HighTail University Pt. 07

Part 7: Care and Consideration

By Firefly

"Well hello. And who might YOU be?" Asked a blonde-haired woman in a lab coat, she leaned in nearly nose-to-nose with Lily after Lemondrop brought her into the clinic.

"I'm uh...Lily. Ember the Great sent me your way" She managed to stammer before stepping back to regain a bit of her personal space and glancing over her shoulder at Lemondrop who offered her a playful wink before turning back and chatting with the well-dressed raven-haired man she'd bumped into.

"Lily huh?" The woman tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Don't believe I have a Lily on my list. But I guess if Ember sent you my way you are in need of some care. Welcome to my Clinic, Pony. I'm Doctor Lavender." She said with a confident nod.

"I'm not a pony." Lily countered.

The doctor tilted her head, "No? And yet here you are in the middle of a ponyplay training facility, asking to be treated by one of the resident vets." She stopped and sniffed the air for a moment, "And you certainly smell like a pony." The doctor wrinkled her nose.

"Hey. That's not very nice. Look, I'm just a new student on a tour who g--"

The Doctor was quick to interrupt, "...Who stepped into the ring with a couple of ponies and got herself scraped up. Basic scrapes. Likely some pain from the shin to the thigh in each leg. Yada yada. I've heard it all before. In the chair, Pony. We'll get you sorted." She chuckled and motioned to a nearby stark white chair with a built-in footrest and curious cuffs hanging loosely on the arms and legs of the chair.

"I'm NOT a pony!" Lily said with a defiant stomp and a bit of a flustered look on her face.

The doctor couldn't help but chuckle at the defiant stomp and the flustered attitude. She moved around behind Lily and placed her hands on her shoulders guiding her towards the chair and then spinning her about and giving her a gentle push backward, "Fine then. Not-Pony Lily, could you get in the chair already so we can get you sorted? Minor injuries so we can get you in and out of here quickly."

This was said as Lily thumped into the chair, which quickly lifted slightly, folding back into almost a bed. The right armrest swiveled out and moved her arm with it so the scraped-up arm was fully exposed. It did the same for her legs, raising them and separating them slightly as a light clicked on above and a line of red scanned its way up her body. Lily blinked and closed her eyes tightly as the laser passed over her head.

"My my. You've got a fair few cavities, don't you? Too many sweets." Said Doctor Lavender as a holoscreen displayed the full body scan of Lily, showing bright red points on her legs and arm to which she tapped and selected several settings. Immediately a set of mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, first spraying the scraped down with a bubbling white froth which stung rather painfully and then rinsing it away with some sort of water that dried nearly instantly.

"We aren't here to talk about my bloody teeth..." Lily said, grinding slightly.

"No we aren't, I only discuss medical issues with ponies. Though in an off-the-record statement, get those chompers looked at, will you?" Doctor Lavender offered a soft smile as she spun her chair about and grabbed what looked like an aerosol can from a nearby shelf printed with a bright red cross on the label. She shook it up as she pushed her wheeled stool over beside Lily.

"Whatever you say."

"Alright then, good! So onto your injuries! Basic fix for you today. Anesthetic Poultice. Basically an aerosolized green clay poultice loaded with healing chems, a cooling agent, and a hint of painkillers to take off the edge. It's a play on the poultices they used to use on horses back when they still existed. Then we'll wrap you up in nano-bandage which will dissolve in a few days on its own, after that, you'll be good to go! Any color preferences?" The Doctor asked before aiming the can and beginning to spray a thick green clay-like substance over Lily's scraped-up legs and arms.

"That's pretty amazing. I've never seen tech like that. And what do you mean by color preference?"

"Most who remain outside the world of Ponying, don't. And for your bandages of course. Favorite color?"

Lily shrugged at the color comment. The doctor chuckled and nodded, "A cute pastel blue it is." She said in a sing-song voice after coating the long scrape on Lily's arm and rolling back to the scan hanging in mid-air over her desk. She pressed several buttons yet again.

"So, you have a last name, Lily? Purely for charting purposes." She asked as the three arms got to work again, this time gently lifting each of Lily's limbs and wrapping right over the green poultice with impossibly soft bandages that were pastel blue, and bearing a striking resemblance in appearance to vet wrap. It was wound snugly, but not too snugly. The cooling effect of the poultice makes for a strange sensation in her limbs.

"McKinsey. Lily McKinsey."

"What is that, Scottish?" She asked as she typed away in her holoscreen on her little desk.

"Scottish in name, not in much else."

"I couldn't tell, based on your complete lack of that lovely accent. A shame, a Scottish pony could have been cute."

"Still not a pony," Lily responded.

"Oh, hush. Until you leave my clinic, you can consider yourself an honorary one. I'm just so used to working with them so Pony is kind of a blanket term at this point. How do the limbs feel? Not too tight? Snug? Cool?"

