Raincheck

"Fiyero, I have a question for you," Nessa asked primly, delicately raising a napkin to dab at the corner of her mouth. She kept her eyes down and waited for the prince to verbally acknowledge her over the din of student chatter and clinking silverware. 

"Hmm?"

Nessa looked up and waited silently, prompting Fiyero to look up from his plate and meet her eyes. "Yes, Nessa?"

"Are you actively trying to get everyone around you sick?" The sound of muffled laughter from around the table and the sight of Fiyero's ears turning red emboldened Nessa further. "While I appreciate you turning away from me just now, you just coughed all over everyone else!" 

"Excuse me! I can't help it!" 

"You can't… oh, for the love of Oz. Well, I can't help this!" Nessa used her napkin to smack Fiyero's arm. "You are unbelievable. Rude, gross, and immature!" 

"Your accusations are entirely baseless and, frankly, offens-“

"FIYERO!"

Everyone in the cafe turned abruptly to see Galinda marching toward the center table where Nessa and Fiyero sat for breakfast. Fiyero's eyes widened as Galinda stopped directly in front of him, hands on her hips, glaring down at him - a playful glint in her eye, but glaring nonetheless. She poked him hard in the chest. 

"You and your disgustifying little germsicles got my Elphie sick!" Galinda poked him once more before tossing her hair dramatically over her shoulder as she glanced around the table. "I see Bi-Boq is not present this morning either. I'm guessing he, too, has fallen ill." She turned back to Fiyero, openly enjoying his reddening face. "Well?"

Fiyero cleared his throat and turned fully around so his legs were no longer tucked beneath the table. He leaned back, elbows braced behind him. Clearly, he was going to go for smug indifference rather than appropriately chastised and apologetic. Clearly, he had a death wish that day. 

"Listen, darling, you honestly can't blame me alone for your Elphie being a little under the weather," Fiyero said, cocking his head to the side. "Considering the poorly state the entire school has been in these last few weeks. Elphaba could have picked this up from anyone."

The prince pushed himself up and off of the bench. "Boq, on the other hand… well, he has been a little…reckless this last week while I've been unwell. The boy couldn't keep his distance." Fiyero glanced back over his shoulder to shoot Nessa a wink. "Sorry, love."

Nessa grimaced. "Ew, no. Please keep him." She swung herself out and around to face Galinda properly. "Elphaba is sick?" 

Galinda nodded, sending one last squinty glare Fiyero's way before turning her attention fully to Nessa. "She is, poor thing. I've set her up with tea, but she needs to eat. I'm hoping there is some palatable soup here I can bring back for her." Nessa nodded and motioned for Galinda to follow her, indicating a variety of soups available today, considering the sorry state of the study body. 

"Oh, wonderful! These will do just fine!" Galinda exclaimed, looking at the selection of soups. She settled on two vegetable-based options to bring back for Elphaba to choose from. She scanned the rest of the offerings for any sweets she could take that would be gentle on Elphaba's throat and picked up a chocolate mousse and a coconut custard. 

The blonde scanned the table once more. "Is there anything else Elphie likes to have when she's not feeling well?" She added a small packet of crackers and a bag of dried fruits to her tray. "I picked up fresh fruit this morning, and we have all of our favorite teas already, but I want to make sure she has absolutely everything she normally likes to have!" Galinda adjusted the tray in her hands and turned back to Nessa. "Being sick away from home can make everything feel so much worse…" she trailed off, noticing the odd expression on Nessa's face. 

"Nessa?"

The other girl shook herself out of her stupor, a tense laugh escaping as her hands flexed to grip the sides of her chair. "Sorry… I got distracted for a moment." She gave Galinda a small smile. "I think everything you have is perfect. Great. Elphaba has never really been picky." She moved backward away from Galinda and the buffet table to clear a path for her to move toward the entrance.

"Well… if you think of anything, will you let me know?" Galinda asked as she made to step forward, tilting her head slightly to catch Nessa's eyes. Why is she behaving so strangely?  Nessa nodded and accompanied Galinda back toward the entrance before veering off to return to her table, giving the blonde a quick wave goodbye. 

