~Chapter One~
Author's note: I know that the trolls exist in canon, and they could use their magic to potentially heal Elsa from her ailment, but for the sake of producing drama and intenseness within the story, they don't have that power here. Hope it doesn't turn you off from the story.
Friday night in the Arendelle castle. After another long week of doing duties as her new status as Queen of Arendelle, Anna was finally ready for some time to relax.
Anna was always excited for Friday night, because that usually meant charades, or some other game. But for majority of those days as of recent, it was charades. Elsa would come to partake, and it would be just like old times.
Some things never change indeed, but many things had changed. Elsa becoming the fifth spirit and no longer being in Arendelle, and Anna now queen was a big one.
Her engagement to Kristoff was going well, and while the date had been set for some time summer of next year, she felt as though she couldn't wait. She was nervous and excited at the same time, like anyone who was engaged to be married would be, and Kristoff felt the same.
Elsa was doing well, busy with her life in the Enchanted Forest, Sven was mostly the same, although in some ways he had changed too, for he was no longer as young as a reindeer as he was before, and Olaf was still learning on things pertaining to becoming older.
After all they had been through, both Elsa and Anna felt content, and surely nothing else significantly bad or life-changing could come their way anymore. But as life would have it, it has a strange way of doing the unthinkable and the unexpected sometimes…
"Fish! No, duck! Chicken! Olaf, you're changing too fast for me to see what you're trying to be," said Anna, as they all sat on the couch in the royal library watching Olaf take his turn.
"I'm trying to make it more of a challenge," said Olaf with a chuckle as he shifted.
"That's not how charades work," said Kristoff.
At last, Olaf changed and paused on the shape of an animal for them to guess.
"Cat? Dog? Fox?" asked Anna, giving up already.
"Fox! You got it!" cried Olaf happily.
"Oh wow, I can't believe it!" said Anna.
"I would've never guessed," said Kristoff.
"Well, Olaf changed into some animal with a tail," said Anna. "I just guessed down the list of animals I knew that have tails." She shrugged.
"Alright Elsa, you're up!" exclaimed Kristoff, as Elsa sat in her old, usual spot on the couch, a familiar couch cushion in her arms.
"Okay," said Elsa, quietly standing up and putting the cushion down, smoothed down her fifth spirit gown, and sashayed to the front of the room to begin. No matter how many times she had played charades, she always felt a little nervous, more so because she never knew what type of thing, animal, or person to act out.
"Annnnd, go!" cried Kristoff, as Sven flipped the hourglass with his mouth, and the timer began. The first thing that Elsa could think of to act out that would be easy to guess was a bird, since she couldn't think of anything else. She slowly flapped her arms up and down in a flying motion, a somewhat smug look on her face.
"House fly!" cried Olaf excitedly, causing Kristoff to make a bit of a face.
"You're a bird," said Anna. "A big, beautiful, swan."
Suddenly, Elsa felt a sudden, sharp, pain move across her abdomen. She stopped and whimpered, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Anna immediately jumped up in alarm and hurried over to Elsa.
"Elsa! What's wrong?" asked Anna, placing her hands around Elsa's shoulder's.
"I'm fine," said Elsa, although the look on her face showed she was clearly in pain. "I think I moved too fast."
"Come, I think you should sit and rest," said Anna, guiding her older sister to the spot back on the couch.
There was dead silence for a bit as Elsa sat back on the couch, with her hand still placed on her abdomen, and Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven looked on in concern.
"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Anna. "I can get the doctor."
"No, no, I'm fine," said Elsa, weakly waving her hand. "I think it was just a Charly horse." The pain was still in Elsa's abdomen, dull for now, but it was still there. She could still feel it as she breathed.
"Alright," said Anna, not wanting to push her sister.
"We can play a different game," ventured Kristoff. "Something that doesn't involve acting out. Like chess."
"Why, do you think you can win?" asked Anna, with a small, sly smile.
"Maybe I can, feisty pants," said Kristoff.
Anna turned her attention back towards Elsa. "What about you Elsa? Would you like to play?" she asked.
"No, I think I'll just sit here for a bit," said Elsa.
"Are you sure?" asked Anna.
"I'm sure," said Elsa, with a smile. She did not want Anna to worry.
Anna sighed. "Alright." Was her reply. "But I'll be checking up on you."
