Work Text:
Unsteady Ground
Galinda was grateful for the cold snap that had descended upon Shiz. It was the first true breath of winter, even with the sun shining and the broad blue skies. She slipped into her sports uniform in the changing cubicle – custom made, of course – and was starting to wonder whether the pink garment was entirely suitable as the winter months approached. Their teacher, a famously brusque man called Mr Egrot, firmly believed in the good old fashioned ‘healing powers’ of the great outdoors, and despite there being a perfectly good gym on campus, refused to let them practice indoors.
Sighing, Galinda stretched down to put on her plimsoles. She made a mental note to write home and ask for an additional allowance to buy herself a more practical sports outfit, now she knew Mr Egrot wouldn’t budge. Elphaba, of course, had offered to lend her something warmer to wear, but Galinda had looked at her as if she’d just drowned a cat in front of her. You have the fashion sense of a colour-blind toddler, Elphie, she’d protested, to which Elphaba had fondly shook her head and told her she wouldn’t get sympathy if she succumbed to frostbite.
A small smile tugged at Galinda’s lips as she thought of her green roommate, of the stolen kisses and sordid touches in the dead of night, of how her heart wanted to burst out of its chest just to get to her, of the sleepy cuddles and lazy mornings they had been enjoying for the last couple of months. Everything had changed after the Ozdust, and before long, they were in each other’s beds and whispering promises in the small hours, of gentle dreams and affectionate plans for the future. There was, naturally, the issue of Fiyero. Galinda knew she had to address it sooner or later, but for now, she wanted to remain safe and warm in the bubble she and Elphaba had constructed.
As she straightened up from putting on her shoes, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she stumbled a little.
Oz, she thought, pressing her palm to her forehead, maybe the cold is getting to me after all. Even as the idea formed in her mind, though, she dismissed it. Galinda could tolerate the cold. Frottica was famous for its winter-time snow storms. The gardens around the estate were so beautiful in white. When she was little, she would have snowball fights with her granny (until she decided her ‘old joints’ weren’t up to it), and built snowmen taller than she was. Her mother never joined in, claiming it was far too chilly, but on the occasions her father was home from business, he’d lend a hand. Laughing, he would scoop her up so she could reach and stick in a carrot nose to complete her creation. They’d then tramp inside, shivering and damp and flushed with cold, and Ama Clutch would fix her a hot cocoa topped with a twirl of cream.
As the winter thaw began afresh, Galinda would stare out of the window and watch the snowmen melt. She hated to see them go. She didn’t know there would be a last time until her mother decided she was too old for such childish tomfoolery, and her father grew tired of lifting her up. Sometimes, though, in the winter nights, she would look out of her bedroom window and imagine the fat, glistening silhouettes of her snowmen, lined up in a neat row.
When she emerged from the changing cubicle, feeling a little steadier, Elphaba was waiting for her. She was wearing an appropriate winter uniform to combat the cold - and she looked good. Galinda swallowed as her eyes drifted over the fabric clinging tightly to Elphaba’s biceps.
‘Ready?’ she said, offering Galinda a smile.
‘Yes, certainly,’ nodded Galinda, a little flustered. ‘Do you know what we’re doing today?’
‘I saw Pfannee being ordered to haul out some bats from the shed, so I imagine it might be rounders,’ replied Elphaba as they exited the changing room. ‘Let’s try and be on the same team, shall we? I can’t say I’d like to be on the receiving end of your competitive side.’
‘Rude.’
Unfortunately, they were not on the same team, and given Mr Egrot’s generally stern demeanour, neither girl even bothered to request a switch. So, Elphaba found herself on a team with Pfannee and Fiyero, while Galinda had Shenshen and Milla. Pouting, Galinda trailed away from Elphaba who shot her an apologetic look – as if she was somehow to blame for the unfortunate turn of events – and drifted towards Shenshen.
‘Here - I got you a bib’, said Shenshen as Galinda approached. ‘This was the least offensive smelling one from the pile, I can assure you. I wonder if those things ever get washed.’
‘Ugh, unlikely,’ Galinda grimaced, pulling the bright orange garment over her head. The colour clashed unflatteringly with her hair and pale complexion, and she rolled her eyes. ‘How come the other team get to wear blue? That’s much less putrid.’
‘Luck of the draw, I guess,’ shrugged Shenshen. ‘Come on, let’s warm up - our team is batting first.’
