Chapter IX

The following morning was a Saturday, which meant no class for Elsa, and an even nicer surprise of being off work as well. Elsa smiled in contentment from her place on the floor. Today she would make sure Anna was truly healing the way she should be. Elsa knew that meant taking her to the hospital, but how else were her fingers to heal? She could also be bleeding internally, she had thought with a sudden panic in the middle of the night. If that were the case, Anna may be in great danger and not even realize it. Elsa pulled her phone out from under her pillow to check the time.

Nine-fifteen.

Oh, and five missed texts from Kristoff.

Shit, I never did tell him why I missed class yesterday, she thought with a huff.

Blowing a strand of hair from her face, Elsa held her phone above her face and prepared to respond to her friend.

Got your notes for you,the first text read. You want me to drop them off later?

Elsaaaa?

I want to think you're just cuddled up beside that cute redhead, but I can't help but worry. Text me back, please? I'm just a call away.

Are you guys okay? You know I found out about the robbery, right?

ELSA! DAMNIT I'M FREAKING OUT OVER HERE!

Elsa was actually quite surprised he hadn't come knocking down her door last night since he seemed so concerned. She was grateful he respected her privacy, but knowing Kristoff he probably just ended up falling asleep despite his worry.

I'm so sorry, Kristoff, Elsa replied. Anna returned the money she stole and because of that the Royals beat her up. She sought me out and I took her in. I just got so caught up tending to Anna that I completely forgot. I'll swing by and pick everything up today or tomorrow before work, okay? I promise I'll let you know beforehand this time.

A muffled snort from above her reminded Elsa of her guest. Another smile crossed her face as she thought of the girl on her couch.

A blush then spread across her face when she remembered the kiss they had shared.

Elsa had never been in a relationship aside from the attempted one with Kristoff, and she had never even entertained the fact that she could possibly wind up in a relationship with a girl. Is that what she was supposed to be calling this thing with Anna? A relationship? Did that kiss last night mean anything? Sure, it was a lot more passionate than the simple pecks on the cheeks beforehand that could have easily passed as kisses between friends.

Wait, Elsa stopped; did friends even kiss each other like that? Hell if she knew. Her hands came up to her eyes as she rubbed them, groaning in frustration. It was too early to be thinking so hard. Better just let things play out. Although she couldn't deny that last night felt nothing but right.

Grinning now as she stood up, she stretched before heading to the kitchen, intent on having breakfast waiting for when Anna woke up.

Ten o' clock rolled around before Elsa finally heard stirring from the couch.

"Elsa?"

"Right here," the blonde called, walking into the living room with two plates of eggs, a slice of toast on the side. "Breakfast in bed? Or…on couch?"

Anna bit her lip as the food was placed before her.

"You didn't have to make me breakfast, Elsa," she mumbled, suddenly shy.

Elsa just shrugged it off. "It wasn't any trouble," she huffed. "Now, orange juice or milk? I'm afraid I won't let you have a beer this time."

She heard Anna chuckle from the other room. "Do you have chocolate milk?"

Elsa couldn't keep the grin off her face. This girl was too much like herself sometimes.

Rounding the couch again, she tossed a box of chocolate milk to the girl, the latter's face instantly lighting up.

They ate in a comfortable silence, although Elsa was acutely aware that Anna kept glancing her way, back to her eggs, then tucking invisible strands of hair behind her ear.

"Elsa?" she finally spoke in a whisper.

Elsa just looked up, noting the very prominent blush on the other girl's cheeks as she tried her hardest to hold Elsa's gaze.

"Did we…? Last night?" she stuttered.

"Kiss?" Elsa offered with a small smile. It was her turn to blush as she answered in the affirmative.

"Do I need to apologize?"

Confusion swam to Elsa's eyes. "What for?"

"Just…" she started, looking back at her eggs, "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything."

"If I recall correctly, I was actually the one who initiated it," Elsa told her with a smile, hoping to edge Anna out of her shell.

"Yeah, but I kinda…forced myself on you," Anna still mumbled.

Elsa laughed and she saw Anna's blush darken. "Anna, come on, you did no such thing. We may have been slightly inebriated, but nothing was forced upon anyone."

Elsa was finally graced with a smile as Anna met her eyes. As the younger girl bit her lip again, Elsa couldn't help but think of it as another cute quirk to Anna's personality.

"Good," Anna said. "'Cause I liked it."

Elsa matched her smile. "I did too."

Neither one wanted to start speaking again as neither knew exactly what to say next. What did this mean for them? Did it even mean anything at all? Did one simple kiss automatically mark a step forward between two people?

Thankfully, both girls were spared the lasting awkward silence as Elsa's phone chimed with an incoming text from Kristoff.

Saved by the bell, Elsa chuckled silently, grabbing her phone.

She read the text her friend had sent, the boy relieved they were both okay and apologizing for his overactive imagination. Elsa just told him she wouldn't have him any other way before setting her phone back on the table.

"So…" Anna attempted. "Anything on the table for today, or am I still confined to bed rest?"

"Actually," Elsa started, moving to grab her and Anna's plates, "I think we should take you to the hospital."