"I know you will," said Elsa.
Anna smiled and then, off she went to go set up the chess board to go play a game of chess with Kristoff. As Sven and Olaf gathered around them to watch them play, Elsa laid back on the couch and shut her eyes.
She tried to ignore the pain moving across her abdomen and she thought about everything that had happened in her new life so far; the forest, Ahtohallen, The Northuldra, etcetera. She hadn't realized she dozed off to sleep until Anna came and shook Elsa's shoulder.
"Hey Elsa, we're done playing chess," said Anna.
"Did you win?" asked Elsa.
"I sure did," said Anna, glancing over at Kristoff who had a disappointed look on his face.
"Maybe, we should call it a night," said Anna. "You can get back to the forest and get some sleep."
"Maybe you're right," said Elsa, going to sit up, and again, there was the sharp pain again across her abdomen, this time going into her lower right side. She moaned in discomfort.
"You're still in pain?" asked Anna, even more concerned.
"I'm fine," said Elsa, trying her best to reassure. "Just a little stomachache."
"Maybe you should stay here for tonight," said Anna firmly. "And if you're not better first thing in the morning, I'm going to go get the doctor."
"I'm sure everything will be alright," said Elsa. "But I'll stay the night."
Anna smiled and excitedly gave her sister a hug. The Friday night was already good, but with Elsa staying the night, it felt even better.
"You all can go and play more chess and other games," said Elsa. "I'll just sleep."
"Okay," said Anna. "And if you need anything, you can just call."
Elsa smiled. "I'll be sure to do so."
Anna grabbed a balled-up blanket from one of the other chairs and draped it over Elsa.
"Thank you," said Elsa, as she lied back down, facing the fire in the fireplace.
"Anything for you," said Anna. "Again, if you need me, you can just call."
"I will," said Elsa, closing her eyes.
"Okie-dokie," said Anna. Then she turned to leave the library, shutting the door behind her. Kristoff was standing behind her as Anna sighed as she stared at the library door. Kristoff placed a comforting hand on Anna's shoulder.
"Elsa will be alright," said Kristoff.
"I just can't help but worry that something is wrong again," said Anna. "I don't want anything to happen to her."
"It's that time of the year, people get stomachaches and sniffles and coughs," said Kristoff. "I'm sure by tomorrow, Elsa will be back on her feet."
Anna sighed. "I hope so."
A little while later, Elsa was still trying to doze off again, when Gerda came in.
"Anna thought you might want this," said Gerda. "It's ginger tea. It works really well for tummy aches."
"Thank you," said Elsa, taking the cup and sipping the spicy hot liquid. "It tastes great."
"Anna says that if you need anything else, you can call," said Gerda. "Her, I, or the both of us can come."
"Alright," said Elsa, taking another sip.
"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Gerda, whom Elsa felt like she had been asked that question for the hundredth time already that night. "You look a little pale."
"I'm fine," said Elsa, giving the usual reply. "Just tired."
"Well, my dear, I'll let you finish your tea, and the let you get some sleep," said Gerda.
"Thank you, goodnight," said Elsa, as Gerda left the library. Elsa took a few more sips of her tea, then a wave of nausea rolled through her and she put the tea cup down. Feeling chilly; something that almost never happened to her, she pulled the blanket tighter around her, and at last drifted off to sleep.
After a couple more rounds of chess in which both Anna and Kristoff tied against each other, they all decided to go to bed as well. Before heading to her own sleeping
chambers, Anna cracked open the door of the library to check on Elsa to see how she was doing. The fire was low in the hearth now, and Elsa was fast asleep, which made Anna satisfied for now. She closed the library door, and then went to sleep herself.
Not long before dawn, around five-forty-five AM, Elsa suddenly awoke burning up from head to toe. She was sweating and her abdomen was still in great pain. Elsa threw back the blanket and stumbled up off the couch, knocking into the tea cup she had placed on the floor.
What on Earth was happening to her? Elsa steadied herself against the couch and placed her hand against her head and used her own powers to cool herself down. She was thirsty, very thirsty.
Elsa moved to a small table where a basin and a pitcher of water stood and with a shaking hand she poured some of the water into the basin. She then grabbed the basin with both hands and brought it up to her face, drinking the water straight from it, water running down her chin and neck as she drank. Elsa put the basin down, and turned away from the small table.
