Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or any characters or materials taken from the musical or book. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: A quabar (kwuhbar) is the lowest ranking Ozian coin. Kinda like a penny.
Chapter 1: Cold Winds and Warm Hearts.
"Please. Just a quabar. Anything helps," she said as she held out a bony green hand, begging for a coin or two.
Glinda Upland looked at the ragged figure before her. Her hair was raven-black but dull, tangled, and greasy. Her bones poked the fabric of the tattered rags that barely covered her shivering frame, at sharp angles. Her deep chocolate-brown eyes were huge and had the hollow look of suffering of the street beggar. In short, Glinda could clearly see the thin green woman before her was starving and suffering cruelly for want of shelter and proper clothing. Glinda's heart smote her and she wrapped her arms around the shivering woman. "You're coming home with me. You need help."
The woman seemed shocked and frightened. "No, no! I couldn't!" she exclaimed trying to pull out of Glinda's strong grip.
"You can and you will. Don't worry, no one's going to hurt you," said the blonde, gently but firmly forcing the green woman into the carriage.
The beggar was too weak to offer much resistance and weakly submitted to getting in. She would have sat on the floor, but Glinda forced her onto one of the seats.
"But I'll ruin the satin," said the green woman, looking most uncomfortable.
"Who cares? I will not have you sitting on the floor," declared Glinda.
The green woman just sat, staring at her bony green hands with a look of empty suffering. She shivered despite the warmth of the carriage.
"What's your name?" Glinda asked looking at her kindly.
"Elphaba," was the simple reply.
"Elphaba. That's a pretty name. I'm Glinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, but please, just call me Glinda," she said.
Elphaba just nodded.
"How long has it been since you last ate?" Glinda asked.
Elphaba shrugged. "Don't know. Two days? Three? A week? It all blurs together after a while."
Elphaba doubled over in a coughing fit. It sounded bad. Glinda sat beside her and placed her ear to Elphaba's chest.
"Take deep breaths, ok?" she instructed.
Elphaba obliged.
Glinda did not like what she heard. She was no doctor, but Elphaba's breathing sounded like a ball rattling around in a liquid filled container. She straightened up and felt the green woman's forehead. It was burning with fever. Elphaba started coughing again. Glinda rubbed her back until she stopped. The green woman instinctually scooted closer to the blonde and rested her head on her shoulder, her chilled body seeking out any source of warmth. Glinda tried not to gag. The woman smelled like she hadn't bathed in months, but Glinda just held her as she fell into a fitful slumber.
Soon, they reached Glinda's house.
"Elphaba. Elphaba, wake up," she gently shook the sleeping woman.
"Hmm," Elphaba muttered, opening her eyes and looking confused.
"We're here. Come on," Glinda helped Elphaba out of the carriage.
Elphaba's knees buckled and she nearly collapsed. Glinda caught her and helped her up. As she supported the poor woman, Glinda was painfully aware of just how thin Elphaba was. Her ribs stuck out half-an-inch at least and her hips were pointedly pokey as well as her other joints. The poor woman was really not much more than skin and bones. Elphaba was weak for want of food and shelter, her body was wracked by pain and illness. She had gotten a cold a few weeks ago, but the cough never went away. She knew her days were numbered for she simply didn't have the strength to fight off the pneumonia that had settled in. Then Glinda came along. This pink clad blonde woman was Elphaba's only real chance for survival.
Soon they entered the house and Elphaba stared in wonder at the wealth displayed around her. Glinda smiled and gently led Elphaba to the bathroom. She left her there for a moment, but soon returned with a simple black frock and clean under garments as well as a towel.
"Get yourself cleaned up. You can use anything in the bathroom," she told her gently.
Elphaba took the things gratefully and disappeared into the bathroom. The hot water was a welcome thing, both for its warmth and cleansing power. Elphaba must have scraped off two or three layers of dirt, grime, and dead skin by the time she was done in the shower. She felt much better and actually managed to comb the knots and tangles out of her hair. She dried off quickly and dressed in the clean things Glinda had given her. The frock was simple, but well made and warm. So were the under garments. Elphaba left her old rags in the bathroom like Glinda told her, neatly folded in a corner. She put the towel in the used towel basket and left.
