The Wizard watched as Glinda paced back and forth across the room, casting a furtive glance at Elphaba on the bed every once in a while. She hadn't said much since Ginny went downstairs but he knew all too well what was on her mind.
"I could stay with them." The sound of his own voice surprised him. "If you wanted to go downstairs I mean." He quickly tried to regain his composure. "I would be more than happy to stay here."
Glinda thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "No. I don't want to leave Elphie. What if she wakes up and needs me?"
"That's understandable."
"And I promised Dena I would keep an eye on Breena."
The Wizard nodded as he watched his daughter sleep from his perch on the arm of the couch. "I'm sure everything will be fine."
"You're probably right."
He looked up when he heard the catch in her voice to find tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh now."
"I'm sorry." Glinda wiped at her face. "I don't mean to be a crybaby."
"There's nothing to apologize for. And you're most certainly not a crybaby. You have absolutely every right to be upset right now." He walked the short distance between them, opening his arms as soon as he reached her.
Glinda didn't hesitate to take him up on his offer, laying her head against his chest. She stayed that way for a good minute before sniffling, "Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me. Hugs are always free for one of my girls." He rubbed her back. "Are you feeling better now?"
"I think so." She pulled back to look at him. "It's just... I'm so worried about my dad. I should have gone down with Mom when she asked me to but Elphie scared me so bad earlier that I didn't want to leave her and Dena would have my hide if I left and Breena got up and...
"Slow down." The Wizard gripped her arm. "I understand why you don't want to leave right now. How about if I go downstairs and get an update on your father's condition?"
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course."
"That would be wonderful." Glinda threw her arms around him. "Thank you."
"What did I just say?" He gave her a squeeze. "Sit tight and I'll be back as soon as I can."
He left the room before he could see the fresh tears swimming in her eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want to comfort her, he just didn't want to prolong his leaving. The sooner he got downstairs the sooner he would find out what was going on and the sooner he could get back to her. And maybe he would run into Cade to get an update of his own.
He didn't say a word to anyone as he hurried out into the hallway. Two of the guards scrambled to keep up, barely managing to fall into step on either side of him as they reached the top of the stairs. Normally he wouldn't have ignored them but he was a man on a mission.
His pace finally slowed as they reached the hospital wing and he caught sight of Ginny sitting by herself in a bank of chairs. He moved to join her but stopped when he heard the guards standing near her talking.
"We might as well just paint targets on our backs."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? Haven't you been paying attention to what's going on? Our fellow guards are dropping like flies and here we are smack in the middle of the mix."
"Relax. At least we're in the hospital wing if anything happens."
"I'd still rather be back at the barracks in my bunk."
"Why? So you could pull the blankets over your head and hope nothing happens? I'd rather go out fighting than cowering somewhere."
"Are you calling me a coward?"
"What if I am?"
"Then I would have to..."
The Wizard chose that moment to clear his throat, giving them a stern look when they turned to see who was interrupting them.
"Sir." The braver of the two addressed him.
The other dropped his head, knowing nothing he said would change the fact that they had been overheard.
"I'd like to thank the two of you for taking such good care of Mrs. Upland." The Wizard's words mirrored how disappointed he was.
Ginny sprang to her feet when she heard his voice. "Os... Sir." She barely stopped herself from using his name. "What's wrong? Why are you here? Did something else happen?"
"No." The Wizard gave the guards another nasty look before going to her side. "Glinda wanted me to come see how things were going."
"Oh." Ginny visibly relaxed. "How is she holding up?"
"As well as can be expected." He gestured toward the chair she had just been in. "Have you heard anything?"
"Not yet."
"That's not necessarily a bad thing, right? No news is good news?"
"I hope so."
"I'm sorry about them." The Wizard rolled his eyes toward the guards.
"Don't be angry with them."
"But..."
"They're entitled to their opinions." Ginny cut him off. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere near me right now either."
"I guess it's a good thing I'm not scared then." He patted her leg.
She captured his hand before he could pull it away. "Can I ask you a question."
"Anything."
"Does the fact that I'm more worried about Addena's well being right now than Max's make me a bad person?"
The Wizard frowned. "No. She's your daughter."
"And he's my husband. At least until the divorce papers are finalized. He's the father of my children for crying out loud. Once upon a time I thought I loved him. But after everything he's put our family through I have to wonder if he ever loved me at all."
"He'd be an idiot not to."
"Thank you." She blushed, avoiding his gaze.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you, I was just speaking the truth. You're a beautiful woman, Ginny. A man would have to be blind not to see it."
"Oh Max noticed me all right, just not for my looks. All he saw was my family's wealth and influence. I was a way to whittle his way into the high society of the Upper Uplands."
The Wizard pursed his lips. "I'm sorry you had such a hard time."
"That's just it, I didn't. He did his thing and I did mine. The only time we ever spoke was to argue over how he treated the girls differently. We were never together."
"But that doesn't mean you want anything to happen to him."
"Exactly." She sighed. "And I can't help but feel that I should be more worried."
"I'm sure everything will be all right."