She felt weak and delirious, and every step she took caused a stabbing of pain in the right side of her abdomen, and nausea all over. She neared the couch, and suddenly, a wave of nausea rolled through her, and Elsa was sick, the water she had just drank, coming up and splatting on the library floor.
Elsa took a step forward and tripped over the teacup she had on the floor, and down she tumbled to the floor. The sound was enough to awake some of the maids in their rooms nearby, and cause them to come rushing into the library.
"Oh my goodness, Elsa!" They cried as they helped her off the floor.
"What happened?" asked a maid named Sarah.
Elsa felt as though she could hardly speak. "Pain…stomach…thirsty…threw…up."
"Elsa, you're burning up!" cried Sarah, as she placed her hand on Elsa's forehead. "Run and get the doctor! Quick!" She said to one of the maids, and off that maid went.
Elsa felt rather embarrassed. Here she was sick, and weak, and now the maids had to clean up what she had regurgitated onto the library floor. The doctor came into the room, and followed after him, was Anna, which was no surprise to Elsa.
"Oh my God Elsa," said Anna, going to comfort her sister.
"I'll be okay Anna," said Elsa, holding her stomach.
"Well, look at you, you have a fever and you can barely walk you're in so much pain," said Anna, a scared look on her face.
"How long has Elsa's stomach pain and nausea been affecting her?" asked Doctor Hansen, as he stuck a thermometer into Elsa's mouth and pulled out his stethoscope to listen to her heartbeat.
"Since last night," said Anna. "One minute she was fine, then the next minute she was in pain. I kept asking her if she was alright, but she insisted she was fine, even after Gerda expressed concern to me."
"I see," said Dr. Hansen, as he removed the thermometer and looked at the mercury reading, which was thirty-nine degrees Celsius, indicating she had a fever. "How would you describe your pain Elsa?"
"How would I describe it?" asked Elsa. "Well, it starts off small, then it feels almost like someone is stabbing me with a knife, it hurts so bad."
"And where is the pain located?" asked Dr. Hansen. "Are you still experiencing any nausea?"
"Yes," said Elsa. "And as for the pain, it sort of feels all over, even though I feel it more on my lower right side."
"Lie down for me," said Dr. Hansen. "I want to have a feel."
Elsa felt a bit self-conscious at this, but at that point, she felt so terrible, she was willing to figure out what was wrong through any means necessary. Dr. Hansen rolled up Elsa's dress and then placed his hands on her bare belly.
"I'm going to press down a bit," said Dr. Hansen. "And I want you to let me know where it hurts, and on a scale of 1 to 10, let me know how bad it is."
"Okay," said Elsa.
Anna watched as Dr. Hansen began palpating Elsa's abdomen. He moved from her left side over and down, all the way to her right sight. When his hands pressed down over on her lower right side, Elsa let out a hiss of pain.
"How would you rate that?" asked Dr. Hansen.
"Ten," said Elsa, weakly.
She sat up and saw the concerned look Dr. Hansen had on his face, as he went to the basin to wash his hands.
"What is it Dr. Hansen?" asked Elsa, as Anna came to sit next to her and wrap an arm around her.
Dr. Hansen turned to face Elsa and Anna. "I'm concerned you may have a condition called appendicitis," was his reply.
"Appendicitis? What's that?" asked Elsa.
"Appendicitis is a swelling of the appendix, which is a small, finger-like pouch connected to your large intestine," said Dr. Hansen. "Doctors aren't exactly sure what they're meant for, but they're there is all we know, and sometimes, they get infected."
"So, are you going to give me some medicine to make me feel better?" asked Elsa in a genuine tone.
Dr. Hansen looked at Elsa in her eyes. "Appendicitis can't be treated by simple medication. In order to treat you and get you better, you will have to undergo emergency surgery at the hospital to remove the infected appendix from your body. If you don't, your appendix could rupture, and well, you could die."
Elsa's mouth fell open and she let out a shaky breath. "Surgery? You m-mean, cut me open?" asked Elsa. The thought of surgery absolutely terrified her.
"Yes," said Dr. Hansen. "You would be put to sleep however, and you wouldn't feel a thing."
"Don't worry Dr. Hansen, we will head to the hospital straight away," said Anna, firmly, trying her best already to comfort her shaking older sister.
