“Sir, your wife has been in a coma for three months.”

Lightning Bolt sat across from the doctor at Confetti’s bedside, gripping her hoof nervously. He was the head of her medical team and the expert on all things relating to…her condition, so whatever he had to say carried a lot of weight. He had scheduled a “very important” meeting to discuss what they could do moving forward, after all. Lightning was struggling to keep his mess of nerves and emotions in check as he anticipated what the doctor would tell him.

”And? What can you do about it?”

“Well, Mr. Bolt, that’s the thing,” the doctor shuffled through a stack of papers. “We’ve exhausted all options. My team has done everything they can, giving her care around the clock trying every method and medication possible. Nothing has worked, and by now all we’re doing is wasting resources.”

”So…” Lightning gulped hard, fighting back tears and dreading the inevitable. “There’s nothing we can do? Nothing else you haven’t tried?”

The doctor shook his head somberly. “No, Mr. Bolt. We’ve done everything within our power and more, but, alas, to no avail.”

Lightning paused for a long moment, taking in everything the doctor just said. His sweet Confetti has been in a coma for three months. Three months without her laugh, her smile, her loving embrace. And to be told that all options had been exhausted, that there was nothing else that could be done to save her, brought him unbearable pain.

He took a shuddering breath, failing to stop the tears from welling up in his eyes as he finally spoke. “W-what now?”

”Well, we could continue on as we have, keeping her on life support in this vegetative state, but the chances of her condition improving are virtually nonexistent As much as I hate to say it, the best option at this point would be to cut off life support to at least end her suffering. But I have no place to make the decision for you. The choice is yours, Mr. Bolt.”

Cut off life support. Lightning felt his heart drop at those words. All of his worst nightmares of losing Confetti were coming true.

But, as the doctor said, he did have a choice. He could continue on as usual, gripping her hoof and praying for her to open her eyes again. But was that really the best choice? The chances were virtually nonexistent, the doctor said. Confetti was probably in pain. That was the last thing Lightning wanted for her. At least if she left, she’d be happy and pain-free once again. It was what was best for her…

”I’ll do it.”

”What?”

”I’ll let you pull the plug,” Lightning lifted his head just as the tears began to fall. “I-I love her and I know that’s what she’d want. Rather than…”

”Of course,” the doctor nodded. “If this is what you choose.”

”Yes, Doctor.”

“I know how important she is to you and I’m sorry. We will give you one week to invite her family and friends to pay their last visits. It should be ample time for you to say your goodbyes.”

*****

Lightning led his five children somberly down the hospital halls towards their mother’s room. It had been six days by now; her parents, siblings, and closest friends had already come to offer their final farewells over the past week. And now, in Confetti’s final hours, he felt it most fitting for the ponies who meant the most to her—her children—to be some of the last to say goodbye.

”Dad, there’s gotta be some other way!” Cotton Tuft shouted. “Those doctors don’t know what they’re talking about!”

“Is Mommy really going to-“

”The doctors have done so much for us and for Mom,” Cherry Fizz draped a comforting wing over a sniffling and whimpering Chocolate Bomb while shooting a quick glance at his youngest two siblings, who remained as curious and blissfully ignorant as ever. “When they say there’s nothing they can do, they really mean it. Right Dad?”

”Yes, right,” Lightning responded dully, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead at the room they were headed towards. He couldn’t let his emotions distract him now; he had to be strong for them.

As soon as he reached the room, he opened the door slowly as if afraid of making a sound. “Here we are. Make sure to be quiet.”

The five foals tiptoed almost reluctantly into the room, faces twisted in shock and concern at the sight of their comatose mother. This was Lightning’s first—and last—time letting them see her in this state. He’d gone this long protecting their innocence.

”Why does Mommy look like that?” Angel Cake blurted out. Chocolate Bomb immediately burst into tears as the older twins looked to Lightning for an answer.

”Well,” Lightning took a hard gulp. “As you know, your mother got into an accident and went to sleep for awhile. The doctors are gonna make her sleep better so she won’t be in pain anymore.”

Angel and her silent twin looked down at their mother’s body in concern. “Oh…when will she wake up?”

“Not for a long, long time,” Lightning choked out as the tears he’d been holding in began to spill. “B-but she’ll be happy…”

”Mommy!” Chocolate Bomb began to wail openly as she buried herself into her brother’s embrace. Cherry and Cotton, too, let their own tears fall.

”I was so horrible to her,” Cotton uttered. “And now it’s too late. I should’ve told her…”

”Daddy? Why is everypony crying?”

”We’re crying because we love her, Angie,” Lightning looked up at their expressions of regret, heartbreak, and confusion. He had to be strong for them. In spite of the emotions tearing him up inside, he forced a hopeful smile. “We love her very much, just like she loves us. She’s the best mom we could ever ask for, right?”

The children nodded in unison.

”That’s why we want what’s best for her, even if it means we won’t see her for a long time. Tell her you love her now, while you still can. We don’t have much longer.”