A/N: Where has the time gon- No. I wont make excuses. I've been lazy. Well. No, I haven't. I've been trying. I've just been getting nowhere. All of a sudden, I've just come down with writers and artist block. I've sat at my laptop everyday, and gone 'Now what'. Well, I know what. Both my comic and this story have been planned out till the very end (shock horror) but I just...can't make it fit. Grrr...anyway, I finally mentally bullied myself into finishing at least this chapter....sorry if it's crap....
Disclaimer: Don't own don't care
P.S: Oh, I almost forgot. There is SO MUCH medical improvising in this chapter. I asked around....and nobody I could find knew anything about what I was trying to explain, and I even thought about actually going down to the doctors to ask them, but then I decided against it. So all of this was completely made up and please don't blame me if it sucks XD
Elphie watched Glinda suspiciously and she bit her lower lip.
"Chistery held this weird herb to your side, and the skin grew over a bullet that had lodged itself into your side," Fiyero explained
The colour drained from Elphaba's face, and she felt her ribs gently. Fiyero, Glinda and Liir watched in anticipation, their faces illuminated by the flickering fire that Elphaba had relit. After a few minutes, Elphaba swore under her breath.
"What's wrong?" Fiyero asked and she sighed
"I think I've broken a rib…or maybe two ribs. I can't tell…" Elphaba said and suddenly she looked frightened again.
"Chistery…get me the same kind of herb you put on my side." Elphaba said, calling the monkey over and using dramatic hand gestures. "Herb!"
Chistery stared at her for a moment, then scampered up a tree. She returned a minute later with the herb.
"That's it…that's the one," Fiyero muttered, and Elphaba studied it.
"It's called Raffiabrush…and it was the right thing to use…but you should've gotten the bullet out first…we need to leave. I don't wanna risk the men coming back to come get you Glinda…we're gonna go to the Scalps, in Glikkus. Then…" she took a deep breath before continuing. "I want you…Fiyero…to go into town and steal some anesthesia and some equipment, and get the bullet out,"
The three of them shot her looks that said 'Are you insane?'
"Elphie, you can't be serious. We can't do that…why can't we leave it in there?" Glinda asked softly
"Because…from what I can tell, the bullet is pushing against two or three of my ribs. We need to get the bullet out as soon as possible, otherwise it'll heal wrong, and that'll suck." Elphaba replied, and stood up painfully.
"Will it work?" Fiyero asked and Elphaba nodded
"I'll make you a list, as soon as we get to the Scalps." She said, and found the brooms.
They quickly gathered their stuff, Elphaba not managing to do much. When they were ready, they draped the cloaks over themselves and took off into the night. Flying closer, more like dark clouds than crows, they made their way to the tall mountains, and settled for a deep cave half-way up the mountain.
"Tonight we rest..tomorrow you can go into town," Elphaba said, and spread out a small sheet, inviting Fiyero to join her.
Glinda and Liir chose their own spots, far enough away from the couple to give them privacy, but still close enough to be within ear shot.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Fiyero asked Elphaba, wrapping his arms around her.
"I'm sure…and I believe that you'll be able to do it. It's been a long day…sleep Fiyero. We'll argue in the morning," she said with a grin, and snuggled into him painfully.
Elphaba sat on an outcropping in the rock, busily writing down things Fiyero would need. He stumbled off the sheet and sat down next to her, peering at the list.
"Medical book? Local anesthesia? Elphie…I can't walk into a hospital and ask for this…" Fiyero said softly, as the others were still sleeping.
"I know…that's why I've got this," she whispered, and handed him a small green note with black, wispy writing.
To whom it may concern
I seem to have run short of supplies and need restocking. I have sent this young man to do my bidding. I have attached a note that includes the items I need.
Thank you in advance
Dr. Dillamond
Fiyero looked up with a raised eyebrow. Elphaba laughed quietly and shook her head.
"It'll work. I did it a couple of years ago. They'll give you a trolley to carry the stuff out, and Chistery and his monkey's will come and pick it up," she explained and Fiyero blinked a couple of times, looking at her.
"They're friends…" she said softly and Fiyero suddenly understood.
"Oh…" he murmured, and took the list and the letter. "I'll be back later today,"
Fiyero returned after a couple of hours. Glinda was sitting near Elphie, who was lying down on a white sheet.
"No problems?" Elphaba asked and he shook his head. "Let's get it done then…Liir, I don't want you here for this. Take Chistery and go explore the mountains. Don't go anywhere near the bottom of the mountain, and take some warmer clothes."
