Chapter 17 - Broken Without You

Fiyero sat next to his wife's bedside holding her hand in fear of letting go, she would die. "I promised you I'd never leave you. So, don't you up and leave us. Our life's complete now with our little prince. Baby's pretty big. 7 lbs. 12oz. Doctor said we must have miscalculated. You were more likely eight months or so. He's much too big to be premature."

Glinda tiptoed into the hospital room, and stood on the opposite side of the bed. "Fiyero?" She could tell by the look on his face that he had been crying. "Farjad and Emad just got back from picking up food for everyone. Why don't you go and eat something."

He wipe his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm fine. I don't want to leave her alone."

"No, really. You should keep up your strength. I'll stay with Elphie. There's also coffee. It's feeding time in the nursery. Little prince is being taken care of. He really is beautiful," Glinda said.

"Thank you." Fiyero stroked his chin, his eyes focused on Glinda. "Doctor said the bleeding has subsided, but she's still in a critical stage."

"I know." Tears rolled down her rosy cheeks. "But I know she'll pull through." She looked at her friend, and grabbed her hand. "You heard that, Elphie? You're going to pull through." Glinda's voice trembled. "What am I going to do without you? You're the only one who puts up with me. You've got to get better. Or I won't have no one." Her voice trailed off, and she wept quietly.

Fiyero rose from his sitting position. "Maybe I should have a bite to eat or at least have a cup of coffee."

She nodded. "I'll be here. I won't leave her side."

"Ok, thanks." He walked out the door, but immediately walked back in. "Glinda."

She looked up at him but didn't say a word.

"I know we've never gotten along, but thank you for always being by her side even when I didn't want you around. You were just protecting her. You're a good friend."

"Best friends," Glinda corrected. "I've had other friends, but never a best friend. I'd do anything for Elphie."

"Yes, I know. You told the doctor you'd place his head on the guillotine. I'll never piss you off again," Fiyero said.

She smiled at him. "Is that a promise?"

He pointed to the door. "I'll go check out the food and coffee."

Glinda cupped Elphaba's hand in hers. "Oh, Elphie. You've got to get better. Fiyero really does love you. I was wrong about him. He's a good man. He'll be a great dad, and you'll be an even greater mom. Little prince will need the both of you. And you've got to pick a name for the baby. I can't keep calling him little prince."

...

"My brother said it was alright for me to sit with Elphaba for a bit. How's she doing?" Azita asked, entering the room.

Glinda waved her in. "Come sit."

"Is she resting comfortably?"

"I think so. You know," Glinda said. "I'm the only family she had until she married into yours. She divorced herself from her father and sister. She wasn't treated very well. Elphie thought she was destined to be alone forever."

"We're her family now," Azita said, wrapping an arm around Glinda. "And you're family, too. I'm happy she has you. Best friends are hard to find."

"Sometimes I get a little out of hand...okay, a lot out of hand. I'm excitable. Elphie's my stabilizer. She calms me down. She says I'm too perky. And she's just the opposite."

"Never thought Fiyero would ever settle down," Azita said. "Not until he met Elphaba. The women he'd gone out with didn't last long. They didn't want Fiyero, they wanted the prince. With Elphaba, she didn't care about his royal status. She only cared about him. When they broke up, I've never seen him like that. I could see his pain."

"Elphie didn't know how it felt to love someone until he came along. And with her, she'll love him forever. Fiyero's very lucky."

"He was captivated by her honest demeanor, her intelligence, and natural beauty. Things those other women he's dated never had."

...

Fiyero was unshaven, and there were dark circles under his eyes. It had been three days, and he watched his wife as she laid quietly on her hospital bed. How could life be so cruel. Their happiness had been taken away in an instant.

Elphaba had foreseen her fate. A fate that she would repeat history exactly as her mother's...her greatest fears of dying at childbirth, leaving her baby motherless, and that her husband would hate their baby for her death. Fiyero reassured her in the months of her pregnancy that nothing of that sort would ever happen. Yet, he was beginning to lose hope, and it terrified him.

Fiyero blamed himself for Elphaba's condition. If he hadn't pursued her, she wouldn't be in a situation regarding her life...a matter of life or death. Laying his head down on the bed he wept.

Queen Yasaman entered the room. "Fiyero dear, why don't you step outside to get a breath of fresh air."

"Mom," he said, raising his head. " I can't survive without her. Tell me what to do. It's just a matter of time, isn't it?"

"I wish I could erase your pain, my dear. Be strong. We all need to pray for a miracle."

Fiyero jumped up from his chair. All of his built up anger suddenly exploded. "Do you want to die? Is that it? You're just going to leave us? You're giving up! Is that what you want? Our son will be without a mother, and I'll be without you!" He cried out in agony as their world was falling apart.

TBC - Chapter 18