Fiyero was up bright and early the next morning. His dinner from the previous night had digested, leaving room for the delicious breakfast he was about to have with Elphaba. He was ready five minutes before their appointed time and knocked on her door. "Elphaba?"

"Fiyero… go to breakfast. I'll meet you there," came Elphaba's muffled voice.

He frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Just do down to breakfast."

His frown deepened. "Elphaba, do you need help with anything?"

"I need you to step away from the Ozdamned door and go to breakfast."

"But I –"

"Fiyero, I swear to Oz –"

"Alright, I'm going!" He hurried down the hall, disappearing around the corner before collecting himself.

Even though she used her stern Resident voice, there was a twinge of weakness laced in. He figured it was just from the long day they had yesterday. He hoped it was that, and not a symptom of her anemia.

He reached the hotel's dining hall, where a large buffet was set up. He picked a table near the wall and did a walk-around to see what they had. He was at the waffle maker when Elphaba came in. He waved at her and pointed to the table he claimed.

"Morning," she said, joining him next to the waffle maker. She filled the other one with batter just as Fiyero plated his.

"Morning. Are you –"

"I'm fine," she replied tightly, taking her waffle and adding blueberry jam.

He wanted to question, but he knew not to. He knew that pushing her would turn him into a patient rather than a doctor.

"Did you have a nice dinner with your aunt and uncle?" she asked once they sat down with their breakfast.

"I did. I really missed them. They asked how work was going, and…"

"And?"

"And they asked if we're dating."

Elphaba's eyebrow arched. "And what did you say?"

"I said that you're my boss and we have a very professional working relationship."

"… They didn't buy that for a second, did they?"

"Yes, they did. I'm very believable, especially when I'm telling the truth."

She finished her waffle and started picking at her eggs. "Well, I'm glad you had a nice time with them."

"Thanks. Did you enjoy your room service that you don't have to pay for?"

"I did. Smaller portions than I expected, but again, I'm not paying for it."

The two finished eating and made their way to the first lecture: the one about medical mysteries. After a full day of lectures, workshops, and note-taking, the two walked around the convention center together, making sure they stopped at all the tables to pick up goodies.

"Who's calling me?" Elphaba muttered to herself, feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket. She silently prayed it wasn't her sister, and sighed in relief when Crope's caller ID came up.

"He wants to video chat?" Fiyero asked, looking over her shoulder.

"He rarely calls or texts me like a normal person. He always wants me to see his face every time we talk," she said, answering the call. "Hi, Crope."

"Hi! Having fun?" Crope asked, his grinning face filling the screen.

"I've come to present my research and get more information on medical advancements."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Is Dr. Tigulaar having fun?"

"I'm having fun!" Fiyero grinned, pushing his face into view, ignoring the look Elphaba shot him.

"Yeah, Tib! The intern's still alive!" Crope called, turning to look at someone behind the camera.

Tibbett appeared next to the ophthalmologist. "Thank Oz."

"Is there a specific reason why you've called, or did you just call to check on my intern?" Elphaba asked.

"I genuinely wanted to know if you're having an enjoyable time… and to make sure I won't have to testify against you in a court of law," Crope said.

"We're fine," the green woman insisted.

"Will you bring me something back?" Tibbett asked, bouncing like a child.

Elphaba rolled her eyes with a huff. "You're so childish."

"Bring me something back. That's an order from your attending."

"I can give you this pen." She held the pen covered in tiny stethoscopes up to the camera.

"Hey! That's the pen I just gave you yesterday!" Fiyero pouted.

"Thropp, regifting gifts from your interns is so tacky," Tibbett gasped, clutching his invisible pearls. "Not to mention rude. You have to keep those. They have sentimental value."

"You should make that your lucky pen," Crope grinned.

Elphaba pocketed the pen. "I have no need for a lucky pen."

"Well, you have one now, so make the most use of it."

"That means you'll have to get another gift for me," Tibbett added. His pager beeped and he looked down. "Time for my craniotomy."

"Good luck," Crope smiled, giving him a quick kiss.

"Have fun, you two! See you Monday." He gave the camera a quick wave before running out.

"Alright. I have to go soon, but tell me one interesting thing you saw to tide me over 'til Monday," Crope said, moving to lounge on the sofa in the attendings' lounge.

