So… let me just get this straight. If I don't fix this, I'll have the Nia Hunters, flying badgers, and evil, flying, Death Eater gerbils (courtesy of Queen Elsa the Snow Queen) after me. Okay.
When Galinda, Boq, Fiyero and Nelliee finally got to the hospital forty-five minutes later, Nessa was in the waiting room, nervously rolling back and forth. Her way of pacing, Galinda guessed.
"This is outrageous!" the younger Thropp muttered. "She's been in there for almost an hour. I'm her sister! I should be in there with her!" Angrily, she wheeled up to the reception desk and banged her fist against the counter, startling the poor receptionist. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?"
"Nessa!" Galinda said, grabbing the back of the younger Thropp's wheelchair and pulling her back. "Calm down."
"Calm down? Calm down!? Don't tell me to calm down! My sister is in there and we don't know what's wrong with her and they won't me in and you're tell me to calm down!?"
"Yes," Galinda said calmly.
Nessa took a deep breath and calmed down. "I… I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Nessa," Fiyero said, giving the younger Thropp a small smile. "We understand. We're all a little bit on edge right now."
"It's just… she's my sister and… what happened to her?"
Galinda shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed fine, then all of a sudden, we're here. At a hospital."
"What do we do now?" Boq asked.
"We wait," Galinda sighed, sitting down in the nearest chair.
"We can't just sit here and wait. There has to be something we can do!" Fiyero exclaimed.
"What do you suggest, Fiyero?" Galinda asked incredulously. "Break down the doors and fight the doctors to get into the room?"
"N-No," Fiyero said. She didn't use the nickname she gave me, he noticed. She must be serious… or tired… or seriously tired. "I… don't know. But there has to be something we can do."
"Well… when you think of an idea, please let the rest of us know," Galinda sighed, curling up in the chair and closing her eyes.
Hours past and they still haven't heard anything on Elphaba's condition. Nessa was nervously wheeling around the waiting room. Galinda was fast asleep in one of the armchairs. Fiyero was sitting next to the blonde, wondering how she could sleep in such an uncomfortable looking position. Boq was beside Nessa, trying to calm her down.
"What's taking them so long?" Nessa huffed, stopping abruptly and causing the Munchkin to bump into the back on her chair.
"They should at least know something by now," Fiyero muttered.
"Yes, I want the one with sparkles," Galinda said, sitting up and stretching. "Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing her back. She slowly began to register where she was and what was happening and frowned. "Oh."
"Good morning," Fiyero said, giving the blonde a small smile.
Galinda returned the smile. "What time is it?"
"Almost seven."
"Any news about Elphie?"
"No, and I demand to speak with the head of staff immediately!" Nessa exclaimed, almost running over Boq's foot.
Fiyero was about to say something when the door burst open, revealing Frex.
"Father!" Nessa cried, quickly wheeling over to her father.
"Nessa!" Frex said, kneeling down and engulfing his youngest daughter in a hug.
"What happened?" Frex asked, brushing Nessa's hair away from her face.
"We don't know, Father. Elphaba was having trouble breathing and then she was coughing up blood and…" Nessa burst into tears.
Frex quickly gathered her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "It's okay, Nessa. Everything will be alright."
"I'm s-so scared, F-Father. What if… what if…"
"No," Frex interrupted. Gently, he cupped Nessa's face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Everything's going to be fine."
Nessa nodded weakly and wrapped her arms around her father again. Galinda, Fiyero and Boq stood off to the side, not knowing what to say or do.
The door opened and everyone turned around, seeing the doctor step into the waiting room.
"I'm looking for a Governor Frexspar Thropp," the doctor said, reading off a clipboard.
"Here," Frex said, rising to his full height and approaching the doctor.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Governor. I am Doctor Tola Montas, head doctor here at the Emerald City hospital," the doctor smiled, shaking Frex's hand.
"Likewise, doctor," Frex nodded.
"How's Fabala?" Nessa asked, jumping to the point.
"Well… she seems to have a case of clefyd anhysbys," Dr. Montas said, looking at his clipboard again.
"What's that?" Fiyero asked.
"It's just a fancy term for 'unknown disease'."
"Meaning?" Galinda asked.
"We don't know. My fellow doctors and I have never seen this disease before. We've been running test on her for the past hour."
"Is there a cure?" Nessa asked, tears threatening to spill from her eyes once again.
"Like I said, we've never seen it before. We can't even determine the cause of this strange illness."
"But… is Elphaba…" Fiyero whispered.
Dr. Montas took a deep breath. "She has lapsed into a coma."
"No…" Nessa whispered.
"And we're afraid that if she doesn't pull through soon… she may never wake up."
"There must be something you can do," Frex said as he pulled a sobbing Nessa into his arms.
"We will do everything we can to save your daughter's life, Governor," Dr. Montas promised. "We have the best trained staff in all of Oz."
