My buddy "Denpa Wave Chick Saki" co-wrote this with me. Enjoy!
When Galinda finally came to, the first thing she noticed was the sound of multiple voices around her. She felt a hand gently grip her wrist for a few seconds and another feeling her forehead. The blonde cracked her eyes open, turning her head away from the hand and trying to sit up on her elbows. "Wh...what's going on?"
"You collapsed, and the panic cord was pulled," the doctor replied, sitting back and making a note on his clipboard.
There was pounding on the locked door. "Is she awake? Let me see her!"
The doctor sighed, before he looked back at Galinda. "Your...escort has been waiting outside since we came. Shall I permit her entrance?"
"Of course she can come in." She nodded, a small smile on her face. "I'm surprised you were able to keep her out at all." The blonde pushed herself up, sitting back against her headboard.
"It wasn't easy..." The doctor stood and unlocked the door, causing Elphaba to stumble in.
"Galinda! I'm sorry!" the green woman said, running to the blonde's bedside and taking her hand. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Elphie. Really, I am."
The green woman didn't look convinced, and she tightened her grip a little. "Is...is this because of what we...I did to you last night?"
Galinda blushed slightly. "Of course not. It's just a headache."
"Headaches don't make people collapse. You really scared me."
"I'm sorry. I'm sure it was nothing...right?" She looked up at the doctor.
He nodded, as he packed up his things. "There doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong. You are a little warmer than you should be, but it's nothing to be worried about. It sounds like you had a headache this morning and perhaps the light upset it. I have come across quite a few cases where a patient has fainted due to a headache and ill-placing of light."
The blonde gave her girlfriend a smile. "See? There's nothing to worry about."
The doctor nodded. "Although I do highly recommend that you both postpone your return to school so that we can be sure Miss Arduenna is perfectly alright."
Galinda sighed but agreed. "Very well. I suppose not much harm can come out of missing one day of class."
The doctor left and Elphaba looked back at the blonde. "I'm so sorry. If I had known that this would happen...I wouldn't have...well...done what I did last night..."
"Stop worrying so much, silly. I'm pretty positive that having sex does not make anyone faint the day after."
"But what if it contributed?" Elphaba stood, moving to look out the window. "I promised to keep you safe...and I already failed."
Galinda sighed and scooted to the edge of the bed. She stood, a little shakily, but she made her way over to the green woman, wrapping her arms around her. "Nobody can stop a headache, Elphie."
"You should be lying down!" Elphaba quickly picked her up and set her back in bed, pulling the blankets over her. "Do you need anything?"
"I'm fine. It's just a headache...and I hardly feel anything now."
"I'd like to keep it that way, so please stay in bed." Elphaba kissed her forehead gently.
She frowned a little. "So I'm not allowed to take a bath?"
The green woman sighed. "Alright, but I'm going with you. I won't have a repeat of this morning." Elphaba picked the blonde up again, starting for the bathroom.
Galinda struggled against her. "I can walk perfectly fine, you know?"
"Are you protesting being in my arms?" Elphaba paused to look at the blonde.
She blushed. "I...n-no. Of course not. I just...you don't need to fuss over me so much..."
"I can't help it. When you collapsed like that...my heart just stopped. I can't...I can't see you like that again." They reached the bathroom, and Elphaba set the blonde on the counter, leaning in to kiss her.
Galinda lost her resolve, returning the kiss. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
Elphaba smiled slightly, before she turned away, reaching to turn on the faucet. "I won't look..."
The blonde slid to the floor, stripping out of her nightgown. She giggled. "It's not like you haven't seen it all before."
"Th-that was...different. It was dark and we...well...it's impolite to stare for no reason."
Galinda stepped into the tub. "Elphie, we've seen each other naked many times before."
"I know, but I...I...uhhh..." Elphaba's gaze had fallen on the blonde, and she found herself unable to look away or continue forming words, let alone her sentence. Galinda blushed a little, but she picked up the soap and started washing herself. Elphaba cleared her throat. "See? This is why I shouldn't...well...um...I'm going to get dressed." She left the bathroom, her face dark green, as she began to change out of her nightdress.
