Disclaimer, you know.
"when do you think, she'll wake?"
"do you want the honest answer?"
"yes"
"Honestly, I don't know, I've never seen anything like this before, she's perfectly healthy, it's been a while since she last had blackouts, hasn't it?"
"Several years now since the last serious one."
"doctor Maxwell, is there something you can give her? an injection or something?"
"No, I don't have any treatments for this."
These were conversations dorothy heard as she slipped in and out of consciousness. She didn't stay like it for very long before fading out again, but she knew that there were people with her.
"Dorothy, I know you can hear me, please, wake up."
She could feel a hand taking hers as she slipped into consciousness again, but she couldn't find the strength to say anything. For the first time in a long time, she felt weak. The rhythmic sounds of hospital instruments and the voices of others seemed to be the only comfort she had when she slipped into consciousness for the short periods. She didn't know how long she was out, but by the sounds of some of the voices, at least a couple of days had gone by. She was alone with her own thoughts.
"I hope she wakes up soon, it will be disappointing if she misses the Christmas party"
"Madeline, can you feel anything from her?"
"Not really, she's weak now, what ever happened, it took a lot out of her, she'll live, otherwise my colors would be fading."
"you need to explain this connection to me Madeline"
She wanted to open her eyes and see who was talking, but she immediately slipped out of consciousness again. until one day, she found the voices clearer, more distinct. She felt a hand holding her own quite tightly.
"Dorothy, please, wake up." Came Alex's voice.
Dorothy could feel more than one presence in the room, and the complete silence outside of the voices seemed to indicate that she wasn't in a hospital anymore, at least, not in Kansas.
"Alex, saying it isn't going to make it happen any faster" Came Elena's voice.
"and that's supposed to stop me from trying?" Alex asked
"Alex, I know it's hard on all of us when dorothy isn't in a stable condition, how about you go to the kitchen and get some cookies, I know Brianna has been baking some for everyone, I think she even boxed some in tins to give as Christmas gifts, I'm not sure, but I do know she's made a lot." Elena said.
"Hey, how's she doing?" Came the sound of Alyssa's voice.
"Still asleep." Alex said.
"Alex, why don't you take a break, you haven't left her side since she got here yesterday." Alyssa said.
This confirmed her suspicion that she wasn't in Kansas anymore, not that she was surprised. She felt alex release her hand and sighed.
"You all won't stop bothering me until I do take a break, will you?" Alex asked.
"Nope." They both said in unison.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, you know what to do if she awakens." Alex said.
Dorothy then felt him kiss her cheek before hearing him hobble off. She still felt really weak, she didn't know if she'd be able to say anything soon to attract their attention.
"So, she's perfectly healthy?" Alyssa asked.
"yes, everyone who could has even cast a checking spell over her just to be sure." Elena said
"I hate seeing her like this, it's been a while though, since she last blacked out, but never for this long unless she's injured herself, which according to all of you, is not the case." Alyssa said.
"I know, and it worries me." Elena said.
"anything new from her yet?" Came the voice of Betsy.
This surprised dorothy, she didn't know that Betsy had returned to Oz with the others.
"Nothing, did you pass alex on the way here?" Elena asked.
"yes, he was grumbling to himself." Betsy said.
"figures, he doesn't really like leaving Dorothy's side unless absolutely necessary." Elena said.
"great guard qualities though." Alyssa said.
"Alyssa, don't even think about trying to recruit alex." Elena said.
"awe, why not?" Alyssa asked.
"Dorothy would kill you, for starters, and he'd have to leave his home in Kansas." Elena said.
"Okay, I'm back, and I brought a plate of cookies, be careful they are fresh, and they are quite warm." Came Alex's voice.
"No thanks alex, I had some earlier." Betsy said.
"Has trot had any?" Alex asked.
"I don't know, I haven't seen her since she and ace went to her room." Betsy said.
"you should go check on them, last time I saw ace she had a stack of books." Alex said.
She heard Betsy sighed and walk out of the room. Only to be followed by footsteps coming in.
"Her color is slowly coming back." Came the voice of her aunt Em.
"I've noticed, hey have you seen Madeline recently?" Alex asked.
"she was delivering that hat she made when I saw her this morning, she should be back soon." Em said.
"Did someone call?" Came the sound of Madeline's voice.
"Madeline! Are you trying to give us all a heart attack?" Alex shouted.
"would it help if I said sorry and put on the puppy dog eye look?" Madeline asked.
"No." Alex said.
"Anyways, I think she's beginning to wake up, but she's very weak, I felt it while I was on my way back from Jinjur's." Madeline said.
Immediately dorothy felt alex take her hand.
"dorothy, can you hear me?" Alex asked.
Dorothy couldn't muster up enough strength to say anything, but found herself thinking, wishing she could she had the strength to at least open her eyes.
"Alex, she can hear you, but right now, what she needs is rest, I'll put her under dreamless slumber, so she can rest." Madeline said.
"Glinda calls it dreamless sleep." Elena said.
"I can't make it rhyme as easily." Madeline said.
"Dorothy, please, sleep well." Came the voice of her aunt.
Expecting something from alex, she felt the warmth of his lips against her cheek. she felt her face become warm as she blushed. And soon, she blacked out again.