Glinda gasped a little in surprise. Elphaba cleaned up much better than she thought. Her emerald skin had a healthier hue and glow to it, her hair was much nicer now that it was clean and untangled, and she had even scraped the dirt and grime out from under her nails and trimmed them. Elphaba also looked warmer and more comfortable in the clean clothes Glinda had given her.
"You look beautiful, Miss Elphaba," Glinda affirmed approvingly.
Elphaba blushed a light fuchsia color as her red blood mixed its color with that of her green skin. "Thank you. But you don't have to lie to me. I know I'm hideous."
"Now that's just plain ridiculous! Come on, let's get you something to eat." Glinda sensed there was no point trying to convince Elphaba of her true beauty.
Elphaba perked up at the mention of a meal for she was ravenous with hunger. Glinda looked a little sadly at her. She was so miserable, yet strong, yet vulnerable. As she thought, Glinda wondered if there might be someone who could show Elphaba her true beauty. She pondered the problem as she led the starving woman to the kitchen.
Elphaba sat where she was told and waited somewhat impatiently to be fed. Her innards felt like a wolf was tearing them to shreds. Glinda sat across from her and ordered her kitchen staff to feed her guest. Soon a plate of hot, steaming food was set before Elphaba. She glanced at Glinda for a moment, unsure of herself. Glinda nodded for her to go on.
Elphaba needed no other prompting. She ravenously tore into the food, cramming as much as possible into her mouth. It was awful to see just how far gone she was, she was like a wild animal. Glinda's heart bled for the poor woman. Elphaba was in heaven. Never before had she been so well-fed. Soon though, her stomach reached its limits and she leaned back in her chair with a sigh of contentment. She smiled, her thin bony hand beginning to rub her full-gorged belly as she hummed in pleasure. Her eyes rolled back in her head and closed.
Glinda walked over to her and laid a hand gently on her shoulder. Elphaba's eyes slowly opened. She was far too relaxed from having so much good food inside her to really care what happened next. In her mind things couldn't possibly get better than this, sitting in a warm room, her belly stuffed with hot food, she could die happy.
"Come. You should get some sleep," said Glinda, gently pulling the smiling woman to her feet.
Elphaba didn't really hear anything Glinda said and just let herself be led blindly to a large, comfortable bedroom and tucked into a large feather bed. This was absolute paradise. She was warm, well-fed, clean, and very sleepy. Elphaba soon fell into a deep sleep.
Glinda was awakened the next morning by a piercing shriek! She burst into the room Elphaba now occupied to see what was the matter. She found Elphaba huddled on the bed crying and whimpering. She moved to comfort her, but Elphaba's head snapped around and her eyes dilated in fear.
"No! No! Stay back! Stay away from me!" she shrieked.
"Elphaba, what's wrong? It's me, Glinda, remember?" Glinda asked, confused as to why Elphaba was acting like this.
"Stay back! Don't hurt me! Please…" the distraught woman cringed and cowered against the headboard as though expecting a blow.
Glinda was aghast. "Elphaba, it's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you. No one is gonna hurt you." Glinda gently held out her hand to the frightened woman.
Elphaba eyed Glinda warily. The look in her eyes was that of a trapped animal. Glinda sighed and lowered her hand. She sat on the floor and waited. After a moment, Elphaba seemed to snap out of her trance or whatever had just happened.
"Glinda? Why are you sitting on the floor?" she asked, looking confused and dazed.
Glinda stood and sat on the bed next to her new friend. "You were having a nightmare or something. You kept yelling at me to stay away and not hurt you. What happened, Elphaba?"
Elphaba hung her head. "I may as well tell you. You did save my life after all. I thought I was back at my father's house."
Glinda was confused. "Your father? Did he die or something?"
