Author's Note: After this, Fae's Flower and I will be alternating chapters, so she'll be writing the next one. Also, hopefully updates will be weekly.
Chapter 2: The Road to Healing.
Over the next few days, Elphaba began to show signs of improvement. Her cough was greatly reduced, her fever was gone, and she was starting to gain a little weight. After the first day, her nightmares stopped and she spent more time asleep, which was a good thing. When she was awake, Glinda would usually help her relearn her advanced reading skills. Elphaba was a quick study though and soon regained the knowledge she had lost. Whenever she grew restless or found herself longing to go out, she picked up a book.
Glinda soon learned what was meant by 'devouring books'. Elphaba could easily read two or three books in a day and she really would end up knowing them by heart. It was like her mind was a bottomless pit of knowledge.
Anyway, Dr. Dillamond came to see Elphaba about four days later and was quite pleased with her recovery. "Yes, indeed. I believe you will make a full recovery, my dear. You still need to take the medicine I gave you and you should stay in bed till the end of the week. Don't go outside, for you could aggravate your condition and set your recovery back. Keep eating well and resting and you should keep putting on those healthy pounds. I see you've already started filling out some," he said gently pinching her upper arm.
Elphaba smiled. She had gained some flesh and her bones weren't quite so prominent.
"I'm feeling better," she replied.
"Good. Well, I must be off… other patients and all that. I'll be back to see you at the end of the week. Take care, both of you," the good Dr. smiled as he left.
After that, Elphaba continued to put on weight. She went up a full dress size by the end of the week and the constant feeling of hunger that had been part of her life for so long was completely gone. It was a strange yet blissful feeling, not to be hungry at all, only full and satisfied.
Dr. Dillamond couldn't have been more pleased than on that final checkup. "Well, I can officially say you are free of pneumonia. But wait a day or two before you go outside and when you do make sure you are well bundled up. I'm also very pleased to see you looking fuller than when I was last here."
Elphaba smiled. "Glinda makes sure I get enough to eat. I've never been so well fed in my life."
Dr. Dillamond and Glinda both stared in shock. "Never?"
Elphaba shook her head. "I've known hunger most of my life, even in my father's house. The only time that I had never known hunger was while my mother was alive. She always cared for me and made sure I was cared for. She was the only person who ever loved me. When she died, my father basically treated me like a slave. More than once he deprived me of meals to punish me. So, from an early age, I learned what it is to be hungry. But now… now I'm well fed, warm, and happier than I've been in a long, long time."
"Well, I hope you continue to find happiness, Miss Elphaba. Goodness knows you deserve it," said Dr. Dillamond before leaving.
After Dr. Dillamond left, Elphaba decided to get out of bed. It took a few moments for her to find her legs, but once she was up, she was ready to explore her new home in depth. But first, she needed a shower. Afterwards, Glinda showed Elphaba all around the mansion. She then made an appointment with her personal seamstress for a fitting for Elphaba.
At first Elphaba was rather hesitant, but Glinda promised no pink or frills or anything Elphaba didn't like. She also pointed out that Elphaba was going to need a new wardrobe anyway. Elphaba saw her point and reluctantly agreed.
After all this, the two ate lunch together in the dining room. This was Elphaba's first time sharing a meal with Glinda and she was a little shy. Glinda noticed as Elphaba fumbled with the many forks and spoons, completely clueless as to which one to use.
Glinda smiled at her. "Don't worry about which utensil is the proper one to use. I'll teach you all that later. For now, just eat."
Elphaba looked at her gratefully and enjoyed her meal. Glinda observed that the wild ravenous look had completely gone from Elphaba's eyes. She just looked like a healthy, happy young woman, even if she was still thin as a rail. As Glinda looked, she saw even more signs of Elphaba's recovery. Her hair now had a healthy, shiny luster to it, her skin glowed with health, and she had started to regain her true strength.
As the days and weeks passed, Elphaba continued to gain healthy weight and started practicing with her magic and doing gymnastics. She was an introvert by nature though, and loved nothing more than curling up in the library with a good book. Well, except for the fact that she was restless. Elphaba needed action. Her long, slender limbs were strong and needed exercise, so she took long walks in the woods at the back of Glinda's garden. She also spent long hours in the gymnasium (that Glinda never used), when the weather was too inhospitable for outdoor excursions, and she was soon covered from head to toe in lean hard muscle.