The blonde finished drying and stepped out of the tub, watching it drain. After drying off, she wrapped the towel around herself. She looked at herself in the mirror and was a little shocked by what she saw. Oz, I look like I didn't sleep all night...Where did this headache come from? She sighed and leaned forward, pressing her forehead to the cold mirror. This feels good... she thought, realizing how hot she felt.
Elphaba was in the process of putting her nightdress away. "Are you all right in there?" she called.
"I'm fine..." The cold mirror felt so good against her skin that she needed more. She went over to the now empty porcelain tub, crawling inside and laying down in it. She gave a sigh as the cold started to seep in.
"You sure?"
"Mhmm..." she moaned softly.
"Are you almost done?" Galinda nodded, too distracted to realize that the green woman wouldn't be able to see it. Elphaba finally finished dressing and returned to the bathroom, fixing her hair into the usual braid. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing the blonde in the empty tub. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Mhmmm..." Galinda nodded again.
"Then why are you sitting in the empty tub?" Elphaba sat on the edge, running a hand through the blonde's hair. She froze. "Oz, Galinda...you're burning up."
"I feel fine...just a tad toasty..."
"No, no, no! This is not fine!" Elphaba stood up quickly. "Come on, get dressed. I'm taking you to the infirmary."
"Nooooo..." The blonde moaned, curling tighter in the tub.
"Galinda, first a headache, then you collapse, and now I think you have a fever! We're going to the infirmary!" Elphaba pulled her out of her tub. "Now please get dressed."
She looked longingly at the tub. "I feel fine..."
"Galinda, please...for me." Elphaba turned the blonde to face her.
"Fine..." she sighed, making her way towards the closet. Galinda paused by her vanity, leaning against it, as she tried to re-orient herself from a sudden wave of dizziness.
Elphaba grasped Galinda's arms. "Sit," she said, gently pushing her down into the vanity's chair. She left to retrieve a dress, returning and slipping it over the blonde's head. Galinda was about to stand up, but she suddenly froze, clapping a hand over her mouth. Elphaba paused, raising an eyebrow. "Glin? Are you all right?"
The blonde shook her head. "I..." When she opened her mouth to speak, she instead threw up.
The green woman wasn't able to jump back fast enough. "Ahhh..." She ignored the mess that was now covering her front, as she helped the blonde stand, leading her back into the bathroom. "I'll be right back." She ran from the room and into the infirmary, saying "We have a problem," upon arriving.
When the two returned, Galinda was curled up miserably, leaning against the wall by the toilet. "She should be moved to the bed," the doctor said.
Elphaba nodded, before she picked the blonde up gently, carrying her to her bed and setting her down. She left only to clean up as the doctor began taking care of Galinda. Fae meanwhile was snapping at the doctor's heels, letting out the occasional bark and growl.
The blonde patted the bed next to her and called for the puppy, taking her in her arms when she hopped up. "Stop bothering him, Fae." Galinda looked up at the doctor. "What's wrong with me?"
The man frowned, starting to take his implements out of his bag. "I'm not quite sure, Miss Arduenna. But I assure you I will find out." He started with his exam, noting the things that had changed since the hour ago he'd last seen her. After checking her temperature, his eyes widened. "You have a very high fever, Miss. This is not good at all."
"I don't like the sound of that," Elphaba said, as she came back into the room wearing fresh clothing. She stood beside the blonde. "Can't you do anything to help her?"
"Right now we need to do everything we can to lower her fever. I think perhaps a wet cloth on her forehead will do for now but a lukewarm bath should also help."
Elphaba was already in the bathroom, turning on the faucet. She returned with a damp rag, placing it on Galinda's forehead gently. The blonde gaped. "Elphie, you should have let me get that. You're going to burn yourself."
"Stop. You're sick, and I am going to take care of you. You are not going to burden yourself with such silly concerns."
Galinda frowned. "But I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm fine." Elphaba ran a hand through the blonde's hair. "We're going to get this all cleared up...I promise." Galinda nodded a little and gave a soft moan, partially from the touch and partially from the pain in her head. She laid back, closing her eyes. "No, you can't sleep yet. Come on, into the bath again we go." Elphaba picked her up gently, carrying her into the bathroom and closing the door. She set Galinda on the counter and began undressing her. "If you need to throw up, tell me this time."
The blonde groaned. "I didn't mean to..."
