A Special Visitor (Closed: Mojo, Gerrard)

[Mojo]

Doctor Stable nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"I thought so, Gerrard. If your feet are tender, chances are you hurt them in the fall. They will require daily care," the unicorn physician said as he turned towards Haymaker. "I have a very important assignment for you, Miss Haymaker. I will leave you a jar of my soothing foot creme. Gerrard will need to have this applied to his feet every six hours for one day. Your griffon friend needs complete bedrest for at least one full day. Would you please see to this?"

Instantly, the rage of the red maned mare turned into concern and determination as she said, "You kin count on me, Doc!"

"Excellent, as for your neck, I believe it is just a sprain that you will quickly recover from. However, I do suggest that you use pillows to keep your neck in a straight position, no sudden movements or turning your head from side to side for a day. Miss Haywire, would you bring us more pillows for Gerrard?"

"Yessir!" the blank flank filly neighed, saluting the doctor as she trotted down the stairs.

"Alright, as for you, Hayseed, Gerrard will have to get up from time to time to go to the bathroom. He will need assistance, will you help him?"

"Of course I will, doc! Ya ain't even gotta ask me that question!" Hayseed neighed with a smile.

"And please make sure to give him plenty of fluids and light meals. Gerrard, I do realize that griffons eat meat, but under the circumstances, living among these pony folks, you'll have to eat what they eat. Make sure he has plenty of breads and vegetables, they have vitimans and starches that will aide in his recovery efforts. I will need ta stay closeby for a day so I can observe his progress."

"You kin bunk with me, Doc! I'll use mah hammack and you kin have the bed!"

"That'll be fine, Hayseed, if that's alright with the rest of you."

"Well, I reckon y'all kin stay, Doc," Haymaker said as Haywire returned with some extra pillows.

"YIPEE! Yur stayin' here with us, Doc! I love it when he got company! I kin play my harmonica fer ya and.."

"Well, one step at a time, little filly. For now, all of us need to be focused on helping Gerrard get better, right?"

"RIGHT!!!" the three Hay family members shouted in unison.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard let out a sigh of relief as he was told that his injuries were mostly superficial. He was disappointed to find that he needed complete bed rest for the time being, but at least he had some ponies to spend time with during the time being.

"Thanks for all of this doctor. It means a lot that you would come over and help," he commented warmly, instinctively extending a talon to shake and realizing his mistake. "Oh don't worry about the meat thing. Griffons are omnivorous, we can eat plants too. After living here for so long, you view jerky and fish as the occasional treat," he explained thoughtfully before drifting his eyes over to his marefriend.

He found it a bit strange that the staying of the doctor was universally lauded. He was glad for it, but amazed the doctor was willing to brave Haymaker and Haywire. "Just watch out for her fireworks Doctor Stable, they pack a punch," he joked playfully, trying to ease any tension that might have still lingered.

[Mojo]

'Yes Gerrard, I know all about Miss Haywire's, creations," Doctor Stable said sternly as he turned towards the rust colored filly, "I've had to treat her many times for burns and wounds, isn't that right, Miss Haywire?"

"Them were all accidents!" the blank flank filly shouted, "and I learnt mah lesson every time I hurt mahself too!"

"Yes of course," the unicorn physician said, rolling his eyes as he turned back towards the others. "Miss Haymaker, our griffon guest is due for a foot treatment. I will be here with you to help teach you the method to.."

"That's ok, doc, I got this," the red maned mare said as she produced a footstool and grabbed the jar of cream. "We have a lot of critters on this here farm so I know how ta treat them that's got feet and not hooves..."

Suddenly, it dawned on Haymaker what she had just said, comparing her very special somegriffon's feet to other animals!

"Wait, I didn't mean that like it sounded, Gerrard! Er.. I wasn't sayin' yur a critter, er a farm animal, er.." the lanky Earth mare continued to stammer and stutter.

"Think ya best quit while yur behind, sis," Hayseed said, "before ya shove another hoof in yur mouth."

