Hurt
Chapter Two: Hurt
Oz looked so different from above. The rolling hills and open valleys blended into one another, awash in different blends of color that one could only notice from above. The poppy fields leading up to the entrance of the Emerald City extended as far as the eye could see. Elphaba wouldn’t have been surprised if they went on forever. She’d never noticed before how expansive it all was, having never ventured outside of Munchkinland and Shiz University until that day. There was a beauty to Oz that she’d never appreciated before, though it juxtaposed harshly with the horror that she’d just escaped from.
It also clashed horribly with the bruised and battered girl she held close to her chest.
Glinda hadn’t said a word since their escape from the Emerald City. In fact, she’d barely moved. If it weren’t for her subtle shifts every now and then against the uncomfortable broomstick, Elphaba would have thought she’d fallen asleep. Her back was tense beneath Elphaba’s protective arm, almost as though she were bracing for a fight. Elphaba wanted to say something, comfort her friend somehow, but no words came to mind. What could she say?
Elphaba knew what it was like to be mistreated, but she’d never been mistreated physically. She was painfully familiar with verbal assaults and social isolation. Thankfully, she’d never been assaulted or manhandled in the way that Glinda had been, though what happened to her friend never should have happened.
Now that she had successfully gotten away from the Emerald Palace, Elphaba could admit that she had no idea where she was going. Morrible had spread her lies to every quadrant of Oz, so there would be no one who hadn’t heard the falsehoods about what she’d supposedly done. And she couldn’t exactly blend in with her green skin, unless she found a way to cast an illusion upon herself. She made a mental note to look in the Grimmerie for a concealment spell once they landed someplace safe.
The sky had long since turned dark. Elphaba had no idea how long they’d been flying. Her eyes had long since begun to sting from gliding through the air at their current speed, and it was becoming harder to keep her eyes open and stay astride the broomstick.
She searched the ground below for a suitable place to land. By the time exhaustion and fatigue overcame her, they’d long since passed the valleys and fields of the country. Now they flew over mountainous terrain, which would make for an uncomfortable night, but should be good for keeping out of sight.
“Glinda?” Elphaba asked gently.
She received no response.
“Glinda,” she tried again, this time shaking the girl gently with the arm wrapped tightly around her middle. “We need to land soon.”
“Okay.”
The one word, spoken so softly into the night air, sounded more like a remnant of the wind than it did her friend. She sounded so different; so unlike the Glinda who had excitedly pointed out every landmark on the train, and been so excited by the secret compartments they’d discovered within it. How could the girl who’d fallen asleep draped over her lap a little more than twelve hours ago have been replaced by this shell of a person so quickly?
How was it possible that their lives had changed so drastically in one day?
Elphaba tried not to dwell on it too much as she leaned forward and dipped the broomstick downward. The broom obeyed her movement as though it had been made solely for this purpose. Elphaba tightened her grip around Glinda’s body so that she didn’t fall off and aimed for the crest of the tallest mountain straight ahead.
Having grown up in Munchkinland, Elphaba had assumed she’d known mountains before. The rolling hillsides of Rush Margins, the town in Munchkinland she’d called home during her childhood, had been surrounded by what she’d assumed were mountains, but looking at the massive clusters of earth that loomed ever larger in front of her, she realized that they’d been mere hills compared to these.
If she were looking upon these mountains from the ground, she’d assume they touched the heavens. They were clustered together in large barriers that would make crossing them on foot impossible. She knew, from her studies as a child, that this mountainous region could only be The Great Kells, the largest mountain pass in The Vinkus. A small passage, known as Kumbricia’s Pass, separated the mountains, which allowed for travel deeper into The Vinkus, or Winkie Country as it was otherwise known.
Elphaba was about to touch down on top of one of the cliffs, but the sight of a small river at the foot of the mountains had her heading to its bottom instead. It was a risky move, but they were both exhausted and needed water. Hopefully food would follow.
They’d flown for so long that when Elphaba’s feet touched the soil, her legs felt like jelly. It took a moment to get her bearings and remember how to stand upright. She let the broomstick fall to the ground as she closed her eyes and touched her temples with both hands, allowing herself some time to get her bearings.
Her efforts were soon interrupted by a sharp gasp, followed by the crumple of something crashing to the ground.
Elphaba’s eyes snapped open, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the cause of the crash.
Glinda lay in a heap, her pale pink dress pooled underneath her. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks as she raised herself up on one elbow just enough to examine her left leg which, Elphaba realized with a start, was bent at an awkward angle.
Elphaba hurried over to her friend, the effort halted as her legs caught in the heavy black cloak she still wore around her shoulders. Untying it with fumbling fingers, she threw it to the ground beside her impatiently as she fell to her knees to examine Glinda’s leg.
She opened her mouth, about to ask, ‘Are you okay?’ but it seemed a silly question to ask as she took in the sight of her friend’s obvious pain and suffering.
Glinda’s brown doe eyes, once so full of life and joy, had been dimmed. The corners were red and puffy, which made Elphaba wonder just how long she’d been crying. Surely not since their escape from the palace? That thought sent an unpleasant shudder down Elphaba’s spine. Could she really have been so unobservant that she hadn’t noticed?