"Can… we… s-see h-her?" Nessa whispered through her tears.
Dr. Montas smiled and nodded. "Of course. It's the third door on the right."
The group hurried through the door and followed the doctor's directions. Elphaba was lying in the hospital bed, her arms resting by her sides about the bed sheets, a cannula in her nose, feeding oxygen to her. She looked peaceful, as if she were only asleep. Her long, raven hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail, away from her face.
Frex cautiously stepped closer to the bed and gently took Elphaba's hand, frowning at its cold and clammy feeling.
"Let's give them a moment alone," Galinda whispered, grabbing the back of Nessa's wheelchair and pushing her outside, closely followed by Fiyero and Boq.
"Fabala," Frex whispered. A single tear slid down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away. Spotting a chair, he quickly pulled it over to the bed and sat down.
"Papa!"
A storm was raging through Munchkinland. Elphaba sat up in her bed, clutching the sheets to her chest as she screamed for her father.
"Papa! Papa! Papa!"
"It's okay, Fabala. I'm right here," Frex said, hurrying into the room and gently lifting his crying daughter into his arms.
"I… scared," Elphaba whimpered, shivering.
"I know, Fabala. I know," Frex whispered, kissing her forehead.
"It… dark."
"I know, sweetie."
"Why?"
Frex looked at Elphaba. How was he supposed to tell his precious little frog, who was only the tender age of two, that she would never be able to see? That the universe had decided to curse her with blindness and emerald green skin. That every time she opened her eyes, she would only be greeted with darkness.
"I'm sorry, Fabala," he whispered.
A soft cry from down the hallway caught Frex's attention. "Nessarose." Hugging Elphaba close, Frex slowly walked out of Elphaba's room and into Nessa's.
"You don't like the storm either, do you, Nessie?" Frex asked, carefully setting Elphaba down and lifting the one year old into his arms.
Nessa's crying slowly died down as she felt herself being lifted into her father's arms. A tiny smile appeared on her lips, seeing her father's face.
"There," Frex smiled, kissing Nessa's forehead.
"Papa," Nessa smiled.
Grinning, Frex gently took Elphaba's hand and walked into the living room.
"Annelida!" he called.
"Yes, sir?" the maid yawned, running into the room.
"Can you please get a blanket and some milk for the girls?"
Yawning, Annelida nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a blanket and two glasses of milk.
"Thank you," Frex smiled, taking the blanket and milk. He settled himself down with the girls in front of the warm fire.
Nessa immediately grabbed the glass. "Milk!"
"Careful, Nessie," Frex said, holding the cup for Nessa.
"No," Nessa said, wanting to do it herself. She tipped up the cup up to her lips, causing most of its contents to spill over her nightgown. "Uh oh," the little girl giggled.
Annelida had reappeared, hearing the commotion in the living room. "Is everything alright, sir?"
"Yes, Annelida. Everything's fine. Could you get Nessa a new nightgown?" Frex asked, handing Nessa to Annelida.
"Of course, sir." Curtsying, Annelida quickly took the younger Thropp and disappeared.
"Papa?" Elphaba whimpered, reaching for her father.
"I'm right here, Fabala," Frex whispered, lifting the green girl into his arms. He slowly rocked her back and forth, trying to get her to go back to sleep. "Why don't we read a book?"
A small smile appeared on Elphaba's face and she nodded. Frex took a book from the shelf and sat in front of the fire. "The three little kittens, they lost their mittens, and they began to cry, 'Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear, that we have lost our mittens.' 'What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens! Then you shall have no pie.'"
"Kitties!" Elphaba giggled, listening to her father read the story.
"Yes, Fabala," Frex smiled as he continued to read. "The three little kittens, they found their mittens, and they began to cry, 'Oh, mother dear, see here, see here, for we have found our mittens.' 'Put on your mittens, you silly kittens, and you shall have some pie.'"
Frex looked over and saw that Elphaba was fast asleep. Smiling, he gently kissed her forehead and brought her back to bed.
"Goodnight, my sweet Fabala," Frex whispered, tucking Elphaba in and kissing her forehead once more.
Sighing, Frex looked at Elphaba, lying helplessly, unmoving, in the bed. Wiping a tear away from his eye, he gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"You'll be alright," he whispered, squeezing her hand. "Stay with us." And with that, he solemnly left the room.
"What do we do now, Father?" Nessa asked, looking up at her father.
Smiling softly, Frex knelt before his youngest daughter and gently took her hands. "Pray to the Unnamed God that he heals Fabala."
Nursery Rhyme used: 'Three Little Kittens'
Clefyd anhysbys is Welsh for 'unknown disease'.
If anyone is wondering, which I know you all are, Frex and Elphaba have a pretty good relationship in the book. I actually think that Frex has a closer relationship with Elphaba than Melena does. Melena seems to push Elphaba away from the start, while Frex pushes her away in the beginning, then grows to like her a little bit. But that's just how I interpreted it.