Haywire and Doctor Stable tried very hard not to laugh, holding in their laughter until they both galloped down the stairs and bolted outside, then burst into near uncontrolable laughter that could be heard through the open window of the guest room. Haymaker fought the urge to go downstairs and yell at them, realizing that she had a job to do with Gerrard. She carefully positioned the footstool near the bed,

"Gerrard, I need ta give yur feet a rubdown, would ya set that one on this here footstool so I kin git ta work?"

[Gerrard]

Gerrard chuckled lightly as the filly tried to defend her dangerous actions. She apparently didn't see the error of her ways, not that he minded that children pushed the bounds of reason.

When she called him a critter by accident, he wanted to laugh, but decided to toy with her a bit. "A bear is dangerous, be careful, " he growled lowly while glaring at the ponies. After a brief second of uncomfortable silence, he washed away his fierce expression and smiled. "Just kidding! You just think of me as a big cuddly kitten, " he joked playfully for her as he reached out and gave his marefriend a hug.

When asked for his foot, his eyes drifted towards his foot as he tried to keep his neck still. The griffon slipped one of his hind paws out for her to rub as he let out a sigh. "Just be careful, griffon feet are more tender than hooves," he explained for her warmly as he looked at her.

"Thanks for the help it means a lot," he added with a smile as he he waited for her help.

[Mojo]

While she could still hear Doctor Stable and Haywire laughing outside the window, Haymaker got down on her knees near Gerrard's bedside to apply foot ointment to one of the griffon's hind paws.

"I'll try ta be as gentle as I kin, darlin'," the lanky red maned mare said as she opened the jar and began her task. It was a labor of love for Haymaker who did the delicate work with a smile on her face. "How is that feelin', sweetie?"

Turning her head, she noticed her brother was still in the room.

"Hay Hayseed, I think yur needed outside."

"Outside? What fer, sis?"

"The Doctor sounds like he's hurt."

"He does?"

"Yeah, better hurry," Haymaker said as this caused the brown stallion to rush downstairs. As he descended, the red maned mare reached up and tipped a potted plant off the ledge of the other window. When it fell, it struck the head of the still laughing Doctor Stable just as Hayseed rushed out the front door.

"OOOWWWWWW!"

"Wow! Big sis was right, you do look hurt, Doc!" Hayseed neighed as the unicorn stallion staggered a bit before falling to the ground.

"OH NO! DOC!" Haywire shouted while up in the guest room, Haymaker finished with one of Gerrard's hind paws.

"There ya go, now I need ta work on the other one, if you'll bring it out here, my love."

[Gerrard]

The griffon chuckled when her brother was quick to accept her seemingly obvious lie. He seemed eager to help, her words coming true as she dropped a potted plant on the doctor. The griffon drifted his eyes over to his marefriend as she rubbed his feet. He tensed up at the touch but didn't complain, the hybrid dealing with it at all.

He smiled after seeing her work, the griffon slipping out his other paw for her. "Thanks for everything, I need to pay you back someway. You just ask for anything and I'll help you out," he whispered warmly, winking for her as he spoke.

[Mojo]

"Jist you bein' here is more than payment enough," Haymaker said as the eager red maned mare began to apply ointment to Gerrard other hind paw. "I do still feel kinda bad about the circumstances of yur visit though. Never intended fer ya to end up bein' a patient here at mah house. I'm real surry bout that."

As Haymaker completed her work, Hayseed, Haywire and Doctor Stable walked back upstairs and into the room. The unicorn physician had the top of his head bandaged up.

"Wow sis, you must've been psychic!" Hayseed bragged. "How didya know the poor Doctor was hurtin'?"

"Er, lucky .. guess?"

"More like a lucky TOSS if'n ya ask me," Haywire grumbled as the blank flank filly gave her older sister an icy stare.

"Now now, Miss Haywire, it was an accident that happened to me, nothing more," Doctor Stable calmly spoke as he observed Haymaker working on Gerrard's hind paw. "I must say, Miss Haymaker, you're doing an extraordinary job on our patient's feet! Have you ever considered a career in nursing?"

