CHAPTER 3
It had been about five minutes since the men had left the scene of the crime. Elphaba was fighting to stay conscious as to not make her situation worse. She knew that if she stayed on the wet ground any longer than she might have more things to worry about than just pain.
"Okay you can do this." Elphaba said to herself as she tried to stand. She got one foot off the ground and was about to lift the other when a voice broke her train of thought causing her to tumble backwards and yelp as her bottom hit the hard ground again.
"Elphaba! Dear God what happened to you!"
Elphaba looked up at the sound of her name being called and noticed the blonde coming over to her side.
"Galinda….don't…please," she said through clenched teeth as she tried to stand again.
"Elphaba stop! You are hurting! Let me help you to the clinic." Galinda said sternly as she took a hold of the green girls arm to help her off of the ground.
As much as Elphaba hated the help, especially from Galinda no less, she accepted it because she was in too much pain to say no.
They walked to in infirmary in silence. Elphaba leaning on Galinda and wincing at every step she took. She hated to show her feelings in front of Galinda. She was sure that the perky blonde would make fun of her later on for sure. She could hear Galinda's voice calling her a baby. She could see her roommate's face as she told her friends about finding her roommate in such a predicament. Elphaba was sure her face would be one of joy when she told them, not one of compassion.
"Damn it Elphaba." She mentally scolded herself as they walked into the doors of the infirmary. "That is not what she will do and you know it."
"Okay Elphie, we are here now, let me go sign you in and I'll come right back. Okay?" Galinda said as she loosened her hold on the green girl and sat her down in one of the chairs.
Elphaba looked up at her roommate as she said these things and for the first time noticed the concerned look of Galinda's face. Before she could over analyze her facial expressions though, the blonde took off towards the check in counter.
"Elphie?" The green girl thought. "She has never called me anything other than Elphaba."
Elphaba tried to make sense of what had just happened. Had that really been concern in her roommates eyes, or was it just mock concern? She was in the midst of trying to answer such a question when the blonde girl returned and sat down next to Elphaba.
"Okay so they said it would be about ten minutes because the doctor had to take care of a case of chicken pox." She said before looking down towards Elphaba's exposed thighs. They were a dark shade of red mixed with green and had blisters on them. A frown started to cross her lips.
Elphaba quietly watched as the blonde girl checked out her wounds. She felt self conscious, like she was a lab rat being watched and examined.
"Elphie, do you want to tell me what happened?" Galinda said breaking Elphaba from her train of thought.
"Elphie? There it is again. What's going on? Why is she being so nice to me now? She has never cared about me before." Elphaba wanted to say but what came out was a simple, "No."
The blonde looked at Elphaba expecting some sort of explanation, but when she received none she went back to looking at the ground trying to avoid staring too much at Elphaba's wounds.
The ten minutes passed in what seemed like an hour. Neither one spoke anymore during that time period and would only occasionally glance at each other to see if either one was going to talk. Many times Galinda had opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She couldn't understand why Elphaba wouldn't just tell her what happened.
"Elphaba Thropp." The doctor finally called.
"Right here." She announced as she tried to stand and greet the doctor.
"Elphie, don't! You'll hurt yourself more. Let me go get you a wheelchair." Galinda insisted.
"I'm fine!" Elphaba snapped and turned back towards the blonde girl. What she has been feeling for the last ten minutes had to be released. "Why the hell are you helping me anyways. You hate my guts, remember!" she spat at Galinda and walked slowly towards the doctor. When she finally reached him she turned around and saw a hurt expression on Galinda's face.
A pang of guilt hit her and she immediately regretted snapping at the blonde. After all, it had been her that helped her from passing out on the wet ground. It has been her that half walked and half carried her to the infirmary. It had been her that had sat there with her for ten minutes waiting for the doctor.
"Galinda, look, I know you are doing this for brownie points or something from Madame Morrible….but don't. I don't need your fake pity." She said calmly and softly as she went in the door to follow the doctor.
Galinda was left standing in the waiting room looking even more confused than before.