The bruise underneath Glinda’s right cheek had darkened in color, contrasting with her otherwise pale skin. She’d lost her matching jacket in the skirmish with the winged monkeys back in the palace, which left her in nothing but her sleeveless dress. It made the red handprints and the beginnings of more bruising all along her upper arms plainly visible, as well as the goosebumps forming as a result of the chilly night air.
All of that would’ve been bad enough, but it wasn’t until Elphaba noticed her left leg that her eyes widened in shock.
The ankle was swollen and bent in an unnatural angle. The skin of her leg was cut in multiple places, some of which had started to bleed. Had that only happened now? Or had her ankle twisted back at the palace when she’d lost her footing, and the guards had dragged her toward that staircase?
Elphaba was embarrassed and ashamed that she didn’t know any of the answers. She was Glinda’s best friend. Weren’t best friends supposed to notice each other’s pain? It was difficult to know since Elphaba had never had a best friend before, but all the books she’d read had made her believe that to be so. She’d thought she was doing a good thing, rescuing Glinda from that tower, but looking at the state of her now gave her pause. Maybe she would’ve been in better hands if Elphaba had left her with the Wizard and Madame Morrible. After all, Glinda hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d never actually said that she agreed with Elphaba. She’d tried to talk sense into Elphaba but had failed. Surely nothing would’ve happened to her if Elphaba had left her behind? Surely Madame Morrible and the Wizard would’ve let her go back to her privileged life at Shiz.
No. She refused to think that; to believe that Glinda would’ve been better off if Elphaba had left her behind. Glinda had been in trouble, and as her best friend, it was Elphaba’s job to save her. She’d done the right thing. All she needed to do was get Glinda the care she needed, and she’d be back to her old self before long.
Looking around at her surroundings, however, quickly proved to her how daunting of a task that would be. She’d landed in a secluded area on purpose, but that also meant there was no help for Glinda other than what little Elphaba could offer.
Taking a deep breath, she tentatively reached out a hand and grazed her fingertips gingerly over Glinda’s swollen ankle, earning a sharp hiss from the girl in response.
“I take it that hurts?”
Glinda could only nod, her face clenched in obvious pain.
“Okay, let me think.” Elphaba got to her feet and began pacing, trying to remember what little she knew about treating wounds.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t much. Elphaba had read a lot in her life, but healing had not been a subject she’d studied in depth. It was clear that her friend was unable to stand on her own, which presented more than one problem. Escape would be that much harder, and she’d also be unable to run should the need arise.
Then she remembered the spell book tucked into her book bag. Feeling silly for having forgotten it, she reached into the bag and pulled it out, returning to sit beside Glinda as she rifled through it.
“Elphie, what are you-?” the girl asked breathlessly, but Elphaba waved her concerns off.
“Looking for a spell that can heal you.”
“No, please…”
“It’s okay,” Elphaba tried to reassure her, remembering uncomfortably how Glinda had pleaded with her back on the tower not to try the levitation spell again, her words laced with a desperate fear that Elphaba had never heard from her before. “Let me help you.”
She tried to ignore the girl’s apparent unease as she continued to look for a spell that could help her friend, unsure what she would do if she actually found it. Deep down, she knew that Glinda didn’t want her to do any more magic, but if she found something that could help, how could she not at least try? Glinda would understand once Elphaba eased some of her suffering.
Glinda fell silent. Elphaba continued her search, feeling the silence between them like a heavy stone on her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Glinda turned away from her, wincing at the pain even this small movement caused her.
Ignoring the guilt that threatened to consume her, Elphaba continued her search. The unfamiliar language made it difficult, but she understood enough to know what each spell would do. And it was obvious by the time she reached the end of the book that there was nothing to do with healing.
Frustrated, Elphaba threw the strange book on the ground beside her and threw her head into her hands, letting herself give in to despair for one more minute.
And that was when the full weight of her actions finally settled on her.
It had been one thing when she’d been ready to throw everything she’d worked for away for a life on the run because of her morals. She’d tried to come to terms with all of Oz thinking of her as a wicked witch if it meant that she could help the Animals. To save them from a life that wanted them silenced would’ve been worth sacrificing herself. She’d been ready for all that, if it meant she could do some good. Make some good in the world. Hadn’t that been what Morrible had preached to her that very first day at Shiz? If you work as you should, you’ll be making good.
This surely hadn’t been what the old woman had meant, but Elphaba had found her calling and she was ready to fight for it with everything she had.
But, as usual, Glinda had changed everything.
Elphaba had no regrets about saving her. She’d done what she needed to do, unable to live with anything else. But she hadn’t meant to drag her into this mess with her. Glinda had made her choice back on that balcony. Even if she hadn’t actually said the words, the intent had been clear in her watery eyes, so full of regret. She was going to stay behind and do whatever she could from the inside.
How could she go back to that now? Surely the Wizard would assume by now that they were working together. If Elphaba brought her back, they’d persecute Glinda in her place. Elphaba could not stomach that thought. No, as absurd as it seemed, Glinda was safer here with her.