Mr Egrot led them through a series of stretches that always made Galinda feel a little self-conscious. She wasn’t the only one - nobody liked his aggressive warm-ups. He’d have them doing over-zealous star jumps, or vigorous jogging on the spot, and the most thorough stretches Galinda had ever known. If he thought someone wasn’t trying hard enough, he’d stop the whole class and force them to watch as the offending individual was made to do even more star jumps. Pfannee was often a victim of this. Huffing, Galinda stretched low to touch her toes as instructed, and as she moved back up, she caught Elphaba’s eye and gave her a grin at the ridiculousness of it all. It was only when another wave of dizziness hit her that her smile faltered.
Taking a small step backwards to correct her balance, a ripple of nausea passed over her. She nearly stepped on Shenshen’s foot, who swerved out of the way just in time, and she grabbed her shoulder.
‘Whoa, easy,’ she said, balancing her. ‘Are you okay, Galinda?’
Galinda blinked several times, static prickling her vision. She looked back at Elphaba, who was wearing a concerned expression, and quickly flashed her another smile, weak though it was.
‘I - yeah,’ she said, easing away from Shenshen’s steadying grip. ‘I think I just stood up too quickly from that stretch, you know?’
‘Better get back into it, then,’ Shenshen said, gesturing with a flick of her head over at Mr Egrot, who was glowering in their direction. ‘Unless you want to be doing star jumps in front of the whole class.’
‘I’d rather not,’ Galinda smirked. ‘That’s Pfannee’s job.’
Pfannee, who wasn’t far away, let out an outraged gasp.
Galinda resumed the warm-up session, occasionally looking over at Elphaba, who she could feel was watching her. She gave her several reassuring smiles, but Elphaba’s frown didn’t ease. It’s getting worryingly easy for her to see through me, Galinda thought, biting her lip. In truth, Galinda had never had a friend - if she could still call her that, given what they did to each other beneath the sheets - like Elphaba. For all of her popularity, her relationships were surface level at best. People never bothered to look beyond the illusion of perfection she cast, and she certainly never bothered to encourage them. She didn’t want them to see the ugly parts of her. With Elphaba, it had become all too easy. Perhaps it was because Elphaba wore her imperfections like a badge of honour - not that she really had a choice in the matter, but Galinda admired that she’d chosen to own them rather than shy away from them. I wonder if I can learn to be brave like that.
The ‘oranges’, as Mr Egrot referred to them as, were to be batting first. Galinda watched as Elphaba wandered away and out into the field, holding up her hand to cast a shadow over her face. The combination of the clear sky, winter sun, and frost underfoot created quite the glare. Galinda, as an ‘orange’, got in the queue behind Shenshen and her fellow teammates to bat. She wasn’t all that good at sport - she was fairly sure the only reason she’d done well thus far was because she’d been so vehement about sparring with Elphaba, hoping to whack her with a stick. Generally, though, Galinda was not known for her hand-eye coordination. She didn’t particularly care. Sports aren’t at all ladylike, her mother would say.
She stifled a bored yawn, watching her teammates take turns batting the ball, and kept her gaze on Elphaba. She too didn’t much like sport, and had spent the last three pitches standing with her arms folded, not moving a muscle even when the ball - fired by Avaric - sailed right past her ear. Galinda couldn’t help but smile to herself.
Once their team had finished up batting (Galinda had missed hers so spectacularly that even she was embarrassed), they dutifully trooped out onto the pitch. The grass crunched underfoot. Fielding, Galinda had decided, was substantially worse than batting. Given her dreadful hand-eye coordination, she’d been banished to a distant corner of the pitch where the ball seldom sailed, so she couldn’t cause trouble. The issue was that she couldn’t talk to anyone, being so isolated. And that meant she had absolutely nothing to distract her from her mounting light-headedness.
Logically speaking, she knew she probably should’ve had a more substantial breakfast before engaging in any sort of physical exercise. But she’d been in such a rush that morning, no thanks to Elphaba’s clingy antics and her refusal to break the cosy snuggle they’d found themselves in, and, of course, there was the issue of her mother.
Lady Larena Upland did love her daughter. Galinda never once doubted that. But she learnt from a very young age that her mother’s affection was only granted under a severe and enduring set of rules. Creased or accidently stained dresses? You look like a street urchin, Galinda, and I’ll not have street urchins in the house. Talking too loudly or enthusiastically about something she was interested in? Such hysterics are incredibly unbecoming, dear. I’d learn to hold your tongue or I won’t want to take tea with you. Too much food on her plate? I’d watch your middle if I were you, young lady. Put on any more weight and it’ll look like you’re sporting a rubber ring under your smalls. And I don’t want a fat little girl for a daughter.