They both looked up as the door before them opened and a man in scrubs came walking through. "Mrs. Upland?"
Ginny let go of the Wizard's hand to spring to her feet. "Yes?"
"I'm Doctor Haskin. Your daughter assisted me with your husband's surgery."
She nodded, not bothering to point out that she and Max were no longer together.
"One of the nurses let me know you were waiting here."
"How did the surgery go?" The Wizard asked, coming to Ginny's side.
"Hello sir." The doctor greeted him but kept his attention on Ginny. "It was touch and go for a while but the surgery was a success. We had to remove his spleen and one of his kidneys. He doesn't have an easy road ahead of him but barring any infection he should make a full recovery."
"That's a relief." The Wizard said.
"Yes it is." Ginny agreed. "Thank you Doctor Haskin."
"It wasn't just me. Your daughter is quite a surgeon. I don't think I would have been able to save him without her."
"Speaking of which, where is Addena?" The Wizard looked over the doctor's shoulder as if Addena would appear.
"I believe she stepped outside to get some air."
"That sounds like Dena. I should go find her." Ginny gave the doctor a half smile. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome." Doctor Haskins shook her hand before bowing his head toward the Wizard. "Sir."
The Wizard shook his hand too. "As the lady said, thank you."
"You should be able to see Mr. Upland as soon as he comes out of recovery. Now if you'll excuse me I think I'll go check on how the other surgery is going."
"Of course." The Wizard watched him disappear behind the door again. "See, I told you everything would be all right."
"Yes you did." Ginny pursed her lips. "I can't thank you enough for being here for me."
"That's what friends are for." The Wizard grinned. "Do you want me to come with you to find Addena?"
"No. She's not going to be in the best of moods so it's probably better if I go by myself. But if you don't mind you could give Glinda an update and let her know Addena and I will be back up in just a little while."
"It would be my pleasure. I'll see you soon."
Ginny gave him a hug. "See you soon."
The Wizard nodded, looking down at her for a second before turning and walking away. He stopped in front of the guards he had overheard. "I expect the two of you to take excellent care of her while she looks for Doctor Upland."
"We will sir." The one who had been silent before took the liberty of answering.
"See to it that you do. Come on boys," the Wizard addressed his own guards as he started away again. "We have a blonde to cheer up."
Maeve looked over her shoulder at the guard who was following her, wishing she could tell him to leave her alone but knowing she couldn't. Not without risking the wrath of Cade. He had made it abundantly clear that none of them were allowed to wander around by themselves. That's part of the reason she had to get outside for a while. There was too much tension in the palace. It was like everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Her brother was more than content to camp out in the room next door to hers. He kept telling her he was just staying out of the way but she knew he was actually trying not to get wrangled into helping with the search for whoever was behind the attacks. He hadn't made up his mind if he was staying yet and didn't want to make himself too useful.
And then there was Fiyero. She didn't know which was worse, the way he treated her like dirt or the fact that he was using his former connection to the Gale Force guard to do as he pleased. He kept saying he was helping but she couldn't quite bring herself to believe him. Not after the way he'd been acting.
"Hey!"
She nearly jumped out of her skin when the guard yelled.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
She followed his gaze to one of the fountains in the main area of the gardens. A cloaked figure was already hurrying toward the maze like hedges nearby.
"Stop where you are!" The guard growled when the figure continued to run. "I think I saw whoever that was knock someone into the fountain as we came around the house. Go find out for me. And don't go anywhere else until either I get back or another guard comes to get you!" With that the guard gave chase.
Maeve stood where she was for a moment, too shocked to really comprehend what was going on. Who was the cloaked person? And who could they possibly have knocked into the fountain?
She looked toward the fountain in question but there wasn't any sign of movement. Maybe the guard's eyes had been playing tricks on him. Or maybe whoever it was was knocked out, face down in the water, drowning as she stood there looking around like an idiot.
That was all the motivation she needed to make a beeline for the fountain. If there wasn't anyone there she could just wait like the guard told her to. And if there was someone she could...
Her breath caught in her throat as she finally reached her destination and realized the guard had been right after all. There was someone in the water. A very familiar someone with blonde hair.
"Addena?" She leaned further over the edge of the fountain when she didn't get a response. "Addena?" She poked the doctor, swallowing hard when she didn't get a response. "Sweet Oz, Addena!"
She quickly climbed into the pool and grabbed the doctor, turning her over so her face was no longer in the water. Either she was out cold or she was...
"Dena?"
Maeve looked up when she heard the new voice.
"Addena!" Ginny ran toward the fountain, the guards hot on her heels. "What happened?!"
"I..." Maeve shook her head. "I really don't know."
"What did you do to her?" One of the guard's demanded as he joined her in the fountain.
"Nothing." She reluctantly relinquished her grip on Addena. "I came out here for a walk and the guard who was with me saw someone hit her. The person took off and my guard went after them."
"It could be the person we're looking for." The second guard looked at the one who was now cradling a limp Addena in his arms. "Should I try to find them or do you need my help?"
"I've got this. Go."
"Which way did they go?"
Maeve pointed, not at all surprised when the guard sprinted away from them without another word.