"I know you didn't, my sweet, and it's not like this is the first time it's happened to me." Elphaba finished and lifted the blonde again, setting her into the tub gently before she reached over to turn the water off. "How does that feel?"
Galinda curled up in the tub and leaned against the side. "It's alright..."
"Just alright? Is there anything you need me to do?"
The blonde glanced up at her from where she was resting her head. "Can I have a kiss?"
Elphaba smiled slightly. "Of course." She leaned in, kissing the blonde gently.
Galinda smiled tiredly. "Can I have...some water...please?"
"Sure." Elphaba stood, going over to the sink and picking up a glass. She filled it with water before returned to Galinda's side, holding the glass out to her. The blonde took a swig, grimacing when she swallowed. She brought a hand up to her throat, rubbing it. "What's wrong now? Your throat?" Elphaba grew increasingly nervous. Whatever this illness was, it was progressing faster than she liked.
Galinda nodded. "It hurts..."
Elphaba leaned in, kissing her throat gently. "I'm sorry...I wish I could take this illness from you as my own."
The blonde frowned. "I don't."
"But you don't deserve it. I do more than you..."
"I would never want to see you sick."
"And what makes you think I want to see you sick?" Elphaba began stroking the blonde's hair.
"I didn't mean it like that..." she sighed.
"I know...I just..." Elphaba sighed. "The sooner that doctor figures out what's wrong, the sooner we can get you better."
"Mmmmm...I'd like that..." Galinda gave a small smile.
"Me too, my sweet. Me too..."
Elphaba could feel her confidence faltering as yet another one of the doctor's theories was shot down by the sudden appearance of yet another symptom the blonde was showing. She sighed, running her thumb over Galinda's hand that she had in her own. The blonde let out a cough, curling up on her side in the bed. She clutched at her stomach with a grimace.
When the doctor stepped out to retrieve something, Elphaba climbed into the bed beside the blonde, wrapping her arms around her. "Oh, my sweet...I'm sorry..."
"It's not...your fault," she managed to get out between coughs, giving the green woman a small reassuring
smile.
"But I just...I feel so useless...I should be able to do something. Do you need anything?"
Galinda gently stroked the side of the green woman's face. "I'm fine..."
Tears formed in Elphaba's eyes, and she looked away quickly so Galinda wouldn't see. "You're not fine," she barely whispered.
"I'll always...be alright as long...as I have you."
"But I can't make you better!" Elphaba stood, moving away from the bed. She looked out the window. "If the doctor can't figure out what's wrong...then I will." Galinda couldn't do anything but watch and give her a nod. The green woman returned to Galinda's side, leaning in to kiss her. "I promise, I'll figure out what's wrong. I'll be back soon." She kissed her again.
"Before you go...can you bring my sketchbook?"
"Sure." Elphaba retrieved it as well as the blonde's writing utensils. "I'll send Nessa in to watch you." The green woman left and shortly after, Nessa came wheeling in.
"How are you feeling?" the brunette asked, approaching the blonde.
Galinda looked up from her paper. "I feel horrible..."
Nessa sighed, taking her sister's hand. "I'm sorry. I don't understand how this happened."
Galinda gave it a slight squeeze. "You're not the only one."
Elphaba meanwhile had made her way to the library and settled herself in a back corner as she began the daunting process of reading through thick medical journals. She had to find out what was wrong with the blonde...
Galinda enjoyed the brief period where things were quiet. Her head wasn't pounding as horribly, and her stomach wasn't as pained. She even had the slightest of hopes that she was getting better. The blonde looked down at her picture.
"How did it turn out?"
Galinda coughed, but held the picture up for her to see. "What do you...think?"
"You draw Elphaba a lot."
"I...I do?" The blonde blushed a little.
"Well, it seems as though most of your drawings lately have been of her doing something or other," Nessa said with a shrug before she went back to her book.
"I didn't...realize..." Galinda let out another few coughs, their strength growing.
The brunette looked up worriedly. "Those don't sound any better." She handed her sister a glass of warm water to help ease the coughing. Galinda tried taking a few sips, but quickly put the cup back down, coughing harder. She clutched at her chest in pain. "Galinda? Should I call the doctor back?"