Elphaba shook her head. "No, he lives, but he cast me out of his house when I was ten years old. You see, I have a younger sister, Nessarose. She's crippled and needs a wheelchair because of me. When I was three and our mother was carrying Nessa, our father began to worry that the new baby would come out green, so he made our mother chew milk-flowers day and night. Only, they made Nessa come too soon, with her little legs all tangled and our mother… never woke up. None of which would have happened if I had never been born."
"Elphaba, that was the milk-flowers' fault, not yours," Glinda pointed out.
Elphaba shook her head. "After that, my father put me to work. I had to clean the house, cook the meals, and take care of Nessa when Father was away. I didn't mind the work, but nothing I did ever pleased him. If I made the slightest mistake he would beat me and lock me in my room, sometimes for days. Finally, on my tenth birthday, he got so angry when I tripped and broke a cheap vase that he beat me and cast me out of the house, telling me to get out and never return. I ran, for I knew it was pointless to stay. I made my way out of Munchkinland to anyplace far away from the wrath of my father. I soon grew hungry and begged for scraps at houses. I was often turned away because of my looks and soon my hunger became unbearable. I took to picking through garbage cans just to put a few scraps of food in my belly.
I wandered the lands, trying to stay alive, begging, scrounging, and even on a few occasions stealing just to keep something in my stomach. Hunger was my constant companion and I was always looking for a scrap to eat. Anything remotely edible was good enough for me, any food was good food. Shelter was another problem. I slept in barns and outbuildings whenever I could, but I had to be careful. On more than one occasion I was beaten and chased away. Water was easier to come by. I knew how to tell if a source was pure and how to filter less than pure sources, so I never really suffered for want of water.
I finally came to The Emerald City. Life was still hard, but in some ways it was easier. I begged in the streets and had better luck than I had had elsewhere. I usually had a little something to eat at least once a day and I actually gained a little weight. Garbage pickings were also better. However, as I grew, I needed more food to stay alive and new clothes. It was also harder to get anything by begging, for people are less sympathetic to adult beggars. However, I managed one way or another to survive, until a few weeks ago.
I had caught a cold. That wasn't too surprising, I had caught colds before, but even after the cold ran its course, the cough didn't leave. I knew I had pneumonia and that my days where numbered. Few beggars who get pneumonia ever survive. Our bodies are just too weak from malnutrition and cold to fight it off and we just, slip away. Then you came along.
When I saw you I knew you were well off and could probably spare a few coins, so I approached you. I figured I could at least get one last hot meal before I died. Then you practically shoved me into your carriage and brought me to your home! I never would have in my wildest dreams imagined such a thing. You then clothed and fed me and put me up in this blissfully warm, soft bed… I thought for sure I had to have died and gone to Heaven! Then, the nightmare came.
I dreamt I was back in my father's house and he was angry with me. He yelled at me for abandoning Nessa and said he was gonna beat me to death! It was so real and vivid, I guess when I woke up I was still half asleep. Next thing I knew, I was sitting here and you were sitting on the floor looking at me like I was crazy," Elphaba went off into a coughing fit from talking so long.
She moaned and Glinda gently pushed her back down on the bed. "It's ok now. He can't hurt you anymore. Try to sleep. I'll bring you some breakfast by and by."
Elphaba smiled and sank into the soft, warm embrace of the bed with a sigh. She was asleep again in moments. Glinda quietly left the room. She made her way to her own bedroom and sat at her desk to think. Things were beginning to make a whole lot more sense. Elphaba's fear of contact had to be linked to the beatings she had received as a child, for she flinched every time Glinda touched her. That was probably the reason she had been afraid when Glinda had told her she was taking her home. Elphaba's past had traumatized her into fearing contact from others.
Eventually, Glinda stood and ordered Elphaba a good breakfast. She also sent for Dr. Dillamond, her personal physician. He arrived shortly and accompanied Glinda to Elphaba's room as the blonde took her friend breakfast. Elphaba woke up as soon as she smelled the food and stretched luxuriously, yawning like a cat. She sat up, but looked a little warily at Dr. Dillamond.
