~Chapter 2~
It didn't take long to get packed, and before Elsa knew it, everything was all ready to go, the carriage loaded, and everyone wishing them well.
"Be safe," said Gerda and Kai to Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf as they climbed into the carriage. Elsa was still holding her stomach as she climbed in next to Anna. Elsa was wearing her mother's shawl again, draped around her head and shoulders, as she was feeling cold due to the fever.
"We will," said Anna firmly, she said with a smile. At last, the driver took the reins, and off they went, towards the hospital.
"I can't believe this is happening," said Elsa, as the carriage moved forward. Anna put an arm around her.
"Everything will be alright, you'll see," said Anna. "Don't worry."
"I can't help it," said Elsa. "I never thought that I would have to have an operation before."
"I know," said Anna. "But I have faith."
Elsa grabbed Anna's hand. "I know you do."
Due to pain and fatigue, Elsa mostly slept on Anna's shoulder the entire ride to the hospital. She ate a bit of bread and cheese that was packed for the drive, but she barely had any appetite.
Elsa thought about the things that had happened to her in her life leading up to this moment. Everything, from her ice powers, her isolating herself, her becoming the fifth spirit, Anna becoming queen; getting sick and having to have an operation as a result was the last thing on her mind.
When they arrived at the hospital, there were some nurses standing outside of the door waiting on them. Anna helped Elsa down out of the carriage, and a nurse led Elsa to sit in a wheelchair. The driver went to go park. The nurses led the royal guards, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf inside.
"Wow! Look at this place!" cried Olaf. "I didn't know so many people worked to take care of other people! They're so kind!"
"That's true," said Anna. "But it's also more than that. Some of the people here that are sick are someone's mother, father, sister, brother, anyone. These nurses and doctors work here not just out of the kindness of their hearts, but because they want to save someone's life."
"Like how you saved Elsa from Hans's blade, and then led the Earth giants to break the dam to unfreeze Elsa?" asked Olaf.
Elsa smiled weakly, and Anna replied, "Well, yes, something like that."
As the nurse led them to a room, Elsa could see other nurses and people looking at her in wonder and surprise. She knew they were wondering why she was in the hospital and what could be wrong with the former queen of Arendelle.
They did not ask of course, because it would be violation of privacy and more than likely Elsa did not want to be bothered. But still, people were people, and Elsa knew the nurses and even other doctors would gossip amongst each other about her condition later.
The nurse opened the door of a room marked 33, and they entered it, the royal guards stood outside the door.
"Alright, Ms. Elsa, have a seat here on the examination table," said the nurse. "And I'll take your vitals."
"Dr. Hansen took my vitals earlier this morning," said Elsa. "Do you think somethings changed?"
"I'm just taking them again for the doctor so that when he comes in, he can justify and make his own assessment on your condition," said the nurse.
"Okay," said Elsa.
There was silence again as the nurse took Elsa's temperature, felt her pulse and counted her respiration. The nurse wrote everything down on a piece of paper attached to a folder.
"Alright, everything is all set, I'll go relay these results to the doctor, and he should be here shortly," said the nurse.
"Thank you," said Elsa.
The nurse smiled and left. Elsa sat with her palms pressed down onto the paper covering on the examination table. She stared down at her feet, thinking about how would the Enchanted Forest fare while she gone.
"Anna, what about the forest? What about the spirits? What about the Northuldra? What about everything?" asked Elsa.
"Elsa, everything will be fine," said Anna. "I'm sure the spirits will understand."
"I just can't believe I have to have an operation," said Elsa. "I'll be away for a long time."
"I know," said Anna. "But worrying will only make things worse."
As they waited patiently for the doctor to arrive, Olaf got bored and started wandering about the room. He went to one of the cupboard's near the examination table and opened its doors.
"Hello, what's this?" cried Olaf, pulling out a white sheet and wrapping it around himself, bringing the sheet up to his face and covering his nose and mouth. "He he! I am a spy!"
