The smell of burning bodies filling his nostrils, Quick got back to work gathering supplies. He knew that they had to work quickly. By morning, the tide would carry everything back out to sea, and it would be lost forever. "Let's get a move on, missy. We need work quick and get what we can. This stuff'll be gone by daylight."
Luna snatched a sack of spices before it was reclaimed by the shore. "We could sure use the help." she said, looking back at Narrow.
Narrowleaf dove into the water, and swam to a very large crate. He smashed it open with his hoof and winced. "I see... A doctor's bag, and two mattresses." He said, peeking inside. "Mind pulling it in?"
The white clothes around the mattresses and doctors pack. It was pulled onto the shore with surprising ease
Narrowleaf smiled and swam back. "I call the doctor's bag!" he called, pulling himself onto the shore. "A-And I think Luna-chan deserves a mattress."
She coughed nervously. "Thank you Narrow." she said, "But I don't really sleep very long. Actually, very little."
"Mattress... hmph... kids these days... so danged soft..." Quick continued gathering supplies, grumbling conversationally. He pulled in a tangled lenth of rope, then went back out for a waterlogged canvas tarp. He also recovered several more bodies, and threw them onto the pyre without a word.
"Look, just take one. You grow weak in the sun, so you should take one." Narrowleaf insisted. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I'm giving Quick the other, due to his age. Now take it."
"Kid, I oughta knock your teeth out! I may be old, but I ain't crippled! You keep the buckin' thing!" Quick shouted angrily at Narrowleaf, but quickly calmed down when he remembered that Luna was present. He blushed, and apologized. "Sorry, missy. It ain't right for me to speak like that with a lady present. Sorry to you too, Doc. I just get annoyed when ponies think I can't handle things just because I'm old. I know you meant well."
Luna stared for a moment, and then suddenly burst into low, quiet laughter. She experienced a great deal of mirth, and her cheeks were red. "I would just accept it, if I were you." she said, "Though, that outburst was excellent." She walked off a ways away, and continued looking.
"Just like I know that you're accepting this mattress." Narrowleaf responded, smiling. "Now take it."
"You kids are... never mind. I ain't takin' the mattress, Doc. I've slept on the floor of my one-room apartment for the last twenty years. I'll be fine." Quick returned to work. As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled.
Narrowleaf gave a low chuckle. "Just take the mattress." He demanded. "I'm not taking no for an answer."
Luna returned, a joyful look on her face, pulling at least a dozen crates with her magic. "Look! Dandelion leaves, paper, tea, matches, crackers, and a lot more!" One of the crates clinked like it was filled with glass.
Having sat down for a moment to rest his head after his headache began, Raven had begun to fall asleep involuntarily. He struggled a little bit, but eventually started to succumb to his tiredness. But he started when Quick began shouting, knocking him back into wakefulness. He stood up, but didn't say anything until the argument over the bed started to get to him. He yawns. "Doctor, why don't you take the bed? I know you're trying to be a good Doctor, but quite simply, I would prefer that the pony who I'm going to rely on to keep me and everypony around me alive to have proper sleep in a proper bed. If one of us gets seriously injured and starts to bleed out, I'd think that making it so that our Doctor doesn't cramp up or nod off would be important." He walks over the Quick. "And honestly? This leathery old stallion looks like he could handle the lack of one."
Quick laughed. "I guess you ain't such an idiot after all, kid. Take the bed, Doc. I'd rather you not be fixin' us up when you're tired." Quick ran back to the beach and returned with a bag of carrots. "Tide's comin' in. We'd better hurry."