Glinda's seamstress was a master at her craft and had accurately estimated Elphaba's final size once she filled out. Elphaba now had her own clothes and they were all well made and very comfortable as well as durable. Elphaba had a very practical mind and was very specific in her likes and dislikes. Still, Glinda had somehow managed to convince her to get one fancy ball dress. It was a deep, almost black, purple and clung to her, showing off her long lean figure to full effect. It was long sleeved, but off the shoulders and fell to her ankles. There was also some gold embroidery on the hem of the skirt, around the top, and on the ends of the sleeves. The ensemble was completed by a pair of matching purple flat-soled slippers with gold accents, and a gold cloth belt. In the end, Elphaba had to admit she liked it, but was very firm that she didn't want a bunch of ballgowns or fancy dresses.
In any case, Glinda came into the gymnasium one day looking for Elphaba. She found her high up on a bar balancing herself expertly on her hands, looking down at the floor. Elphaba was dressed in her workout gear, which was a loose fitting black shirt and pants. Glinda watched as Elphaba slowly, deliberately, split her legs, one dipping down behind her back while the other stuck out in front of her for balance, then slipped through the two foot gap between the bar she was on and another. She hung there right side up for a moment, then let go of the bar and dropped towards the floor.
"Elphie!" Glinda screamed as her friend fell to what was sure to be a broken leg at least.
But Elphaba suddenly stopped, suspended in mid-air by an invisible force. She smirked and lowered herself to the ground.
"Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart-attack!" admonished Glinda.
"Sorry. I guess I should have told you I was working on my levitation spells today," Elphaba replied, still smiling.
Glinda calmed down. "I just came to tell you that I'm planning that party to introduce you to some of my other friends. Oh! And Carla's got something special planned for dinner tonight. Don't ask. She wouldn't even tell me."
Elphaba looked uncomfortable again. She didn't like crowds and she was sure that no one at the party besides Glinda would like her. Actually, she didn't even really know what a party was. The closest she'd ever come to it was her mother's funeral.
"Elphie? Are you ok? You're not still worried about the party are you?" Glinda asked.
"I-I… I've never been to a party before, Glinda," Elphaba said softly, hanging her head in embarrassment.
Glinda gasped! "You've never been to a party before!?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
Elphaba shook her head. "The closest I ever got was my mother's funeral. In short, yes I'm worried about the party. I don't know anything about parties. I don't know how to act or talk or sit or stand… Heck! I don't even know which fork to use!" exclaimed the distraught green woman.
Glinda smiled and pulled her friend into an embrace. "That's ok. You don't have to act or talk or sit or stand any different than you already do. Just be yourself. That's the whole point of this party, to show people who you are," she said soothingly, rubbing gentle circles on her friend's back.
Elphaba relaxed. She sighed, half in relief, half in pleasure. In the short six weeks Glinda had known her, she had managed to figure out what Elphaba's likes and dislikes were. Glinda had discovered that there were certain touches and spots on Elphaba's person that really soothed the green girl. In the middle of her back was one such spot. Whenever Elphaba was scared or upset, gently rubbing in a circular motion on that spot did more to calm her than anything else. Another spot was her head. She really liked it when Glinda stroked her head, particularly when she was feeling ill. She also liked hugs. A hug was often the best way to comfort Elphaba during times of sorrow. All these things fed her love-starved heart as food did her body and Elphaba was learning to slowly trust and bare her heart to another. Her and Glinda's relationship was one of sisterly love and friendship.
Glinda, the extrovert socialite, was the complete opposite of Elphaba, the ultimate in ultimate introverts, but she openly admitted, Elphaba was her best friend. True she had many friends, but none were as important to her as Elphaba. She had connected with the green girl in a way that was deeper and richer than with any of her other socialite friends. An only child, Glinda had been spoiled and petted all her life. She had been told all her life that she was such a good, kind, and caring person. Then she met Elphaba and the truth was revealed. As she cared for and came to know Elphaba, Glinda saw herself for what she truly was, a spoiled, slightly selfish, girl. Elphaba had changed all that and now, because she knew her, Glinda could say that she was changed for good and hopefully for the better.
In any case, Elphaba pulled away with a yawn. She stretched, popping her spine in a few places and rolling her shoulders. "Hmm. I think I'll head to the library. Let me know when dinner's ready."
Glinda smiled as the green girl walked gracefully out of the room, her head high and posture truly regal. 'That girl has no idea how beautiful she really is, inside and out. Hopefully a certain guest at the party can help her see it,' Glinda thought to herself as she walked to her own room to continue her party plans.