As it turned out, her mother’s version of ‘too much food’ was, by all accounts, a perfectly normal portion. Elphaba had been horrified that first morning after the Ozdust as she watched Galinda quarter a banana, deciding one was simply too much for one girl. Galinda never liked people scrutinising her eating habits, but she didn’t see anything wrong with wanting to maintain her slender frame. It had been made quite clear what would happen if she went home during the winter break having gained a few pounds, and since Lurlinemas was just around the corner, she was more conscious about it than ever.
But she was paying for it now.
Her stomach churned. A pang of hunger outweighed the sudden knot of anxiety that had bloomed in her gut, and the light-headedness Not good, not good. She shook her head, as if trying to get the blood back to it, and her hand automatically went to arm. She dug her nails into it so hard that she let out a small grunt of pain to try and ground herself.
Suddenly grateful that was standing away from everyone, her fingers trailed down to her forearm and she gave it a sharp pinch, twisting the flesh between her nails and giving it a tug. It hurt. She did it again, trying to focus, but the dizziness wasn’t going away. She felt clammy despite the cold, and a horrid, sickly, damp feeling rushed down from her head and tingled through her body. I need to sit down was her first thought, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t give herself away. She couldn’t let anyone know.
Pinching wasn’t working. Pain wasn’t working. She wasn’t sure if her dizziness was because of her mounting anxiety, or if her mounting anxiety was causing her dizziness. Small, white spots twinkled in front of her eyes. She thought she was going to be sick, but there was nothing in her stomach to throw up. She needed to focus. Not good, not good.
Her stomach rumbled and churned, trying to digest what wasn’t there. Her skin was clammy and cold and uncomfortably sticky. She couldn’t see, couldn’t think. And the dizziness hit her all over again, sucking any remaining colour from her face and energy from her bones. Before Galinda could even begin to protest, to stop herself, the curtains shut, and she met the grass with a dull thump.
*
Elphaba had never run so fast in her life. Even Shenshen, who was already out in the field, was several steps behind her.
‘Galinda!’ she cried, her voice hoarse. ‘Galinda!’
She scrambled to her knees beside her, eyes stinging, hands sweating.
‘Oz, what happened?’ shrieked Shenshen, arriving on the scene and close to hysteria. Others followed, all abandoning their posts and swarming around Galinda’s prone form like a pack of vultures.
‘Galinda,’ Elphaba said urgently, ignoring Shenshen, ignoring the murmurs and panic and jostling bodies. She gently brushed her knuckles down her face. The girl felt clammy, and was so pale that her hair looked almost dark in comparison. ‘Galinda, come on.’
‘Out of the way, out of the way!’ boomed Mr Egrot, barrelling over and barging his way through the students who had gathered around. He was carrying a first aid kit in his large, pink hand, and he nearly sent Elphaba flying when he landed next to her. ‘Did anyone see what happened? Was she struck by a ball?’
‘No!’ Pfannee wailed, still holding his bat. ‘I was the one hitting and I totally missed it! It never even connected!’
Fiyero was suddenly there, too. Elphaba didn’t even look at him, but he crouched by Galinda’s head, his expression pinched. He went as if to stroke her hair, and without even realising what she was doing, Elphaba pushed his hand away. Fiyero looked up at her, taken aback, but Elphaba’s eyes were locked on Galinda. Her face was slack as if she was in sleep, but it wasn’t the soft, content look Elphaba was used to seeing when they woke up together - she looked completely expressionless, and she was exceptionally pale. Elphaba swallowed thickly, her eyes stinging.
‘She just collapsed.’ It was Milla, her voice was laced with concern. ‘I wasn’t standing too far away, and nothing - nothing happened to make her fall. She kind of crumpled.’
‘Oh Oz, what if she’s dead?!’ shrieked Pfannee, clutching at Shenshen who was looking just as alarmed for her friend. ‘Has anyone checked her pulse? Elphaba! Check her pulse!’
‘She isn’t dead, you buffoon,’ Avaric drawled, rolling his eyes. He was the one who had been pitching, and he had a ball in his hand, throwing it up and down in a rhythmic motion. ‘She’s probably doing it for attention, knowing her.’
If Elphaba wasn’t so preoccupied with trying to rouse Galinda, she might’ve turned around and kicked him very hard in the shins.
‘Be quiet, Mr Avaric,’ snapped Mr Egrot, rummaging in the first aid kit. ‘Anyone with eyes can see that Miss Galinda has taken ill. Prince Fiyero,’ he looked right over Elphaba to address him, ‘does Miss Galinda experience regular fainting spells? Does she have hypotension, or an iron deficiency?’
Fiyero looked completely lost, his eyes widening in confusion, as if he was wondering why Mr Egrot would be asking such things. But Elphaba knew why. So, she thought, even the faculty know about their relationship. Her jaw twitched.