Which made the task of taking care of her all the more daunting. How could she expect Glinda to rely on her when she couldn’t even take care of a twisted ankle?
When she looked down at her friend, she noticed that she’d curled herself into a ball, shivering as she rubbed her hands along her bruised upper arms in a meager attempt to keep warm.
Frowning, Elphaba gathered the large cloak from where she’d discarded it on the ground and gently draped it over Glinda’s slender form. The girl offered no resistance, settling underneath it as her face relaxed minutely in obvious relief.
Well, Elphaba had managed to do one thing right, at least.
She kept one eye on Glinda as she brought herself back up to her feet and looked around. Though it was difficult to see through the darkness of the night, Elphaba could make out the sounds of the river a few yards away. She hated to leave Glinda alone, but she didn’t have a choice. They needed water, and Glinda wasn’t in any condition to go with her. Elphaba would have to bring the water to her.
Aware that she had nothing to transport the water with, she made her way to the river anyway, not knowing what else to do.
Lowering herself to her knees, Elphaba bent down and gathered some of the water in her dirty hands and drank down several mouthfuls, feeling better with each drink. Her despair lessened a bit, and she was able to think a little clearer.
When she’d drunk her fill, she looked around one more time for something she could use to transport the water to her friend. She’d bring the water to Glinda with her hands if she needed to. She’d make as many trips as Glinda required, but the job would be easier if there was something she could use instead of her hands. The thought of the hurt blonde drinking from her dirty, green hands made her uneasy, but she’d do it if she needed to.
Then, as though the Unnamed Gods had answered her silent plea, her eyes fell upon a single loose leaf lying haphazardly on the ground a few paces away.
Elphaba hurried over to it, relieved when she noticed that it wasn’t a flimsy leaf from a nearby tree, but a thick one that she could fold with both hands to twist into a makeshift cup.
Emboldened by her unexpected success, Elphaba hurried back to the river and filled the leaf-cup with water, then returned to Glinda, who was lying in the same position that Elphaba had left her in, her eyes closed.
She opened them when she heard Elphaba approach but didn’t make any move to get up. She frowned when her gaze landed on the leaf in Elphaba’s hands.
“What’s that?” she asked weakly.
“Water,” Elphaba replied, watching the girl carefully. “Can you sit up?”
Looking as though she wanted to do anything else, Glinda slowly pulled herself to a seated position, holding the black cloak as tightly around her shoulders with one hand as she could while using the other to help her lower body twist into the position she wanted. She winced whenever her injured ankle moved, but otherwise didn’t appear to be too uncomfortable.
“I brought some water,” Elphaba explained when Glinda was as upright as she was going to get. She held out the leaf-cup carefully to Glinda, who eyed it suspiciously. “You need to drink,” she added when Glinda did not move.
Any resistance Glinda might have put up drained out of her when she saw the clear water that Elphaba offered. She leaned forward and let Elphaba tip the water slowly and carefully into her mouth, her eyes closing in obvious relief as soon as the cool liquid touched her lips.
When the makeshift cup was empty, Elphaba asked, “Do you need more?”
Glinda nodded slowly, looking into Elphaba’s eyes properly for the first time since she’d pulled her off that balcony tower. A desperate yearning poured out of the girl, though Elphaba had no idea what for. “Yes, please.”
Elphaba quickly returned to the river and brought more water back to Glinda, who drank just as desperately as the first time. She made two more trips, until Glinda finally declared that she’d had enough.
Elphaba reached over to tuck the leaf away into a pocket of the cloak, then sat back and realized that, with nothing else to do, she was left in Glinda’s company with the weight of everything that had happened that day settling over them uneasily.
Glinda must’ve been thinking along these same lines, because her brow creased, and she bit her lip as she pulled the cloak tighter around herself and regarded Elphaba, clearly waiting for her to say something.
Desperate to oblige, Elphaba blurted, “Do you want to talk about--?”
“I’m tired,” Glinda cut in softly, the words stabbing straight through to Elphaba’s gut like a knife. “We can talk in the morning.”
“Do you need me to help you lay back down?”
Glinda shook her head as she used her free hand to lower herself back down to the ground. “I can manage this much. Please get some sleep, Elphie. You look positively exhaustified.”
The words sounded like the old Glinda, but the dull, lifeless tone was anything but.
Elphaba knew the girl well enough to know that she wasn’t going to get anything else out of her tonight. Glinda could be stubborn when she wanted to be, and she’d gone through a traumatic ordeal.
Elphaba was left with nothing else to do but heed her friend’s words and hope that they could talk in the morning. She felt a desperate compulsion to explain herself, even though she hoped that Glinda realized that she’d only pulled her off that tower to save her. She couldn’t let her suffer. Watching her suffer in that moment was tormenting and unbearable but, unlike on the tower when she’d been manhandled by the guards, Glinda wasn’t asking Elphaba to help her now.
There was nothing else to do but lay down beside Glinda and hope that, with time, her friend could find it in her heart to forgive her.