"Haymaker? A nurse? Now that's FUNNY!" Hayseed cackled before his older sister gave him such an angry stare that it caused the brown pelted stallion to whimper and take a few steps backward.

"I think you'd make a great nurse, sis!"

"Why thank ya, Haywire!"

"Yeah, you could always SCARE patients back ta health!" the blonde filly laughed before Doctor Stable gave her a stern look.

"Enough talk about nursing for now. Mr. Gerrard, how are you feeling now? If you are in pain, I can prescribe some medicine for that."

[Gerrard]

"That's good to hear Haymaker. I'm glad my injury hasn't left you distraught," the griffon replied warmly for her, only to have their moment interrupted when her brother interrupted.

"You might say that she could see the event before it happened," he teased playfully for his marefriend, being vague enough to keep her safe. When Haywire called out her older sister, the griffon frowned in a fake manner while he tried to check her suspicions.

"Now Haywire, you can't just go and accuse people of such awful things, especially family. If you are a good filly today, I'll teach you all about griffons tomorrow, " he bargained with her before turning his attention to the doctor.

"Oh I'm okay doctor. I'm sore but nothing too aching. I'll call for medicine if an injury flails up," he explained calmly to the doctor. He let out a loud griffon yawn and turned his attention back to Haymaker, ignoring the other ponies to focus on his friend.

[Mojo]

Haywire's face brightened when he heard Gerrard's proposal.

"Really? Yur gonna teach me all about griffons? ALL RIGHT!" the rust colored filly shouted as she jumped for joy. As she finished treating Gerrard's other hind paw, Haymaker face brightened as she came up with an idea.

"Y'know Gerrard, since yur purty much set in bed fer duh day, why don't me an my siblings git our band together an' play ya some music?"

"That's a dandy idear, sis!" Hayseed said as he turned towards Doctor Stable, "Whadda you think, Doc?"

"Well, I say if Gerrard's feeling up to it, some nice music could help him relax. But it's all up to our patient. Mr. Gerrard, would you like this?"

[Gerrard]

The griffon was feeling rather tired, but decided against refusing her offer. If it made her feel better, it would make him better to a similar degree, the hybrid nodding for her in response to the offer. "I'll listen to a short concert Lady Haymaker. Just don't blare the music too loudly," he teased playfully, poking his tongue out at her. "We can do a little bit today, and maybe more tomorrow if I am feeling better," he suggested, yawning loudly as he stretched out his sore body. "What sort of music is this, anyway," he asked curiously, having a vague idea of it probably being folk related.

[Mojo]

"We play honest, down ta earth folk music!" Haymaker answered with a wide, toothy grin. "Our band's played fer parties, square dances, social events and such!"

"I'll go git mah washtub base!" Hayseed neighed as he exited the room.

"I already got mah juice harp an' harmonica with me, sis!" Haywire proudly announced, producing her harmonica and then began to warm up with it.

"This should prove quite interesting," Doctor Stable said as the unicorn stallion pulled up a chair next to Gerrard's bed. "I've never heard your band play before."

"Then yur in fur a real treat, both of ya!" Haymaker bragged as the red maned mare picked up her fiddle just as her brother returned with his washtub base. "Let's play'm 'Skip to Maloo! Ready! One, two, three GO!"

Instantly, the three pony siblings began to play, and they sounded quite well together. It was Hayseed who sang 'lead' on the song as Haymaker provided back up vocals as she played her fiddle. Even the often gruff Doctor Stable seemed genuinely impressed with the group.

[Gerrard]

"I see, I hope it isn't asking too much of you," the griffon calmly remarked, his long tail wagging contently beneath the bedsheets. The music was what he had expected, not that he didn't like folk music. It vaguely reminded him of music from his country, the hybrid open minded.

Gerrard resisted the urge to bob his head, His sore neck not wanting to bend at all. He enjoyed the song, his keen eyes following the deft movements of his marefriend. The hybrid kept the vast majority of his attention on the white mare, taking all of her in while he waited for her to stop.