"Olaf, get out of there!" demanded Anna. "Sit still and behave yourself."
"I can't help it," said Olaf. "There are so many interesting things here to play with."
"The hospital is not a playground," said Anna. "You have to respect the equipment."
"Okay," said Olaf in a disappointed tone, as he sat back in his seat.
A few seconds later, the doctor opened the door and walked in.
"Greetings Queen Anna, Ms. Elsa, Sir Kristoff, and- ah!" cried the doctor as he saw Olaf and his outstretched arms.
"I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" cried Olaf.
"Don't be scared," said Anna. "Yes, he talks, but he's harmless."
The doctor did his best to try and calm himself down. He was aware that Elsa had magical powers, but he wasn't aware that there could be a talking snowman sitting in the room.
"Oh my, uh," the doctor cleared his throat. "My name is Dr. Ulrich, I'm the head gastroenterologist here, and I'll be treating you today. Dr. Hansen telegrammed me about his analysis on you and his concern about your condition."
"Do I really have appendicitis?" asked Elsa.
"Well," said Dr. Ulrich, washing his hands at the basin, before moving to exam Elsa. "According to what Dr. Hansen has telegrammed me, and looking at your vitals the nurse just gave to me, it's very likely that you do, and it's my job to help care for you in the best way that I can."
"Do I really have to have an operation then, in that case?" asked Elsa.
"Yes," said Dr. Ulrich. "Yes you do."
"That's what I'm worried about," said Elsa, looking back at her feet.
"It'll be a gentle, precise, procedure," said Dr. Ulrich. "You won't feel anything except for perhaps some mild discomfort when you first wake up."
"Will anything change for Elsa once her appendix is removed?" asked Anna.
"No significant changes, no," said Dr. Ulrich. "Once the appendix is removed, Elsa should heal and be able to live and function normally."
"That's good," said Anna.
"It's crazy to think that something so small inside your body can cause a great deal of problems," said Elsa. "I can't believe this is happening to me."
"That's true," said Dr. Ulrich. "But don't worry Ms. Elsa, I, and my team are going to give you the best care."
Elsa slightly smiled and nodded. After Dr. Ulrich re-examined Elsa, he left, and another nurse came with the wheelchair to take Elsa to another room. Inside the room, there was a hospital roll-a-bout bed freshly made with crisp white sheets, and a window.
There was also a small couch, a coffee stand, and also some magazines lying there. The nurse came in with a folded up white gown and placed it on Elsa's bed.
"Here you are love, this is the gown for you to put on that you'll wear during your stay here," said the nurse.
"Thank you," said Elsa.
"I'll stand outside the door and let you change, and then once you're ready another assistant and I will come to take you to the operating room," said the nurse.
"Oh? It's that time isn't it?" asked Elsa nervously.
"Yes Ms. Elsa, it is," said the nurse. "But you're in great hands I promise you."
The nurse left the room, and the royal guards, Kristoff, Olaf, and Anna left the room to give Elsa some privacy to change. Anna grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze and she smiled at her before leaving.
Elsa could barely feel the gown in her hands as she picked it up, unfolded it, and pulled it down over her head and onto her body after she took off her fifth spirit gown. She did this so slowly that after a few minutes, Anna had to come in and check up on her.
"Elsa, are you okay? The nurse and I are wondering if you are alright," said Anna, peeking her head in through the door.
"Oh yes, I'm quite alright," said Elsa nervously. "Just, um, taking my time."
"I understand," said Anna with a smile, knowing Elsa was still scared.
"I'm ready now," said Elsa, sitting on her bed.
The white gown that Elsa wore felt thin, and it made her feel a bit cold as she sat there. However when the nurse came in along with another assistant, Elsa climbed in under the sheets.
"Okay now dearie, we're going to take you to the operating room now," said the nurse. "Just lie back and relax for a bit."
The nurse and the other assistant wheeled Elsa out of the room, and they began another trek down the hall and through the hospital. Anna walked close by Elsa and held her hand.