‘I - n-no, not that I’m aware of,’ he spluttered, his hands shifting to cradle Galinda’s head. Elphaba resisted the urge to push him away. ‘That is - she’s never fainted in my company before.’
‘Unless you count swooning,’ someone piped up, to which several of the curious onlookers let out a chuckle. Laughing at a time like this, Elphaba thought sourly, pressing her lips together in a thin line.
‘Elphaba?’ Fiyero asked urgently, ignoring the comment. ‘You share a room with her. Has she ever - has this happened before?’
Elphaba shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She could feel a lump growing in her throat, her eyes getting hotter the longer she stared down at Galinda’s crumpled body. It was as if the life had been sucked out of her. She’d seen her in all sorts of unfortunate conditions – excitable, irate, hysterical - but this was by far the worst. She didn’t seem herself. Galinda was noisy and animated and rosy-cheeked. The girl lying at her side was silent, still, and so dreadfully pale.
‘Loosen her collar,’ Mr Egrot ordered, pointing to the buttons fitting snugly around Galinda’s neck. ‘We’ll want to improve circulation as much as possible.’
Both Fiyero and Elphaba shifted to do it. Their hands met over the covered hollow of Galinda’s neck. They froze. Locked eyes. A moment passed, before Fiyero edged his fingers away, returning to cradle her head. Elphaba let out a breath and popped open the first couple of buttons around Galinda’s neck. She was horribly clammy, and the starkness of her skin extended from her face, judging by how pale her neck and collarbone were.
‘Good. Try shaking her shoulders a bit,’ said Mr Egrot.
As Fiyero obliged, but Galinda didn’t so much as stir.
‘Come on, Galinda,’ Elphaba whispered, her voice shaking. Her hand went to clutch onto one of Galinda’s, sweaty palms suctioning together, and squeezed tightly. She could feel numerous pairs of eyes on them, and she wanted to yell at them to back off, to give Galinda space, to stop gawking, but her words failed her. All that mattered was the girl on the grass, and the thumping of her own panicked heart.
‘She didn’t eat very much at breakfast,’ Shenshen offered, sounding just as shaky as Elphaba. ‘Could that…have had an impact?’ She was still steadying Pfannee, who was clutching onto her arm as if he too was about to pass out. The pair of them looked genuinely worried, which, Elphaba had to admit, surprised her. She knew that they cared for Galinda in their own peculiar way, but she never expected them to be so distraught if she was ever harmed.
'Yes,’ muttered Fiyero, his brow furrowing as his fingers lightly tapped at Galinda’s temple, as if hoping to gently coax her awake. ‘Now that you mention it, she hardly had anything.’
'The same last night,’ Pfannee said feebly, having abandoned his bat. ‘A paltry portion by all accounts. Could that be…?’
Mr Egrot grunted in agreement. ‘If she’s not eaten enough, she might’ve had a drop in blood sugar.’ He finished rooting around in the first aid kit and produced a glass bottle filled with brownish-gold crystals. ‘I recommend you all stand back,’ he said gruffly, twisting open the cap.
The gathered students obeyed immediately and formed a sort of crescent shape around Galinda, Fiyero and Elphaba, still craning their necks to have a good look at what was going on. Shenshen and Pfannee stayed closer, clutching each other, while Elphaba and Fiyero didn’t move an inch. Mr Egrot arched a bushy eyebrow at them.
'Suit yourself,’ he shrugged, before pulling off the cap. A sharp, penetrating odour that Elphaba likened to bleach on speed scorched through the air with such intense violence that even the few clouds above them seemed to recoil. She immediately clapped a hand over her nose, and Fiyero scrambled away, coughing and spluttering.
‘What in Oz - what is that?’ he wheezed, the back of his hand over his mouth.
‘This, Prince Fiyero, is a smelling salt,’ Mr Egrot replied, not at all bothered. Elphaba briefly wondered if his gigantic moustache covered up his nostrils, but her eyes were watering so much from the stench that she couldn’t well focus on anything else. ‘It should give Miss Galinda a kick. If not…Well, she might’ve hit her head on the fall.’
He wafted the salt crystal right under Galinda’s nose. Elphaba had to fight every instinct not to rear backwards and dart away like Fiyero had, but she held firm, keeping Galinda’s hand in a tight grip.
‘Come on,’ she whispered again. ‘Come on.’
There was a horrible moment where it seemed like the smelling salt wasn’t doing anything, when all at once, Galinda’s noise scrunched up like she was about to sneeze, and a hacking cough spluttered from her lungs. Her chest heaved and her eyes flew open, her first instinct being to shove at Mr Egrot.