She watched as Anna literally paled at that.

"H-Hospital?"

"You have at least two broken fingers, Anna, and I don't know how to fix them. I don't even know if I could if I did know. I've already put you through so much."

Walking back to the couch, Elsa sat beside the redhead and looked her over. Given the fact that only one full day had happened since the beating, Anna was healing quite spectacularly. Her black eye was a shade lighter and the swelling was practically gone, the cut on her lip was rapidly fading to a small scar and the scrapes on her hands and knees were now fully scabbed.

"Besides," Elsa added. "You could also have some internal bleeding given the fact that your ribs are broken. I just want to make sure I did everything I could, okay?"

Anna just nodded, a grim look still on her face. "I just…hate hospitals."

"Would you feel better if I stayed by your side the entire time?" Elsa asked with a teasing smile.

Anna smiled back as she interlocked their fingers. "Promise?"

Elsa leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Promise."

As Elsa disappeared to her room to change, Anna stared after her, the hand Elsa had been holding moving to grasp her right wrist. She shuddered as she rubbed her wrist.

Well, it wasn't like Elsa didn't already know she was in a gang.

Anna then gulped as she touched her other wrist, immediately flinching.

Still, there were things Anna wished she could keep hidden.

Guess there won't be hiding anything once we get to the hospital.

XxXxX

Elsa was surprised when they only had to wait an hour to be seen. Since Anna wasn't considered critical anymore or on the brink of death—as far as anyone knew—she had assumed they would spend the better part of the day waiting. Eventually, they were lead down a hallway to Anna's personal room, the redhead's grip on Elsa's hand only intensifying every step they took.

"Here we are," the nurse announced once they reached their destination. "There's a gown for you to change into and then one of the doctors will be in shortly." She turned to Elsa and smiled while adding, "Let me know if you need anything."

Elsa nodded her thanks and led the now slightly trembling girl into the room before shutting the door.

"Anna, why are you shaking so much?" she tried to be serious, but with the way Anna's eyes were darting all over the place like the walls were going to swallow her at any moment, Elsa couldn't help but giggle.

"Honestly?" Anna started as Elsa helped her onto the examination table. "I don't even know. I've just never been a fan of hospitals despite the fact I've never been in one before. A lot of bad things happen in these places and I can't help but feel like once I come in, I'll never come out."

"But hospitals do a lot of good, too," Elsa told her, hoping to lighten her friend up. "I'd bet you anything that more people are healed here than die here. Besides, it's not like you're suffering from a gunshot or something serious like that, you're merely being checked out."

"But there was that episode of Grey's Anatomy where a guy was just having his appendix removed and he died," Anna squeaked.

Elsa briefly wondered where this girl had seen Grey's Anatomy before, but decided against asking. "That's only because they let the bumbling idiot of an intern do the surgery and he botched it. They don't do that in real life."

Anna couldn't help but smile. "You watch Grey's too, huh?"

Elsa matched her smile with a grin. "I'm beginning to think we're like long lost sisters with how much we have in common." She picked up the gown from the stool in front of the table. "Now come on," Elsa handed it off, "get changed."

Elsa had her back turned to allow Anna some privacy and didn't turn back around until the younger girl said it was okay. The first thing Elsa noticed was that Anna had both of her wrists covered by her hands and was staring blankly at the floor.

"Anna? What is it now?"

The redhead refused to meet Elsa's gaze as she mumbled, "Promise you won't hate me?"

Elsa was now completely puzzled. Yet she could only reply, "I promise." So many promises in the span of one day, Elsa would need to start keeping record in order to make sure she didn't break any.

She saw Anna gulp before slowly removing the hand from her right wrist. There, on the inside of her wrist, right above her hand, was a tattoo. Elsa couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"Anna, for god's sake, with the way you were acting I was thinking you had a secret tumor or something you didn't tell me about."

"This is just as bad," Anna whispered.

Pushing herself up on the table beside Anna, Elsa wrapped the girl in a hug.

"You know, I kinda figured you had a tattoo; being in a gang and all. Why didn't you want to show me?"

Elsa watched as Anna idly traced the ink marring her wrist. It was a depiction of the Royal's purple R with a yellow and green snake coiling its way around the letter. Despite its association, Elsa thought it was a pretty cool-looking tattoo.

"I guess…around you I'm just ashamed of being with the Royals," she heard Anna mumble. "I just see you as this perfect person who took in this troubled youth and I'm trying my hardest to be perfect like you and this just reminds me how far from perfection I am."

"Anna," Elsa told her in such a firm tone that the girl couldn't help but look up. "Don't ever be ashamed of who you are; and don't ever feel you have to compare yourself to others—most of all me. I'm far from perfect and you're far from troubled. I don't care that you're in a gang; I don't care that you have a tattoo. I just care that you're you and that's it."

Elsa then turned her attention to Anna's other wrist which was still covered.

"Now what's under that one?"

"It's worse than just a tattoo, I'm warning you," Anna mumbled, still not raising her voice. "But it's not a tumor, I swear."

Elsa chuckled at her jab, and then quickly fell silent as she let her hand come over Anna's as she slowly brought it away from her wrist.

