"Glinda you're going to be okay," Elphaba tried to assure her friend even she fell to the floor. She tried to recall anything that would help the blonde in this situation but for now she just had to hang on until the oils started to work. That may not happen soon enough Elphaba gently pulled her into her arms and carried her over to the bed so she wouldn't be on the cold floor. Gently a green hand brushed blood stained curls out of Glinda's face.

"You need to stay strong, I'm so sorry!" tears filled her eyes as the full realization that she may have just killed her only friend in a stupid fit of selfish rage. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again.

"Oh you silly mean green thing" She murmured, "I have already told you that you are forgiven"

She winced as the fabric pressed against the lashes on her back.

"Elphaba it hurts too much. Can you please turn me over" She asked weakly, her mind fuzzing over.

"I can't…sleep..like.." She began, before her head fell against the pillow

"Glinda?" Elphaba asked softly as she moved to comply with the blonde's request. "Glinda!" She started to panic and quickly grabbed her wrists to check for a pulse, she relaxed as she felt the pulse under her fingers, weak but there. Elphaba sighed as she sat back and moved to clean up the mess she had made. Flinching as she saw the large blood stains on Glinda's ruined gown.

Glinda slept away the next day and a half, waking to a midday sun. Groaning she opened her eyes to the room around her and felt a pain down her back. That was when it came flooding back to her. She sat bolt upright and her eyes immediately found a dark red stain on the floor, which had failed to be washed away despite Elphaba's efforts.

She gagged a little, but was able to restrain herself from being sick, perhaps because of the lack of food she had consumed. That was her blood on the floor. The blood she had spilled when Elphaba had tortured her. Elphaba who she said she had forgiven. Who she had forgiven, because she clearly hadn't been sane when she had inflicted those wounds. But where was she now. Glinda was facing an empty room and didn't know how long it had been that way. She didn't know how long she had slept for.

She considered calling for Elphaba, but decided against it, unable to know her current condition. She had certainly seemed returned to herself when she had fallen unconscious, but whether she remained so was another matter entirely.

Elphaba slowly opened the door; she had another bowl of soup in her hands as she had brought some up every time she came to check on the blonde. Relief filled her as she saw the blonde sitting up in the bed.

"It's good to see you up," She said softly as she moved into the room and placed the bowl on the stand beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Glinda jumped as Elphaba spoke, surpirsed by her sudden appearance. She froze, her eyes judging her mental state, analysing the tone of her words. Was she Elphaba or was she the Witch?

Slowly she un-stiffened, deciding that this was still Elphaba that stood before her. A gentle grin spread across her face at the thought that she was still here, that she hadn't run back away into the recesses of her mind.

"To say I've felt better would be a rather large understatement" She said, peering at the soup.

"My back feels a little better though. At least I think it does, it certainly doesn't feel like its being ripped apart anymore" She murmured, eyes glazing over slightly before she shook herself back to focus.

"I mean. It doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"I'm sorry about my actions before, there is no excuse, I was horrible." Elphaba moved for the fresh towel and the oil she had set up for healing the blonde's wounds. "This should help, the cuts are mostly gone and none look like they will scar. This is what I used after the… incident with the girl."

"You weren't you before" She said, eyeing the bottle with trepidation, given how harmful the oils had been in the past. She had to trust Elphaba though.

"I have forgiven you Elphie, you weren't in control of your actions. I will be fine, just like you said. Don't worry. Please."

Elphaba didn't reply as she poured the oil onto the cloth and then gently held it out to the blonde.

"It shouldn't sting anymore, you slept through the painful part of the healing process." She didn't know if the blonde would want her to touch her just yet, now that she had a say in the matter.

Glinda gingerly took the cloth and went to apply the oil before coming to a realisation.

"I can't um reach my own back" She said, a blush creeping up onto her cheeks. It wasn't as if Elphaba hadn't already seen her naked in this ordeal, but still she wasn't thrilled about the prospect of her looking again.

"I think you might have to do it."

Elphaba was afraid of that.

"If you need assistance I can help." She replied lamely, the cuts may now be a little more than scars but her stomach rolled at the memory of Glinda's blood on her tongue and running over her hands. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focused back on Glinda.

"I do need it" She said apologetically, her mouth forming a weak smile.

"Should I uh, take my nightdress off" She said, "Wait, when did I get into a nightdress. And its black?"

She observed the rest of her figure, there was no longer blood matted in her hair, though some parts had a slightly red tint and she felt fresh, clean. Her eyes went wide at the thought of what Elphaba had done, blush flooding to her cheeks.

"Did..did you wash me?"

Elphaba found her face getting hot,

"Y-yes, I figured you wouldn't want to wake covered in blood. I didn't look at anything, I just cleaned." She stammered trying to explain herself.

Glinda took a deep breath.

"Okay. that's okay, its fine" She said.

