The atmosphere in the infirmary was horrifying. Since so many of the women were working there and the dead were brought there, too, a woman could possibly be the first to know, to see, what had happened to her son, husband or father. Elphaba tended to stay at the back of the room. She didn't want to be right up in the front if Fiyero was ever brought in, dead or injured. They sent the occasional letter back and forth, but that was her only solace.
It pained her, not knowing where he was, what he was doing (or what was being done to him), whether he was okay, whether or not he was even alive. She started to realize what she had done to him by running off into the city. No wonder he'd reacted so. Of course, it'd been different for her, since she'd known she could return to him, if she so desired, within weeks. But this was much different. Neither of them knew if he would return to her, or when.
Despite Alapedgio and Number Five hanging in the corner of any room she was in at all times, she'd gotten into a routine, if one wished to call it such. She'd wander the room and check on the wounded men she'd been assigned to, then would hang around Elyria if she wished to talk, and then she'd go check on the children in the back room. Most of the women had nowhere to put their children, so they used the old living room as a nursery and two women stood watch over it at all times. Sometimes it seemed to Elphaba as if they were the only happy people in the castle.
She invited Shell out, needing company, and knowing Juni was working the infirmary without any friends – being a royal child most of the other girls had always stayed away from her, nervous. He didn't understand the situation, but being bored at home and aspiring to become a doctor, he gladly came out to the Vinkus. Elphaba watched Juni and Shell talking on occasion and it warmed her slightly, that little teenage romances could endure through all the warfare.
Two months went by and the war was not over, far from it, from the sound of Fiyero's letters. He had not been badly hurt so far, for which Elphaba was thankful. Her eyes began to take on a haunted look, though, as she wandered the infirmary day, and most of the night. She didn't sleep well, so she focused the rest of her energy on the people in the infirmary.
Late one evening, a terrifying shriek coursed through the tall walls of the infirmary and Elphaba looked up, alarmed. It was Elyria's scream. Gulping, she made her way over to the front of the room, where several of the women were crowded around the hysterical queen. "My son! My baby…"
Elphaba's breath caught in her throat, tears already stinging her eyes. She didn't know which of Elyria's sons it was, but she was going to cry from him anyway, Fiyero or not. Eyes wide, she made her way through the cluster of women to stand next to Elyria. Full of dread, she finally looked down at the deceased man in front of them. Immediately, Elphaba flung her arms around Elyria and cried with her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered through tears, "I'm so sorry."
It wasn't Fiyero. His brother who had only just turned eighteen lay dead before the group of women. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Juni flee from the room in tears for her brother, Shell running after her. Then somewhere around them, a man cleared his throat.
The three royal men, Rogelio, Fiyero and his other younger brother, had come to assist the caravan in taking back the deceased. They had only come for this much, and probably wouldn't even stay more than an hour or two, but they were there. Elphaba gently ushered Elyria towards Rogelio, who opened his arms and cried silently with his wife. She then turned to Fiyero, who pulled her close and hugged her, crying softly, as well. "Oh Yero, I was so scared…"
He put a finger to her lips. "Don't, Fae."
She nodded tearfully. "I'm sorry about…"
"I know." Fiyero dragged her into a lazy chair in the next room and sat with her, hanging on to her desperately.
"Oh, I hate this, this being without you all of the time, not knowing. Fiyero, I've missed you so much, worried so much."
"Hush, Fae." He held her warm body close to his for as long as he could. Three and a half hours had passed by and it was well into the night when Rogelio tapped him on the shoulder and signaled that it was time to leave again. Regretfully, he let go of Elphaba.
Face red and swollen, tears still dripping meagerly, she kissed him softly and ran a hand through his hair. "Come home to me soon, please."
"I'll try. I love you, Fae."
She turned away, hiding her face in her hands. Elphaba couldn't find her words just then. A hand squeezed her shoulder and then the presence faded. When she looked around, Elyria was sitting quietly in a chair.
"Well, let's get back to work." Elyria choked. "We have to keep going, no matter what. I mean, look at Pedaline, she lost both her son and her husband, and she's working like a horse. I've got to get up. Right?"
"No, you don't. You're forgetting that Pedaline took three days off between all of that. I think you'd best get to bed, actually." Elphaba pointed towards the stairs. "I'll handle things for a little bit, okay?"
Elyria looked at Elphaba weakly. "Did I ever tell you I knew my son married the perfect woman?"
"He didn't. But stop that and get to bed before I have to call a servant to carry you." Elphaba pressed.
Elyria nodded and climbed the stairs slowly. "Thank you, Elphaba."
"There's nothing to thank me for. I'm so sorry."
"I am, too." She disappeared into the hallway then, and Elphaba heard the bedroom door shut.