"Hi, Elphie. This is Dr. Dillamond, my personal physician. He's going to have a look at you to see how bad your pneumonia is and what we can do to make you well, ok?" Glinda assured her.
"Elphie? Is that a nickname?" Elphaba asked.
"Yes. Do you mind if I call you Elphie?" Glinda asked, fearing she may have offended Elphaba.
"Friends give each other nicknames, right?" Elphaba slowly asked, like she wasn't sure she was right.
Glinda took this as a good sign and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Friends give each other nicknames."
"So… we're friends?" Elphaba asked, again like she wasn't sure she was right.
Glinda nodded again. "Yes, Elphie, we're friends. If you want to be that is," she added, not wanting to pressure her.
Elphaba's face slowly broke into the biggest, brightest smile Glinda had ever seen. Her eyes filled with tears. "I never had a friend before."
Glinda nearly dropped the tray, but managed to set it down on the nightstand instead, as she rushed to embrace her new friend. Elphaba began crying for joy on her new friend's shoulder. Glinda just held Elphaba tighter, pouring as much love and kindness into the woman's love-starved heart as possible.
Dr. Dillamond cleared his throat. "I hate to break up this wonderful scene, but I must examine the patient."
Glinda moved to let go, but Elphaba held her tight and wouldn't let go.
"Elphie, please let go. Dr. Dillamond needs to examine you so we can make you better," Glinda said gently.
"I don't want you to leave me," Elphaba whimpered, tears in her voice.
"I won't leave you. I promise. I'll be right here the whole time. I'll even hold your hand if you want," Glinda reassured her.
Elphaba let go and nodded. She clutched Glinda's hand tightly. Glinda sighed. The poor woman was like a frightened child. She was broken and it was up to Glinda to help put her back together. But first, she needed to know how to heal her body. Dr. Dillamond took his stethoscope out of his black leather bag and put the earpieces in his ears. He slowly approached Elphaba, who shrank back from him.
"Miss Elphaba, is it? I'm Dr. Dillamond. I'm not going to hurt you, I just need to listen to your heart and lungs, ok?" he said in a gentle voice.
Elphaba relaxed a bit a nodded. The Goat placed the stethoscope over her heart and listened to its rhythm.
"Good steady beats. You have a strong heart. That's very good. Now for the lungs." He moved the stethoscope to Elphaba's back. "Miss Elphaba, can you take some long, deep breaths for me?"
Elphaba did as the Dr. requested and breathed deeply. Dr. Dillamond frowned. After a few moments he removed the stethoscope. "Thank you, Miss Elphaba. You may breathe normally now."
Elphaba relaxed and breathed normally. Dr. Dillamond then examined her throat, eyes, and her whole body in general. When he was done, he looked a little grave.
"How bad is it, Dr. Dillamond?" Glinda asked.
"It's bad, but it could be far worse. Miss Elphaba's lungs are congested with fluid, which is why it's hard for you to breath deeply, my dear. She's also weak from severe malnutrition. However, she is very strong, which is a good thing. Miss Elphaba, I'm going to give you this medicine to take every three hours until your lungs clear and you can breath easily again. It will also help soothe that nasty cough and bring your fever down. Other than that, Miss Glinda, make sure she gets plenty of good food and rest. The rest is up to time." The Dr. packed up his things and gave Glinda a little brown bottle filled with a dark liquid to give Elphaba. "Goodbye for now, my dears. I'll be back in a few days to see how Miss Elphaba is doing," he said looking kindly at them and taking his leave.
Glinda looked at the bottle in her hand and debated whether or not to give Elphaba a dose. Elphaba settled the question by grabbing the teaspoon from her breakfast tray and taking the bottle from Glinda. She unstopped it and poured the nasty-smelling liquid into the spoon. She quickly swallowed the medicine without gagging or even making a face.
Glinda was shocked. "How can you stand it?" she asked.
