A/N: So I realize that I fail completely at updating. I'm not trying to make excuses for my epic failure, but life just gets in the way sometimes. I will, however, promise you that I am going to try a hell of a lot harder to suck less and get this story finished sometime before the I'm old and gray and have half a dozen cats.

And now, read and enjoy!

They stayed in the bathroom until the water was too cool for comfort. It had cooled fast due to the frigid temperatures outside and poor central heating in the building, but Galinda was clean, and that is what matters. After that Elphaba left to get to Galinda her sleeping gown, and then left again to let her get dressed. While she dressed, Elphaba moved about the adjoining room at a rapid pace, her mind whirring at an even more rapid pace. She needed to do something, something that would make it better.

'No, nothing could make what happened to Galinda better' she scolded herself. She was brimming with rage. She opened and closed her fists a few times in effort to relax a little. A vague plan to bring as much pain and humiliation to that bastard was forming in her head as she paces around the room looking for something that would help her in this. She suddenly remembered the rucksack of stuff she kept jammed under her bed. The only reason she had it was because the things didn't have a proper place in the room.

She dropped to her knees beside the bed and began rummaging under it to find what she was looking for. She let out a small victorious 'ha!' when her fingers wrapped around the handle of the bag and pulled it toward her, grunting with effort when it snagged against something. Pulling it out from under the bed, Elphaba immediately and unceremoniously yanked the buckles open and began sifting through it. Her brown orbs lit up with a savage glee as she found what she wasn't sure she was looking for; her vague plan now taking solid form.

Elphaba's head snapped up as soon as she heard the bathroom door open. Leaping to her feet, she made it to Galinda's side in few strides. The savage glee that had filled her eyes moments before faded and was replaced by concern for the blonde, her plan momentarily forgotten. Though some of the color had returned to her skin, it was marred by very angry looking bruises. Her hair, though clean, was hanging lankly to her shoulders and made her look still very much as defeated as when the green girl rescued her.

The taller of the two tentatively reached her hand out towards Galinda's shoulder, palming it gently before sliding it down to her lower back and leading her towards her own bed. The blonde sagged against Elphaba, her good hand immediately gripping the green girl's upper arm, and shuffled along side her.

Elphaba stopped right next to the bed and leaned forward to pull the blankets down, but her movement was impeded by the surprisingly strong grip that remained on her arm. Instead she reached over awkwardly with her free arm and tugged the blankets down sloppily. Galinda released her arm, looking up at Elphaba almost bashfully.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to break your arm too." She said with a small chuckle, and a yawn.

"It's alright, my sweet. Besides, it's your wrist that's injured, not your arm. Into bed with you." Elphaba smiled at her, giving her lower back a gentle push.

When Galinda was settled sitting up in bed Elphaba went back to the bathroom, returning shortly with a box.

"Whatcha got in the box?" Galinda said sleepily, eyeing it curiously.

"Stuff." Elphaba replied, smiling as she reached out and gently took the blonde's injured wrist. Galinda winced as green fingers gently padded around it, brown eyes examining it intensely. "Can you move it at all?"

Nodding weakly, Galinda demonstrated by rotating her wrist gingerly. Elphaba flashed a small smile. "Well, the good news is that it's not broken." She paused and opened the box, pulling out a flat stick about four inches long and a roll of bandages. "It's just sprained and bruised. You're going to have to keep it immobilized." Elphaba picked up the blonde's hand, tenderly turning it so her palm is facing up.

"Hold this here for me?" the green girl requested softly, placing the stick against her wrist and palm. As Galinda held it in place Elphaba began to gently wrap the bandage around her wrist. "Tell me if it's too tight." Galinda shook her head to indicate that she was fine and watched with rapt attention as Elphaba continued to wrap her hand. She finished by neatly clipping the fabric with a pair of small scissors and carefully tucking it into one of the folds.

"This ought to hold well enough, since you're refusing real medical care." Elphaba smirked, returning the items to the box and taking out a small tube. Removing the cap, she squeezed a little bit of the tubes content onto her finger. "Pucker up." she commanded with another smirk as she held her finger up.

"What?" Galinda asked, confused.

"This" Elphaba replied indicating her finger "is a special recipe for chapped and otherwise injured lips. I made it myself. It will help with the swelling on your split lip and make sure it doesn't become infected. Besides, it's minty." She grinned.

Galinda eyed the digit warily. "I'll have you know I'm not custom to putting strange things in or on my mouth, but I trust you." She said before doing as she was told. The blonde audibly sighed when contact was made, the soothing tingle almost instantaneous.

As Elphaba applied the balm, blue eyes studied her face thoughtfully. Galinda watched intently as Elphaba seemed to focus all of her attention entirely on the task she was doing; on the lips she was helping to heal, and she couldn't help but smile.

When Elphaba was finished applying it, she sat back slightly and wiped her finger on her skirt. When she turned her face back towards Galinda she was met by Galinda's lips landing softly on hers. It was a chaste kiss, but it still left her breathless and awoke a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. Eyes closed and a goofy smile in place she asked "What was that for?"

Galinda rested her forehead against Elphaba's, brushing her nose against her green counterparts. "For being wonderful. For saving me from that man. For taking such good care of me. For being you." The blonde replied, punctuating each statement with a soft kiss.

Elphaba brushed their noses together again, surprising herself yet again with the ease she finds in being physical with the blond. "Look, Glin, I know I pretty much bolted this morning on you after giving you the cold shoulder…and I want to you to know how sorry I am…I was ju-" she was cut off by Galinda's unwrapped hand settling over her lips.

"It's okay. I get that you were a little spooked. I've gathered that you don't do well with emotions," She grinned "but can we talk about this tomorrow? My everything hurts and I'm exhausted and I just really want to sleep for the next three days."

Elphaba nodded as verbal affirmation wasn't an option yet. She stood up and watched as Galinda scooted down in the bed. She pulled the blankets up to the blonde's shoulders, tucking her in. Leaning over she brushed some hair off of Galinda's forehead and kissed the exposed skin gently. Elphaba rounded to the other side of the bed, towards her side of the room, when she heard Galinda's voice, small and sleepy.

"Elphie?"

"Yes, my sweet?" she replied, turning around.

"Will you lay with me? At least until I fall asleep?" the blonde asked sounding self-conscious.

"Anything for you, Glin."

Elphaba made her way to Galinda's bed and laid down on her stomach, her head turned facing the blond. Galinda smiled sleepily at her before closing her eyes and snuggling a little closer to the green girl.

Looking over the smaller girl's bruised face and mouth, a spark of outrage reignited the fury she had felt earlier, reminding her of what she still had to do.

'After she falls asleep.' She thought to herself. 'That's when I'm going after him.'

Please review if you're feeling generous :D