confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Nessa

The door has just been knocked and I've gone straight back into panic mode.
People are trying to talk to me but I can't hear them over the sound of my own frantic breathes.
The door knocks again, this time far louder.
"Oh for Oz's sake!" I cry out loudly, "someone get the door."
Boc stands up and marches out of my view, I'm facing the window and Glinda, who's sat upon the window seat.
My sister is leaned against a wall to my left.
I can't be getting this worked up over a doctors visit but everything's different now I'm Eminence.
Nothing can ever go back to the way it was.

I hear talking behind me, I recognise Doctor Tips voice, if she calls me your Eminence I might just cry.
I slowly turns myself around, knowing that I look terrible.
But I'm greeted with not just doctor Tip, but another friendly face.
My sweet sweet nurse marigold.
"Marigold!" I gasp loudly, she grins from ear to ear but stops when she's had a proper look at me.
"Why chick you look exhausted!" She cries.
I'm just so happy she's not called me eminence.
Tip looks me up and down too and I notice she had her leather briefcase with her, she opens her mouth to speak.
"Please," I whisper defeatedly "please just call me Nessarose, I beg of you."
Tip places her briefcase upon the bed and opens it without so much as a hello.
She carefully pulls out a stethoscope and without warning, places it upon my chest.
I gasp at the sudden icy coldness upon my skin.
Once removed, the stethoscope is placed back into the briefcase and Doctor Tip turns to me.
"You really shouldn't be out of bed." She concludes.
I lose my temper.
"And you got all of that from just listening to my heartbeat?" I cry angrily. "What a load of debilitating rubbish!"
"Nessa." My sister hisses at me to calm down but I can't, this is ridiculous.

Doctor Tip clears her throat.
"I can tell from looking at you Madame." Doctor tip responds, I'm slightly comforted by her usage of the word Madame but it doesn't change the seething rage im feeling.
"you look nauseated Madame and a bit in shock, I also," Tip places a hand upon my forehead and quickly pulls it off again "feel that's your coming down with a fever, I suspect the large change in your life has brought this on but it is in your best interest to take yourself to bed and rest."

I won't hear any of this, yes I'm stressed but it doesn't mean that I'm sick.
My entire life has just changed and I'm now the most powerful person in all of Oz.
How do people expect me to react?
"This is ridiculous!" I splutter foully "I am not unwell, you are out of line!"
Glinda rushes forward at my recent outburst and pulls Tip away form me.
"I feel we should talk outside." Glinda cries to the doctor as the two of them, followed by my sister exit the room.
"Nessarose" Boc mutters sweetly before I viciously cut him off mid sentence.
"Boc get out!" I cry, wearily.
I'm finally happy that I'm alone, or at least I think I am until the sweet voice of Marigold croaks in my ear.
"Nessarose dear, they're only trying to help you." She whispers softly.
I can't shout at this old woman, I just can't.
"I'm tired." I reply frantically "that's all."
Marigold chuckles to herself.
"I'll stay with you Chick, you need a nurse, I'll stay for you."
The sentiment is sweet but the idea of be being so unwell that I need a permanent nurse reminds me of the story of my birth that my mother told me and it makes me shudder.
"Marigold you really don't have to do that-"
"Wouldn't it be better?" She asks cutting me off "no more doctors visits and I'd keep you company when your doing your Eminant duty's."
I think for a moment, paralysed with exhaustion.
It would be nice, I do care for Marigold so very much.
And I've missed her.
I've missed the way she didn't make me feel small for being unwell.

"Tip has some nerve showing up here." I grumble.
Marigold laughs at me.
"You seem to say that about everyone who cares about you, Madame" she whispers, extending a hand towards me.
I don't reach for it but I don't pull away when she places it upon mine.
I breathe softly for a while.
"Eminence of Oz." Marigold muses to herself, "what a big change."
"You don't have to humour me, I know it's ridiculous." I reply hurriedly. "I don't have a fever, I don't know what Tips talking about."
Marigold thinks for a while and soon begins to chat away.
"I think your tired." Marigold remarks, she pats my hand reassuringly "you've taken on a lot of responsibility and you-"
"I know what I've done!" I bellow, suddenly pulling my hand away and gasping as the cupboards begin to rattle.
I didn't mean to shout at this lovely woman.

"I'm so sorry." Whisper, turning myself away from marigolds kind face "I don't know what came over me."
I feel Marigold place her hand on my shoulder from behind me.
I sigh deeply, telling myself not to turn around.
I'm definitely not unwell, I'm just overwhelmed by everything.
I feel that's natural, I've just become ruler of Oz, I'm bound to feel a little bit encompassed with things.
After a while the sensation of Marigolds hand upon my back seems so familiar that I'm scared that she's taken her hand away, I'm facing away from the door and towards the window so marigold could have ran away unbeknownst to me.
"Marigold." I whisper anxiously "are you still there?"
She pats my shoulder reassuringly and I let out a pained sigh of relief.
"I'm still here my dear." She replies softly, "I'm right here."