Elphaba shrugged. "I've eaten worse things," she said nonchalantly, corking the bottle and setting it on her nightstand.
Glinda was so stunned that she completely forgot everything until Elphaba said, "I'm quite hungry you know and I can't lift the tray from here without spilling it."
Glinda was snapped back to reality and at once gave Elphaba her breakfast. This time, Elphaba managed to eat more normally, though she still ate very quickly. Once again her stomach was filled, but this time it wasn't stuffed. Still, it was a very comfortable feeling to have enough to eat and Elphaba lay back with a contented smile on her lips. Glinda thought she was asleep and was about to leave, but Elphaba's hand gripped her wrist.
"Please don't go. Your presence is soothing," she said without opening her eyes.
Glinda was about to tell Elphaba to sleep, but her stomach betrayed her, letting out a loud rumble. Elphaba chuckled. Her hand at once released it's hold. "Go on. I forgot you probably hadn't eaten yet."
"I'll stay if you want me to," Glinda offered.
Elphaba opened her eyes and shooed Glinda away with her hand. "Go. I'll be fine. I'm rather sleepy anyway."
Glinda saw the smile playing at the corners of Elphaba's mouth and knew her friend would be ok. "I'll be back after breakfast."
Elphaba chuckled, motioning for her to go.
Glinda left her new friend to snuggle back down into her blankets and fall asleep. She returned after her meal to find Elphaba sound asleep. However, her face was twisted in a grimace. Fearing something was wrong, Glinda moved to her bedside and watched for any sign as to what was happening to Elphaba. The green girl began to moan in her sleep, tossing and turning. She began to mutter something, but it was unintelligible. However, as the nightmare worsened, Elphaba's words became clearer.
"No! No! Father! Please! You made me leave! I didn't want to! You threw me out! You told me never to come back! No! Please! Not the whip! Not again! AGH!" Elphaba screamed as the nightmare specter of her father beat her.
"Elphie! Elphie, wake up! It's only a nightmare! Wake up!" Glinda shook her friend in a desperate attempt to wake her and free her of the nightmare.
Elphaba screamed and lashed out with her hands as she was jerked out of the dream and back into reality. Her left hand struck Glinda across the face before she fully woke up. Elphaba blinked then gasped when she saw what she had done to her friend.
"Glinda! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean…" Elphaba started.
Glinda silenced her with a finger on her lips. "Shhh. It's ok. It wasn't your fault. You were having a nightmare and you weren't fully awake yet," Glinda soothed her friend by rubbing her shoulder.
"How can you be so, so… nice to me? How can you not be repulsed by my green skin and magic powers?" Elphaba asked, tears in her eyes.
"You have magic powers?" Glinda asked confused.
Elphaba nodded. "Yes. I was born with them. They're not active now because I'm too weak from the hunger and pneumonia, but whenever I get really emotional, typically angry, something comes over me and… magic happens. I can control it to a limited extent, but I haven't had much chance to practice. Too busy trying to survive and all that."
"Ok. You should probably try to go back to sleep. Dr. Dillamond said you need rest," Glinda suggested.
Elphaba shook her head. "No, I've slept enough. That last nightmare is too fresh in my mind. I wouldn't mind some water though."
Glinda crossed the room and brought her a glass of water.
Elphaba took the glass and emptied it at a draught. "That's better. Thank you," she said, setting it on the nightstand.
"Would you like a book or something to pass the time? I don't think you should be getting out of bed any time soon," Glinda inquired.
"Actually, I just want companionship right now. It's been so long since anyone cared about me, I'd completely forgotten what it's like," said Elphaba looking at Glinda with a new look in her eyes.
Glinda could see it was a lonely, love-starved look. This poor woman had been beaten and abused her whole life! It was no wonder she found it hard to believe that someone could care about her health and well-being. Glinda smiled at her and took one of the thin green hands in her dainty pale one.
