Anna breathed deeply. Today being her birthday, Elsa had cleared her entire schedule, yet she had found out today that a queens job was never done.
The sun was starting to set in Arendelle, and the laughter of children returning home for dinner filled the courtyard.
She had greeted people all afternoon, and had even been asked for an emergency council meeting. Kai, a trusted servant who was more like family, had been there to help her through the day- thank god- Anna wondered how Elsa did this everyday.
Kristoff, Sven and Olaf had returned from the ice palace a little while ago and were taking down the decorations from Anna's party earlier that day. The girl had offered to help, but they all refused to let the birthday girl help clean up her own party. Although, with Olaf making things messier instead of cleaner, it was hard to comply.
"We've got it!" Shouted Kristoff from the ladder, removing the beautiful sign that read "Happy Birthday Anna"
Anna laughed,
"Okay, if you say so."
In all honesty, the girl was happy they didn't need her help. She wanted more than anything to get back to her sister. She had asked Gerda to check in on the queen throughout the afternoon, but she wanted to see for herself how Elsa was fairing.
She said goodnight to kristoff, Sven and Olaf, even though the little snow man lived with them as well.
"See you tomorrow bright and early?" She asked Kristoff. The princess was almost sure another trip to marshmallow would be in order.
"Yes." Kristoff said unenthusiastically, wiping his brow of sweat.
Olaf came running over, dropping the broom he was struggling to use and wrapping her legs in a big hug. "Happy birthday." He whispered.
"Thanks little guy." She said bending down to his level. "Will you come up later? You might need to babysit some more of your brothers tonight, okay?" Anna was sure there would be more snowgies by tonight.
"Of course! We can play games and tell stories, it will be like a big sleepover!" Olaf's room was right down the hall from the girls'. Elsa had frozen it so the snowman would be more comfortable in the warm heat of the hotter seasons.
"Thanks Olaf." The girl giggled.
Anna smiled, turning on her heels and hurrying towards her sisters room, tripping up the stairs several times in the process.
She was tired, she could feel it. She knew she was pushing herself, but she would do absolutely anything for her sister. Anyways, she didn't feel sickly in the least, I mean everyone got tired, right?
She reached Elsa's door, it was open just a crack. Their new rule since the eternal winter; no door could be closed all the way.
Ever.
She knocked softly in her special way- knock knock knockknock knock-
"Come in" a raspy voice said softly. Good. Anna thought, she's awake. Anna opened the door, gathering all her strength and putting a smile on her face.
"How's the patient?" Anna asked skipping into the room, trying not to show her fatigue.
Gerda looked up from her post beside Elsa's bed with worried eyes.
"She's worse your majesty."
Anna's eyes moved to Elsa. Her eyes were open, but barely. Her chest rose and fell raggedly and her face was bright red.
As though to confirm Anna's fears Elsa doubled over coughing, gasping for air. In a second Anna was by her side rubbing her back, her eyes widened in fear.
"Get the doctor immediately." She ordered, her eyes not leaving Elsa's
"He's already been summoned, he will be here momentarily." Gerda replied.
Elsa sat back up, evidently fine for the moment. It was then that Anna noticed over 20 snowgies wandering around the back corner of the room, looking as scared as Anna did. They must have known something was wrong with Elsa too.
The princess took her sisters hand, looking into her dulled icy blue eyes. Fighting back tears, but not breaking her gaze at Elsa, she addressed Gerda.
"How long has she been like this Gerda?" Anna asked. Elsa opened her mouth to answer the question on her own, but a deadly glare from Anna caused her to reconsider. "No talking." She ordered at Elsa. "Save your strength." Elsa was surprised at Anna's force behind her words, but she was too tired to argue.
"She woke up about an hour ago...she was like this when she did."
"Why didn't you fetch me?" Anna said, not breaking her gaze from Elsa and reaching her hand out to feel her temperature. She drew her hand back quickly, her fever had risen as well.
"Nobody could find you princess. I sent servants, but I couldn't leave Elsa alone, it was all I could do to send someone for the doctor. You two are like my own to me, I couldn't leave her alone."
Anna understood. She wouldn't have left Elsa alone in this state either.
Elsa reached for Gerda's hand and squeezed it, breaking her gaze from Anna.
"It's okay." Anna said looking to Gerda as well. "I'm here now, that's all that matters." She smiled weakly, the concern still on her face.
Anna rose, walking to the other side of the bed. "Thank you Gerda." She said, reaching down and wrapping the woman in a hug. "You're like family to us too."
It was true, ever since their parents had died, Gerda was like a mother to them. She left meals outside Elsa's room, before her coronation, helped Anna with anything she needed and was always a shoulder to cry on.
"I'll go see what's keeping the doctor." The woman said getting up and wiping a tear from her eye. She squeezed Anna's hands tightly. "Try not to worry too much." She whispered in the princesses ear.
Anna nodded, sitting down where Gerda had been sitting. She took the towel the woman had left on the bedside table and put it in the water basin. She wrung it out and dabbed the cold cloth on Elsa's face.
"That feels good." Elsa said, ignoring the look she got from her sister for talking.
"Elsa... Why didn't you just listen to me when I said you needed rest?"
Risking another glare by her sister, and more pain in her already sore throat, Elsa spoke softly, "Perfect day."
No sooner had she finished talking than she was interrupted by 3 sneezes. 20 more snowgies joined the already full room.