‘G-get away from me! What - what’s happening?’ she groaned, trying to sit up. She failed miserably, letting out a mournful wail as her head thudded back against the grass. She pressed her free hand over her face. The onlookers gasped in relief as she regained consciousness, swarming around her again, and Fiyero hasted back towards her.
‘Miss Galinda,’ said Mr Egrot, replacing the smelling salt and sealing the bottle (much to everyone’s gratitude), ‘can you tell me where you are?’
Galinda was blinking rapidly, her palm pressing against her forehead. ‘I - um - I’m in the sports field, of course. I just - I don’t - Oz, I feel sick.’
‘It’s okay, my sweet,’ Elphaba said, close to crying the moment Galinda opened her brown eyes. ‘You’re okay.’ Galinda only just seemed to notice her, and the expression of mild panic on her face seemed to settle a little, and she let out a whimper.
‘Elphie,’ she whispered. ‘Elphie, I feel awful.’ She tried to push herself up again, but Mr Egrot’s hand landed on her shoulder, easing her back down.
‘Don’t try and sit up just yet, Miss Galinda,’ he warned. ‘Take it nice and slow.’
‘What…happened?’ she murmured, fingers squeezing tighter around Elphaba’s hand.
‘We think you fainted,’ replied Elphaba, keeping her tone soft despite the lump still wriggling in her throat. ‘Does anything hurt? Did you hit your head?’
Galinda looked completely bewildered. ‘F-fainted? I - I don’t…No, nothing hurts, I just…’ She looked around at the gathered students, her eyes widening in horror when she saw how many of them were gawping at her.
‘Oz, Galinda!’ cried Shenshen, pushing herself forward. ‘Are you okay? What happened? You gave us a collective heart attack!’
‘Did something strike you?’ Pfannee said stupidly. ‘A bird? A stray bolt of lightning?’
‘The sky is clear, you dimwit,’ muttered Milla, but no one paid her any attention. They had all started talking at once, their voices overlapping, jabbering and questioning like a pack of squawking birds. Galinda seemed to shrink into herself.
'You just fell!’ Pfannee gushed, his eyes alight with concern behind his spectacles. ‘Like - I don’t know - like a sack of potatoes!’
‘Don’t compare her to a sack of potatoes, Pfannee,’ Shenshen scowled.
‘It’s rather accurate, though,’ smirked Avaric, still throwing the ball up and down. ‘You completely crumpled, Miss Galinda. It was pretty funny.’
‘Watch it, Avaric,’ Fiyero snapped, before turning his attention to an increasingly distressed Galinda. ‘Though you did hit the ground rather hard, darling. Shall I help you sit up?’
‘Slowly, Prince Fiyero,’ warned Mr Egrot, packing up the first aid kit and getting to his feet. ‘We don’t want Miss Galinda blacking out. A trip to the Infirmary is in order too, I think.’
‘I’ll take her!’ Pfannee said immediately.
‘No, I’ll take her,’ Shenshen said, kneeling down next to Fiyero and putting her hand on Galinda’s shoulder. ‘I’m her best friend. You’re only offering to get out of class.’
‘That is so not true!’
‘Sounds like the sort of thing you’d do,’ grinned Milla. ‘A master plan, actually. I’m amazed you thought of it.’
‘You can be terribly rude sometimes, Mill,’ Pfannee pouted, folding his arms. ‘But my offer still stands!’
‘Neither of you will be taking her anywhere,’ Fiyero said firmly, as he eased Galinda into a sitting position. She seemed to be shaking ever so slightly, and she still hadn’t let go of Elphaba’s hand. ‘I’ll do it.’ He patted Galinda’s other shoulder, giving her a gentle smile. ‘Reckon you can stand, darling? Lean on me if you need to.’
‘Ugh, this is disgustingly dramatic,’ Avaric muttered, rolling his eyes. ‘Typical of Miss Galinda. You know, my father told me that girls of her social standing are actually taught to swoon on command to get what they want.’
‘Really?’ said Milla, arching an eyebrow.
‘No, not really!’ Shenshen said. ‘He’s talking total nonsense, as usual! It’s obvious that poor Galinda is feeling ill - I mean, look at her. She’s so pale.’
‘And sweaty,’ grimaced Pfannee, noting the dull sheen of moisture covering Galinda’s face. Elphaba’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance at that.
‘Oz, you don’t think she’s going to hurl, do you?’ Milla gulped, taking several steps backwards. ‘I can’t stand it when people throw up near me. I usually end up throwing up myself.’ She went a little green at the thought, shuddering.
‘What, in solidarity?’ snorted Avaric.
‘No!’ Milla said, elbowing him. ‘It’s an involuntary response to seeing something so gross! I can’t help it!’