The blonde tried to answer, but she couldn't. When she suddenly felt something wet hit the hand she was covering her mouth with, she froze. Galinda looked down at her sketch on her lap, and she saw some odd colored drops staining the paper. She pulled away and looked at her shaking hand. The blonde immediately fainted, the sight of blood having always made her woozy.
"Galinda!" Nessa quickly wheeled from the room. "Help! Someone find the doctor!"
Elphaba rubbed her tired eyes, as she set down yet another book. Still nothing. The green woman's head ached, but she wouldn't give up. Not until she found a way to help the heiress.
When Galinda finally woke hours later, she found it hard to move her head. Opening her eyes weakly, she realized why: there was a breathing tube in her nose that led off to the side of the bed to a tank of oxygen. Still a little out of it, the blonde tried pulling the tube away, managing to get it about halfway off before the doctor stopped her.
"Miss Arduenna, you mustn't do that!"
Galinda looked up at him. "What...happened?"
"According to your sister, you had a severe bout of coughing during which you coughed up some blood. She told me that you have always fainted at the sight of blood, so that does not so much worry me. What does worry me is that you coughed it up in the first place. This is extremely severe, Miss, but I can't for the life of me figure out how all of your symptoms relate."
Galinda blinked a few times. "But why do I have...this thing on?"
"An hour or so after you passed out, you were having some trouble breathing. I examined you and determined the cause to be that your throat had swelled up incredulously and it was blocking your airway. This tube was helping get the oxygen you need past your swollen esophagus to your lungs."
Nessa rolled up beside her sister's bed, reaching to take her hand. "Galinda...you're getting worse..." she said, concern lacing her voice. The blonde could only nod, as the doctor replaced her breathing tube. "It's late...and Elphaba hasn't come back yet..." the brunette said, more to herself than the blonde. She stroked Fae nervously.
Galinda gave her a worried look. "Can you...find her...please?"
"I wish...but she went out, and Father won't let me leave, not after seeing you like this. He thinks I'll get sick too."
The blonde frowned and looked down at her hand in her lap. "Where did my drawing go?"
"I took it when the doctor came. Did you want it back?"
Galinda nodded. "Yes, please."
Nessa wheeled away, returning with the drawing and the miniature Elphaba doll. "Here," she said, handing them over.
The blonde took them with a small smile. "Thanks." She tucked the doll under her arm and started a new drawing.
Nessa didn't leave the blonde's side as it grew later, though she did wonder why Elphaba hadn't returned yet. "You should probably try to go to sleep soon," the brunette said as she lit a lamp and drew the curtains. Galinda nodded, setting aside her sketchbook on the bedside table. She slid under her covers, trying to find a comfortable way to sleep with the air tube. "Are you going to be all right alone, or would you prefer me to stay?" Nessa asked.
"You don't...have...to stay..."
"Are you sure?" The blonde nodded, holding her Elphaba doll closer. "All right." Nessa gave her sister a hug as best she could, before she deposited Fae on the bed and left, closing the door behind her.
Fae licked her mistress's face, whimpering worriedly, before curling up in the crook of her neck, resting her head on the side of the blonde's face. Galinda gave a small smile, petting Fae softly, as she quickly fell asleep.
The green woman woke with a jerk and a gasp. Elphaba looked around, seeing the floor around her covered with open books, and stacks of journals. She sat up with a groan, rubbing the back of her neck. Sunlight filtered through the window, and the green woman readjusted her glasses. She'd fallen asleep and had apparently spent the night in the library, and still nothing. Elphaba looked down at the book in her lap, and her eyes widened slightly. She jumped up, the book tucked under her arm, as she ran back to the palace. "Galinda!" Upon reaching the blonde's room, she found the heiress in the exact situation as she had seen her in the vision. Elphaba approached slowly, fighting back tears. "Galinda..."
The blonde remained asleep, but Fae woke up, blinking at Elphaba with sad eyes. Elphaba set the book down and tried pulling Fae away, but the puppy resisted. "Fae...she's not going to wake up..." Her voice cracked, betraying her emotions. The puppy stopped struggling, reaching up to gently lick Elphaba's cheek and nuzzling her.
Elphaba smiled as best she could, giving Fae a light hug before setting her down. Fae curled up against the blonde again. "Watch over her..." She stood, picking up the book and turning, heading from the room. There was important business to attend to.
