Yes, I ended the last chapter like that. And um… this isn't the big thing you all should be worried about. Just sayin'.

Elphaba slowly opened her eyes and registered that she was lying in a bed. The room smelt of antiseptics. Her head was throbbing and her entire body ached. Someone was holding her hand and seemed to notice that she was awake.

"H-Hello?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Fae, thank Oz you're alright!"

"Y-Yero?"

"I'm right here, Fae."

"Wh-Where am I?"

"The infirmary. I took you to the nurse, but once I told her what had happened, she sent you here."

She felt Fiyero gingerly help her into a sitting position and she winced as a sudden pain shot through her body. Her hand flew to her side, feeling a bandage wrapped around her waist.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember falling?"

"I do, but why does my side hurt so much?"

A knock and the door opened. Elphaba heard footsteps and lifted her head towards the sound. "Ah, Miss Thropp, you're awake," a deep, male voice said. "I am Dr. Gyles Tipps."

"Hello," Elphaba whispered shyly.

"Now, I understand that you had quite a fall. We have examined you and discovered that you have bruised your left hip bone, hence the pain you might be feeling right now."

Elphaba rubbed her left side, frowning as the pain shot through her body. Gasping, she jumped towards Fiyero, which only made the pain worse.

"I require that you stay in bed for a full three weeks, maybe longer, until you're fully recovered."

"What?!" Elphaba gasped, pushing away from Fiyero. She immediately regretted it and collapsed back against the pillows.

Fiyero gently pulled her up again. "Fae, please stop moving," he whispered soothingly, kissing her forehead.

"I can't stay in bed for that long. I have a sorcery exam next week and we have to…"

"I understand, Miss Thropp," Dr. Tipps interrupted. "But you must understand that this is for your own good. We don't want to aggravate your hip while it's healing."

Fiyero couldn't hold back a small smirk. He knew that Elphaba hated staying in bed and having other people do things for her.

"But…" Elphaba tried to protest.

"I'll make sure she rests, Doctor," Fiyero said, smiling gratefully at the older man.

"Wonderful. Miss Thropp, we will be able to release you today if you promise to remain in bed for the next three weeks."

Elphaba stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, obviously not going to give in that easily. Fiyero gently squeezed her hand, silently telling her to just do it.

"Fine. I'll rest," she muttered, slowly uncrossing her arms and sighing.

"Excellent. And I'll give you a prescription for some pain killers." Dr. Tipps said as he scribbled on a small piece of paper. "Take two every time you feel pain, but don't take more than six a day. And don't take them on an empty stomach." And with that, the doctor left the room to get the release papers.

"I'm proud of you," Fiyero smiled, kissing his girlfriend's nose.

"I hate this."

"Hate this now, thank me later." Fiyero gently helped Elphaba into a wheelchair. Elphaba opened her mouth to protest, but Fiyero would not hear any of it. He pushed her back to the dorms and knocked on the door. Galinda opened it a split-second later, and Fiyero wordlessly pushed Elphaba into the room.

"I can do it myself," Elphaba frowned as both her boyfriend and her roommate helped her into her bed.

"Stop being so stubborn, Elphie," Galinda chided.

"Fae, remember what the doctor said," Fiyero said, turning towards Galinda. "Please make sure she rests and doesn't leave this bed for a full three weeks."

Galinda gave Fiyero a sharp salute. "Yes, sir!"

Smiling, Fiyero leaned over and gently kissed Elphaba's cheek. "I'll come check up on you later, okay?"

"Okay," Elphaba muttered.

He turned to Galinda once more. "Make sure she…"

"Yes, yes, I know. Plenty of rest, doesn't leave the bed, takes the medicine and doesn't to the Munchkin shuffle," Galinda recited, shooing Fiyero out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Elphaba uncomfortably shifted under the covers, her side hurting more than ever.

"How are you feeling, Elphie?" Galinda asked, sitting down on the edge of the green girl's bed.

"I've been better." Elphaba tried to push herself up, but Galinda pushed her back down.

"Elphie, if you need something, I'll get it for you."

"Glin-"

"None of your stubbornness, Miss Elphie."

"You know I…"

"You're not going to be stubborn, Elphaba Thropp. You're going to rest in bed for the next three weeks. You're not going to get up and you're not going to protest."

"Yes, Mama."

"I mean it, Elphie."

"You know I hate being babied."

"This isn't babying you. This is taking care of you when you're injured."

Elphaba muttered something under her breath. "This is going to be a long three weeks."

"If you think about it that way, it will be. I'm going to get you some soup and some extra pillows. Just stay here and don't move."

"Okay."

"I mean it, Elphie. If I come back and you have moved one hair, I will magic you to the bed."

"I said that I wouldn't move," Elphaba said, giving the blonde a sincere smile.

Nodding, Galinda left the room to get the soup and pillows. Elphaba sank into the pillows and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling at peace.

Knock, knock, knock!

Elphaba forced her eyes open. Galinda was back already?

"Galinda?" Elphaba whispered hoarsely as she heard the door open.

"Fabala!"