Elphaba then went looking for Juni and Shell. After fifteen minutes, she found them huddled in a corner of an abandoned servants quarter, Shell with his arms around Juni awkwardly as she sniffled. She dismissed her brother for the moment and knelt down to look at Juni. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Look, your mother's in her bedroom upstairs if you want to be with her. If you want to spend some time alone, that's also fine; you can head upstairs to your room. Juni, come here," she uneasily pulled the young teenager into a hug and then stood her up. "You've got to get some rest, all right? Go on upstairs."
The girl nodded and ran up to join her mother. Elphaba sighed, fighting back sobs. She had to handle everything, for the time being.
"Elphaba?" Shell was waiting for her.
"Shell… leave Juni alone for a little while, okay? She needs some time. Her brother just passed away, and two of her other brothers are still out there fighting, as is her father."
"Isn't Fiyero out there? Why aren't you freaking out?"
"No one is 'freaking out', Shell. Fiyero hasn't been hurt, and so I have to be strong for them. Someone has to take care of things." Elphaba said.
"Don't you miss him?"
"More than anything. But I can't let that take over right now. Other people need help. Come on, Shell, let's go treat the rest of the men."
Shell nodded and followed her solemnly.
Two more months passed and the women got word that the war was over. The Arjiki tribe had won. But none of the women celebrated. They'd also gotten word that when the victors arrived home and made the procession through town, there would be with them the largest load of dead and injured yet.
Elphaba stood inside the castle as the men entered her view. Leading them was, she squinted, Fiyero's brother. Fiyero and his father were nowhere in sight. She felt Elyria tremble next to her. If Fiyero and Rogelio weren't leading the troop, there were two not very good places that they could be.
A large wagon stopped at the castle. One of the guards put up a hand to hold Elyria back. "Please stay calm, your Highness, he's only injured."
Elyria swallowed hard and stepped back. From within the wagon, a dark figure pulled out a stretcher and wheeled towards the castle. It was hard to discern the figure's face until a shaft of light from the windows of the infirmary caught it.
"Fiyero!" Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body collapsing with joy.
Fiyero soberly wheeled the makeshift stretcher towards his mother. "Dad… he's lost… a…"
"An arm," came a voice from the stretcher. "Fiyero, son, why must you act so grim? I can still rule with one arm, can't I?"
Elyria burst into tears beside the stretcher. "I wouldn't care if you'd lost your manhood, I'd still love you."
"You wouldn't care?" Rogelio teased.
"I'd be sad, but I'd still love you." Elyria leaned down and kissed her husband.
"Mom, Dad, don't! Ew!" Fiyero covered his ears and closed his eyes. He then blinked and saw Elphaba shaking with relief at the window. "Fae?"
Elyria looked at her son, at her daughter-in-law and then back towards the stretcher. She took hold of it and wheeled it into the infirmary. "Let's get you cleaned up. That's a nasty wound, as well as you might be taking it."
Fiyero made his way over, not even damaged, to Elphaba, who had fallen back into a chair. He lifted her in his arms. "May I carry you home?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck meekly and nodded.
As he had on their wedding night, Fiyero carried his wife from the castle to their home, smiling all the way there. He didn't care that Alapedgio and Number Five were just behind them as he walked; he could finally hold his wife again and that was all that mattered. When he reached the bedroom, he put her on the bed and moved to undress.
"I hope you're going to shave and shower first," Elphaba opined, finally speaking, "There is no way I'm having sex with you when you're such a mess."
Fiyero grinned. "I wasn't even thinking about sex. I was just getting ready to clean up, thank you. How dare you assume I'm thinking about sex at a time like this?"
Elphaba smiled. "Oh, it must've just been me thinking, then."
He held out a hand to her, "Would you like to shower with me?"
From the doorway (as the door was still open a crack) Alapedgio and Number Five were making faces at one another.
"Nope. I think I'll stay right here and get ready for bed." Elphaba folded her arms across her chest.
"Then I'll just have to rinse myself off all by my lonesome."
"I guess you will."
Fiyero disappeared into the bathroom and Elphaba fell back against the pillows, giddy. He peeked his head in one last time, "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." She giggled as he closed the doors. When she was sure she heard the water start, she undressed down to nothing and draped herself across the bed. Elphaba slowly oiled herself down, like she'd used to before Glinda's spell, and spread herself out. "Fiyero, darling," she called, "what's taking you so long? I'm waiting!"
He opened the bathroom door into the bedroom, eyes widening. "Waiting, indeed," he murmured, dropping his towel. Fiyero hopped into the bed and joined her. Cupping her face, he whispered, "I've missed you so much."
"I missed you more."
"No."
"Yes. And I love you."
"I love you, too."
All of the rest of the sounds left Alapedgio and Number Five making even worse facial expressions than they had before.