She gave Elphaba's hand a gentle squeeze. "I care about you, Elphaba. When I first saw you, I admit I was a bit repulsed by your appearance, but when I heard your voice, I could hear the pain you were in. It was also different from any street beggar voice I'd ever heard. Softer, more intelligent. I knew you had seen better days at one point in your life. I could also hear the fact that you expected to die. When I looked into your eyes, I saw your suffering and your hopelessness. It broke my heart and I knew I had to help you.
After you were cleaned up and fed, you looked so blissfully happy, but there was something wrong with it. You still looked like you expected to die. I hoped you would sleep it off or that I would find someway to renew your desire to live in the morning. After the nightmare and your confession, things started to click and I knew I had to get Dr. Dillamond to look at you. However, once you found out I considered you my friend, your eyes got this light in them and I knew your desire to live had been rekindled. I never would have expected something so simple to be so powerful, yet it seems to be the most natural thing in the world," Glinda looked off into space.
Elphaba had tears in her eyes. "I still can't believe you want to be friends with me. I'm nothing special."
"That's not true. Elphie, everyone is special in their own way and everyone has a purpose. You know what? When you're better, I'm going to invite some of my friends over and introduce you to them. How does that sound?" Glinda smiled.
Elphaba at once stiffened. "They'll hate me."
Glinda sighed. "They won't hate you, Elphie. And you'll never know for sure until you try."
"I don't know. I've never liked big crowds," Elphaba replied, still very reluctant.
"It'll only be six or seven people at most," Glinda reasoned.
"That's still a lot of people to me," Elphaba countered.
"It'll be fine. Besides, it won't be for a while anyway. We need to wait until you're all better before we even think about planning. Right now, how about we play cards or something?" Glinda asked.
Elphaba smiled and nodded.
"I'll get the deck," Glinda slipped out of the room.
"I thought you said you hadn't played in years!" she exclaimed as Elphaba won her fifth game in a row.
"I haven't, but I learn quickly and I remember even quicker," Elphaba replied as she nibbled on a piece of cheese (Glinda had brought some snacks as well and of course, Elphaba had no objections).
Glinda chuckled. "I guess that'll teach me to think I'm so great at cards. How about we do something else?"
Elphaba shrugged. "Like what?"
"Like you take your medicine and go to sleep," Glinda said grinning.
Elphaba moaned. "Seriously Glin, I'm not a child," she said taking another dose of medicine, but showing no intention of going to sleep.
Glinda frowned. "You need to rest."
"I'm stuck in bed. That's 'rest' enough. I'm not sleepy anyway. If anything, I'm restless," said Elphaba looking out the window longingly.
Glinda felt sorry for Elphaba. She could tell the green woman wanted to get out of bed and walk around, but she was too weak to do so. Then Glinda got an idea.
"I'll be right back," she said, heading out of the room.
She came back a few moments later carrying a stack of books. She set them on Elphaba's nightstand and the green girl picked one up turning it over in her hands.
"Travel books?" she asked.
Glinda nodded. "I know it's not as good as being able to go yourself, but it's the next best thing."
Elphaba smiled and opened the book. She was quiet for a few moments but soon said, "Um, Glinda, what's this word?"
Glinda looked where Elphaba was pointing and said, "Altitude."
"Oh. Ok." Elphaba went back to reading.
A few moments later, she asked Glinda again what a word was. Glinda told her and Elphaba went back to reading.
This happened several more times and Glinda finally asked, "Didn't you learn how to read?"
Elphaba became defensive. "I learned! It's just been… so long. I used to love books. I used to stay up long into the night reading all I could get my hands on. After my mother's death, books were my only friends. I've always had a sort of hunger for knowledge and I devoured any books I could get. I'd end up knowing them by heart. But then, I was thrown out into the cold cruel world and I was too busy trying to stay alive to really read much. I guess I've forgotten a lot of what I learned." She looked embarrassed.
Glinda gave her a little side hug. "I'm sorry. I'll help you relearn what you've lost if you like."
Elphaba smiled. "I'd like that very much."