[Mojo]

When the Hay Family Band finished their song, Doctor Stable clapped his hooves.

"Excellent performance! Well done! Wouldn't you agree, Mister Gerrard?" the unicorn physician asked.

"Glad ya like it, Doc," Hayseed said as he turned to his sisters. "We all done good!"

"YAY! I love playin' fer folks!" added Haywire.

"Would you like us to play another song, my love?" Haymaker asked dreamily, ready with her bow and fiddle.

[Gerrard]

"It was great Doc. I appreciate all the attention. I'll consider it a preview of a concert tomorrow. I'm feeling rather tired my dear," he honestly replied, the stiff griffon yawning widely with his long black beak.

"Tomorrow, I'll take a concert where I'm able to move. Plus I can do a little griffon teaching for Haywire. Is that acceptable dear?" he offered weakly, his sore body squirming as he waited for a response.

[Mojo]

"Ok sweetie, we understand," Haymaker said with a smile as she placed her fiddle and bow on a nearby table before turning to her siblings. "Put your instruments away, Gerrard needs his rest."

"Okey Dokey!" Hayseed neighed as he picked up his washtub base and left the room.

"Awwwww!" little Haywire moaned, "I didn't git a chance ta play mah juice harp!"

The blank flank filly pulled out her juice harp and began to twang it. BOING! BING! BOING! BING!

"I have to agree with Miss Haymaker, little filly," Doctor Stable said sternly to Haywire. "Mr. Gerrard needs peace and quiet."

"Well, ok then, Doc," Haywire said as she put it away, "hope ya feel better soon, Gerrard."

"We all do, we really all do," Haymaker said softly. "Oops! Almost furgot! You was wantin' to get a message out about bein' stuck here, wasn't ya dear?"

"Hay! I could deliver it to the telegram office! I've always wanted ta be a Pony Express pony!"

"We'll see about that, little sister. Tell us, sweetie, what messages did ya want us to send out fer ya?"

[Gerrard]

Gerrard let out a light yawn for all the ponies around him as he was starting to feel more and more tired. The griffon snatched up his sheets and tightened them against his body as he started resting.

"Thanks doctor, I appreciate it," the griffon remarked weakly before responding to the grumbling filly. "Don't worry Haywire, I promise to listen to all of your songs, at least until your family gets tired of it," the griffon explained warmly to his friends.

Gerrard leaned over and gave Haywire a gentle kiss on the cheek and smiled weakly before closing his eyes.

[Mojo]

"Alright everypony, our patient does need his rest now," Doctor Stable said sternly. "It is very clear that he is tired now and requires sleep. Time for us to leave the room."

"Ok Doc, yur the boss," little Haywire whispered to the unicorn stallion, after receiving a kiss on the cheek by Gerrard. "Looks like he's pertin near asleep already."

"Gotcha Doc," added Hayseed as he and Haywire left the room together.

"You too, Miss Haymaker," Doctor Stable insisted.

"But what if my sweetie needs a glass of water or another paw rub or ..."

"I'm sure if Gerrard will need anything else, he'll call out for it, but for now, he needs rest, let's go."

"But I don't wanna go. As the head of the Hay Family, I have ta stay here cause.."

"And as Gerrard's physician, I say he needs rest, peace and quiet."

"I KNOW HOW TO BE QUIET!" Haymaker shouted, instantly realizing she'd raised her voice and now blushing with embarrassment.

"You made my point for me," the unicorn stallion said sternly as he pointed to the door.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard listened closely to the debate between the doctor and his marefriend. He winced as she started yelling before she realized the error of her ways.

"Of course I'll be okay Haymaker. I won't be going anywhere dear. Just come in for the applications of cream. I'm gonna hibernate for the day and then tomorrow we can hang out while I'm recovering," the griffon explained, yawning loudly as he started trying to sleep.

[Mojo]

Haymaker listened to the Doctor and her love in life, lowering her head and ears when she realized they were right and she needed to leave.