"People say the updated GE color flow Doppler ultrasound might come out next month. It'll have better technology to get faster scanning and clearer pictures," Elphaba smiled.

"Meditec announced it?"

"… No. But when we went to their table, they said they're going to tell us this week when they're gonna make the announcement."

"So… you're waiting for the announcement of the announcement?"

Elphaba nodded vigorously with a wide grin.

Crope shook his head. "Thropp, you're better than that," he tsked. His pager beeped. "Duty calls. I'll see you when you get back." He waved and ended the call.

"None of the other interns have asked me if I'm having fun," Fiyero reported, his voice neutral.

"Not even your friends?"

"Nope. They haven't told me anything that's happening at the hospital, either."

"They're probably scared that you'll report back to me, and/or they're upset they're not here." She paused. "And that's okay, Fiyero. This field is very competitive. It's beneficial to have friends, but everyone needs to learn that they can't take everything personally. You'll win opportunities, and lose out on others, and that's okay."

"I know. I was first this time, and now you have to choose another intern to do a special task for you."

Elphaba made a noncommittal grunt. "Let's see if Ozmac Health has any more of those tumblers for Tibbett."

Fiyero was exhausted by the end of the day. After dumping his haul onto his bed and organizing what he was going to keep and what he was going to give away, he changed into his pajamas, settled against the pillows, and turned on the TV. Hotels always had the weirdest channels, but it was better than nothing. He considered renting an On Demand movie, knowing he wouldn't have to pay for it, and was scanning through the action films when his phone buzzed. Hoping it was a text from his friends, he grabbed it, but his face faltered slightly.

Elphaba: Hey. I need help. My door's unlocked.

He fumbled out of bed, grabbed his room key, and threw the door open. Elphaba's door was using the protruding lock to remain ajar, and he pushed it open, closing it properly behind him. "Elphaba?"

"In the bathroom," came a soft reply.

He almost tripped over his feet trying to get to her. He jiggled the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. "The door's locked."

"It is, and before I unlock it, I need you to promise me that you won't freak out."

"Elphaba –"

"Fiyero, I mean it. You can't freak out. Please."

He sighed. "Alright. I promise."

The lock clicked, and Fiyero delicately pushed it open. He had to actively tell his face not to display a look of pure shock and horror at the sight before him.

Elphaba was leaning against the sink, pressing a bloody washcloth to her nose. Droplets of blood stained the sink counter, and some small specks were on the floor. But most of the blood was in the sink.

"There's a box of gloves in my suitcase," Elphaba whispered, meeting his gaze in the mirror.

"You came prepared for this?"

"Or any medical emergency, but not just for me. Once you're a doctor, you're a doctor everywhere you go."

He got the gloves and put them on. "Are you in pain?"

"No, but i-it's… a lot of blood."

He noted how pale she looked. "Can you remove the cloth for a sec?"

"I can't release the pressure. I'll… start bleeding profu…s-sely."

"Okay. Sit down." He guided her to the toilet and helped her sit on the lid. Her speech was starting to slur, and her eyelids were drooping. He had to find some way to stop the bleeding before she passed out. "How long have you been bleeding?"

"Uh… f-f…" Her eyes started to close.

"Elphaba, stay with me. How many minutes?"

"… Five."

"Five. Okay." He drenched a clean washcloth in cold water. "Switch this out." He helped her quickly switch the clothes and threw the bloody cloth in the trash. "Elphaba, you can't go to sleep. You need to stay awake," he said, gently squeezing her arm.

"V-Vitamin C… shot," she whispered, weakly gesturing to her suitcase. "B-Blue… pouch."

"Yes. That'll help stop the bleeding." He quickly went out and found the blue pouch and returned to her, opened it, and quickly prepared the injection.

"… You do it."

"Okay. I'll do it." He cleaned a spot on her left shoulder and administered the injection. After a few more minutes, the bleeding slowly stopped and Elphaba became more alert. He helped her lean forward a bit, letting her brace herself against him, so the blood wouldn't go down her throat and make her throw up.

"Thanks," she breathed when she felt better, sitting up straighter, but didn't attempt to stand.

"Of course," he said, disposing of the used medical supplies. He didn't have to tell her to stay seated. He knew she knew her body and would tell him what she needed when she needed it.

