A Lazy Afternoon
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
Author's Question: As I haven't seen the musical yet, just read some really good summaries(though I'm always looking for better, if anyone knows of good ones or can provide one) and listened to it excessively, my question is: Does Elphie call Fiyero "Yero my hero" in the musical, too? I know it's a book thing, but I see a lot of references to that phrase, so I figured it was in both.
Chapter 8
Fiyero closed the door, and grabbed a chair from the corner of the room. He brought it up back to the side of Elphie's bed, where it had been the day before. She was breathing regularly, that was good. Her meager blanket was pulled up to her chin, covering all clothing, though he assumed she was still wearing his things, as her hands were useless for things like buttons right now. His belt still tied up her hair. He was surprised that Glinda had not mentioned it, for it was very unlike Elphie.
He lifted the blanket a bit, to look at her hands. They were lightly clenched this time, not clenched tight, but getting there. Elphie stirred slightly and Fiyero replaced the blanket. Her eyes blinked open.
"What…are you…doing here?"
"I came to check on you."
"Glinda…let…you in?"
"After a bit of a battle, which I'm surprised did not wake you. She ended up leaving because I said I needed to treat the wounds again, which I do, mind you, and she did not want to see them."
"Not…sur…prising."
"How are you?"
"Okay."
"You sound weak."
"I…my…hands…hurt…like hell."
Fiyero nodded. "Let's sit you up, and I'll work on them."
"Okay."
Elphie fought to sit up, and Fiyero provided a hand on her back for assistance.
"Why did you leave?"
"It was…nine-thirty…I know that…Glinda gets up…at 10…when we don't have class."
"And you could maintain the illusion that you came back in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah."
"She has no idea when you come back."
"Good."
Fiyero sat on the bed beside her, and opened his bag. Slowly he undid the bandages on her shoulders. These wounds were doing well. He dabbed a bit of the antiseptic ointment on, and recovered them.
"That one looks okay."
"It doesn't really hurt."
"Good."
Gingerly, he pulled the gloves from her fingers, and began to unwind the bandage. It wasn't sticking too badly. The skin underneath was still red and raw.
"I'm going to thoroughly clean them again, so I'm numbing it first."
"Good."
He soaked a cloth in the anesthetic, and ran it over her hands.
"Let it kick in for a minute," he caressed her arm, gently.
She shivered, and looked up at him. He was sure he was going to tell him to stop it.
"Hold me."
That was certainly not what he was expecting to hear, but he obliged quickly, scooting behind her, and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest. He softly stroked her side. They sat in pleasant silence."
"So Glinda doesn't know I stayed with you, right?"
"She knows, but she doesn't know it was all night."
"Thinks I just waited out the rain?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Fiyero pondered for a moment, then finally decided to tell her though.
"Boq knows though."
"Fiyero!"
She spun to face him, tucking her knees up.
"He needled me about it, till I told him."
"I'm sure he tore it out of you."
"Elphie."
She glared at him.
"Elphie…"
"Just finish my hands."
"Are they numb?"
"They're fine."
"Put down your knees."
She straightened out her legs, overlapping them with his. He took her right arm, and gently rubbed more of the dead skin off with his antiseptic. Elphaba gritted her teeth.
"Do you want me to wait a bit longer?"
Discouraged, she nodded.
"Hey, I'm sorry I told Boq."
She stared down at her hand. "They're pretty wrecked, aren't they?"
"They'll heal," he grasped her right hand, lifting it to his lips, and kissing it softly.
Elphaba smiled. "I wish I could feel that. Anesthetic…"
Fiyero laughed. "That's right."
He leaned in, and kissed her forehead. "I assume you felt that?"
"Yeah…"
She looked at him shyly. They were sitting in an incredibly intimate position, facing each other, with her legs nearly wrapped around his waist. She dropped her gaze, uncomfortably. He stroked her arms. She let her head rest on his shoulder.
"I'm really worried about my hands. They're so hard to move right now."
"Well, they're still swollen. That'll go down."
"What do you think will work best?"
"Hmmm," Fiyero thought for a while, running his fingers along her back. "Oooh…maybe if we melt paraffin, and put the medicines into it."
"But then I wouldn't be able to move my hands, right?"
"Yes, but we could do it at night."
She nodded, pulling away from him, offering her hand. She barely flinched when he began working again. The anesthetic kicked in. He cleaned and dressed the wounds.
"Would I need to stay with you again to try the paraffin?"
"I could do it here if you want."
"No, that's okay. I'll come. You're bed's comfortable."
Fiyero smiled.
"Don't get too big a head."
"I will not."
"Now, go away, I need to change."
"Do you need help?"
"That sounds wrong, even though I knew you have good intentions."
Fiyero shrugged.
"No, I can dress myself."
"Even with the wounded hands?"
She nodded. "Wait for me downstairs. Outside to be safe. We'll go into Shiz for some food."
"That sounds nice," he kissed her forehead again, and got up. "I'll see you in a bit."
She grinned widely, and waved him goodbye.
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