Upon seeing, Elsa let out a gasp.

"I told you," Anna choked on a sob at the blonde's reaction.

There on her left wrist was a long, deep cut that ran about six inches long from the end of her hand down her wrist. It was just starting to scar, the pink flesh slightly raised.

"Anna…" Elsa whispered. She looked up and met Anna's watery gaze. "Did they…?"

The girl in question nodded. "As part of my initiation," she answered. "Everyone has to endure a beating from the newest member before you and then the King does this as the final step. Something having to do with…making room for new blood for a new beginning or something."

Anna watched with a silent gaze and state of awe as Elsa traced a finger down the cut, her ice-blue eyes poring over the injury. The redhead's eyes fluttered closed as Elsa placed her lips to the cut in a gentle kiss.

"I-I…didn't want you to see it," Anna murmured. "I'm just so-."

"Don't you dare say ashamed," Elsa cut her off. "It's not like you did this to yourself."

Anna couldn't help but smile at the girl's thoughtfulness. She really didn't let it affect her—the tattoo, the cut, her being in a gang; none of it mattered to Elsa.

"I was just so desperate to find a place to belong, I didn't make the best decisions," Anna began. She hesitated only briefly before reaching up to cup Elsa's cheek as she smiled shyly before finishing with, "but I'm beginning to think I've found a new place."

She watched as Elsa caught on and a beautiful smile lit up her face. Elsa slowly leaned in to plant a quick, yet sensual kiss on the younger's lips.

"If you want to belong with me, Anna, I would be a fool to turn you away," she whispered.

Anna just blushed as Elsa kissed her again. What had she done to deserve such a goddess?

This time it was Elsa's tongue to prod Anna's lips, but before any further action could be taken, a knock at the door forced them apart, both girls red as ripe tomatoes.

"Hello, I'm Dr Marmello, but you can just call me Dr Marsh," the doctor announced as he strutted in, blissfully unaware of the intimate moment he had just intruded on. He was an older gentleman with a head full of white hair, but that was the only indication of his age, the rest of him built like a twenty-something bodybuilder.

Upon glancing at Anna, he grinned. "I'd hate to see the other guy," he quipped.

Anna just chuckled, choosing to not correct the man. Elsa just looked on after playfully ruffling Anna's hair. Hopping off the table, she took a seat in a chair along the far wall of the room, leaving the doctor to his work.

Dr Marsh began with a simple workup before examining Anna's injuries. Elsa would fill him in when needed about what she had done and any concerns she still had for the particular injury. She was relieved to hear that she had done everything perfectly, even the treatment of Anna's hand. Dr Marsh explained that he wanted to take Anna to get x-rays taken of her hand and ribs to further assess the damage and the course of action. Elsa didn't miss the look of anxiety flash across Anna's face at the mention of x-rays.

"Would it be alright if I tagged along for the x-rays?" Elsa inquired. "She's kinda…fidgety around doctors."

Dr Marsh just chuckled and said he'd be pleased to have Elsa accompany them. Anna beamed at this piece of news, yet still remained silent. With that, the doctor told them to follow him to another room. Elsa didn't hesitate to take Anna's hand in her own again as they left.

"See?" Elsa whispered as they walked. "He didn't pay any attention to your tattoo or ask about the cut on your arm."

Anna didn't say anything back, just simply nodded to let Elsa know she had heard her.

"What, giving us the silent treatment until we're done?" she asked with a smile.

Anna matched her smile—somewhat coyly—as she nodded again.

"I'll make sure to ask for a lollipop for you once we're finished. You're being such a good girl."

That actually elicited a giggle from Anna.

XxXxX

An hour later found them back in their original room, waiting for the results of Anna's chest x-ray. Dr Marsh had given Anna some morphine as well as numbed her hand as he worked to realign the two fingers that had been put out of place. Elsa had made sure Anna was looking anywhere but her hand as Dr Marsh practically broke them again to get them back into place, but with Anna being doped up on morphine, she probably wouldn't have even known what had been happening regardless.

Now she was resting comfortably, flitting in and out of unconsciousness all the while letting the effects of the drug play with her. Elsa couldn't hold in her laughter at some of the things she would mutter. Something about being chased by a giant snowman she kept referring to as Dr Marsh and then being serenaded by rock trolls.

Another knock at the door and Dr Marsh was back in the room.

"Her x-rays came back," he announced, placing them on a screen for Elsa to see. "Four ribs are clearly broken, but they didn't penetrate any arteries or her lungs. That said, there was also no internal bleeding, so she'll be good to go once the morphine wears off."

Elsa smiled and sighed in relief. "Thank god."

Dr Marsh smiled at her as he took the x-ray sheet down. "Once she seems coherent enough, just go on out to the front desk and you can fill out the discharge papers there."

Elsa stood and shook Marsh's hand. "Thank you so much, doctor."

"It was my pleasure," he replied with a small bow before taking his leave.

Still smiling, Elsa sat back down at Anna's bedside. She let her fingers brush over the cast on Anna's right hand before they settled on the girl's cheek.

Yes, Anna was right where she belonged now.