Chapter 17

Glinda wanted to get out of the doctor's office as quickly as possible, so Elphie promised to take her medicine, come back in two weeks and to look after Glinda. They walked silently to the café patio and sat down.

"Look at us" chuckled Elphaba "The walking wounded leading the faint of countenance."

Glinda chuckled, still looking a little pale.

"Are you feeling ok my sweet?" Elphie asked trying to assess her friends true condition.

"I'm supposed to ask you that, you are the one who had a rough time this morning."

"Maybe so, but at least I stayed conscious."

Glinda made a very unladylike gesture and laughed. "I'm fine-truly. I tried to warn you about the fainting."

"I know, but I assumed you were just trying to distract me. You do that very well, by the way- distracting me that is, I have nothing to base your fainting performance on."

"Thank you." Glinda replied. "I aim to please"

Glinda started to rise. "I'll go get us something to eat." She said

Elphaba took her arm and gently pulled her back down into the chair.

"You will do nothing of the sort." She said getting up from her own chair. "I'll go get us something and you will not move from this spot until I think you have regained your color."

"Elphie, are you sure your up to it?"

Glinda, please. It's walking to get breakfast, not running a marathon. Now hush and let me be the coddler instead of the coddlee for awhile." She winked and smiled at her still rather pale roomie and walked into the café.

Glinda smiled and leaned back in her chair. Although it seemed that they were at the doctors forever, from entrance to exit took only a little more than an hour and it was barely mid-morning. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on her face. "My Elphie is making her way back, When the physical reminders of her ordeal are all healed, maybe the rest of her can too" She thought.

Elphie couldn't believe it was only mid-morning. I would've sworn that torture lasted longer than just a hour." She thought dryly. "But it's over now- and you are already feeling better" She told herself

At the counter she got some of Glinda's favorite fig buns, some fruit, some orange juice and a carafe of coffee, then headed back. As she walked out on the patio she saw Glinda leaning back in her chair, eyes closed smiling.

"Daydreaming again?" Elphie asked as she set the tray on the table.

"Uh huh" sighed Glinda, nodding.

"Care to fill me in?" Elphie asked amused

"Uh uh" she shook her head grinning slyly.

""Ok- but if you don't return to the patio soon, I'm eating all of the fig buns" Elphie chuckled

Glinda opened her eyes and sat up "Oh Elphie, my favorite- you remembered"

"Of course I did- I may be coming undone emotionally, but my memory is still under admirable control, thank you very much." She said as she poured coffee for the both of them.

"Elphie, How can you drink coffee?" Glinda asked surprised.

"I put heavy cream in it to thicken it, I don't drink it very often though, I have to be in the mood."

"Just another piece I can add to the puzzle that is Elphaba, Thropp Third Descending from Nest Hardings." Glinda chuckled, spreading butter on a fig bun.

Elphaba smiled "So am I completed yet?"

"I've got a feeling, I'm not even close my love" Glinda said

They sat in silence for a long while sipping their coffee and nibbling on their food, enjoying the beautiful weather and each other.

"Oh Glinda, I forgot to tell you- while you were unconscious in the doctors office…"

Glinda stuck out her tongue, and pouted "You mean green thing"

Elphie smiled "If you are going to pout and be unladylike, I shall not tell you the surprise." Then she leaned back and closed her eyes.

"Elphie!" Glinda said lightly hitting her friends arm

"Oh all right" Elphaba sighed, eyes laughing "The doctor gave us both excuse from class passes for the whole day. I guess he thought I was to traumatized to go, and you were- well you were unconscious" She chuckled.

"Oh what fun- a free day!" Glinda said clapping her hands and bouncing in her chair, then she sobered "Don't tease me!"

"I'm sorry Glinda, not one more word about you pass…"

"Elphie!" Glinda admonished

In response Elphaba unceremoniously spread herself out on her chair eyes closed, tongue hanging out."

"What has gotten in to you?" Glinda said exasperated

"Now you know why I don't drink coffee very often," Elphie said taking a sip from her cup. "But I promise, no more teasing." She said laughing

Glinda looked at her friend and laughed right along with her.