Elsa still couldn't believe that this was all happening, that she was in the hospital about to have surgery to get her appendix removed. Really, who would have thought that her, Elsa, the snow queen would find herself in a predicament such as this?
After a while they came to another small area that looked like a waiting room and the nurse stopped.
"Okay Your Majesty, this is where you and Sir Kristoff can wait while Elsa is in surgery. Once the procedure has finished, we'll wheel her out and we'll take you to a recovery area to sit until she wakes up. Afterwards, Elsa will be taken back to her original room," said the nurse.
"Well, I guess this is it," said Elsa, gripping the bed sheets.
Anna leaned down to hug Elsa tightly.
"You know I love you so much," said Anna.
"And I love you too," said Elsa, hugging back.
"Think about all of us, think about all the fun things that we do back at home, think about Mama and Papa," said Anna.
"I will," said Elsa.
Anna pulled away, and Olaf came and quickly jumped into Elsa's arms.
"I love you too, remember my warm hugs," said Olaf.
"I will," said Elsa, hugging the top of Olaf's head.
Olaf pulled away, and the last but not least, Kristoff leaned down to give Elsa a hug.
"Everything will be alright," said Kristoff.
"Thank you Kristoff," said Elsa.
At last, hugs were done, it was time for Elsa to go. Elsa didn't want to go. She clutched Anna's hand, even as the nurse and assistant began to wheel her away.
"I love you Anna," said Elsa again to Anna.
"I love you too Elsa," said Anna back to her. She watched Elsa turn the corner and disappear from sight.
Elsa found herself being wheeled down a hall that seemed rather dark, with two large double doors at the end of the hall that made her feel even more anxious. Was she being taken to the operating room, or was she being taken to the morgue?
They pushed through the large double doors and entered the operating room. Inside the vast white room, it was lit mostly by a large overhead light in the middle of the room, and under the light was the main operating table. Elsa looked around to see different nurses in their uniforms, and they were all washing their hands and arms at separate wash basins.
Next to the main operating table there was a small cloth covered table, and on it, there was a row of scalpels, forceps, retractors, suture needles and scissors, and a few other instruments Elsa didn't know, but it made her anxious all the less. There was also a small bowl with some liquid solution inside of it, and Elsa could tell by the smell of it that it was iodine solution.
The nurse and the assistant that wheeled Elsa into the operating room helped her onto the main operating table. Elsa was now lying flat on her back and staring right up into the bright light above her.
However, she could turn her head and look around the room and observe what was happening. Two nurses came and draped Elsa with sterile sheets, one covering her top half, and the other covering her legs and feet, leaving only her abdomen exposed.
Lastly, they tied another sheet around Elsa's head like a scarf, to keep her hair out of the way. Once that was done, Dr. Ulrich rushed into the operating room. He washed and scrubbed his hands and arms just the same as the other nurses, then approached Elsa with his hands up.
"Good morning Ms. Elsa," said Dr. Ulrich, looming over her.
"Good morning Dr. Ulrich," said Elsa, looking up at him.
"Don't you worry about a thing," said Dr. Ulrich. "I'm here to take care of you."
"I'll try not to worry," said Elsa.
"You won't feel a thing, I promise," said Dr. Ulrich. "Once it's over you'll wake up in the recovery room and you'll see your sister and the rest of your family."
"Okay," said Elsa.
Dr. Ulrich smiled at Elsa, then he looked up and nodded at another nurse who came over and placed a cloth over Elsa's nose and mouth. The nurse then took a bottle of chloroform anesthesia and opened it.
"Deep breaths now dearie," said the nurse, and used the dropper to slowly administer the chloroform to Elsa.
Elsa lay there, smelling the chloroform, staring up at the light. She thought about Anna, she thought about the spirits and the enchanted forest, she thought about her mother and father. The room slowly swam out of focus, and the sound of the nurses talking got quieter and more distant. Elsa could feel her eyes closing, and at last she drifted off into deep sleep.