The Doctor fired off questions quicker than she could keep up. She blinked a few times and then flexed her arms and legs as the Machine Arms backed off and disappeared into their respective slots in the roof, "They feel pretty good. The cooling sensation is nice after the workout."

"That would be why it was added. Good, alright then! You're all fixed up Lily! Any other aches or pains we need to consider that my scan didn't locate?"

Lily shook her head, "Besides a bit of a headache from the heat, I'm alright."

The Doctor nodded, turning off her screen and making Lily's scan disappear, "Well then. Make sure to get a drink on the way out of the barn, you're slightly dehydrated. Tell Ember she owes me one for fixing you up! Sending such a dirty pony into my clinic..."

"I'll make sure to let her know. But I'll bet she'll argue since I'm not a pony."

The Doctor chuckled and shooed her towards the door, "Fine then! Out you go not-pony, it was nice meeting you! If any concerns with those bandages pop up, just message me on the cortex. For now, I've got another ponies rolled hoof to look at. Have fun and welcome to the HighTail University Pony Training Facility!" The Doctor offered an overly elegant bow before heading off towards the back of the clinic where a familiar pony in green tack was lying stretched out on a table.

Lily rubbed her head a bit, "Boy. This facility sure is full of bloody personality at least." She mumbled, turning and heading towards the door where Lemondrop was waiting patiently, obviously having finished speaking with the well-dressed man from before.

"All fixed up there Lily?"

Lily nodded, "Yeah...what a bloody personality that woman has."

Lemondrop giggled, "Yeah, Doctor Lavender is a rather acquired taste. But she's very good at what she does. She's the head of the medical staff here in the barn and teaches all the medical classes up at the school. It's not often she works the clinic anymore."

Lily rolled her eyes, "I bet that's a relief for many."

"You'd be surprised how many think the opposite. If you earn a serious injury, she's the person you want at your side. Trust me on that one." Lemondrop said mysteriously before stepping out of the clinic with Lily in tow.

"Now then! If I show you the exit, do you think you can make it back to the school on your own? Professor Barnes is expecting you before you retire for the evening. I'm going to go visit Ember and I'd rather not walk back."

Lily nodded, "If you show me the exit, I'm sure I can manage. Although the doctor recommended I get a drink before I head out. Anywhere I can grab that in here? A sink or whatever?"

Lemondrop suppressed a smirk, "Sure is! It's the watering station you want. If you head to the end of the barn down this corridor and then take a left, the watering station will be right in front of you. Can't miss it. The door there will take you out right in front of the treadmills we walked by earlier." Lemondrop nodded down the long main hall of the barn, "Think you can make it from here then?"

Lily nodded, "I think so. Thank you for a nice day Lemondrop. It's really been enjoyable."

"Think you've got a few clubs in mind?"

Lily shook her head, "Not quite yet. But I'll consider all my options tonight and go from there." She extended a hand and then withdrew it when she remembered the woman's arms were bound.

Lemondrop giggled and shuffled forwards, nuzzling into Lily's neck and then stepping back and dipping into a curtsy, "Ponies say goodbye in a different way. It was a pleasure meeting you Lily! Hopefully, we bump into each other again sometime." She then turned and trotted off out through a nearby door, leaving no more than the playful scent of her perfume dancing around Lily.

Lily blushed slightly at the closeness of the woman and smiled as she watched her go, the tail swaying behind her almost hypnotically. Lily reached up and tousled her hair for a moment and then looked down the hall of the barn. To the watering station for a drink and then to the school to speak with Professor Barnes. Hopefully, he'd give her the evening to consider her options.

First thing was first though, water. She walked down the main aisle of the barn. Flanked on her left and right by several dozen pony stalls. The full-time ponies often slept in the barn. They lived and breathed their lifestyle. So each 'stall' was outfitted according to the schools and individual pony's preferences. Some stalls were fairly barebones with nothing more than a high-end cot, a watering bucket, and a tray for food. Others though were a bit more in-depth, sporting Holovision screens, decorative curtains surrounding the interior, and many other chosen comforts. It lent credit to each pony being an individual. Each stall even had its own custom nameplate, some were basic and some clearly had more thought and effort put into them.

Lily took in all these little details as she walked along. It was amazing just how unique every individual pony had made their stalls. Ponyplay, as it had been integrated into society had become a very varied thing. Some ponies opted to really sink into the animal experience, opting for the bare basics and being treated like animals. This was fairly common for farm-contracted ponies who pulled plows in fields and anything in the agriculture industry. But then you had ponies like Professional Show Ponies, who lived as much a pony life as they did a regular one. Though many of the top Show Ponies lived their life 24/7 with grooms and attendants to take care of their needs.

Lily found it at least a bit interesting as she walked along, nearly walking into a red and black-clad pony who was nearly a foot taller than her being led alongside a groom through the barn. The pony snorted indignantly earning a sharp strike of a crop from the handler leading her along, "Sorry about that. Starfire here is a bit sassy today." The handler mumbled, looking rather exhausted.