‘She did say she was feeling sick,’ Shenshen said. ‘Galinda?’ She increased her grip on Galinda’s shoulder, coaxing her to turn to her. ‘Oz, you really do look dreadful. Are you going to puke?’
‘Warn us!’ cried Milla. ‘Oh, for the love of Oz, warn us if you’re going to hurl!’
‘If she was, she’d have done it by now,’ Fiyero reasoned. ‘Although,’ he released her shoulder, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, ‘if you are going to throw up, my darling, do try to aim away from me. I’m a bit like Miss Milla. Can’t stand the smell of vomit.’
‘Don’t you dare be sick on my field, Miss Galinda,’ piped up Mr Egrot, his voice gruff. ‘It’s a pain to hose down.’
‘At least the ground is pretty solid because it’s so cold,’ Pfannee said, stomping at the grass with his foot. ‘If she did hurl, it’s not like it would be hard to wash off.’
‘Is that you volunteering to clean it up, Mr Pfannee?’ said Mr Egrot.
Pfannee instantly put his hands up in surrender. ‘Oz, no. There are many things in life I will never do, and cleaning up another person’s vomit is one of them.’
‘Then you’d best hope Miss Galinda had good control over her upchuck reflex,’ Mr Egrot shrugged, slinging the first aid kit over his shoulder. ‘Now, come along. Off to the Infirmary with you so I can get on with my class.’
‘Let’s get you on your feet,’ Fiyero encouraged. His hands slipped under her armpits, as if to pull her into a standing position, but he recoiled as soon as he touched her, letting out an awkward laugh. ‘Er - goodness. You are a little sweaty, aren’t you? Make sure to have plenty to drink.’
‘Ew,’ groaned Shenshen, as if it was completely abnormal to sweat.
Galinda’s eyes were darting around so quickly that it was almost hard to keep track of them. Her chest was rising and falling with growing speed, and she was still trembling. Elphaba, who hadn’t said a word as their classmates fussed around them like a gaggle of fretful old ladies, gave her hand another squeeze.
‘Don’t listen to them,’ she murmured. ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re a bit sweaty, or if you throw up. It’s a perfectly normal response after passing out.’
‘E-Elphie.’ Galinda’s voice was a choked whisper, her hold tightening around Elphaba’s hand. Elphaba took in her expression - a cross between embarrassment, confusion, and unbridled panic - and she got the message. There were too many people. Too many witnesses.
‘Right,’ said Elphaba, letting go of Galinda’s hand and drawing herself up to her full height (which, admittedly, was not very tall). ‘You all need to back off and give her some space, okay?’
‘Or what?’ sneered Avaric. ‘You’re going to put a spell on us?’ He waggled his fingers for good measure, and several students tittered with laughter.
Elphaba arched an eyebrow. ‘Try me, Avaric. I dare you.’
To her immense satisfaction, he backed off.
‘Now,’ Elphaba continued, kneeling down to put her arm around Galinda’s shoulder. ‘I’m going to be taking her to the Infirmary. The rest of you can stay here.’ She shot a sharp look at Fiyero, as if daring him to challenge her, but he just gave her a curt nod.
‘Look after her, won’t you?’ he said.
‘Of course I will.’
Galinda was as shaky as a new-born foal as she struggled to her feet, leaning on Elphaba heavily.
‘I’m s-sorry,’ she murmured, hiding her face in Elphaba’s shoulder. ‘I’m so sweaty and gross.’
‘Don’t you dare apologise, sweetheart,’ Elphaba whispered. ‘Let’s get you out of here.’
‘Make sure to tell the nurse how long she was unconscious for, Miss Elphaba,’ Mr Egrot said, his huge arms folded across his chest. ‘And once you’ve checked her in, be sure to come back. Class is still in session.’
Elphaba, who had absolutely no intention of leaving Galinda’s side, gave a vague grunt of acknowledgement.
‘Be well, sweet Galinda!’ wailed Pfannee, flourishing a hankie in the air.
‘Oz, she’s not going off to war, Pfannee,’ Shenshen said. ‘There’s no need to be quite so theatrical.’
‘Forgive me for caring about our dear friend’s wellbeing!’
‘She’ll be fine. She’s not dying.’
‘As far as you know. Last time I checked, you’re not a healthcare professional,’ Pfannee said, thrusting his nose in the air.
'And neither are you!’
Galinda let out another whimper, still pressing her face into Elphaba’s shoulder as if she was trying to hide herself away. Elphaba, keeping a firm grip, hauled her away from their ridiculous arguing without another word.
*
Before long, Galinda was propped up in a narrow bed in the Infirmary, sucking sugared water through a straw and holding a dry cracker in her free hand. She looked miserable.
