The Day My Life Ended (Editing)

Chapter Twenty-Six (Revised)

It takes a village to raise a child.

It's also the name of one of my favorite episodes of Criminal Minds. 'This is calm, and it's Doctor.' Wow, so good.

Oh! But real shit. It takes a whole ass village to raise a child, especially when that child is a dragon. A special dragon from a magical land of ponies. I didn't have a village. I had something else.

A nurse was kind enough to hand me my phone. She asked no questions about the absence of my parents. She- and probably the whole floor- heard the yelling. Phone in hand, I texted the only people that the ponies would be hiding with.

I also took the time to delete the will from Mom's phone. She doesn't need it anymore. It's on my phone. That's something I'll need just in case. It's just embarrassing if Mom found it now.

They showed up fast. Fast like 'waited outside the hospital' fast. Visiting hours finally started. I waved at them.

Nine people squeezed into my hospital room. Fluttershy was actually the first to try hugging me.

"Thank Celestia you're alright!" She started crying again. She hugged my shoulders, avoiding the snoozing Lilac in my lap. "We were so worried!"

I couldn't actually pat her back. The others looked as helpless as I felt. "Hey Shy? No touchie?"

"Oh! Sorry." Fluttershy pulled herself back. Rarity gave her a reassuring pat on the back. Fluttershy smiled.

The others weren't smiling. In fact, everyone was glaring and frowning at me.

"So. Everybody sleep okay?" I asked.

"No we didn't." Twilight replied.

"Sorry?" I offered. "I would've let you sleep here-"

"Morgan, you've been hospitalized twice, traveled God knows how many dimensions, been kidnapped and held at gunpoint, and that's just been the past two days!" Caroline pointed out.

"It's been a very active time, yes." I nodded to the child. "My daughter was also kidnapped. Does that get added to the list?"

"No!"

"No?"

"No- yes! It does! Because you have a daughter." Caroline ran her hand in her hair. "That's something you have now. A five year old."

"She's seven- not the point."

"Not the point!" Caroline agreed. "Because you have a daughter! You have a daughter and have raised her for years, but because of time dilation none of us noticed!"

I blinked. Did she actually want me to reply to that? There's no question there. "Y-yes?"

"Any other kids we don't know about?!" Caroline asked, frustration making her laugh. "Secret lovers? Maybe you have a secret twin too!"

Nothing.

Just- nothing.

"She actually-" Pinkie began. I tossed a rock candy stick at her head. "Ooh!" She munched away at it.

It's a very good point. The best point. I don't have time to focus on it like I'd like, not with all of them here.

Lilac inhaled, and exhaled. Her heart rate was still steady. A good dream, not a nightmare like she probably had last night. I wasn't there to comfort her. She got stuck with my parents.

It takes a village.

We'll help you get him. That's it. There you go.

"You said you had a plan." Caroline stated. She looked up at me. Her eyes cut, yes, but not as deep as she probably hoped. "What happened?"

"The plan hinged on being underestimated." I said. "He knew I was a threat, so he attacked me as such. There wasn't time to correct it once he decided."

"You went over it ten times." Anna added. "Nothing should have gone wrong."

"It didn't!"

"You got shot."

"Caroline, it's not my first time." My reply didn't comfort her. Thinking about it, it wasn't meant to be comforting. She and Anna were only more distressed. "I got better! It's fine. There isn't even a scar!"

"There will be!"

"She's here." Twilight reminded the girls. "Your doctors healed her. She's going to be okay."

"See? Twilight gets it."

"She shouldn't have been shot at all!" Caroline snapped. "She never got shot before you all came here!"

"Caroline!" Anna and I snapped.

Lilac shifted in my arms. I held her tighter, gently shushing her back to sleep.

"Sorry. S-sorry." Caroline pulled herself back. "It's just- it's been a lot."

"Yeah." I shifted some so Lilac could be more comfortable. "It has."

"How are you?" Twilight asked. She came to my bedside.

How was I? I couldn't tell. Maybe I'm stressed, or scared. My daughter was with me, so I tried keeping my heart beat steady. She's out of immediate danger. Maybe I am too. Those detectives were still a mystery. My phone doesn't have the security to hack their network. Where's Chamberlin? He's had a whole night to come up with a new strategy. These doctors kept me asleep all night- oh is that why my body ached so much?

We still need to run. My every instinct is telling me to get Lilac somewhere safe. Being stuck in a hospital isn't helping this terrible feeling in my chest at all. It's making it worse.

The gunshot wound hurts. A lot. It hurts a lot less than I expected but it still hurts. Did Delilah do something? Maybe. I haven't had time to check. Maybe she did something? What did she do- she wanted me to stop Dominic. I can't stop him from here. He's only going to hurt more people the longer he's free. All of those people will mean something to me.

I can't do it, not like I am now.

Maybe...maybe someone else..

No. No, that's ridiculous. She'll never do it. She's- It's a lost cause. It's not even worth trying. She won't be there. She won't help me.

It takes a village

I am 0% ready to be hurt by my village again.

"I'm good."

Twilight gave me a look telling me how much she believed it.

"I got Lilac." I reminded her. "Everything's good."

It can't be the only way. There has to be something else. There has to be. I need there to be.

"You got her back." "Did we?"

"I think I have another idea, and none of you are gonna like it."