"Good," said Dr. Hansen. "I'll send a telegram over to the hospital right away, and let them know of Elsa's condition, so that they can prepare."
"But," Elsa began. Her body felt numb, she felt as though she couldn't think. Her mind was running a mile a minute. The thought of being operated on absolutely scared her, the fear was right up next to the fear she once had about her powers.
"I don't want to have surgery," said Elsa. "I don't want to be operated on!"
"Medicine has a long way to go, but I'm confident enough that the doctor's at the hospital have great knowledge and experience in what they do," said Dr. Hansen. "You'll be alright Elsa."
"I just don't want something bad to happen," said Elsa.
"The only bad thing that could happen is that appendix rupturing before you get treatment, and then there's nothing I or anyone at the hospital can do about it," said Dr. Hansen. "You need that operation Elsa."
"Perhaps, you could do the surgery?" asked Anna to Dr. Hansen, in hopes that would perhaps ease Elsa's fear.
"While I have been trained in minor procedures such as stitching up vessels and tissues, and removing foreign objects such as bullets from the body, the area pertaining to the gastrointestinal system, and the different rules and complications that could come with it is something I'm not familiar with," said Dr. Hansen.
"Complications? What complications?" asked Elsa.
"With any procedure there is a risk that is involved," said Dr. Hansen. "But again, the doctor's at the hospital take many precautions and care to prevent further ailment or infection to the patient than what the patient may already be going through."
Elsa felt that Dr. Hansen's response didn't fully answer her question, but she knew that perhaps he didn't want to scare her more than she was already scared.
"I have faith," said Anna. She turned towards Elsa. "Don't you want to get better?"
"I do," said Elsa. "But I'm scared to have an operation!"
"That fear is normal," said Dr. Hansen. "But this is concern for your life at this very moment here Elsa. Yes, the operation comes with risks, but you'll risk losing your life more choosing not to undergo it."
Elsa let out a weary sigh. There was no way around it.
"I understand," was her reply.
"Good," said Dr. Hansen. "Now, we mustn't waste time. I'll go send the alarm over to the hospital. You all can pack and get ready to leave. It's at least a two hour to three-hour drive to the hospital outside of Arendelle."
"Thank you Dr. Hansen, for everything," said Anna.
Dr. Hansen gave a slight smile. "You're welcome, and Godspeed to you both."
The sun was slowly rising, bringing forth a new day onto the kingdom of Arendelle. Many of the townspeople were out and about with their morning duties, totally unaware of what was happening with their former queen inside the castle walls; alas, they would know soon enough. The birds were chirping, and it would look to be another cold, yet beautiful autumn day.
Elsa lay back down on the couch in fetal position, while Anna stood outside the library door talking to Kristoff and Olaf who had just woken up not long ago due to all the early morning hustle and bustle that was happening.
"Is Elsa okay? What's wrong with her?" asked Kristoff.
"The doctor thinks that she has a condition called appendicitis," said Anna.
"Appen-who-what-a?" replied Olaf.
"What's that?" asked Kristoff.
"Dr. Hansen said it's when this little pouch thing called the appendix connected to your large intestine gets infected," said Anna. "He says that Elsa needs an operation to remove it, or else it could rupture and potentially kill her."
Olaf and Kristoff gasped at this. "An operation?" replied Kristoff. "I know Elsa wasn't happy to hear that."
"No, she wasn't," said Anna. "She doesn't want to have the surgery."
"Well, if this appendix thing is that serious that it could kill her, then she should go through with it," said Kristoff. "I know I would."
"I don't have a skull or bones, so I don't think I have an appendix either," said Olaf, touching his belly.
Anna leaned against the library door. "I can't believe this is happening again," she said as she shook her head. "Just when our lives are settling down again, something else happens."
Kristoff put his arms around her for comfort. "Sometimes life just happens as it is," he replied. "We can't predict the future, but we can control our reactions and make decisions that help shape our future."
"When did you become a philosopher?" asked Anna, in a slight teasing tone.
Kristoff shrugged. "It's just what I know," he said, with a smile.
"So, what now?" asked Olaf, snapping Anna and Kristoff back to attention.
"We have to get to the hospital straight away," said Anna, firmly. "We need to get a carriage ready, and be out of here, it's at least a two hour drive, three hour maximum.
"Right," said Kristoff. Once Anna had gone into queen mode, they knew it was time to get serious.