It was Nessa. Oh, Shiz, Elphaba thought. The last thing she needed, or wanted, was for her younger sister to baby her.

"Oh, Fabala, are you alright?" Nessa asked worriedly as she wheeled into the room.

"I'm fine," Elphaba tried to reassure her.

"What happened?"

"I was practicing for my sorcery exam and had a little accident. It's nothing to worry about."

"What is Morrible making you do? Fly on a broomstick?"

"Actually, yes."

Elphaba didn't have to see in order to know that Nessa had a horrified facial expression. "W-What?"

"Hey, it was your idea to place me in the seminar, remember?" Elphaba asked, smirking slightly.

"That was only to get your magic under control."

"Which I have successfully accomplished, thank you very much."

"Nevertheless, this is just… what would flying on a broom accomplish?"

"You're asking the wrong person. Ask Horri- Morrible."

"No, thank you. That woman scares me. And I have to share a suite with her. And don't call her Horrible Morrible."

"I didn't."

"But you almost did."

"Yeah, almost."

"It's disrespectful, Fabala," Nessa frowned, reverting back to her stiff, reprimanding tone of voice.

Elphaba let out a small laugh. "She is helping you, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

"Good. Because I only want the best for my little sister."

It was Nessa's turn to laugh. "Is Miss Galinda helping you?"

"Don't change the subject."

"Fabala, I'm just worried about you."

"Nessie, you don't have to worry about me," Elphaba said, reaching for Nessa's hand.

She felt her sister quickly grasp her hand and she turned, trying not to wince. "I'm fine. Really."

The door opened and Galinda walked in, carrying a bowl of soup in one hand, and two pillows under her arm. "I'm back, Elphie. Oh, hi, Nessa!"

"Hello, Galinda," Nessa smiled, watching as the blonde carefully set the bowl of soup down before making her way over to them with the pillows. Setting them down at the foot of the bed, Galinda moved to help Elphaba into a sitting position.

"I can eat the soup by myself, thank you," Elphaba said when Nessa tried to spoon-feed her the soup.

"Elphie, you're sick. Please let us take care of you," Galinda said.

"I am not sick. I just have a bruised hip."

"Still… you should just rest and let us take care of you," Nessa added.

"I'm blind, not completely inept. I'm not fragile. I can take care of my-" Elphaba was interrupted by Nessa spooning the soup into her mouth. Swallowing the soup, Elphaba frowned, almost being able to hear her sister smirking.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it, Fabala?" Nessa asked, holding a spoonful of soup under her sister's nose.

"Will you two please stop babying me?!" Elphaba shouted, shoving the spoon away from her mouth.

Galinda frowned. "Elphie, we're just trying to –"

"Well, stop trying! You two are both smothering me and it's getting very annoying. It's suffocating and I refuse to put up with it any longer." Fuming, Elphaba pushed the covers away and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Grunting silently, she pushed herself up and struggled to keep her balance.

"Elphie!" Galinda shouted as Elphaba crumbled to the floor, her hand pressed firmly against her left side.

"Don't… help… me," Elphaba growled through clenched teeth, swatting Galinda's hand away.

"Fabala, please just…"

"No. Get out! Get out of here, now!"

"Elphaba-"

"Get. Out. Now!"

Biting down on her lower lip, the younger Thropp gave the blonde a pleading look before quickly wheeling out of the room.

"Elphie?" Galinda whispered, kneeling beside her best friend.

"Go away," Elphaba whispered, tears in her eyes.

Galinda helped her to her feet and helped her sit down on the edge of the bed. "Elphie, I'm sorry if Nessa and I hurt your feelings, but we're only trying to help you."

"I said go away."

"I said it before and I'll say it again. This is my room, too," Galinda said stiffly, going over to Elphaba's dresser and grabbing her medicine. "Now, take these."

Elphaba frowned and pushed the medicine bottle away.

"I can be just as stubborn as you are, Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba was getting more fed up with Galinda the longer she stayed in the room. The blonde softened, seeing Elphaba's eyes fill with rage and hurt.

"Elphie, I'm sorry if we hurt you, but we care about you and…"

"Go away."

"Just take the medicine. It will make you feel better."

"I. Said. Go. Away!" Snarling, Elphaba's hand rose and slapped Galinda across the face. Shrieking, Galinda collapsed to the floor, her hand cupping her cheek.

Realizing what she had done, Elphaba's lowered her hand and clutched it against her chest. "Glin, I…"

"You want me out? Fine. I'll leave," Galinda all but spat, rising to her full height.

"Glin, I'm so sorry," Elphaba whispered.

"You're getting what you wanted. I'm leaving. And don't expect me to come back."

"Glin…"

"You think you're the only one fed up? I'm fed up, too. Fed up of trying to help you because I care about you, only to have you push me away in return."

"No. No, Glin, please."

Galinda ignored Elphaba's pleas and stomped off. She slammed the door behind her, causing the green girl to jump.

"Glin?"

No answer.

"Galinda, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please come back!"

Silence.

Weakly, Elphaba pushed herself up. She took one step forward, but the pain in her side caused her to crumble to the floor. "Please…" she whispered. "Come back."