AN: Hope you like this. Left it on a... not really a cliffy, but not really a non-cliffy, either. If that makes any sense :P.
Elphaba'sGirl: I promise not to ever leave you here with an unfinished story. Other than that, I'm not promising to 'not ever' do anything; but I do promise that I'm already working on another fanfic and I won't be going anywhere in the near future. (I'm just going to change some things about the way I update - maintaining one story at a time, for one, instead of juggling around three and updating irregularly.)
MyLittleElphie: I love that you mentioned that line, because I was sort of proud of it myself ^_^.
Musicgal3, you creepy mindreading twin who can even read my thoughts before they actually appear in my head O.O.
Chapter 24. The antidote
"I can't believe you actually did that, Nessa," Gazilon said in admiration as he and the girls walked back from the dungeons where they had visited Frex. "I mean… I always thought you were on his side."
"I was never on anyone's side!" Nessa protested. "I just… tried to keep the peace, I guess." She sighed. "And I hated doing it," she said miserably. "Don't think I liked this. I hated it. But he tried to kill Fabala, and… I had to do something. She's my sister. I love her. I love him, too, and I know he loves me, but… it's just all so complicated…"
Galinda wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders and squeezed softly. "You did the right thing, Nessa."
"I'm impressed by you, too, Glin," said Gazilon. "I've never seen you so cold before. Never knew you had it in you. I like it."
She curtsied mockingly. "I'm not sure if I should feel insulted or not, but I'll just take that as a compliment," she said with a small giggle and a toss of her hair. "So thank you."
"What are the ingredients you need?" Gazilon asked Nessa, who was holding a piece of paper with the recipe for the antidote on it.
She was frowning down at the paper. "Some different kinds of herbs," she said. "Hot water, a few plants I know grow at the edge of town, near the woods… we should split up to find everything, or we might not be on time to save Fabala!"
"Split up we will, then," Galinda decided. She pulled the paper from Nessa's hands and tore it in three pieces, scribbling some things on each piece. She handed one to Gazilon.
"Go to the apothecary," she said, "and find these herbs. I wrote down the exact amounts you need, but you should probably bring back some more, just to make sure. Visit a hundred apothecaries if you have to, but bring back those herbs."
She turned to face Nessa, handing her another piece of paper. "Go to that place near the woods you were talking about," she said. "Where you said you would find some of the plants on here. Find the plants, bring them back." She stuck the third piece of paper in her own pocket. "I'll go back to the Governor's mansion to prepare everything for making the antidote – boiling water and such – and to find the more regular ingredients we need that should be in the mansion's kitchen. We'll meet each other there and then we can make the antidote, okay? Hurry up, please – we don't have much time. Get back as quickly as you can."
The others both nodded and went on their way, and Galinda herself hurried back to the Governor's mansion, clutching the paper in one hand and praying that they wouldn't be too late.
She burst through the door of the house, waving the paper around. "Fiyero! Fifi!" she called as she stormed up the stairs. "It worked! The governor wanted to save his own life, just like Nessa and Gazilon predicted he would, and he gave us the recipe for the antidote! We still have to make it, but Gaz and Nessa are out there looking for the ingredients as we speak, and…" She trailed off when she reached the top of the stairs, from where she could see into Elphaba's bedroom, and saw Fiyero and the doctor sitting on the bed. The doctor was talking quietly, one hand on Fiyero's shoulder as if to comfort the younger man; Fiyero himself was crying.
Galinda's hand flew to her mouth. "No…"
They both looked up, finally acknowledging her presence.
"Galinda," Fiyero sniffled, and the blonde shook her head.
"Please tell me…" She couldn't finish that sentence. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale as she looked from the doctor, to Fiyero, to the still figure of her best friend in the bed.
"She's not dead," the doctor assured her quickly.
It felt like someone lifted a ten-ton weight from Galinda's chest and she could breathe again. "Oh, thank Oz."
"But she's getting closer," the doctor added softly, a sad look on his face. He shook his head. "She's not responding to anything anymore. She won't wake up and she won't react in any way."
Fiyero looked at Galinda, the fear, grief and suppressed panic in his eyes nearly breaking her heart. "He thinks she's in a coma," he whispered.
Galinda's face softened. "Oh, Fiyero…" She moved over to where he was sitting on the bed and hugged him tightly.
"Don't worry," she whispered to him. "Nessa and Gazilon are finding ingredients for the antidote as we speak, Fiyero. They'll be back here on time. They'll be able to save her." She looked up at the doctor fearfully. "Won't they?"
He sighed and removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to ward off a headache.
"They might be on time," he acknowledged. "But I indeed suspect that Miss Elphaba has slipped into a coma; and if that is the case, than it might be too late to save her already. Even if we were to find the antidote."
Fiyero buried his face in Galinda's hair at those words and Galinda herself felt like her heart stopped for a moment.
"No," she whispered incredulously, her eyes filling with tears. "It can't be too late. It can't be." She looked back at the doctor. "Can it?"
He laid a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to console her. "We will just have to wait and see," he said. "If you really succeed in getting your hands on the antidote, we might still be able to save her; but we just can't tell anything at this point. She might be too far gone by now."
Galinda nodded, looking pale. "Okay. We're going to try, then."