‘They all saw,’ she kept whispering, her eyes shining. ‘They all saw and they laughed and they - ugh, this drink is disgusting.’ She leant over to put it on the bedside table, but Elphaba pushed it back towards her.
‘You need to drink the whole glass, Galinda,’ she said. ‘You heard the nurse. And besides, I thought you said you had a sweet tooth?’
‘Yeah, but this tastes…I don’t know, medical,’ Galinda grimaced. ‘Here, you try it.’
‘It’s not for me,’ Elphaba said firmly. ‘You need to drink the whole glass. And eat your cracker.’
Galinda relented, slumping back against the pillows with a huff. There was a bit of colour back in her face, at least, but she felt very lethargic. The nurse had checked for any signs of injury following the fall - primarily whether she had hit her head - and concluded that what Galinda needed was rest and energy.
‘I can’t say I’m surprised,’ she had said, wearing a frown. ‘If you didn’t eat enough for breakfast, your blood sugar likely dropped. I’ll arrange for some blood tests to check your iron levels in case you're anaemic, but really, Miss Galinda, you should know better - a young lady like you needs to eat enough to sustain yourself.’
Galinda had simply nodded mutely, not bothering to argue. The nurse had bustled off and returned with the aforementioned water and a plate of plain crackers, before she disappeared off to another wing.
‘Do you think they’ll do the blood tests today?’ Galinda said quietly, swallowing down another sip of the water.
‘I’m not sure. Unlikely, since it doesn’t seem terribly urgent,’ replied Elphaba. She was sitting on a stool by Galinda’s bed, her hands knotted in her lap. ‘I imagine they’ll arrange for a follow-up appointment in a few days to draw blood.’
‘Oh, what a pain,’ mumbled Galinda.
‘You’re…not scared of needles, are you?’
Galinda shook her head. ‘No, nothing like that. It just seems like an awful lot of faff over nothing. I was just a little dizzy. All of this,’ she held up the glass in a sarcastic toast, ‘seems a little histrionic for my tastes.’
‘Galinda, you fainted. That isn’t nothing.’
Without warning, Galinda’s face crumpled and her eyes filled up. She abandoned the uneaten cracker and pressed a hand over her mouth to stop the whimper that tried to squeeze its way out.
‘Oz,’ she choked, tears spilling over, ‘I’m so embarrassed. I can’t - I can’t believe I lost control like that. In f-front of everyone.’
‘My sweet,’ Elphaba murmured, her hand resting on Galinda’s knee, ‘it doesn’t matter. These things happen sometimes. The most important thing is that you’re okay.’
Galinda shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as tears dripped down her cheeks. ‘But they all saw. They saw how disgusting and sweaty and p-pathetic I looked.’
Elphaba’s jaw twitched. ‘You’re not pathetic, Galinda. And to be honest, no one really cared about the way you looked. They were concerned more than anything else - Oz, I had no idea Pfannee could move so quickly, to be honest.’ It was a weak attempt at a joke, but she had to try something to raise a smile. It didn’t work.
‘E-Elphie,’ Galinda whimpered, her eyes snapping open. ‘What - what if Mr Egrot writes home? What if he tells Momsie and Popsical? They’d be horrified by such behaviour.’
I’m sure he won’t,’ Elphaba said, rubbing Galinda’s knee in a soothing, cyclical motion. ‘I’m not entirely convinced Mr Egrot gives two hoots about anything that isn’t sports related - I doubt he could be bothered to pen a letter. And Oz, even if your parents did find out, Galinda, then maybe it would be a blessing in disguise.’
‘What do you mean?’
Elphaba refrained from rolling her eyes in exasperation. ‘You heard what the nurse said - the most likely cause of your fainting episode was a fall in blood sugar levels because you’ve not been eating enough. And that is entirely your mother’s -’
‘ - Not this again, please,’ Galinda winced. ‘I’m too tired for it. I know you disagree with Momsie, but there’s nothing we can do about it.’
‘If you tell her you literally passed out, though, then maybe she’d lay off.’
‘Tell her?’ Galinda spluttered, her swollen eyes widening at the very thought. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. She’d be mortified.’
‘So she should be,’ shrugged Elphaba. ‘Putting you in such a position is shameful.’
‘No, I didn’t mean she’d be mortified at herself, Elphaba,’ Galinda said impatiently, wiping her wet cheeks. ‘I meant that she’d be mortified if she found out I made such a fool of myself in front of - in front of so many people.’ Her eyes filled up again, and she busied herself by taking another struggling sip of the sugared water.