"Glinda was practically breathing down my neck the first time I had a nosebleed in front of her. It was nowhere near this bad. The poor thing got so squeamish at the sight of blood, she nearly fainted. That's why I was so shocked that she decided to become a nurse," Elphaba said.

Fiyero wet another cloth in cold water and delicately wiped Elphaba's face, cleaning it of any residual blood. She watched him, but said nothing.

"Thank you for not making a big deal out of this," she said when he finished.

"I know you hate feeling vulnerable."

"If I were here with any other intern… I don't think I would've asked them for help. Shem would've freaked, ShenShen would've screamed, and Pfannee would've fainted."

Was she saying she trusted him more than the others? Was that something she could, or should, tell him? "Pfannee would've hugged you and tried to reassure you that everything would be alright… then faint."

She cracked a smile. "You're right."

"If something happened to me... I trust you, too."

"It's good that we trust each other."

"Yeah. And if I'm being honest, I wasn't as calm as I looked. That was a lot of blood, especially for an anemic."

"That's what makes you a good doctor."

"And a phenomenal actor."

"You have to be calm. When patients are calm, they can tell us what's wrong, and it's easier for us to help them." She moved to stand, and Fiyero jumped to assist her. "Help me to the armchair? I want to lie down, but I know I shouldn't, and this hard toilet lid is very uncomfortable."

"Sure."

The two slowly made their way out of the bathroom and Fiyero helped ease Elphaba into the chair by the window. "Thanks."

"Were you sick this morning? Was this whole day leading to this big nosebleed?" Fiyero asked unceremoniously, sitting on the bed.

She turned to him, not unkindly. "No. This morning, I woke up late, meaning I took a late shower, and the redness of my water allergy hadn't disappeared yet. I don't want you to see me looking like a Lurlinemas decoration… again. Nosebleeds aren't uncommon in the cold months, and mine always come without warning. I wasn't sick all day."

"Would you have told me if you were?"

"Fiyero –"

"Would you have hidden the fact that you're feeling ill all day just because we're here?"

"I wouldn't have let you run wild around the convention center." She saw how serious he was and sobered. "When I try to hide my illness, it makes my symptoms more severe. There have been many times when I wanted to pretend I wasn't feeling sick for someone else's benefit, never mine. But I physically can't. So no, I would've had to tell you. Or you would've used your doctor training to figure it out."

"Either you tell me, or I find out," Fiyero smiled.

"And you don't want me to find out," Elphaba finished with a grin. "I'm glad something I said to you has stuck in your brain."

The intern's stomach growled, and he looked down. "I didn't even realize I was hungry."

"We're you planning on getting food before my medical emergency?"

"I was going through my med-swag haul. How good is this room service that we don't have to pay for? Other than the smaller portions."

"Pretty good." She reached over and handed him the menu next to the phone. "I had the clam chowder soup."

"Was it made from gold-plated clams?" Fiyero gaped, staring at the price.

"I don't know, but it tasted good."

Fiyero selected the spaghetti with roasted chicken, and Elphaba requested the clam chowder soup again. He used her room phone, and twenty minutes later, their food arrived. They flipped through the channels and settled on a medical drama while they ate. They made a game out of who could point out the most medical inaccuracies, which Elphaba won.

Watching the medical drama soon morphed into watching a movie, which somehow led to them sitting on the bed together. Elphaba got cold, so she snuggled under the covers, while Fiyero sat with his knees pulled up to his chest.

"Fiyero?"

"Hmm?"

"It's getting late."

He sleepily looked at his phone. Eleven-twenty-seven. "It's almost tomorrow."

She glanced at him. He was so tired, and judging by the way his eyelids were drooping, he probably wouldn't make it back to his room. "Do you wanna stay here tonight?"

He blinked. "Here?"

"In my hotel room… in bed… with me."

"Are you feeling alright?"

She knew what he was thinking. "I'm not asking you to stay because I want you to keep an eye on me. I want you to stay because I want you to stay."

Instead of answering, he sleepily shimmied under the covers. His hand brushed against hers and he turned to her. "You're still cold."

"I'm always cold."

He scooted closer and pulled her against him, making her yelp in surprise.

"That's… better," she admitted softly. She snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for sharing your body heat."

"There's plenty to go around. You can make sure I don't overheat."

She hummed, letting her eyelids flutter closed. "Deal."