"Um… So I will need your help" She stuttered, "And I'm going to take off this dress now, so perhaps you could turn around until just my back is facing you and then put the oil on?"

Elphaba nodded as she turned to face away from the blonde.

Glinda shakily rested upon her knees and pulled the nightdress off. She felt a little sore still and the movement was stiff. She turned to face the other way, clutching the black fabric to her chest.

"You can turn around now."

Elphaba turned and quickly yet gently washed the scars with the oil before turning back around.

"I'm finished."

Glinda couldn't help but flinch a little at the contact Elphaba made. She wouldn't say it was from fear as such, but, well…she wasn't sure what else it could be from.

She was ashamed to admit she was relieved when the process was over. It hadn't hurt, but she hadn't enjoyed the feeling of Elphaba touching her. She quickly pulled the black dress back on.

"I'm dressed" She murmured.

Elphaba didn't turn back around.

"I'm leaving," she said as she moved towards the door. "Do not forget to add the oil to the cut on your stomach and face, the soup should still be warm for you. I'll be back up in a while to see if you need anything, you're free to move about the castle if you wish" Elphaba didn't look back as she left the room, making sure the door was closed gently behind her before retreating to the library.

Glinda was hurt by her sudden disappearance. Why hadn't she stayed and where was she going? She moved over to the bottle of oil and soaked the cloth, wiping it over her wounds.

When she was done she got up and took the bowl of soup to the window, eating it as she gazed out at her surroundings. She wasn't quite sure where they were, she didn't recognise the landscape from her many tours of Oz.

She waited a little longer for Elphaba to return, but at her continued absence she left the room, deciding to find out a little more about where she was. She was tempted to take a stroll outside, but wasn't sure how dangerous that could be. For her and for Elphaba. she had believed her dead until her rather rude and painful awakening. She doubted many people knew her to still be alive, and she didn't want to put her in danger.

Elphaba had tried to focus on the words in the book she held but her thoughts kept reminding her of what she had done to the blonde.

Images of Glinda screaming in pain, or doing her best to not give the witch what she wanted burned Elphaba's eyes as the memories played almost as if another person forced her to do those things.

She growled as she threw the book across the room. She was a monster, and now poor Glinda was stuck here until her strength returned and she could leave.

"You're a monster!" She growled again at herself. "A horrid monster!" she decided that after the blonde left she would end this for good.

No more Wicked Witch, no more Elphaba, no more monster, No more.

Glinda heard a thud coming from down the hall and just opened the door to hear Elphaba shouting at herself. Gently she closed it again, a little fear entering her heart. Really she should go in and calm her, but she feared her to much for that.

Elphaba's words echoed in her head as she hurried away down the corridor, seeking somewhere else to rest. Calling herself a monster. That was a lie, she was no monster, she had just been deluded, suffering from a form of insanity when she had hurt her. Glinda was sure that was all it was. And maybe a little of it remained.

She pushed open a promising looking door on the ground floor and hurried inside, closing it behind her. She froze, her eyes flying to the walls. On every surface was a news article, and an old chest sat in the corner. She moved over to a collection of clippings, her curiosity getting the better of her senses that were screaming for her to leave. They were all news articles about her. Her time in Frottica, her visit to the Munchkin land mines, even her wand awarding ceremony. Why did Elphaba have all these?

It was then that she saw the little lines under certain words. Wicked Witch. In every article they were circled, underlined, scribbled through. It continued as she walked along the wall and made tears spring unbidden into her eyes. This is what had driven Elphaba to insanity, this is why she had hated her so much?

She bumped into the desk and her eyes flew to the scribbled notes on rough bits of paper. Gingerly she picked one up and began to read. Her heart filled with horror. They were the plans for her kidnap. She dropped the paper and picked up another bit. It depicted the plans for her torture, listing the items she would need. The oil, the blades, the whips.

It was with dread that she picked up the last bit of paper from the desk. She felt sick as the words blinded her vision, or maybe it was tears. It told of how to kill her. She shook as she read of Elphaba's plan to heal her, and then to deliver the fatal blow. To flay her and dump her carcass on the steps of the Emerald Palace. There was even a crass doodle on the bottom of some dress she should wear. It said chest by the side. Glinda glanced to the old chest in the corner, knowing what was inside. Knowing she shouldn't look. But she did anyway.

Shaking hands lifted the lid and she stumbled backwards upon seeing a familiar pink frilly dress laying inside. It was laid in with a collection of knives. Her breathing quickened as she made the links in her mind. On those scrolls of paper Elphaba had talked of healing her for the flaying. Elphaba had just applied oil to her wounds, insisted she heal herself. She had caught her upstairs telling herself she was a monster. Or convincing herself that she was, so that she was able to do the task.

Elphaba Thropp was an act. She was still the Wicked Witch.

And she intended to kill her.