"Well, alright my love, reckon I'll let ya git some shuteye," Haymaker said as she looked into the griffon's eyes. "I'll be closeby if'n ya need anythin'. My bedroom's next door."

"That's fine, Miss Haymaker, but try not to disturb Gerrard," Doctor Stable said sternly. "Rest is an important part of recovery."

"I know, Doc, I know that," the lanky red maned mare said while still staring at Gerrard. "Sleep tight, sweetie, see ya in the mornin'"

[Gerrard]

"Night," he whispered weakly to his date before nodding off to sleep. The black griffon was awkwardly sleeping under the covers of the bed, his large wings held tight by the splints as he got comfortable in bed. He had a calm expression on his silver feathered face. As tired as he probably was, it was hard to tell while he slept.

One thing was very clear though, he wasn't waking up for a while!

[Mojo]

With that, all of the ponies left the room and allowed Gerrard to sleep soundly. Through the night, the only pony going in and out of the griffon's room was Haymaker, who set her alarm clock to wake up every four hours so she could faithfully apply the prescribed ointment on Gerrard's hind paws. The lanky red maned mare made certain not to wake up the love of her life as she applied it two more times during the night. In fact, the only other sound that could be heard in the house during the night was her brother Hayseed's snoring. Poor Doctor Stable wouldn't have gotten an ounce of sleep if he hadn't remembered to bring his earplugs with him, allowing the unicorn stallion to sleep very soundly. The snoring didn't bother Haywire, who moved around and rolled in bed as she had yet another one of her 'adventurous' dreams. Tonight, she was an alicorn Princess who flew through the air to fight all of the Diamond Dogs who were trying to take over her kingdom. In her dream, she commanded all of her royal guards, armed with slingshots and firecracker rockets, to attack the canine invaders. Near morning, she dreamed of a victory celebration she was sharing with all her loyal, cheering subjects.

But now, dawn was coming. The sun began to rise as the rooster's crowing announced the arrival of dawn to the entire farm. Haymaker sprang out of bed, wide eyed and alert. Quietly, she woke little Haywire up and then sent her into Hayseed's room to wake up the guys. Ordering them all to 'keep quiet and let Gerrard sleep,' the others moved around slowly and whispered to each other.

"I'm gonna fix breakfast now," Haymaker whispered to the group. "Hayseed, kin me some wood fer the stove fire. Doc, would ya mind checkin' in on my dreamboat, er, I mean, Gerrard?"

"Certainly," the unicorn physician whispered back as he slowly climbed upstairs. Haymaker never realized how much those stairs squeaked when ponies would walk on them.

"Whatcha want me ta do, sis?" Haywire whispered.

"Go fetch some eggs and milk so I kin get breakfast cookin."

"YOU GOT IT, SIS!" the blank flank filly shouted before her older sister rushed over to gently clamp her mouth shut.

"Quiet, sis. We don't wanna wake Gerrard up before he gits a good full sleep, ok?"

Haywire nodded her head as Haymaker released her, the filly then galloped outside to complete her chores. At that moment, Doctor Stable entered Gerrard's room, being careful to observe if the griffon was awake yet or not.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard often had disjointed dreams that seemed to represent his inner conflict between pony and griffon life. He was resting in a pony themed home that was in the middle of a griffon city. He would leave his home with a mare, her appearance a strange combination of all the ponies he was familiar with. Her coat a strange combination of both white and black, with an equally striking firey mane. The pair walked to the edge of their porch before getting a wide variety of glares and looks. He hopped out into the air, hovering in front of his tower home, a common design in griffon housing. His marefriend followed, only to realize she couldn't fly. Before he could react though, his sleep was interrupted by the shout of a filly.

His golden eyes went wide as he climbed out of bed. The griffon carefully walked over to the door, still sleepy. When the doctor opened the door to check on him, he was greeted by a deep lion yawn that sounded vaguely ferocious. When his yawn ended, he noticed the doctor was in front of him.