She kissed Fiyero's cheek and squeezed his hand tightly. "Hold on, okay?" she said softly. "It'll be alright."
"Yeah," he agreed miserably, staring down at Elphaba's motionless body.
"We're doing everything we can," Galinda promised before letting go of his hand and swiftly leaving the room, all but running down the stairs and into the kitchen in order to get everything ready and find the rest of the ingredients.
She swore to herself that she would do anything in her power to heal her friend. They would save Elphaba, no matter what.
"Please don't die on me," Fiyero whispered, choking on a sob as he was kneeling down next to Elphaba's bed, levelling his face with hers and smoothing her hair away from her face time after time with his one hand. Her eyes were closed and though she didn't look like she was in any pain, she didn't exactly look good, either.
"Fae…" he whispered, threading the fingers of his free hand with hers and bringing their joined hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "Please don't die. I can't live without you."
She didn't reply, of course. Her eyes were still closed and she still did not move.
He closed his own eyes for a moment as he tried – and failed – to regain his composure.
"Do you remember how you felt when I was unconscious?" he suddenly asked her sharply. "You didn't like that, did you? Well, I'm feeling the exact same way right now, so if you really love me, even just a little bit, you'd wake up right now, understood?!"
She still didn't move – naturally – and he suddenly felt awful.
"Sorry," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry, Fae. It's just… I don't know what I would do if you…" He trailed off, hanging his head.
"I love you," he whispered. "Please wake up. Please be okay…"
A soft moan broke the silence that lingered in the room after his words, and his head immediately snapped up. "Fae?" he asked hopefully.
Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened. "Yero?" she murmured. She grimaced and her dark eyes were filled with pain. "It… it hurts," she whimpered softly.
He sat down on the bed and gathered her in his arms, planting soft kisses on the top of her head. "It's okay," he whispered. "I know it hurts, sweetheart, and I'm sorry, but you'll be alright. Galinda, Nessa and Gazilon are working on the antidote as we speak. Just hang on for a little while longer, okay? Just… just don't die, Fae," he begged her. "Please…"
She furrowed her brow, eyes closing again. "I promised you I wouldn't," she mumbled. "Remember?"
He choked out a sound that was something between a sob and a laugh. "So you did."
She drifted back off to sleep – or unconsciousness, he couldn't be sure – and he gently put her down, pulling the blanket over her and slowly tucking her in. Then he all but stormed out of the room and down the stairs.
"Doctor!" he called as he skidded into the kitchen, where the man was helping Galinda prepare everything for the antidote.
The doctor looked up at Fiyero's excited tone. "Yes?" he asked.
"She's not in a coma," Fiyero said, nearly stumbling over his words with how fast he was talking. "She just woke up and she was responsive. She's not in a coma. Doesn't that mean the antidote will work?" Hope was sparkling in his sapphire blue eyes.
The doctor cleared his throat, thinking carefully before he spoke.
"It is not a guarantee," he said, and Fiyero's face immediately fell.
The doctor placed a hand on the prince's shoulder and squeezed consolingly. "But it's definitely a good sign."
Fiyero brightened a little. "Really?"
The doctor nodded. "I'll go check up on her," he said. "Then I'll come back to help you again, Miss Galinda. There is no telling if Miss Elphaba will pull through or not, but right now I would say her chances are good. Not perfect, but good. We will do everything we can to make sure she survives this ordeal."
Galinda smiled gratefully at him and Fiyero nodded. "Thank you," he said quietly.
The doctor squeezed his shoulder again before leaving the room and moving upstairs to Elphaba's room.
"Fae?" Fiyero whispered. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Wake up, sweetheart."
She groaned softly and he helped her to sit up a little. "Fae, Glin has the antidote."
Elphaba's eyes half-opened. "Really?"
"Yes!" Galinda squealed from behind Fiyero, waving a small bottle around. "We did it, Elphie! Gaz and Nessa found the ingredients they were looking for, and we prepared it all the right way – according to your father, anyway – and if everything works out, this is going to heal you!"
Elphaba closed her eyes again at the sheer volume of Galinda's voice, but Fiyero could see the spark of hope in her eyes when she opened them again.
"Come on," he said, supporting her as he helped her to sit up more in order for her to be able to drink the potion.
Everyone watched silently as she slowly downed the entire potion before falling back into the pillows.
"So how long is this going to take?" Nessa asked the doctor softly.
He shook his head. "I'm not sure," he said. "I don't have any personal experience with exinum root, its effects on the body or the effect of the antidote. It could take mere minutes, but that is not likely. It will most likely take hours. Maybe even days."
Galinda's face fell. "That long?"
"We just have to be patient," the doctor said gently.
"It doesn't matter," Nessa decided, looking at her sister, whose eyes were closed once more. "All that really matters is whether it will heal her or not."
"Come on," Gazilon said, putting an arm around Galinda's shoulders. "Let's go downstairs. She doesn't need us all smothering her and watching her like a hawk all the time."
"So now what?" Elphaba mumbled, briefly opening her eyes again to look at Fiyero.
He laced his fingers with hers and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "Now we wait."
She huffed.
"Don't worry, Fae," he said, smiling down at her. "This will all be over soon, you just wait and see."
Wryly, she realised that he was right – it would be over. She just hoped it would be in the way they were all hoping for.