejack says. "Ah'm doin' th' best Ah can. Mah friends come up a couple times, helped us out with a lotta stuff. Ah reckon after school's out, they might come up again."

"Definitely," I say.

Applejack's father smiles. "That's good." His eyes flicker to me. "Take care of mah baby girl, boy," he says. "She needs friends. Her an' Mac both, they...they need t' start families of their own...carry on th' Apple name..."

"We will, Papa," Applejack says. "Maybe not right now, but one of these days."

"I'm spoken for, but I know a really good matchmaker," I say.

He laughs. It's a wheezing, phlegmy laugh.

"Ah think they're about t' bring yer supper, Papa," Applejack says. "Want me t' set a spell?"

Her father closes his eyes. "Ain't no need fer that," he says. "Applejack?"

"Yeah, Papa?"

"Be strong fer Mac an' Li'l Bloom. An'...an' fer Mama Smith. Yer th' strong one, y'know? Git it from me."

"Papa..."

He smiles and squeezes her hand. "Be strong," he says. "An' be happy. Don't...don't you fret none."

I feel a cold shiver run through my body. Looking at this man I've never met before, I feel as though...

"Papa?"

There's a sudden feeling of stillness and wrongness in this room.

"C'mon, Papa, wake up. They're gonna bring yer supper..."

I reach past Applejack and hit the nurse call button.

"Papa!"

A woman in blue scrubs walks in. "Whatcha need, hon?"

I silently point at the bed. The woman looks past me, and her face falls. She walks over, leans down, and presses her fingers against Papa Apple's neck. She sighs.

"I'm sorry," she says. She presses a button on the wireless headset she's wearing and starts speaking rapidly into it in a hushed voice.

Applejack looks up at her, a lost, confused, helpless look on her face.

I lean down and take Applejack's hand. "Do you want me to go?" I ask.

"Whut...whut's goin' on?" she asks plaintively.

I sigh. "He's gone, AJ."

"Gone?" She looks back at her dad. "No..."

"Applejack..."

Applejack takes her father's hand and squeezes it again. Her own is trembling. After a minute, she lets go and slumps.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

A nurse in dark blue scrubs rushes in. I pull Applejack to her feet and out of the way. The nurse and the other woman converse quietly; the other woman leaves the room.

A few minutes pass, and two men arrive with a stretcher. They quietly load the body onto the stretcher. Applejack tries to follow them out, but the nurse restrains her. Her lip quivers, and she starts silently crying.

The next half hour is full of people talking at Applejack, and her trying to respond in a daze. I try to keep her focused, but it's a lost cause, so I just hold onto her. While she breaks down, I call Twilight and let her know what's just happened.

Fifteen minutes later, Cadance arrives. "I called Big Macintosh," she says. "He's coming down to Canterlot to handle...this." She cups Applejack's face in her hands. "AJ? Sweetie? We need to go back to the dorm now, okay? You...you have to tell Apple Bloom..."

Applejack sniffles and nods. "A-alright," she says. She looks around at the sympathetic faces gathered around her and bows her head. "Jes'...jes' git me outta here."

Nobody says a word as we head back to the dorm.

Evening

Everyone's sitting around in the dining room, miserable and solemn. Nobody has much of an appetite.

Applejack went upstairs with Apple Bloom as soon as we got back. They never came down...

"Poor Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle says.

"Poor Applejack," Fluttershy adds.

Applejack comes back downstairs and walks into the dining room. Her eyes are puffy and red. "Me an' Apple Bloom...we're goin' home for th' rest of th' week," she says. "Big Mac's pickin' us up in a bit."

"Applejack, darling...we're all so terribly sorry," Rarity says.

Applejack sighs. "Thanks," she says tiredly. "Listen, th'...th' funeral's probably gonna be either Thursday or Saturday, an' it'll be here in town..."

"We'll be there," Twilight says. "If you want us there, I mean."

Applejack nods. "Ah'd like that."

A short while later, Big Macintosh arrives, and Applejack and Apple Bloom leave. I don't think I can concentrate on homework or anything else this evening...

I lie awake in bed for I don't know how long. Eventually, I drift off...