Galinda had almost left the cafeteria when she heard someone call her name. She glanced back and was surprised to see Nessa heading her way. Carefully balancing the loaded tray, she turned fully to face her as Nessa approached. "Yes?" 

Nessa stopped before her and opened her mouth intently before suddenly slamming it shut. Her eyes shifted down from where they had initially met Galinda's, and she sighed. "Nessa? Is everything alright?" Galinda asked, concerned about the other girl's odd behavior. Nessa nodded quickly. 

"Yes, sorry, I'm alright." She took a breath. "I just wanted to tell you that she - Elphaba - she has terrible nightmares when she's sick. She always has." Nessa shifted a little in her chair, catching Galinda's attention again. Maybe Nessa was feeling uncomfortable sharing something so private about her sister. Galinda could understand that. Elphaba was fiercely private, and this seemed like something she'd be embarrassed about. She would potentially be upset with Nessa for sharing, too.

Galinda nodded, perking up a bit, happy to be armed with any additional insight about Elphaba that would help Galinda care for her properly. "Thank you for telling me, Nessa. I'll certainly keep that in mind." She smiled at her and spun around, eager to return to Elphie and settle in for a cozy day. 

Nessa stayed put and watched Galinda walk away. Her stomach felt as though it had been twisted into a dozen knots. What was she supposed to say? "No, Galinda. I have no idea what Elphaba finds comforting or likes to have when she doesn't feel well because I'm not even sure Elphaba knows." She shook her head to dispel the lingering gloom and swung around to return to her table, smiling weakly at the few people who called out to greet her as she passed. As she approached, she saw Fiyero turn to the side and spray a sneeze all over the space where she would have been sitting. She promptly shifted to swinging herself back around to leave. Maybe some fresh air instead.

~~~

Elphaba woke from a very light sleep to the feeling of a soft hand running across her forehead. She had long since finished her tea and settled into a half-reclined position in Galinda's bed while waiting for the blonde to return. Her eyes fluttered open and found Galinda gazing down at her. 

"Hello, sleepyhead," Galinda teased, lifting her hand to rest the back of her fingers against Elphaba's forehead before flipping it over again to check her temperature with her palm. "Just a little warm. Nothing to worry about yet." Galinda stood and padded over to Elphaba's desk, where she had placed the tray of soups, sweets, and snacks. "Are you ready to eat?"

Elphaba pushed herself upright and scooted back against the pillows and headboard, sniffling slightly as the change in position shifted the pressure in her face uncomfortably. "Y-yes…" her breath hitched, and she fumbled for the handkerchief Galinda had left her with earlier. She brought it up to her face just in time to silently stifle a small fit of sneezes as Galinda was bringing a bowl of soup over to her. 

"Elphie! Don't do that!" The blonde scolded her, placing the bowl of warm soup in her hands. "You'll give yourself a headache." Elphaba gave her an apologetic look and lifted the bowl to take a sip. It was a warm, creamy tomato with a hint of heavenly spice on her throat. 

"Oh, that's really nice. Thank you," she said hoarsely, wincing slightly. She took another longer sip and tried to peek around Galinda to see what else the blonde had brought back up on the tray. Galinda followed her eyes and giggled when she saw what she was looking at. 

"You want to see what else I brought?" She bounced over to Elphaba's desk to pick up the tray, walked around to the other side of her bed to set everything on her desk, and began her presentation. "First! We have another bowl of soup for later - it's a thinner tomato with noodles and vegetables and other deliciousness. Then, we have sweets-" she paused, looking at Elphaba playfully, "for my sweet-"Elphaba rolled her eyes, "and finally, some simple snacks to have handy today!" 

Galinda selected a small bag of dried fruit and joined Elphaba on the bed, carefully settling at the end to face the green girl without jostling her too much as she finished her soup. She popped an apricot in her mouth and hummed happily at the burst of flavor. "I saw Fiyero and Nessa down in the cafe."  

Elphaba took another few sips from her bowl as Galinda continued. "I believe I arrived when Nessa was reprimanding Fiyero, likely for his terrible manners - I saw her swat at him with her napkin." Elphaba nearly choked on her soup as she snorted a laugh, alarming Galinda momentarily. "I tried scolding him for getting you - and Boq, I suppose - sick as well. He didn't seem to care," Galinda huffed, popping a dried cranberry in her mouth. "What a bratty little boy, honestly."