Upon reaching the Wizard's office, Elphaba knocked, entering soon after. "I have come to talk to you about Galinda's current condition."
The usually proud man actually looked worried for once. "Has she gotten any better?"
"Worse." Elphaba set the book down, almost forcefully, on his desk. She leaned in. "I was brought here to protect and serve your daughter, and for me to do that, you need to be truthful with me. Galinda isn't your daughter, is she?"
The Wizard sighed, sitting down in his chair. "No...she isn't my daughter."
Elphaba opened the book. "What Galinda appears to have...is a disease that only runs in one family in Oz: the Uplands." She looked back at the Wizard. "Are the Uplands her parents?"
"They are only that. They gave me Galinda not even a month after she was born. I am her father in every way except for blood."
Elphaba closed the book. "If that were true, you'd be at her side, watching her, trying to help her instead of sitting here like a coward! Why didn't you ask them for a cure?"
The Wizard stood up with a glare. "You dare to speak to me this way? Do you truly think I have done nothing to help my daughter through this? I have indeed contacted the Uplands about a cure. They told me that there is no cure for what she has...though I doubt they cared either way."
"Oh, and you would know because you care for her soooo much?" Now that she had started, the green woman couldn't seem to stop.
"Do not speak of that which you do not know!"
"Then tell me! Make me understand! Why wouldn't a family care about their own daughter, one you most likely took for your own, since I can't imagine a soul in Oz who would bear your children!"
"I took her in because her parents did not want her! 'A sickly babe is of no use to us,' they told me. So they gladly handed her over to me when I offered them compensation. I am not as heartless as you think I am, Miss Thropp. I was willing to pay those people for Galinda because, even if she was a sickly child and even if she died young, I wanted to give her a chance at life or at the very least the best childhood she could have before it ended."
Elphaba paused, looking down at him, and it occurred to her that she was in fact taller than him. The green woman looked down, remembering her youth and when she'd been afraid of this man. "So Galinda was nothing more than a good deal for you..." She shook her head. "Since you will do nothing, I will."
"How dare you! I have loved that child since I first laid eyes on her!"
"Oh? And I suppose she is so precious to you? Jewels are precious, sir...but Galinda is more than just a pretty face. You said you tried, but when you received a negative answer, you stopped. I won't give up so easily."
"I have the best doctor in Oz trying to figure out what is wrong with her! There is nothing more I can do!"
"That is wrong! The doctor doesn't know about this, therefore he can do nothing! I figured it out! Me, the green servant! And do you want to know what else? I'm going to find the cure, and when I do, who will be the one who cares more?"
"You think this is a contest to see who loves her more? I don't care who wins, so long as she lives."
Elphaba didn't have a reply, but her anger had reached its boiling point. With one sweep of her arm, she knocked everything off his desk. "And that is why you are not her father. I won't apologize for my behavior." Elphaba picked up the book, before she turned and left the office. The Wizard collapsed back in his chair, rubbing his head with a sigh, as she left.
The green woman trembled slightly after leaving, but she reached into her pocket and extracted the piece of paper she'd been given by Rosalina. This was her last hope...
Elphaba knocked on the hotel door, looking down as she waited for a reply. The older woman opened the door, her smile fading when she saw who it was. "How is she?"
"It's bad...may I come in?"
"Of course, my dear." She stepped aside so Elphaba could enter.
The green woman walked in, running a hand through her hair. "I couldn't help her. She just kept getting worse and worse...and now..." Elphaba looked up at her. "Please...what am I supposed to do? I can't...see her like this anymore."
Rosalina sat down in a chair with a slight frown. "It is as I told you at the ball: there is nothing we can do to help my granddaughter until it is over."
"Then why did you tell me to come? Oz, are you set on torturing me?" Elphaba punched the wall angrily, leaving a small crack behind.
"I told you to come for me, because when this is done you will both be needing answers...and I am the only one person in Oz who will give them to you."
"Then give them to me now!"
The older woman shook her head with a sigh. "As you know, Galinda is my granddaughter. Her name, 'Arduenna,' was not a randomly chosen name as you may think. 'Arduenna' was the name of a distant ancestor, and many of the women in our family choose to have that name. It is that way, because our Arduenna ancestor was, in fact, a very powerful enchantress. Her magic was passed down through our bloodline to all of the females in our family."