"Addena."
The sound of Ginny's voice once again drew her attention to what was happening. The guard had climbed out of the fountain again and was laying Addena on the grass, the older Upland right at his side.
"Is she all right?"
The guard gave her a sidelong glance. "I don't think she's breathing."
"Sweet Oz!" Ginny's hand went over her mouth as tears filled her eyes. "Don't just look at her. Help her!"
"I don't think I can."
"What do you mean you don't think you can? You mean she's... No!" Ginny shook her head defiantly. "She can't be..."
"Move." Maeve shoved the guard out of the way before dropping to her knees next to Addena. She quickly put her fingers against her throat. "Her heart's still beating."
"What's that mean?" The guard frowned.
"It means we need to get her breathing again."
His frown deepened. "And how are you going do to that?"
"Like this." Maeve tilted Addena's head back, pulling down on her chin to open her mouth before putting her mouth over the doctor's to blow air into her lungs.
That's all it took for Addena to suck in a breath of her own, choking as water leaked from her mouth.
"There you go." Maeve rolled her onto her side and rubbed her back as she coughed. "Get it all out."
"Addena!" Ginny dropped to her knees on her daughter's other side, practically laying on the grass to look at her face.
"Mom?" Addena croaked.
"Oh baby." Ginny cried outright as she cupped Addena's cheek. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."
"Like what?" She rolled onto her back again. "What happened?"
"Someone hit you and you fell in the fountain." Maeve tried to help out.
"You nearly died!" Ginny screeched.
"What?" Addena frowned.
"What do you remember?" The guard asked.
"I remember coming out here to get some air after finishing Dad's surgery. I came over here to the fountain and ran my hand through the water and..."
Ginny waited half a beat before saying, "And?"
"And something hit me from behind." Addena finished.
The guard clinched his jaw. "Did you see who it was?"
"They hit her from behind, what do you think?" Maeve snapped at him.
"No." Addena answered anyway. "The next thing I remember is seeing Mom."
Ginny grabbed her daughter's hand in a vice like grip, causing her to yelp. "What did I do?"
"Not you." The doctor hissed. "I must have hurt my wrist when I fell in the fountain." She winced as she tried to moved her hand. "I think it's broken."
"We need to get her inside." The guard looked down at her. "Do you think you can walk?"
"Of course I can."
"Not so fast." Ginny put her hand on her daughter's shoulder as she started to get up.
"Mom."
"Don't you dare 'Mom' me. You weren't breathing just a minute ago Addena. Excuse me for thinking maybe you shouldn't be moving around just yet."
"Other than my wrist I'm fine."
"How do you know?"
"I'm a doctor Mom."
"But..."
"I'm fine. Really." To prove her point Addena climbed to her feet, giving herself a chance to make sure she was steady before offering her good hand to her mother.
"Thanks. Oh..." Ginny frowned at her as she knocked her hand away, getting up by herself.
Maeve tried not to chuckle at the mischievous gleam in Addena's eye as the corner of her mouth turned up at her mother's reaction. Breena was starting to rub off on her.
"Ginny! Maeve! Addena!" Cade called their names as he and what looked like half of the Gale Force came running toward them. "Are you all right?" He took in Addena's sopping wet clothes.
"Someone hit her and knocked her into the fountain." The guard who had been with them explained.
"What?!" Cade couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I came out here for a little after breakfast stroll and the guard with me saw someone hit her." Maeve picked up the narrative. "He chased after him. I had just found Addena in the fountain when Ginny and two other guards showed up."
"Doctor Haskin told me Dena stepped outside after the surgery. The guards and I came out here to find Maeve trying to pull Addena out of the water." Ginny laced her fingers through her daughter's good hand. "She wasn't breathing. Maeve saved her life."
Addena looked at the brunette. "You did?"
Maeve shrugged. "I just did what anyone else would do."
"Thanks all the same." Addena gave her an appreciative look.
"You're welcome." Maeve nodded.
"How did you know to come out here?" Ginny asked Cade.
"One of the guards upstairs said he could see some sort of commotion in the garden through a window and I thought we better check it out. Don't just stand there!" He suddenly snapped at the men around him. "Go help find whoever did this!" He returned his attention to Addena. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
Ginny frowned. "What about your wrist?"
"You hurt your wrist?" Cade raised an eyebrow when she didn't respond. "Addena?"
"I might have broken it when I fell in the fountain. But it's not a big deal," she was quick to add. "I can take care of it once I get upstairs and..."
"Don't be ridiculous." Cade interrupted her. "One of the Gale Force doctor's is going to examine you."
"But..."
Cade gave her a stern look. "You were knocked unconscious and you weren't breathing Addena. And I know you're a damned good doctor but even you can't cast your own arm if it is broken."
"Want to bet?"
"Addena." Ginny chastised her. "He's right. You need to be looked at."
She started to protest but sighed instead. "Fine. But don't even think about asking the doctor to keep me in the hospital wing. Once he sets my wrist I'm going back upstairs to Breena."
With that Addena strode toward the house, leaving the rest of them to follow in her wake.
