Overcoming Adversity - Chapter 8

A/N: I thought I would take the opportunity to let you know, I recently registered myself as a Beta reader on this website. So, you know, if anyone needs any help with a fic or anything...? #ShamelessSelfPromotion :D

GALINDA

There were shuffling footsteps and loud door knocks; pain ebbing through my skull with each loud noise; voices; a door creaking open, then closed, and then open and closed again. I could only squint at my surroundings through tightly squinted eyes that abhorred the morning's daylight, before disappearing back underneath my duvet in a tight ball, shivering even though I was hot.

Voices called – they might have been saying my name but I had not the energy to respond in movement or in speech. Pokes and prods, each one bringing more pain to my body; a tug of war as someone tried to deprive me of the duvet; faces staring down at me, when I was able to look up and see them.

A strong pair of arms lifted me up and I was too weak to protest as they seated me upright and then wrapped themselves around me. I caught a faint whiff of cherry and understood that it was Sapphryn who was holding me, and felt only the tiniest bit of relief. I sought out Elphie's green skin before my eyes, but it was not there: two faces stared back at me, neither of them with a hint of verdigris. Momsie…and a man in a white coat.

I buried my face in my hands. A hoarse whimper escaped from my throat and I began to protest. Hands and instruments made their way around my body, inspecting, examining, invading my privacy. I writhed in Sapphryn's tight grasp but she would not allow me to escape. 'No,' I cried weakly and gave out a guttural sob. 'No…Elphie, I want Elphie.'

A torrent of hushed sentences, a voice trying to be soothing, but nothing that came close to the low, lyrical inflections of Elphie's tone. Sapphryn whispered in my ear, but I yelped in protest and covered my ears, blocking myself from the sound of a scenario that did not have Elphie in it. A needle jabbed its pointy tip in the direction of my skin and I screamed and turned away and writhed yet more to no avail.

A sharp, stabbing pain in my flesh drew forth more crying.

'Elphie!' I moaned. 'Elphie!'

Then Sapphryn loosened her grip and I sunk back onto my pillow and the duvet was pulled around me. Something cool found its way to my forehead. Everything went blurry and the pain dulled just a little bit.

The last thing I saw before I fell back asleep was Sapphryn staring down at me with concern written all over her face.

I came round feeling a little calmer. The pain had subsided into a dull ache, but I was still shivering and my chest felt clogged. I blinked my eyes open and ended up having a coughing fit before sitting up and noticing that Sapphryn was sitting in my desk chair by my bed.

'Hey,' she said.

'Hi.'

'How are you feeling?'

I shrugged. 'Out of it.'

'Yeah, no offence, but you were really out of it earlier.'

'Huh?'

I couldn't seem to remember much of anything, except for vague impressions of sounds and emotions. Sapphryn caught sight of my blank stare and explained.

'The doctor came by earlier to check you over when your mum realised you were sick. Said you'd caught a really bad strain of flu that's been going round. You seemed only half-awake then, you weren't very aware of things but kept protesting at anyone who tried to come near you. I came because Larena thought I might be able to calm you down.'

'What was I saying?'

Sapphryn paused.

'Um…well, you kept asking for Elphie.'

Oh no.

'And um, what – what happened?'

'Well obviously your mum didn't understand why, and she asked if I knew anything about it.'

'Don't tell me you – you…'

I couldn't finish the sentence. Fear ripped through me, causing me to close my eyes in pain. I couldn't bear the lack of response on Sapphryn's part; the absence of reassurance that that was not what had happened and that my secret was still safe. It wasn't. It had been betrayed, by Sapphryn of all people.

'How – could – you,' I choked.

'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I didn't really have much of a choice.'

She was so apologetic that I felt like a horrendible human being. Of course it wasn't her fault. It was mine for not hiding it better. I should have been able to keep it inside; I should have controlled myself better. I should have somehow not fallen for a girl, should have stayed with Fiyero. Should have, could have. Well, I couldn't do anything about it now except feel afraid of what the future would bring.

'I was supposed to be normal,' I muttered.

Sapphryn took my hand.

'Define normal.'

'Like…like before. When I was everyone's shining example of goodliness. I was supposed to keep being like that.' The words were making my voice sore but I persisted anyway. 'I couldn't keep it up. It overwhelmed me. My heart wanted other things.'

'The heart wants what the heart wants. There's no such thing as normal. Everyone's different.'

'Momsie's going to hate me now.'

'No,' Sapphryn insisted. 'No she won't. You're her only daughter. There's no way she's going to hate you. And besides, you're far too cute to hate.'

Later, Sapphryn left and Oenadi brought me lunch on a tray, but I didn't feel hungry. I had not seen Momsie since getting sick, and was worried about her reaction about Elphie and me. As the time passed, I wondered why she hadn't popped her head in to see me and ask if I was okay. Usually she would sit by my bedside for hour and talk to me and tell me soothing things, but today the silence of my bedroom stretched out long and antagonising.

Finally, as the sun began to set, the door cracked open and Momsie peered in from the doorway. Her face looked tired and worn; her hair was not styled to its usual perfection. I gasped at the run down look, surprised that she would be so careless of her exterior.

'Glin…my little Glin, can I come in?'

I nodded, afraid to use my voice. My cheeks turned red and I squirmed underneath my duvet. It was obvious that Momsie had been crying, a fact which made me feel horrendible because I knew it was about me.

'Sapphryn told me,' she said huskily. 'She – said, you and Miss Elphaba…'

I nodded again, confirming the information.

'I'm sorry,' I whispered.

'Glin, I don't understand. You seemed so very – well, normal. You were perfect. And then you went to Shiz, and all of a sudden you're like a different person. I just don't understand you anymore.'

Carefully I shuffled into an upright position, the movement bringing a wave of nausea. I closed my eyes and rode it out with my head in my hands. It caused my eyes to sting and a soft moan to escape my lips.

'You should lie back down,' Momsie said.

I shook my head.

'I am different. Shiz changed me a lot. Elphie changed me.'

'But why in Oz would you want to be with her that way? Do you even realise how that could be seen?'

'I do realise. And, um, I don't really know. It just got to the point where I couldn't be without her.'

'But Glin, this is at the expense of everything we've raised you to be! You were supposed to meet a nice, young man and get married and behave like a well-bred young lady full of goodness…'

'I can't! I can't do it anymore!' I protested, and was overcome with a coughing fit. When I managed to calm down enough, I added 'Too much has happened for me to go back to that. It would be completely falsified!'

'So you would rather ruin your prospects by chasing after this – this green girl, who has no money and…'

'Elphie is exceptational and I love her!'

I gasped as the words came out of their own accord. Momsie stared at me in shock. Eventually she said 'Um, I need time. To – to think about this. I'll send Oenadi to bring you dinner in a little bit.'

Then she got up and left.

I clutched my head in agony and sank back into my pillows. My shoulders trembled but this time, no tears came. I stared at the doorway, my soul completely numb.