"It's ok. I was kind of lost in thought."

The handler nodded and offered a smile before leading the sassy Starfire through the barn once again. For Lily, she finally found her destination around the corner at the end of the barn. But she had to admit she was just a little bit disappointed and unsure if Lemondrop was playing a bit of a joke on her because the 'watering station' before her was very clearly not designed for humans as it was for ponies. It was a long trough with several dozen spigots and D rings set every few feet for grooms to leash ponies taking a drink and allowing the grooms to multi-task. Lily reached up, tousling sweat-slicked hair and looking at the pastel blue bandages encasing her right arm for a moment.

The nearby door opened and a brown-haired man in a Handler uniform stepped inside. He paused, considering Lily before offering a curt nod and moving to walk off.

Before he got too far she spoke up quickly, "Ehm...Excuse me?" She said, almost shyly.

The man turned on his heel and spun about to face Lily, "Yes my dear?" He asked politely.

Lily looked to the sinks and then back to him, "Say, there isn't any watering station designed for uh...people, is there? I'm afraid my friend misunderstood when I asked her for somewhere to get a drink before I left."

"Hm. Who pointed you in this direction?" He asked, not quite answering her question yet.

"Lemondrop. I was on a tour."

"A tour of the facilities...?"

"No, the various clubs actually."

He nodded and pulled out a glass pane holophone from his pocket, pressed a few buttons, and the watering station behind Lily sprung to life, spitting fresh water out of a single tap that had plastic inserts slide into place so it didn't have to fill the entire trough.

"Then no, there's no other watering facilities on site. That my dear is the best you're going to get." He said, pointing to the slowly filling trough.

"That's a joke, right? Do I look like one of those hooved individuals to you?" Lily asked quickly with an edge of frustration in her voice.

Stowing his phone away he stepped up to her, slightly taller than her, and leaned down pressing a finger beneath her chin and making her lift her gaze to his, "Well. Here's my assessment. You are currently lathered in sweat, a sign of recent physical activity. So you've either been wandering this barn so long that you've worked up a sweat, OR you participated in an activity within this training facility. Additionally, your legs and arm are encompassed by both poultice and bandages used almost exclusively within this barn, meaning you were treated at the Care Center, designed specifically for ponies. So right now, my beautiful emerald-eyed creature you do look just a little like a pony. You certainly smell like one." He pinched her nose and then gave it a small flick making Lily step backward, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I..." She struggles to find the words at his assessment and his demeanor.

He crosses his arms over his chest, "Now I'm a bit busy, So you can either take a drink here, or you can leave. There ARE stations for Handlers like myself, but if I see you so much as touch one of those I will make sure you regret it as much as a pony stepping out of line. Am I understood?"

"How dar--" She started, being instantly cut off by the Handler interrupting with a very strict tone.

"I said, AM I understood? It's a yes or no question. I don't have time for your attitude. Yes or no, or leave." He said this with a tone of finality.

Lily was genuinely thirsty and it certainly seemed like this Handler wasn't going to take well to her arguing even if she was wound up slightly. She held his gaze intensely for a long moment in which he didn't blink once. Eventually, she couldn't do it anymore, lowering her eyes and nodding, "Fine."

"I'll accept that. Enjoy your drink." He waved her towards the section of trough filled with crystal clear water and then turned on his heel again walking off but not without saying, "And there are Camera's everywhere, I'll know if you set so much as a foot near a Handler designated fountain." And then he was gone, disappearing around the corner and off into the barn proper, Leaving Lily standing there and contemplating her choices.

Looking around to make sure nobody else was around she'd sigh in resignation and walk up to the trough of water. She'd at least just use her hands to drink. She checked around one last time and then bent at the waist, leaning down and bringing her hands up to scoop at the water for drinking. Or at least, that's what she WOULD have done. The second her hands passed the rim there was an audible beep and a small voice saying, 'Hand Detected'. This was followed by a short buzz and to Lily's surprise a sharp shock leaping from the lip of the sink and zapping her hands.

"Ow ow ow! What the hell!" She stared at the blinking 'no hands' sign which faded after a few moments.

"Well isn't that bloody peachy!" She said angrily. But again, the need for a drink overruled her frustrations. She moved back up to the edge of the trough and again leaned over, keeping her hands tight at her sides and in a very undignified way, dipped the lower half of her face into the water, drinking greedily of the water and taking small comfort in the relief. When she was finished she reached up, wiping her face off saying, "HA! Can't stop me from wiping my damn face can you?" She said, to the open air before turning around and coming face to face with the brown-haired man from earlier, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, chuckling.

Lily's cheeks flushed from embarrassment. He'd likely seen her try to use her hands and then saw her being sassy to the open air. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then stormed out the nearby door in embarrassment.

The Handler chuckled, "A curious one." He mused, making a note to look up her file in the Care Center.