Liir nodded and gathered his stuff, uncomplaining. Chistery took his hand and they started climbing to the top of the mountain. Fiyero took out the instructions that came with the anesthesia. Reading it briefly, he rubbed a strange cream on the back of Elphaba's hand, and waited.
"I'm gonna ask you one more time. Are you sure?" he said and Elphaba nodded.
"I'm extremely sure. I'd rather risk it than live my life always in pain," she said and Fiyero nodded.
After a few more minutes, Fiyero wiped the cream away and filled a syringe with a liquid.
"Ready?" Fiyero asked
"Yep," she confirmed, and Fiyero found a vein on the back of her hand.
He pushed the needle in and squeezed the syringe, until all the liquid had been drained. A few seconds later, Elphaba closed her eyes.
"Elphie? Elphaba?" Glinda called, and then nodded at Fiyero.
He took the scalpel, and with shaking hands, he touched it to Elphaba's side.
"I don't know what I'm doing…" Fiyero muttered, and Glinda looked up at him worriedly.
"It'll be okay Fiyero. Just…cut her open, use those tong things to get the bullet out, and sew her up…and I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but I can't do it, and it's not like Chistery can do it. Elphaba trusts you, and ever since the Wizard lied to her about his 'powers', she's found it hard to trust anyone." Glinda said softly,
Fiyero took a deep breath and pierced the green skin on Elphaba's side. Blood rushed from the cut, but Fiyero paid it no attention, remembering to breathe as he resisted the urge to turn away. Pulling on gloves, which he realized he should've put on before he used the scalpel, he took another huge breath, before pulling the flaps of skin away. Using a small torch, and the tweezers, he fumbled around until he located the bullet, and pulled it out triumphantly.
"Good job…" Glinda said, looking slightly sick.
"You okay?" he asked, placing the bullet on the sheet.
"Fine…just a little nauseous." She replied, holding her stomach
"You're feeling nauseous?" Fiyero marveled, staring at the blood covered gloves. "I just stuck my fingers into my best friends' side…"
"Hurry Fiyero…sew her up or she'll lose too much blood," Glinda said, coughing
Fiyero nodded and look a needle and the special thread he was given and sewed the two bits of skin together. He peeled the gloves off and leaned back on his calves, looking up at the roof of the cave.
"I hope I've done it right…" Fiyero muttered
"I'm sure Elphie will know," Glinda said softly, and leaned away again.
"Go outside. The cool air will make you feel better," Fiyero instructed her, and she nodded, standing up slowly and heading to the mouth of the cave.
Fiyero started cleaning the equipment, feeling grossed out slightly. Resisting the urge to throw up, he went outside and found Glinda, who was sitting on the ground, breathing deeply.
"You okay?" he asked, sitting beside her
"Yeah…but I never want to witness something like that again…" she murmured.
"You seen Liir?" Fiyero asked
"He and Chistery are halfway up the mountain. They came down to see me, and then Chistery carried Liir back to where they were. He said to whistle when they have to come home,"
They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a while, until Fiyero stood up and entered the cave again.
"Elphaba...?" he asked softly
She murmured something, and he raised his eyebrows.
"What was that?" he asked, leaning closer
She stayed silent, and Fiyero sighed, leaning back. Hours later, Elphaba's eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head to the side.
"Fiyero?" she whispered
He was fast asleep, lying against a rock looking extremely uncomfortable. Elphaba sat up painfully, and looked around. Glinda and Liir were in another compartment of the cave, and Elphaba could only just see their sleeping forms. Outside the cave was quiet and dark, but Elphaba had no idea of the time. She swallowed hard, her throat incredibly dry. Finally realizing why she was on the ground, her hands flew to her side, lifting up her shirt gently. A long line of stitches ran from the front of her stomach to the back, but she dared not to touch it; trusting that Fiyero had fixed her.
She laid back down, suddenly feeling very sleepy.
A/N: And when I said crap, I meant the last line in particular. I could not find a way to end this chapter. Looking at it again makes me not want to upload it, but I know that if I try to fix it, it'll suck again and you wont get this chapter for another month or something ridiculous like that. I've also come down with the flu or something...I've been throwing up each time I try to eat, so I'm rather hungry but too afraid to eat.
OMG, I MELTED TWO DAYS AGO! MAHAHAHA. It was very exciting. I was at rehearsals on Monday, and we were just finishing off the very end of 'What is this Feeling' and then they're like "Do you wanna practise with the trap door and I was like OMG YES! and so I got to melt! It was heaps of fun...but a lot of work. I am actually a little worried that I'll fall down and break my ribs, like Idina did, but it's only because the person who is operating the door - he doesn't like me XD. Anyway...enough of my boringness. I will strive to get the next chapter really soon, it all depends on how my block is coping XD