Elphaba bit back what she wanted to say - which was a string of fiery insults aimed at Lady Upland - and instead got to her feet.
‘Where are you going?’ Galinda whimpered, looking up at her with eyes as large as saucers. ‘Don’t leave me.’
Elphaba’s heart jolted. ‘I’m not leaving you. Budge up.’
Galinda shuffled along the narrow bed, giving Elphaba just enough room to squeeze beside her. They were both still in their sports uniforms and stayed above the covers. Wordlessly, Elphaba lifted up her arm and gestured with her head. Galinda melted against her side almost immediately, her face nuzzling into the crook of her neck.
‘I’m sorry for causing so much trouble,’ she mumbled, as Elphaba took the glass from her and set it on the bedside table so it wouldn’t spill. She’d drunk a good portion of it, but Elphaba was going to ensure the glass was drained before they left the Infirmary.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘I’m just relieved that you’re okay. I was…really worried about you.’ She pressed her lips together, replaying the moment Galinda crumpled over in her mind, and her heart rate picked up. It had been so horrible, seeing her like that. So lifeless and small. Galinda’s arm snaked over Elphaba’s stomach, and she nestled even closer.
‘Don’t worry about me, Elphie,’ she whispered, her voice slightly muffled from being pressed into Elphaba’s neck. ‘I’m a little bruised from the fall - and so embarrassed that I’m contemplating changing my name and fleeing the country - but there’s no real damage.’
‘Can I come with you?’
‘Huh?’
‘When you flee the country,’ Elphaba smiled.
Galinda let out a small chuckle. ‘Of course you can. I think we’d be rather successful on the run together. We’ve enough money if we - um - borrowed from our families.’
‘Yes, borrowed,’ Elphaba nodded. ‘What would we spend it on?’
‘A lovely little cottage,’ Galinda said, with such conviction that Elphaba almost believed it might happen, ‘far away from all this nonsense. It would be somewhere quiet, peaceful, where the sun hits the windows as it rises. There…there would be wild flowers that we’d pick each morning, and we’d wake to the sound of birdsong and the babble of a river, flowing just beyond our plot of land. And…the smell of baked bread, of course.’
‘Hm. And who would be baking the bread, in this little dream of yours?’
‘Not me, obviously,’ Galinda declared. ‘Even after my parents forced me to take Home Economics classes to ‘prepare’ me to be a good wife, I was absolutely hopeless. No, cooking will be your job, Elphie. But I’d be in charge of buying the ingredients. We’d…we’d take a stroll to the local market each day, buying only the freshest food from round-faced vendors, smiling because they know us so well.’
‘People don’t often smile so freely at me,’ said Elphaba, a little wistfully.
‘It’s as I said, they know us well,’ Galinda replied. ‘That’s the sort of place we’d live - where people are close-knit and generous and kind. And accepting. Yes, they’d be very accepting.’ Her voice was full of longing as she spoke. ‘You know, we could walk down the cobbled streets - there would be cobbles, naturally - and kiss wherever we wanted. No one would bat an eye. And when we’d get back to the cottage, we’d curl up by the fire if it was cold, or sit in the garden if it was warm. It would be…quiet, and gentle.’
‘I can hardly imagine you being quiet, my sweet,’ Elphaba winked.
‘So terribly rude,’ pouted Galinda. ‘But I’d quiet down if I was in such a calming place, you know? I’d want to sit still and listen to it all.’
‘The birds, the river…’ murmured Elphaba, almost hearing it.
‘Hm,’ whispered Galinda, tightening her hold around Elphaba’s waist. ‘And you.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. You, breathing. Your heart, beating. I’d listen to that every day.’
Something shifted in the air between them. Elphaba didn’t know what to say. She gazed down at Galinda who, at the same moment, had lifted her head to look up. They caught each other’s eyes - and there was something blazing behind them, the green and the brown. An intensity. A promise. A sudden understanding that yes, it was what they both wanted. That gentle, quiet, beloved life. A place to exist together. Elphaba’s breath hitched.
‘Galinda…’ she whispered.
‘Elphie?’
‘...That is the softest of dreams.’
‘What if I said I didn’t want it to be just a dream?’ Galinda’s voice was shaking - her whole body, in fact - and for a moment, Elphaba was worried she was feeling dizzy again.
‘Then, my sweet, I would run away with you in a heartbeat.’ She leant down and kissed her. Galinda’s lips were as soft as the first time they kissed, when things were so fragile and uncertain. Galinda had been scared. Elphaba had been startled. And now, when they kissed, Elphaba could not believe there ever was a time when it felt unsure. Oz, she thought to herself, cupping Galinda’s face, I believe all my dreams will always carry a part of her, now.