The first thing Elsa heard when she awoke was the sound of rain pitter-pattering against the window and roof. Elsa opened her eyes slowly and she could see that she was in the recovery room, because she could hear other patients voices not far from her behind a white curtain. Elsa turned her head to the left, and she saw Anna sitting down in a chair, next to Kristoff, and Olaf, who was reading a magazine upside down.
"Anna?" Elsa called out weakly, and all three of them looked up in alarm.
"Elsa, you're awake!" cried Anna, jumping up and going over to hug Elsa. "Oh, I'm so glad you're awake!"
"What time did I get here?" asked Elsa, still in a sleep tone. "How long have I been out?"
"You came out of the operating room at around elven-thirty," said Anna. "it's twelve o' three now, so over thirty minutes."
"Wow," said Elsa. "I can't believe it's over. It seemed so fast."
Elsa moved to sit up in bed, and that's when she felt a little pain and discomfort. Elsa lifted up her gown to reveal a bandage wrapped around her abdomen. She touched it gently.
"Well, I don't have an appendix anymore," said Elsa.
"Nope," said Anna.
Suddenly, Elsa burst out laughing. Something about the whole idea of it all, her having to be rushed to the hospital, and get cut open by a doctor just to take a little organ out of her body, it all seemed funny to her. And now it was over and she was sitting here safe and sound.
"Elsa, what's funny?" asked Anna curiously. She wondered if the leftover affects of the anesthesia was making her sister loopy. Anna had flashbacks of her nineteenth birthday.
"Just…this.." said Elsa, catching her breath, before chuckling again. "I'm just so glad it's over!"
"Me too," said Anna. "Me too."
Once the nurse came to check on Elsa to see how she was doing, she was wheeled back to her original room.
"Where are my clothes?" asked Elsa, wondering about the whereabouts of her fifth spirit gown.
"Right here," said the nurse, opening a small drawer next to Elsa's bed, revealing Elsa's gown and shoes.
"Thank goodness," said Elsa. "For some reason I thought they'd been thrown out!"
"Oh no dear, we don't throw away people's belongings," said the nurse.
At around twelve-thirty, Dr. Ulrich came in to have a look at Elsa.
"Well Elsa, the surgery went smoothly and swiftly, as I promised," said Dr. Ulrich. "I was able to locate and remove your appendix, which I must say, it was the quite the inflamed and infected. You were lucky to get here at the time you did."
"Thank you Dr. Ulrich," said Elsa.
"How long will Elsa have to stay here?" asked Anna.
"Most patients who have this procedure done get to go home within two to three days Your Majesty," said Dr. Ulrich. "Which means since today is Saturday, Elsa would be able to go home on a Tuesday or a Wednesday."
"I hope it's a Tuesday," said Elsa, and Anna let out a chuckle.
"Well, we shall see," said Dr. Ulrich. "You will also have to remain on a liquid and soft food diet during your stay here, to allow your intestines time to re-cooperate from the procedure.
Also during your stay here, the charge nurse will check in periodically to check your vitals, as well as change your dressings and examine the wound to make sure there are no signs of infection and that it is healing normally."
"A liquid diet," said Elsa. "This should be fun."
"I know it'll be tough, but it's all apart of the healing process," said Dr. Ulrich. "I'll be back first thing in the morning tomorrow to see how you are, and hopefully we can get you out of here Tuesday like you want."
"Thank you again, Dr. Ulrich sir," said Elsa.
"You are very welcome Ms. Elsa," said Dr. Ulrich. "It is my pleasure to be your doctor during this time."
"Um, excuse me Dr. Ulrich," said Anna, approaching the doctor. "I was wondering if you could send a telegram to Arendelle and let them know I'm staying here at the hospital until Elsa is able to go home?"
"Well, of course Your Majesty," said Dr. Ulrich. "I most certainly will."
"Thank you," said Anna, with a smile.