After a time, Glinda reached for her roomie's hand

"Elphie, Are you really ok? – About the doctor visit I mean."

Elphaba shifted in her chair and looked in her roomies earnest face.

"Honestly, who knows- I hated every minute that I was in there, I hated being so exposed and vulnerable. But I did it, and it's over"

Glinda looked in her friend's dark eyes, trying to read them. "Yes, you did, and yes it is. Elphie I meant it when I said I was proud of you. I think you are the strongest person I have ever known."

"I don't know about the strong part" The green girl sighed, "I certainly don't feel strong- but I will say, for the first time, I think I'm actually proud of myself, and I'm giving myself permission to use the doctor's pass and not go to class"

"Oh Elphie, good for you"

They finished up the food that Elphaba had brought and chatted about nothing in particular for quite awhile, then lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"Umm Elphie?" Glinda queried

"Yes my sweet" Elphie replied her eyes closed.

"I hope you give me leave to move from this very spot soon"

"And why is that?" Elphaba replied opening her eyes and looking at her roomie. "I'm rather enjoying the fact that you are confined to one place- it doesn't happen very often"

"Be that as it may, my love, If you don't- then I shall get wet because it is going to start to rain any minute."

Elphie looked at the sky. "Oh for goodness sake" she laughed scrambling up, dragging Glinda with her as a downpour started.

"You could have given me a little more warning you know" Elphie said still laughing.

"You looked so peaceful and calm, I didn't want to disturb you- besides you know what spring is like in Oz" Glinda said wiping a few stray raindrops off of Elphie's dress.

"I was going to suggest that we take a walk," She said

"Well, I could load up on pain pills and we could see what happens to me if I get completely soaked." Elphaba said turning back towards the patio.

"Elphaba, Don't even joke about that!" Glinda said shocked.

She took her friends green hand and pulled her in the direction of the hallway to their dorm. Elphie shuffled along with her, head down, shoulders slumped and pouting.

"You are in a mood. And by the way- no more coffee for you again-ever!"

This time it was Elphie's turn to stick out her tongue.

The rain continued throughout the afternoon, so the girls stayed in their rooms studying, or in Glinda's case trying to. Elphie had taken her pill and a pain pill and was comfortably folded up on her bed studying her life sciences text. Glinda was in her pink comfy chair trying to get a handle on her sorcery lesson. Elphie smiled when she heard her friend mumble something incoherent, then utter a completely understandable, albeit minor expletive, then return to the incoherent mumbling.

They had been studying for about an hour when Glinda spoke up excitedly.

"Elphie look, I think I have it"

Elphaba looked up "Glinda don't point that thing at me" she said referring to the fact that her friend wasn't paying attention and the wand in her hand was pointed directly at her.

"Oh, sorry, but look" Glinda chanted something and pointed her wand at the flowers on the table and they exploded. Glinda jumped and let out a small scream.

"That wasn't supposed to happen."

"I should hope not" Elphie chuckled going over to clean up the mess.

Glinda flopped down on her bed. "I usually mess this up by saying die instead of grow, I must have said explode this time. Ugh!"

"Look at it this way" Elphie said throwing away the pieces have broken glass. "At least your chanting vocabulary is expanding."

She looked over at her friend. Glinda looked dejected and frustrated

"Don't be so hard on yourself Glinda, This a new lesson, and you missed the class lecture to be with me. You might not be innately magical, but you do have some skill. It just takes time."

Glinda sighed "Precious little skill it seems, but your right, It does take time. But I quit."

"Glinda, You can't be serious," Elphaba said flabbergasted

"What- huh- Oh, no Elphie.. I don't mean forever, I mean for now- I'm going to stop studying for now. I'm getting a headache"

"Why don't you go and soak away that headache, and the stress of the day in a nice hot Gillkin Rose oil bath—and don't look at me like that, I know it was hard on you being with me at the doctors today" Elphaba said gently kissing her forehead.

"Ok maybe a little hard, I hate seeing you in so much pain and so frustrated"

"I know, but fret not my sweet, those new pills are amazing, and I'm doing fine. Now go soak"

"Yes ma'am" Glinda said saluting then turning smartly on her heel and marching off to the bathroom