"I assume that is where Galinda gets her healing power from. But that still doesn't explain why she's sick, or why there isn't anything I can do to help her!"
"I am glad to see her talents have already started to emerge." She gave a faint smile. "The Arduenna magic is not just any magic. Our ancestor was first and foremost a healer. Because of that magic, the women of our family are able to heal things far beyond what many think even possible."
Elphaba grew restless and rubbed the back of her neck again. "While I appreciate the truth, none of this is helping Galinda's condition. I need to know how to help her."
"With such powerful magic comes a price. Many many years ago, our ancestor had to watch so many of her grandchildren go through what she had, and she lost quite a few of them at an early age. The Arduenna magic was too powerful and it put the child at a higher risk of death until they matured. So she cast a very very powerful spell on our magic, sealing it away."
"You're really making me work for this, aren't you?" Elphaba sighed. "All right, so this disease is because of Galinda's magic. But if other females in her family have gotten it, how have they gotten better? It's not as though they all passed away."
"Impatience is not a virtue, Miss Thropp." Rosalina chastised with a small smile. "Because of the seal, when an Arduenna woman is born we are very sickly babes. To some, it may seem as though we won't make it, but often it passes quickly. After that sickness has passed, we are blessed with nineteen years of years of perfect health, completely impervious to any disease." The older woman sighed and looked down. "However, when the girl's nineteenth birthday comes around, the seal is lifted. When we reach the age of nineteen, our bodies are mature enough to contain our magic. So when the seal is broken and our magic settles into our bodies, it takes the form of horrible diseases and bodily dysfunctions. How long the sickness lasts varies from woman to woman. The longer it takes or the worse the diseases means the stronger the magic in the girl. Our family has had women with sicknesses no worse than a very bad cold to near-death experiences."
"Could...could Galinda...die?" The green woman looked down. "I can't...lose her...she means too much to me...and the Wizard cares nothing for her." She looked back up. "I know I come off as abrasive...but I cannot sit idly by."
Rosalina reached over to hold the green woman's hand. "You need not worry. She will not die. She may come close, but there has not been a single premature death since the seal was placed."
"But I don't even want her to come close!" Elphaba pulled her hand away. "I just want her to get better..."
"She will. You must give it time, though." Rosalina poured herself and Elphaba a cup of cocoa. She slid the green woman's over to her with a small smile. "Made with milk and not water...so you have nothing to worry about."
"No thank you..." Elphaba looked down at her hands. "And I can't help but worry...she's in pain..."
"It will pass. I promise you." The older woman brought her own cup up to her mouth, taking a sip. "I do think that you are being too harsh on the Wizard in regards to Galinda, though, my dear."
"I'm being too harsh? Excuse me if I'm a little skeptical of the man who stole my childhood and filled it instead with beatings and torture!"
"Perhaps he went wrong with you, but he loves Galinda with everything, Miss Thropp. He gave her the best possible childhood he could...the best childhood she ever would have had the chance for. I know I did not choose wrong in him. He has been a wonderful father to her."
"And my sister? What about her? Why was she so much privileged over me? Didn't I deserve something? I was a child! The Wizard is killing Oz, and oppressing anyone who shows a shred of individuality! The Animals are dying because of him, so I don't care how much he spoiled Galinda! I will not forgive a murderer!"
"Oscar's faults in ruling are not because he is cruel-hearted. They are born of ignorance. I knew him before he became the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and he was a very nice man...the nicest I'd ever met, in fact. The problem started when he became ruler. He was so engrossed in his work that he never left the palace, and he closed his mind to anything other than what he knew in that the emerald prison cell he calls home. He took the job to help Oz, but then the title trapped him. Now he is unknowingly trying to make the rest of Oz feel as trapped as he does..."
"It does not excuse him. He had no right to torment a child...to make them suffer so they could live to serve someone. I will never forgive him for what he did to me..." Elphaba stood. "There is nothing further to discuss. Thank you for your time."
Rosalina gave slow bow of her head. "I look forward to seeing you in the future, Miss Thropp."
"I doubt we will." And with that, the green woman left.
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