"Oh what's up doc?" the griffon remarked casually, unaware of his previous scary action.

[Mojo]

Fortunately for Gerrard, Doctor Stable was quite familiar with griffon behavior. Noticing Gerrard's eyes were still closed as he approached him, the unicorn physician managed to backpedal a few steps to give him plenty of room. The yawning roar didn't frighten the Doctor, who just stood his ground until Gerrard spoke up.

"At the moment, my good fellow, you're what's up," Doctor Stable said with a giggle. "And I can see by the way you are walking rather effortlessly that you are definitely on the mend. It might be good, if you're feeling up to it, to walk around as much as you are able today. That would be good for your circulation as well as, limit your boredom from staying in bed all day long. I wouldn't recommend running and flying is a definite no-no, but I do believe you have the energy to walk downstairs with me. I do believe Miss Haymaker's preparing a very scumpious breakfast."

By now, the smell of frying eggs filled the house. Hayseed was already seated at the table while little Haywire was busy setting the table with dishes and utensils. On a whim, Haymaker felt inspired to fix scrambled eggs for everypony. They could be easily mass produced and there would be plenty for all to eat.

"Hay Hayseed! Could ya git the toast started fer me?" the lanky mare asked in a more pleasant voice than usual.

"I'm on it, sis!" the stallion proudly announced as he grabbed a loaf of bread, quickly sliced it up thin and started feeding the bread slices into the large, six slot toaster.

"Great job settin' the table, Haywire!"

"Gee, thanks sis!"

"Thanks fer pitchin' in an' helpin' me with breakfast, guys. Want everythin' ta be perfect fer..." Haymaker said, stopping in mid sentence after turning her head and seeing Gerrard on the staircase with the Doctor. It was obvious that the two must have heard every word the kinder, gentler Haymaker had spoken.

[Gerrard]

He opened his eyes to see a chuckling doctor in front of him. Gerrard was used to seeing agape mouths and fear in reaction to his yawns. The griffon was glad to see that the doctor did know a lot about his species. He nodded in agreement with the diagnosis of the doctor.

He walked down the stairs, his keen senses letting him him hear every creak of the stairs and every sizzle of the meal. He poked his head out around the corner and watched the ponies frantically making breakfast. He smiled when he saw Haymaker acting in a much more controlled manner.

When she spotted him, the griffon slowly walked over to her and gave her a giant hug, squeezing her as much as he could muster in his state. While injured, he could still manage to lift her off the floor before wincing lightly, slightly overdoing it. "Morning," he commented with a smile as he pecked her on the cheek.

[Mojo]

Haymaker's smile widened at Gerrard approached her, even more so as the injured griffon gave her a hug and lifted her hooves from the floor! The surprised red maned mare couldn't help but embrace the love of her life, Her eyes sprang open after he greeted her with a single word and a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, my sweet," Haymaker said softly as a concerned Doctor Stable rushed over.

"Mr. Gerrard, I know you are pleased to see your, girlfriend, but straining yourself with displays of strength could jeopardize your recovery," the unicorn physician said sternly.

"Are ya sayin' mah sister's too heavy ta lift?" Haywire asked with a giggle.

"Now that ya mention it, Doc, I think she has put on a few pounds," Hayseed teased, causing Haymaker to growl and reach for a spatula to hit them both with, but she quickly put it down, realizing her Gerrard was watching her every move.

"How, very, funny, you two are this morning," the lanky mare said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not saying that at all, Miss Haywire. Any amount of lifting our patient does could hamper his recuperation. Now, shall we all sit down and enjoy this wonderful meal your sister is preparing?"

The Doctor's calming words put smiles on the faces of all of the Hay Family siblings. Haywire brought out a tray with a pitcher of orange juice on it and set it on the table. Hayseed put the finishing touches on the large stack of toast he made, making sure to properly butter each slice before setting it down. Haymaker's large bowl was now filled with scrambled eggs that she set on the table. Doctor Stable and the Hay Family siblings now took their seats at the table, Haymaker making sure to sit beside Gerrard.