The last of the soup was finished, and Galinda took the bowl from Elphaba, moving to rinse it quickly in the bathroom before placing it on the tray to be returned later. "He is exactly that," Elphaba said, clearing her throat again, swinging her legs out from under the blankets, and getting ready to stand. 

Galinda stepped forward with a frown, holding a hand out to try to keep Elphie in bed. "What are you doing?"

Elphaba gestured toward the bathroom. "I was going to grab another towel. I need to wrap this up in case I fall asleep so it doesn't get all…," she trailed off, gesturing to her braids, which were still hours away from drying completely. She sniffled again, the change in pressure bothering her slightly when she stood from the bed. She pinched the bridge of her nose briefly and sighed against the irritation.

"Oh! You know what's incredible, Elphie? "Galinda practically gushed, holding Elphaba by the shoulders, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Truly, the most amazing thing?"

"…what?" Elphaba asked hesitantly, lowering her hand, slightly unnerved by the energy Galinda was putting out. 

"That is - and you're not going to believe it, really - but that, “grabbing a towel”, is something I can do FOR you!" Galinda excitedly exclaimed… before her face shifted dramatically from teasing excitement to playfully irritated. "Sit. Down. Elphaba." She pushed her gently back into bed, waited for her to lift her legs, and tucked her tightly in once more. Elphaba huffed good-naturedly. 

"Stay," the blonde whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, she bounced back into the bathroom, returning with a microfiber towel wrap, Elphaba's head scarf, and—after a quick detour to her vanity—her new bottle of sweet almond oil.  

Galinda handed her the towel. "What do you think? Closer to sunset?" Galinda asked, touching one of Elphaba's braids. The older girl nodded as she wrapped her hair tightly to draw out any remaining moisture. "Do you still want me to oil them for you later?" Galinda asked, eyeing the tired girl as she dropped her arms in exhaustion once her hair was up.

Elphaba nodded again, leaning back slightly before seeming to catch herself and moving abruptly to sit forward. She shook herself as if she were trying to wake up and looked apologetically at Galinda. "Yes, thank you. That would be nice." Elphaba blushed. "I like it when you help with my hair." 

Is she trying to stay awake right now? The blonde stared at her a moment longer, then smiled. "And I like helping with your hair, so everyone wins!" She laughed and gave her a wink before selecting a comfortable outfit to change into. She stripped off her clothes right there, her back facing Elphaba, delighting in hearing the older girl's surprised inhale - which unfortunately turned into a mild fit of coughing - and pulled on a loose pale pink cashmere sweater that landed mid-thigh and a pair of cream-colored leggings. She pulled her hair back in a messy bun and returned to her bed, crawling in beside Elphaba, much to the other girl's surprise. Hmm. Interesting. Galinda opened her arms, inviting Elphaba to curl up against her.

Elphaba hesitated momentarily before slowly moving toward her, finally laying her head on Galinda's chest. Her left arm was wrapped around the blonde's middle, and her left leg slowly moved forward to hook around Galinda's. They both sighed as they melted into one another.

"There," Galinda whispered, immediately moving to rub Elphaba's back. "Now, close your eyes. You need to rest."

Elphaba stiffened up a bit. "Don't you have… plans today? Or anything you need to do?" She sniffled quietly, clearing her throat. "It's Saturday," she croaked. 

Galinda frowned. "I don't have any plans, Elphie, no. Even if I did, those plans would have changed." She rubbed Elphaba's back, hoping to soothe her and make her sleep sooner rather than later. "I would never leave you alone when you're not feeling well. Why, that would just be awful of me to do!" She turned her head to press a kiss to Elphaba's warm forehead and felt her tremble slightly. Elphaba tightened her grip around her waist and exhaled slowly. 

"Elphie?" Galinda whispered, worried at the tension in the air, recognizing she was missing something and struggling to figure out what. She continued running her hands up and down Elphaba's back, quickly replaying the last few minutes in her head. What did I do? What did I say? 

A soft mumble interrupted her spiral. "What did you say, sweets?" She whispered, using her fingers and nails to scratch Elphaba's back gently. 

"I'm happy you're here.” 

~~~