A/N: A shout out to my anonymous reviewer! Glad you liked it. Trouble upcoming, indeed. ;) Thanks!

Chapter 8

"Fevzi! Sarah! What is going on?" Elphaba asked as she approached the two. Schultz had led them into the Palace and a small first floor meeting room. Damla was with them and Timothy had followed the green woman.

"Something is wrong. We had to come," Fevzi told her. Elphaba did notice that Sarah was not saying anything. She looked at Damla who shook her head.

"She's got a nasty fever and she's mumbling," the Sergeant said.

"Right to the infirmary. Get Doctor Talib," Elphaba told Timothy. While the Doctor was usually in the infirmary all day, he was making rounds out in the city, something he did once a week. Timothy was out the door like a shot and Damla scooped up the frail Munchkin. The green woman excused herself and rushed to the front door. Sticking her head out of it she shouted,

"Chistery!" The Flying Monkey heard her – he always did – and quickly made his way to the front door and the two returned to Damla, Fevzi, and Sarah. Chistery took the sick girl from Damla and flew down to the infirmary.

"What did Doctor Howat have to say?" Elphaba wanted to know as they hurriedly followed the Flying Monkey.

"He was baffled and told us that we needed to get to you. We were supposed to wait for my parents but I saddled my horse and we got here as quickly as we could," Fevzi explained.

"You're a brave boy," Damla said.

"Is Sarah going to be ok?" He was very concerned.

"We're going to do everything we can to help her," Elphaba promised as they entered the infirmary. They were met by Doctor Talib's assistant, Hamza, looking over Sarah and Chistery was staying by the bed.

"What were her symptoms leading up this?" Hamza asked.

"She was just not feeling well. She couldn't sleep, her appetite was gone, and she couldn't get comfortable in any chair she sat in," Fevzi spoke up. Elphaba frowned. The symptoms did not really go together and she could see that Hamza was stumped as well.

"We need to check for bug bites or injections but we also need to get her fever down. Master Chistery, round up your brethren. I need you to fetch small chunks of ice from the Icehouse in town. Sergeant Schultz, we need the bathtub in the room next door cleared out. Anyone in there, kick them out. Make sure the tub is clean. Young man, go with her," he started handing out orders. No one objected and quickly got to work.

"Excellent idea," Elphaba said as she quickly stepped in to pull over a privacy curtain before beginning to strip off Sarah's clothes.

"She'll forgive us later," the green woman told the medical assistant. Once the clothes were off, they quickly looked all over her body.

"I've got a weird mark over here," Hamza announced from his spot at Sarah's left ankle. Elphaba moved to see what he found.

"That is definitely weird and it does not look like a bug bite or a snake bite," she said noting that it was just above the ankle but not high enough to be considered her calf.

"No but feel hot much hotter it is compared to the surrounding skin," he said. The green woman felt the skin and noticed what he meant.

"Infection to be sure. Let me see if I can cast a spell to draw it out," Elphaba told him.

"Do it. I don't want to try and use heat. She's too hot already," Hamza said. She nodded and got started.

"Bathtub is clean and empty," Damla announced. Fevzi started to speak and move toward the but she held him back.

"Let them work, son. Miss Elphaba and Hamza know what they are doing," It wasn't much longer before a foul smell invaded their nostrils.

"Sweet Oz," Hamza said before shouting, "I need towels!" Nurses came running with what he asked for. They went back and forth removing the dirtied towels.

"We have the ice!" Chistery announced and gagged almost at the same time from the doorway.

"Into the bathtub in the room next door!" Hamza shouted.

"Done!" Chistery promised as his brethren moved the ice into the room. Hamza packed the now open wound in Sarah's leg with bandages and Elphaba threw a towel over her body to give her some cover. Then the medical assistant moved her out of the room and into the tub with Elphaba, Damla, and Fevzi following him.

"Hold her down. This is going to be a shock to her system," Hamza said. Quickly they all did as they were told, as he set her down on the ice. Sarah cried out and thrashed. The cold was a shock to the system but it was necessary to break the fever. It took what seemed like an eternity but she finally calmed down.

"We need to properly flush that wound and redress it," Hamza said.

"Agreed," Elphaba nodded.

"What happened?" Fevzi asked.

"She had a massive infection in her leg. Did she say anything about maybe having walked through prickers or maybe scraping herself on a piece of equipment or furniture?" The green woman wanted to know.

"No, she didn't," Fevzi shook his head.

"Hopefully we'll get more out of her when she wakes up," Hamza said.

To Be Continued…