Flux rushes to the hospital. He had heard a few ponies talking about Falcata being taken there, but not why. He zips through the door, looking for his friend.
“Falcata?”
From the other side of the room, the figure lying in bed shuffles, the rather-dishevelled looking Falcata poking her head out from beneath the sheets. She's clearly been crying, her eyes red and puffy, but she manages the smallest of smiles all the same.
"Flux. Hi." she murmurs, ever so slightly happier at the sight of her orange friend.
He nervously approaches Falcata, then lays a hoof over her withers. Though he doesn’t know the specifics of her injuries, it looks like it must have been really painful to make her cry like that. Didn’t they have painkillers?
“Um... are you alright, Falcata? I heard you were, uh, in here... but not why.”
Flinching ever so slightly at the question, she steels herself, doing her best to hold her grief in check. He was a true friend, and deserved to know why; but for Glaive's sake, she decides to skirt the specifics.
"Flux, I- I was sparring, with Glaive, and I fell. Tripped, even, on a rock or- or something. I hit my head, hard," she gestures to the bandage wrapped across her forehead, "and, well, I- I blacked out."
Taking a deep breath and fighting to hold back tears, she continues on, albeit much more haltingly.
"But I- I landed badly, when I hit the ground, that is. And-"
She takes another deep gulp of air, now visibly beginning to lose her composure.
"And I- I was pregnant, Flux. But- but when I- when I-"
Falcata finds herself unable to finish, instead beginning to weep quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tries and fails to complete her explanation.
Flux looks confused for a moment before what Falcata’s saying sinks in. Sorrow shows clear on his face and in his body language. He says nothing for a while, gently rubbing her withers and just trying to be there for her to share her misery. He reaches a hoof up to wipe her tears, trying anything he can to help.
After a short while, Falcata manages to calm herself down, suppressing her still-raw heartache enough to speak again.
"Thanks, Flux. Thank you for coming. I'm sorry to be such a mess, it's just-"
She leaves the sentence unfinished, not having the words to describe her feelings. She knows Flux understands what she means, even if he can't quite comprehend the magnitude of her sadness. Again, she offers him the tiniest of smiles, grateful for his company and concern.
He returns the microscopic smile with tears in his eyes. He couldn’t even imagine the hurt she must be feeling right now. Something niggles at the back of his mind, and he glances around.
“Uh... where’s Glaive? Shouldn’t he... be here?”
She glances away, flicking her gaze evasively away from the forgepony. She's deliberately edited her recollection to keep Glaive's involvement out of it, and Falcata now finds herself thinking furiously how to explain his absence without making her husband look cold and heartless.
"He- he was, last night. He brought me here, he waited hours and hours while Panacea and Wool worked, and he- he explained everything to me when I woke up. But- but he didn't take it- he took it badly, Flux. I think it hurt him almost more than- than myself. I think he needed to cope by- by himself, for a while. He got the news before I did, and he- he would have had to sit there, waiting for me to come round, thinking about- about it for so long."
Her eyes water again even at the thought of it.
"I don't blame him. For- for wanting to be alone, that is."
“But... but you are married. ‘In sickness and in health.’ I... can see why he might want to be alone, but he doesn’t need to be, and neither do you. Um... should I try to find him?”
Falcata shakes her head slowly.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I shouldn't have asked Glaive to leave, maybe I was selfish and cold-hearted to send him away. He must be even more pained than I am."No, I don't think that's necessary. He'll come back when- when he's ready to. It's- it's not easy to cope, not for either of us, and if he needs some time to himself to- to come to terms with- with...things, then he deserves it. It- it was his child, as well."
Flux gently rubs Falcata’s withers in a gesture of support.
“Are you sure? You two are... supposed to help and support eachother. Especially in times of sorrow like this. Is there... anything I can do to help?”
He's right, we are supposed to stick together, no matter what happens. Oh gods, what have I done? I need to see him; the sooner the better. "N- well, I don't know. You're helping just- just by being here for me. I appreciate it, I really, really do. "
She glances at the door, looking slightly worried.
Maybe I should ask him to go and find Glaive.Flux smiles slightly, glad that he can help Falcata at least a little bit.
“Do you need anything? A drink, some food? Maybe some music?”
"No, I'm fine."
Far from it, I feel anything but fine, but I'm not thirsty or hungry. "I just- all I need is time. And Glaive. And friends - friends like you - to stay by my side. That's all."
She meets his gaze, smiling a small smile and feeling much better, as if a spark of light had been lit in a dark, dark room.
"He and I - we'll get through this. Thanks, Flux. For coming, and for listening - for being here."
“That’s what friends are for, Falcata. So, um... how’ve you been doing? Er, apart from this, I mean...”
Eager to take her mind off things, Falcata eagerly follows the new thread of conversation. The two talk on for a long while, Falcata's mood improving all the while as Flux tries and succeeds to raise her spirits. The hurt she had suffered ran deep, but Flux's company helps to pull her further and further out of her previous despair, healing the emotional pain more than anypony save Glaive ever could.