"Your most welcome Your Majesty," said Dr. Ulrich, giving Anna a bow. "I will relay the message and I shall return in the morning."
Dr. Ulrich left the room and shut the door behind him.
"Anna," said Elsa softly. "You don't have to sit here in a hospital for two days straight because of me. Arendelle needs you."
"Elsa," said Anna, sitting on the edge of the bed and grabbing her sister's hands. "It doesn't matter if you're in here for two days or two months. As long as you're here, I might as well call this home, because, I'm not going anywhere."
Elsa teared up. "Oh Anna!" she cried and grabbed her into a hug. "What would I ever do without you?"
"You know you always have me," said Anna.
Suddenly, there was the sound of Olaf's stomach rumbling.
"Uh, that wasn't me," said Olaf.
"It's okay, it's lunch time, I think we all need a bite to eat after this long morning," said Anna.
"I'm hungry too," said Kristoff.
"I guess I could eat something," said Elsa. "At least try to."
Anna notified the nurse, and she called up a food porter to deliver some food to Elsa's room. Fifteen minutes later, the porter arrived with some food covered with metal tops, and it smelled delicious. Elsa pulled back her top to reveal vegetable soup, and for dessert, some cinnamon spice applesauce.
Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf pulled back their tops to reveal baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, and steamed asparagus.
"That's just not fair," said Elsa, looking longingly at their food versus hers.
"I'm sorry," said Anna, truly feeling bad for Elsa. "But it's the doctor's orders that you be on a liquid or soft food diet."
Elsa sighed and picked up her spoon to dive into her soup. Oh well, at least it was food, and she was hungry, so, she might as well eat.
After Elsa and everyone else had eaten, Anna sat by Elsa and read aloud some of the stories from the magazines that were in the room. Afterwards, Elsa fell asleep and took a nap, and Olaf and Kristoff decided to do the same.
When Elsa woke up, she had to use the chamber pot, and the nurse and Anna gave her a little bit of assistance. Afterwards, the nurse brought in a chess board per Anna's request, and they all took turns playing a game of chess against each other.
Elsa mostly rested, feeling tired and in some discomfort from the procedure, and she lied back in bed while Anna sang songs, they all told stories and talked about the past, and laughed about the things they had seen and gone through. At around four o' clock PM, Anna suggested that Kristoff and Olaf go back home to Arendelle.
"But I don't want to leave you here by yourself," said Kristoff, placing his hands on Anna's shoulders.
"I'm not by myself," said Anna, gesturing towards Elsa. "Besides, it's a hospital. If something happens they'll have a bed waiting for me."
"Very funny feisty pants," said Kristoff. "Well, I know you can handle yourself." Kristoff leaned forward and kissed Anna.
Olaf hugged Anna's legs. "We'll miss you at home." He said with a pouty look on his face.
"I know," said Anna. "But you can come back tomorrow morning."
They all chatted a bit longer, then Kristoff and Olaf left with the two royal guards who had been standing with them all morning and afternoon. Two hospital security guards came and took the place that the other two royal guards had.
With Kristoff and Olaf gone, Anna and Elsa laughed and talked about womanly things. When dinnertime came, Anna had baked salmon, and Elsa had more soup, this time it was pea soup. Elsa only ate a little bit of it, pea soup was not something she was fond of, especially not during a time such as now.
She got out of bed for a little while to stretch her legs and went to go stare out the window and watched the sun go down behind the trees. Afterwards, she once again read from the magazines.
At nine o' clock sharp, Elsa decided she was ready for bed. A nurse came in and brought a cot in for Anna, and made it up for her.
"I'm sorry this is not the normal sleeping arrangements you are accustomed to Your Majesty," said the nurse.
"It is quite alright," said Anna. "As long as I'm here with my sister."
At last, it was time for bed. Both sisters climbed under their covers and stared at each other.
"Goodnight Elsa," said Anna.
"Goodnight Anna," said Elsa.
They went to sleep, ready for what tomorrow had in store for them.