"They come in threes." Anna said softly, wringing out the towel and placing it on Elsa's forehead. "Please Els, let me do the talking. I don't want you to strain your voice more than you have to."
The queen nodded in agreement. Anna had a point, plus her throat hurt too much to continue talking.
A knock at the door caused both of their heads to turn. Doctor Groffman stood in the doorway with briefcase in hand.
He was a tall, lean man with dark hair and mustache that curved at the ends.
Elsa sighed. She was not looking forward to this.
"Well hello your majesty. I don't believe I've had the pleasure in over 14 years." Doctor Groffman said, bowing and then walking over to beside the bed.
"You haven't seen a doctor in 14 years?" Anna questioned, peering at Elsa.
"I haven't needed to." Elsa said, turning away to sneeze, as if in protest.
This reminded Anna of the snowgies gathered in the back if the room. Turning to Gerda, she asked the woman to go find Olaf. He would have to occupy them for the night.
"Of course your majesty." Gerda said bowing and turning to leave.
"Don't mind them, they're harmless." She said motioning towards the little snow men.
"So intriguing." The doctor said, peering at the snowgies. "A side effect of the sneezing milady?" He asked.
Elsa nodded.
"Okay why don't we get started." The doctor said in a deep voice. Elsa shrunk down in the covers. She did not remember the last time she saw a doctor, she didn't even remember the last time she was sick.
Seeing the look on her sisters face, Anna put her hand on Elsa's shoulder.
"It's okay Elsa, I'll be here the whole time." She smiled, putting on a brave face for her frightened sister.
"Actually princess, I think it would be better if you left for the time being." The doctor hinted.
Anna stared at him. She knew what he was getting at. She remembered his orders- no contact with the sick. But surely that didn't apply to her sister, Elsa needed her!
No.
Anna wasn't going anywhere no way no how.
"With all due respect, I'll take my chances." Anna said to the doctor, turning her attention back to her sister who had a puzzled expression on her face."
"But I really think- " He started.
"Don't we have a more pressing matter at hand?" Anna snapped, cutting him off and motioning towards her sister, whose eyes were wide with surprise. Getting the message, the doctor backed off.
"Of course." Clearing his throat, he opened his brief case and pulled out a thermometer.
"Open up." Doctor Groffman said holding out the thermometer.
Elsa looked at Anna, not really knowing what to do.
"It goes in your mouth, silly." She giggled. She felt Elsa tense up under her and the room drop about 5 degrees... Her powers still affected the weather from time to time.
"...In my mou-mmpphh!" The doctor had shoved the thermometer under the queens tongue before she could finish the question.
"Just hold it there for a minute your majesty." The doctor said Turning to his brief case.
"Why don't I." Anna offered reaching her hand out before Elsa's could get to it. In this state the queen might freeze it solid!
Elsa felt helpless. The amount of attention she was getting at the moment was overwhelming. It had been quite a few months since Elsa had come out of isolation, but she still didn't like to be crowded…. or have people fussing over her. She felt herself start to shake, and not from the fever.
"Okay," Doctor Groffman said, turning around with a stethoscope in his hands. He reached for the thermometer, taking it gently out of Elsa's mouth.
Thank god that's over with. Elsa thought, shuddering. She didn't know if she liked this whole doctor business.
"Hmm.." Said the man, his brow furrowing.
"What is it?" Anna said, trying to peer at the thermometer.
"It's 104.3..."
Anna's eyes widened in shock.
"104?" She whispered, half to herself.
"Is that bad?" Elsa asked, truly not remembering what a high temperature was.
Anna's hand fell from her sister's shoulder, a blank look in her eyes. That was answer enough for Elsa.
"Why don't we continue." The doctor said, obviously concerned at the queens temperature. He reached towards Elsa with the far end of the stethoscope.
"Wait!" Elsa croaked, holding her hand out to stop the man. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just checking your breathing your majesty. It's to make sure that it's not bronchial."
"Oh... okay, continue then." She said, nodding approval. She felt her sisters hand back on her shoulder, it comforted her just a little.
The stethoscope was cool against her uncharacteristically warm body. The doctor asked her to take deep breaths in and out, most of which sent her into fits of coughs that sent Anna into a panic. Then the doctor asked her to lean forward, but unable to support her own weight she started to tip forward, but before she could she felt her sisters cool hands catch her.
"It's okay Elsa, I've got you." The girl whispered, bringing tears to Elsa's eyes. Ones she couldn't explain to her sister who had no memories of the time Elsa had said the very same thing to Anna in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
After Elsa had laid back down everything else became a blur. She was so tired.. she couldn't even keep her eyes open. She caught some of what the doctor said to Anna, but she was suddenly so tired she couldn't keep focus.
"It's the Worst case I've seen in years." She heard the doctor say "You have to remember she didn't have contact with the outside world for almost 14 years, that's why this hit her so hard. Her immune system is not used to this level of interaction with other people and areas and the germs that come with it."
She heard her sister sigh and felt a hand intertwine with hers.
"Anna she's very contagious, you shouldn't be in here."
"I'm not leaving her."
"You know the risk you're taking then."
Silence.
Elsa cringed at the possibility of getting her little sister sick, not knowing the full severity of what the doctor was saying.
"Keep her in bed, keep her hydrated and keep giving her that medicine you showed me. If there's no improvement in a day or so, let me know."
More silence, then blackness.